Light & fun reading for me: Charlaine Harris; Dead in The Family. Rachel Caine; Unknown

A book by Lewis Grizzard - a VERY funny man from the south.

"A Good Dog" by Jon Katz. Not sure what's next, depends on my mood. I have a stack of books by my bed.

I just started The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran. So far, so good.

Just finished Debbie Macomber's Hannah's List. Very good! Just starting a book by Sara Paretsky, it's a A V.I. Warshawski Novel. Sounds interesting.

Reading James Patterson's "Swimsuit", have "Lady with the Dragon Tattoo" and Baldacci's "Hour Game" Samples from Kindle pre-loaded for next.

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I just finished Janet Evanovich's Sizzling Sixteen and I think my next book will be Billie Letts' Made In The USA. I really like her books. Her book, Shoot The Moon, is one of my all time favorites.

Thanks for some new suggestions.

Finished #7 and started on "Hard Eight" of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

I have two audio books going (one in each car), but I'm not crazy about either of them (the books, not the cars). :-)

One is The Memory Keeper's Daughter, about a doctor whose wife gives birth to twins, a girl and a boy, in the 1960s. The girl has Down Syndrome, and he gives her to the nurse, instructing her to take the baby to an institution. But the nurse decides to keep the baby herself. The doctor tells his wife the baby died. And that's just the beginning of the book. I'm not crazy about the writing. The voice seems awfully flat to me.

The other is Watchlist a book of two novellas written by 15 top thriller writers. It's won awards, and a lot of people like the book, but I can't say I'm one of them. It seems to me the writers tried to outdo one another with their chapters. And every character that dies gets shot in the face. It gets tiresome after a while.

I'm looking for replacements......

I loved Memory Keepers Daughter and Shoot the Moon. And of course all the Stephanie Plum books.
I just started a book that was recommended by Vannie, Bridge of Sighs.

I just started What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman. From the first sentence I was hooked. This is going to be a joy to read. I also have a "nap time" mystery soft cover on my bed stand. The name is L.A. Outlaws written by T. Jefferson Parker. Someone gave it to me because I love Michael Connelly who writes mysteries/LAPD cases in Los Angeles. So far it's okay.

Susan

Just finished "Hothouse Orchid" by Stuart Woods (excellent).

Just started "Worst Case" by James Patterson (his books are always excellent).

Next up is "The Scarpetta Factor" by Patricia Cornwell.

I'm reading the Amish books by Beverly Lewis....Most of them are in a series and a couple of them I couldn't put down...Ms Lewis grew up in Lancaster and seems to have her facts in line....What I like about these books, no 4 letter words and no sex, although we know it's there.....

I love reading Beverly Lewis books and have several waiting to be read! I am reading Fannie Flagg's Can't Wait To Get To Heaven. I am enjoying so far.

Sue

Now that I've heard a vote for Memory Keeper's Daughter maybe I'll keep going with it. I'm interested in the plot, and would like to see how it resolves. Also, I'm thinking maybe it's the narrator's voice (on audio) that sounds flat to me, not the writer's "voice."

Finished Sizzlen Sixteen and started Susan Elizabeth Phillips What I Did for Love.

Right now anything Dr. Suess or Amelia Bedelia...the girls love them.

When they are asleep I am reading the Stephanie Plum series...just started number 5. At this rate I will finish the books when the girls head to college! :0)

Here's another vote for Memory Keeper's Daughter. I enjoyed reading it too.

I read the Memory Keepers Daughter years ago and is one book that I kept to re-read...not often do I do that!...so I hope that you like it.

Right now I am reading The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini. Next I will read Storm Prey by John Sandford.

I too like the Memory Keeper's Daughter.

Recently read:
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski ... bored me.
Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar ... loved it.
The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier ... a light read.
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus ... historical fiction and I loved it!

Just started:
I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis
South of Broad by Pat Conroy

That's all I can think of right now.

Jodi-

I'm listening to Born Round by Frank Bruni in my car. If you've ever had a weight problem, you might like this book. It's very interesting even if kinda gross in some parts. I'm about half way through.

