2010: My Summer of Books-no problem!

Three weeks in and eight books down. Only 12 weeks and 30 books left. No problem!

Denise Swanson's excellent page turner "Murder of a Royal Pain" was book #6, and it's one of at least twelve in Swanson's Scumble River Mystery Series.

This book follows small-town school psychologist Skye Denison. One night, she discovers the body of Annette Paine, a pushy mom with no shortage of enemies.

Pretty soon, Skye finds out that Annette was not the intended victim. Skye has to find out the killer's real target before it's too late.

For book #7, I chose "Glitter Baby" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. The glitter baby is Fleur Savagar, a supermodel and actress considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world by everyone but herself.

The worlds of high fashion and Hollywood are supposed to be glamorous and exciting, but they don't mean much to Fleur. She walks away from the fame and the millions in order to really find herself.

What's my verdict on this one? Phillips' "Glitter Baby" really shines!

Since I can't resist a good murder mystery, I grabbed

"Dial Emmy for Murder" by real-life soap opera star
Eileen Davidson for my book #8.

Many of us have heard the phrase "Write what you know," and Davidson does a fabulous job of exactly that by sharing with her readers the story of faux soap star Alexis Peterson.

Alexis has enough drama in her work life, but it follows her home. She's thrust in the middle of a "Who dunnit?" when the body of her handsome young co-star literally falls in her lap.

For Alexis, her problems only multiply as the body count continues to rise. Who is killing the young studs of the soap opera world, and will they silence Alexis forever before she uncovers their identity? If you want to know, you'll have to read it yourself.

With book #9, I decided to go with a classic: "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte.

Walkin' After Midnight...

This isn't just the title of a 1957 Patsy Cline hit (or something I sang for talent during my pageant days). It is also one of my newest favorite activities to do with Dominic.

Well, the walking part, that is. It wouldn't be too great to have an almost-two-year-old out quite that late. (We do like to walk just before sunset, though.)

But, I have to say I really enjoy taking Dominic out in his stroller and walking in our neighborhood (with the routes varying from one night to the next). It is good exercise for me (and Todd on the days he comes along) and a great chance for Dominic to people watch!

2010: My Summer of Books-a nice escape!

It's day 13, and I'm on book #6. These books have been a nice, relaxing escape from the stressful world of job hunting and house cleaning!

Book #4, Danielle Steel's "Second Chance," follows glamorous world traveler Fiona Monaghan, the 40-something editor-in-chief of Chic magazine.

She looks ten years younger, has never married, and is childless by choice. Her life is turned upside down when she meets a man she'd give it all up for.

I love Danielle, but I would have ended this book differently. It's ok to leave behind people who won't sacrifice for you what you would for them.

Loretta Ellsworth's "In a Heartbeat" was book #5, and it was incredibly touching. In fact, I can't wait to read this one again!

This story is told from two perspectives: Eagan, a 16-year-old figure skater with Olympic dreams who loses her life in a tragic skating accident and Amelia, a 14-year-old who doesn't have the energy to walk down a flight of stairs until receiving Eagan's heart in a life-saving transplant.

"In a Heartbeat" shows just how precious and short life can be. We all have to live each day to the fullest and never forget to constantly tell our loved ones just how much they mean to us.

What am I reading now? Well, book #6 is "Murder of a Royal Pain" by Denise Swanson.

Water: I love it, I love it not...

Most of the time, I'm a big water fan, especially if it's the kind I drink or the kind of music I listen to (like Brad Paisley's current hit "Water").

But, water isn't always my favorite. This photo is from our backyard Wednesday night.

This happens when we're "cursed" with seemingly non-stop rain for a week. We got lucky there wasn't any lasting damage. But as of Friday afternoon, there are still some muddy puddles left.

Mother Nature, could you please spread out the precipitation a little more next time? We need rain, just not all summer's worth at once!

2010: My Summer of Books-three for me!

This afternoon, I finished Julie Garwood's "Mercy," and it was as good as the first time I read it.

"Mercy" caught my eye several years ago, when I was thumbing through Glamour magazine and noticed it featured in the little section in the back that highlights the work of a different author each month.

This novel is part mystery/part romance and follows small-town Louisiana doctor Michelle Renard and Boston lawyer Theo Buchanan. After she saves his life by performing an emergency appendectomy, it's his turn to stop a dangerous group of white-collar criminals from killing her.

Shortly after finishing "Mercy," I grabbed "She" by Kobi Yamada. This one's a bit different because it's not a novel, but rather a collection of inspirational words and phrases celebrating women.

Two of my favorite phrases from the book: "She went out on a limb, had it break off behind her, and discovered she could fly.-Celebrate her faith." AND "She discovered her real measurements had nothing to do with numbers or statistics.-Celebrate her self-esteem."

Of course, I loved "She" and was happy to be able to read through the whole thing several times. I'm also gonna keep it handy for whenever I need a verbal "pick-me-up" in the future.

Book #4 is "Second Chance" by Danielle Steel. How can it not be good? The lead female character is named Fiona!

Junior Police Officer Carrell

On this day in 1923, my grandfather Richard was born. While he is no longer with us, his legacy as a great man lives on.

There's another very important guy in my life who is already on the path to greatness at the tender young age of 23 months.

Last night, Dominic and I were hanging out in our front yard. This was his reward for being such a good boy all day.

As we were watching the sunset and the cars and people go by, a police officer stopped.

He walked right up to us and thanked Dominic for watching over this part of town and keeping the people safe. Also, he handed Dominic a "Junior Police Officer" badge and gave him a high five for doing such a good job.

Too cute!!!!!

2010: My Summer of Books-time for book #2

I've set myself a decent pace. It's only been two and a half days, and I'm already done with book #1 ("You Can Run But You Can't Hide" by Duane Chapman).

Not that this comes as a huge surprise, but I highly, highly recommend Dog's book.

He has been through so much in his life, including a very physically abusive childhood and time spent in prison for a murder he didn't commit, but he maintains such a good attitude.

His compassion toward the criminals he hunts shows his amazing character, and at the end of the day, he never forgets to give credit to God. Dog is incredibly inspirational and a true role model for everyone. I just love him!

Time for book #2, "Mercy" by Julie Garwood.

2010: My Summer of Books!

I can't remember the first time I knew I loved to read, but one thing's for sure. I've been a fan of books for a very long time.

It's funny that when I had to read, like for a high school English class, it was hard to get motivated to read a couple of chapters a night. But, when it's for fun, I can polish off an entire 250-page novel in two or three days.

That leads me to the reason for this particular blog post. I'm sure you've all taken a good look at this photo here. You may even have said to yourself, "My goodness, that's a lot of books!"

It's 38 books to be exact. While some of them were Christmas gifts and some have been in my collection for even longer, I purchased most of them at Main Street Books in St. Charles, Missouri when I went to meet and get an autograph from the amazing Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman this past March.

These books aren't just for show, though. I've officially designated the warmest months of 2010 as My Summer of Books! Yes, that's right! I will have all 38 books read by the last full day of Summer, which is September 21.

That's about 15 weeks away, which means I have to average more than two books each week. Do you think I can do it?

I'll be starting off My Summer of Books with "You Can Run But You Can't Hide" by the aforementioned Duane Chapman. Wish me luck, everyone!

You oughta be in pictures...

I got to spend a lot of the day today with my baby sister Becca (and I should probably stop calling her that after she has her baby this September).

We hung out a bit at Washington Park and the mall, and since she has a nicer camera, we decided to take some "just for fun" photos.

Would you all like to see some of the best shots of the morning? I've posted them here, just in case!