Some Light Summer Reading

(This is an actual picture of the library books stacked on my dresser a few days ago!) Due to popular demand (3 people asked!), here is a sample of what I am reading this summer and how I like it: Anna Karenina: I'm not really reading it, because I read it 2 years ago, and it is long and depressing, and I didn't like it enough to read twice; but my book club is reading it, so I have read lots of commentary, and thought about it quite a bit. Certainly worth reading once, especially if you are trapped in a blizzard alone with nothing else to read. :) Cold Sassy Tree: I didn't think I would like this, but I kept hearing how good it was, so I finally picked it up. Once I actually started reading it, I liked it a lot. It reminded me a little of the Great Brain books I read in elementary school, and a little of Virginia and my mission. Very vivid characters, good reading. I am now reading the sequel, Leaving Cold Sassy. @ chapters in, and enjoying! Julie and Julia: by Julie Powell, major motion picture -- you probably heard about like I did. Don't read it unless you are very different from me. It's a fun concept, with good writing, but I just couldn't finish it because I was too offended and disgusted. As you probably know, Powell decides to spend a year making every single recipe in Julia Child's famous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Unfortunately, she has a vocabulary worse than any sailor I know, and hates Republicans (I often am offended and disgusted with them, too, but I am one, and don't appreciate her very biased opinions). Skip it; unless you are a vulgar Democrat! But dangit, I wanted to see the movie! Did anyone see it? Was it better than the book? Do I want to give this woman any more money/credibility by paying to see it? In the Gospel Net: My dad started telling me about John A. Widtsoe, a fascinating person, so I borrowed one of the books he wrote about his mother (I really wanted to read one about Widtsoe himself, but the book has gone missing. Hopefully it will find itself). It's um... a dated style, very slow-moving. Did you know Norway has more than 4000 islands? I hope that's not the most interesting part of the book. Talent is Overrated: Did you know that hard work and talent are not the reason some people are so good at what they do? For a minute, that idea gave me hope that some day I could be brilliant at something. Turns out that the answer to world-class performance is "deliberate practice." So, even though I'm not sure what that means exactly, I'm pretty sure I'm not doing it. Curse as Dark as Gold: A recommendation from a friend (thanks Melia!), it's a re-telling of the Rumplestiltskin story. Very dark, and sometimes I wanted to shake the heroine, but I did enjoy it. The end really ties things in the old story together well, I thought. Becoming a Great Gospel Teacher: I am teaching Institute, a weekly gospel class for 18-30 year-old adults, and although I have been teaching for several years, I am excited to learn new things to improve myself (there are so many things to do better...!). I really like this book, and think it's great for anyone who teaches almost any age. Maybe not JUNIOR Primary, but Senior Primary. I am also skimming books on the unrelated topics of parenting two-year-olds and breeding dogs. Because my little boy suddenly developed a temper, and someday we want to have puppies. Maybe. How about you? What is your best book of the summer?