Unexpectedly related

A couple weeks ago, I took a typical trip to the library. I love love love the library. It just makes me so incredibly happy to be surrounded by so many books, so much information. I have a list pages and pages long of books I want to read, and it seems I rarely make a dent in that list, because I continually add to my reading pile with books that just catch my eye, for one reason or another.

I usually go to the library for a particular book. Sometimes it's a particular title, or particular author, genre or topic. From there, I proceed to fill up my canvas bag with books on all topics, not really paying too much attention to what I'm grabbing. Sometimes I'm attracted to the picture on the cover, sometimes I recognize the title as something I had seen a review on, sometimes, I just like the font or graphics of the binding.

Anyways, one of the books I randomly grabbed was, "Love or Something Like It" by Deirdre Shaw. It was on the new releases shelf, and I can't really say why I chose this book. I try to stay away from too much chick-lit, as it's often so predictable. But something made me shove that book into my bag.

It took me a couple weeks to get to this book, and once I opened it, I have to say I had a difficult time putting it down. I could completely relate to the character, Lacey. After a disappointing end to her 20s, with a failed marriage and a fairly dead end job, she has life experiences that really mirror some that I have had, and the words written on the page put into writing some things that I haven't been able to articulate. I am just wowed by how I've been able to see myself and my own personal struggles in this character.

It's kind of like hearing the sad love songs. Specifically, hearing the songs about heartwrenching break up. You just know that someone had to go through something horrible to be able to put those feelings into words, set them to music. It makes you feel not so alone knowing that someone else out there has possibly had it worse off than you have. These days, it seems like everyone is so happy, happy, joy, joy. They have the happiest lives, the most fantastic husbands, the highest paying jobs, the smartest most beautiful children, the awesomest relationships with their parents and siblings, just the best of the best of the best. And it's impossible for me to not feel like I missed that day in school where they taught us how to have this perfect lifestyle. Maybe everyone's not as perfect as they let on, and it's just really refreshing to read a book, even if it's fiction, that resonates with exactly what I'm struggling with.