I finished Ordinary Spring and have started reading Finn by Jon Clinch. It's the story of Huck Finn's adulthood and so far it's good. I am only about 25 pages in but they have already talked about murder, alcoholism and penis! How can I go wrong with the rest!

It seems like Ashley has taken the BAMF's by storm...she out reads all of us! I am more than half way through Ordinary Springs and so far it is amazing! It's a great read and a great but tragic story of a very young girls struggle to find herself, and right some wrongs from her past. It's a complicated story of circumstance, life and rising above challenges to overcome and be a better, happier person!

Last night, I finished Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I am a little embarrassed to say, but I really liked it. It was my favorite book in the series so far. I am honestly not sure that I would want my teenage daughter to read this. Three of the four characters have sex and there is a pregnancy scare. I want my hypothetical daughters reading Babysitter's Club until the day they marry. There was a quote at the beggining of each chapter. I know you would have skipped these, Jenny! I was pretty pleased with how Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby grew up and that the pants continued to keep them together. I even think I cried. I know this isn't a mass appeal book for adults, but it was better than the adult book that Ann Brashares wrote. Her themes of friendship, abandonment, loss, love, and more resonate at any age.

I finally finished the book Three Strikes You're Dead...and absolutely loved it!

It's a mob mystery set in 1938 Chicago and the book did a fantastic job of really giving the reader the feel of that time period. The books focus was on a murder that happened and a Tribune reporter who was reporting it got more interested than he should have and ended up mixed in with the mob. The author went into great detail about the El trains and street names and things and it was fun while reading to be on those actual trains and streets in the present while reading about their history. The character also spent some time in Oak Park and that was fun since that is my neighboring town!

I would recommend this book. Its really short...but it took me a long time to read because of my iPod! I have finally worked out how to listen and read at the same time!

Now, I will go back to Ordinary Springs and hopefully bang that one out!

Ashley, any word on the romance novels for September???

Finished Virgin of Small Plains last night. It was really good. I have to say that I had most things figured out, but not everything. I was totally thrown off by some major red herrings as to the identity of the murderer. I liked this book a lot and would highly recommend. I have to figure out what to start next. I need to read through and see what is laying around-just a few hundred books.

I have hit a serious slump in my reading...all thanks to my iPod! I have not figured out how to read and listen at the same time yet! I tried to read and then after about two pages, I was like "what the hell did I just read?" and then I have to go back and re-read!

I started the Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard last night. It was lent to me by Jenny, who highly recommended it. I have to say, the beginning of the novel was shocking and I didn't want to put it down. I have a few theories, but I cannot to wait to see what happens. Did you note the new cover, Jenny? I think I like the other better, but this looks moreso like something you would see on a table at Barnes and Noble.

I have put Ordinary Springs on hold so that I can read the book I got from Don, Three Strikes You're Dead. He picked this one out for me because it's a book that takes place in Chicago and revolves around the mob, Al Capone and other types of mob activity. It's by Robert Goldsborough and the book has his autograph, which is kind of cool. Don got it from Centuries and Sleuths book store and there will be a discussion regarding this book in a few weeks with the author, so I may be tempted to go!

So far it is interesting, and it takes place downtown so the street names that are mentioned are streets I walk on every day, corners that I remember, and theatres that I have been to! It's very cool!

I will start out my blog by letting you all know that I have picked my signature color of orange for the blog. I evidently had stolen Jeanette's color, as was pointed out. No problem. I don't mind. No biggie. I was never informed we had color codes! And for those that know me, it was pretty obvious that it was going to be orange or blue, wasn't it?!

I read The Last Summer (of You & Me) over the weekend. I was totally willing to give this book a shot because I loved the first three Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books. I know I am an adult, but I still love a good teen book or movie. Let's not even go there. My first impression was that I wasn't sure I would totally bill this as her "first adult novel." Considering the main characters were 21 and 24, it wasn't overly adultish. The story revolved around two sisters, Alice and Riley, and their summer vacation neighbor Paul. Riley and Paul are best friends and Alice and Paul are in love with each other. I liked the characters, but was annoyed by the middle hundred pages where the Alice and Paul were kept apart because of a secret regarding Riley. I get so annoyed in novels and movies when trivial crap is used as a major plot device. It just isn't. Too much exposition leading up to a marginal climax. Should I throw in some more literary terms? The denouement was satisfyling at least. It was a quick read and an okay read, but nothing great. I had the newest Luanne Rice hardback from the library but took it back because I felt like it would be the same as her last half dozen novels and the same as this story. Now I have to decide what to read next. I am also on the hunt for a new bookshelf because I have books lying around everywhere and in every closet and cabinet I own, and I cannot take it anymore.

