South Beach Diet - It's 2009; What Are You Reading?

Can you believe that it's that time again?! I can't! It's not technically 2009 here, but DH is busy saving the world playing Call of Duty, so I thought I'd get our thread started.

There was a lot of diverse reading last year between us SB chicks and I love that! It definitely helps me branch out into genres that I probably wouldn't read on my own.

So what book is taking you into 2009?

I'm still working on Ex-Libris by Ross King. I started it in Austin two weeks ago and just couldn't get into it. I'm liking it better now, but the beginning was a little slow. I figured it would be right up my alley since it's main character is a bibliophile and antiquarian in 17th century London, but it just doesn't have any teeth. Does that make any sense? :lol: Oh well. I'll stick with it a few more nights and see how it goes. I may move on if it doesn't pick up.

I've decided to start three devotionals. Now, before anyone gets concerned; they're all "paragraph-a-day" devotionals and I'll be reading one in the morning before I even get the coffee going, one at lunch and one before bed. It should constitute about 10 minutes per devotional. This way, if I find one time of day particularly difficult, it won't require learning new habits; I'll already have the other devotional times to fall back on. I look at it like checking in to 3FC a few times a day even if there are no new posts. It will help to keep me focused. My morning devotional is New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer, the lunchtime one is Daily Splashes of Joy by Barbara Johnson and my pre-bedtime one is Voices of the Faithful by Beth Moore and Friends. All three of them are by women I admire and have enjoyed reading in the past.

Well, off to wait the next 53 minutes out! I'm not so sure I'll make it to 12 a.m., but I'll try!

~Kim

I just finished two Danielle Steele books and am now reading her book Sisters. It's light reading which is what I need right now.

I'm reading The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters. I found it while browsing the book store and am really enjoying it. Also audiobooking (if it wasn't a verb it is now!) Eat for Health. His ideas are interesting though I don't agree with all of it. I'm going to try to integrate some of his eating plan this year though to see if we can move the health issues at home.

For the first time I didn't get any books for Christmas. Usually there is a pile but in the last year exercising has really eaten up the free time that I used for reading so my reading has slowed way down.

Light reading is good. I always grab a Danielle Steele when I travel.

Just finished re-reading The Stone Diaries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stone_Diaries) by Canadian Carole Shields, an excellent read.

When I was away, I read The Boleyn Inheritance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boleyn_Inheritance) which tied in well with The Tudors series that I watched in the fall.

I also read Along Came A Spider (http://www.jamespatterson.com/books_alex_cross.html), a sort of thriller/detective novel.

Not sure what 2009 will bring to my bookshelf but I did get some Chapters gift cards so......definitely will not buy diet books or cookbooks!

I haven't read much in the past two months, since I've been so engrossed in my cross-stitching. I have a stack of books by Debbie Macomber and Nora Roberts that I want to get to, though. They'll help me get through the long dreary months of January and February.

I just finished a great book, read it in record time, couldn't put it down!! Cross Country by James Patterson.

I started Prospect Street last night (thanks to Laurie's recommendation) and I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK! Light reading, but the story had me hooked 30 pages into it. I am grabbing every second I can to read more and more. When I started it, I didn't think it was something I would like but promised to give it 50 pages anyway. Boy was I wrong. Different from the thriller/detective books I normally read. Check it out!
OK, off to read more!! :D

ETA : Forgot to add... I also love this thread. I get great ideas and have a list of books I would like to try, all recommendations off this site.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

I am currently reading The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan. It is good, although I am not getting through it very quickly.

I just started the Twilight series. I didn't really think I would like it, but all of my 5th grade girls kept raving about it so I wanted to know what it was about. It is light reading and I have really liked the suspense so far. I have just started New Moon. I should have plenty of time to finish it after surgery tomottow.

I just finished Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter. It was a great feel good book and a quick read. Next I'm going to read The Secret Life of Bees or My Sister's Keeper.
I love this thread. I'm always looking for new books to read.

ETA: I decided to read My Sister's Keeper yesterday. Great book. I stayed up half the night just to finish it.

I just finished reading South Beach Diet. :)

The new Janet Evanovich book Plum Spooky is coming out on Jan 6. I'm too excited! Janet is my favorite!

i'm reading a woman after gods own heart...on my road to one of my resolutions

I am starting Deception Point by Dan Brown. Finishing Audition by B Walters and also The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks.......

I just finished reading South Beach Diet. :)



How does that go? ;)

I am starting Deception Point by Dan Brown.

I want to read that one when I finish my current book. I would love to know what you think of it when you finish it.

Jenski: Who is Prospect Street by? It sounds interesting...

I'm really getting into Ex-Libris now. It's started covering the fall of Prague Castle to King Frederick of Bohemia and that is a very interesting side-story. It also turns out that the whole subject of the book is to find a missing volume of the Corpus hermeticum (http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/herm/index.htm), a collection which, in that time, was declared a work of fraud. It's starting to get really exciting!!!

So, tell me more about what you're reading!!

Kim - this book did not disappoint me. The author is Emilie Richards. I am going to check out some more from this author. I liked it that much.
Here is the description from Amazon:
It was a mystery to Faith Bronson why her 15-year marriage had gone from passionate to platonic, but when she discovers her husband in the arms of another man, the solution turns her world upside down. Now an even greater mystery awaits her as she and her two adolescent children begin anew in a ramshackle Georgetown row house that has been in her mother's family for generations. Nearly 40 years ago, her parents' first child, Hope, had been kidnapped from the upstairs nursery, and the mystery of her disappearance has haunted and divided the family ever since. As Faith works to unearth family secrets and renovate her ancestral home, she encounters Pavel Quinn, a sexy neighbor whose attention she welcomes until her investigation uncovers the truth about Pavel's own shadowy past. The story of a newly-single woman struggling to reinvent herself in the wake of a divorce is hardly a new one, but Richards does the predictable plot proud through this compelling story of a family's destruction and resurrection

Just a great story. A story about a mother's journey to start over, a little mystery, a little love. Just kept me hooked and wanting to read it every free second I had. I finished 450 pages in 2 days, which is record time for me!! Great story to get lost in for a while. Check it out!

Need to head to the library. I have The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan waiting for me.

KIKO, how are you liking The Bonesetter's Daughter? I couldn't get into it.

JENSKI, I have Prospect Street on reserve for me at the library after hearing you rave about it. I hope I enjoy it as much as you have!

Cottage - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did too!!! Even rereading the description, I didn't think I would like it that much. It just hooked me.

Don't know if it was mentioned before, but I just finished Shelter Me by Juliette Fay. It was great, I highly recommend it. Such a good read.

Thought I would share my list of books I read in 2008. Would be happy to offer commentary on any of them if you're interested!

Right now I am listening to Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reischl about her life as a food critic. Fun, but it makes me hungry!! I'm also reading The Girlfriend's Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood by Vicki Iovine.

1. Swapping Lives by Jane Green (1/2/08)
2. Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass (1/3/08)
3. Bless Your Heart, Tramp: And Other Southern Endearments by Celia Rivenbark (1/5/08) (NF)
4. Murder By the Glass by Michele Scott (1/7/08)
5. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (1/19/08) (M) (reread)
6. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (1/24/08) (NF)
7. Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett (1/30/08) (NF)
8. The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy (2/4/08)
9. Payback by Melody Carlson (2/08)
10. Better Read than Dead by Victoria Laurie (2/18/08)
11. Reluctant Smuggler by Jill Elizabeth Nelson (2/23/08)
12. The Next Level by David Gregory (3/1/08) (M)
13. Paint It Black by Janet Fitch (3/2/08)
14. The Island of Heavenly Daze by Angela Hunt and Lori Copeland (3/8/08)
15. The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy by Erika Lenkert (NF) (3/8/08)
16. The Shack by William Young (M) (3/10/08)
17. And Sometimes Why by Rebecca Johnson (3/15/08)
18. Grace in Autumn by Lori Copeland and Angela Hunt (3/18/08)
19. A Vision of Murder by Victoria Laurie (3/21/08)
20. American Shaolin by Matthew Polly (NF, M) (3/29/08)
21. Callie's Tally by Betsy Howie (NF) (4/3/08)
22. Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson (4/8/08)
23. Mustard Seeds by Lynn Coulter (4/8/08) (NF) (proofed)
24. Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury (4/18/08)
25. The Men I Didn't Marry by Lynn Schnurnberger and Janice Kaplan (4/27/08)
26. I Love Everybody (And Other Atrocious Lies) by Laurie Notaro (NF) (4/29/08)
27. When Zeffie Got a Clue by Peggy Darty (5/5/08)
28. Killer Insight by Victoria Laurie (5/08)
29. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire (5/9/08) (M)
30. Reconstructing Natalie by Laura Jensen Walker (5/10/08)
31. The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregancy by Vicky Iovine (5/08)
32. Bed Rest by Sarah Bliston (5/15/08)
33. Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie (5/19/08)
34. What We Keep by Elizabeth Berg (5/21/08)
35. 32AA by Michelle Cunnah (5/24/08)
36. The Olive Farm by Carol Drinkwater (5/27/08) (NF)
37. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (5/28/08)
38. Murder on a Girls' Night Out by Anne George (6/1/08)
39. Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear by Sharon Dunn (6/9/08)
40. Notes from the Underbelly by Risa Green (6/15/08)
41. Skid by Rene Gutteridge (6/19/08)
42. Icing on the Cake by Laura Castoro (6/22/08)
43. Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout (6/28/08)
44. Digging to America by Anne Tyler (7/1/08)
45. Manual for Motherhood (vol 1) by various (7/3/08) (NF)
46. Better Off Wed by Laura Durham (7/6/08)
47. Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke (7/7/08)
48. Me Times Three by Alex Witchel (7/12/08)
49. Confessions from an Honest Wife by Sarah Zacharias Davis (7/16/08) (NF)
50. That's (Not Exactly) Amore by Tracey Bateman (7/20/08)
51. Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik (7/21/08)
52. Julia's Hope by Leisha Kelly (7/23/08)
53. Charlotte Leaves the Light On by Annette Smith (7/26/08)
54. Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin (8/3/08) (NF)
55. Emma's Gift by Leisha Kelly (8/13/08)
56. The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart (8/16/08)
57. Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn (8/19/08) (reread)
58. Valentine Murder by Leslie Meier (8/24/08)
59. The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik (8/25/08)
60. A Garden in Paris by Stephanie Grace Whitson (9/1/08)
61. The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama (9/8/08)
62. The Good, Good Pig by Sy Montgomery (9/12/08) (NF)
63. The Rice Room by Ben Fong-Torres (9/23/08) (M, NF)
64. Katie's Dream by Leisha Kelly (10/5/08)
65. Rorey's Secret by Leisha Kelly (10/9/08)
66. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (10/13/08)
67. On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle (10/18/08)
68. The Birth Book by Dr. Sears (10/19/08) (M, NF)
69. The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt (10/24/08)
70. Tam Lin by Pamela Dean (11/08) (reread)
71. Chicken Soup for the New Mom's Soul (11/11/08) (NF)
72. Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman (11/18/08) (NF)
73. Second Glance by Jodi Picoult (11/08)
74. The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory (12/9/08)
75. Girl's Night In by various (12/08)
76. A Warmth in Winter by Angela Hunt and Lori Copeland (12/19/08)
77. A Perfect Love by Angela Hunt and Lori Copeland (12/29/08)
78. Hearts at Home by Angela Hunt and Lori Copeland (12/31/08)

wow, jessie what a list. Is there any one that is totally your favourite.
Sophie

Just finished "Treasures" by Maeve Binchy and am reading another James Patterson "Cross". The last is large print so I can read it on the treadmill.

Ruth, I just adore Mauve Binchy, she's my favorite author alongside of Margaret Pilcher. Their books just make me feel all snug and content. :)

Ruth--I can't find a Maeve Binchy book called "Treasures" on Amazon. Is it a short story? I adore her as well and I think I've read most all of her books.

Sophie--I would say it's a toss-up between American Shaolin and Water for Elephants. If you haven't read A Prayer for Owen Meany, that's one of my favorite books of all time and SO good. If you like Jodi Picoult, I would also highly recommend Second Glance. It was different than her normal strand because it doesn't involve a court case.

Jessie, it's an oldie from a box going to the yard sale. I'll go check the title and the publishing date because I can't find it either.
I'll watch for Second Glance. I've read two Jody P. books, one good and one not so will try another one.

Thanks Jessie, I did read A Prayer Owen Meany, years ago, will have to revisit it sometime.
I've read two of Jodi P. books and really enjoyed one but found the plots sort of in the same direction. Will look for the one you suggest.
I did enjoy Knit Two and as the cover on the first book The Friday Night Knitting Club states - its New York's Steel Magnolia but still a good read and I can see a tv series or movies made out of it. I sort of pictured whom I would like to see play the different characters.
Currently reading Ominvore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and find it very slow read but its opening my eyes to the production of today's food.
Sophie

Where is everyone?! Are we still reading?


Hey, Jessie! I read your list on your blog and added a few to the "want to read" list I'm keeping. I hope to read half that many books this year!


I'm still working on Ex-Libris. I'd be finished by now, but every time something happens, I jump up to google it! Lol! I spent several hours researching the Corpus Hermeticum and the fall of Prague Castle. It's very weird, but I can't keep from looking this stuff up! I'm learning a lot, though. I also spent some time researching the term "ex-libris" itself. I'm sure I'll finish it up by this weekend. I only have a few chapters to go and then I'll be done.

I'm going to plan on moving on to Snow Angels by Stewart O'Nan next Monday night.

Thanks, Kim, for starting us off! I was so tempted to do it on 12/30 when I was online, but knew that wasn't fair...unfortunately, I haven't had time to post while home during break. So much clean-up and sleeping to catch up on after we got home from my parents! :lol:

I'll try my best to respond to as many as I can, but there's a lot of posting for so early in the month--not that I'm complaining! I'm SO glad to have our little reading corner here! :grouphug: I get such wonderful ideas from you all!

Kim, I hear you on books with teeth! I love a book named Ex-Libris (the MLA is changing to italics instead of underlining, so I'm practicing!), but it's by Anne Fadiman. It's a bunch of short biographical essays about being a book lover. I really respect your plans for devotionals--wish I could carve out more time in the day for that in my life. It's so important to me, but every day somehow goes by without my managing it. I've been trying to fit in meditation time, too, and that hasn't happened yet, either, unless you count meditating to sleep while cuddling the dog... :rolleyes:

Cyndi, it sounds like you've made some really good changes in your life in terms of exercise, but it's a shame to lose reading time. Can you listen to books on tape while you exercise? I love listening to podcasts on my iPod. If I were less cheap, I'd buy some audio books to do that with, too! My library actually has a way of "renting" mp3 audio books, but it doesn't work with iPods. :(

Yay for light reading! I did a bunch of it recently and it's been so much fun and really cleared my mind for other things.

Jenski, I'm so glad you liked Prospect Street! I got it at a used book sale, but I'm definitely going to be looking out for more books by the author. It was such an engaging book--so hard to put down! I loved the story and now I'm dying to go check out that area of WADC! :D I'm sure it doesn't hurt that I'm fascinated by restoration of old houses. Oh, and history and genealogy, too. ;)

Murphy, how did your surgery go? Hope you're okay! :hug: I've heard most adults say that they could finish the entire Twilight series in a couple days. A couple of my adult friends loved it, but most just said it was okay. It's great to know what your kids/students are into by experiencing it yourself, though.

Lightfello, you picked two great books to read! I bet you'll like The Secret Life of Bees even more than Keeper, though both are wonderful. I love anything Picoult writes even though some of them are bigger favorites than others.

Frannie, what did you think about The Lucky One? I've enjoyed many of Sparks' books, but some of the latest ones haven't been as good, IMHO. I really like The Lucky One, though I felt like scoffing at some of it. Maybe I'm getting too cynical? :o I consider it worth reading, though...it's got great suspense, lots of wonderful dog scenes, an excellent villian (though the ending wasn't as good as it could have been in terms of him), and a sweet love story. Oh, and I just loved the character of Nana. She was hilarious!

Cottage, I predict that you will LOVE Prospect Street...I think you'll really admire and be inspired by the main character. :hug:

Jessie! It's so fun to "see" you again here! :hug: How's motherhood? I absolutely ADORE Vicki Iovine's Girlfriend's Guides. I've read the wedding one (which may be out of print now) and the one for pregnancy. I hope one day I'm in need of reading the one you're on now. What was Confessions from an Honest Wife by Sarah Zacharias Davis like? I'd also love to hear what you thought of Second Glance. I haven't read that one yet. How do you keep track of your reading? I'd really like to do that somehow. I'm using two programs on Facebook to track my reading, but a friend there recommended an online site called Library Thing. Does anyone use that or something like it?

Ruth, I adore Binchy. :love: What was Treasures about? I don't think I've done that one... I wonder if it's one of the older ones that have been renamed and republished? I just can't get into Patterson. Maybe I've read the wrong books? We read Honeymoon for my book club and it was just so graphic that it made me sick. :barf: I had awful nightmares, too. I read a couple of his more mundane books (like the Letters one) and didn't really get much out of them. Does he write any thrillers that aren't graphic? I know so many people who adore his books... Which Picoult books did you read? I really loved Keeping Faith but Plain Truth is my absolute favorite. It's a little bit like Agnes of God (I've only seen the movie), but set in a Amish family. So fascinating!

Sophie, I'm interested in Omnivore's Dilemma too, but I'm worried it'll be too dry to get through. Wonder if I can get it on tape? Do you think The Friday Night Knitting Club would be interesting to someone who doesn't knit?

Me: I read a ton over the break but I only received one book for Christmas. I got a big stack of 'em at the library before heading to my parents for the holidays. Here's the rundown:


Zanna's Gift: A tiny Christmas book that was compared to The Christmas Box but was nowhere near as good. In my opinion, it was pretty much a waste of time--it would have made a good short story if most of it were cut and a new ending was added...

Diamond in the Ruff and Gone to the Dogs by Emily Carmichael: These are the two next books in the series that starts with Finding Mr. Right, which I read sometime in the last couple years. I got a copy of the latter one from Paperbackswap and realized I didn't have the one in the middle, so I got it from the library. In the first book Lydia Keane is killed by a burgler while out on a date with her best friend's husband, with whom she is having an affair. Lydia has been a very, very bad girl in her life, so she's given the task of finding another husband for her best friend--only she has to do it reincarnated as a pudgy corgi dog (not fun for a woman who was stunning and skinny in her former life...). Mysteries and lots of suspense feature in these romances and, though they are light reading, they are a lot of fun, especially for dog lovers. We used to have a corgi mix, so I really enjoyed Lydia's antics as Piggy, the corpulent corgi. :D In the last book, she introduces several woman with pets who are all members of an animal therapy group (they go to hospitals and nursing homes to comfort the patients). She has a couple of books out that feature these women and their own romances. If you're a cat lover, she also has books that parallel Piggy's experiences, only with a reincarnated cat (well, if the formula works, why fix it? :lol: ). I think the first one of those is A Ghost for Maggie.

