"The Language of Flowers" By Vanessa Diffenbaugh

A very different read for me. I picked it for a book club read since it was recommended on a top books list. Everyone in the group that read it seemed to have a similar reaction. Many said it wasn't a book they would have picked up on their own, but they ended up liking it. I think it would be interesting to translate flowers that people give me, but I don't get flowers often and never from people that know the language of flowers. :) It would be fun to occasionally buy a bouquet because of its meaning.

I find it hard to know what quote to share from this book. I've chosen this one because it sort-of sums up the book in its own way:

"In that moment, we were the same, each of us destroyed by our limited understanding of reality." – Vanessa Diffenbaugh in "The Language of Flowers"

A few of the flower definition quotes...

"Misanthropy means hatred or mistrust of humankind." – Vanessa Diffenbaugh in "The Language of Flowers"

"a daffodil—new beginnings" – Vanessa Diffenbaugh in "The Language of Flowers"

"Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume" Edited By Jennifer O'Connell

I need to start out by telling you that I don't think I've ever read a single Judy Bloom book, but I still enjoyed this book. After reading this book, I decided I should have read them and maybe I will go back and read them now. They are written for a younger audience, but so many women have been influenced by her books – I feel like I'm missing out! It seems like if I had read some of the books as a teen, I would have worked through some of my young-person issues faster than I did on my own. I recommend this book to any mother with young daughters because if they read this, they'll see the importance of reading these (once) controversial books.

"Emily's Reasons Why Not" By Carrie Gerlach

Okay, so this is the book that the television show was based on. I never saw the show, but now, I've read the book. :)

It is a light read. Not on my top ten list or anything, but it isn't bad. It feels like a bunch of short stories because the chapters are broken up by each guy she dates. I can see why they turned it into a television show.

The main character dates quite a few interesting guys (the cover is misleading about their personalities). Overall, you won't be bored. It might be good for some girls to read this & make their own lists of reasons of "why not" to date someone.

Here are some of Emily's reasons why not...

"Your phone bills could by you a new pair of Gucci Loafers every month"

"Leaving lunch money for your boyfriend is a no-no"

"It doesn't matter what is happening, it only matters how you feel"

Football Season

It is football season, therefore it is time for me to read a lot while my boyfriend watches his teams. Two books I read recently were "The Guy Not Taken" by Jennifer Weiner & "Girls' Night Out" by 26 Different Authors. While neither book is horrible, I have decided that I am not a big fan of short stories. I read too fast through them & they leave me wanting to know more. At any rate, there were stories I liked, and there were those that I didn't. If you only want a short read now & then, I recommend these.

Another book that I read was more about improving communication at work. I'll admit that I didn't read it front to back; it was more of a skim, but it was an interesting perspective into gender differences in the workplace.
"How to Get What You Want at Work" (Formerly titled "Mars & Venus in the Workplace") By John Gray, Ph.D. I'd be interested in the more popular book by this author, "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus".