What I've been reading

I've always been a reader.  I like books.  So, school worked well for me.  Since I've been out of school for the last two months, this is what I've been reading:

Ken Follett's World Without End.  I read Pillars of the Earth while I was waiting for Bonnie to be born.  I liked Pillars; this one was just okay.  The writing felt rushed somehow.  I thought the story was a little sloppy and there was way too much sex.  I wasn't offended; it was just unnecessary.  It seemed like the author was just throwing the sex in there to jazz things up a bit.  See?  Sloppy.

By Common Consent.  It's a Mormon blog I follow and most definitely not one of the 'Mormon Mommy Blogs' that got so much attention a few months back.  There are several different authors who post to this blog and is a place for discussing all things Mormon, from inspiring stories to oddities of the culture to history to the BOMM (Book of Mormon Musical).  Recent posts I particularly liked: How to torpedo yourself at church, Hanging with my daughter in the Sacred Grove, and Perverting Modesty.  I always look forward to posts by Tracy M, the author of the modesty post I linked to.  A few weeks ago I found a link on BCC to Tracy's personal blog.  I became enthralled.  Because I have time for things like that right now, I dove into her archives.  She is a beautiful writer and inspiring mother.  I want to be like her.

Tina Fey's Bossypants.  This was a quick, fun read.  While I was reading it, Blake asked me if it was for women.  I told him it wasn't.  But since he asked me about it, all I could see as I read from then forward was that it really is a book for women.  That didn't keep me from enjoying it.  Don't read it if you can't overlook a few swears.  It was my first eBook purchase on the new iPad Blake gave me as a graduation gift.  I tried to keep the following bit of wisdom from Fey's friend in mind when I went out shopping recently, "'Don't wear what the designers tell you to wear.  Wear what they wear.'  His point being that most designers, no matter what they throw onto the runway, favor simple, flattering pieces for themselves. . . . It can't be said enough.  Don't concern yourself with fashion: stick to simple pieces that flatter your body type."  Love it!

Elna Baker's The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance.  I picked this up from the bargain shelf at Barnes and Noble, and I LOVED it.  There were several parts that were laugh-out-loud funny.  Once again, don't read it if you can't handle a few swears.  I knew that the author's struggle with her faith and dating life (she falls in love with an atheist) was a central part of the book.  I was expecting it to end differently than it did but loved her ending way better than the one I was anticipating.  It's not a missionary tool not is it 'anti-Mormon.'  It's just delightful.  Since I'm trying really hard not to hang on to things, I'd be happy to pass it on to anyone who is interested in reading it.


Jean Tweage's Generation Me.  I picked this one up at the $1 bookstore at the mall.  The tag line is "Why Today's Young Americans are more Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and Miserable than Ever Before."  It's based on research the author conducted as part of her dissertation.  She's labeled Generation Me, those born in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.  I'm only about half way through this one and enjoying it so far.  In a nutshell, she says that we've been raised in a culture where putting yourself first is a given (that's self-esteem curricula!) and where we were told we can be anything and deserve to be happy and valued for doing nothing, just because we're special.  And that teaching has led us to have high expectations for ourselves and a lot of depression and anxiety when the reality of the world we live in doesn't match up.  It's an interesting read.

I've also been reading a baby sign language book and my normal blogs and The New York Times.  I've got a few more books on my to-read shelf thanks to the $1 bookstore, but I'm always happy to take recommendations.  What are you reading?  Anything I just have to check out?