Mortal Curiosity by by Ann Granger: The second in her series of Lizzie Martin mysteries, this book was fantastic!!! It was on the new shelf at my library and I can't wait to read the first book, even though a couple of hints about it were given out in this one. This series takes place in England in the 1860s and the author has done painstaking research to make sure every detail is accurate. The characters nearly stand up out of the book--they are so well drawn that they truly seem alive. I could hardly put this down. She has written a ton of other mysteries--one series features a man/woman team but I think they take place in the England of today.

The Bisexual's Guide to the Universe: While entertaining, much of it is really fluff. A good laugh but not much information. :shrug:

It's a Dog's Life...but It's Your Carpet: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Your Four-Legged Friend by Justine Lee, DVM: This was incredibly well-written and absolutely hilarious. I finished it on our flight out to my parents and enjoyed it immensely. Like a Why Do Men Have Nipples? book about dogs, this explains, in a wacky Q & A format, why dogs do the things they do. The vet who wrote the book says that most of the questions are the ones she's asked over and over. I definitely learned a lot about our dog!
I reviewed The Lucky One above.


As for now, I'm currently reading the Daily Show with Jon Stewart's America: Democracy Inaction. It's styled on a textbook and is absolutely hilarious while being suprisingly informative. For instance, I had no idea that Madison contributed so much to our nation!

I have a big TBR pile waiting for me at home: a stack of Junie B. Jones books to catch up on (I just love those books!!!), Deceptively Delicious (cookbook), two books on training dogs, a couple of Ellis Haskell mysteries, and I have The Companion (the first Lizzie Martin book) waiting for me at the library. I better get to it! :read:

Laurie,
Honestly I am not that fond of the Girlfriends' Guides. I don't know why! I just read the Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood. I guess I just don't think she is as funny as SHE thinks she is. Also anyone who repeatedly tells you they are 115 lbs. should be shot, in my opinion. ;)

Confessions of an Honest Wife is a collection of essays from Christian wives. I thought it was very interesting and good, although not quite what I expected.

I LOVED Second Glance. It is a ghost story and so interesting and pretty unlike the other Picoult novels I've read. It is like 600 pages and even with a newborn I read it in a matter of days.

I just keep a list of the books I've read as a "note" on my Paperbackswap public profile. I have heard goof things about Librarything too, though. I'm just not that disciplined!

Laurie - Omnivore's Dilemma is on tape. I listened to In Defense of Food that way (though I had to listen to some sections more than once - the hazard of listening before sleep!). We listened to the Jon Stewart book while driving - it was perfect!
Unfortunately I use music to motivate me and set my intervals when working out and I am a news junkie so listen to podcasts when driving. I'll get it all figured out eventually and balance things :) I've been a serious reading junkie since I learned to read.

Laurie
I got Second Glance at Costco this weekend and started reading this afternoon. Really enjoying it so far.
You have to read The Friday Night Knitting Club before you can enjoy Knit Two. There is very little technical stuff in it and definitely a non-knitter would enjoy it just as much.
I really enjoy this thread although I don't contribute much but I have noted some of the books for my reading list.
Sophie

Marley & Me
The Love Dare

But must finish them up and get the next pile of books going! Kinda on a self help kick for relationship building. Then after I always crave FICTION!

Jessie Confessions of an Honest Wife is a collection of essays from Christian wives. I thought it was very interesting and good, although not quite what I expected. [U]

I have this one in my pile. Maybe I will read it when complete Marley & Me in the next few days.

I am almost done Boots On The Ground At Dusk: A Tribute to Pat Tillman. I'm sure those of you in the US are more familiar with the event of Pat Tillman's death then us over here in Canada. A story of a great hero.

I will be starting Mein Kampft shortly. I have given up fiction to educate myself on true events. I don't miss my Nora Roberts at all!

I'm not really getting anywhere of late...though I did read a quick Junie B. Jones book (Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder) just for fun. I love those books!

I'm still wading through America: Democracy Inaction. Though at times I'm a little bored, there are lots of parts that make me laugh so hard!

I need to start The Companion, but I keep forgetting to take it upstairs with me. I brought another Junie B to read at lunch today--this one's Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants. Should be fun. :D

I have been re-reading The ABC's of Breastfeeding and still trying to finish Knitting Two. Knitting Two just didn't grab my attention like The Friday Night Knitting Club did...it has been rather slow.

I'm looking forward to starting Pillars of the Earth in the next few days.

Good for you, Zeff, on doing Pillars of the Earth. I haven't even put it on the TBR pile yet, but it sound fascinating.

I'm almost done with The Companion, which is just as awesome as the second book. I can't wait for her to write more! :drool:

Our new book club choice is The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Even though I love books with dogs, I'm not too thrilled about this one. I find I'm becoming a horrible escapist in my book choices. :o Why does a book have to include "the extremes of what humans must endure" (from the synopsis of Edgar Sawtelle) in order to be worth reading? :shrug: Oh well...I joined book club to be forced to read things I wouldn't normally read, so... Has anyone read this book?

I'm also listening to Picoult's Change of Heart on CD. It's fascinating. A little bit Green Mile hits Picoult's Keeping Faith.

I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of Prospect Street at the library yesterday, and it's hard to put down. Thanks, Laurie and Jenski, for recommending it! I like the way Emilie Richards pulls you into the story and will have to search out more of her books. :)

I was going through a box of old books and found one I hadn't read yet - A Single Pebble by John Hershey. It was pretty good. I usually really like fiction that is set in China. It's the story of a young engineer (American or British, I can't remember which) that is sent up the Yangtze River on a cargo junk to evaluate putting in a dam. Culture clash ensues...

And yet again I say, PotE is one of my all-time, all-time favorites. Hope you guys like it. It's a long book, but it goes quickly because you can't put it down.

Quiet around here - we must be busy chicks these days! I stopped by the bookmobile this week and picked up some things:
Jarhead by Anthony Swoford
13 Moons by Charles Frazier
Eat. Love, Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert

I started 13 Moons last night, no opinion yet, I've only read one chapter and it hasn't grabbed me yet, but it's too soon to judge.

Hi, everyone. I haven't been here for a while, several months at least, and now I'm back for the book lists but not back on SBD.

congratulations, Jessie and Zeffryn!

Jessie, I've read a number of the books on your list.
I highly recommend A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass. (only mentioning this here since you read a book by her.)I loved it, my then 10 yo dd loved it, my then 13 yo ds loved it, my mother loved it. It was the first of her books that I read, and the others were a little disappointing in comparison.

Laurie, I started to use Library Thing to catalog my books. You can do 200 for free, I think, and have to pay for more. I may be wrong on that. but I only started to use it for cataloging books that I own. that was over a year ago. this is me: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/rebelsm
and then I started using another, goodreads.com, which I used for the books I actually read, most of which are from the library. I used that for, oh, a couple of weeks. but I know people who use that a lot. I just found my goodreads page http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1185962 and it looks like I never did really use it on an ongoing basis - I only ever entered book titles on 2 dates, in May and October 2008. so, for me that's not a good method.
*************
The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton

Very good book. This is about a New York librarian who goes to Kenya to run a camel bookmobile and bring books to illiterate nomadic villages in the bush.

Somehow I missed the words: A Novel on the front of this, and thought (initially) it was non-fiction. It was interesting to read right after having read Three Cups of Tea.

here's information about the real camel bookmobile: http://camelbookdrive.wordpress.com/

so far this year i read the twilight series (AND LOVED IT! dorky of me, i know :book2: ) and the kite runner, and i just finished up "the gravedigger's daughter" yesterday and really really enjoyed it. i have to go to the bookstore and get something new so i appreciate everyone's recommendations!!

Rebel, what's A Mango Shaped Space about? Sounds good! Thanks for the reviews on Library Thing and GoodReads. I'd be so frustrated to have entered a ton of books on LT and find that I couldn't enter more without paying. Yikes! :fr: My dad has a HUGE collection of books, so I got him a program that he can use to catalogue them. It even allows you to use a scanner for the barcodes, though I couldn't afford to give him the scanner.

I don't really own a lot of books, though--at least, not many that I've bought/received in the last 10 or so years. I read them too fast and have no intention of rereading again, so it makes much more sense to get them from the library. There are some I can't get there, so I buy those second-hand or list them in my wish list on PaperbackSwap (thank you again and again to whomever suggested that to us!). As soon as I'm done, I list them in PBS so I can get more. :) So listing the books I own isn't really useful to me, but I'd love to list the ones I read so I can be more aware of what I've read. I'll have to check out GoodReads!

Camel Bookmobile sounds really good, too! There was a guy on Oprah who talked about doing something like that in a country in Asia. Amazing. Bringing books to the masses is such a worthy thing. :)

Schmoodle, Single Pebble sounds good! For some reason, it makes me think of African Queen... I absolutely adored Eat, Pray, Love. It's amazing and you definitely need to savor it. I have little post-it tabbies on nearly every page and tons of highlighting. That's one book I bought because I knew I'd want to look at it again and again for inspiration. Best of all, it's funny!

Cottage, I'm so glad you like Prospect Street, too! I'm looking forward to reading more by the author. Hope they're as good!

Beezip, I think you're in good company with Twilight. Lots of adults I know loved it. I'm a huge fan of the Harry Potter books. So don't worry...we'll be dorks with you. ;) How did you like Kite Runner? The sadness and graphic imagery in Thousand Splendid Suns nearly did me in. I just don't think I can handle another of them. :(

I finished The Companion, which was really good and satisfying, too! I'm working on Withering Heights, the 12th book in the Ellie Haskell series of mysteries. They are absolutely wonderful--the characters are really fun, and the main character is very, very relatable, even if she is a little cartoonish. Cottage, I think you might really like the books. They're by Dorothy Cannell and the first one is The Thin Woman (http://www.amazon.com/Thin-Woman-Dorothy-Cannell/dp/0553291955/ref=). It's divine for anyone who loves romances, mysteries, gothic romances, and has ever been overweight and wanted to be loved for who they are. :)

I'm also plodding through America, which continues to be funny. I just have trouble getting through non-fiction. Plus, this book is physically large, so it limits where I can take it to read. I'm currently bringing it to read at lunch at work, where there's a large table to lay it out upon.

Look forward to hearing more about what you all are reading! :D

Beezip: If being an adult and loving Twilight makes you a dork, then count me in! I loved the whole series!

I just couldn't finish Ex-Libris, so back to booksfree it goes! We had "Christmas" with my parents and sisters this weekend and I got quite a few books. I started Multiple Blessings, the book by the Gosselins from the tv show Jon & Kate Plus 8. It's been great so far, so touching! I'm just getting to the birth of the sextuplets. It's so refreshing to read about how strongly the family has relied on their beliefs to get them through such a trying, but blessed, experience! I'm sure I'll finish it quickly as I had to force myself to put it down last night and go to sleep!

Just finishing up Revolutionary Road, which I am LOVING. If any of you have seen the movie, the book is SO MUCH better... and I liked the movie a lot. The book is just so good with character development and back story, it gets you so involved in the story.

beachgal - The Kite Runner is really really sad, and from what I've heard very similar to A Thousand Splendid Suns. Overall I thought Kite Runner was hopeful but I've talked to a lotttt of people that disagreed - so maybe avoid it, it's pretty depressing! haha
Kim Star - I guess I felt the most dorky when I was reading the series at the same time as my 14 year old sister! Ha, glad to hear I am in good company. I LOVE Jon + Kate and have been really curious about the book.. especially because as I was reading about it online I realized how many people HATE Jon and Kate! It's crazy how many people think the show is "child abuse".. jealousy if you ask me!

Has anyone read The Hunger Games? I think that's next up for me

I loved The Hunger Games.
Dark but intriguing, action-packed story about a dsytopian U.S. and a gladiator-like reality show that has the 16 y.o. protagonist fighting 23 other teenagers in the wilderness.
My 14 year old son and I are both into post-apocolyptic / dystopian fiction and read the same books a lot of the time.

Rebel, what's A Mango Shaped Space about? Sounds good!

I just looked back at my book list from last year to see what I wrote about it. I didn't write much:

A middle grade novel. I think. Good for young adults and adults, too.

This book is absolutely fabulous. It's about Mia, a 13 year old girl who has synesthesia; to her, letters, numbers, and sounds all have colors.

I was reading this with my 10 year old (we read each other a couple of chapters every night at bedtime) but last night I broke the rule and kept on reading to the end of the book after she went to sleep.

here's the website about this book:
http://www.wendymass.com/mass-mango.htm

I just finished The Graveyard Book 3 days ago, and was very excited that it won the Newbery Medal yesterday.

I read Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass (for review) and loved it! She is great! Here's my review of it: http://bookloons.com/cgi-bin/Review.asp?bookid=7134

I'll be getting the first 2 twillight books hopefully by the end of the week!
And I'm reading I can make you thin

Laurie, I'll be sure to check out that series by Dorothy Cannell, thanks for the recommendation. I've enjoyed every book you've led me to, so far! :)

:lol: Well, I'm glad, Cottage, though I suppose there's always a first time... ;) I hope you like her books as much as I do. I spent the morning of our snow day yesterday in bed finishing Withering Heights. It was delicious! I'm now working on Goodbye Ms. Chips, which is the next one in the series. It definitely has potential.

I also read Junie B. Jones, First Grader: Shipwrecked! and it made me laugh as much as her other books. My favorite line: "A little glitter can turn your whole day around." ;)

Mango Shaped Space sounds fascinating! I'll definitely add it to my TBR list. I'll have to look for Mass's other books, too.

Rebel, I'm so impressed that you read the Newberry winner before it won! I've never done that before...how cool! What's The Graveyard Book about? What are dystopian books usually about? Would The Giver being a dystopian book? Handmaid's Tale? 1984?

And I'm reading I can make you thin
:lol3: KO, I read this line in your post and thought it said, "And what I'm reading can make you thin." I did a major double take! :lol:

Kim, a friend of mine absolutely loves that show (Jon and Kate). Sounds like fascinating reading. I can't imagine. My sisters are twins and helping my mom raise them was enough to make me sure I never want a multiple birth of any kind. They are SOOOO much work for their entire lives (my sisters turned 30 last weekend and they are STILL so much work for all of us!).

I'm almost done with America, too. I have just a couple of pages to skim from the "election guide" for the 2004 election. ;)

Okay 13 Moons got me yesterday. It took until page 100, but then I didn't want to put it down. I am in love with Charles Frazier, I wonder if he is good looking. Wait, I have to check... damn, not so much.

I think I would like Revolutionary Road. I haven't seen the movie. Have to put that one on the list.

rebel, um synesthesia? I didn't know there was a word for it. You mean those things don't have colors? What does it mean?

So I haven't posted here yet, but thought I would share that I'm currently reading Dead Until Dark (the first book of the Southern Vampire Mysteries) by Charlaine Harris. There the books the HBO series True Blood is based off of.

It's interesting. I got a few from the series for Christmas. Lots of fun!

I haven't been posting in a while. I read The Middle Place, it wasn't as good as I had thought it would be. Sort of a downer too. I found 2 titles from the library from Emilie Richards that I am waiting to start. Just started Friday Night Knitting Club (thanks Zeff!) and so far I like it. I haven't been reading much lately, need to get back into it! I really wanted to see Revolutionary Road, maybe I'll read the book first.

Schmoodle, I've discovered that my son and I are about the only people in our extended family who DON'T have any form of synesthesia!
Most of them just have number form synesthesia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synaesthesia#Number_form_synesthesia)

Beachgal dystopian fiction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia#Characteristics_of_dystopian_fiction)Most ly post-apocalyptic. some are more utopias-gone-bad.
1984. Handmaid's Tale. Brave New World. The Giver. Uglies trilogy. The Hunger Games. The Declaration. The Hidden series. Feed. The Other Side of the Island. (I haven't read those last 2 - I gave them to my son for his birthday but didn't get around to reading them.) The Adoration of Jenna Fox (which I started this evening.)
those titles are off the top of my head :dizzy: I guess I really have read a lot of them in the past couple of years.

The last few days:
Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass. I guess I really didn't give it a chance when I started it before. Very good! The free verse style works well for this book.

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. A memoir about growing up, and being an adult who is a daughter and a mom. and who has cancer. I'd read exerpts on her blog http://kellycorrigan.com/themiddleplace/excerpt.php and listened to her reading of "The Guess Jeans Fight of 1984" there.

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher. Set just before WWII. 15 year old girl drops out of school to support the family, and works in a meat packing plant before landing a job as a taxi-dancer.
Really good book. It's her second book published, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for a third!

I finished Multiple Blessings by Jon and Kate Gosselin with Beth Carson last night. I really enjoyed it! The book was an emotional roller coaster and each chapter was sprinkled with bible verses. The writing wasn't that great, but that wasn't important to me. I wasn't looking for literary genius; just the story of how the family's life changed. They are a full-of-faith family that relies 100% on God and that was super-refreshing.

I've read some of the controversy regarding the show, and while I do understand some of the concern, I don't think it can be considered "child abuse" or "negligence". Those children are well taken care of and are growing up in a home full of lots of love. It was a fun, quick book to read.

Tonight I'm starting on Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain. I love his shows and his crass nature, so I'm sure I'll love his book. He's one of those brutally honest people who doesn't care what others think of him and I'm sure that'll come across on the pages!

Rebel: Man, you read a lot! :lol: And that's a big compliment from someone in this thread!

I'm reading Wideacre by Phillipa Gregory for entertainment and a great book for anyone who has issues with depression, called 'The Cognitive Behavioural Workbook for Depression' which sounds like heavy going but it's a great book with practical help for depression.

I'm reading Engaging the Enemy by Nora Roberts. I am in need of an escape from reality!

Can you tell I really like to read? :lol
I've given up all TV, and given up crocheting (well, when we got cats, it really worked out better to not even attempt to crochet...)
so now it's just the paying job that gets in the way of my reading.
I guess the reading gets in the way of the exercising.
and I steal from sleep time for reading, but that only can go on for so long before you pay a price.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
YA speculative fiction.

17 year old Jenna wakes up after being in a coma over a year. she doesn't remember her family, or herself, or her past. she gathers facts, assembles clues to try to figure out her identity.
this is set at some time in the future. it raises biological and ethical questions. it's a book about the lengths a parent will go to to protect a child.

