Go Read a Book

miranda

thank you for a book list!!! now i can add them to my pages and pages of books to read and begin to conquer them this summer. tell me you have read “time travelers wife!” have fun at the library!!

Lisa

I was the same way growing up: total book nerd. I’d rather read than do anything else! Have you read “Eat Pray Love”?

Katie

Try reading anything by Wally Lamb. His characters are incredibly REAL.

Meghan@traveleatlove

I looove going to the Boston Public Library, especially to browse travel and cookbooks.
There is a book written by my brother in law’s friend that I love. It’s called Juno and Juliet and it’s by Julian Gough. A great story about twin sisters living in college in Galway Ireland where I went and where my husband grew up. I met Julian at my BIL’s wedding and (am now so embarassed) gushed about how much I loved the book!
Ok, now that I have written a book for you. . .

shannon (the daily balance)

we have very similar tastes!

that being said, I know you’ll love:

Prodigal Summer – Barbara Kingsolver
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – Barbara Kingsolver

The Weight of Silence – Heather Gudenkauf

Goldengrove – Francine Prose

lucy s.

I just finished American Wife and Prep, both by Curtis Sittenfeld and loved both of them. Also, The Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao is fantastic.

Emily

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is one of my absolute favorites! He also wrote The Kite Runner but this one was much better in my opinion 🙂

Elizabeth

If you like mysteries, the series by Elizabeth George is fabulous. Make sure to read them in order, however.

Laura

Hi Jenna,

I just read a book that changed my life. “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” by Jonathon Safron Foer. It’s very different and told from a few narrators, one being a little boy named Oscar who is trying to cope with his dad’s death in 9/11. It will warm your heart, truly.

Laura

katie

Oooh I love Redeeming Love. Have you read Time Traveler’s Wife, have you read it?

Ashley

Great reading list! You should read “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.

Chandra H

ANYTHING BY CURTIS SITTENFELD!!!!!!! she is amazing. my favorite is ‘prep’, but i also loved ‘american wife’ and ‘the man of my dreams’.

also, ‘the elegance of the hedgehog’ by muriel barbery is wonderful.

i love reading too 🙂

Lori @ All About Me

Love, love, love The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. Best book ever. The only trouble is it’s kind of hard to find. It was on Kindle for awhile, then wasn’t, and the sequels (2) I had to order from England. But worth it! So good.

I recommend logging all your books at http://www.GoodReads.com. It is a great way to keep track of books and share recommendations or warnings to stay away with others!

I’m going to check out a few from your list. I love the Outlander series also!

Carolyn @ lovinlosing

I read a lot, too and when I was in elementary school I was doing a book report and we had to tell a new word we learned. I hadn’t learned any new words in that book and my teacher was going to mark me down unless I basically lied and said I did. My mom had my back, too! 🙂

Sarah

My favourite book of all time has to be Pride and Prejudice. I could read that book over and over. I am currently reading Eat Pray Love, and from what I know about you from reading your blog, I think you would enjoy it! I also love anything by David Baldacci, and most of John Grisham’s works as well. If you like a good chick-lit memoir, I suggest anything by Jen Lancaster, she’s very funny.

Jil

Looove the books! and this: “I also feel bad for people that don’t eat dessert, but that’s a different story.” — I may or may not have giggled – out loud – and been nodding my head in agreement. 🙂

adrienmelaine

Great booklist! Poisonwood Bible is my all time favorite book- poor Ruthie! I’ve got to get some of these other ones- just in time for summer, your time is impeccable

Samantha

Ohhh, fun post! I too loooove to read. I like: The Lovely Bones (Alice Seabold), Me & Emma (Elizabeth Flock); anything by Jodi Piccoult and finance/career books!

rachael

I am a bookworm myself. We didn’t have tv until after we had a baby and date night=top chef night, and time to myself=folding laundry while watching real housewives. Anyhow . . . I am currently reading Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel, The Lacuna. Other good recent reads: Greasy Rider by Greg Melville, That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo, and The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner. Have you read Heat? My chef husband and I both loved Heat and have given it as a gift about 25 times:)

Kacy

I agree with much of your list! And that people who don’t read/eat dessert don’t know what they’re missing 🙂

Jennifer

I just started Suzanne Collin’s “Hunger Games” series last week and am totally enthralled! No really…go out and get the first one: “Hunger Games,” and then “Catching Fire.” The third book is released this August. But be warned, you start the book and you will lose hours of your life, get nothing done, and crave more! 😉

Megan

Looove reading your list and the comments! I second we were the mulvaneys and anything joyce carol oates really.

and middlesex. I just re-read it and its such an engaging story.

this is also a super weird/out there suggestion, but i just finished the immortal life of henrietta lacks and i was hooked!!!

Scott

Two great books, one I’ve finished “Life of Pi”, and the other I’m currently reading, “The Geography of Oysters”

sophie

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut and Siddharta by Hermann Hesse

marge

I love your bread books! I happen to be guilty of reading cooking related books in bed (such as Harold McGee’s). Seeing them on the list makes me think of the Simpsons episode when Marge is reading a book called “Cookbook to Read in Bed.”

