Tell me what you think about it, Borntofly - I really hated it! I could barely finish it. I always love to hear other people's opinions though.

I don't know if I've told you guys lately how much I appreciate you all and this thread. I love to read, but I don't have anybody in my real life who I can talk about books with. I don't really want to join a bookclub, because I really don't want to be locked into reading books. Anyhow, just really appreciate all the great book suggestions and the chance to share opinions!

I finished the HindiBindi Club. As much as I love books about India, it was a bit like a watered down curried version of the Joy Luck Club. I didn't believe the motivations/personalities of half the main characters. I have about 3 books going right now, but nothing is grabbing me.

I grabbed a cheapy paperback in a department store the other day. It's twelve short stories by Ian Rankin. Has anybody read him? Detective fiction in Scotland. Detective Inspector John Rebus.

So far so good. I think I'll hunt up a few full-length novels. I really like series'.

I am reading Baby Proof by Emily Giffin. I really liked her Something Borrowed and Something Blue novels... just can't get into this one as much. It isn't a bad story. I just don't find myself having to read it, like I did with the others.

I will let you know Glory! I remember reading The Lovely Bones, and it was alright, I read Lucky, and that was pretty good ( although her terrible true story ) and I just thought I'd give her writing another try. I'm just past the 1st Chapter, so it could be a little while, but I will let you know how I like it :)

I also echo your statements about ppl who participate in this thread. I love to read and hear about which books others really enjoyed and ones not so much.

i just started unaccustomed earth by jhumpa lahiri on the subway to work this morning. it's supposed to be amaaaazing. also she lives near me so i think i'm already inclined to like her stuff.

Once again, our tastes freakishly align. After all the hype of Lovely Bones (being turned into a movie!) I found it a little bit gimmicky and twee. I really liked Lucky although the story was so harrowing and painful.

I tend to have three or more books going at a time, too...

I'm currently stalled in the last 1/4 of "Chapterhouse Dune", about 1/4 of the way into "Unquiet Dreams" (paranormal detective story) both of which I posted before I think, and have picked up "Key of Light" by Nora Roberts, which I have read before, but am adding into the rotation as a light reread. I really like Nora Roberts... :)

ETA - I also love to read, and don't have a lot of people to talk to about it either. Great thread!

PearFreak - I really like Emily Giffin and Baby Proof was my least favorite of hers. Have you read the newest one, Love the One You're With?

Glory, and everyone - I too love having this thread, because I know very few people who read in my real life. I joined a book club once, but the other women were more about the dinners out than the book. Usually, one other woman and I were the only ones who even finished the chosen books! And they didn't care for my literary selections and I didn't care for theirs too much either. I remember my first pick for the club was Ian McEwan's Atonement, which is one of my favorite books of all time. I was just floored by the brilliance of the way the book was set up and I had all this stuff ready to discuss, and no one else had even finished it. Ugh.

I just finished The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham, who's actually Sophie Kinsella (of Confessions of a Shopaholic fame) under a different name. It was fairly enjoyable, time-wasting chick lit, but I hated the way she wrapped things up suddenly at the end.

Now I've started Morality for Beautiful Girls, the third in the Ladies Detective series by Alexander McCall Smith. I love these books!

I'm also reading Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen.

Another vote for how great these threads are!

And I loved Atonement as well, Lisa!

But I have to admit, I did like the Lovely Bones to an extent. But I didn't "get" the heaven stuff.

I'[m still on My Antonia, but was perusing Feedbooks yesterday and have yet another list of books to download and read!

I don't know how people pick books to read if they don't discuss them with other readers.

I finished The Help last night: I just loved the bit where SPOILER

little Mae Mobley makes up games with her little brother like "sit-in at Woolworth's" and "back of the bus with Rosa Parks"

Next up I think I'll read Avenger by Frederick Forsyth: The Day of the Jackal is my mom's favorite book of all time (I have Crossed Bones by Carolyn Haines, but that's also set in Mississippi and I think I'll try for a change of venue)

I just started Love The One You're With today. It's eh, ok. So different from her Something Borrowed and her Something Blue books. Those I really liked.
I'm only in the first third of the book, so I'll let you know what I think of it, after I get deeper into it. ;)

Oh and yes, I forgot to mention I wasn't to keen on her Baby Proof book either.. the ending just seemed to round 'um up and lets finish this book... to me. Love the one you're with seems similar to Baby Proof, in that way of her flashing back and then taking it back to preasent time again.

I heard that Sophie had another book; under another name. I was thinking about putting that on my To Read List. :)

I finished Willa Cather's My Antonia and decided to read something less "classic" and opted for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

I finished Comfort Food last night. It was pretty good, I loved that it was based around a Food Network clone cooking show (I love cooking shows). I also liked the fact the heroine was 50 - just nice to get some literary reassurance that life goes on after 35 (which seems to be the usual max for chick lit).

There was one comment that totally threw me out of the book. One of the daughters said the cats were vegan. That is just the craziest thing to say - cats need a protein called Taurine that is only found in animal products - cats can NOT be vegan. I know it's so silly to focus on ONE throwaway line, but still! Ridiculous!

I'm about 60 pages into Almost Moon, and I'm not liking it very much. I usually give a book a solid 100 pages before giving up on it, but I"m not sure I'll make it that far.

Currently reading Hard News, which is an older Jeffrey Deaver novel and Snow Wolf - recommended by a friend, but I'm having a hard time getting into it.

Also, I'm about 2/3 of the way through the Best Short Stories of 2004.

If you don't make it, you have to flip ahead to the end and see how nutty it ends up.

