The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

The Hobbit really is one of the best books ever.  I mean it.  I read it for the first time in 5th grade (and participated in an adorable re-enactment of sorts...wonder if that is on video anywhere?) and then again in high school or college.  This time I listened to it in my car.  It was even better than I remembered.

Bilbo, a home-loving hobbit, takes off on an adventure to the Lonely Mountain with thirteen dwarves to recover treasure from a dragon named Smaug.  Along the way over the Misty Mountains, the road twists and turns as the adventurers encounter some interesting characters, including creepy-creepster Gollum.  The story is well-balanced with suspense and humor.  

If you've never read it or if you haven't read it lately, do yourself a favor and pick up The Hobbit before the movie, which looks ah-maze-ing, comes out in December!  

Read: August - September 2012 (via CD from the library)

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

I really liked this book! To me, it was a cross between Sophie Kinsella and Emily Giffin - a chick lit novel with substance. The plot is pretty basic. Alice bumps her head at the gym and loses 10 years of her memory. She wakes up thinking she is a 29 year old newlywed about to have her first baby, but in reality she is 39 and her life has not turned out as expected. As Alice learns about what her life has become and tries to remember what has happened, she has to make decisions about what really matters. I highly recommend this one - a well-written story that draws you in from the beginning.

Read: October 2012 (via the library)

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

I am enjoying my quest to read all of Jane Austen's novels before I turn 30. Sense and Sensibility was no exception. I didn't know much about the story and so I appreciated all of Jane's characteristic twists and turns as the Dashwood sisters experience love and heartbreak. Of course all ends well - even if it does take nearly 400 pages to get there! Now I just have Persuasion and a re-read of Pride and Prejudice to complete my goal by March!

Read: August-September 2012

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

I thought this book was pretty hilarious.  I listened to it on my way to work - read by Mindy Kaling herself - and it was like having my BFF in the car making me laugh to distract me from all the traffic.  It was fun to hear her perspective about things and learn a little about how she got started on The Office.  Definitely worth picking up if you want a quick entertaining read.

Read: July 2012 via CD from the library

Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James

A few years after Pride & Prejudice, Darcy and Elizabeth have settled at Pemberley.  The night before their annual ball - a dark stormy night - Mr. Wickham's friend is found murdered in the Pemberley woods.  And Wickham is the primary suspect!  A murder investigation and trial follows, forcing Darcy to come face to face with his pride.  Or was it his prejudice?  

The lawyer in me enjoyed a peek at how investigations and trials were handled in the 1800s.  And the Jane Austen fan in me loved imagining how Darcy and Elizabeth might have ended up.

Read: July 2012 (via CD from the library)

What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown

Check out this book cover! I never ever would have picked this up, but my mom checked it out from the library and then passed it on to me.  I needed a new book so I gave it a shot.  And it was actually pretty good!  After a bad break up, Eleanor Pottinger goes to stay at an old estate in England.  What do you suppose she finds?  Two ghost sisters who take her back in time to Jane Austen's day.  Her mission: to prevent the two sisters from having their reputation ruined by the dashing Lord Shermont.    Will Eleanor fall in love with Lord Shermont?  Will she get to meet the real Jane Austen?  A light easy read if you happen to run across it.  

P.S. I really don't know why there are abs on the cover.  There are only two bodice-ripping scenes.  

Read: June-July 2012 via my mom via the library

Decision Points by W.

I really enjoyed reading President Bush's memoirs.  The book is structured so that each chapter focuses on a major decision in his life: running for President, choosing his cabinet, reacting to 9/11, initiating the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other things.  I learned a lot and respect him even more for how he handled his time in office.  I can't even imagine the pressures he faced and I hope that his presidency will be vindicated over time.  A good read if you want to learn more about W. and why he did what he did.

Read: May-June 2012