The Guy Not Taken: Stories by Jennifer Weiner

I avoid reading Jennifer Weiner's books because they become too engrossing. The great plots and characters combined with short chapters has me constantly justifying that I can read one more chapter, until I realize I should have gone to sleep an hour ago, or should have started getting ready for work two chapters back. For me, her books are addictive, and she keeps on delivering.

With that said, this book has been sitting on my shelf for months. I finally picked it up yesterday, and am not disappointed. The format is great, doling out little doses of Ms. Weiner's wit. I'm rationing it; one story per work day, two on weekends. So far, I was late to work yesterday but was able to put down the book satisfied. But I've got a beach chair in my car and the book in my purse, so I may end up in South Boston today, giving up on my Jennifer Weiner "diet".

A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies by Ellen Cooney

I have a weak spot for books and movies set in Boston, so it was hard for me to ignore this book after seeing a review in the Boston Globe. I'm not particularly interested in historical fiction (this is set in 1900), but I've been trying to get out of my comfort zone.

While it was the setting that drew me to the book, it probably could have been set just as easily in New York or Chicago, so the local references didn't maintain my interest (The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdes-Rodruiguez and All Souls, a memoir by Michael Patrick MacDonald are two that did). The plot, however, was out of the ordinary. It wasn't always easy to get into, but overall, it was enjoyable. It's the kind of book that I wouldn't actively recommend, but I also wouldn't discourage people from reading.

Kabul Beauty School

I just finished Kabul Beauty School, and am awestruck by massive cultural differences between the US and Afghanistan. While I've always knew that women don't have the same freedoms in many parts of the world that they have here, the realities of their situation has never set in.

Overall, the book was very good, though I wished that it could have gotten further into the lives of the Afghan women. It ended abruptly, though it fits with the issues facing Afghanistan. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to all women looking for an easy but interesting read.

What should I read next?

I'll be starting a new book next week. I'm thinking I want to read fiction; something light. I'm leaning towards The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner, but am open to suggestions. Any thoughts on my books in my TBR pile on the left?

Kabul Beauty School, chapters 1-7

There was an NPR interview with the author, Deborah Rodriguez, a couple of weeks ago that really drew me to this book (you can check it out here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10634299). It's been a while since I've been so excited to read a book, so I should start with the fact that my expectations were probably higher than they normally are.

Anyways, I've nearly finished the book (it's 10 chapters, 270 pages long), and I've been going between loving it and finding it overrated. I think I'm more interested in the Afgan women than the author.

Regardless, this is definately an interesting memior. Easy to read, but takes you outside of your comfort zone. It started with a foriegn situation, then backtracks to explain the situation, and progresses into the foriegn nature of Afgani culture. I'm guessing I'll wish it were longer when it's done, I only have 70 pages left.

Getting Started

Wow, this is my first blog entry. Sitting at the salon in my foils today, I was thinking about how cool it would be to share my thoughts on what I read. So this is the start! Feel free to add your thoughts; the more discussion, the better. Recommendations, comments, adn anything else relevent is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading this!