May Reads

With this month's 13 books, my yearly total is now 49. In the meantime, I am compiling my summer reading list and I am more than open to suggestions, so please share!

Ayana (my younger cousin) wanted to read Mimi Alford's Once Upon A Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath after she saw them discuss it on The View. I picked it up from the library for her and my interest was piqued, so I read it - AND hated it! I could not look past this woman being or acting so naive - and I cringed for Caroline Kennedy. What daughter wants to read the details of their father's affair and how he did her mother wrong?!?! Shameful if you ask me. Moving on...

I have joined the phenomenon - Fifty Shades of Grey that is - I started out as 99 on the library queue and finally moved to 65 - Andriece bought it for my kindle since she figured it would be my birthday before I actually got the book. And boy am I so glad she did...all I can say is um um um um um um um um um - if you haven't read these books yet - please do so. My only issue with them turning this trilogy into a movie is who would play Chrisitian - with EL James' description of this man, I have a picture in my head of what he should look like and I cannot think of any actor who could play this role currently.

I borrowed Fifty Shades Darker from Rach because I had to see what happened next, had no patience to wait for 5 other people to finish. Then there was Fifty Shades Freed - I could not get enough of these books. I am addicted to Grey and I can only hope there will be a 4th installment!

My favorite part of these books is the email exchanges between Christian and Anastasia - I always loved sending/receiving emails from someone I was dating - and I too (like Anastasia) seem to convey my feelings better when I sit down and type an email - I think it helps me sort through everything and I have the ability to edit or delete if it is not the tone I want conveyed - always a win in my book (because this tongue of mine when it lashes out - I am still working on it).

Since I will be embarking on a new phase of my life in less than 5 months, I decided reading Thirty Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know By the Time She's 30 may be a good step in preparation. And I am glad I did - instead of anxious, I am now excited on this new chapter.

Three of my favorite parts - by 30, you should have -

• a calm voice, even under pressure. Leave yelling and screaming as a last resort. 
• enough courage to say your feelings out loud. 
• a sharp tongue, and the restraint to use it wisely.

Sweet Southern Nights by Rochelle Alers was ok - I am now interested in the rest of the Eaton family especially since they came from Philadelphia.

Beverly Jenkins' Bring on the Blessings, A Second Helping, and Something Old, Something New were such great reads. Such heartwarming stories that made you believe in the decency of humanity again - I definitely cannot wait to read the next book in this blessings series.

Low Down and Dirty was not as good as the other Vickie M. Stringer's Dirty Red books although I still managed to breeze right through. I guess I have a high expectation for Red's antics and it wasn't met in this book - BUT I will read the next one because I have to see what happens betweem Q and Red.

Rochelle Aler's Capital Wives reminded me of Scandal - although this time the "Gladiators" were the wives. I loved this book and wouldn't mind a sequel to see what happens next with Deanna, Marisol, and Bethany.