Postcard Killers by James Patterson

Ok, I'm a convert. I see why everyone who read James Patterson reads all of his stuff! His writing just flows so well. His chapters are so short that I find myself saying, "Ok, just one more chapter, and then I'll put it down." That one chapter leads to another hour of reading. It's so hard to stop!

This is the first murder mystery novel of his that I've read and I was a little take aback by the gory picture that he painted for the first killing. I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't ready for it. And in hindsight, it wasn't even that bad! Fortunately, he didn't describe each murder in detail.

The other thing I didn't expect was a sex scene. Again, I'm not sure why I didn't expect that, but I didn't. I was thrilled though. As a woman, I appreciate a good sex scene in a book! The scene in this book was short, and not super erotic, but it fit the story and the characters.

Overall, this was a great book! I read it in 2 days because of my inability to put it down! I read it while my 2 year old watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse during the day, and when my husband was watching football at night! Now I have to pick out the next James Patterson book that I'm going to read. My husband has plenty to choose from, so I don't even need to leave the house! He swears by the Alex Cross books, so maybe that will be a good place to start!

Week 3: Sam's Letters to Jennifer

I sat down with this book while my 2 year old was in the bathtub. I sat on a bath mat and leaned against the cabinet. It wasn't the most comfortable place to read, and it sure didn't hold a candle to the comfy chair that I had in the mountains last week, but it worked. Fortunately, my husband came to get my son out of the tub, so I was able to keep reading...and reading...and reading. I didn't stop until I reached the end of the book!

The thing I loved most about this book was the positive message; life is short, so live it to the fullest. One of my favorite lines in the book is a quote from an artist. It goes something like this, "Life is a blank canvas, so you should throw everything you can at it" What a great quote! I think it is going to be  my new motto.

Aside from having a great message, I really related to the main character in the book. She is an overachiever who never misses a deadline at work, and suffers from a tragic loss that has prevented her from truly reaching her full potential. The loss in my life was my father. When he died, I felt like a piece of me went with him. It took me a long time to look at the world in a positive light again. I didn't know how to live in a world where he didn't exist. It's still hard, but I am finally in a place to believe that a piece of me didn't die with him. In fact, I believe the opposite...that a piece of him remains here with me! This book really solidified that for me. It's what we do with the memories that matter, and I'm so fortunate that my dad and I were able to make so many great memories during out time together.

As for being an overachiever...I swear it should be listed as one of my nicknames (and it is if you ask my best friend)! I am always taking on more projects and I have a hard time just sitting still. When I do something, I want to do it well- the first time. What I'm working on is letting go of that. I am trying new things (like this challenge), and seeing where the world takes me! For the first time in a long time I don't have a definite plan. I'm open to new possibilities and though it's a strange place for me, I'm learning to enjoy it. I'm living in the moment and making memories with my loved ones. Life is too short to be bogged down by plans, schedules, duties and the like. I want to live while the living is good!