I stayed awake much too late last night finishing this book. it's really compelling.

Heather- I never really pop in this thread much but something told me to check it out tonight and I gotta say- I am reading Charlaine Harris's all together dead. I began reading her series about 3 years ago when client of mine turned me on to them after telling her I liked the Laurell K Hamilton Anita Blake series... I really like the Sookie series- they are just fun light reads! Hope you enjoy them!!!
As for the show, I wasn't impressed... I only saw one episode late last year though and probably didn't give it a fair chance!(and I don't have HBO here at home so I probably would consider watching more if it didn't cost me!)

I finished The Friday Night Knitting Club yesterday. It took a turn I didn't expect. I liked it overall. I am going to see if I can get the sequel from the library.
I started The Trouble With Joe today. it is a Emilie Richards book. Loved Prospect Street so much by this author! Hoping this is the same!

Jen, wasn't that twist at the end something! I really didn't expect it. As for Knitting Two, I enjoyed it but it was slow in the beginning. It took me awhile to get into.

Jen, wasn't that twist at the end something! I really didn't expect it. As for Knitting Two, I enjoyed it but it was slow in the beginning. It took me awhile to get into.

I'm not sure I liked the ending!! I can see where it is leading in part 2 now however. I'll give it a try.

Jenski, I've got my fingers crossed for The Trouble With Joe! I really loved Prospect Street too. Fill us in when you finish it!

rebel, you really are a fast reader! I'm very impressed! :goodvibes: I feel so slow somedays. It just depends on how I'm feeling and how much time I have.

I'm still working my way through Goodbye Ms. Chips. Almost done, though I did finish America. I'm absolutely LOVING Change of Heart and was so excited to realize that I figured out what really happened about halfway through the book and was right! It's fascinating.

Artemis, do you think the behavioral book is available in the U.S.? Sounds right up my alley...

I am just starting James Patterson's The Final Warning. I also bought Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand. Anyone read either?

I am more of an escapist reader -- I don't like most true to life books.

Jen -- Friday Night Knitting Club was fantastic. It was the book I read in the hospital when my mother died and I will never forget it. I didn't even know there was a Knitting Two!!!

And I read all 4 of the Twilight Series :)

Jenn, I am with you! I don't like most true to life books either. I like the sappy, happy ending types! :-)
I think I read that James Patterson one... or did I? I'll have to look that up, I LOVE him!!

I just finished the entire Twilight Saga Friday. That includes the 264 pages online of Twilight Sun. I loved it and am so sad I am done reading it. *sniff I can't wait until the next one comes out. Yesterday I started a new Nora Roberts book Captivated.

Mel- I read the 4 completed books but am refusing to read online because I want to read the finished product! I love the twilight series!!!

Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass.
middle grade fiction.
Three very different teenagers are thrown together for a few days leading up to a total solar eclipse. They all come out of the experience changed (and for the better.)
For me, it didn't seem authentic. It just didn't ring true, though I loved the first 75-80% of the book.

Beachgal, sorry I only just saw this question. The book is definitely available in the US - it's written by an American therapist his name is William J Knaus and followed after his name are the letters ED. D. He is referred to as a 'doctor' in the book in the peer reviews but I'm not sure if he's actually an MD. If that makes sense! I'm not clued up on American medical qualifications.
It's a great book. You can get it at Amazon.

I'm reading Niagara Falls by Joyce Carol Oates. Really enjoying it. A friend of mine sent it to me because she know I frequently go to Niagara Falls especially stopping at the wineries. Has anyone else read it? I didn't think I would enjoy it but the storyline immediately grabbed my interest.
Sophie

I am currently making my way through Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. I'm about 3/4 the way through and am really enjoying it. (I freakin LOVE the Wizard of Oz...I collect oz christmas ornaments...oh the shame.)

Not sure after that, might dig out an old romance novel I haven't opened in a while!

Jenny, there are actually two books that come after Wicked (and, of course, the musical, too...). I love his books (Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister is another of his). BTW, where does your name (ElusiveKoolaid) come from? It's interesting!

I'm an escapist, too, but I don't really like gore or major thrillers, so Patterson isn't for me. His "sappy" fiction didn't do much for me, either. That's a shame, because so many people I know love his books!

I finished Goodbye, Ms. Chips and found it very satisfying, although one end was left loose at the end and it bugged me.

I'm currently working on The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. It's a bit odd. So far I'm getting a little bit of an impression that the editor should have cut more out--it's an excessively long book and there seems to be a lot more detail than there needs to be. We'll see. The story is interesting, at least, though the prologue was awfully disturbing. :p It's the book we're doing next month in my book club.

I know I am way late in the game on this one, but I just finished The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson. I thought it was very sweet and a good page-turner.

Lately I find myself starting at my TBR shelves thinking, "I want a book that's not too easy. But fiction. But not historical. But not trashy. Or ______." I can't seem to decided what I'm in the mood for. I started The Concubine's Children by Denise Chong yesterday and while I think it is something I would usually be interested in, I couldn't get into it. Maybe it's because I just read a China book. Who knows. Anyone have a good get-out-of-the-slump suggestion? I've only read 5 books since the beginning of the year, and that is unheard of for me (even if I do have a baby!).

By the way, Laurie, we recently got this book (http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780439309127-My+Dream+Bed+Loads+of+Tabs+and+Flaps+and+Wheels+an d+More) from Paperbackswap for Libbie. It is amazing!! For some reason it makes me think of you. :) Maybe just the whimsy and sweetness of it. It has pop-ups, things to spin, and a girl on a ribbon who sleeps in the different beds. So cute!

Almost done with Wicked...still haven't made up my mind if I want to read Son of a Witch.

Laurie...My screen name has to do with my moving to Scotland. Would you believe they DONT have koolaid over here?! I ask my mom to send me some whenever she sends packages, but it remains elusive over here in the supermarket!!! xo

JUST put down Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain a few minutes ago. I LOVED it! I was never employed as a line cook anywhere, but I did work the bakery at a faux-French restaurant and I definitely know what he's talking about when he says "underbelly". It was a fascinating glimpse into his life and the trials he went through to get where he is today. I just adore his delivery. He's such a captivating writer. I can't wait to get my hands on more of his books!

After doing a bit of blogging, I'm going to start Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. I've heard nothing about it and just bought it on a whim at the local resale book store. I hope it's good! I'm purposely avoiding reading reviews on it so that I can formulate my own opinion.

I'm reading Now The Drum Of War by Robert Roper. It's about the poet Walt Whitman and his brothers in the Civil War. It's a good read if you like history or the Civil War.

Kim, I read Girl With a Pearl Earring a few years ago. I won't comment, but let us know how you like it. You know there was a move made from that book, with Colin Firth and Scarlett Johannsen. You might want to check it out if you like the book. I also read Girl in Hyacinth Blue, which I really liked. It's by a different author, but similar idea.

Jessie, I have a weakness for pop-up books. We have a large collection of Robert Sabudah's books. They are works of art. I still buy them even though the kids are a little old now.

I am reading Uglies by Scott Westerfield. DD convinced me to try it and it's really good. It's the first in a trilogy, and she wants the box set for her birthday, so I'll probably read them all eventually.
13 Moons was disappointing to me. It was beautifully written, of course, but I never did really get pulled in by the story. As much as I loved Cold Mountain, maybe my expectations were too high.

Kim, I haven't read Girl with a Pearl Earring, but I have seen the movie. It was OK. I've read other things by Chevalier though--The Lady and the Unicorn, The Virgin Blue, and Falling Angels (which is apparently all her other books except her latest) and I really liked them all.

Jenny, that's too funny! I was thinking that you were originally from Scotland and was wondering how you even knew about Koolaid, since I didn't think they had it over there! :lol: Glad you have a Koolaid supplier. ;)

Oh, Kim, Girl with a Pearl Earring is magnificent!!! However, I have to say that I love it most of all because it introduced me to Tracy Chevalier, an author I really admire. The Virgin Blue is fascinating, but The Lady and the Unicorn was a major favorite of mine. I became so entranced by the Unicorn Tapestries that I nearly had a religious experience when I finally got to see them at the Musee de Moyen Age in Paris. :love: I took a million photos of them and just plopped myself on the floor in front of them for what felt like hours. The guard was chuckling at me, but I didn't care--they were just amazing! Plus, you wouldn't believe how many bunnies there are on those things! ;)

Susan Vreeland, the author of Girl in Hyacinth Blue (I'm sorry, I'm on the next page and don't remember who mentioned it...), is fantastic as well. I liked Girl in Hyacinth Blue just as much as I liked Pearl Earring. Similarly, I've found I like her other books even more. The Forest Lover, about an amazing female painter from Canada, was my favorite of hers until I read Luncheon of the Boating Party, about the painting of one of my favorite paintings from my all-time favorite painter, Renoir. It was divine! :drool: Passion of Artemesia is excellent, as well. I read Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel a couple years after that. I think it would work well, however, as a companion novel to Artemesia.

I picked up a book on CD at the library on Tuesday, after finishing Change of Heart (I loved it, especially the ending). I was intrigued by the title, Size 12 is Not Fat (by Meg Cabot), and the info on the back was interesting, but I didn't think I'd love it. I was wrong! It is extremely engaging and very funny--plus, I think we can all relate to the main character's frustrations with weight! It's the beginning of a mystery series featuring a former pop star (a la Tiffany, back in the 80s) who is now working as a residence hall director in NYC. The characters are really well drawn and the witty asides have me laughing out loud. I'm loving it!

I'm still working on The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and I think I might have the disturbing beginning somewhat figured out. It's getting more intriguing.

I loved Girl with a Pearl Earring, but I was holding off from even saying that much since I didn't want to interfere with you forming your own opinion even one little bit, Kim. ;)

And Schmoodle, The Uglies trilogy is great. There's actually a fourth, not exactly a sequel but a book set in the same world. Good book, that introduced me to Scott Westerfeld. I really couldn't get into Peeps, a vampire book. I wonder if the current vampire rage will make make this gain in popularity. (though it got rave reviews from others and I may be the only person who didn't like it.) His Midnighters trilogy is also great - not quite as dark as the Uglies trilogy.

I just read a really compelling but really very dark book, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Very good, but I think I need a break from dystopian fiction, need to read a light fluffy book. (though at the same time, if the sequel to this was already out then I'd call in sick to work and read read read it straight through!)

Don't worry, ladies, I purposely stayed away from this thread until I finished the book. I wasn't going to stay up late to read anymore, but I couldn't help it! Lol! I finished it last night and I loved it! I'm definitely going to look for Tracy Chevalier's other books when we go out of town this weekend. I'm glad I picked it up. It was a great story!

I'm moving on to Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver tonight. I'm going to do my best to alternate between fiction and nonfiction this year.

Laurie: Size 12 is Not Fat sounds interesting. I'll have to go check into it!

Right now I'm reading Diary by Chuck Pahlaniuk. The first 50 pages were kind of slow, but now I'm on page 150 and intrigued. The author is also the author of Fight Club.

rebel, you're so good! :lol: You know me and my big mouth...I couldn't keep it closed!

Kim, I'm so glad you liked it!!! She's such a fabulous writer. Hope you love the others, too.

she came to the correct conclusion about it! Yay!

Well, I'm a little frustrated with Size 12 is Not Fat right now...the main character is acting a little dumb. I'm used to female characters who are strong and independent. This one is relying a little too much on men and seems too willing to let men in positions of power tell her that she's dumb and her hunches are stupid. I'm going to give her a chance, though...maybe she's going to "come of age" in the beginning of the book. I'm on the 3rd disk of 8, so we'll see...

Have any of you read I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith? It was written in the 40s and apparently went out of print for awhile. It's back in print now. I am maybe 30 or 40 pages in and very interested! My best friend sent it to me for Christmas and said it was one of those books she missed out on when she was younger, and expected I did too.

Jessie, is it a young adult book? It sounds familiar...

I stumbled into the library used book sale this weekend. :o I have to say I picked up quite a few books! One of them was the first book in Anne Rice's Christ series. Did anyone read those? I'm intrigued, but haven't been a fan of any of her other books, so am not sure what I'll think...

Just finished Slumdog Millionaire what a wonderful book. I really enjoyed the structure of the book.
Niagara Falls by Joyce Carol Oates - I nearly gave up because the main character annoyed me so much but it was interesting to read about the Love Canal.
Laurie - Renoir, I absolutely love his paintings and when I see them I want to cry. I will look for the book you mention above. And I too was spellbound by the Unicorn Tapestries, next time DH is going somewhere else while I revisit.
Sophie

I'm almost finished Thursdays at Eight, by Debbie Macomber. A friend gave me a stack of her books, and I've enjoyed reading every one of them so far. :)

I'm a voracious reader but I tend to read really light chick-lit kind of stuff. I read before going to sleep so I don't really do anything heavy. So far I've read:

Twilight Series
Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris (what the TRue Blood series on HBO is based on)
All 14 of the Janet Evanovich number mystery books.
The 4 Jennifer Colt mysteries
Sophie Kinsella "Remember Me"

I'll have to read through this thread and get some other good ideas.

At the moment, I am reading The Third Secret by Steve Berry. (It follows the same basic genre as DaVinci Code)

There look like there are a lot of great books on here, maybe one day I will get to read some of them.

I'm about halfway through Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and am really enjoying it. The book is so thought-provoking and is leading to discussion between DH and I about searching for more locally produced food options. He's being astonishingly receptive, so I'm excited to start investigating.

Since I was here last I've been sick and done a lot of reading. Nothing too challenging though. SIL loaned me Eclipse and New Dawn and I finished both of those last weekend. They were definitely better than that second book and I'm glad I finished the series.
I also read Uglies and Pretties, and I plan to give DD Specials for her birthday so I can read that one too. I really loved the main character in those books as a role model for girls. She was far from perfect, but she was not at all whiny and she made her decisions and stuck by them. She didn't wait around for anybody to save her, and most of the time it was her saving her loved ones. As opposed to Bella in the Twilight series, which I enjoyed but hated her as a role model.

I really liked that A,V, M book too Kim. I read it last spring and it inspired me to work harder at my locavore habits. I already got all my dairy from a local creamery, but I now have a local butcher as well, and in the summer I get most of my produce from the farmer's market and local farms/orchards. It's harder in the winter, particularly because my freezer died last summer, so I couldn't stash away as much produce as I usually do. I can't wait for summer already!

Let us know how you like the Ann Rice book Laurie. I think she's a pretty good writer technically, although she is one of those that will go on a little too long sometimes.

The Knife... sounds interesting rebel. I'll have to look for that.

I'm reading Ebay for Dummies...how boring is that??? :cool:

Deja Dead the first bones books :)

I'm reading a really good mystery by a new writer, recommended by NPR: In the Woods, by Tana French. There's a sequel too. Lots of psychological suspense.

Read I love Psychological suspense
Right Now I've added Eclipse the third twillight book
I can't read Deja Dead before Bed it gives me night mares!

Sophie, does Slumdog Millionaire follow the movie or is it the original book from which the movie was created (original title is Q & A)? I love Renoir, too. He just amazed me. The book really brought the painting alive for me and made me even more in love with the painter. :)

MomPOM, I enjoyed Remember Me, though I often get frustrated with Sophie Kinsella's characters--they can do some really stupid things, but they're so human, it's hard to stay mad for long. :lol: You might really like the book I'm listening to on CD right now--Size 12 is Not Fat. It reminds me a lot of Kinsella.

My3Sons--are you fond of that genre? You might like Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. I think it was really similar to DaVinci Code, though I didn't read the latter.

KimStar, that book really, really changed how I think. I'm trying hard to eat locally, which means very little fruit in the winter, though I'm spluring on clementines. :o Still, it's keeping me away from the berries this winter and led to us joining a CSA last summer (we'll do it again this year).

Schmoodle, did you read the books by Libba Bray that start with A Great and Terrible Beauty? They're really interesting and fun (YA), and they, too, have a really memorable and praiseworthy heroine. I've read the first two.

KO, I'm with you--I can't read scary books at all because they stick in my head, but definitely not before bed...:fr:

I'm on the same books...2/3 of the way through Edgar Sawtelle. If you love dogs and dog training, you could really, really like this book, though I'm a bit annoyed at the literal connection to Hamlet. I like writers to come up with their own ideas. :shrug:

I'm almost done with Size 12 is Not Fat and, even though I'm still annoyed at the main character for acting in some really dumb ways, I do really like the story. :shrug:

What's doing in your reading life?

I just finished Confessions of a Shopaholic. Excellent airplane book.

Starting The Great Gatsby next.

I have been reading a lot lately.
I finished The Trouble With Joe from our wonderful Prospect Street author.
It was good, not nearly as good as Prospect Street. But I will go back for more of her books.
I read the latest Grisham, The Associate. Very disappointing!! I was really looking forward to that one too!
I am half way thru the Jon & Kate Plus 8 book. Interesting so far.
At my last bunco gathering, they couldn't stop talking about the Twlight series. I think I might give the first one a try.

Jen, I've been wanting to read that Jon and Kate book. Let me know how it is. The waiting list at the library is a mile long. I might just have to buckle down and buy it if it would be worth the read.

I'm stuck on Pillars of the Earth. It's so long and I so very rarely can find time to read right now -- maybe with turning off the cable, I'll discover that I do have the time to read. The only time I've been finding time lately is when we're at the park and DS doesn't need me for something (I get maybe 5 pages read)

Can someone recommend a book that would be a quick read - I think I need a break from Pillars, it's just too much right now.

Hey Zeff! Have you read Astrid & Veronika by Linda Olsson? It was a really great book and was also a quick read. It was a very touching story. And what about Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel? Another great short read!

Jenski, I'm glad to hear that the Prospect Street author's book was fairly good. Isn't it hard to find another book you like as much as the first one, sometimes? It does seem like everyone's talking about Twilight. I just don't get that, though. :shrug:

Diva, I really like Confessions of a Shopaholic and the series, though the main character drives me nuts sometimes because she does the stupidest things. Seems to be a part of Kinsella's books, in general. I wonder if the movie will be good? I'm not a fan of Great Gatsby, but it's one of those books you just have to read once. Kind of like the "lima bean" of books, IMHO. :lol:

Zeffryn, maybe you need a book of short stories--then you can put it down and pick it back up without losing much. The only one I can think of right now is Interpreter of Maladies (http://www.amazon.com/Interpreter-Maladies-Jhumpa-Lahiri/dp/039592720X/ref=ed_oe_p), by Jhumpa Lahiri. It's a wonderful book, but I wouldn't call it "light" or "easy reading" or anything like that. However, the stories are fairly short.

Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water For Chocolate) is one of my all-time favorite reads ever!!! I read it in one sitting in the college library. I picked it off the "new" shelf and sat down to read the first few pages as a diversion. I didn't get up until I'd finished, with tears running down my face. It's just SOOOO good. The movie (in original language with subtitles, please) is phenomenal, too. I liked Astrid and Veronika, but I did find a few parts of it very dark and disturbing. :shrug: Still, I'm very glad I read it. Just thinking about it makes me hungry for strawberries, Kim! :lol:

I finished Size 12 Is Not Fat and, overall, liked it. The heroine redeemed herself somewhat at the end. She's a bit like a Kinsella character...you get mad at her because she does dumb things, but you can't help but like her because you can see yourself in her, too. Worth a try--the mystery was definitely fun and kept me guessing to the end.

I'm currently listening to The Sunday Philosopher's Club. It's the first in a new(er) series by the author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books. I never really could get into those (do any of you read them?), but the second book in this series seems intriguing, so I'm listening to the first in preparation. So far, so good!

Jen, I've been wanting to read that Jon and Kate book. Let me know how it is. The waiting list at the library is a mile long. I might just have to buckle down and buy it if it would be worth the read.

Zeff, I would just wait. I don't think this one is worth buying. It is an interesting read. They are way more spiritual than I gathered from watching the show. It is a nice background to what you see on TV, but I don't see it being worth actually owning.
I am debating on starting the Twlight series or digging thru the bag of books my friend gave me. The bag contains Firefly Lane (Kristin Hannah), In Search Of Eden (Linda Nichols), Pack Up The Moon (Anna McPartlin) and The Last Summer of You and Me (Ann Brashares).
Anything sound familiar? Suggestions on which one to start first??

I'm headed to the bookstore in a few minutes. I'm thinking of picking up Like Water For Chocolate. I've had others recommend it as well. I think I'm also going to pick up Prospect Street because so many of you liked it.

I'll forgo Jon and Kate for now.

A dear friend just gave me an oldie but goodie, Mrs. Mike, by Benedict and Nancy Freedman. I saw the movie years ago and remembered loving it. They say the book is always better than the movie, so I'm ready for a good read! :)

I picked up Like Water For Chocolate, which I'll start reading after I finish Tiny Titan.

Tiny Titan is an autobiography about a family of 5 whose 6th child was born with a rare disorder. It tells of their trials and what they did to overcome.

I'm about halfway through and it has really tugged at my heart. Made me appreciate my family more than I already do.

Zeffryn, I agree with the Jon & Kate book. I borrowed it from my mom who got it for free as a write-off from a Christian book store. I hope you enjoy Like Water for Chocolate!


I finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle this afternoon. I really, really enjoyed the book and it did compel me to make some modest changes to our food purchases. Being out in the desert of West Texas, it's hard to even consider the option of becoming a "locavore", but I will do what I can! The writing style made me nostalgic, for what, I don't know, but nostalgic nontheless. There were parts of the book that I disagreed with, more on science than on emotion, but those parts were few and far between. I'll definitely suggest this book to friends!

I'm going to put down the computer and start reading Coraline by Neil Gaiman right after I finish posting this.

Okay. I finished Coraline last night. It wasn't a long read; took me about an hour. I read it because I want to see the movie. I just don't know what to think of it. The writing seemed befitting a fairly young person, maybe 8 - 10 years old, but the story seemed like it would be too scary for a child that age. Maybe I'm just behind the times, but I really don't recall reading anything that scary until I was a teenager. It was, though, a very interesting book and a thrilling adventure for Coraline. I still want to see the movie, but I don't think I would recommend it to any children any time soon.


I'm moving on to Prospect Street tonight! The buzz about this book got me intrigued, so I got it from booksfree.

I just got finished reading Tantalize -- a sort of Twilight with a dash of Harry Potter thrown in. Very cute. Oh I read Hoot & Flush last week (also cute) and and now reading Jodi Piccult's Change of Heart.

Kim I wanted to see Coraline --let me know which was better ;)

Jenne, let me know what you think of Change of Heart. I really liked it. You watch Grey's, right? I found a lot of connections between Change of Heart and the storyline with Eric Stoltz (who is just dreamy, even when playing an evil, evil character...). Picoult can be such a fabulous read! There are a couple more of hers I'm really dying to dig into--the Tenth Circle is one, but I'm forgetting the name of the other right now. I think it's the ghost story one that takes place in Vermont.

Jenski, I read The Summer of You and Me, but I'm having trouble remembering it right now. I think it was pretty satisfying. Is it really by Ann Brasheres? I didn't catch that at the time. I love her Sisterhood books. I haven't read the others, though. Most of the people I know who read the Twilight series got through all four books in less than 3 days. Shouldn't be hard to do, if you do decide to get into it first. :)

Cottage, what's Mrs. Mike about? It sounds intriguing! BTW, did you ever see the old movie, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir?" (I know, my ADD strikes again! :rolleyes: ). It's such a great movie! I read a wonderful ghost story romance that was inspired by the movie and so I had to see it, too. Definitely worth the time.

Zeff, I envy you reading Como Agua...it's so romantic and funny and wonderful. That's one I wouldn't mind rereading. When you're done, grab DH and sit down to watch the movie (the one with the subtitles...the voices in the dubbed version are awful, so they spoil it!).

Kim, I'm really intrigued by Coraline. Have you read anything else by Gaiman? I read the first two books in the Sandman chronicles and had to stop because they were so seriously disturbing. I really loved his writing style and his artwork is amazing, but it was all wayyyyyy too much for me. I can see how Coraline could be like that, only on a smaller scale, for kids. I'd like to see the movie, though. I agree with you about A,V, M being nostalgic. It made me want to move to a farm in the middle of a valley with my (nonexistent, as yet) kids. It also reminded me of the descriptions of Laura Ingalls Wilder's farm on Rocky Ridge. It was really well-written and fascinating. Glad you liked it, too!

I'm on the same books, though I'm almost done with Edgar Sawtelle and very relieved that the "survivor" part of the book was very short. It took a neat turn and I'm enjoying it. However, several other people didn't get very far with it, so we had to move the book club meeting to the 23rd. Oy! I wonder if I'll remember as much then?

Laurie, Mrs. Mike" is the story of a young girl from Boston who goes to live with her uncle in Alberta, Canada to help her pleurisy. She falls in love and marries a sargeant in the Canadian Mounted Police and follows him into the northern wilderness and they manage to live a good, honest life in the wild, unforgiving land."
I could never get into the TV version of "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", so I'm not sure whether I'd like the movie version or not.

Wow, I had NO idea there was a TV version! I assume it wouldn't have been particularly good if it wasn't absorbing. The movie's hilarious and very absorbing--mostly due to the actor and actress who played the main characters.

Laurie: Nope, that's the first Gaiman I've read. I doubt I could handle anything adult-oriented from him. His children's literature was disturbing enough. I honestly read it because the movie is directed by one of my favorite stop-motion animation directors and I wanted to get the story first. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have bothered.


I still haven't started Prospect Street. It's sitting on the bedside table, but I've been too tired to reach for it the past few nights and have just gone straight to sleep instead.

I'm reading The Firemaster's Mistress, which I picked up at a discount store. I was a little leery because the title makes it sound like a romance novel, but the cover had a favorable review by Phillipa Gregory, so I bought it. It's pretty good, a fictionalized account of Guy Fawkes's Gunpowder and Treason conspiracy.
I got Dragonfly in Amber and The Reader from Paperbackswap, so I also started re-reading Outlander before I start D in A, because it's been a while since I read it.

I haven't read those books, Laurie, thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to watch for them.
Diva, Gatsby is one of my all-time favorites!
zeff, I'll third the recommendation of Water for Chocolate. Another of my all-time faves.
Kim and Jen, thanks for the reminder, I want to get Coraline for DH's birthday (the book). We loved the movie. Technically, it was pretty amazing.

I have a 30 minute each way commute (used to be one hour!) AND my job allows me to listen to an iPod with headphones while working. I found a great site a few years ago called Audible.com that lets me get two audiobooks every month for 30 bucks I think it is. Needless to say I go through a ton of books, usually one every 3 or 4 days.

I mostly enjoy: Science fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller etc.

HOWEVER, I stumbled across a romance book rather by accident. I'm not even sure how I learned about it, but I recommend it to everyone who enjoys reading. When I first met my wife I wasn't sure if she would like it and now it's her favorite book that SHE recommends to everyone.

Here's the blurb on it:
The Time Traveler's Wife is a 2003 novel by Audrey Niffenegger. It is an unconventional love story that centers on a man with a strange genetic disorder that causes him to unpredictably time travel, and his wife, an artist who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences. The story is set in Chicago and South Haven, Michigan.

I just started twilight. ;)

I just started Twlight myself. I wasn't going to do it, but then an extra long wait at the car repair shop forced my hand. So far, so good. Really early on.

why did you get me out? it's the story of this guy who was a POW during the vietnam war. it's reallllyyy good!

I am just at the beginning as well, it looks like it is going to be a pretty easy read. I wanted to see the movie but everyone who seen it told me to read the books first. I think I will go curl up in bed and read know. Since wed night is crappy tv.

:welcome: Kriterion! I’d love the perks of a job like that! One of the hosts of a podcast I used to enjoy spoke fondly of her time working at a Toyota factory because she was able to listen to tons of books on tape (and, eventually, CD) while working. She was very well read! Audible is way too expensive for me, unfortunately, but I get a lot of books on CD at the library. If you live near a Cracker Barrel, they also have a books on CD program where you buy the first one and can then exchange it (maybe for a nominal fee?) for another when you’re done. It’s a great way to get some extra reading in! I listen in the car and find that it makes me much happier to drive than I would be otherwise. ;) I’ve looked at the back of The Time Traveler's Wife so many times, but just can’t bring myself to read it. What was it that you liked about it?

LC! :lol3:

:welcome: Noodles! Sounds like an interesting perspective! I can’t do stories about war, though. They just make me far too sad. :(

Me:
I finished Edgar Sawtelle and just hated the ending. It was totally awful and made me think, "What was the point of all of this???". Considering the build up of a more than 550 page book, it really was a let down. I think it may be due to the authors idiotic need to follow the plot of Hamlet. :rolleyes: I don't know why he did that--the book would have been just as good (better, in fact, I think!) without that. Anyways, I'd recommend the book, but ignore the ending and create your own! ;)

I then read a book I picked up at random in the new books section at the library: Ms. Hempel Chronicles (http://www.amazon.com/Hempel-Chronicles-Sarah-Shun-lien-Bynum/dp/0151014965/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237467454&sr=8-1)by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum. It was fabulous! The story is basically about the life and experiences (mostly positive or funny) of a young woman teaching middle school. The writing was amazing, and though it is really hard to describe, it was kind of like reading a very long series of haikus that tell a story. There wasn't an excess of description or anything, but there was more than enough detail to understand what was happening. You had the sense, more than once, that you'd just read a little jewel of a poem/story. I adored it and look forward to reading more from Shun-lien Bynum!

I'm now working on the other book I plucked from the "new books" shelf: The First Person and Other Stories by Ali Smith. It's amazing, too! Ali Smith is a fantastic writer and her stories are really insightful, funny, and interesting. I hope to read more by her in the future, too. I have a couple more stories to go, then it's on to Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Life by Michael Dirda, which my friend Jenni made me promise to read. She's reading Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman on my recommendation, so this is what she proposed I read in return. ;) Should be great--Jenni has wonderful taste in books!

I'm still listening to The Sunday Philosophy Club on CD. It's almost through. I enjoy the characters enough to try another one, but as mysteries go, it's very slow moving. Are the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency books like that, too? The thing I find oddest about it is that even though the main character talks about her philosophy club, she notes that they haven't met in a long time because no one seems to be free on Sundays. I'm on the next-to-last disk and they haven't met once, nor have any of the members been described, but that's the name of the series! I think that's very strange. :shrug:

What are you reading?

Alrighty chix?! I just finished Les Miserables. It was a re-read...I read it when I was thirteen and a few times after that. I found it at the back of the hall closet and decided it was quite ready for another dive. If you haven't ever read it, I highly recommend it. Even if you've never seen/heard the musical...you should give it a go. xo

I haven't been here for a whole month!
and now I'm back, not because I'm back on SBD, but because of the books. :D

And it looks like it's been a very good month for me for reading, though not for me being caught up at work.

I read:
Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Eventide by Kent Haruf
The Help by Kathryn Sockett

and these YA books (though I have yet to understand what makes something a YA book):
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins
The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King
Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess
The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh
Forever by Judy Blume
The Book Thief
The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
The Knife of Never Letting Go
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

:welcome: Kriterion! I’d love the perks of a job like that! One of the hosts of a podcast I used to enjoy spoke fondly of her time working at a Toyota factory because she was able to listen to tons of books on tape (and, eventually, CD) while working. She was very well read! Audible is way too expensive for me, unfortunately, but I get a lot of books on CD at the library. If you live near a Cracker Barrel, they also have a books on CD program where you buy the first one and can then exchange it (maybe for a nominal fee?) for another when you’re done. It’s a great way to get some extra reading in! I listen in the car and find that it makes me much happier to drive than I would be otherwise. ;) I’ve looked at the back of The Time Traveler's Wife so many times, but just can’t bring myself to read it. What was it that you liked about it?

LC!

I get some from the library too when my credits are up at audible. I have a hard time driving to work with nothing to listen too, so I don't mind the expense.

It's tough to describe what I like about the book. I listened to the audiobook first and they have two different readers, a male and female, portraying the two main characters. It was almost like listening to a movie it was so well done. The time travelling itself is portrayed rather realistically, without being over complicated in paradox and all that normal crap. My wife is not a sci-fi fan, as far as reading, and it's one of her favorite books. I wish I could describe it better. It's supposed to be released as a movie next year I believe too.

I guess while I'm here, I'll add another one to the list. "Dewey the Library Cat" is a good one if you're a cat lover. His mug on the cover was hard to resist, so I picked it up recently. We have four of the little boogers, so a lot of it hit home.

Hey, Rebel! Welcome back! We've missed you. :hug: How's the eating going? Looks like you were on quite the Kent Haruf kick! I take it his books are good? ;) What do you like about them?

Jenny, I haven't read the book but loved the musical. I should read the book someday!

Kriterion, I'll have to try it in audiobook format. You never know when I new format might make something more palatable! I finally got through The Hobbit by reading it in graphic novel format. ;)

I'm almost done with The First Person--I'm halfway through the last story and don't want to finish because then I'll be done with the book! :lol: I keep reminding myself that there are other books by her to read, but it's hard to let go of this one!

I have my bookclub meeting tonight to discuss Edgar Sawtelle. I printed off a bunch of comments from other sites and blogs about how much others hated the ending too. Hope I'm not the only one in my group that feels that way!

Just found a newspaper clipping in my work bag with a list of new books for the fall. Oops! I'd highlighted a few and wondered if any of you have read them?

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire
A Mercy by Toni Morrison
Fine Just the Way it Is by E. Annie Proulx

Kent Haruf - the first 2 books on that list were excellent. Unique writing style, which I liked. the 3rd book was bleak, really bleak.

The best book I read recently was The Help by Kathryn Sockett. It was just released in February. I'd been waiting since a friend of mine read and advance review copy last fall. It's really wonderful.
Amazon says this:
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it.

ETA:
I'm almost done with The First Person--I'm halfway through the last story and don't want to finish because then I'll be done with the book! I keep reminding myself that there are other books by her to read, but it's hard to let go of this one!

I've done this: had books that you can't put down because they're so good, but you don't want them to end because they're so good...

Oooh, Rebel, The Help sounds absolutely delicious! Plus, it makes connections to the things I loved about Secret Life of Bees. I'll have to check it out! Thank you!

I finished The First Person and it was good to the last word. :cloud9: I'm picking up her book The Accidental today on CD at the library. Can't wait! I'm on to Book by Book--only a page or two in so far.

ETA: So far, The Accidental is disappointing. Lots of the ramblings of an insecure 12yo girl's mind. I hope it picks up...

Can you believe our thread was in the middle of page 2?! Is anyone out there anymore? Are we still reading?

I've been slow on my reading. I bought The House That Cleans Itself: Creative Solutions for a Clean and Orderly House in Less Time Than You Can Imagine by Mindy Starns Clark and have been reading that rather slowly. I like her method and her ideas, but I don't think I'm as bad off as the reader she aimed the book towards. I may use some of her ideas for getting home improvement projects done and for hiding everyday clutter, though.

I'll probably finish that this weekend. After that, I really don't know where I'm going to go with my reading.

Kim, I'm reading like crazy and have a stack of TBR books...it's insane! I did post again, but didn't want to post after my previous, and an edit doesn't bump the thread up, so...

Your book sounds like something I should read. I'm a horrible housekeeper with a major clutter issue! :rolleyes:

I'm currently working through Book by Book. I have Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella to read by book club on April 22nd, but I also have a copy of The Help, which I'm dying to read. It's a new book, which means the library only lets it out for a week, and it's huge...so I'm not sure if I can gamble on reading it before CYKAS, but if I wait, I may have to return it and wait forever to get it back. Decisions!

I'm listening to Ali Smith's The Accidental on CD and while it's finally getting somewhere (after two discs of "stream of consciousness" rambling...), I'm less than impressed. I have a feeling that Smith shines in short stories for reasons that make her writing unsuited to long novels. But we'll see...

Oh Rebel, I loved Plainsong but also wasn't crazy about Eventide. I thought it was because I listened to them on CD and the narrator wasn't nearly as expressive in Eventide. Glad to know it wasn't just me!

I've not read too much lately, but I did finish I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (LOVED IT!) and Churched by Matthew Paul Turner. I'm also reading a little Christian chicklit book before I move onto the next thing. (Don't know what that would be.)

Jessie, I loved Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf, more than Plainsong and much much more than Eventide. It's the first one I read. It's actually a sequel to Plainsong, which I didn't know either when I read it or when I later read Plainsong - so it clearly stands on its own. Beautiful. I think if I'd read Eventide first, I never would have read another of his books. There, have I given my opinion strongly enough? :lol:

I just read a series by Megan Whalen Turner. The Thief, followed by The Queen of Attolia then The King of Attolia.
Two friends who share my tastes in books are absolutely RAVING over them and can't wait for the fourth, which is rumored to be planned sometime in 2010. I'm not quite as enthusiastic. The Thief was great - I couldn't put it down - but the Queen and the King didn't grab me as much.
It's sort of adventure fantasy, in a setting similar in ways to ancient Greece though the gods in this world are not the Greek gods.
School Library Journal lists it as for 6th grade and up. My library had them in the "young adult" section, and the people who are raving over this are adults.

