Pretty in Plaid - Jen Lancaster

I love Jen Lancaster. She is truly one of the most hilarious people I "know." She is one of those people that I would really truly love to meet in person. She is one of the very few authors I would stand in line to meet and have a book signed. I anxiously await anything and everything published by her.

Pretty In Plaid is Jen's fourth book. It is a memoir covering her early years, from the 70's to the 90's. Like Jen, I am a child of the 80's, and what a wonderful time the 80's really were. So many laugh out loud funny stories are contained in this book. I remember sitting on the sofa reading parts of this book, laughing out loud, and having my husband look at me like I was loosing my mind. This book is just as funny, if not more so, than her previous books. A must, must, must read.

Always Looking Up - Michael J. Fox

I have always loved Michael J. Fox. From Family Ties to Back to the Future, he was always so fun to watch. When he was diagnosed with Parkinsons, I was as shocked as everyone else.

My husband bought this book for me for Mother's Day, and I read it right away. This book covers ten years of Michael's life told though the following themes: work, politics, faith, and family. Michael is the ultimate optimist. His faith and optimism are truly inspiring. He is a role model for us all, and especially for those who are stuggling with their health. This is a must read book for anyone looking to be uplifted and inspired.

The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

I had seen several specials on Randy before he passed away, and they all made me sob. As a result, I had been avoiding the book like the plague, knowing I would dissolve in tears trying to get through it. But, my book club picked it as April's book selection, so I decided to suck it up and go for it.

It turns out the book was extremely inspirational and, up until the last couple of pages, you are so focused on the messages he is relaying that you almost forget that he is dying and that is why he is doing the lecture. This book is amazing, simply amazing. Such simple concepts, and so motivating and inspirational. Randy is truly someone to look up to and admire for the way he lived his life.

There are a couple of parts at the end of the book that got to me, and I did cry. But it was so worth it. This is an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. If you're still hesitant to read the book, you can find the lecture on Youtube, and it's just as great to watch as to read.

American Wife - Curtis Sittenfeld

I was in the bookstore wandering around looking for something light to read and came across this novel. I read Prep and really enjoyed it, so I picked this up, not completely knowing what to expect.

I ended up really liking this book. It follows the life of Alice Blackwell from childhood through adulthood. Alice lived a fairly humble life in a good home, until a tragic accident occurred when she was a senior in high school. Many years later, Alice meets Charlie, falls in love, and gets married. Charlie is an aspiring politician from a well known and affluent family in Wisconsin.

Alice and Charlie have their ups and downs throughout their marriage. Alice has very different political beliefs than Charlie, which causes conflict and tension. Eventually, Charlie ends up elected President of the United States.

Sittenfeld said that he modeled the character of Alice after Laura Bush, and I could really see that in this novel. It was a very interesting read. I loved it up until the final portion of the book where Charlie became President. But, I didn't dislike that part enough for it to spoil my thoughts of the rest of the book. It was a really well told, realistic, and engrossing story. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging, but still light, read.

Baby Bargains

In my quest to start buying things for the baby coming, I purchased a copy of this book, which has recently been updated (8th edition). I was on a quest to find all of the most economical things we would need at the best prices I could find. This book was perfect. It lived up to all of the praise I have heard about it the last seven months.

Being a new mom, I really had no idea what I was going to need and when I was going to need it. Going in blind, I had no idea there were three levels of car seats – infant, convertible, and booster. Which one is going to be the safest for my baby? I had no idea. Really? I'm going to have to buy three car seats for this kid?

The book is organized into chapters by item. Each item is fully described by brand and is given a rating. The book does a really great job of detailing both safety information and pricing for each of the various baby items out there on the market.

I really don’t know what I would have done without the help of this book. A definite must read for all new parents to be.

Size 12 is Not Fat - Meg Cabot

Well, the little time I've had to read lately has led me to filler, fluffy books. I wanted something light to read in the hopes that I would finish it in a timely manner. However, it still took me forever to read this book.

Meg Cabot has written a small library of books, most of them in the teen genre. This is the first book I have read by her. In Size 12 is Not Fat, Meg tells the tale of a former teen pop star turned dorm director trying to solve the mystery of a student who was killed in the elevator shaft. The former teen pop star struggles with weight issues and a constant stream of looks and inquiries regarding whether she is "that girl" or not.