Book Club was a success! I was a little nervous becuase the first time I hosted book club it did not go so well. I tried to overcompensate with food:

The menu:

Savories:

Cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, veggie lavosh, gorgonzola baked potatoes

Fruit:

Fruit salad (to cleanse the palate)

Desserts:

Chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate eclairs and brownie ala mode ice cream pie (thanks Ashley!)

Tea Selections:

Pina Colada, Grape Cranberry, hard tea and cucumber water

Even though it seems the group was not super into Self Help books we did talk about them for a while! One member even came prepared with supplies to help us understand her book. She recommends this book highly!

Another book that sparked interest was about sex, shocking! It was not great and not really recommended by everyone, it got the equivalent of one thumbs up. It required you visualize a lot of sex instead of just doing it!


And last but not least another book that was fine conversation for all was the Strippers Guide. This book taught us throug a series of ten grueling questions, that four of us are Daisy Duke Strippers, and then one classic Betty (I think that was the term) and two who could not count their letters correctly :) I liked this one though, funny pictures like how should you shave yoiur muff and other burning questions answered like how to darken your nipples in the right lighting.
I hope you all enjoyed!

*** I hope you don't mind me adding on Sarah! I thought book club was a riot! We talked about the book a tremendous amont...and looked at my books pictures for a long long time! I really enjoyed all the food, friends and fuck talk...like always! Thanks for making my birthday unforgetable!

For our next book, we are all going to read a romance novel! I am a bit skeptical about the romance genre, as it seems a bit cheesy, but who knows. I would love to read at least one and find out what all the fuss is about!

I finally finished The Stingray Shuffle, and I actually came around and really enjoyed the book. The last 30 pages really make the book good, the first 200+ were a bit long and tedious, but truly worth reading because of the last pages. It wasn't really a mystery book, but more of a cast of completely insane characters that all get intertwined in this fucked up plot. It's a rather enjoyable story, lots of ironic incidences and chance meetings between characters. A book where all the characters play a role in each other's lives whether they know it or not. I would recommend, not highly, but its worth a read!

I just started Ordinary Springs this morning and so far it's fair. This is a book that I picked up at the book sale last week. The story is about a girl and her father who were abandoned by their mother/wife. The girl is really protective of her father and doesn't want to "loose him" to another woman. Some really hot neighbor moves in and her father becomes obsessed with this broad and the daughter gets really jealous of their relationship. It seems interesting, a bit incestuous, but I am looking forward to reading more.

The Stingray Shuffle is dragging!

I want to start reading all the books that I got from the book sale, but I can't just stop and leave this book unfinished. I am almost done, but it's plot...if you can even call it that...is just too wacky that I don't even find it that funny.

I can't wait for BAMF's book club meeting on Friday! Self-help seemed like a dud, but I can guarantee some good ass conversation!

I have just finished the Graphic Novel The Plain Janes and I would absolutley recommend it. It is written for a younger audience but it only takes about 30 minutes to read and is pretty cute. If you have tried to find good literature for young women you know that with things like the gossip girls and the boy crazy romance novels it is not easy. This is a story of a couple of girls who did secret art works in their town under the name People Loving Art In Neighborhoods (P.L.A.I.N) It absolutley got me inspired to get out little book club together and go make some art incognito, any takers??

I finished reading Good In Bed this morning...it took me longer than I would have liked. My goal is one book a week, and this took me a week and a half...but whatever...I will survive!

I liked the book and thought it was a good read. I find Jennifer Weiner to be very witty and funny. I was not at all surprised at the ending and the love affair that blossoms...I knew that about 25 pages into it! This book seemed to drag a bit for me, there were situations in the book that I though could have been written in one page, but instead they dragged on for almost five pages. The main character was a bit loopy towards the end, and I had a hard time relating to her depression and downward spiral. I really liked Little Earthquakes better, but I have been told by several people that the first Jennifer Weiner book they read is the best (no matter which one) and from then on it's a bit of a disappointment.

Up next...The Stingray Shuffle by Tim Dorsey. The book is described as "Carl Hiaasen on meth, Elmore Leonard on acid, Dave Berry on Drano." Well, I thought Carl Hiaasen was crazy, but a good read...and Dave Berry is just fucking hilarious, so a bit of Drano is just unimaginable to me!

I will give it a try!