Recommendations, Anyone?

I have a confession to make. A few weeks ago I had a minor identity crisis of sorts. I was laying in bed, my head swarming with so many crazy ideas that I could barely handle being in my skin...it was like I was itching to do something, I just didn't know what. I told Mark I wanted to return to school, go get an M. Div or a Doctorate in Social Work or maybe a PhD in some social science. Mark didn't discourage me...but he kind of gave me that "Are you out of your mind?!" look. You probably know what I'm talking about.

Before I got too carried away, though, I did remember that I have two young children that require full-time care and then I remembered how I don't actually like writing papers, doing homework, studying for tests or reading textbooks. And writing my Master's thesis was one of the biggest headaches of my life. So after thinking about it more clearly, what it boils down to is that I just wanted to go hear some instructors, learn something new and get another degree to feel smart and be seen as smart in the eyes of other people (too many conversations about sleep schedules and crock pot dishes were getting the best of me). Plus having a title like Dr. Mitchell with a lot of extra letters at the end of my name sounded cool too.

Since ignoring my family and acquiring student loans just for the sake of cool titles and letters wasn't such a great idea, I decided to find a Plan B. Upon more self examination (you must think I'm such a narcissist!), I realized that what I really wanted to do was not go back to school but simply to just start reading again. I confess I sort of got lost in survival mode, just living day to day and in my few minutes of free time I would just veg out watching some lame reality TV show. Seriously, I don't think anything I watched had a single actor in it. Just a host and a bunch of people trying to prove they're better than other people. And of course that is sadly interesting to me...so I kept/keep watching (I couldn't just quit cold turkey, you know. I have to know who wins!)

But I've decided to start reading again. However, I'm looking for a fresh start. I admit I tend to gravitate towards the authors I know and love...Joel C. Rosenberg, Jonathan Kozel, Donald Miller, Amy Tan, Francine Rivers, Sandra Cisneros, Khaled Hosseini, Maya Angelou, Jane Austen and Nicolas Sparks (cheesy, I know). They are like friends in my living room and I can just curl up to their words for hours. But there is a big world out there and an entire library full of adventures...so I'm seeking suggestions. My only request is NO CHRISTIAN SELF-HELP/SELF IMPROVEMENT BOOKS! I don't want to be told how to be a better wife, better mother, better Christian, better friend. It is not that I think I have perfected myself in these areas, it is just that those books have the reverse effect on me. Instead feeling inspired, they make me feel tired, depressed and abnormally cranky, to be honest.

So if you have read anything of quality, substance or pure entertainment, send me some titles. I've picked up a few goodies at the library yesterday (another Donald Miller...I couldn't help myself!), but I'm open to new suggestions. And today I already finished the Miller book because I can get quite O.C.D. with reading and was up at 5:30 a.m. finishing it before Ethan could wake up. Now I'm all inspired to change the world and write an amazing story with my life. But that's another post. In the meantime, the only thing I'll be changing is a few dirty diapers. Hoping to hear from you! -J

P.S. For you Lit majors out there, you are probably dying as you read all the fragments I just constructed. I think my AP English teacher from high school would vomit. Lucky for her, and you for that matter, a dissertation is clearly not in my distant future.