too many books, not enough time!

One on my joys is reading. I have always loved to read. I like to read to my kids. Especially when they sit nicely and get into it, which they usually do. I read a lot to the kids when they are small and I love children's books. What has surprised me is how fun it can be to read aloud with older kids. J and I are reading "To Kill A Mockingbird" together. When we read H often comes in to listen as well. We are having a lot of fun with it. We have to stop and laugh a lot. Atticus is such an awesome character to read about with a teen. He is moral and good and does the right thing even when it's hard. Luckily for me her assignment is to, among other things, underline lessons Scout or Jem learn. This gives us ample opportunity to stop and discuss. I am anxious for her to get home from camp so we can continue.

I just finished reading "These is my Words" by Nancy Turner for book club. I really liked it. WARNING: spoiler ahead so stop if you haven't read it yet. It took me a little bit to get into it but I ended up loving Sarah Prine, the main character. She was someone I could really relate to, even though our lives are not really very similar at all. She loves books. She tries really hard to be good, although secretly she doesn't think she is and feels if anyone knew her true nature they would be shocked (we all feel like that...right?)

I loved when she said this about her children, who she loves fiercely, "children are a burden to a mother, but not the way a heavy box is to a mule. Our children weigh hard on my heart and thinking about them growing up honest and healthy, or just living to grow up at all, makes a load in my chest that is bigger than the safe at the bank, and more valuable to me that all the gold inside." And when she said she loved her four children so much and they brought her so much joy, and at the same time she was glad they weren't eight. I LOL!

I loved that she was hard working and strong.

I cheered when she and Jack finally married and cried when he died...what do you do when the love our your life is gone but your life isn't done yet? And, here's the big question...will she finally read the Duchess of Warwick and her Sorrow by the Sea now that her beloved Jack (a man worthy of great love and devotion and of strong character and bravery himself) is dead?