nightstand notes/ wanna view some reviews?

Another last Tuesday of the month is upon us, which means it's time for some bookshelf-gazing! What are you reading these days? What do you have coming up? What are you looking most forward to?

I've had a fairly slow reading summer, inexplicable to me, really. But, I have been enjoying the little that I have been able to read, and I've got a few books that I'm anxious to get going on.

*The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall -- JAM and I read The Penderwicks on Gardam Street together last month, and now we're ready to take on the third book. I seriously am excited, because Birdsall consistently creates lovely stories with a gentle pacing and realistic characters who never fail to entertain. I look forward to revisiting the series in a few years with Red and Pudge, too!

*The Available Parent: Radical Optimism for Raising Teens and Tweens by John Duffy -- I've just started this one, but it's fairly concise so I'm sure this will take much less time than nonfiction usually does for me. (Which is good, because it's up to be a review/giveaway just next week!) I've read LOTS of parenting books geared toward parenting the infant/toddler/preschooler set, and many others focused on ADHD and behavioral issues, but I don't think I've read one specifically about this new age set that we're entering with our oldest.

*My American Unhappiness by Dean Bakopoulos -- I'm a few chapters into this one, having started it this past weekend while we were away hanging out with friends at an incredible rental house in the mountains of Pennsylvania. It's a bit wacky so far, which is a good thing to me, don't worry. I'm especially loving that each chapter has a title, and they're quite clever at times, adding to the somewhat sardonic tone of the book.

*500 Acres and No Place to Hide: More Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl by Susan McCorkindale --While I've not read McCorkindale's first memoir, I'm confident that her second book will stand well on its own. I'm familiar with her writing style from her pieces at the (now-defunct) DC Metro Moms, to which I also contributed for a short while, and I remember her ability to make me laugh freely, so this will be a fun one to read this month!


There's a taste of what will be read in the next couple weeks round these parts. How about you? Head over to 5 Minutes for Books' What's on Your Nightstand? post, and link up your own bookish posts, or even just join in by leaving a comment!

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If you're so inclined, you can check out my reviews from the past few weeks:

*Diary of an American Kid -- a neat journal/activity/memory book for the older elementary school age set

*When Life Gives You O.J. -- a FABULOUS middle grade novel with a funny take on the "Can I have a dog, pleeeeease?" pleading that's popular among kids

*On Reading: My Love/Hate Relationship with Nonfiction -- an essay I wrote about my difficulty getting through nonfiction books versus the way I gobble up fiction

*Mission:Explore Camping and Mission:Explore On the Road -- two cool books that encourage exploration activities for older kids

*The Ugly Duckling Dinosaur -- a picture book variation of the classic tale, with a prehistoric setting

*The Inverted Forest -- a dark and intense novel that kept me a bit on the edge of my seat


Happily reading away,