Blind Submission by Debra Ginsberg

A very fun and enjoyable book. I always like reading
about what goes on in the publishing industry, and this
book fits the bill. There's also the Boss from Hell
and a nifty little mystery going on as well. I wouldn't
say this is high literature, but it's definitely
entertaining and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a
light read.

Acid Row by Minette Walters

I must admit I was a bit disappointed in this book by Minette Walters. I've read several of her books, and this is probably my least favorite. There were too many characters and two separate plots that didn't really seem to go together all that well. I didn't feel invested in any of the characters, really. Still, the writing is good, and the level of suspense was pretty good. But I didn't enjoy it as much as "The Devil's Feather," which is her latest book.

In The Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Wow, this is the first book of a fantastic mystery series (the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series). A female Episcopalian priest (formerly an army helicopter pilot) teams up with the police chief in a small New York State town to figure out who left a small baby on the steps of the church and why. Well-written, well-plotted, and it kept drawing me in. It was definitely suspenseful, but the level of suspense was never so tense that I felt the need to skip to the end to see what happened (or who did it), which I confess I often do.

 

This is definitely a great read. I highly recommend it. It's the first of a series -- and I read the next five in the series over a period of three days, I couldn't put them down. Now I can't wait till her next one comes out.

One of Those Days by Amy Rosenthal & Rebecca Doughty

My friend Trisha loaned me this children's book. It is a great description of all the different possible ways you can have a stinky, bad day ("Say the Wrong Thing Day," "Feeling Left Out Day" and "Can't Find Stuff Day" are three of my favorites). Having a book that acknowledges that everyone has bad days is great, but the illustrations make it even better. I recommend this for any frustrated kid or adult in your life.

The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner

What a great book! It was the perfect book to drag me out of the reading dry spell I've been having. I devoured the first third of it while eating my lunch one day, then savored the rest of it. I think it's the best Jennifer Weiner I've read. It's a bunch of stories (some related, some standalone) and it managed to make me laugh a lot and also feel sad. She writes really well about loss and how people deal with it. I recommend this book highly.