What I Read in August (2012)

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max

I have never laughed so hard while reading a book than when I made it to his poop in the hotel lobby story. I couldn't regain my composure for a good 10 minutes. There were a few other moments that came close to being that hilarious, but the rest of the book was a little tedious because of the very college-boy lingo presented in all caps whenever the author and his friends got drunk (which was always). Plus, he openly admits to being a terrible person, but some of the things this man has done had me cringing and shaking my head. He is definitely the future CEO of hell! I'm looking forward to reading his follow-up books - I'm saving them for when I need a good laugh!

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

While a little redundant at times, and more religious than I expected (not overly so, it's just worked in here and there), I really enjoyed the information in this book. I thought it was informative, and I'm looking forward to putting it into action! I discovered the love language of both my husband and I, and not only are they different, but my primary language is the one he understands the least, and his primary is the one I understand the least (which we discovered after ranking them for ourselves). It's interesting - I think we've been aware of each other's languages for years (especially evidenced by the fact that I hadn't even finished reading the list of languages when my husband shouted out which languages we each speak), but not catering to them. This book certainly gave us a better understanding of each other, and I love that!

Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams by Shawn Johnson

I really get into the Olympics when they happen, and I can't even tell you why, exactly. I'm not an athlete, I don't aspire to be a medalist, and I can't even imagine relating to any single one of the competitors. But I find it absolutely fascinating, and I really wanted to take a slightly deeper dive into the mind of an Olympian. This was a quick, easy, interesting read to enjoy during the Olympics. I liked it, and I liked hearing about Shawn's back story (it prompted me to look up videos of her routines and her dances on DWTS). It wasn't the most interesting writing, however - it read like an autobiographical essay done for a high school english class. Not terrible, very informative, but not very personal or overly entertaining. Still worth a read, Shawn Johnson is a great role model for young girls - she has a great attitude!

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin

Though I wasn't initially pulled in, I ended up LOVING this story! It was hard to read at times - the main theme being about adoption and parent/child relationships, and I'm hyper-sensitive to those ideas as a mother myself. I really enjoyed all of the characters, and while I'd love to see an "alternate reality" to this story (I think it would be interesting to see what would have happened had Marian made different choices), I'm happy with the way things ended up. I'd also like to know what some of the mothers involved were really thinking (Marian's mom and Kirby's adoptive mom, and their hesitations towards everyone involved). I'd love to know what happens down the road for Marian & Conrad, if anything. I'm hoping for a sequel! ;) I did notice an interesting theme - all of the fathers (Conrad, Marian's Dad, and Kirby's adoptive Dad) were all easy-going, open-minded, men that really cared for their daughters, while all of the mothers (Marian, her mother, and Kirby's adoptive mother) were ALL hesitant, unsure, insecure, and awkward. Is that typical of men vs women, or a subconscious idea of Emily Giffin's regarding parents that leaked into the writing? Interesting. I really enjoyed this - Emily Giffin is starting to impress me. She's turning chick lit into something more intelligent, and I love that. HOWEVER, I am aware of the drama that surrounded the release of this book (her bluntly asking her fans to make her book #1, and her husband responding, somewhat rudely, to harsh reviews). And while I don't care to get in the middle of any of that, I noticed that through all of it - she kept calling herself the "Buffalo Bills" of authors, and the fact that her books seem to stall at #2 on the NYT best seller list the "Buffalo Bills spell". I am not a football fan, but I AM a proud Buffalonian, one with many friends & family members who are all still highly sensitive to our history of 2nd place, and this really offends me. I told my husband and he said, "I forbid you to buy any more of her books" - ha! Good thing I was given all of the others for free! ;)

Also Re-Read

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling

"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more." - Albus Dumbledore