), I thought I'd share some of my latest favorite reads.♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
The Help
by Kathryn Stockett
The best book I've read in a Loooong time! It had me from page one and I was sad to see it end-- can't say that about a lot of books. Although racial issues usually put a knot in my stomach, I was very connected with the main characters, their experiences (although some painful), and it opens the reader's eyes to the "forgotten" people who make such a difference in the lives that they serve. A MUST READ!
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The Twilight Series 
by Stephanie Meyers
by Stephanie Meyers
Yes, I know... I'm a few years behind. I was trying to be a literary snob, but got sucked in (pun intended), like the rest of the teeny boppin' world. But I must say, it's nice to have been able to read the entire series in one week. I think I would've gone crazy waiting for each book to come out-- I'm impatient like that. I enjoyed all 4 books... there's something catchy about love that defies all odds. Plus the action scenes are pretty riveting too. I wasn't bothered by some of the subject matter in the last book that apparently offended a few people... but then again, I'm not a teenager, nor do I have a teenager who may be reading these books (at least, not yet).
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Nurture Shock: New Thinking About Children
by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
I'll be honest, I have many Parenting books, but most of them are half-read and tossed in a box-- pretty mundane stuff. Despite the topic, I found this book to be both fascinating and eye-opening-- nothing like dispelling all those beliefs that a generation (or two) of Americans were raised upon. Some of the topics covered-- The inverse power of meaningless praise (or as I like to call it the "good job" syndrome); Proof that a complacent approach to race relations doesn't work (i.e. placing child in a diverse environment but never discussing race); The problem with testing for giftedness; Sibling rivalry; The sleep factor (or sleepless factor in most cases) and how it effects behaviour, physical wellbeing and performance; Teen rebellion; How to jumpstart infant language skills; Why kids lie...and my favorite-- With modern involved parenting, why haven't we produced a generation of angels? Interesting, thought provoking stuff backed-up with solid research. A must read if you have kids.
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