Whatcha reading?

I like to read for fun, but I don't read often. Usually, I read one or two books over Christmas break, a handful of books during the summer, and maybe another book or two at other times of the year. I think the last book I read was The Help, which I read before the movie came out last summer.

Such an on-again-off-again romance with reading often leaves me unsure of what books are worth my time to read. I used to read all the John Grisham novels, until they got so formulaic. I like Elizabeth Berg, but have read most of her stuff. I read the entire Harry Potter series, but have no desire to read The Hunger Games, which seems to be a popular series these days.

So yesterday, I posted this on Facebook:

I'm kind of itchy to read something. I generally like historical fiction, chick lit, even young adult reads. Nothing heavy or depressing. Any suggestions?

Let me tell you, if you want a lot of chatter on your Facebook page, ask people what you should read. I got 39 responses, including some farcical suggestion from Mike that I read some dumb star Wars book. Mike's comment aside, I hated to lose such good suggestions or to keep them to myself.

So here you go: what to read if you don't know what to read:

1. Jen Lancaster memoirs 
2. Highlander by Diana Gabaldon
3. Beverly Lewis Amish series
4. Jennifer Weiner, Sophie Kinsella, Emily Giffin
5. Real Vampires Hate Their Thighs by Gerry Bartlett
6. Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster
7. Marian Keys, Jane Greene, Elin Hildebrand, Kristin Hannah
8. Bossypants by Tina Fey (honestly, I've started it and am not loving it)
9. Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
10. The Virgin Cure by Amy McKay
11. Killing Lincoln
12. James Patterson
13. War Horse
14. Becoming Marie Antoinette
15. Sarah's Key (which I've read and loved!)
16. The Help (again, read it, loved it)
17. Secret Daughter
18. The Secret Life of Bees (I've read it, but just might read it again)
19. Me and Emma
20. The Kite Runner
21. Sharon Kay Penman - Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow, The Reckoning
22. When Christ and His Saints Slept trilogy
23. The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King
24. Tana French
25. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by
    Laura Hillenbrand
26. The Aquanet Diaries by Jennifer Nivens
27. The Brides quartet by Nora Roberts
28. Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert
29. The Next Always by Nora Roberts
30. Water for Elephants (one of my favorites)
31. Blaize Clements -- apparently good for people who like cats and mysteries, an odd combination
32. Catherine Coulter
33. The Legacy by Stephen Frey -- someone has a video of the JFK assassination from the other side of the grassy knoll and tons of people want to get it
34. The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
35. Hangman's Daughter
36. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
37. 11/23/63 by Stephen King
38. Philippa Gregory
39. Jean Plaidy
40. The Story of Beautiful Girl
41. New Found Land -- about the Lewis & Clark expedition

I'm going to highjack borrow Annie's Nook and download a few books. I think I'll start with Prairie Tale -- who wouldn't want the dish about Little House on the Prairie? Then The Aquanet Diaries, which is a memoir about growing up in Richmond, Indiana where I lived for a few years when I was a little girl. After that it's a toss up between The Legacy and Unbroken.

So, what are you reading? Anything else I should add to this list?

Whatcha readin'?

I love to read. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine - guilty only because when I get into a book, I have a hard time putting it down and things like laundry, dishes and dinner feel like they can just wait until I'm finished. Maybe that's why I don't read all the time. I read when life is a little slower -- Spring Break, summertime and Christmas vacation.

Since Saturday, I've started and finished two books. The first was a chick lit read called Through Thick and Thin. It was ok. I picked it up for $1.99 at Garden Ridge a couple of weeks ago, so I didn't mind that it wasn't the great American novel. But I am curious as to why so many chick lit books have main characters who are either journalists or in PR?

(Also, a Garden Ridge bargain was Jared, the Subway Guy, which was a quick read and surprisingly enjoyable.)

The second book was Push by Sapphire. Definitely not a fun read, but one I couldn't put down. This is the book that is the basis for the movie Precious. I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie because so often the movie really screws up the story (My Sister's Keeper comes to mind -- I've never seen the movie because I know how badly they ruined that one.).

My brother-in-law gave me Push as a Christmas gift. When I opened it, Annie recognized it and said that she wanted to read it after I was finished. I said, "Sure." That was before I'd cracked the book open. Now that I've finished it, this is a book I don't think I want her reading. There are very graphic incest scenes that I would rather not have taking up space in my not-yet-thirteen year old's head.

It was a hard book to read, thinking that those kind of things really happen to people. But for an admittedly white bread girl born and raised in the suburbs, living and raising her own kids in the suburbs, I think it was good for me to challenge myself with.

So now I have to figure out what to read next. My friend Cynthia gave me a few books to read when I was at her house last week (because you know that I'm on the lam from the library), so I'll probably pick up one of those.

How about you? What are you reading? Got any good suggestions for me?