Book Two

After reading Girls in Trucks, I was anxious to begin my second book of the summer. It is one that has always been in my want-to-read list, but it was just stuck there like many others. My freshman year in college I wrote a ten page research paper on Truman Capote, one of the most influential writers in history. While researching him, his best friend Harper Lee made frequent appearances, being a writer herself. Her two most famous novels have been ones that I have always wanted to read, especially because they were so popular that they were translated into feature films. Yesterday I finished her novel that created her fame in the 1960s: To Kill a Mockingbird.

I have to be honest and say that it wasn't as influential on my desire to begin writing again as the previous novel I had finished. It was a slow read and it took awhile to get to the main point of the book. I could only get through three chapters each day; four if I was really driven to get farther in the story. The one thing that got my attention as a writer was Lee's perspective in which she told the story. It was through the eyes of Jean Louise, the rather young daughter of the small town's respected lawyer Atticus. With such a short description of the story making it sound quite intense to be told through the eyes of a 9 year old about a black man charged with raping a white girl. The story really was a journey through the childhood of Jean (nickname Scout) and her brother Jem in the Southern town they lived in.

Even though this story was different from what I was expecting, it wasn't a complete disappointment. It was fun to see the world through the eyes of a young child again, and how differently they see the world. This book can show just how children can make a difference in this world, no matter how serious a situation may be. If I ever find the time to watch the movie I will, because I believe it will be more entertaining than what the book may depict. More importantly, I still feel the urge to get with my own writing the more I read. So I am going to continue this summer journey through the literary world, and see where it takes me.

Summer Reading

My sister has been blabbering on about reading throughout the whole school year: how she misses it and can't wait for the summer to return so she can soak up as many novels as possible. Well, summer is gracing all of us with its presence, and she, along with my mother, are indulged in their book clubs. Both have about ten newly bought books ready to be read. I used to read just as diligently, but after finishing the Harry Potter series, nothing seemed to be up to par with my content standards. It has been a few months, and with this family reading fever heating up, I decided to try and reintroduce my brain waves to the literary world.

Since I am a creative writing major, you would think that reading would be a huge part of my education. However, it is more focused on my own writing which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I wish I had more time to read because I forgot what it feels like to read another's work and feel inspired to write my own. Today, that feeling has finally returned and my eyes are smiling. It is so refreshing to read a pure story that connects to that inner part of you. As a writer, that part of me is the electricity connecting the soul to my fingers that makes them want to skip around and sprinkle pages with something alive and breathing.

My first summer read has jump charged my battery. Katie Crouch writes an intimate novel about a southern girl trying to balance her crazy, rebellious insides, with her stictly taught polite outsides. It has a hint of old fashion flavor, with the simple living of the Camellia society that settles in Charleston, SC. Crouch flares the story up with bold characters trying to break free from the traditional expected lifestyle. Her main character Sarah Walters brings us through her life beginning as black sheep in her high school years, growing into a very curious and defiant college student, and finally ending up as a woman who has learned everything she needs to know about love and life by the unexpected turns awaiting her at every corner.

Girls in Trucks is Crouches first novel, and a definitely one to be proud of. She grabs the reader in with the very vulnerable truthes of life as a woman searching for love and acceptance in all the wrong places. We travel through a fast forwarded life, but still able to stop and smell the roses that thrive along memory lane. It is a must read for every woman who wishes to immerse herself in the ups and downs of life that make us the strong beauties we are today.

SUMMER

This summer is pivotal to my life. I need to make money, get into good physical shape, and take time to seriously think about my future. This coming fall begins my junior year in college, and I still have no concrete career plan. I have just been hoping it will all fall into place for me as time passes. Unfortunately time has been flying by a little to fast, and I feel like in two years I am going to be no where closer to a successful future than I am right now.

My relationship also depends on how this summer plays out. Once again, we are separated for a long period of time. We were finally getting on the right track and very close by the end of the semester. Our biggest obstacle has returned to try to create turmoil. Distance can make the heart grow fonder, but it can also make the mind go insane.

It is the first official week of summer, and so far I have made little progress on my focuses. I am still working on the job part. Today I started a new regiment for my work out; pilates is definitely going to put my body in check. My boyfriend and I have also come to terms with this distance and working together to make sure we stay strong. It is a small start, but one nonetheless.