Last week wrapped up what turned out to be the most hellish semester I've had since I started college. It wasn't necessarily that the classes were hard, even though they were. No, it was everything else surrounding me that made my life hell.

Remember how Dana and I had taken the leap and decided to buy a house? Well, we found one. It was the last one we were scheduled to see and the moment we walked in, we knew. It's beautiful and charming and nearly everything we wanted in a house. I'll share pictures soon -- I've got my own office and it's so pretty!

But, of course, that meant that we had to move. And while we'd been packing in preparation for a couple months beforehand, it was still overwhelming when the day came. The following days weren't any less hectic. There was painting and rearranging and unpacking to be done. Oh, and a dog that just wouldn't adjust to his new surroundings.

I'd also been working 45-50 hours a week in the meantime, due to some unexpected circumstances.

So, all of these components, combined with the dreaded Math Class, left me stressed to the max.

I passed that class. With a C, which surprised the heck outta me. I will never again take another math class. You can quote me on that!

So...yay! Freedom! I'm not taking any classes over the summer, so I'm looking forward to catching up on my reading and getting back to writing. My writing group has been so patient these last few months. I haven't written anything, revised anything or submitted anything to my group since...heck, I don't remember when. Our next meeting is this Sunday...maybe I can whip something up in time?

We shall see.

In the meantime, what's up with all you lovely folks? How's the writing? Read any good books lately?

I was browsing the web this morning as a way to procrastinate from my writerly duties when I came across this, which may or may not be a good idea for me. Not only would it force me to read, but it would force me to write. And although it would just be a review of the book I just read, writing is writing and, let's face it, I need all the help I can get. So, after going through the books on my long-abandoned shelf, I've compiled a list that I want to read this year. Although I'm already nearly two months behind, I'm still gonna give it a shot. So, without further ado (because I just know everyone's on the edge of their seat waiting), here's my reading list for 2010:

1. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
2. Paint It Black by Janet Fitch
3. Atonement by Ian McEwan
4. Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
6. Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
7. The History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
8. Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
9. The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
10. Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
11. Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
12. The Last Time We Met by Anita Shreve

These are all the books I've purchased over the last year or so that I haven't gotten around to reading. They taunt me from their places on my shelves. Along with about two dozen more. There are, of course, easier reads among them that I want to get to this year, but I figured if I included them, I wouldn't get to the others. I'm an avid romance/chick-lit fan and would love to simply fill my list with them, but I'm determined to expand my reading horizons. Should I make it through this list, I would also like to read these:

13. Faking It by Jennifer Crusie
14. Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie
15. Good Grief by Lolly Winston
16. Talk Nerdy to Me by Vicki Lewis Thompson
17. Skin Tight by Susan Andersen
18. Baby, I'm Yours by Susan Andersen
19. My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson
20. Doing Good by Pamela Morsi

There used to be a time when reading twenty books in a year would have been easy. Heck, forty books would have been easy. But somewhere down the line, I got lazy. I'm reading less, writing less and becoming less intelligent by the day. It's a travesty. This is the year, though. This is the year that I pull myself back together and immerse myself in words. Just like I used to.

...as soon as I finish the Carly Phillips novel I'm about half through.

Edit to add: I haven't been ignoring the comments on my posts intentionally -- I didn't know they were there. I think I've figured out how to be notified when I get a comment, so I won't ignore you guys anymore. I'm sorry!