Good Reads

When I have free time I will usually choose to read. I get all of my books from the library which saves me a ton of money. I find my books by searching the popular books on ibooks, download the sample, then see if I would like to read the whole thing. I also go to Joseph Beth to browse for good reads.
I've read a lot of books this summer. Some were wonderful, others just OK, and one truly horrible book that I couldn't even finish.

The Very Best Books of the Summer:
1. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein - this is one of my all time favorites now along with To Kill a Mocking Bird and Gone With the Wind. The messages are very powerful.

2. Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner - like many of her books, this one is about family members growing and changing so they can find happiness in their lives.

3. A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff - a lesson in vintage clothing and learning to be OK with your choices in life

4. Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe - a well written and interesting autobiography

5. Romance Novels - I know what you're thinking, "REALLY???" They are so good though. Some are a little racier than others, but I really enjoy them; they are simple and happy, and who doesn't enjoy a good love story? I like Nora Roberts, Lori Foster, Bella Andre, and Victoria Dahl best. Most of their stories have a plot (usually a simple mystery) along with the romance, so it's not all trash!

6. The Last Talk with Lola Faye by Thomas H. Cook - a mystery type book. It kept me thinking and guessing until the end.

7. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton - a story of a granddaughter unraveling the mystery of her grandmother's life.

8. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton - a daughter learning of her mother's life during WWII when she lived with 3 eccentric sisters who have many of their own secrets and live in a castle.

I'd love to hear if you read any of these and also enjoy them. I hope I'm not forgetting any.
The book that I hated: Save Me by Lisa Scottoline. It made me so mad I could only read the first few chapters. I looked at the spoiler alerts online to find out what happened; I'm glad I didn't keep reading.

A few books that I've read in the past that you might enjoy:
1. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
2. Anything by Jodi Picoult
3. Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve
4. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
6. Anything by David Sedaris (he writes hysterical stories of his life)
7. Love Walked In by Marisa De los Santos

Happy Reading!

Today I'm thankful for:

1. meeting a nice group of students at our back to school bash last night


2. walking around McConnell Springs this morning - so cool there


3. a good cookie recipe from Annie's Eats