The Book That I'm In: Half Way Point

Last month I blogged about joining in on a fun Summer Reading Challenge that Erin over at State I am In was hosting.  I thought I'd give a half way point update and document my progress!

As of July 10, 2012 I have finished 9 books and am half way through my 10th book for a total of 3,652 pages read!  I am very proud of myself!

I've had many people ask how I manage to read so much given the fact that I have two children under two years old that I stay at home with all day.  The answer is simple - I'm a major night owl and everyone in my house (including my husband) is asleep by 10pm every night.  I stay up until nearly 1am every night so I have 3 uninterrupted hours that I lay in bed and read on our iPad!

Here is what I've read:

1) The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer - not my favorite book.  It is the second book in the Last Survivors trilogy and it is very "meh".  I read it simply because I wanted to finished the trilogy.

2) This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer- the final book of the Last Survivors Trilogy.  Again, I was very "meh" about this book.  The first book of this trilogy is by far the best - I wish it would have stopped there!

3, 4, 5) The Declaration, The Resistance, The Legacy by Gemma Malley- this is yet another dystopian trilogy and I loved this series!  The second book is a bit slow but overall, I'd give the trilogy 4.5 stars!  Not perfect but it is something I would highly recommend to anyone who asks me for a good read!

6) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- This will rank as one of the hardest books I have read in ages, possible ever.  It is a story about a teenage girl battling cancer.  For obvious reason, this was a very emotional book for me to read.  I was nervous to start it but I am so glad I pushed through the first 50 or so pages and kept reading.  I literally could not put this book down and read it in less than 24 hours.  I loved that is didn't focus on the medical side of living with cancer and was truly the day to day life of a teenager living with cancer. I cried while reading most of the book as it really made me think about Darling (a sweet 18 year old BMT friend we lost last year).  I had many conversations with her about how she just wanted to go to her Senior prom - even if she had to wear her big mask.  This book made Darling's thoughts and emotions so much more real to me.  And it made me miss her contagious smile and positive attitude.  What an amazing girl she was.  The book was written beautifully and is something that I think everyone needs to read!

7) Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery- After reading such a heavy book, I needed a light hearted childhood favorite!  I've actually been to Prince Edward Island (where AoGG is set) and saw the AoGG musical while there!  I don't think this book needs much explanation - it is such a classic and I really enjoyed revisiting a piece of my childhood!

8) Anne of Anvonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery- I still wasn't out of my "reading funk" so I stayed simple and classic and finished the second book in this series.  I'll be honest, it took me a while to finish this book and I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed AoGG.  But, I re-read it so it gets added to my summer reading list!

9) Divergent by Veronica Roth- I have put off reading this book for a while.  I didn't want to start yet another "unfinished" dystopian trilogy.  But, I needed something to end the "reading funk" I mentioned above.  This book did it!  I finished it in 24 hours thanks to the fact that my MIL is in town and is giving me a wonderful break from things like washing bottles!  This book is wonderful and I am thinking it might earn the spot of favorite dystopian series when I finish the trilogy!  it may even beat out The Hunger Games

10) Insurgent by Veronica Roth- I am currently 54% (thank you Kindle for such an accurate percentage) done with this book!  I really like it but, as always, it isn't as good as the first book.  I'm noticing that the second book of a series tends to be way less enticing that the first or last book.  I can't complain too much since it is obviously keeping my attention - I've read 282 pages of the book in less than 24 hours!

So there's my progress!  What all are y'all reading?  I'm going to need some suggestions as the next book in the Divergent series doesn't come out until NEXT year!  How am I going to survive the wait?!?!