Ms. Independent.

Remember last year when I was feeling weighed down by my resolution to read 100 books? I decided to make a Declaration of Reader Independence. I've been practicing a lot of these rules recently! The most recent being... 1. Not finishing a book. I'm not 100% sure if I wont go back to The Gluten Free Girl someday, just not soon. I disliked the author's tone. It felt condescending and snobbish. Mostly I hated how much smack she talked about her Mom. The first few chapters were humorous and relatable, but it soon became difficult to read. I like hearing people's stories about their love of food, but I couldn't tolerate her tone to the very end. I prefer books that are uplifting... or... un-put-down-able! All this sucks because it is actually a book I bought for my Mom that I saw on her shelf unread so I snatched it up one day, thinking I would read it real quick. All the negative comments aside, I think she should still give it a go. There are some good pointers for someone recently going gluten free.

Maybe I just like books that are carefree stories about love?! Not all the time... but a lot of the time yes, like the last two books I've read.

While neither of these books are classics (or anywhere near close) they serve a purpose... They transport you somewhere else, to a story that isn't terribly complicated but extremely readable. Both are qualities that I look for in a summer read. Both of these books I would recommend for your Summer 2011 list.

Scarlet Nights by Jude Deveraux
Obviously this was in the romance section. Obviously it was a quick read. Obviously it has a cheesy/predictable love story. Obviously I loved it.

There really isn't much you can review about any decent romance novel. They are what they are. This particular one actually had a little something extra... a hint of mystery. I didn't figure it out until the end, because there wasn't any hints throughout the book (great way to surprise a reader). But the mystery was a nice added touch to the standard plot. I wouldn't pick this book up before any other romance novels, but if you find it on a community shelf at your local coffeeshop, go for it!

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
I never read any Judy Blume books growing up. I just googled them, and not one sounded familiar. This is kinda weird to me since I have always been a reader. I'm glad that I didn't wait any longer to discover her. While Blume is known for her YA and Kids books, she also writes Adult fiction (what I like to call Chick Lit). That is what Summer Sisters would be classified as, Adult Fiction. Although I haven't read her YA books I have a feeling they have some of the same themes that she uses in this book.... just with sex. This book is about two best friends. It follows them from their childhood to their adulthood. I couldn't put this book down. Partly because of the love story, but partly because of the compelling main character. She is someone very relatable. Parts of this book are very dark and sad, much like real life. This book has more depth to it than your average Chick Lit novel. The entire time I was reading it I was looking at how much further I had to read (I read it in paperback not Nook format) and kept thinking there weren't enough pages! How could she finish the book with only that few of pages? I didn't like part of the ending but understood it was necessary for the character to have closer.

If you are interested in Chick lit I would also recommend: The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares and Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah


By the way... there is nothing in this world as wonderful as homegrown strawberries... check out my afternoon crop!

In other food news... I'm really bored with food, so I've just been eating crap lately (you know carbs and sugar) So my goal is to go back to how I was a month ago, being creative in the kitchen. I know I've said this repeatedly in the last few weeks, but I've lost the spark and I need to find it again. Last night I got sooo sugar sick it was ridiculous (thank you coconut ice cream) so no more messing around. It is affecting my energy... which means it is affecting my training! eeek only 18 days until the Warrior Dash!