Books Galore

I remember very vividly one disastrous summer that I read and read and read until my eyes were practically bleeding, and on August 1, or whatever the deadline was to turn in your list of books you had read that summer (I had like 7 pages stapled to the standard copy the library gave you), we came downstairs to find that my sweet pup had CHEWED MY LIST. I was devastated, heartbroken, and distraught. My mom taped and glued as best she could and I still remember taking the tattered shreds of paper that were my reading list to the children's desk at the library and saying, "The dog ate my summer reading list." The memory still haunts me, and I won't be putting any reading lists at doggie height EVER. AGAIN.

So now that you all know how giant of a book nerd I am, I have to tell you that I have started going to the library again. I live in Fulton County, so that's the library I have to go to. I miss my Cobb County Library system, but these are the sacrifices we make to live in the city. I start by looking at the NY Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List. I like to print it and highlight the books I want to read. Then I mosy on over to the Fulton County Library Search Page to search for the books I want, and find out where they are. You can also create an online account (your library card number including the first letter, and the PW is "changeme") and reserve and renew the books online. It's like a book nerds dream!

But sometimes you just have to go in and browse. I like to know if there are 1 or 2 books that I know I want to get, because I just HATE walking out of the library empty-handed. Recently, I have used my library card to check out these books:

Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer - Fascinating, captivating autobiography that allows many insights and even understanding of the world of polygamy.

The Pact by Jodi Picoult - I like any/all Jodi Picoult, and in fact had already read this once, but forgot what happened, so I re-read it.

The Captive Queen of Scots by Jean Plaidy - I'm only 75 pages in. This book is TOUGH to read, and long. The words are small, and I feel like I've read 200 pages rather than only 75, but it is interesting, and my love for historical fiction makes it tough to put down.

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult - Ok 2 Jodi Picoult books were right next to each other... what else was I supposed to do? I haven't started this one yet, but it's waiting patiently on my nightstand. I'm sure I'll pick it up one Tuesday afternoon and have it finished by Wednesday morning.

What are you reading lately? I'm always looking for more recommendations! I'm also thinking about hosting a book swap. My bookshelves, as you can see, are chock full of a wonderful variety of books, and I'd love nothing more than to trade a few books for a little while. I don't know if I could part with my books forever, although maybe if I was getting a few in return it wouldn't be all that bad.

We could do a girls wine night paired with a book review/swap. Everybody brings 3 books and leaves with 3 "brand new" ones. I think it would be a blast! Boys are welcome too, but I don't think they 'd find much of interest in my book collection... maybe others have a more boy-friendly collection, but not I. Anyone interested?