Book #11: Heart of the Matter

I have had some great luck with the public library lately. Just as I was finishing Promises to Keep by Jane Green, I got an e-mail that another book had come in off of my summer list.

 

Emily Giffin's latest book, Heart of the Matter, focuses on a new set of messy, complicated relationships, revolving around two strong female characters, Tessa and Valerie. Giffin weaves back and forth between the two characters' points of view as their worlds collide following a life-changing accident. 

As in her past books, Giffin creates flawed characters who you can neither love or hate. At times you will cheer for them. And then they will make decisions that you don't agree with, but you will understand the emotions and thoughts behind what they do, and walk with them in their shoes as best you can.

Giffin also weaves in some of her previous characters, this time Dex and Rachel, from her first book Something Borrowed. I've always enjoyed these overlaps between her books.

I also find that although Giffin's work would be labeled "Chick Lit," her writing seems to be at a slightly higher caliber than some of the others. I certainly wouldn't put it in the cheesy category. 

Worth checking out. 

Oh Kittens...

I apologize, I've been too distracted by kittens to post.

Kittens truly are the best thing ever, as evidenced by this cute photo.

Book #10: Promises to Keep

As I mentioned earlier this summer, I've been eagerly waiting to read Jane Green's latest book, Promises to Keep. I've read all of Green's other books, and I put my name on the waiting list at the public library as soon as I heard this book was coming out. After twice missing my hold (oops), I finally was able to pick up  it up over the weekend. With no work this weekend (wahoo!), I dug right in.

The book follows a number of different connecting stories, centering around three women: Callie, her sister Steffi, and her best friend Lila. All three women have taken different paths through their adult lives in regards to work, family, and relationships, but are brought together when something big happens.

I don't want to give too much of the story away, but it was a good read and one that I'd recommend. One of my favorite parts was that one of the characters is a chef, and their were recipes included in each chapter. I made the curry recipe tonight, and hope to try out at least a few more before I have to return the book to the library.

Check it out!

Introducing....Stella!

There is a new member of the family and her name is Stella!

We brought her home over Labor Day weekend and are so excited to have her. Bucky was less excited at first, but he's warming up to her and now has someone to chase and wrestle with. They also spend most of their days napping together under my bed.

Stella is about five months old and has proven to be a sweetie, although she is definitely a handful. I have forgotten how many adventures that kittens have. She gets into everything!

Here are a few shots of her exploring the place. Notice that she is so small and fast that she's hard to capture!

A little scrapbooking fun.

Climbing the mountain of laundry.

Hanging out in a backpack. (I think hiding from Bucky)

At the end of the day, I have two tired kitties. Looking forward to all of the adventures ahead!

I'm Back...

Well, I have finally recovered from the madness that is Sorority Formal Recruitment. When people hear that I advise fraternities and sororities, they say "Oh, that sounds fun!" And I usually respond with, "Yes, it is...most of the time." I know that they don't really care to hear all of the complexities of my job - that it sometimes involves a lot of conversations about students' bad decisions, or that it involves a lot of night/weekend hours on top of the regular business ones. Because there are so many things that are truly fun about my job. It's different every day. And there are a lot of moments where I think to myself, "Wow, I get paid for doing this."

Like when I have to make a trip to Sam's Club to buy recruitment supplies - including over 300 Capri Suns and over 3,000 mints.

It's even more fun when I get to have the following conversation:

Man: That's a lot of mints.
Me: Yes, yes it is. Over 3,000.
Man: Do you run a day care?
Me: (pause) No, sorority recruitment. 


I'll be honest, sometimes it does feel like a day care. Or as my friend Ann would say "A day care, night care, and life care." We really are involved in so many aspects of the students' lives.

And although I'm not in the job for any recognition or rewards, it is really nice when the students recognize that I do care about them and that I choose to give them my time and energy because I really care about what they are doing. After one of the craziest weeks of recruitment yet, I was truly touched to receive a beautiful bouquet of flowers from one of the sororities.

It may not be a high-paying job, and it may bring a lot of stress, but at the end of the day, I really enjoy what I do. Where else would I get to buy nine pounds of gummi bears?