Maybe I'm just in a book doldrum, because I then read Laurie Notaro's The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia, and Laser Hair Removal . Just not as hilariously funny as her previous essay collections, I thought, though many Amazon readers and my RAVING friend mentioned in the previous paragraph thought this was the best ever.

Rebel, isn't it funny how that happens sometimes? :shrug: I think it's totally possible to just get in a mood where things don't hit you the way they normally would. I have found, though, that where some authors are concerned, I need to hear them read their books to get the humor. David Sedaris is like that. Dave Barry, on the other hand, is not.

Jessie, sounds like you're having fun! Are you still working in book reading/reviewing? Is the chicklit for work?

I'm hoping to lug the laptop upstairs and put all my unread books on the bookshelf into my TBR list. They've been there for years (at least some of them) and I really think it's time to give them a dust off and read 'em!

I finished Book by Book by Michael Dirda. There's a lot of great info in it (I have a million post-it flags stuck to various pages), but I didn't think, overall, that it was as good as Ex-Libris. Some of it seemed random, and I didn't really agree with him on some topics. But it was defnitely worth reading and I got a ton of great reading suggestions from it. As if my TBR list needs to get bigger! :lol3:

I'm on to Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. It's really cute so far. We'll see how long it takes for me to get annoyed by her main character. I have trouble with them--they make so many mistakes that I can see coming a mile away. It makes me feel like they're kind of stupid! But I know I've made mistakes like those, so maybe they're just too human? ;)

Finally saw Slumdog Millionaire, what a disappointment. The only thing it has in common with the book is that there is a quiz show involved. Even the original title of the book was called Q and A. If you haven't read or seen the movie, do yourself a favour and read the book first and then you will wonder how the movie was able to win the academy award.

I finished reading Pillars of the Earth and although its a long read I just loved the book and am waiting for DH to read the second book, World without End? don't know if that's the correct title right now.

Also read Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult, I enjoyed learning more about the Amish way of life having travelled to the Lancaster area many times. I wonder about the ending but don't want to give it away.
Sophie

I read Before The Dawn by Carolyne Aarsen last night. Here's my goodreads review:

"Before The Dawn was a wonderfully quick read. The characters, though not especially well-developed, are very real and believable. The plot is simple and believable as well, and the emotions of the characters bring a needed complexity. Every character was easy to relate to and sympathize with and I really enjoyed that about this book. The epilogue left me anxious for the sequel."


I'm going to start reading the sequel, Sweet September by Tricia Goyer this weekend. It's a Guideposts series and I'm really enjoying it so far.

Wow, Sophie, you're the first person I've met who didn't like the movie. Was it because it was so different from the book? What was the book about? I didn't realize they'd made it so different. I get disappointed when the stray from the original in things, too, but I think it was a really moving and amazing movie in its own right. Glad you liked Plain Truth! If you enjoy learning about the Amish way of life (and don't mind a little bit of Christian "preachiness"), you should check out the books by Beverly Lewis (http://www.beverlylewis.com/ME2/Sites/dirmod.asp?sid=E35F657B269F4C74B268333694884274&type=gen&mod=Core+Pages&gid=9E7BBB0B0B0A4A509C6D8AC77A3DC435). She writes about various communities, including Lancaster, and most books are romances. Wonderful, engaging reads with great characters and such a wonderful peek into that world.

Sounds like a good one, Kim!

Can You Keep a Secret? went really fast for me, and it turned out to be my favorite book of Kinsella's so far! I really enjoyed Emma, the main character, and she never got on my nerves for being too stupid. ;) It was sweet and funny with a good pace. As long as you are willing to suspend a bit of disbelief near the end, you'll really enjoy the plot twists and turns. It's definitely worth reading, preferably in between a couple of heavier/more serious books.

After that, I literally devoured The Help (http://www.kathrynstockett.com/)by Kathryn Stockett. Chickies, this book is beyond fabulous--you must read it! I can't say enough good things about the writing, the character, the suspense, and how it makes you think about your blessings. I wrote a review on Facebook--I'll have to copy it here later, but I wanted to share this with you now. You can follow the link above to the author's website where there's also an excerpt of the book.

I'm now on to Lost in Austen:Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster. It's mediocre, so far, but I just got to the first "choose a path" option, so we'll see how it goes. The author has introduced a points system to help you see whether you've done well, but the way it's gone up to this point is that you are just assigned them--so everyone has the same amount of points at the end of the first chapter. I'm hoping it gets better. I'm a huge Austen fan, of course, and I also loved the "Pick-a-Path" books when I was a kid. :crossed:

I finished reading Sweet September by Tricia Goyer. It was a really sweet book, like the first in the series. I really enjoyed reading it and I loved that it was a quick, light read. It almost seems like a Little House on the Prairie series set in the modern age. I'm going to continue getting the series from Guidepost Books and see how things turn out. I don't know when the next one will be sent, but I hope it will be soon.

I'm not sure if I'm going to commit to reading much more this week. I don't know what book to start with and I need to get caught up with life. Hopefully I'll have that figured out by the weekend and can start reading again then.

Laurie - this is the first movie that I have ever seen that has so little in common with the book. One example, in the book he is made an orphan with no living relatives and is taken in by a catholic priest who teaches him to read and write in English. (Perhaps for political reasons they had to change this). Thus he is able to become a honest tour guide at the Taj Mahal. Each question is a chapter and it explains why he knows the answer. I got a better feel of life in the slums in the book. I really feel that the movie is just a quick fix.
I will make a note of the books you suggested Laurie.
Not reading anything at the moment - just busy doing some spring cleaning and then the garden clean up will start.
Sophie

I saved us from going to page 2, hooray!
Since I was here last, I re-read Outlander in preparation for reading Dragonfly in Amber, which I also read. Both are fabulous. I gave up waiting for the next one in the series to come up on PBS, and went ahead and ordered it new.
Then I read The Reader, which I hated, but I finished it because it was mercifully short. Two very disagreeable main characters.
Then re-read New Moon, because it was the only Twilight book I hadn't read twice yet. Still my least favorite of the series, but I liked it better than the first time I read it.
I'm now reading Honeymoon by Robert Patterson. Not even sure how I ended up with this one, I must have seen a recommendation somewhere, but it is stoopid stoopid stooooopid. Short choppy sentences and female characters only a man could create. They are all gorgeous green-eyed blonds that want to sleep with the main male character. I saw the author's pic on the jacket, he is dreaming. Anyway, thought it was pretty predictable. I got 3/4 way through and I think I am done. So now what?
I've got a pile upstairs but can't think what is on it. Guess I'll start something new tonight. And I guess I'd better add The Help to my to-read list!

Beachgal, I'm glad you liked The Help.

I read The Air Between Us by Deborah Johnson. It was great, though not as good as The Help. It takes place in the same general time time period, in Mississippi in a small town "teetering on the brink of integration".

Last night I started Edgar Sawtelle. I started it at about my bedtime, and got sucked in enough to read the first 170 pages at which time I forced myself to turn out the lights and attempt sleep. I already looked back through the posts here and see that you hated the ending, Beachgal. I'm going to try to put out of my mind the comment you made about it paralleling Hamlet, to just forget you said that :)

(It's going to be a long day at work. I can't believe I stayed up till 1:30! I'm so tired.)

I see that I haven' updated my ticker for more than 80 days. It's identical to what it was then, but I can't remember my password.

Sophie, thanks for the explanation! Sounds like an excellent book--though I liked the movie's storyline, too. Isn't it odd when they take an idea from a book and then leave the rest out? I don't get that. :shrug:

Schmoodle, is The Reader the book on which the recent movie was based? Sounds like the movie shouldn't be in my queue... I pray I wasn't the reason you picked up Honeymoon--I had to read it for my book club and really, really disliked it. Talk about disagreeable characters! :barf: The overly descriptive violence in it was wayyyyy over the top for me. I tried to read a couple of Patterson's "lovey dovey" books and found them insipid and annoying. I don't think I like him as an author at all, but I have friends who think he hung the moon. :shrug: Takes all kinds...

Rebel, forgive me if I did any "spoiler" action. The comparison to Hamlet is all over--from the back of the book to the summaries on Amazon. You'll have to decide how much of it relates to "Hamlet." I look forward to talking with you about it. Good for you on getting so into it at the beginning. I found the beginning part really slow going, but the middle definitely picked up. I loved the parts about the dog training. Isn't Almondine fantastic? :love:

I finished Lost in Austen:Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure. DH got interested in it once he found out there were points you could win and lose. ;) He's such a boy! Anyways, he was sure that he could kick my :censored: with it, but he managed to get killed off three times before he gave up. Boys! I did pretty well, though about 3/4 of the way through, I failed twice--once by falling for a trick and another time by causing the death of someone. I finally completed my mission (to marry prudently and for love) by marrying someone other than Mr. Darcy. That didn't satisfy me, so I went back and tried again, dying once along the way, until I made it to Darcy. It was a sweet and satisfying end, though the author included one other ending that was also really interesting! I'm not sure the points thing was useful...it could be annoying and I avoided it when I redid to get to Darcy, but you do need them at times to help you pick your path. The author is an Austen scholar who studied at Oxford, and her little asides about the stories are hilarious and interesting. She included sections of many Austen books in this one, though you play Elizabeth Bennet throughout. If you like Austen at all, you'll enjoy this, especially if you had fun with "choose your path" books as a child.

I'm currently reading through several non fiction books and workbooks on self-esteem, depression, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Interesting, but not as fun as Austen. ;) I have my bookclub tonight to talk about the Kinsella novel. We're meeting at a local wine/martini bar that serves appetizers. It's trendy with low-lighting, cushy couches, and wonderful ambience. Should be fun! :hat:

Hey Laurie, I don't know where I heard about Honeymooon, so I won't hold you responsible. :p As for The Reader, yes it is the book on which the movie is based. I don't know anything about the movie, except I usually like Kate Winslett, so maybe it is better than the book. It's an interesting premise, I just really disliked the characters, so maybe they went a more sympathetic direction with the movie.

Oh I am in heaven, my Amazon order just came, and with it all the rest of the Outlander series books. It's all I can do not to grab Voyager and head for my bed right now.

Schmoodle, the Outlander series was probably the most enjoyable books I've ever read! I hope you're ready for some fantastic reading!

I'm reading Heart and Soul right now, by my favorite author, Maeve Binchy. :) Her books are so good that I never want them to end, but they're so hard to put down!

I know cottage, I've read Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber so far and I can't believe how emotionally involved in them I am. I've never met a romance novel I liked and technically these are classified as romance novels, but really they are so much more.

Laurie, I knew everything says parallels Hamlet. I had in my head that someone on this list hated the book, so I looked back to see who (given that I'd been sucked in) and then saw you say you hated the ENDING, not that you hated the whole thing :dizzy: it wasn't a spoiler.
I had a lot more trouble getting reading the next section. we'll see.

Whew...glad I didn't spoil it, Rebel! I'd hate to do that. As one of my friends pointed out, I wouldn't have been so disappointed in the ending if I hadn't gotten so engaged in the book in the first place. :)

I finished Edgar Sawtelle. I really think it's a good book. I AM glad about 4 people told me they hated the ending, because I was thoroughly prepared to be let down.

Then I read The First Person by Ali Smith.
I guess I'm just not a short story fan, though some were good.

Next was The Spare Room by Helen Garner.
very good. About a writer in Melbourne who temporarily cares for a terminally ill friend who has come to Melbourne for alternative therapies for her cancer.

Good morning, everyone. It's been a while since I've posted here. I'm slowly reading through Tea Chings: The Tea and Herb Companion from The Republic of Tea. I'm really enjoying it. Although it's basically a tea-history, it is very soothing to read about the ancient traditions and chronology of tea. It almost makes me want to trade in my morning coffee for some tea. Almost, but not quite. It definitely has prompted more tea-tasting on my part. I'm going to order some new loose-leaf this week as a result of this read.

Rebel, glad I wasn't the only one that was let down by the ending. Do you think he did it because he was clinging to Hamlet? I just couldn't understand why he ended it that way. :?: Sorry you didn't love First Person as much as I did. Did you like the one about the child that shows up in her shopping cart? I thought that was hilarious! I heard about The Spare Room from someone. It sounds intriguing--did you see similarities with Tuesdays with Morrie?

Kim, I love tea! :love: That sounds like an awesome book! Loose leaf tea is so much fun and there are so many amazing flavors. I have no trouble having tea instead of coffee in the morning. It's just sooooo delicious! :D

I finished The Accidental by Ali Smith. I was very disappointed in the ending and found the book frustrating and, often, annoying. She's an excellent short story writer but, IMHO, she shouldn't write novels without an editor that wields a burning pen! :lol: I moved on to Kris Radish's novel Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA. Cottage, let me finish it first, but I think you might get something from this one and enjoy it. This is the first of her novels that I've read where the main character is currently in a relationship with someone--in others, the characters have met and fallen for someone in the book, but this one is about a married woman and her experiences with her husband, which is different and intriguing.

I'm still reading a bunch of non-fiction self-help stuff, too.

Just bumping 'er up. :) I'm still on the same books, though I've had continued requests from friends to read Twilight. :rolleyes: I refuse! There are too many good books I'd rather be reading...

I am totally on a brainwashing myself kick.. and am reading "The South Beach Diet-Super Charged" So far, so flippin AWESOME. This book is so much better than the first... as far as recipes and added foods go. I just feel that this book explains the diet so much more! :carrot: I definately reccomend it to everyone on South Beach.

Thanks, Moncheree! I'm really hoping to read my copy. I packed it for a trip last year and couldn't find it until just recently. I'm on a non-fiction kick right now, though, so I know I'll have to read some fiction before I start on it.

A friend loaned me Storm Front (http://www.amazon.com/Storm-Front-Dresden-Files-Book/dp/0451457811/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242053197&sr=8-1), the first book in the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. I haven't read any Sci Fi since high school, it seems, so I'm a little nervous about this one. I think it was the mention of "black magic" that scared me. She loves the series, though, and we usually have similar taste. Anyone else read it?

Just bumping this back to the main page. I've read SO many books lately and need to post...but also need to go to bed. Hope to add to the thread tomorrow. In the meantime, what are YOU reading?

Thanks for the bump, Laurie! I can't wait to see what you've been reading! DH and I are going to the "big city" next week and I need some good titles to pick up. I haven't been reading at all lately, and I really HATE that. I have some books in my "to-be-read" pile, but nothing I'm especially inspired to pick up. Looking at the stack while dusting last night, I had to wonder where I had gotten some of them and why I had picked them up!

I've got some loose ends to tie up on two online swaps I'm participating in and then I'll let myself relax again and start reading more. I watched the film adaptation of Girl With A Pearl Earring a few days ago, so I think I'm going to get the book back out and re-read it until we can make it to the book store.

since the last time I was here:

Genesis by Bernard Beckett. science fiction. I've seen that it's up for some awards.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave.
Excellent book! I loved it.
About a teenage Nigerian girl who is a refugee in England, and the white British woman who befriends her.
I read it because of this review in BookBrowse:
http://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/nm_rev...etail=127395nl

The Dead Father's Club by Matt Haig
another Hamlet parallel. not so much as Edgar Sawtelle. I like this one a lot. dark and yet very funny.

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
excellent. you definitely feel like you are right there in the 1940s Mississippi delta.
I read this on the basis of the bookbrowse review:
http://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/nm_rev...etail=119871nl

that takes me up to 5/13 :lol:

I've just Finished the Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs - a tear jerker,
and American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield (and interesting look into what former first lady Bush's life would have been like), I <3 reading so I'm glad to see this thread! I'm about to start Glass Castle by Jeanette Wells.. any avid readers might be interested in checking out paperbackswap.com , it has saved me tons of money!

I just started reading Ultra Metabolism... seems to have a lot of the same points at SBD does- but IMO, so far it goes further into detail of explaining why you should eat which foods! Its very interesting- although I am only a few chapters in!

Rikki- I'm glad I'm not the only weight loss geek ;) I'm reading The End of Overeating. It is really helping me make sense of the crazy eating compulsions all these years. I suspect the answer will still be "just do it (or don't!)" but at least I know why I am so obsessed with some foods and that it's not just my weakness!

PopcornFiend, I thought Glass Castle was really good. I have other recommendations if you like it.

Awesome! I'll let you know when I finish it. I am always happy for recommendations.. I probably read 3-6 novels a month (after work, before bed, sometimes before work on the treadmill..) if only I loved to exercise as much as I love to read... If only!:dizzy:

I read large print books from the library while doing the elliptical machine. ;-)

I usually do 35 minutes but if it's a really good book I can go an hour :lol:

and when I said "other recommendations" I meant other memoirs of childhoods in dysfunctional families.

Laurie,
I just started Twilight last night, I have had since my mom gave it to me at christmas. When I was little I didn't like to read and my sister did so its kind of a running joke in our house that my sister gets all the brainiac books and they give me fluff books. Ussually I just return them and get books I'm more interested in but I found Twilight while I was cleaning. It is really good. Its a fast read, so you won't have to commit but its really enjoyable. I was suprised. So don't brush it off to fast ;)

I plan to get the SBD supercharged to read since a lot of you have said its way better than the old one I have.

Kim, isn't that such a funny experience--when you kind of end up uninterested in anything in your TBR pile? I have a lot of books on my bookshelf that just don't seem palatable, but then, one day, I pick some up and they look fantastic! :shrug: Guess it depends on your mood. Have you read The Help yet? I thought that book was beyond fantastic. I ran into a former English teacher of mine from high school and recommended it to her and she adored it as well. I think it's a must-read for 2009. :shrug: Have you read The Nanny Diaries? If not, that might be a fun one to read while in NYC.

Rebel, I love hearing about what you've read. You have great taste, IMHO! ;) Little Bee sounds really good...I've added it to my list.

:welcome: PopcornFiend (btw, I love that stuff, too!). Glad to have another reader on board! I think Glass Castle is on my TBR list. Is it an older novel? :chin: I love PBS--I've saved tons there as well, and been able to read books that aren't available at my library (or those that have a huge waiting list) for very little cost. Great site!

Sounds fascinating, RDW! Who's the author?

Cyndi, I hear you on the comfort of knowing it's not just a lack of willpower. Geneen Roth really helped me see that. I don't have the book with me (and am not sure what book it was), but she had this wonderful quote where she points out that overeating is a coping mechanism we developed to deal with something that was difficult, scary, or hurtful. She says that while it may not be the best way to cope, it was an effective thing at the time and a move we made to protect ourselves. She notes that we shouldn't beat ourselves up for that--just realize that at the time it was the best we could do and work on finding a better way for the future. I like that a lot.

