I have a few BIG books being worked on at the moment, so it made sense to grab something light for the subway – light as in didn’t break my back and actually fit into my purse. And this particular book happens to have been written by an author I’ve had the opportunity to meet – Jude Deveraux happens to share an Alma Mater with me and was a homecoming grand marshal while I was in undergrad.
Jude Deveraux’s The Summerhouse
My subway ride the other night turned out to be much longer than usual what with over crowding and a slow transfer. I was so into the story that I hesitated in the locker room at the gym – I couldjust go home and read…. (I did manage to stick it out at the gym). Inevitably, I got so sucked into the story that I skipped my usual bed-time and found myself reading the last words at 3am. Opps. Who needs sleep and who needs a book that won’t break the purse strings?
Any quibbles with the book are pretty moot – it’s not like this is some deep profound book of accuracy – it touches on the worries we have over making the right decisions in life to be the best we can be. It doesn’t really matter that every 40-year-old woman Deveraux writes in these books reminds me more of my great-grandmother than any of the fabulous women I know who are currently that age. It’s also interesting to see Amazon reviews about a lack of moral center and self-pitying – isn’t that sort of how real life goes? After all, it is pretty easy to just get caught up in the flow of life, doing what’s easy only to wake-up feeling like a victim after years of repressed resentment. It’s a nice little FLUFFY escape for an hour or two not Tolstoy. Those people reviewing should take the advice I’m about to give myself.
Recently I find myself reading books that confirm a belief I’ve long had and am finally old enough to appreciate – Life is too short to not enjoy it. No sense worrying about the future only to miss the present and regret the past. Since I like asking you things, I will answer this one first:
If I could go back in time (I guess I’ll say 10 years as anything more puts me back in childhood) – I’d tell my younger self to stop worrying to much, stop taking life so seriously, to wake up choosing to be happy every morning, to not be afraid to fail, to smile at all the little things – I’m a pretty gosh-darn happy person as it is!
Your turn.
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I loved this book and it really does get you thinking. If looking back I would change the outcome, I would have to say no. I’m happy with how life has turned out and not sure anything I could have done differently would allow me to live my life in a castle on a beach. :)
Okay…so I haven’t read the book yet, but your review of it is enough to make me get my butt out to the gym!!!
==>a lack of moral center and self-pitying – isn’t that sort of how real life goes?
uh, yea! This made me laugh just a bit. We just can’t be perfect all of the time and even when we know things, we still tend to make the same silly stupid errors sometimes.
I would love to go back and decline that miserable South Padre Island trip I took one spring break in college. And I would love to take back a thoughtless comment that still causes me guilt and pain when I recall it. And that only reminds me to stop the self-pity! stop and go on.
I personally love the easy light reading when it’s good and you get carried away. We don’t eat the same kinds of food for every meal and we shouldn’t have to only read the ‘right’ books, either.