2010 was sort of bumpy - a lot of uncertainty and that is sort of where we still are. But nothing so catastrophic that we couldn't handle. I am thankful for a super supportive family. I did get a new job in 2010 - a much less stressful job that didn't follow me in home on my blackberry. So for the 2nd half of the year, I had a lot of time to read.
My first reading challenge was finishing I Am Charlotte Simmons. Can you believe I had been reading it since 2005? That is how busy life got, I guess.
Next up was American Wife, which is loosely based on the life of Laura Bush. It was definetly intruiging. I've always had an interest in the Bush family. Jenna's husband actually lives in my apartment complex while they were engaged. We were both graduate students at UVA at the time. I never spotted either of them though. Sigh. I so wonder, though, how much of the book is true. Laura was portrayed as an independent thinker and strong woman and wife. I do believe that much is true.
The Help came next. Another thick book, but a quicker read that I thought it would be. After I read it, I started to notice the buzz about the book. It was poignant about life in the south and house help, but entertaining as well. They are making it into a movie, from what I hear.
Such A Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster was hilarious. I have read a few of her books and plan to read a few more. This one was about her weight loss attempts and the effects of ambien. :)
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult was something I normally wouldn't read, but it was passed along by my MIL. A high school boy was bullied his whole life and in 19 minutes, went on a shooting rampage. It chronicles the effect he had on others and has a suprising twist at the end.
The Summons was left in our house by the previous owners. An attempt to avoid whatever home builder show Billy was watching led me to this book. What I liked about it was that much of it was based in Charlottesville, VA. Grisham is a UVA grad, so those details were neat for me. This is more of a "boy" book, but is was suspenseful and really kept my attention.
Next up: Sarah Palin. I know there are a lot of haters, but in this book, I learned that she did a lot for the state of Alaska. There was a lot of her personal, family story as well and you got an inside look to what the VP race was like from her perspective. The RNC kept her on a tight leash, from what it seems and she's carrying a lot of hate for Katie Couric. I could hear her voice throughout the whole book, and yes, I watch her TLC show.
Lastly, there is Emily Giffin, which I learned is her pen name. I have read several of her books, and honestly the titles and story lines sort of blend together. Everything about them fits the chic-lit genre, but there is nothing wrong with that! I have been hearing about this book since the summer and I know a lot of people were unsettled with the story line. But seriously. I could not put it down. I read it in just over 24 hours. They are also making a movie out of it.
For me - that is a lot of reading for 1 year! Non-academic reading, that is. And I did not purchase one book. Most were from my local library! After moving around so much, I know they weight of books, and to me, I don't want to lug them around and I am not one to re-read books. So there you have it. Any suggestions for 2011?
even though i had the husband, the dog, and paid off our credit cards this year, i know the year wouldn't have ended on such a positive note if it hadn't been for landing the dream job. my job honestly was making me miserable. In september, i actually was so depressed because i didn't land my "dream" job. but by november, i found out i landed this other job, and it was the best thing that could have ever happened to us. i am SO much happier.
ReplyDeletei really really hope you get the job!! i'll put in a little prayer for you...
(and btw, i watch sarah palin's tlc show too!)