Hey, Jennie! I'm (obviously :rolleyes: ) an avid reader, while my sisters aren't so much. They've come into their own as adults, though. One sister realized it was ADD keeping her from reading--she does great with it now as long as there's a lot going on around her. She has the radio, her phone, the computer, etc, while she reads textbooks on neuro stuff for her PhD. :lol: It's crazy, but it works great for her! Hope you find books you really enjoy. Personally, I'm a big fan of "fluff," especially after I finish reading something really heavy or long. I am a huge fan of kids books, too, like Junie B. Jones or Captain Underpants.

I did a lot of self-help reading on self-esteem and still have more to go. I think I ODed on them at the library... :lol: In the meantime, I read a couple of books.

I listened to Finding Paradise in Parker, PA by Kris Radish on audio book. Though sometimes her books are a bit too fantastical for my taste, I really love the emphasis on sisterhood, empowerment of women, and finding joy and magic in our everyday lives. Not to mention grabbing life by the "horns" and making it what really makes you feel alive. The other two I've read by her (Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Festival and The Sunday List of Dreams) didn't really deal with the nitty-gritty of our everyday lives like this one does. Basically, it's about a woman and her husband who have a college-age child and a marriage that's just gone to the dogs and how they handle it. I really enjoyed it, though I felt that the end was kind of prolonged, then rushed and tied up with a neat bow. Nonetheless, it gave me a lot to think about and made me laugh regularly along the way. The main character's sister, ****, is just hilarious!!!

Based on many, many recommendations, I read The Shack by William P. Young. It was absolutely, blow-your-mind-away amazing. :love: I never wanted it to end and I know I need to get a copy of my own (borrowed it from the library) because this is one I really will read again, several times. I was hesitant, because I knew, going in, that something terrible happens to the main character's child (this is in the summary on the back of the book--I'm not giving anything away) and I was afraid to read about that. I'm pretty squeamish. But this really is worth it and I was able to make it through since they don't give any unnecessary or overly salacious details into the crime. I think this book will really deepen my faith and my understanding of God and His purpose. It helped that a lot of it jived with what I already believe, but I really loved the way it brought things home to me. If Jessie hasn't already read this, I totally think she should...I bet she'd really like it. :D

I'm almost through re-reading The Ritual Bath by Faye Kellerman. Many of you may recognize the last name because of her famous author husband, Jonathan. I read this book (and many others in the series) about 7 or so years ago when a friend recommended them. I knew I liked it, so I recommended it to my book club when they were looking for a good mystery. It's about a rape that takes place at the mikvah (ritual bath) in an enclosed yeshiva (Jewish learning community) in L.A. There's also a love story between the main detective and the woman that runs the mikvah. I had forgotten how good this book was and was amazed to realize that I had totally forgotten all the details, so it's like reading the book anew! I'm so involved that I just can't put it down! The book was published in the 80s, so there aren't any cell phones or fancy computer searches, so it's fun to see someone doing old-fashioned detective work. If you like mysteries or have any attachment to Judaism, I think you'll really like these books.

Right now, I'm listening to Chris Bohjalian's Double Bind on audiobook. I read his book Midwives and just loved it, many years ago. This one was recommended by someone and when I saw it at the library, I thought, "Why not?" It's interesting, especially since it was written as if Jay Gatsby and the other characters in The Great Gatsby really lived. The main character, a young woman who works as a social worker in VT, finds a cache of amazing professional photos, many of which depict famous people from the 40s and 50s, in the possessions left behind by a homeless man. From some personal snapshots in the collection, she realizes he may have had a connection to her hometown of East Egg in Long Island. I'm trying to wrap my mind around the concept of Gatsby having been real and that's kind of hard for me. I wonder where this will go!

Looking forward to hearing more about what you are all reading! I'm not sure what's next for me, but I have a huge TBR pile at home, so I'm hoping to attack something from that.

Laurie- UltraMetabolism is by Dr. Mark Hyman... I am about half way through and its super repetitive but I am thoroughly enjoying it... and am pretty sure I have self diagnosed myself with a gluten allergy. I am cutting it out completely for 3 weeks as well as dairy-so basically I guess I am going to see how hard it is to be vegan! LOL... still following mostly sbd principles of course!

Laurie - this one isn't about the emotional end, at least not directly. It's about the brain, neurons, dopamine, evolution and addiction and the way the food industry plays those things. The studies are fascinating if occasionally depressing. I'm looking forward to the how to deal with it all portion.

Thanks, Beach Gal!! I am about a third through the glass castle and it is AMAZING - a very sobering look at a lifestyle so different than my own!!! I highly recommend it, and yes, I think it is a few years old.

Laurie, I'm currently reading The Shack, and am enjoying it immensely. Several times I've had to go back a re-read a paragraph to thoroughly grasp the meaning, but it's a really good read. I hope I like the ending. ;)

Cottage, you'll love the ending on many levels, but keep a tissue box handy. Well, that's true for much of the book, eh? But lots of the tears are happy ones, I think. Or at least healing ones. So glad you are liking it! I had to reread a lot too to really get the point, but I figure it must be good if we feel the desire to do that, right? :hug:

rdw, bless your heart for trying vegan for a bit. :hugs: I don't think I could deal--I love cheese SO much, not to mention all other dairy. However, if it were making me sick, that'd be another thing entirely. A friend of mine picked up a parasite (or something!) that feeds on animal protein when he was in the Peace Corps. Over the years he went vegetarian, then vegan, because he realized it was the only way to feel well and stay out of the hospital. As Anais Nin so wisely said, "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Not that I'd usually think of going gluten- and dairy-free as blossoming. ;) Let us know how it goes. I hope you feel MUCH better! :hug: By the way, you might want to try these chips while doing the gluten-free thing: http://www.riceworkssnacks.com/new_index_USA.html They are really good, and the first ingredient is whole brown rice flour. :)

Cyndi, that is interesting! I read in Food and Mood that we have dozens of hormones that control our appetite. It's insane how many there are and how easily they can get confused. :( Depressing, too. But there must be some hope. Let us know what you find out! :D

I just read one of my TBR books. It was a fairly graphic romance novel set in Victorian England and I just loved it. :love: But I doubt anyone wants to hear much about it. ;) I'm going to sink my teeth into another one from my pile--this one is non-fiction--Vice Versa by Marjorie Garber.

Thanks laurie- I will check them out :) Although, at the moment I am not eating anything I can't pronounce either- I am trying to be more "whole" lol. Most things with labels have more than I am eating right now!

we'll see if I really think its doable after these first three weeks I promised myself I would do!

Good for you, rdw1! I'm really excited to see how you feel at the end of it. :D

I'm into Vice Versa by Marjorie Garber and really loving it. She's such a good writer. Like Mary Roach, she has a way of making non-fiction read like fiction. I'm already covering the book with tabs and about to get out my highlighter! :s:

I listened to a podcast interview with Chris Bohjalian and it turns out that there are actual photos in Double Bind. I'm listening to the audio book, so I need to somehow get my hands on a copy so I can see the photos. Shucks!

Quick bump...

I finished Drums of Autumn, which was really good, but I needed a break before I started the next in the series, so I read Coraline. Quick read, but also very good. Neil Gaiman has a quirky, twisted mind, a la Roald Dahl, and I appreciate that in an author. The book was scarier than the movie. Not for the faint-of-heart kid. I took Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential with me on my trip, and am about halfway through. It's entertaining and I've learned some important things about what not to order in restaurants, and also that he is a recovering drug addict. He really annoys and irks me, and yet I enjoy watching him and think he's kind of hot, which annoys me even more, if that makes sense.

I am in the middle of sTori Telling by Tori Spelling... lol. Its been a good easy read- and she is quite comical about her own life. I like it.

Schmoo, you are too funny! :lol: One of my friends has a major crush on Bourdain. I've never seen him, though.

rdw1, my SIL got hooked on Tori Spelling when she was having trouble with a colicky baby and got stuck watching endless episodes of Tori's TV show. She then read sTori Telling and really liked it.

I took Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential with me on my trip, and am about halfway through. It's entertaining and I've learned some important things about what not to order in restaurants, and also that he is a recovering drug addict. He really annoys and irks me, and yet I enjoy watching him and think he's kind of hot, which annoys me even more, if that makes sense.


Schmoodle: I really enjoyed Kitchen Confidential and plan on re-visiting it soon. My attraction to him is weird and causes a lot of strange looks from DH!


I'm currently reading the third installment of the Guideposts Home to Heather Creek series. I haven't had much "focused" reading time lately, so I don't think I could even form a coherent opinion of it right now. I'm hoping to get some quiet time this weekend to get into it.

Just Finished - Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Reading - Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin

Great books, Lauren! What did you think of Remember Me? I was surprised by some of it, irritated by others, but overall really enjoyed it a lot. If you like Kinsella's books, you may really like Meg Cabot's series about a female detective. The first one is Size 12 is Not Fat. I thought the writing was quite akin to Kinsella's. I really enjoyed Something Borrowed and the companion book, Something Blue. The way it shows the issue from both sides (and what happens after the "happily ever after") was very compelling! I haven't read Griffin's other books, though they look very good. Have you?

I finished Chris Bohjalian's Double Bind. I was stunned by the twist at the end and totally didn't see it coming. The ending was very unsatisfying and quite confusing. I ended up feeling very "duped" by the author...almost like Charlie Brown with Lucy and the football. :( Sad, because I really enjoyed another of his books, Midwives, and had high hopes for this one. Hmph.

I moved on to another audio book--The Next Thing on My List: A Novel by Jill Smolinski. Here's the summary:

June Parker's life is meandering along until a freak car accident leaves Marissa, her 24-year-old passenger, dead and June wracked with guilt. June discovers a list Marissa had been keeping of 25 things she wanted to do by the time she turned 25. After a run-in with Marissa's brother, June resolves to complete the list. Kissing a total stranger and throwing away her scale prove far easier than pitching an idea at work or changing someone's life. But June approaches the list with aplomb, daring to speak up about being passed over for a manager position, and becoming a Big Sister to a quiet, studious Latina teen named DeeDee. But when June uncovers a secret of DeeDee's, she realizes changing someone else's life might involve changing her own as well. Clever and winning, Smolinski's novel will have readers rooting for June as they eagerly turn the pages to keep up with her progress on the list.

It looks intriguing, but the interchange with the brother was kind of weird. We'll see...

I'm still working on Vice Versa. I read so slowly with non-fiction, especially when I get to repetitive parts like with this one. I'm about 200 pages in and it's starting to get tiring. I need to learn to just skip sections without the fear of missing something good. :shrug: Is anyone else good at that?

I finished reading The Shack, and I thought it was OK, but I wouldn't rave about it. I do want to read it again at a later date, and maybe I'll gain more insight into it.
Right now I'm thoroughly enjoying Jan Karon's A Light in the Window, the second novel in the Mitford Series. It's the perfect type of book I like to curl up with a cup of tea with. :)

Cottage, I'm sorry The Shack didn't hit you like it hit me. Maybe the second reading will. :shrug: I was amazed by how much it helped me in my search for a better relationship with God. :)

I LOVE the Mitford series and am so, so sad that I've read them all already! Hope you enjoy them as much as I have. Isn't the dog hilarious? I love his character, though all of them are wonderful!

The Next Thing on My List is getting good--I'm still thinking the original interchange with the brother was odd, but the rest has been really well put together and interesting!

I won a great prize at our parish festival raffle yesterday--a bag full of books and kids toys that included Godiva dark chocolate and $50 worth of gift certs to B&N and Borders! :love: I PaperBackSwapped a couple of the books, gave one to DH and put the kids ones aside for donation to our local literacy book give away program. I'm SO looking forward to using the gift certs!

I finished Robert Jorden's latest in the Wheel of Time series last week. It's about 700 pages but just seemed to take forever. I think it had been too long since I had read book 10.

I picked up five Terry Brooks books at the library Saturday. I finished the first one at the gym yesterday and the second this morning. They are good easy fantasies. The next three are a trilogy (continuation from prior series) so I expect equally interesting books. I love to get captivated by books!

Well, are y'all slacking on this thread without me? Hehe. Just thought I'd drop by and share what I've read this year so far.

1. Garlic and Sapphires (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143036610?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143036610) by Ruth Reichl (1/7/09) (NF)

2. The Girlfriend's Guide to Suriving the First Year of Motherhood (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399523308?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399523308) by Vicki Iovine (1/9/09) (NF)

3. My Life as a Doormat (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595540849?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1595540849) by Rene Gutteridge (1/11/09)

4. Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446578924?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0446578924) by Susan Gilman (2/1/09)

5. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316159360?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316159360) by Elisabeth Robinson (2/9/09)

6. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A1770K?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000A1770K) by Rebecca Wells (3/1/09) (reread)

7. I Capture the Castle (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031231616X?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=031231616X) by Dodie Smith

8. Churched (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400074711?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400074711) by Matthew Paul Turner (M, NF)

9. Chill Out, Josey (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373785852?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373785852) by Susan May Warren

10. Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416915060?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1416915060) by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

11. June Bug (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414319568?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1414319568) by Chris Fabry (M) (4/20/09)

12. Blog Blazers (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0981085202?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0981085202) by Stephane Grenier (4/23/09) (M, NF)

13. Summer Sisters (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385337663?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385337663) by Judy Blume (5/3/09)

14. B as in Beauty (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446697893?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0446697893) by Alberto Ferreras (5/10/09)

15. Saint Maybe (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0099914700?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0099914700) by Anne Tyler (5/09) (reread)

16. Nine Ways God Always Speaks (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414322267?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1414322267) by Jennifer Schuchmann and Mark Herringshaw (5/09)

17. Tender at the Bone (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767903382?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0767903382) by Ruth Reichl (5/09) (NF)

18. Comfort Me with Apples (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375758739?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0375758739) by Ruth Reichl (6/09) (NF)

19. Never the Bride (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307444988?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307444988) by Cheryl McKinney and Rene Gutteridge (6/09)

20. What's a Ghoul to Do? (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451220900?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0451220900) by Victoria Laurie

21. Big Stone Gap (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345438329?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0345438329) by Adriana Trigiani

22. American Thighs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743278380?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0743278380) by Jill Connor Browne (NF) (6/09)

23. Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594483132?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1594483132) by various (7/8/09) (NF)

24. Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601420099?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1601420099) by Robin Jones Gunn (7/09)

25. Scoop (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594151814?ie=UTF8&tag=vandewife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1594151814) by Rene Gutteridge (7/13/09)

As the baby gets older, it gets easier to read! Yay! She goes to bed at 7, but unfortunately everything I had to do falls after that time. I'm still enjoying my books, though. Reading some for review and a lot for fun! What are you guys liking right now? Anything I should put on the library list?

WOW! I'm very jealous (and feeling a little guilty)! You're all reading so much!!!

I finished reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain and passed it on to my sister since that was my third time reading it. She's read half of it and loves it. For some reason, I find his narrating style very similar to Murakami's, so I knew that she'd like it.

I'm re-reading another favorite Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver et. al. I don't know why, but reading it makes me think of fall and I'm desperately longing for fall right now.

Since I'm not heading home for lunch today, I may run over to the library just to see if I can find something there. I need to go more often, especially since it's just across the street.

Barb, remind me of what Terry Brooks writes. His name sounds sooooo familiar. :chin:

Jessie! :yay: It's SO good to "see" you and a big relief to know that motherhood hasn't stopped your reading habit! ;) Gives me hope for my future (no, I am not pregnant! But you never know...). Love reading your list and am looking forward to checking many of them out. Do you like the Sisterchicks books? I seem to remember that you did... I really, really need to keep some records about what I read! :o

Kim, I loved A, V, M. It really inspires me! I don't know how you stay away from the library. It's the closest thing to a candy store that I know of which won't add fat to my hips! ;)

I'm still working on the audiobook version of The Next Thing on My List and am really liking the path the main character is taking, even if it's one I can't imagine doing myself.

While on vacation I whipped through Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander (not the for the faint of heart in regards to sexual scenes) and absolutely LOVED it. Some of the writing could have used a more careful editor, but I just love stories set in the regency period and this one was gloriously long (over 500 pages!), full of great period details, suspense, spies, pistols, beautiful gowns, and a fierce heroine who wants to write for a living. Very fun!

I also finished Calendar Girl by by Stella Duffy, one that I got through Paperbackswap. It was an interesting mystery that involved two storylines that converge, but some of it didn't ring true, the beginning was really slow, and I especially didn't like some of the writing style. The author would have the main character talk about the past for 2-3 paragraphs, then have a single, cryptic line about the present. It was weird and jarring. But I'm glad I stuck with it, as it became fairly intriguing as I went on. Fun to read, but it's going back into the pile of books to give away on PBS. :shrug:

Right now, I'm working through the second half of Vice Versa. It's still hard to get through, but is becoming a bit more interesting. I need to get a copy of Olive Kitteridge (sp?) as that's the book for the book club meeting in August. Has anyone read it?

Laurie, Most of the Sisterchicks books I have liked, although they're not great literature or anything! I'm actually giving away a copy of that latest one on the blog this week! :)

I've never even heard of Olive Kitteridge. What's it about?

Kim, I added Kitchen Confidential to my Paperbackswap wishlist. Sounds fun! I love food memoirs (not that you could tell that from my reading list!). Those Ruth Reichl memoirs have totally been my favorite books of the year. I also LOVED Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant.

anything Jodi Picoult, shes got a great writing style. Try The Pact or Keeping Faith. also, Eat This, Not That! Hysterical to see what you thought was 'healthy' is actually a baby step away from a heart attack!!

Laurie - Terry Brooks is a fantasy writer. He is best known for his serieses based on the Sword of Shannara. He has 17 books in different trilogies based on that world and then two other series that are good too. I finished the last 8 of his books very quickly and picked up some Stephen Donaldson and David Eddings today at the library. If I remember David Eddings is better so I'll start there. I was able to get all three books in his new trilogy so I can read them straight through. I went to the library after the gym as a reward.

I just finished reading -Julia/Julie. This takes place in 2002. Julie decides to cook 564 recipes from Mastering French Cooking by Julia Child and starts a blog (which was not that common then). I really enjoyed reading about her disasters and triumphs. By the way if anyone doesn't now there is a movie made based on this book starting Meryl Streep.

I just started Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts. It's a good summer read and drew me right in from page 1.

sophie, I reread Julie and Julia again recently, too! (Somehow it didn't make my reading list--oops!) If you can get past the language, it's really great. I am always hesitant to see movies based on books I really like, but I'll probably see that one when it comes out.

