My Reading List

Truth be told, I never ended up reading all the books from my Summer Reading List.  I got too distracted with Divergent and then The Maze Runner series!  I've read 4 of the 5 books posted below.  Here are a few of my thoughts......

~ The Maze Runner Series:  I loved these books!  I'll admit, I'm a hopeless romantic.  All the trilogy books I've read have had fabulous love stories.  But, not this one.  And guess what, I still LOVED them.  Each one of them kept me interested and wondering what in the world was going to happen next.  I read one a week.  They are good quick reads that must get put on your list.  I can't wait for William to read them one day.  Gordon and I went to see The Maze Runner movie a couple of weeks ago and it didn't disappoint either.  They had to change quite a bit....which can be disappointing....but I felt like a lot of the changes were probably necessary.  Read the book, watch the movies, and you'll understand.

~ Gone Girl:  OMG.  Such a messed up story line but after the first 100 pages you literally Can't. Put. The. Book. Down.  The author of Gone Girl also wrote the screen play for the movie.  From what I hear, the book and movie are pretty similar.  Obviously, the book will always be better.  That's why I love reading!  It makes you use all your senses.  You can imagine everything just the way your brain wants you to.  Eeekkkk......I can't wait to go see the movie!

~ The Secret Keeper:  One of my good friends has invited me to join her book club in November.  They are reading this.  I love a good mystery book and I'm excited to see what this book club thing is all about.  :)  I'm guessing it will be fabulous.  Yes, I'm a dork...and a book nerd.  

I have a whole list of books on my "To Read" list.  I'll share soon!

Summer Reading Review

Back in May I did a post about a few of the books I wanted to read over the summer.  Since I was studying for my CPHON exam in May I didn't get to start reading until June.  I started off with book #1, by Emily Giffin.  I liked it alot!  It was right up my alley.  There were characters from my hometown, Midland, it was based in Texas, there was lots of talk about the Big 12 and there was a sweet, unexpected love story.  If you love girly books and you like football this is the book for you.

From there I got a little side tracked.....because of this......

Book #5 on my list.  Divergent.  To say I fell in love with this book is an understatement.  A bit obsessed may be a little more appropriate.  I didn't start reading this one until the end of August.....I didn't read much in July.  Moving to working 5 days a week really threw me for a loop and then I was super tired in the evening with baby #2.  Over labor day weekend I couldn't put Divergent down.  I finished it in less than a week and then insisted we watch the movie when we got home from the lake on Labor Day evening.  I watched it for the second time the night before my surgery.  This story line, the characters and the love story have kept my mind busy and happy over the last 2 weeks!!!

Since Labor Day weekend I have finished Insurgent and Allegiant.  I can't say enough how great these books are.  I was and am a huge Twilight fan.  Same goes for The Hunger Games.  But, I'm going to have to say Divergent is my favorite.  Why?  Tris and Tobia's love for each other.  They respect each other, hold each other accountable, and most importantly they make each other better.  When I was struggling with my own love life a close physician friend told me I'd know I'd found "the one" when they made me a better person.  He couldn't have been more right.  Before Gordon this wasn't the case.  The guys I dated before him, if anything, made me worse.  Less ambitious, less driven, etc, etc.  Gordon made me want to do better, be better, be healthier, take better care of myself, take care of him....you get the point.  So, reading about Tris and Tobia's love made me so happy.  I couldn't read fast enough and yet I didn't want the books to ever end.  It was a real love.  They made each other better, they built each other up.

Here are a few of my favorite paragraphs from the third book, Allegiant:

"I used to think that when people fell in love, they just landed where they landed, and they had no choice in the matter afterward.  And maybe that's true of beginnings, but it's not true of this, now.  
I fell in love with him.  But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me.  I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other.  I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me."
"Just as I have insisted on his worth, he has always insisted on my strength, insisted that my capacity is greater than I believe.  And I know, without being told, that's what love does, when it's right-it makes you more than you were, more than you thought you could be."  

Needless to say, I'll be at the theater on opening night to see Insurgent.  March 2015 can't come soon enough!!!!  It doesn't hurt that Tobias is played by one of the prettiest human beings on the planet, Theo James.  Once I'm done reading Four, by Veronica Roth, I guess I'll have to move onto my original "summer reading" list!
 

Summer Reading

Summer is around the corner and my pale body couldn't be happier!  There is no better way to sun bathe than to have a good book in your hand (and an adult beverage in the other!).  Since our annual beach trip is right around the corner I decided I needed to start thinking about what book I'm going to read.

Before I had baby boy I read a lot!  It really is one of my favorite things to do....has been since I was a little girl.  In elementary school I loved The American Girl books.  That was followed by Goose Bumps and then Nancy Drew, yes, I'm a dork at heart.  Hopefully, once I'm done studying for the CPHON exam I can make some more time for one of my favorite hobbies! 


So, here are a few books on my Summer Reading List! 


1. love. love. love Emily Giffin (she and Jodi Picoult are 2 of my favorites at the moment).  This will be my beach book.  Her books are easy reads, funny and usually very relatable.  Love The One Your With is probably one of my favorites by E. Giffin.  I can't wait to upload her newest book to my Kindle!  Actually, I may just buy the real book.  There's something about turning the pages of a book while laying on the beach listening to the ocean that's so peaceful.  Heaven on Earth!


2. My mom says that Heaven is For Real is a must read.  It's about a little boy's trip to Heaven and back.  This will be right up my pedi-oncology-nursing alley!  I'm sure I'll cry my eyes out. 


3.  Eat That Cookie by Liz Jazwiec.  This is a book I wouldn't typically read, but I recently heard Liz speak at TCH and she's hilarious.  Why she's a nurse and not a stand up comic I don't know?!?!  Her book talks about creating a positive workforce during negative times.  Let's be honest folks....who couldn't use a little extra positivity!  Doesn't matter if you're a nurse, stay at home mom, or attorney.  Everyone can use a little extra sunshine in their day. 


4. Mary Higgins Clark and I go way back.  When I'd read all the children's mystery books that had been published back in the 90s I moved up to MHC.  I'm always happy to see a new book with her name written across the front.  Again, easy read and a little mystery to them!  I love wanting to read a book faster and faster to see what's going to happen. 
  
5. Divergent.  I love reading a book and then seeing the movie.  It just doesn't work out the other way around.  When this hit theaters I did some googling.  Sounds like it has a bit of a love story and has been compared to The Hunger Games.  I'm sold.  The Hunger Games and The Twilight books are my favorites.  Again, yes, I'm a nerd.

The One And Only | Heaven Is For Real | Eat That Cookie | Daddy's Gone A Hunting | Divergent

As you can see I don't take my reading very seriously.  Reading is my me time, my "down time".  I don't want to be depressed or have to think too hard.  :)  I want to laugh and be taken into the story. 



What's on your summer reading list?  I'd love more book suggestions!