Gosh, I cannot believe it's been over a week since I posted. When I started this book blog, I planned to post at least every other day. And I still want to do that, I just simply have not had the time to this past week or so. I've been working some overtime at my job, plus I've been getting ready to go on vacation! My husband and I are traveling to Charleston, South Carolina today and we'll be back on Friday. I'm very much looking forward to seeing a city I've never visited, but I must admit also being excited about getting away and having a chance to read some!

I actually finished Prince Caspian last night. It was pretty good, but I felt like it was a bit discombobulated. Like Lewis was trying to fit 30 different characters into a 234-page book. I'm not knocking it, don't get me wrong; and I'm still going to go see the movie. I just wasn't totally impressed like with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Anyway, I will be back on Friday, hopefully with some fun vacation pictures as well as a few book reviews! Happy Memorial Day, to those of you in the U.S. Remember those who have given their lives for our freedoms.

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Goodness, gracious, it's been a busy week! Not my favorite kind of week, either, let me tell you. I've been working 9-10 hours on my job every day. I do love my job, and I'm very thankful for the company I work for, but dang, I'm tired! And it's cutting into my reading time, too (and apparently my blogging time as well), which certainly isn't cool. I'm pretty much worthless each night when I finally get home, so mentally and intellectually drained I can only concentrate long enough to read a chapter or two before I realize the words on the page are swimming around and fading in and out.

Oh well. Next week promises to be better, as my boss will be back in the office and she will take a lot of the load off (I have a fantastic boss, another big blessing in my life). And then the next week will definitely be even better, because I will be on vacation! I can't wait. Jeff and I haven't decided if we're going to take a trip or just stay home. Our house is in severe need of some spring cleaning (pretty soon it's going to have to be called summer cleaning, and who wants to do anything in the summer? Not me!). So we thought about staying here and doing some small home improvement projects and general cleaning. But we haven't been on a real vacation in 3 years, so we think it's time for a getaway. I'm craftily nudging Jeff toward agreeing to us going to a beach and being complete and total bums for a week. I can't think of anything that sounds better at this moment as I recover from another long, hard day at work!

Got any recommendations on where we could go (preferably somewhere in the Southeast USA)? And what about you? Are you going on any vacations this year?

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Hello! I'm Susie, and I love to read. Bet you couldn't have guessed that, huh? I'm 30 years old and am very happily married to a wonderful guy named Jeff. We live in the northwest corner of Georgia in the United States. I work full time (and then some) for a great company in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Besides reading, I also enjoy following current events, watching the weather, trying new recipes & restaurants, traveling, and taking naps on Sunday afternoons. However, as much as I like doing other things, there's just nothing better than cuddling up with a book...

Why Do I Read?

• I love how reading is a form of traveling; how you can sit down in your living room (or wherever you like to read) and journey to another time and place. How else can you travel the world for only a few bucks?
• My own life is blessedly boring, and I savor exploring the experiences and characteristics of others, whether they are real or fictional.
• I love the rush of satisfaction that comes when I close a finished book. Although it's sometimes bittersweet to complete a special read, it's always neat to know you've been entertained or you've learned something new.
• It's a great way to increase vocabulary.
• How many times have you flipped through the many channels available on television and exclaimed, "There's nothing on TV!" Well, there's never nothing to read. Even if you've already read every book in your house, you've probably saved a few that were really special to you. And there's nothing wrong with reading something more than once.
• I'm a quotation collector. Enough said!
• The smell of a bookstore is one of my absolute favorite scents on earth.
• I have over 400 books on my shelves, just waiting to be read. Alas, I still ask for gift cards for Christmas and birthdays so I can buy more books. And I am an avid user of PaperBackSwap.com, which has helped my library to grow in an affordable manner. It's really an addiction, but a healthy one, in my view.
• Some may not understand the feeling of enjoying being alone. I'm not like that all of the time, of course; I love being with my husband, family, and friends. But there is just nothing more refreshing to me than a couple of hours of solace, spent with a book.
• Above all, I read to learn and grow in wisdom.

I love to hear from my readers! Please leave me a comment here, or email me at thestuffedshelf -at- gmail -dot- com.

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