Alisande, that's interesting. I think that the reader of an audio book can really make or break it for me. I love Amy Tan's books, I've read (not listened to) maybe four of them. I recently got one of her books, Saving Fish from Drowning, on audio, read by the author. I couldn't get through the first CD. Her voice was just too something - shrill? cutesy? I dunno, but it just annoyed me. In fact, I tend to gravitate to books read by the author but this one was the exception.

OTOH, the only reason I listened to the Harry Potter series beyond the first book was because of the reader. I found the first book too juvenile but Jim Dale's rendition was so captivating I went ahead and read book two and onward and I'm glad I did.

Waiting for me at the library is Sophie Kinsella's latest book, Twenties Girl. Her Shopaholic series was not the best I've ever read but fun enough to keep me interested to read all of them. Her non-shopaholic books were even better.

I just finished Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic Takes Manhattan. Don't know what I'm reading next.

Kay, Lewis Grizzard was a favorite of mine. We lost him way too soon.

Linda

I recently finished Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson.....an amazing read. I also loved his Three Cups of Tea.
I followed that by Halfway to Heaven by Mark Obmascik....his comments on the cover state "My White Knuckled and Knuckleheaded Quest for the Rocky Mountain High. Very enjoyable and infomational about mountain climbing about 14,000 feet.
Now I am reading James Lee Burke's Crusader's Cross. I love his style of writing.

I really appreciate getting recommendations b/c I hate starting a book and just not getting into it. That happened to me w/ "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." Y'all that read it, is it worth a re-try? I hear so much good about it, I guess I need to try again. And, yes, Lewis Grizzard was so spectacular and we did lose him way too soon. I'd recommend him to anyone. "Memory Keepers Daughter"--keep going, it gets better. I recommended 1,000 White Women to my reading group and they all loved it. But!!! Labor Day's one of the best books I've read lately. Y'all keep the recommendations coming b/c I read really FAST and need a tall TBR pile by my bed!!!

Vannie, I too had a bit of a time getting into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but for me, it was more than worth it. I will go on to read the second and third in the trilogy as well when I have time.

There is a sub-title Swedish movie for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and it was excellent. The U.S. is currently working on their own version the film based on the book.
Daniel Craig has been cast as the main character, investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist.

Jodi-

I liked the Memory Keeper's Daughter too. I didn't LOVE it, but I thougth it was good.

I loved The Story of Edgar Sawtelle!

I'm in the middle of a book called Drop City by T.C. Boyle. It's about a hippie commune in California in 1970 that decides to pick up the whole commune and move to Alaska to "live off the land". It's pretty good so far, but I haven't been in a reading mood recently, so it's been slow going.

Really liked the Memory Keeper's Daughter, Was not crazy about The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Loved One Thousand White Women and my book has been making the rounds for two years now. I love to pass on books I really enjoy which is one reason I don't think I'll get a KIndle. I will be reading South of Broad next. I've enjoyed all of Pat Conroy's books. The Help, as mentioned here before was excellent. I'm jotting down some of these titles because I need recommendations in September for my Book Club.

A Painted House by John Grisham...saw the Hallmark television event a while back...enjoyed that too...Mary

The Memory Keeper's Daughter was made into a quite nice TV movie a few years ago. The initial scenes in which the nurse decides to keep the baby are very affecting. You can rent it from Netflix.

Am currently reading The Grass Crown, by Colleen McCullough, and The House of the Vestals, by Steven Saylor. This is a double dive into historical fiction about Rome, and I'm enjoying it! The Grass Crown is almost 1100 pages long. Was reading it in July and will possibly still be reading it in September!

just finished 6 and 8 of the Plum series and now 7 is waiting for me at the library...also read "Between the Plums" over the weekend...3 short stories about Stephanie...she's just a riot and I'm constanting laughin out loud at her antics...

I finished up "The Associate" by Grisham yesterday and started my first Kindle read (a gift from hubster for my birthday!) I know I'm gonna have a blast with that thing! I still will use the library...I love searching thru the shelves!

I can't wait for the Plum movie!

I just finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett, loved it. It is her first, hope she has more to come.

started my first Kindle read (a gift from hubster for my birthday!)

Great....DH also got me one for my birthday!
It fits great in my handbag, and I'm on my 5th book(within a month).

