After no less than five flights throughout China (the shortest one being thirty minutes, the longest almost fifteen hours) we are finally home and settling in with our new daughter Maya.

I would love to tell you that I was able to get through five books while traveling the last twenty days, but that would be a lie. In fact, I just made it through one and a half books.

I’ve been on long flights before and one of my favorite things to do is to read. But traveling with two children under the ages of five was a challenge (especially on that fifteen hour flight) and so there wasn’t too much “me” time for reading.

Anyway, I did in fact get to read the second installment of Ann Brashares The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Not quite as good as the first (you can read my review here) but still a fun read.

I also started Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter. A quick purchase at a popular bookstore chain in Hong Kong, it is the story of 20 something, un-lucky in love Emily Albright, who signs up for a guided tour through England and Jane Austen country. She meets up with difficult Spike, a journalist who is writing a piece on why the fictional Mr. Darcy of Pride and Predudice, Emily’s favorite Austen novel, has earned the title of “Man Most Women Would Love to Date.” Definitely a light chick lit book that has kept my interest. I plan to finish it up once my jet lag subsides. This book really puts me in the mood to read Austenland by Shannon Hale. I’ve read good reviews on a number of other blogs and think it might be a fun read also.

Picked as my next neighborhood book club selection, Peace Like a River by Leif Enger follows Reuben “Rube” Land, the asthmatic 11-year-old boy at the center the novel. Rube recalls the events of his childhood, in small-town Minnesota circa 1962. Rube’s big brother Davy guns down two schoolyard bullies with a Winchester. Shortly after his arrest, Davy breaks out of jail and goes on the lam. Rube, Swede, and their father, a widowed school custodian, hit the road too, swerving this way and that across Minnesota and North Dakota, determined to find their lost outlaw Davy. Luckily I was able to get a really nice copy of this book from Bookmooch, which came in the mail while we were away. I haven’t yet cracked it open.

I did in fact bring along The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble to China, but never had the chance to read it. I guess it will have to sit on my TBR pile for a little while longer.

Last but certainly not least, Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows is here! Like millions of other people around the world, my copy of the seventh Harry Potter book was delivered to my home on July 21st. Little did I know when I pre-ordered the book from Amazon.com that I would be wandering around Beijing while my copy sat on my front porch. My neighbor borrowed and read the book while I was away and brought it back to me yesterday.

I have leafed through it breifly, but want to wait until I am well rested to actually sit down and enjoy it. A hot cup of tea, a cozy spot on my couch or nestled in my bed with the last Harry Potter book - sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? I can hardly wait for things to settle down a bit so I can enjoy some quiet time for myself.

Thanks for sticking around here at The Written Word during my hiatus. I hope to be able to continue to read regulary and update this blog often. Just let me get some sleep first.

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