Jessie: Just an FYI on Kitchen Confidential; get ready for some language and a bit of "unsavory" behavior. I know you're a "big girl" and have read this stuff before, but I do like to send out a bit of a warning on that book especially. Anthony Bourdain does not censor himself even a little bit! Lol!


Julie and Julia sounds like a great book; and probably a great movie as well. I will have to check and see if the library has it.

Barb, that brings back some of my memory. I love David Eddings...he's quite the writer!

I just finished reading Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner. I really bought it for my daughter because she likes her books. I really enjoyed it. I think that alot of us have been in situations where we were the fat friend with a popular skinny friend. By the way, my best skinny friend is fighting a weight problem now too.. This book makes you realize that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

As for Julie and Julia I agree that the language was something to get over and I felt that 9/11 was handled sort of awkward manner.
take care
Sophie

Sophie, Jennifer Weiner is one of my FAVORITE writers. If you enjoyed BFF, make sure you check out Good in Bed (and then the sequel, Certain Girls). I'm sure you'll adore Cammie and understand where she's coming from. I alternately cried and laughed (sometimes minutes apart) while reading it. What a great book!

I finished The Next Thing on My List and really loved it. Though I'd certainly stick it under the "chick lit" category, I was pleasantly surprised by the realism of the ending and the deep nature of the lessons June learns while doing the list. It really made me think about my own life. While there's a traditionally pat ending to the main issue of the book, the side issues aren't tied up in the ways you expect. Strangely enough, I found them far more satisfying once I got over my shock. Definitely worth a read!

I'm now working on the audio book Away by Amy Bloom. It's the story of a Russian Jewish woman who thinks she is the only one to live through an attack on her family by a pogrom. She comes to America and starts a new life in NYC (involving the golden age of Jewish theatre) before going on a long journey to find her daughter, who she thinks may have survived the pogrom after all. I was thrilled to note that the book didn't start with the pogrom attack, and that the tone of the novel is light and funny, full of interesting characters. My grandfather and his family had to escape from Russia after a pogrom attack on his uncle, so I'm fascinated with learning more about what that time period was like there, as sad as it is.

What's everyone else reading? After checking out an author event with Jennifer Weiner on Barnes and Noble's website, I'm interested in checking out Susan Isaacs's books. Has anyone read her? I also found two new books I'm dying to read: one of them is Weiner's Best Friends Forever and the other is a new one by Sophie Kinsella that sounds fascinating. It's called Twenties Girl and here's a synopsis from Amazon:

Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they?

When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie–a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance–mysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and she’s just been dumped by the “perfect” man.

Sadie, however, could care less.

Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from each other along the way. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella’s books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.

I'm going to have to find those Jennifer Weiner books at the library. I love her stuff.

Maybe I could try the Kinsella since it isn't a Shopaholic. The Shopaholic books make me want to break out in hives and murder the main character. But Can You Keep a Secret by her is one I loved.

I cannot stress how much I have LOVED the Leisha Kelly books I've read the past year. There are five in the series (although technically they're two series, they are continual): Julia's Hope, Emma's Gift, Rorey's Secret, Rachel's Prayer, and Sarah's Promise (as well as a Christmas book thrown in). I just finished Rachel's Prayer and I cannot wait to read the last one.

The series is about a family who lost everything in the Great Depression and moved to Illinois to be near family and have a job. The family fell through, and they find themselves living on a farm and surviving off the land. They become very close to the neighbor family, which has 10 kids. The books are just wonderful, full of faith, historical events, and love. I just adore them.

Oooh, Jessie, the Leisha Kelly books sound wonderful!!! I'll have to look for them.

I loved Can You Keep a Secret, too. I was also fairly fond of Remember Me? though I can totally relate to wanting to bonk the main character of Shopaholic over the head at times. I like her books enough to read more, but the stupidity of the main characters can really get to me. :shrug:

I've been re-reading SBD Supercharged since I'm doing P1 over again, but I have The Knitting Circle and The Birth of Venus waiting for me. I'll probably start one tonight.

Oh, I think I remember loving The Birth of Venus, Kim. :chin: How's it going with Supercharged? I know I need to read it, but it's hard to do when there are so many books in my TBR pile! :o

I bit the bullet and ordered both Best Friends Forever and Twenties Girl off the B&N website--I had a coupon and the prices were the same or cheaper than Sam's Club, plus free shipping, so I figured why not treat myself? ;) With the gift card, they're only $8 of my money. And I think I can resell them on Alibris when I'm done, since I very rarely re-read anything. That means more money for books, maybe! ;)

BTW, I thought of an interesting thing while listening to Amy Bloom's Away (which is very colorful and interesting!). The author in this novel is telling the story of a woman who moves through the lives of many other characters. As the main character, Lillian, moves on from one place to the next, the author tells us what happens in the rest of the life of the characters she (apparently) will not meet again. What do you think about this? I like knowing what happens to them--usually in novels, you don't know the ending for many of the smaller characters--but a part of me is a little sad to think that they definitely won't be in Lillian's life again. There are one or two characters whose lives are not explained, which makes me wonder if Lillian is likely to see those ones later on. On the other hand, maybe the author didn't think they were important enough to talk about? That's the hard part--I think if you're going to tell the rest of some of the characters' stories, you have to do so for everyone, otherwise it's an odd technique. Would love to hear your take on that!

Hey, Laurie! I read through the Phase 1 chapter of Supercharged and I really like it so far. I'm on Day 3 of P1 right now and I lug the book everywhere for reference. There are some new recipes as long as some old favorites and the exercise program seems to be a really great option for first-time exercisers. The program is a little on the low-intensity side for me, so I've just plugged in my usual workouts to the suggested formula.


I put aside The Birth of Venus to read The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. I started it yesterday morning during jury duty and love it so far! I've gotten through about half of the book and really can't wait to finish it. I decided to be a good girl for once and not stay up all night reading. I do need my beauty sleep! ;)

After that, I'll finish The Birth of Venus and then I'm waiting for The Time Traveler's Wife to arrive in the mail. We're reading it for an online book club I'm in and I can't wait to get into it.


I'll have to look into Away, Laurie. Our library just started lending audio books on cd (we're so behind the times :rolleyes:), so maybe they'll have it. As far as the closure of the characters in the story, I think I agree with you. It would be nice to know what happens to the sub-characters in any story, so I think it should be all-inclusive or nothing at all.

Kim, thanks for the info on Supercharged! Did you stop The Birth of Venus because The Knitting Circle was more compelling or because you didn't like The Birth of Venus?

So, I finished Away and while I think it's definitely worth reading, I was incredibly disappointed in the ending. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but let's just say that the narrative stops suddenly, as if the author got tired and just decided to tell us what happens without describing how the people got there. Ugh. Not sure why that is...but the beginning of it is worth the read. The descriptions of life during that time were riveting and I feel exceptionally blessed to be living in our day and times with all the wonderful safety and health we enjoy.

I'm off to get something new at the library for the car. I'm on page 468 out of 528 pages in Vice Versa and very ready to be done with it--but I'm so close that I figure I need to finish it off. I wish I could speed through non-fiction like I do with fiction! Does anyone else have that problem?

It is great to read all these suggestions. Now that Jennifer Weiner's new book is out (Best Friends Forever) maybe that's the one to get, especially since my daughter likes her also and can read it after I finish.

Earlier this summer I read Happens Every Day by Isabelle Gilles. This was a memoir about a marriage breaking up. It was one of those books that I didn't really want to put down until I finished it.

I love it when i get a book that I can't wait to get back to reading. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen often enough.

Emileigh, I haven't gotten to BFF yet, but I have my copy waiting at the top of my TBR pile. The book I'd borrowed from the library got first billing, since it has a due date, but BFF is next. After that is the new one from my favorite author, Sarah Waters: The Little Stranger. I've been putting it off because it's not only veering from her usual setting (Victorian England) in favor of her new favorite--post WW England--but because she's changing genres as well, and that was one of the reasons I love her writing. We'll see what happens...this is her first official "gothic" novel, and I know she adores that genre (especially the work of Wilkie Collins, which I really enjoyed, after reading his work on her recommendation), so it might be fantastic. Anyways, I've been putting it off in fear that I'll dislike it. :o

In the meantime, once I finished Vice Versa (thank goodness...it was really bad near the end!), I moved on to several wonderful books! :love:

I read Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella in about two days--I nearly couldn't put it down! What a fantastic read! Here's my review from Visual Bookshelf:

What a fantastic, fascinating read! This has to be my favorite of all of Kinsella's books, and one in which I was rarely frustrated by the human foibles of the main character, Lara. I absolutely loved the character of Sadie, and the details of life in the 20's (which were seamlessly wound into the narrative) were totally fascinating! I was shocked that anyone would stay on in a job like Lara's, but I loved how Sadie's impact on Lara's life made so much of that situation--it made me feel that it's truly possible to turn something horrible into something wonderful. There was so much hope and humor in this book and I learned so much about life! I really feel like I took some well-needed medicine disguised as something enjoyable and delicious, like Godiva chocolate. I'd consider this a must-read, especially if you are feeling stressed, life-weary, or disconnected from family and friends. Enjoy!

After that, I read a book for my new book club (cannot wait for the first meeting...we're picking books for the whole year!): Olive Kittridge by Elizabeth Strout. Here's my review from Visual Bookshelf:

I'm not sure I can write a review of this book that does it justice--it's truly a remarkable read. However, I can say that I have lately been quite an escapist in my reading, feeling inclined to read only hopeful and happy books and avoid stories that emphasize the enormous amount of pain that seems to exist in our world today. This book is not one of those "hopeful and happy" ones, at first glance. I had to read it for my book club, and though I loved the concept (a series of short stories featuring crusty Mainers), I was dismayed to find that every story stripped away the layers that hide our true selves and true lives from others, and revealed a lot of blackness underneath. There was some light and hope in the stories, such as the way three neighbors conspire to help a child, and the love two find in the process, in "Starving," but overall, the tone is neither light, nor happy. It is not, however, lacking in hope, and when I got to the end, I found that Strout had created a satisfying (and seemingly, realistic) balance between illustrating the sadness of our lives and throwing a light on the perfect beauty of finding kinship, joy, and comfort in spite of it. I highly recommend this book, especially to those who are "getting on in years" as a way of finding our own balanced views of old age, relationships, and the possibility of change and finding happiness in the midst of sorrow.

In the meantime, I picked up a new audio book for the car. When I pick something out of the selection at the library (which is fairly small), I tend to go for things that I might not have otherwise read. This one really caught my eye: There's a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to ****: A Novel of Sewer Pipes, Pageant Queens, and Big Trouble by Laurie Notaro. Here's the synopsis:


The first novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club is a rollicking tale of small-town peculiarity, dark secrets, and one extraordinary beauty pageant.

When her husband is offered a post at a small university, Maye is only too happy to pack up and leave the relentless Phoenix heat for the lush green quietude of Spaulding, Washington. While she loves the odd little town, there is one thing she didn’t anticipate: just how heartbreaking it would be leaving her friends behind. And when you’re a childless thirtysomething freelance writer who works at home, making new friends can be quite a challenge.

After a series of false starts nearly gets her exiled from town, Maye decides that her last chance to connect with her new neighbors is to enter the annual Sewer Pipe Queen Pageant, a kooky but dead-serious local tradition open to contestants of all ages and genders. Aided by a deranged former pageant queen with one eyebrow, Maye doesn’t just make a splash, she uncovers a sinister mystery that has haunted the town for decades.

It's a riot so far--and I think all of us can relate to Maye's experience with the sound our thighs make rubbing together when we wear pantyhose... Oy! :o

Since finishing Olive, I moved on to a book by an author that was highly recommended by Jennifer Weiner in a recent interview. She said, "If you haven't discovered Susan Isaacs yet, you're in for a treat!" calling Isaacs her favorite author. I'm reading her novel, Shining Through and really like the writing style, though I'm a bit frustrated with the main character, who seems to be mooning over an absolute jerk. We'll see...

What's doing in your reading life?

Hi, Laurie! Twenties Girl sounds like a book I need to check into! The Lorie Notaro book sounds interesting as well.

I'm currently reading The Time Traveler's Wife for my Facebook book club and I'm enjoying it so far. I read about half of it while waiting for a thunderstorm to pass in our tent Friday night. I thought about picking it up before bed last night, but I'm so anxious to find out what happens, that I know I'd stay up way too late reading through the end. I'm going to save that for Friday night.

I'm still working my way through Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and am also perusing The Big-*** Book of Crafts by Mark Montano for Christmas gift ideas.

Just got back from vaca and read a thousand splendid suns and it was a GREAT read. I loved it, I still haven't read the kite runner but I plan to since I liked this one so much! i bought it @ sortfloorbooks.com as well as several other ones for around 2-3 bucks a piece. I also read speak, which was supposed to be a teenage book I guess but I enjoyed it too. I also started Pride and Prejudice and I am finding it difficult to read- just because of the time when it was written I suppose. About the only time I read a lot is on vacation but I will be on vacation again in 4 weeks so I am wanting to keep the trend going ;) we'll see!

Just finished The Time Traveler's Wife and have to say, that the ending tarnished the whole book for me. I probably got too emotionally involved. The writing was good, but I couldn't help but be mad at Clare at the end.

I just assembled a new bookcase, twice the size of my old one, and gathered all the books I had stashed around the house to put in it. Well, it wasn't big enough! Lol! But, I did find a stash of books that I bought and hadn't read, so I'll be reading The Other Boleyn Girl next.


Laurie: I forgot to answer your question from last time. I stopped reading The Birth of Venus because I had checked both books out from the library and had already read that one and not The Knitting Circle. I had already re-checked them once, so I wanted to get at least one read before I returned them! Lol!

Oh, Kim, I hate it when the ending is disappointing. I felt a little bit that way about the book I just finished. Are you going to see the movie? Some of the people in my new book club last night saw the movie (the club read the book last year) and really liked it, though they said if you haven't read the book, they'd think the movie would be hard to follow. Are you loving Animal, Vegetable...? That was such a convicting book for me. I saw the movie Food, Inc. with a friend a couple weeks ago, and it was a similarly convicting experience. The authors of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto were both in the movie and spoke eloquently. I'm sure their books are excellent too.

rdw1, I know we've agreed in the past, but we're diametrically opposed on your two books: though I loved the amazing writing in Thousand Splendid Suns, I thought the book was inexorably depressing and horrific, leaving me with absolutely no desire to go near The Kite Runner, especially since I heard that it's even darker and sadder than Thousand. On the other hand, Pride and Prejudice is one of my all-time favorite books. I've actually read it several times, which is rare for me. Sorry to hear it isn't grabbing you. :(

So, yes, you read right, I'm in a new book club! :love: A dear friend of mine that I made in the last book club left us for this one and got me in this month. What a great group of intelligent women it is! My last group was full of wonderful people, too, but they were all mothers of young children, so it was hard for me to "fit in," and they also had several policies in place (which seemed to be well-liked) that didn't work for me. This one is run much more to my liking (as if I get to judge... :rolleyes: ), and I'm really looking forward to our next meeting, when we'll get together just to pick the books for the rest of the year. It'll be so much fun! :hyper: This month, we read Olive Kittridge. I think I already reviewed it here. We had a lively, introspective conversation about the book, and I learned a lot from others' insights.

Though I'm still working my way through There's a (Slight) Chance (which is chock full of hilarious and over-the-top characters) on CD, I finished The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters last night. It was absolutely fabulous--and though my heart will always belong to my first Waters book, Tipping the Velvet, this one is certainly equal to it. I think it's one of her very best, and cinches the fact that she can write exceptionally well in more than one genre. I want to write a really thorough review of it and post it online...if I do, I'll post some of it here. But suffice to say that this book grabs you by the lapels and does NOT let you go until you have turned the last page and collapse in a spent heap. The suspense is incredible--Waters's ability to keep you on the edge of your seat, hair on the back of your neck raised, and all of your senses on alert is absolutely breathtaking--and I found myself reading until nearly 3 on Monday night because I simply could not put it down! :tired:

The characters are so vividly painted that you can literally see them before you. I was especially impressed by Waters's exceptional ability to narrate the book from a male character's perspective. There's very little actual "gore," if any, in this ghost tale, but there is tons of suspense. I think it's worth reading just for Waters's amazing writing talent. However, I was disappointed that the mystery of "why" was never truly answered. I won't say more, as I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I did feel a bit disatisfied by the ending.

So, I'm off to the library after work to pick out something new. I have plenty on my TBR pile at home, but I've been avoiding the library to get some of the home ones read, and it's time for a little change. ;)

Thanks for the review Laurie. The Little Stranger is actually on its way here. Now I'm looking forward to it even more :)

A friend of mine and I trade off buying books, we both buy a book at the same time and read it then switch, then start again. It's fun, always gives us something to talk about. :)
We just finished Time Traveler's Wife and Twenties Girl. We LOVED both of them, great books. She's reading Best Friends Forever now so I'll get that from her soon. Looking forward to it!

A friend just gave me the first three books of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and I'm looking forward to starting the first one of the series tonight. I haven't had much time this summer to read!

I usually don't like "self-help" type book - too many are full of new-agey woo woo advice or, on the other hand, there are the "you got yourself into this mess!!" type of books. Not helpful.

So, Martha Beck's "Steering by Starlight" is a great book for goal-setting, feeling better about your present and future without miring yourself in your past. She is very well-educated and super smart but she writes with a sense of humor and directness that's refreshing.

Worth the time to read!:book2:

Miss Koo, I love Martha's columns in O magazine. Sounds like a great book!

:welcome: Kristin! Sounds like a fantastic way to save money and enjoy books with a good friend! :D So glad you liked 20s Girl as much as I did!

I'm on my way out the door, so won't say much about my latest reads, but I was disappointed in Best Friends Forever (good, but not Jennifer Weiner-good, you know?) and also finished a fantastic, fast read...it was 6th in a mystery series featuring an Irish-American immigrant in turn-of-the-century NYC and called The Gilded Cage. I'm now reading a new one by the author of the Ya-Ya books: The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder

Cottage, I love the Sisterhood books!!! They are fabulous and I didn't want them to ever end. :love:

Look forward to hearing more!

Well, I finished The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder and really, really loved it. What a well-crafted book! Wells showed that the Ya-Ya books were not a fluke: she truly is a gifted writer. This book was far more positive than the Ya-ya books were, IMHO. I've read a couple of more private things here and there, and am about to start Red, White and Blue by Susan Isaacs.

I finished There's a (Slight) Chance... on audio CD and really, really enjoyed it. Definitely had a surprise ending and though part of it was fairly incredible, I still liked it.

