So Ive read quite a few books since we last talked about it... although Ive kind of slowed down on my reading and just been taking it easy... it is what it is - thats what I say... :)
So here is what Ive been reading this past month:
Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwartz.... This book is a very interesting story about 2 sisters and a daughter. The characters are super well-developed and it definitely holds your attention as the chapters are constantly switching between narratives. The story is really good... but overall the ending is a let down. Personally, I could figure out the ending midway through the book, and the details I created to fill in the gaps were much more interesting than the ending actually turned out to be.... overall, not a bad read, and I would probably recommend it, but not the best book Ive ever read.
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen.... The story of a woman who leaves her abusive husband - a NY cop... she takes her son and tries to disappear... its the story of their first year gone. Although this is about an abused woman, its not graphic at all. You find yourself cheering the main character on and trying yourself not to breathe too loud so you dont alert the husband to your presence lest he turn on you. Its about new beginnings and starting over and how small mistakes can change your whole life... a good read, although the ending is sad (dont read it first, get ensconsed in the story and let it take you where it will)
Assaulted by Joy: The Redemption of a Cynic by Stephen W. Simpson.... I am a cynic - truly and freely admitted.... I question everything.... everything! And it drives the people around me crazy! I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I related so much to Stephen's story and how God brought him through alot of hardship but he realized the joy of the journey... if you are a cynic, or have been in church a long time, or even been on a church staff at one point in your life, then you will probably enjoy this first hand account of how things can and will go wrong - and maybe its not the worst thing in the world... :)
Ok, thats it for my adult reading books.... like I said... very slow.... right now, Im reading The Hole in the Gospel by Richard Stearns and trying to digest it slowly so I can get it into my system....
And on to the better part... the kids books... yall, I love kids books... let me retype that... I LOVE kids books. I spend at least an hour at the library every week crawling through the kids book section. Alot of books out there are just garbage, Ill be honest - waste of paper and ink... but oftentimes, I find some really sweet gems hidden in there too... (so if you are in Columbus, pretty much all these recommendations can be checked out for free at the library)
Ok, if you dont already know... Mo Willems is a favorite... absolutely in love with everything he writes.... the Pigeon books are my favorite - the library only has 3 of the 4 Pigeon books, but we check out at least one every week.... yeah, that good...
Jumpy Jack and Googily by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall.... its about best friends who just happen to be a snail (Jumpy Jack) and a monster (Googily).... Jumpy Jack is scared of everything, so Googily offers to help him make sure there is nothing to be afraid of.... this is a great book for adults as well b/c small children probably arent going to get the subtle humor that follows throughout this book... definitely a good read! (and not scary at all)
Red Red Red by Valeri Gorbachev... Turtle is in a hurry to go see something red, but he doesnt have time to tell what it is.... different animals follow him to see to as they all try to guess what they are on their way to see. This is really good to get kids guessing in how the story is going to progress - gets them to be creative and think abstractly.
Bootsie Barker Bites by Barbara Bottner.... we all had to play with that one kid that everyone hated - the one that didnt know how to share and was mean, but when the adults were around, they were a complete angel... remember that kid? Well, the little girl in this story has to play with that kid - Bootsie Barker... will she figure out a way to get out of the sleepover that her mother has arranged? Read it and find out...
Ok... thats all Ive got for now.... any recommendations from yall?
But.... new pictures are upcoming... I have 4 new sessions sitting on my laptop waiting on me to finish... and every single one of them is fun! I cant wait to show them off....
In the meantime.... have you liked my fan page yet? Once I get to 100 likes, Im going to be giving away a really cute set of earrings! Can you help a girl out?
Have questions? Email me at
talleyimages@yahoo.com - Id love to chat awhile... :)
I had some help from Gabe.... 
You can click on it to view it larger if you cant see it.... 
I would love to hear from you.... :)
