I just finished these books by Mary Kay Andrews
A native of St. Petersburg, Florida (and a diplomate of the Maas Bros.
Department Store School of Charm), she started her professional
journalism career in Savannah, Georgia, where she covered the real-life
murder trials which were the basis of MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD
AND EVIL.
Very funny writer;

Hissy Fit - Welcome to the world of Mary Kay Andrews, where manners are polished, reputations are tarnished ... and revenge is sweet.

Savannah Breeze - Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk has lost all her worldly possessions, thanks to a brief but disastrous relationship with the gorgeous Reddy, an "investment counselor" who turns out to be a con man. All that's
left is a ramshackle 1950s motel on Tybee Island—an eccentric beach town that calls itself a drinking village with a fishing problem.

Blue Christmas - The popular Mary Kay Andrews delivers a tasty holiday treat as she brings back the winning characters from Savannah Blues and Savannah Breeze for a little...

Litty Bitty Lies -
In a suburban Atlanta neighborhood where divorce is as rampant as
kudzu, Mary Bliss McGowan doesn't notice that her own marriage is in
trouble until the summer night she finds a note from her husband,
Parker, telling her he's gone -- and has taken the family fortune with
him.

Savannah Blues - Landing a catch like Talmadge Evans III got Eloise "Weezie" Foley a jewel of a town house in Savannahs historic district. Divorcing Tat got her exited to the backyard carriage house, where she has launched a spite-fest with Tal's new fiancée, the elegant Caroline DeSantos.

Deep Dish - Another delicious treat full of Southern sass, wit, and charm. Chef extraordinaire Gina Foxton doesn't expect anything to be handed to her on a platter. After years of hard work, the former runner-up Miss Teen Vidalia Onion is now the host of her own local Georgia public television show called Fresh Start, and she's dating the show's producer.

ice

I've just started reading this book after watching the author being interviewed on the CBC show "The Hour". I've been interested in this topic for a long time and he makes a lot of good points.
http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=729498103

IN DEFENSE OF FOOD An Eater’s Manifesto
By Michael Pollan

"There are a lot of edible, food-like substances mascquerading as food in the supermarkets"
"You can make up for it if you're willing to cook."

Couldn't help but add two of my recent favourites to this list -

1) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafan and Lucia Graves is set in 1950's Barcelona and just captured my imagination as it was so different to anything I have read in the past few years. It's a bit of a whodunnit, did-anyone-really-do-it (?) and a love story. I actually looked forward to my train journeys to and from work while I was reading this.

2) A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka is set in England and tells the story of two sisters and their elderly father. The first line of the book is "Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous blonde Ukrainian divorcee. He was eighty-four and she was thirty-six." That basically sets the story up. It's very moving in parts but is also laugh-out-loud funny.

I'm currently reading Send Yourself Roses, Kathleen Turner's autobiography. It's not bad, so far but I'm only about a quarter of the way through.

Happy reading everyone.

Went to the doctor today, and what did we talk about? What we were reading. I have been going through the Lee Child books. They have a little CSI flavor. I love following Jack Reacher in all his escapades.

When my doctor saw what I was reading she suggested 2 books by Tess Gerritsen, The Surgeon and The Apprentice. Any reviews from anyone here?

She also thought I might like the "Twilight" series by Stephenie Myers. Has anyone read through those? They are supposed to have a Vampire twist. Would they be worth the trek to the library or do they warrant a purchase?

Any comments?

I loved Beach Road, one of my favorites that I read this summer. Dean Koontz the Good Guy was very good also.

I will have to check it out. Thanks for the info....

I just finished John Saul's Faces of Fear. Good for some reading by flashlight!

I got power back yesterday, and I WAS definitely cranky!

Icecoffee - Thanks for the info and recommendation. I am going to get the book on tape. I like the scary and suspenseful books when I drive. Although now I don't listen to books on tape as much because I talk on the cell phone. LOL

I have just finished reading Maureen McCormick's book: Here's The Story...Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. I idolized this girl when she was on the Brady Bunch. I prayed all the time that my family would one day be like the Bradys were and I always watched what Marcia wore on the show and had to go buy something close to it! I had absolutely no clue this girl was one gigantic mess in her real life. The tabloids were very kind to her or maybe she was extremely careful! I am so happy her life is better now. I think she would be excellent on Dancing with the Stars and maybe get her career going again.

Could anyone explain why my daughter would not want her 13 or 14 year old to read the Twilight series?

She claims the books are Satanic.

I just finished reading the twilight books - all four in four days! phew! After the I finished the last one, Breaking Dawn, I went to see the movie and then I saw the movie again, after I was told once is not good enough. Anyway - I'm going to start re-reading the series again, due to some crazy people saying you miss quite a bit in the first readings.

As for why 13-14 year old shouldn't read the books....well, it is a love story - think Romeo and Juliet with a different ending. However, yes there's the things about vampires and werewolves that one begins to believe as they read the books. Personally, I don't think it's any different then believing in Cinderella and how her Prince sweeps her away to "happily ever after" (we all know how that works). I will say though, it does pull on your heartstrings and emotions and feelings, as the reader wants more and more and more and will not be satisfied until the last book on the last page of the last line.

Is there anything "satanic" in the books? I suppose the whole vampire thing could be satanic - but the author does a GREAT job at dispelling the stereotypical myths of Vampires. No coffins and no crosses to thwart the vampires, etc... The topic of souls comes up a lot but in a very positive good fashion. Although the pretense that vampires are of the dead is always hanging out there, the reader can't help to think that these vampires (the main characters) are of this life (not, undead). However the underlying message of immortality is always lingering and if that is something parents do not want to discuss with their children, I could see the need to not allow this book. On the other hand - the book is fictional fantasy!

I have a 10 year old daughter and yes, I took her to my second viewing of the movie. There wasn't much "detail" in the movie and it wasn't as riveting as the book. Will I let her read the books? Definitely in a couple of years. If I can plant the seed that "Edward" should be the type of guy she should date and fall in love with and live happily ever after with, then yes it will be something she definitely reads! That in itself should prevent much of the "puppy love" heartaches during adolescence! IMO, no guy will ever live up to Edward! HAHA - He just might be the greatest deterrent to bad relationships!

Hope this helps - they are great books and quite addicting. My addiction to them reminded me of a few summers ago staying up all hours of the night watching two people sleep! At least with the books, I was able to see the ending I had created a few summers ago~ HAHAHAHA