reading

One of my goals this year was to read 40 books.  I thought this would be easy and I didn't really keep track of it last year because I assumed I already read 40 books a year, but I didn't so I put it as a firm goal for 2012. That's less than one a week so certainly doable, right?

By the end of the year last year I hadn't quite completed that many so this year I've been periodically checking my count.  So far I'm up to 29 books read and we're just halfway through the year so I think I'm doing pretty well.

Here's my thoughts on what I've been reading lately:

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• I read the The Fifty Shades trilogy in early May and here's my thoughts - Pure smut (albeit entertaining smut), this series made me feel mighty dirty as I carried it into the middle school where I work so that I could read it at lunch.  I finished up the 3rd one while proctoring the EOGs and I felt like I needed to cover it up every time I went into the testing session.  I can most definitely see why people compared it to the Twilight series so if you didn't like Twilight, then don't waste your time.
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy - read this in about two days at the urging of my husband and couldn't put it down.  I'm interested in seeing the movie although I don't have high hopes mainly because most movies based on a book disappoint, but also for other spoiler reasons.
• Crazy Love by Francis Chan - I finally got around to reading this one that was recommended by so many people a while back.  I struggle with reading Christian non-fiction but I make myself plow through them because I usually do learn a lot and it encourages my walk with God.  That being said, I skimmed the last fifty pages or so and I still don't really see what all the fuss was about concerning this book.  I will probably give it another go eventually though.
• The Giver by Lois Lowry - Loved this one too; anxious to get my hands on the second one.
• Riven by Jerry Jenkins - This one's another Christian book but it's a fictional story.  My mom borrowed this book from my aunt several years ago after my aunt told her it was one of the best books, if not THE best book she'd ever read.  I asked my mom if I could read it when she was done and I've put it off ever since.  When I finally got around to finishing it last week, I sobbed like a baby and set it aside for my husband to read next.

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• Listened to Still Missing by Chevy Stevens on audiobook mostly while I was running.  If I had been smart I wouldn't have done that since it scared the jeebies out of me during some of my runs, but it was a pretty good story in the end.  I'd recommend it.
• Finally, I just finished The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  I've read several of his books over the last year or so and this one I had been on the waiting list at the library for some time.  I finally got it and read it in 24 hours.  I rated it 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads (that rarely happens) and I'd encourage you to go get on the waiting list for it now.
• Just started some dumb chic lit. The jury's still out on it, but I'll let you know what I think when I finish.



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Any book you'd recommend I read next?  There's still four weeks of summer left for me!