The book was what I thought it would be - light and fluffy. A bit too light and fluffy for my taste, but still somewhat entertaining and a very easy read.

There's No Place Like Here - Cecilia Ahern

This was a very different and interesting book. I had previously read P.S. I Love You by Ahern on a recommendation from a friend, and loved that book. I was expecting more of the same from this book. Boy was I ever wrong. This book was very, very different from P.S. I Love You.

This book tells the story of Sandy Shortt (who, by the way, is tall and has very dark hair), a private detective who spends her life looking for people. Sandy has always had a fascination with finding lost items. Going all the way back to her childhood, Sandy has had an obsession with finding missing items – socks, stuffed animals, and the neighbor girl who went missing and was never found. She would spend days and days looking for these lost items, to the point where her parents put her in counseling, hoping she would learn to deal with her issues.

In this book, Sandy goes out for a jog one morning, decides to wander off the path into the forest, and is, quite literally, lost in the forest. In the forest, she begins to meet other people who have gone missing over the years – many of whom she has searched for over the course of her career.

This book was very odd and I’m torn over how much I really liked it, or not. It certainly made me think a bit about my own life, and about finding my true inner self. If you're looking for something a bit different, and odd to read, check this one out.

Belong to Me - Marisa de los Santos

I read Love Walked In a while back and loved, loved it. So, when this book, a sequel, was released I knew I had to pick it up and read it. I was even lucky enough to find a copy in a thrift store for a couple of bucks.

Belong to me starts shortly after Love Walked In ends, with the story of Cornelia and Teo, who haved moved out to the suburbs from the City. The suburbs are a little more than Cornelia bargained for, as she encounters a cast of characters, mostly snobby women she feels very little in common with. As the story unfolds, secrets start to be revealed. Some of them quite shocking for Cornelia as she has to learn to adjust and adapt to the new information.

Santos is a wonderful writer. Her writing style is very poetic and beautiful and easy to read. I found myself liking this book better as the story unfolded more and more. But, overall, it wasn't nearly as good as Love Walked In. If you're a fan of Santos, this book is a must read.

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

My book group decided to go with a classic for our January meeting and chose The Great Gatsby. I have never actually read this book, so I was anxious to dive in and see what the hype was about.

This book tells the tale of the youthful Nick Carraway and his colorful and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby and his lavish lifesyle on Long Island's West Egg in America's Jazz Age.

Gatsby is wealthy and famous for the lavish parties he throws every Saturday night. However, no one knows where he comes from, what he does, or how he made his fortune. Carraway, the narrator, is a young man from Minnesota who, after being educated at Yale and fighting in World War I, goes to New York City to learn the bond business. Honest, tolerant, and inclined to reserve judgment, Nick often serves as a confidant for those with troubling secrets.

On the surface, The Great Gatsby is a story of the thwarted love between a man and a woman. The main theme of the novel, however, encompasses a much larger, less romantic scope. Though all of its action takes place over a mere few months during the summer of 1922 and is set in a circumscribed geographical area in the vicinity of Long Island, New York, The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a whole, in particular the disintegration of the American dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess.

I am really glad I finally read this novel. I always make a point to try to read as many of the classics as I can. So, it was a real treat to live in Gatsby's world for a few weeks.

The Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs

I was a little hesitant to pick up this book, as I really know nothing about knitting. Not to stereotype, but to me knitting has always seemed like something "older" women do, so I wasn't sure I would be able to relate to any of the characters in the novel. And for me, if I can't relate to the characters, I don't usually end up liking the book. I was afraid I would be bored by this book.

I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking this book. The focus of the book was really more about the relationships between the eclectic group of women than about the knitting. This story really centers around this group of women, the issues and problems in their respective lives, and how they come together once a week for a Friday Night Knitting Club at the knitting shop owned by the main character of the book, Georgia.

Kate Jacobs does a great job creating a diverse cast of characters to portray in this novel. All of the women are so very different, and yet seem to come together and support one another when they all most need it. Very well written and engaging. This book is a definite must read for those who generally like female-based, chick lit type of books.