All About Books: Birthday Edition!

My friends and family know a lot about me. They especially know that I absolutely love my birthday. A person's birthday is such a joyful and special day. It's truly one of my pet peeves when I hear people talk about their birthday using the dreaded words: it's just another day. (If you could see me typing this, you'd see that I actually shuddered just then.) It isn't just another day - it's YOUR day! It's a very special day, because, in the history of the world and all of time, there is only one YOU. Celebrate! Rejoice! And, today, join me in celebrating my very own birthday! I've hit an age milestone: 35. I'm sure my health insurance rates are going to go up or something equally tragic, but, for today, I'm just in a celebratory mood!

What better to talk about on my birthday than books? (What better to talk about ANY day?!) After finishing the fantastic "Shadow of Night," I read the equally-good-but-in-a-different-way "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." I did a full review on my Goodreads page and I invite you to check it out. I'm currently indulging in Shannon Hale's "Enna Burning." It's book number two in the Books of Bayern series, just after "The Goose Girl." As always, Shannon Hale is a marvel and she doesn't disappoint.

I've also been glued to the Olympics. I'm a huge fan of the Olympics and this year is no different. I was pleasantly surprised to find "How to Watch the Olympics" at the Greenfield Public Library the other day and so I selfishly snatched it up and plan to hog it until after the closing ceremonies. Sorry, friends, but it was there and you had your chance! Besides, the library loves me: I got a message from them today (you know, on my birthday!) telling me that there are three items waiting for me to pick up. What a great gift!

So tell me: what have you all been reading? What's knocked your socks off and blown you away? And, most importantly, which books are absolutely essential for me to check out?