One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

What would you do if, after your first husband disappears (and is presumed dead) and after several years of grieving, you fall in love again and get engaged? And then you find out that your first husband is actually still alive?

That's the premise of One True Loves. Fascinating, but the main character, Emma Blair, who is deciding between her husband and her new fiance, is so one-dimensional and non-descript that I really didn't care either way.

A fast, easy read nevertheless.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Bossypants is a super-easy fun memoir to read, plus it's laugh-out-loud funny.

Tina Fey writes about her family, her job at the YMCA, her early days of learning improvisation, and her time at Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock.

She also writes about women, body image, and the unrealistic and impossible standards of beauty. Under her "Twelve Tenets of Looking Amazing Forever," she writes: "#12- The Most Important Rule of Beauty: If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important Rule of Beauty. 'Who cares?'" (p. 114). Also, her chapter on what a photo shoot is really like was sooo funny. :)

A must-read if you're a Tina Fey fan!

The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg

I have loved everything I've read by Fannie Flagg. I love Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe so much that I even own a copy. :)

And once again, Fannie Flagg has given us a delightful book that spans generations of families that live in Elmwood Springs. Warm and wholesome, but Fannie Flagg does have a wicked sense of humor, and there's always some twisty, dark element that resolves with a nice and unexpected surprise.

If you've never tried a Fannie Flagg book, and are looking for some sweet fun, The Whole Town's Talking is a great place to start!

PS: This also falls under my Gentle Reading Category. :)

Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt

I wanted to read this book as a young girl, maybe 4th or 5th grade, but my mom told me that it was "too grown up" for me to read. So I didn't read it and forgot all about it. Until my mom gave me a box of my childhood books to store at my house last week and I found it in the box. I thought, "I think I'm grown up enough to read this now!"

A lovely coming-of-age story about Julie whose mom dies when Julie is only seven years old. Julie goes to live with her aunt in the country.

Full of strong feelings and some uncomfortable teenage feelings.

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Not too long ago, I ate Cheez-Its like crazy and Doritos whenever I could. In those days, I had heard about this book, but I didn't want to read it because I knew it would challenge me about what I ate.

Fast forward to last spring when I had to make some dietary changes for a medical reason. I haven't had a Cheez-It or Dorito since last June. (Is that amazing or sad? Or both?) The way I eat is drastically different from how I used to eat. For example, I used to eat breakfast for dinner a lot (pancakes, French toast). Now, I eat dinner for breakfast! (Salad, veggies, meat, cheese, etc.)

Yes, of course, I miss eating lots of yummy snacks and desserts!! At the same time, I also like the way I eat now. I'm more full, I don't spend lots of energy thinking about how to eat more sugar, I have more energy, and I sleep really well!

So I thought that maybe reading In Defense of Food wouldn't be so offending to me now. And it wasn't. Pollan is an advocate of eating real food, mostly vegetables, and staying far, far away from the processed yummies.

A fairly short and convincing read. But I would recommend eating all of those Cheez-Its and bagels and Doritos before you start reading this book!

The Bridge Ladies: A Memoir by Betsy Lerner

Bridge and mother-daughter relationships. A so-so read for me, but I found the ending quite touching.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

I had just checked out a stack of books from the library. I was reading, and Boomer was just sitting there, so I handed him Dark Matter and suggested he give it a try. It's science fiction and he's a fan of science fiction. He started reading and finished the book in two sittings. The next day, after he had finished, I picked it up, and I read it in a day. It was so good, but trippy!

Jason Dessen is heading back home after picking up some ice cream for his family when he's kidnapped. When he wakes up, he's still Jason Dessen, but not in the same life that he was in before. Who is he? Where is he? How does he find his way back to his life and family?

Highly recommended, but be prepared for a trip!

All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth

The subtitle is: The Story of a Southern Girl Who Went Through Fire To Find Her Way Home

A page-turner in the vein of Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle. However, it seemed like some pretty major events and their consequences were glossed over (i.e. sexual abuse, divorce, etc.) so it seemed like there were parts missing and I didn't get the whole story.