What I've been reading

Book club last week was interesting. Most people loved the book My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult. One woman even said it was the best book she'd ever read! I didn't love it, thought it was okay. One thing everyone did agree on was that the Mom had no redeeming qualities. She clearly favored her oldest daughter (and maybe she had to), ignored her son and used her youngest daughter. Nobody liked her. Next month we're reading Secret Girl, a memoir by Molly Bruce Jacobs. One of the women in the book club sold her house for her last year, so there's a local connection. I heard the book is pretty good.

I don't feel like I've been reading a whole lot lately, so I was surprised when I looked at what I had checked out. There's quite a bit on there including several books I know I'm not going to read.

My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult - Last month's book club book. Better get that back in!

Saving Agnes, Rachel Cusk - I started this book but I'm having trouble getting into it. I need to decide if I'm going to commit to reading it, or put it aside for something else. So far it's okay, just hasn't grabbed my attention.

Crossing Over: One Woman's Exodus from Amish Life, Ruth Irene Garrett - I enjoyed Rumspringa so much I thought I'd try another book about Amish life. I didn't get very far in this one. It's very anecdotal and not quite what I was looking for. I need to return it.

Coupon Girl, Rebecca Motew - This is another book that I've finished and haven't returned yet because I'm lazy. It was a light read that was okay. It took me a while to finish it. At one point, Mark saw me reading it and said "Haven't you been reading that forever?" I'm usually a pretty speedy reader, so if he noticed that I was still reading it, it must've taken too long. What was interesting was that it gave a sort of behind the scenes look at those coupon mailers that you get every so often and immediately throw out. Or at least I do. Kind of interesting. I didn't get her attraction or interest in Barton though. After the first weirdo scene in her apartment, I'd be running from him.

Babylon By Bus, or, the true story of two friends who gave up their valuable franchise selling "Yankees suck" t-shirts at Fenway to find meaning and adventure in Iraq, where they became employed by the Occupation in jobs for which they lacked qualification and witnessed much that amazed and disturbed them, Jeff Neumann - I just started this book and I think the title basically says it all.

Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder, Lawrence Weschler - This is a strange little book about The Museum of Jurassic Technology in California. I haven't read much of this book, but from what I can gather, the exhibits are mostly made up but have intrigued many people, including the author of this book. I think farther along in the book they discuss the early history of museums, which I'm interested in, but I'm not sure I'm going to get that far.

What do you Do All Day?, Amy Scheibe - I haven't started this one. It's a book about a stay at home Mom and I heard it's similar to I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson.

Swapping Lives, Jane Green - I started this last night so I haven't read very much yet. There are 2 women, a career woman in London and a former lawyer, current stay at home Mom in CT that are both not quite happy with their lives, and think they each want what the other has. They switch places through a magazine contest and... I don't know what happens yet. I've read and enjoyed other books by Jane Green so I thought I'd read this one too.

I'm embarrassed to admit there are probably one or two books around the house that I own and have also started and not finished. Off the top of my head, I know I'm reading Topaz by Leon Uris. I really need to commit to finishing one or two books at a time and not have all these books going at once.