picking up steam...

OK. So. I read two more books. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I'm up to 17 books in 4 months. I'm really halfway behind my pace, so thank God I get summer. I'll have to read a LOT of books this summer. That being said, suggest some super good ones. I have 18 and 19 lined up right now. I'm hoping to have at least one of those done this week as well. We'll see.

16. Playing for Pizza by John Grisham- This book was good. It was pretty short, a little over 200 pages. It was also about a football player, so not super relative to me, but it took place in Italy and it was an underdog/finding yourself-type story. It was simple and to the point. I liked it and it was easy to read. Nothing crazy. No "You can't handle the truth," moments, but still good. :) I think this was especially good for guys who aren't super huge readers.

17. Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky- This chick has gotten a LOT of my time/money this year. I like Babs (I hope she knows we're on a nickname basis now) and she writes somewhat controversial stuff, like Jodi Picoult. [I need to review House Rules because I never did it earlier.] This book is about a pregnancy pact. Anyone who knows me well realizes that, for me, this was like a beacon shining down from heaven onto this book as a matter of Divine Providence that I should read it. That kind of juicy stuff just speaks to me. Disturbing, yes. Anyway, I loooooved this book. It was super good with examining how this feels from all angles. I was really worried that the teenagers were going to stay idiots who promised to get pregnant together...but they don't. I really liked how Babs made it a story about the whole family and, honestly, wish I could give it to teenage girls. I don't know any girls romanticizing teen pregnancy, but even so, it shows all angles of the situation and how much a baby can change things. That's easy to see at 25...not so much at 17. Also, the mom (of the pregnant teenager) in the story is a really awesome character and the principal of a high school. I really felt like she was relate-able(sp?) because her position made sense.

It's actually funny because so much of this book was large-scale humiliation: media involvement, letters to the editor, school board hearings, but I could completely relate. There was a crisis and, as always, someone has to be blamed, publicly at least. I felt like there was a spotlight shining on me every time I went in public after my divorce, particularly if I was entering a situation (ie: church, work, family events) for the first time alone. It was a completely different issue in the book, but I got where she was coming from...and was even happier that it was a completely different issue. Something about the thought of a teen daughter making a pact to get pregnant makes me want to rip my hair out.

Anyhow, I have another book by Babs and another book by JG (John Grisham) lined up as my next two books to read.

So back to House Rules... the book was THEBOMB.COM. No seriously, it was amazing. Not gonna lie, the ending was rough for me. I have a theory, but only once you've read the book. That said, it was about a boy with Asperger's Syndrome. I'm a little obsessed with information about the autism spectrum ever since my nephew was diagnosed with Developmental Delays at age 3 (which he has outgrown and he is a TOTAL rock star). This book was incredible...and also made me wonder if I really do have OCD. Holy crap I could completely identify with this kid. One thing I *super* love about Jodi Picoult is her unfailing ability to make these characters real. Not only do they feel like real people, but her description of the characters/disorders/situations is absolutely realistic. For this book she met with no less than 9 families that had children affected by Asperger's. It was incredible. She is really a phenomenal writer and does her subjects justice. You should check her out. Every single book. I have them all if you need them. :)

Also...THIRTY SIX DAYS LEFT WITH MY KIDS. I literally got emotional typing that. I adore my children. I am going to miss them like CRAZY. I'm gonna need some prayers because I'm going to be a hot mess.

Thanks for reading. :) xo.