Summer Reading

I love making a summer reading list for myself.  

Well, to be honest, I have a reading list for all seasons. 

Actually, It is just one big ol' long list a list that keeps on getting longer. 

I used to fear finishing a book. 

I would take the last few pages and drag them out over days and days. 

I had this fear that I would run out of good books to read. 

Books that grabbed my interest, got me excited and felt incredible to read

You know those books?

Therapy for the soul!

Life feels empty if I don't have something, SOMETHING, delightful to read.  

I wait all day long to snuggle up SOMEWHERE to read.  It is my nightly ritual. Put the kids to bed and READ until my eye balls hurt. 

Books take me to far away lands. To a life that is so poetic that you dream it was really, real.

I had a friend, who also LOVES to read, ask me the other day "Where is MY Steel Magnolias?"   We both LOVE the movie Steel Magnolias and separately daydream about living in a community surrounded by caring, loving, sometimes annoying southern women.  You know, the life that tends to only happen in books or movies where the people have all this time in the world to sit around, sipping tea, chatting it up, while the kids play in the sprinklers.

I LOVE the thought of that!

 I LOVE reading books like that. 

Books that take you into a world, a life, that you can really only dream of because people don't actually have THAT MUCH TIME to chat with small children around.

I just got back from my neighbor's house.   

We tried for a little over 3 hours to have a conversation. 

I think we managed to have one FULL conversation. 

Not sure though. 

So many conversations were started but I'm not quite sure that we ever finished one.   

There was however a point, for like maybe 5 minutes, that the kids were playing in the water and we were able to sip tea and coffee while talking about knitting.  

That was delightful.  

While it lasted! 

Kids are a LOT of work.  

Ya see, the parts the books and movies tend to leave out is what happens when the 3 year old starts having diarrhea  all over herself, the 2 year old goes crazy with the water hose, the 5 year old declares "I'M BORED" and the baby starts screaming for food.  

THAT my friends is REAL LIFE.   

Life, it seems, is all about survival and trying to find the humor in the craziest of things.  

Back to the summer reading list.

I want my reading to be light. 

I need LIGHT.  

With small children in the house LIFE its self is HEAVY. 

Fun! But HEAVY.

HEAVY FUN!!! 

There are times when I literally have to drag myself through the day, either physically or emotionally.

2 little ones depending on me, ME, for all of their physical and emotional needs.

WOW

That is a lot of responsibility for little ol' me.  

The BEST way to compile a summer reading list is by asking around.

I have bothered so many people with the same ol' question "whattcha been reading lately?"

Then I snatch up their book ideas!

So, without further ado, here is my reading list for this delightful summer season!

Wanna join me?!?!?!?

What are you all planning to read this summer?!?!