Books!

Okay, all you avid readers out there, it’s time for a book roundup. A few weeks ago I went to our local library’s book sale with my friend, Karen. We go there late, just as they were packing up, in fact. But there was still plenty to choose from and when we went to pay Karen said, “I’ll get these. A late birthday present.” Even though we’ve agreed among the gal pals to only do birthday cards from now on, I smiled and accepted her offer. And here’s what those books are:

The Pig Did It by Joseph Caldwell – Two people told me this was a good book, clever and funny. Sorry but those two accolades escaped me and I couldn’t get into it so I went on to . . .

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini – He also wrote The Kite Runner which was excellent and I was not disappointed in this second book. It’s the story of two women living through the always perilous times in Afghanistan. An interesting look into a whole other world, sad, compelling, and informative.

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver – I’d heard of Ms. Kingsolver and so decided to give her a go. This book is my current read and it’s pretty good. It runs a lot to inner dialog and feelings which I have a limited tolerance for as I think those can really drag the story – you know, the actual story – down. But I’m about halfway through and I’ll finish it.

Lily White by Susan Isaacs – This one is in the stack waiting to be read. I glanced at the blurbs on the back cover and they convinced me. Phrases like “loaded with wit,” “comedy suspense,” are hard to resist. But I hope someone other than the pig did it in this one.

Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag – Don’t know if I’ve ever read Hoag. She’s in the lineup, too. And I confess that I picked it up partly because of the gorgeous cover. Strewn with beautiful iredescent autumn leaves. You turn the book just so and they shimmer. Am I shallow or what? I'll let you know if judging the book by its cover works.

So I have two questions:

If you're having trouble getting into a book, how much will you read before you give up on it?

What would you recommend to your fellow readers for the upcoming holidays? I've got Blame It On The Mistletoe by Joyce Magnin waiting for me in my Kindle. When the season gets crazy I'll take refuge there. 

Image: Free Digital Photos