I've moved on to Jennifer Weiner's Goodnight Nobody on audio CD and am liking it so far. It's a murder mystery set in a bucolic Connecticut town. Her description of the Stepford mommies is hilarious!

What are you reading?

I recently read The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton and have to say it was one of my most lifetime enjoyable reads. I immediately got her other book The House at Riverton, which is also excellent. Just couldn't stop reading.

Island, I have The Forgotten Garden on my list of possibilities for our book club to read this year. I loved The Secret Garden and other books like it, so this one definitely appealed to me. Can you share what The House at Riverton is about? Tell us also, if you would, why you liked The Forgotten Garden so much. :)

Our book club just finished The Time Traveler's Wife. It was different and not something I probably would have read but I did enjoy it. We went to the movie after reading it and then discussed the movie and the book. Kind of a tossup on which I liked better, the book or the movie, as they were both good.

I also just finished reading Inkheart. It was an impulse pick up at the library. Kind of a slow read for me but once again not my typical reading material. I did like it enough that I have put the other two books in the trilogy on my to read list at the library.

Another one I just finished (yes I have several books that I read at one time) was Clockwork Teddy by John J Lamb. The main guy is a retired cop from California and he and his wife have moved back to the south where she is from. They have become teddy bear artisans and travel to teddy bear conventions all over and end up solving some kind of mystery there. I really like these books and have really enjoyed learning about the teddy bear history and other information on how they make them. Only thing I could do without would be the cop speak he uses all of the time other than that they are pretty good mysteries.

Right now I am reading another mystery (my favorite kind of book to read) that I had picked up in large print from the library for my mom. It is called Retirement Homes Are Murder. I'm about 1/2 way through it and it has kept me laughing most of the way. I know sounds strange for a mystery but I have to say I am really enjoying it.

This thread was on the top of the third page!!! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/beachgalgarner/faint.gif Whew! Where is everybody?

Sheba, that last one sounds like a riot! I love funny mysteries. Have you ever read Dorothy Cannell's books? They are funny mysteries and feature a detective that is generously sized and loves to eat. ;) I love it when I can relate to a character... I keep trying to get up motivation to read The Time Traveler's Wife, but every time I read the summary, it just doesn't appeal. Hmmm...

I read Water in a Broken Glass on my trip this weekend and really enjoyed it, though there were terms used that I didn't understand--like "red-boned" to describe someone. Before that, I read another Susan Isaacs: Red, White, and Blue, which was similar to the first in that it involved spy work, but it took place in the present day (though it was written in the 90s, so it takes place during that time period). What I found especially fascinating was that half of the book detailed the ancestors of the two main characters, going back four generations to the people who came to America, and winding through their lives up to the present day. That was fascinating!

I'm almost done with Goodnight Nobody on CD and am still very intrigued. I'm totally confused about the whodunit part of the story--I have no idea what she'll reveal, which I really like. Mysteries that keep you guessing are great! I'm also wondering how she'll resolve the personal issues for the main character. She has some delimmas to deal with that are really tough.

I'm currently reading Mary Roach's Spook. I read her book Bonk, and loved it. I really would be willing to read about any topic, as long as she was the author--her ability to make any subject fascinating is incredible! This one is for my book club, and we're meeting in a couple weeks, so I'm glad to be about halfway through.

I think I'm joining another book club: when I told some friends about the one I just joined, they expressed interest in joining too, but that one isn't looking for new members. So we're forming another! Should be interesting. I've never been in on the formation of a brand new club, so it could be really hard or really fun. We'll see! Has anyone else started a book club before? Any tips?

Right now I am reading "Peace LIke a River". Very good book. Before that I got done reading "Quickie"by James Patterson. I read constantly. So I am always looking for good books. We have a thrift store here in town that sells books a dollar for a plastic shopping bag full. Can't beat that! :carrot:

Obnurse, that's a great deal! Wish we had that...I get some good deals at garage sales, and I LOVE Paperbackswap.com. I think I've gotten over 40 books through that, so thank you to whomever told me about it!

I finished Spook, which was good, but not as good as Bonk. Still, it had a lot of the trademark Mary Roach style, which was fun. Best of all, she's calling in to our book club meeting tonight!!! :cloud9: I'm SOOO excited! :carrot:

I'm currently reading SBD: Supercharged to refresh my memory.

Goodnight Nobody had a fantastic ending to the mystery that I didn't even expect. The actual ending left the main character's plans up in the air, which was a little frustrating, but perhaps the best choice for the author.

I'm currently listening to Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella on CD and am on the last disk. Sadly, it was abridged, but it was a lot of fun, so I'm glad I borrowed it from the library. The main character is a bit different from some of the others I've seen in Kinsella's work and the "need to slow down" message that underlies most of the book is really refreshing. It's worth picking up, I think. Here's the synopsis:

Samantha Sweeting, the 29-year-old heroine of Kinsella's latest confection (after Shopaholic Sister), is on the verge of partnership at the prestigious London law firm Carter Spink—the Holy Grail of her entire workaholic life. But when she finds she has made a terrible, costly mistake just before the partnership decision, she's terrified of being fired. In a fog, she stumbles out of the building and onto the nearest train, which drops her in the countryside, where she wanders to a stately home. The nouveau riche lady of the house mistakes her for the new housekeeper—and Samantha is too astonished to correct her. Numb and unable to face returning to London, Samantha tries to master the finer points of laundry, cooking and cleaning. She discovers that the slow life, her pompous but good-hearted employers and the attentions of the handsome gardener, Nathaniel, suit her just fine. But her past is hard to escape, and when she discovers a terrible secret about her firm—and when the media learns that the former legal star is scrubbing toilets for a living—her life becomes more complicated than ever.

So, what are you reading?

I just finished "David Copperfield" (vintage version). It took me three months to finish and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the Masterpiece Theatre Dickens series so when Mother's Day and my birthday came around my kids gave me about five Dickens books. I have to read something else in between so will check my pile.
take care
Sophie

Beachgal I haven't read any Dorothy Cannell. Any particular one you would recommend to read first?

Sheba, Dorothy Cannell is delightful! I'd recommend that you start with the first of her Ellie Haskell mysteries: The Thin Woman (http://www.amazon.com/Thin-Woman-Dorothy-Cannell/dp/0553291955/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255711016&sr=8-1). It's wonderful; here's a synopsis:

Overweight and unmarried, Ellie Simons balks at the prospect of attending her family reunion. But with a hired escort in tow--posing as husband--she summons the courage to go, little realizing that the weekend will lead to unexpected romance, a treasure hunt--and murder. "A likable debut".

It's like a fairy tale, only with a lot of down-to-earth humor and a heroine you cannot help rooting for! Enjoy...

Sophie, I so admire you for reading Dickens! I love what I've read, but haven't tried anything new in a long, long time. A friend of mine told me that A Tale of Two Cities is her favorite book, and others have told me that it's wonderful, but I've hesitated to pick it up because I hate books about war. Have you read it yet? I'd love to hear what you think.

Working on WWZ (World War Z) by Max Brooks. Very good so far!

One good thing about going to my parents - no internet so extra reading time! I finished Alice Hoffman's The Third Angel. I've been a big fan since her second novel and I swear she gets better all the time. Ice Queen is still my favorite but this one is a close second.

Now I'm audiobooking Rethinking Thin and reading Laurie King's newest Marry Russell/Sherlock Holmes book, The Language of Bees. I don't read many mysteries (well, no other ones actually) but I've really enjoyed this series. The characters are a lot of fun. Once I pick one up I can't put it down.

Laurie - My Mom is a big mystery fan and likes less violent more fun mysteries. I'll have to check that book out - sounds like something she might enjoy.
I remember loving A Tale of Two Cities but don't remember a lot of details. I read so many classics when I was young. Wish I remembered them better now.

So nice to be back in the book chat mode :)

I just finished Boneman's Daughters (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6004667.BoneMan_s_Daughters) by Ted Dekker.
I shouldn't have started it at night - I stayed up way too late because I just couldn't put it down.......

Lots of books that are new to me! Great to hear about them. What do you think of Rethinking Thin, Cyndi? There seem to be several books in that genre, and since I tend to read non-fiction slowly, I'm trying to figure out which of them would be best to read. I don't think I could get through them all...

Love Jo-Ann Mapson, have never read anything of hers I didn't like. I just started The Owl & Moon Cafe, am enjoying it so far!

Strega, what's that one about? Sounds intriguing!

I'm almost done with Supercharged, but had to put it aside to speed read two books for my upcoming book clubs. I'm reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger for next Monday and Day After Night by Anita Diamant for the Monday after.

Her Fearful Symmetry is a bit foggy and meaty, but I'm really enjoying it so far.

I was loving Day After Night, in spite of the difficult subject matter (it's about a group of Holocaust survivors who meat in a camp for illegal immigrants in Isreal after WWII), in part because of Diamant's amazing writing ability and how perfectly she crafts her characters. I loved her other two books for the same reasons. Had to put it down in favor of finishing the Niffeneger by Monday.

I finished Undomestic Goddess, which didn't disappoint, though the character did some random decision making towards the end which didn't seem to fit. Otherwise, it was lovely. I'm now listening to a regency romance, Simply Perfect. It's fun and a little less fluffy than usual, featuring a spinstar schoolmistress and a marquess (and heir to a Dukedom) who has an illegitimate, blind daughter whom he loves dearly. Interesting!

What are you reading?

Oh I love to read. I think that is one of the reasons I have been so successful on my stationary recumbent bicycle because it's MY time to read! I am really into vampires :dizzy: and I am almost caught up on the J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I'm loving it! :)

Karen, books make me happy too--my book on CD in the car gives me a reason to want to drive, something I usually hate. ;)

I finished Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger. There were parts I liked, and it really made me want to visit Highgate Cemetary, but I really would not recommend it. Everyone in my book club concurred.

I'm almost done with Day After Night, and it's continued to be really well written, suspenseful, and amazing.

What are you reading?

Hey, everyone! I see that the thread has been getting some activity and that's great! I'll have to take some time this weekend to read through what you're all reading.

We have a lot going on right now, so I've been taking the easy street when it comes to reading. I've been working my way through the Harry Potter series again and I'm on Chamber of Secrets right now. I'll probably read it through until the end of the series, which I'm thinking will take me right through the holidays. I plan on delving into some more serious non-fiction after that. (Namely, a bunch of case studies and our state government code since the direction of my job is changing. :stress:)

I hope to keep up with all of this again and I will try to stay caught up this time!

I just finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog_in_the_Night-time).
A fabulous book - not what I usually read, but amazing, nevertheless

RRB2, I've heard that from many people, but every time I pick up the book, the description just doesn't appeal to me. What did you like particularly about it? I'm interested...

Kim, we've missed you! It must be awesome to reread Harry Potter! I loved those books but they came out so slowly I often forgot everything by the time the next one arrived. I just can't imagine spending time rereading them when there are new books to devour. :( I need to get over that, because I know I'm missing out on the joy of rereading! Sorry to hear about your job...hope the nonfiction reading helps!

I finished Day After Night, which was wonderful, though I really didn't like the "sum-up" at the end. I would have liked it better if it were left more open ended. I'm eager to try the one Diamant book I haven't read (no idea how I missed it): Good Harbor.

I then started on The Book That Changed My Life, which is a compilation of short essays by famous authors on the book that changed their lives. It's really interesting and certainly had me marking pages as I discovered lots of books to add to the TBR pile. ;) Unfortunately, I had to put it down to delve into a book club book.

That one is Fraud by David Rakoff. I'd never read him before but David Sedaris (whom I adore) loves his work, so I wanted to give it a try. Rakoff is fantastic! If you like Sedaris, you're more than likely to enjoy Rakoff, though his take is somewhat drier, more funny in print, and a bit more "heart-warming" than Sedaris's work. Plus, he did his own artwork for this one! I'll definitely be reading other books by him; one of DH's frat brothers noted that Don't Get Too Comfortable was really good.

I also finished Simply Perfect, an audio regency romance I was listening too. I was surprised by how "deep" some of it was--they featured a character that was blind and really addressed the effects of being special needs in that society. I also appreciated the older ages of the main characters. Their romance was really beautiful.

I moved on to listening to a series of lectures on the ways men and women speak by Deborah Tannen. A friend of mine loves her books and recommended her. These lectures are blowing. my. mind! Seriously! I can't believe how much I'm learning about the reasons behind how DH and I talk, not to mention all the other aspects of my life. She's really worth reading, if you get a chance. The majority of these lectures are based on her book You Just Don't Understand.

You guys, what's that book, it's by Sophie Kinsella, I believe.. It's incredibly hilarious and it's about a young woman who quits her job and starts working for a celebrity scene of such, doing advertising or throwing parties or something like that, and gets involved with a A list celebrity and is always on the front cover of tabloids, while also having clashes with a bouncer who always seems to be where she's at?

If anyone knows what book I'm talking about... I really recommend it to all. I'm gonna go to google and see if I can't figure it out.

Laurie - I loved Good Harbor. It definitely has some plot weaknesses but I loved the book so much anyway I definitely recommend it. It's one of those books you just have to share with your best friend as soon as you finish it :)

Hey gals! I've been on a reading kick lately so I thought I'd join in. I'm in the middle of _The Other_, which caught my eye as I walked past it in the library on my way to find a different book. I absolutely adored _Snow Falling on Cedars_ and _East of the Mountains_ but this one has been slow going so far.

Laurie, I read _The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime_ several years ago. My godson is autistic and his mom recommended the book to me so I picked it up. It is fantastic and I was very impressed. You should give it a go.

In other reading news, Tom's step-mother got me hooked on the Agatha Raisin mystery series and I've flown through them. A new one just came out and I'm waiting for it to come in on interlibrary loan. I also just finished Marlee Matlin's autobiography _I'll Scream Later_ and it was eh-so-so. Not very engaging.

Hope to get some good ideas for some new reads!

Kara

Kara, I think I've read Agatha Raisin. What are they like? :chin:

Hope everyone's having a great holiday--let us know what you read in between turkey, football, and long naps! ;)

Oh, Agatha Raisin! She's a British exec. who took an early retirement to move to the Cotswalds and she's always getting herself into trouble. It's a mystery series. She's snotty and terribly self-conscious and she's always falling into a murder. They're quick reads and I'm forever finding typos, but it's just the kind of book you need when you want to escape to someone else's silly world and laugh and figure out which zany character is the murderer.

I'm still plodding through _The Other_. I don't know why this one isn't doing it for me.

Kara

Sounds fun, Kara! What's The Other about?

I finished the Deborah Tannen lectures. They were awesome! I'm hoping DH will listen to them so he can get some ideas.

I'm about to start another audio book: Grace by Richard Paul Evans. Sounds like just the treacly Christmas story I need right now! :D

I read Fraud by David Rakoff for my book club. Though it was a little disorienting since it was written almost 10 years ago, I really enjoyed his writing and look forward to trying his newer book.

I'm delving in to one of two new books I couldn't resist taking home from the library the other day (when I was supposed to be looking for cookbooks): The Distance Between Two Women by Kris Radish. I really adore her style and this story sounds really fun and intriguing! The second book is called The Day The Falls Stopped and looks amazing!

_The Other_, so far (I'm about 2/3 finished) is about a friendship between two guys and how it developed over the years. The one guy came from money but decided to give it all up and live in the woods and the other guy came from humble beginnings and ended up being a teacher. They met in high school and the story has been following their friendship through the years. It's written in the first person (from the perspective of the teacher guy). I really like David Guterson because he writes about the Seattle area, which we love. Have you read any of his other books? _Snow Falling on Cedars_ and _East of the Mountains_ were both so good. I think I might reread them next.

Oh, wow, Kara! No, I haven't read his other books, though I do remember hearing good things about Snow Falling on Cedars. I love Seattle, so they sound right up my alley. :) I'll have to check them out!

I found out that the second book I mentioned earlier is actually The Day The Falls Stood Still.

Just bumping up...

I finished Grace, which had a surprising and odd ending.

I'm now listening to an audio book I may have read before: Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon. It's a collection of Mitford Christmas stories.

What are you reading?

I love Jan Karon's books! I always wanted to meet Father Tim. :) Warm fuzzies.

I have just not been in a reading mood for a while. I've got a stack of To Be Read, but I've picked up a couple (The Kite Runner, The Beautiful and the Damned, Luncheon of the Boating Party) and read a few pages, and just did not get hooked. So, in the meantime I'm re-reading some of Lovely Bones and Outlander. It's sad, I've got about 20 credits on Paperback Swap and I keep browsing and just seeing nothing. Well, wintertime is good reading time!

I just finished Ian MacEwen's "Amsterdam" (10 years after it was a bestseller;I have a stack of unread books and that was one of them.) I liked it a lot. It's about a very competitive friendship between two men who meet at a mutual former girlfriend's funeral. They're interesting men, and it's beautifully written.

I've been reading and very much enjoying The Bride Quartet series by Nora Roberts. It's about 4 childhood friends who together become the founders of Vows, one of Connecticut's premiere wedding planning companies. Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors, and she hasn't let me down yet. :)

I just read "The Shack" and it was awesome! It made me cry, laugh, and really makes you think of how you look at the world.

Next on my list, U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton...cant wait!

mmm, LeslieLou, you have great taste! I loved The Shack as well, and am looking forward to breaking my "never-reread" rule for it--I think it must take 3 or 4 readings to really absorb all the amazing insights in that book! I love Sue Grafton! I read all the alphabet books up to a point, where I had to wait for the next one. By the time it came out and I could get a copy at the library, I'd forgotten so much that I didn't get it. I need to pick up and get back in it again. I'm sure I've gone through at least half of them, and I love her books, especially since Kinsey sometimes travels into my former hometown of Simi Valley. :)

Schmoodle, I'm so sorry you're feeling listless with reading right now. Do you celebrate a holiday at this time of year? Maybe you can read a book related to the holiday? If you haven't read it yet, I highly, highly recommend the book The Help. It's phenomenal, and many diverse readers have said so--I think you'd be blown away. It's hard to put down, too. The ones you mentioned are in your TBR pile are a bit more meaty and harder to get into, IMHO.

Cottage, I love Nora Roberts! I just listened to an audio book that reminded me of her writing: Simply Perfect.

Xan, did McEwan write Atonement? His name sounds familiar...

No changes for me...I've been so busy I haven't had much time to read. But I did pick up a copy of A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, one of the holiday books recommended by Michael Dirda. I put a couple more on hold at the library. I also have South of Broad by Pat Conroy and Wally Lamb's new one, The Hour I First Believed, to read for my book club meetings in January. Both are HUGE, so I have a lot of holiday reading to do!