Just finished Emily Giffin's Love The One You're With....it was so so. I liked her first two much better. I didn't like how she ended LTOYW and Baby Proof. It was like, The End... no real ending. Well yes, she ended it, but it was short and right to the point. Maybe a sequal? I dunno?

Glory, I am off to put Comfort Food into my library hold catalogue.

Started the new Picoult (Handle With Care), anyone want to place bets what page they hit the courtroom (I have barely even read the back of the book, so I don't even KNOW there will be a courtroom scene, it's just my Picoult guess!). I'm going to say page....253.

I hope you like it! It didn't completely blow my skirt up, but it was definitely readable and I liked the main character :) And they talked about food, a lot, which I always enjoy!

I'm reading The Omnivore's Dilemma. It's totally an "ignorance is bliss" kind of read--once you know where your food comes from, you can no longer feign ignorance with poor choices.

Just finished Hunted by PC & Kristin Cast. And now I'm going to start..1st to Die by James Patterson

would you say the last 50 pages or so?

Hmm, it's been awhile since I tackled that one. I couldn't get through it either, but I flipped to the end to see what happened and I just remember thinking "train wreck!!" Last 50 pages should do it!

I'm a fan of Jodi Picoult, but for some reason this one doesn't appeal to me. There have been a couple of hers that I didn't like. But then there are some that I just loved. Let me know how you like it--I may end up reading it anyway!

I'm about 4 or 5 chapters into the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Why did I think this was Japanese? It takes place in Sweden so far. I like it, though. It looks like it will be a good story.

Oh, I definitely have a love/hate relationship with Picoult (I HATED the Pact, HATED Perfect Match). I'll let you know abou this one. I thought the Girl With the DRagon Tattoo was set in Japan too (maybe the cover art?), I'll have to throw it on my library queue

See now, I started with The Pact and got hooked. I loved it. I also liked My Sister's Keeper. I did not like Harvesting the Heart. To tell you the truth, I feel like I'm getting really old...I just went to her site and I think I've read all but two or three of her books, but I don't remember what they were about except for those two that I liked! Gosh, and I'm only 46! It can't be Alzheimer's!

The pact was just so terrible! Spoilers below - highlight if you want to read.

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A guy killed his girlfriend because she asked him to. Really? Really? Not, hey maybe I should talk to my mom or her mom, or send an anonymous note or ANYTHING. I'll just shoot her because she REALLY wants me to? My sister's keeper was okay, thought the ending was "tricksie". I love to hate her though, I'm sick! ;)
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Oh my goodness, I just got the most hillarious book, I've read in a long time. I was hoping they'd have it at my library, but they didn't so when I was at B&N, they had it...and on sale!!!

It is by Celia Rivenbark. It's called Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a S- - -k and other words of Delicate Southern Wisdom

Every chapter is on a different topic. It's a hoot thus far. I am going to look into her other books, they seem to be just as light reads as this one. A good mix to add into my Chic Lit.


ETA: Here's her website, if you wanted to check her out: http://celiarivenbark.com/Books.htm

Hee! spoiler below

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They are in a lawyer's office by page 46, that's gotta be some kinda record even for her!
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Just bought Bob Harper's book "Are You Ready" (the Biggest Loser guy). Bonus: he's a hottie.

I am really enjoying The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It has so many different stories going on which seem like they'll all end up together in the end. I'm almost half way through and hoping to finish this weekend while DH and the family and I are out in the wilderness 4-wheeling. I guess this isn't really a new book, the author died in 2004, but it is the first in a trilogy--I'm sure I'll be ordering the 2nd book when it is available in June.

Anyone rec' some light reads, preferably in the chick lit avenue... as my library cache is empty.. and I going there tomorrow. But want to go with a few books in mind.

Any of the Jen Lancaster books are good. Not so much a novel, though. But they're quite funny. There have been a few other chick lit books I've read, but I can't think of any titles or authors off the top of my head. I just love going into Barnes & Noble and checking out the main aisle of books. I can easily spend an hour just looking and not necessarily buy anything (although I seldom leave without at least a couple of books).

I too have a love/hate thing with Picoult! I started her last one (something about Heart) and couldn't get into it, so I'm currently in hate mode!

I finished the third Ladies Detective book and am now nearly done with the 7th Sookie Stackhouse book.

I've also been meaning to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Hey, is anyone on Goodreads? I just started using it to track books I'm reading, and it's very cool. You can use it through Facebook as well. Sadly I only have 2 friends on there. Anyone want to be my Goodreads friend? They have a cool trivia thing too.

Hey, I love Good Reads! ;) I think we are already friends, but I would love it if anyone else wants to be friends! My name there is Glory. Here's my link!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1035707

I finished reading Handle with Care - WORST ENDING EVER. Ohmygod. Ha. I also finished While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky. Kind of a snoozer, I'm not sure who was in the coma by the end, me or the chick in the book.

Allison, I too love going to B&N and browsing around. I always end up with one or two books on my way out,

I'll have to look into Jen Lancaster. Are they in series, or am I able to just pick up anywheres?

You can get the Jen Lancaster books anywhere. She has 3 out now with a 4th on the way in May. My favorite was Bitter is the new Black. Check out her blog: Jennsylvania. Glory turned me onto it and it has Amazon links to her books.

ETA: I am REALLY liking the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It starts out slow and is a little confusing, but it is getting so good! I read for 3 hours last night when I ususally stare at the TV!

Bitter is the new Black is HILARIOUS. One of the few books I read and loved so much that I bought a copy (I'm a die-hard library user, I only buy the winners!)