I used to and still do

So since my "i used to" post, I've made a special effort to do those things that I used to do. I'm not even gonna lie, my life is so busy and full that when I picked up this stuff my studies and classes definitely took a back seat, I did however manage to still turn my English paper in on time so I didn't do to bad right? Any way let me explain. So I decided that I really love to read! I was tempted to start reading an old favorite like Goose Girl or Ella Enchanted, but I decided I was determined to read something new. Since my post last week I've actually read and fiished two books and I've started a third. The first I read was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, which was interesting and entertaining. I really enjoyed her writing style however the book was more than a little disturbing and really kind of a downer. It's the first book in what is to be a series and even though she is a great writer and I enjoyed the story, I'm determined no to get sucked in to a series that is just depressing.

The second book was Freefall by Traci Huner Abramson an LDS author that writes LDS fiction (I needed a pick me up book after The Hunger Games). So I started this book yesterday at work and finished it early this morning. I was dying in the first fifty or so pages. The romance that the author had set up was so cliche and I would actually stop reading look up and think, she can't really be writing this. However I pushed through her awkward lines having nothing better to do at work. I kept thinking, what is she going to have go on in the next 100 pages. I felt like the main conflict was finished by the first half of the book, but very creatively she created one conflict after another that seemed plausible. By the end of the book I had a little more respect for her literary capabilites. I also had a soft spot for her main character who is a twenty two year old, six foot tall, basketball playing BYU grad. And I'll give it to her. I liked that the love story didn't blossom over night. She added layer by layer on to their relationship so that by the end you knew it wasn't love at first sight or something silly, she writes it to make it seem real. The problem I have however is that when I start a book I can hardly put it down. I love that feeling and hate it at the same time. My mom and my sister can read at least three times as fast as me so when it takes my mom three hours to read a book it takes me close to nine... not even kidding. So I loose a lot of time when I pick up a book. I need to find a happy medium between reading and still living my own life.

I've also made a significant effort to listen to more music and happily, music welcomed me back without any apologies and we are once again close friends. If I'm inside, my lap top is playing music from my friends blog or my own, if I'm in my car I'm listening to some old favorite play list like Goo Goo Dolls or some good country mix. Some new favorites are Austin *click here* by Blake Shelton and the new Bella's Lullaby *click here* which I've discovered is not actually Bella's Lullaby at all but the song "River Flows In You" by Yiruma Ha. I have to learn how to play this song! If I can learn If you could Hie to Kolob and The Tales of Baracoff, I can and will learn this song. One of my favorites on the piano! Check em out! Click on