How time flies, and other things. . .

Yes, so much for my "I will post at least three times a week" plan.  My only defense is that I've been reading and writing as well as starting back to work at my day job.  And yes, I have been following the WFMAD challenge.  Have you?  If not, check out Laurie Halse Anderson's blog.  You could always start in September.

Also, I've been mourning the demise of Borders.  My favorite Borders store had survived the most recent round of closings, and I was relieved.  Then, the final death knell announcement broke about all the stores closing.  I know it's only a store, but it was MY Borders store.  Based on my research, there is one bookstore within a 45 minutes drive from my house.  There are no locally owned bookstores located less than an hour from me.  Sad.

Now, let's move on a happier topic.  What have I been reading?  Listed below are two of the books along with my reactions:

Divergent by Veronica Roth
I LOVE this book!  At first, I resisted reading it--even though the concept intrigued me and from reading her blog, I liked the author's writing.  The reason I resisted was that I just wasn't sure I was ready for another dystopian novel.  I became so caught up in the Hunger Games trilogy that I thought of the characters throughout the day, and I went through withdrawal at the end of The Passage because the next book isn't schedule for soooooo long;  let me just say that I didn't want to go through any of that again.  But, like I said, I was intrigued, so I read. . .and read. . .and read. . .and read.  I read the entire book one evening when I should have been washing clothes and getting to bed early.

And I didn't/don't regret a single minute of lost sleep.  (I washed clothes the next night, so I did not wear dirty clothes!)

The whole idea of this society has me thinking about all that could go on in the next book.  I believe in and care about Tris and Four; I can't wait to find out what happens next.  Also, I believe in Veronica Roth's vision and writing so I have no fears she will let me down in the upcoming books of this trilogy.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire
First, let me state that in high school, I was never one of those girls who read romance novels.  My cousins were and happily shared their books, and I read, oh, maybe one, and then just took their books and returned them, unread.  I read mysteries, horror, Greek myths, and a million other things.  I'd read good reviews of Hourglass, but thought maybe it wasn't for me.  But, I picked up a copy and. . .was hooked.  The whole time travel aspect kept me interested, and yes, the romance worked.  I loved the details about the setting and the food (yes, I kept wanting Cuban coffee) in the story.

I am in the process of reading the following books:


Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy 
Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
NOTE:  Yes, I am one of those people who read MANY books at one time.

Books I'm eagerly waiting to read:

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab  (Just received my copy in the mail.  It is my reward for this week, because not only am I back at my day job, I'm also starting a class relating to my day job.)

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson  (I've pre-ordered my copy from Books of Wonder and am hoping it will arrive BEFORE the September 29 release date.)

Downpour by Kat Richarson  (It shows how I've only been doing the limited survival type things lately because this book was released at the beginning of the month and I haven't gotten around to buying/ordering my copy yet.)

Okay, so that's what I've been reading.  What I've been writing will have to wait until my next post.  What are you reading?  What have you read this summer that you would recommend?  Let me know.  Until next time---READ ON!