New reads:

I just finished reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. Have you read it? I've heard a lot of people talking about it lately and couldn't wait to dig in. Here's what it's about (from the back cover):

"When fifteen-year-old Bee claims a family trip to Antartica as a reward for perfect grades, her fiercely intelligent but agoraphobic mother, Bernadette, throws herself into preparations for the trip. Worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Bernadette is on the brink of a meltdown. As disaster follows disaster, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces. Which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together emails, invoices, and school memos to reveal the secret past that Bernadette has been hiding for decades. Where'd You Go, Bernadette is an ingeniously entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are, and the power of a daughter's love for her imperfect mother."

I loved it. It was a really fast read and very enjoyable -- light and funny. And Bernadette? Loved her. She was probably my favorite character. Maybe one of my favorite characters ever. Top 20, at least. She's smart, independent, and does and says whatever she wants. Like this little gem:

"My heart started racing, not the bad kind of heart racing, like, I'm going to die. But the good kind of racing, like, Hello, can I help you with something? If not, please step aside because I'm about to kick the shit out of life."

I found her very refreshing and relatable. And I vowed to try and be a little more like Bernadette from time to time.

So, did you read it? If so, what did you think? Did you like Bernadette as much as I did? And if not, what are you waiting for?! It's great, I swear. You will not be disappointed.