Update and Reading Free!

Recently, I've taken a couple weeks off posting to attend my graduation and also my best friend's wedding, in that order.

Girl Reading by Frederico Zandomeneghi

It went one right after another, so I was away from home and my computer for quite some time. Additionally, I've had some serious issues come up with my bipolar disorder which have kept my away from blogging. (I don't know how many of my subscribers/readers are bipolar or have friends/family who are, but I feel safe enough to admit that when I feel severely imbalanced, I simply cut out any online commenting/blogging/vlogging altogether. It's just easier than saying something stupid and then having to backpeddle with "But I'm manic!")
I'm back now and feeling better :-)
The next couple of days, I plan on posting more (about getting my degree, the wedding experience, and some general inspirational posts) to make up for the lag. In the meantime, I'd love to share a small list of books I'm reading right now. This may sound strange coming from an English major, but I'm really excited about getting to sit down and read a book. For the past four years or so, I've read amazing works of literature. However--nearly every single time--I've ended up slaving over a 20+ page analytical paper in addition to the reading. School consumed so much of my reading time that I ceased to read for fun anymore. Now that it's all said and done, I'm getting back to reading for fun! Here's what's on my reading list atm:

• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (I'm a sucker for historical vampire novels like this, reminds me a bit of the Blood Countess by Andrei Codrescu)
  
• Avalon High by Meg Cabot (High school meets Arthurian legend--haven't started it yet, but Cabot's one of my faves since I read the Princess Diaries series when I was younger. I like Arthurian legend, I like Meg Cabot--well, we'll see how it goes.)
• The Casteel Family Series by VC Andrews (1980s gothic family saga, more info here. I've finished the first book and fell in love with the characters. Andrews' series tend to be especially dark, fyi, even for your standard gothic reader. Many say the five book Casteel series is the best.)

And I don't have to write a paper on any of them! Woohoo! >D
Anyone else enjoying a book in their free time this summer?