I love books, and I love magazines. I'm not sure what it is about them that has me so hooked. Maybe it's my way of clinging to my college dream of moving to New York and writing for one.

[Remembering what it's like to be young and naive]

Anyway, when I open my mailbox and see the new issues arrive I get giddy.

I subscribe to so many it's hard to keep up. My newspaper rack is usually full and I can't get rid of a single one until I've made sure to review all my dogears. As I read, I fold over a corner of the pages that have something I want to look into later like a recipe, book suggestion or product I might want to buy.

Before I take all the issues to the library bookstore I grab a pen and paper and make notes from the dogears, then use my printer to copy the recipes or articles.

In no particular order, the contents of my mailbox:

Parents
Parenting
Working Mother
Black Enterprise
O
O at Home
Cookie
Lucky
Domino
Inc.
Family Fun
Real Simple
Good Housekeeping (got this one free from AdPerk)
Redbook
All You (sold at Wal Mart)
Pink

What I've Read - 2008 Reading List

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to read. I just don't get people who say they don't like reading. Reading is the ultimate escape. It's relaxing. It's entertaining. It's informative. I'm sorry non-readers but you baffle me. What's not to like about reading?

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.

Dream When You're Feeling Blue Elizabeth Berg - Thumbs Up

The Alphabet Sisters Monica McInerney - Thumbs Up

Family Baggage 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

Home to Big Stone Gap Adriana Trigiani - Thumbs Up - I've loved all the books in the Big Stone Gap series

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.