hello again.

well, it's been a while. that is partially due to my internet going out at my house (i loathe you, time warner) and partially due to the overwhelmingly busy season that has been the last several months of my life. while it's been fun, it has left me worn out, tired, and having had little time to write and blog.

one super notable thing happened in my blogging absence. you all know of my love of shauna niequist's writing and how i kind of wish we could be besties. yes. so she came into town to do an event with us at irving bible church! it was such a special night getting to hear her thoughts and ideas about writing, motherhood, and bittersweet seasons. i was struck by just how open, honest, and comfortable she seems in her own skin. completely look up to her and if she lived in dallas would be stalking her to just absorb as much wisdom as i could.

i was also impressed because not only did she remember prior conversations that we'd had, but she remembered my sister's name. she met my sister 2 years before. 2 years. that's impressive, people. i already knew she was legit, but that just confirmed it. you rock, shauna.

here's a photo from the evening:

speaking of shauna, she is quite frequently posting book lists of things she has recently read that i always find really helpful when making trips to the bookstore. so here's what i've been reading over the past year:

hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet 
by: jamie ford
loved this one. set in the pacific northwest during the time of the japanese internment camps of WW2, this is a sweet and innocent love story between a chinese boy and a japanese girl and how the prejudice of the period affected their relationship. ford is a good writer, evoking a very real sense that i was in seattle while i was reading. love that.

the help
by: kathryn stockett
again, LOVED. told in 3 separate female voices during the 60's in mississippi, the tension from the race riots is palpable. a must read.

the girl with the dragon tattoo
by: lars stieg
i read this whole series in the matter of a couple months. they are compelling. lisbeth salander is an incredibly complex, interesting character that is not often found.

the secret garden
by: frances hodgsen burnett
honestly, i liked the movie better. and that never happens. this just felt really repetitive in its describing the garden and all the plants. i'm not a big fan of naturalism writing and this proved why. no thanks.

the bell jar
by: sylvia plath
hmmm...it took me almost a year to get through this one. i think that means i didn't love it. while esther greenwood is a compelling character, i just never really connected with the story.

twilight
by: stephanie meyer
i resisted this for so long, but finally gave in when a co-worker that is a reader told me to read them. while i will submit that the plotline is an addicting one, the writing was not the best. sorry, stephanie meyer. it wasn't. yell at your editor a little bit.

found art
by: leanna tankersley 
i think i went into this one with unfair expectations. i expected her to be shauna and to have the same voice because the genre is similar. when she didn't, i was disappointed, but i think that's my fault. leanna is a good writer and has interesting stories to tell, i just didn't personally connect with them the way i have with shauna's writing. fault is mine. write more, leanna.

bittersweet
by: shauna niequist
duh. loved it. you should read it. it's phenomenal. i actually read this a couple of times this year. and get excited...shauna's hard at work on #3. it will be titled 'bread and wine.'

that's enough for now. i'm reading 'life of pi' by yann martel currently. it's interesting. i think i like it. i'll let you know.