everybody loves somebody - not talking about dean martin

I've been in a book-reading binge all July. Yesterday I finished the memoir "Lucky" by Alice Sebold. I should have known it was going to be rough.

It took me 3 days to read the book and for 3 days I've had trouble falling asleep (it usually takes me less than 5 minutes) and dreamed bad dreams about hiding and darkness. I should have known what I was in for after reading her novel, "The Lovely Bones," in high school. But high school was a long time ago.  Sebold is a fantastic writer.
Then today I was stuck on the parkway on the commute home, so I listened to NPR. Yeah, NPR can be pretty pretentious, but I was thoroughly entertained by a segment about Sharknado and Sharknado 2: The Second One. And then the news came on and I learned that almost 20% of women who attend college will be sexually assaulted or raped during their undergraduate years. The average American woman has a smaller chance of being raped if she doesn't go to college. That's 1 in 5 women. This is wrong. What can I do to stop this?

In July, I read:
Jonathan Rosen's Joy Comes in the Morning
Anne Lamott's Blue Shoe
Suzanne Finnamore's Otherwise Engaged
Norah Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck
Alice McDermott's The Bigamist's Daughter
Joanna Scott's Everybody Loves Somebody
Alice Sebold's Lucky

This is a mix of novels, memoir, and short stories. My favorite book was Joanna Scott's Everybody Love Somebody.  It's short stories. I hadn't actually read a book of short stories in a long while. But this collection, I love an recommend. You don't have to be a romantic to enjoy it, although I admit I am a huge sap or I wouldn't have kept this 7+ year Korean drama addiction sustained for so long.

Also, my Ocean City, MD trip is official. Booked the hotel last night! I have a few weeks to find the perfect sunhat. The perfect sunhat will fit on my giant head - thanks, genetics. Also, I should own a non-one-piece bathing suit that I can stand by now. I have one that makes me look horrible, but that's it.

My officemate is leaving us all - retiring at the end of September. She taught me everything I need to know at that job. She deserves to retire after working for 42 years. But I'll miss her.