Audio Book - Making Marriage Simple: 10 Truths for Changing the Relationship You Have into the One You Want by Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt

I guess I'm around the age now when some of the couples whose weddings I attended in my 20s are now separating or divorcing. It's sad to hear about, and even more sad when there are young children.

So, I've been thinking more about marriage and what makes it work, especially after the honeymoon period inevitably ends. And maybe not just work, because lots of unhappy couples stay together, but what makes it work so that both people and the relationship are thriving.

I read Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples by Harville Hendrix about six or seven years ago. It was a challenging and sobering read about how we walk around relationally wounded, but how some of that wounding can be healed in relationship. The book also talked about how we are responsible for communicating what we want and need.

Well, this audio book is like Getting the Love You Want Abridged Light version. It goes over communication and how marriage requires work, awareness, and self-care. It's a pretty good introduction to the meat of Getting the Love You Want, but it's definitely not a substitute.

If you're looking for something about relationships, I would recommend you start with Getting the Love You Want instead of this one.

Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Did you like The Devil Wears Prada (book or movie?) Well, Andy Sachs is back. It's ten years later and she's now co-founder of the high styling wedding magazine, The Plunge.

This book was just okay, but fun. So, if you're looking for a light, fun, summer read, and you liked The Devil Wears Prada, then this would be a good selection for you!

Snack, Nap, Read

Thank you to one of my favorite readers, Lisa, for sending this photo to me! She found the sign at a bookstore in Maine. Lisa introduced me to The Lord of the Rings and even let me borrow her copies to read. What a true friend. =D Thanks for sending this to me, Lisa!

Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown

Wow, I could have used this book about ten years ago! It was still helpful to read at this time in my life though as I could always use tips on how to be more grown-up.

This book tackles all of the big areas of being an adult. Some of the chapter titles are: Domesticity, Cooking, Get a Job, Money, Friends and Neighbors, Love, and Families. Kelly writes short tips with brief explanations that are concise and funny. By the way, Kelly writes a blog at http://adultingblog.com/.

One of the most helpful hints was Step 109: Rescue a conversation from the brink of disaster. Kelly writes that when someone says something very offensive, you should pause (so as to distance yourself a bit from the comment) and then say, "I'm sure you didn't mean that the way it sounded." And then change the topic. That is a great tip.

From houseplants to interviews, to how to break-up with someone to when to call 911, this book is a must read for any grown-up, or for anyone who wants to be more grown-up. This book would also make a perfect high school or graduation gift.

Why I Did Not Read This Week

My books were left untouched for multiple days this week because I was preoccupied. Instead of reading, I watched Season One of the TV series Homeland. I was a big fan of the early seasons of 24, so to watch something from the same producers was such a treat...and quite consuming. This week was: work and Homeland. Now that I'm done, I can return to my books and the laundry. Oh yah, and there's Season Two out there now...I'll have to wait until September for the DVDs to come out. Should I just go ahead and take the week off?

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Nicholas Young takes Rachel Chu, his Chinese-American girlfriend, back to Singapore for his best friend's wedding. What Rachel doesn't know is that Nicholas' family is one of the most wealthy in the region, and that he's considered one of the most eligible bachelors. She's thrown into a world of materialism and crazy wealth, and doesn't know if she likes it.

I found this novel (it's Kwan's first!) to be highly original, funny, and very insightful. It's a fun and ridiculous look into the Asian jet set crowd, but there is a plot, and there is heart to this story. His descriptions of Asian aunts and how Asians evaluate each other is spot-on (albeit truly awful): "The only acceptable majors were medicine or law (unless you were truly dumb, in which case you settled for accounting)" (p. 55).

A fun, fast, original read. Looking forward to what Kwan writes next.

J.K. Rowling's Secret Book

Thanks to Reader Grace for sending along the link below about the book J.K. Rowling published under a pseudonym. I'm #46 on the wait list at my library. I'll let you know what I think. Hopefully, it'll be better than The Casual Vacancy.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/14/world/rowling-secret-book