Anyway, I wish I could list all the books I've read this year but there's so many I can't remember them all (not braggin', just sayin'). So, I'll list the ones I've read since I've been on holiday with a rating: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down or Switzerland (get it? neutral?) and a short note for the ones I didn't like.
I'll add to the list as I finish a book. Feel free to agree or call me a moron. I welcome spirited discussion. Earlier this month (4/08) I joined a book club through Meetup and I'll note which books were for the club.
In no particular order:
The Girls' Global Guide to Guys Theresa Alan- Thumbs Up
Goodnight Nobody: A Novel Jennifer Weiner- Thumbs Up
The Red Hat Club Haywood Smith- Thumbs Up
The Red Hat Club Rides Again Haywood Smith- Thumbs Up
Dreamboat Judith Gould- Thumbs Down (Cliched and predictable)
My Favorite Mistake Beth Kendrick- Switzerland (Cute, fast read but characters were formulaic)
Suburbanistas Pamela Redmond Sutran- Thumbs Up
The Pact Jennifer Sturman- Switzerland (Chick Lit mystery, predictable)
The Chinchilla Farm: A Novel Judith Freeman- Thumbs Up
Wife in the Fast Lane: A Novel Karen Quinn- Thumbs Up
Between, Georgia Joshilyn Jackson- Thumbs Up (Way, way up)
Tales from the Crib Risa Green- Thumbs Up
Julie and Romeo Get Lucky Jeanne Ray- Thumbs Up
Pug Hill Allison Pace- Thumbs Up (Despite my dislike of small, yippy dogs)
Gods in Alabama Joshilyn Jackson- Thumbs Up! - Methinks she's going to become one of my favorite authors
The Ivy Chronicles Karen Quinn- Thumbs Up
Promise Not to Tell: A Novel Jennifer McMahon- Switzerland (I was expecting more creepy and scary)
The First Assistant Clare Naylor/Mimi Hare- Thumbs Up the The Second Assistant the first book, was also good
Just Between Us Cathy Kelly- Thumbs Up (A little too long)
Rescuing Rose Isabel Wolff- Thumbs Up (Stay away if you're tired of the Bridget Jones knockoffs)
Always and Forever Cathy Kelly- Thumbs Up (Again, a little long)
The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd- Thumbs Up
Awake Elizabeth Graver - Thumbs Up - Her writing style is a bit flowery. There were times when I got tired of it, and others where I loved her sentences
Oh My Stars Lorna Landvik - Thumbs Up - This was very good
Weekend in Paris Robyn Sisman - Thumbs Down - Couldn't finish it
Adventures of an Ice Princess Liz Maverick- Thumbs Down (Vapid)
The Almost Moon Alice Sebold- Thumbs Up
Remember Me? Sophie Kinsella- Thumbs Up Finished 4/20/08
Naked David Sedaris (for the book club) - What's between neutral and Thumbs Down? I didn't hate it. There were parts that made me laugh out loud. But it was weird. It's in essay format, but I didn't feel like I was learning about his life. Read at your own risk. Finished 5/10/08
Love the One You're With Emily Giffin- Thumbs Up
Flirting with Forty Jane Porter - Thumbs Up Finished 6/17/08
Water for Elephants Sarah Gruen - Thumbs WAY Up - This was for the book club. I didn't expect to like it because of the whole circus thing but it was great!
Love Monkey Kyle Smith - Thumbs Down This was for book club. Smith has a way with words, but I didn't connect to the character at all. (Finished 7/23/08)
The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger - Thumbs WAY Up For book club. SO, so good!
Certain Girls Jennifer Weiner- Thumbs Up
Savannah Breeze Mary Kay Andrews -Thumbs Up - This was the second in a (sort of) series. I also read Savannah Blues which was good too. Both are light reads.
The Alphabet Sisters Monica McInerney - Thumbs Up
Swapping Lives Jane Green - Thumbs Up
The Center of Everything Laura Moriarty - Thumbs Up
Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman Elizabeth Buchan - Thumbs Down - I rarely put a book down without finishing it, but I just couldn't get into this
Ready or Not? Chris Manby - Thumbs Up
The Ex-Wife's Survival Guide Debby Holt - Switzerland - Light and fast but not the best ex-wife gets her life together book I've read
Happiness Sold Separately Lolly Winston - Thumbs Up
The Other Side of the Story Marian Keyes - Thumbs Up
Speechless Yvonne Collins/Sandy Rideout - Thumbs Up
Love Walked In Marisa de los Santos - Thumbs Up
Luscious Lemon Heather Swain - Thumbs Up
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters Elizabeth Robinson - Thumbs Up
We Are All Welcome Here Elizabeth Berg - Thumbs Up - I think I'm going to like everything she does
High Stakes: A Tale of Vegas Vampires Erin McCarthy - Switzerland - I almost put it down, but it was such a fast read I finished before I got really bored
Ladies with Options Cynthia Hartwick - Thumbs Up
Middlesex Jeffery Eugenides - Thumbs Up
Hissy Fit Mary Kay Andrews - Thumbs Up
The Family Tree Carole Cadwalladr - Thumbs Down - Could barely make it past the first chapter
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming Joshilyn Jackson - Thumbs Up
Sweet Revenge Dianne Mott Davidson - Thumbs Down I usually enjoy this series despite the plot similarities, but this was so formulaic and almost painful to read.