Jovers

Summer was a bit slow for reading this year. Between working full time and getting ready for the wedding, I didn’t have a ton of time to squeeze reading in. That being said, here are my thoughts on some of my reads this summer (if not a little late!)!

Favorites

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. I was so surprised at how much I loved this book! It was such a light and easy read for being a “classic” and was so interesting! It had a good solid plot, good solid characters, and it kept me turning the pages, which is something that a book hasn’t done in a few months for me! It’s not a long read either, so if you haven’t read it, give it a try!

Somewhere in the Middle

King Raven Trilogy by Steven Lawhead. I have mixed feelings about this series.The plot was excellent; every detail was immaculately placed and insignificant moments from earlier in the series had huge significance later. It was an unique, fresh take on the story of Robin Hood that could have been amazing. There were just two big problems with this series.Lawhead has a way with words, which is very, very apparent in this series, so much so that it is to his detriment. There is just too much wording. What you and I could say in a sentence, he would say in five pages. While his imagery and verbage are impressive, I think it dulled the story down. It was just unnecessary and the plot would have moved along quicker.
Second, I had very little emotional attachment to the characters. I rooted for the good guys because that’s who I was supposed to cheer for and while the bad guys committed some pretty heinous acts, I didn’t really hate them either. It was a good story, but I just felt totally uninvolved and unaffected. It’s very hard for me to read books when I can’t connect to the characters, which is probably why it took me like four months to finish this series.

Disappointments

The Hier by Kierra Cass. I really should not have had high expectations for this book considering how I felt about the rest of the series, but I thought a fresh take, she can improve after three books, yeah? Nope. The first three books were about a girl competing to marry the prince; in this book, it’s flipped. The princess is choosing amongst a bunch of boys competing to be her prince. I thought that it would be an interesting and different perspective, but oh my goodness, the main character (what was her name again?) was so unlikable. She was spoiled, selfish, and had no personality. Total Mary Sue. The other characters were just as vapid. If you read the first three books in the series, just stop there. It doesn’t get any better, and this is only the beginning of more to come. I also need to stop picking books based on pretty girls on the covers.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Okay, I cheated a bit because I actually haven’t finished this book yet….and I’ve been reading it since February. But I only have a few chapters left! This is my first Dickens novel that I’ve read, but I could just not get into this. It was a very dense read for me, and I would lose my train of thought and have to go back and re-read the last page…or more. It really is an interesting story, but I can’t get past the writing. If you’re a fan of Dickens (then you’ve probably already read this) you’ll enjoy this book. Otherwise, unless you’re like me and read classics for the sake of it being a classic, keep looking elsewhere.

Have you read any good books lately or have any to suggest? I’m in a bit of a book slump!

I’ve seen this tag going around and I absolutely love it! Thank you, Domenica, for tagging me to share my eight photos of happines!

1. The sparkler exit on our wedding day.

This was one of the most magical moments of my life! It felt straight out of a fairytale with the sparklers and everyone cheering us on and my hand in my best friend’s. This pictures just exudes joy to me, something much deeper.

2. The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France.

French culture has always intrigued me, so it was an absolute dream when I visited Paris back in 2010!

3. My dog, Tabor.
Tabor!
This is my dog Tabor when he was just a puppy almost eight years ago! He was a “Christmas Puppy,” as my parents gave him to me for Christmas when I was 13. I love him to pieces, even if he’s not quite as cute and fluffy now as he was then!

4. My mom.

I feel like I talk about my mom all the time on my blog but that’s because she’s not just a parent to me. She’s a best friend, a lover of Jesus, and an encouragement. I can always go to her for advice, or just to chat, and I know she will always be there!

5. Cinque Terre, Italy.

Italy is such a beautiful country, and I feel like this picture does it justice. This was taken near “the path of love,” and was one of my favorite places we visited.

6. Reading!

Books

I love to read. There’s not many things better than curling up with your favorite book and a fuzzy blanket, and settling in for a few hours. This exact scenario doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, it’s golden.

7. Tennis.
Tennis
This is a picture from back in high school when I played on the girl’s tennis team. This picture was taken during a warmup before I won the 3^rd singles conference tournament. I love to play tennis and I had such amazing memories playing in high school with a great group of girls. I was so proud of what I had accomplished my last year and how much I had improved. It’s something that I wish I made time to do because I am so out of practice now!

8. Andrew.
Cupcakes
I know I already shared a picture from our wedding day, but perhaps while that one shows our love, I want this one to showcase our friendship (and what a goofball he is!). This was back in high school, too, when I did a tennis fundraiser. You could pay a couple bucks and smash a cupcake in our face, so of course he didn’t pass up the chance! We always have so much fun together.