Here's to hoping!

Its been more than a year since my last post, which feels like a good enough reason to post another one. The purpose of this post is really to see if anyone ever reads my blog. But while I'm at it, there's no better time for an update in the world of Azul.
This summer I've actually decided to count the number of books I've read. It seemed like a good idea in the first two weeks when I read 10 books in a row but then swim practice hit and I'm only up to 14. However, that is not to say I read anything so fast I did not take time to smell the roses, or that old book smell some of us enjoy so much. On my list were:
Libba Bray's "A Great and terrible Beauty" and the other books in that fantastic series
Darren Shan's Demonata Series (I read Cirque du Freak and thought "Why not?")
and Meg Cabots Airhead series
The first? I loved it. Not only is it unique, it is riveting. This series deals with the situations teenage girls dealt with in Britain's Imperialistic prime and also with the passions and emotions that drive those girls to their decisions in their not-so-typical situations. There is dark magic and power struggles aplenty... and this short little review doesn't do the book justice. If you're a teenage girl, go read it. Go.
The second and third series were mostly tributes to authors I have loved in the past, and though the books were well written, they were quick reads that were done in a day. However: If you want the perfect description of me, just read Airhead. Em Watts is me in a nutshell, if I were in a book based in New York City.
A Final Note: I was in Time Magazine!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes indeed I was informed at my confirmation that the first ever letter I'd written to the acclaimed magazine had been published. The reason I'd written was because of the Time top 100, because of a young girl named Reem Al-Numery. Her story really touched me, and I encourage everyone to read it. And while you're looking up old Time magazines, look up the May 15th issue featuring your truly!
Scratch that. I;ll just copy paste it right here. As long as I'm bragging, I'll see my act of anti-modesty through.

"The TIME 100 this year was full of big names, big people and big stories [May 10]. It was very interesting to read, but my favorite story was on Reem Al Numery. In high school I've been learning about the dangers of being a girl in an Islamic nation and was told these girls live their desperate lives without hope of change. It really moved me to see that a girl not much younger than me had the strength to stand up not only to her abusive father but also to an institution as powerful as the Islamic faith. Thank you, TIME, for not letting her get lost among the bigger names. Now she can serve as an inspiration to us all."
I've got to say: I feel pretty awesome.
If you actually read all the way through, THANK YOU! You deserve a reward because you're probably the first. Its not that I'm uninteresting... just not well advertised.
-Zuly