I find I read even faster - can't help it.

I think buying this for me was like giving a drunk "anywhere" delivery from a bar :)

Just finished up "Hind's Feet On High Places" by Hannah Hurnard.... and have "Come Thirsty" by Max Lucado to read for August.. and just picked up 4 more books at the Goodwill store a few weeks ago... I am taking more time to read these days.
Reading used to be a passion and I had gotten away from it for quite some time... But now I am finding that taking some quiet time to meditate, and to read and to just sit back, relax sure helps make my days a lot more satisfying.

Kitt

I gave myself a Kindle for my birthday and have finished "61 Hours" by Lee Child, and 2 Lisa Gardner books"The Neighbor" and "The Other Daughter." Now I'm reading "Face of Betrayal" by Lisa Wiehl, a free book from Amazon. I've started and deleted a few other free books that I didn't like. But I love my Kindle!

Liz_ga, you and I are about the same spot on the Plum series. I've done 1-7 and am on 8 now. And I love all the Grisham books, too!

Had to come back on. Looks like quite a few of our husbands(including mine) knew just what we wanted for our birthdays. I have bought 2 books for my kindle and 1 free one. All less than $5.00 dollars each. I do have a list of ones to buy before we go on vacation. :o) I am so looking forward to reading Missing Max by Karen Young and The Color of Light by Karen White.

I've been reading parts of Natural Hormone Balance for Women By Uzzi Reiss. It's not one of those can't-put-it-down books. lol

I just ordered a copy of The Memory Keeper's Daughter from ebay after reading all the recommendations for it here.

Just started reading Michner's large novel Texas. I have enjoyed it from the first pag; it's not one of those you have to struggle with at first to get past the dull opening chapters.

DH and I eloped 45 years ago at Spring Break; I was a beginning teacher and he was working his way through graduate school. He had only 2 days off from work for our honeymoon week. So I brought Michner's novel Hawaii with me and read it on what I considered our extended honeymoon in his apartment in Cincinnati while he was working.

So reading another Michner brings back memories. I bought this hard back book for 50 cents at a Friends of the Library book sale. A very good bargain.

At one time you could get free audio books at Amazon.com. They were .98 cents but were actually free. I downloaded one myself to see if I like audio books.

I just started another "Sister Chick" book, Sisterchicks in wooden shoes, by Robin Jones Gunn. I just love these books.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sisterchicks

"Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan ....Fiction loosely based on fact but shocked by the ending and not in a pleasant way.

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak Loved it! Funny, sad, tragic & poignant.

"In the Woods" by Tana French Disappointed by the ending......had a WTF--I got gyped feeling after reading that one. She has another named "The Likeness" using one or two of the same characters, but I'm too afraid to get invested again just to be dissappointed again.

"Black Wind", a Brad Pitt novel by Clive Cusler.

I picked up a hard cover edition for $3 at a library sale.

Just finished Little Bee. I had looked forward to it but didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

Now I'm reading The Tenderness of Wolves. I like it.

I just started volunteering at our public library's used bookstore. It's fun to see what they have for sale, meet the customers and other volunteers.

I liked Edgar Sawtelle, but it seemed long. Didn't care for Memory Keeper's Daughter. I thought it was a mean, stupid thing for the father to do, and it troubled me too much.

As for audio books, the reader can really help or hurt a book. I have loved the #1 Ladies Detective series--and the reader of the books (all?) LeCat really makes them come alive--she's terrific!

working on Women, Food & God...not a fluff read thou lol, just started Eat, Pray, Love...will finish that in a few days and go see the movie then Aug 17 My Formerly Hot Life ;-) comes out very highly anticipated, can't wait for that one! ~ liz

katclaws, I did not enjoy "The Likeness". It just seemed to go on and on and on and was too hard to believe. I thought the plot was convoluted, but I noticed it was on a list of recommended books for book groups. Different strokes for different folks, but I wouldn't recommend it.

"Eat, Pray, Love"

"Spoken From The Heart"

Thanks for the input, Vannie!

Since I didn't enjoy the first one "In the Woods", I really didn't think I'd enjoy "The Likeness" either.

Good to know I wasn't the only one who didn't care for this author in regards to these two books.