Reading.

The other day, right here, on this blog, I posed the question, "When was the last time I tried something new?"
OK.
I have an answer.

I have been reading an entirely new genre of literature this winter. 
I blame this entirely on Danica.
:)
Nothing like someone from a younger generation to push you towards something you've never tried before.


First, her and I both read THE HOST, which was totally fun.

It took about 100 pages for me to care about any of the characters, but once I did, I zipped through the rest of the book. I enjoyed it.

Next, she (Dani) recommended I read the Eragon series ... 4 books.

This is the author:

He was 15 years old when he wrote Eragon. (His family published it the first time. After that, a publisher picked it up. And the rest is history.)

This was a struggle for me. Not one to embrace worlds of magicians, dwarves, elves, and dragons - getting 'into' the first book took awhile. But once I finished it, I got lost in book 2 almost immediately.

... which kept me captive til the end.
I'm looking forward to Book 3 (Brisingr) which I'll read after a short break.

That short break?
Involved me reading Janet Evanovich's 17th book: SMOKING 17.
In 4 hours.

Do I ever get tired of reading about Stephanie's dilema between Morelli and Ranger? Is it getting old, the way her cars are always exploding? Is her gun-toting, funeral-home-junky grandma getting on my nerves?
The answer is NO.

Nothing like a Stephanie Plum book to reset my literary expectations.

BY THE WAY - did you know they're making a movie based on the first book (One for the Money). It'll be out in a few weeks.
Is this how you've been imaging Ranger would look?

Apparently he was named one of People's sexiest men last year.
I dunno.
I was imagining someone, uh, different.

But this?
This is Morelli:

And yeah. That totally works.

And Stephanie?
Brown-haired bounty hunter Stephanie Plum?
Is Katherine Heigl:

Again, I dunno.

In a way it's sad that the images in my head will forever be altered by the actors chosen to play the characters I've been intimate with in my mind.

Anyways, I got a little sidetracked here. But I did, in the midst of all this rambling, answer the first question.

(Other new things? Attended an NA meeting. Signed up for Pinterest. Did a 24 hour read-a-thon. Ran across the border with my luggage... you know. Regular stuff.)

Next question:
Who do you sometimes compare yourself to?

Everyone.

(Well, every female in my world)

All the time. 

I'm an insecure person. 

I compare myself to other women in terms of:

• face wrinkles
• church involvement
• belly fat
• earning ability
• relationships with family members
• evidence of faith
• inner peace
• travel experiences
• life skills
• ability to pray out loud
• bra size
• decorating style
• creative talents
• teeth
• typing speed
• how much they are loved

I come up about average in some areas. Way low in others. And quite high in others. It balances out in the end. 

Three things I'm thankful for:

1. Smarties

2. Handcream

3. Sunsets

Shalom,