I read other books that I didn’t count as part of the 10, and here they are:
Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan. The story of 3 generations of women and a beach house in Maine. This is the second of Sullivan’s books that I’ve read, and I really hope she is working on a third now! She writes beautifully; I love how the present and past, the profound and the mundane are woven together as part of the same story, just as they are in our heads.
Commencement, by J. Courtney Sullivan – This was wonderful. Chronicles 4 Smithies 4 and 5 years after gradution. Many flashbacks, 4 points of view. I really enjoyed this book!
The Paris Wife Awesome book club read!
10th Anniversary by James Patterson. I like the Women’s Murder Club. Its good summer reading.
Promises Kept by Jane Green – I cried. This book made me want to throw it across the room because I knew what was going to happen. The happy woman who was succeeding in her marriage, parenting and friendships and genuininy happy? She was going to get really, really sick. Can’t say I was shocked.
Storied I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe – Are there any adult women who didn’t have a crush on Rob Lowe at some point?
Blue Bloods, by Melissa de la Cruz – Young Adult vampire fiction set in New York City. Does anything say summer more than that?
Bossypants, by Tina Fey – too much fun to count.
The Divorce Party, by Laura Dave – Two points of view, one very long and interesting day. I’m tempted to count this in the official list. Maybe I still will.
The First Husband, by Laura Dave – A different take on chick lit. I found this really enjoyable and thoroughly engaging. I’m looking forward to finding other books by Laura Dave (I think there are some).
Bitter is the New Black, by Jen Lancaster – too much fun to count. An unemployment memoir with the best subtitle ever: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office. Really. With a title like that, how could it not be fun? Also My Fair Lazy I didn’t love this one as much, although it was still wickedly funny. And I think I want to read some Edith Wharton now.
Still Alice, Lisa Genova – a book club selection. I love this book. It is both an amazingly and horrifyingly real account of a woman’s battle (and submission) to early onset Alzheimers Disease. I didn’t count it because I’d read it before.
Let Neglected, Lisa Genova – a book about Left Neglect syndrome, which is apparently a real thing where a traumatic brain injury makes a person incapable of understanding that there is a “left” side to things. Very interesting, but so foriegn it was difficult to really “get it.”
The Power of Half, Kevin Salwen and Hannah Salwen – another book club selection
The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery. When I got this book out of the library, the librarian gushed over what a wonderful book it was and how much I was going to love it. She was wrong. I read half of it and put it down because I just couldn’t do it anymore. Deeply philosophical and very slow moving, I just couldn’t get into it. I might try it again.
Under the Boardwalk and Summer Lovin’ by Carly Philips. Brain Sorbet. Light reads that are just easy. Great for the beach, the bathtub or when you simply don’t want to be challenged.
Sizzling Sixteen & Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich. My dad reads these, too.
Lift by Kelly Corrigan. I loved The Middle Place so much and was excited to read her new “book.” But at under 50 pages, it is hard to consider it an actual book.
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. Lawyer fiction sort of like John Grisham.
Leave it to Cleavage by Wendy Wax. Meh, but she apparently lives in East Cobb, which is interesting.
Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner. So much better than the last couple Jennifer Weiner books. It was great to see her back up to form.
10th Anniversary and Now You See Her by James Patterson.
Something Borrowed and Something Blueby Emily Giffin. I picked up Something Borrowed because it is out in a movie, and realized halfway through that I had read it before. I didn’t really remember the ending, though, so it was fun. I knew I had read Something Blue already, but re-read it because I could’t remember the details and wanted to see what happened with Darcy after finishing the first one.
My Stroke of Insight by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. I had seen this woman’s TED presentation and was fascinated. The book did not disappoint. Dr. Taylor did an amazing job of explaining what a stroke feels like, and how it feels to recover from one. In the midst of that, she also manages to explain some brain anatomy and functionality in an understandable way and use that to explain transcendence and connection. Pretty impressive for 224 pages.
The TED Presentation: http://blog.ted.com/2008/03/12/jill_bolte_tayl/
I feel like I’ve missed more, but I can’t remember what they are now. Besides. New year, new list.
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