Please check out Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It’s a great story–made me feel and think. I think you’d be into it Jenna.

Cinthia

Oh Jenna: How can you pick? There are SO many great books. Have you read “Poison” by Kathryn Harrison? Or “Bodily Harm” by Margarte Atwood? Or “Cowboys Are My Weakness” by Pam Houston. And, oh, the short story “How to be a Writer” by Lorrie Moore–I could read that 50 times in a row, I swear. And I just read that greatest memoir “Without a Map” by Meredith Hall that was so good I called in sick at work to finish it. (Right now I’m rereading “Animal Dreams” by dear, dear Barbara and “Widow For a Year” by John Irving.) And oh my god, have you read “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean? The voice is so incredible, so fresh and funny and colorful. I think one of my favorite books is “The Odd Woman” by Gail Godwin. It’s a little gem.
Cheers and happy reading (I also read through elementary school and missed out on math and history and still can’t multiply fractions but hey, I make my living as a writer and that’s all that really matters).
Cinthia

katie@ runthislife

I totally love to read. I will read almost anything at least once and would love to have weeks to just sit somewhere beautiful and read, read, read! When I go a few days without reading, I really feel out of it. I love when I find a book that I can’t put down, while also dreading the day that I finish! One of my favorites is The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

Camille

I was the same way as a kid! I always logged so many hours that my mom just signed off and didn’t even keep track of my hours anymore 🙂
Loove reading!

kate

I was just blogging today about how I love Eat Pray Love. I cant wait until its a movie!

Anne P

Have you read “The Glass Castle”? Love. Memoirs are the best.

Adriana

Hi Jenna,
Thanks for the list of books! I will definitely check them out!
Have you read Jeffrey Eugenides? He has two AMAZING books – The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex. I highly recommend them both!

Mellissa

Oooh great post! I have read 57 books in the last year and here are some of my favorites of all time:

Pillars of the Earth
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Lunch In Paris (a cooking/eating memoir)
The Poisonwood Bible

Michelle @ NewLeafEats

My reading list is pretty much limited to Christian or inspirational books, simply because my sister reads them like it’s going out of style and I’m too cheap to drop $14 on a book. Anything by Rob Bell, John Piper, Eric/Leslie Ludy, or John Eldredge would be good (though I think you would be more into John Eldredge of those listed). My favorite book at the moment is probably The Ishbane Conspiracy by Randy Alcorn, et. al. It’s a lot like the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (also a good one), but more in tune with the modern world.

I grew up reading the Dear America diaries. Did you read those?

emily

The Razor’s Edge, Somerset Maugham
Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts
Crossing to Safety, Wallace Stegner
The Master, Colm Toibin
Out Stealing Horses, Per Petterson
and most recently, The Help, which has been recommended many times above!

Melanie

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith…such a good book about a girl coming of age.

I love Jodi Piccoult…but clearly who doesnt?! I’m also a fan of anything by Chris Bohjalian, he writes a lot of books about really interesting, sometimes controversial topics. Hope you find some new good reads!

Jess

Thanks for sharing your list! Some really good ones are:

~ Same Kind Of Different As Me
~ A Homemade Life
~ Secret Life of Bees
~ Memoirs of a Geisha

Sara P

Love the blog by the way. I think we have a lot of books in common, so I will recommend reading “The Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Folliet. I am in a book club and we read ALOT of books. I actually read this one on my own a couple years back and it still remains my favorite book, even after reading all of the time. I also recommend “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.”

kate

AH I LOVE jodi picoult. And I totally agree…I feel bad for those that don’t read. I LOVE a good book, especially a feel good book. So relaxing, tea and a book in the spring outside…ahh I wish I wasn’t at work so I could go indulge…

Jessica @ The Process of Healing

Thank you for sharing! I LOOOOVE to read so I’ll definitely be checking out your book list! Some of my favorites are Mary Kay Andrews books (doesn’t really matter which one but I love the Savannah series). Also, Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin.

Lauren (Health on the Run)

Such a great list Jenna!! I haven’t read a lot of these, so thank you!!

I didn’t read through all the comments so I apologize if I’m repeating people but some of my favorites: Eat, Pray, Love (though I think almost everyone has read it by now haha); anything by Wally Lamb — especially “I Know This Much is True” (this is my ALL TIME favorite book); “Water for Elephants” by Sarah Gruen; and “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield.

Oh, and I just started reading “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire because I LOVED the musical, and so far it’s pretty good!

Heather

Jenna-
One book I’m checking out from the Library is Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard. It has received great reviews, and I love books about food and Paris – so this has both. I love your book list – a lot of my favorites are on there as well!

Rachel A

I’ve read and loved several on your list. A few more that I enjoyed:
The Mermaid Chair–Sue Monk Kidd
The Life of Pi-Yann Martel
The Last Life-Claire Messud
I Know this Much is True and She’s Come Undone-Wally Lamb
Three Comrades–Erich Marie Remarque
Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns-Khaled Hosseini
I could go on and on = )
I’m a huge reader too and go through about two books a week.

Shelley @ Green Eggs & Hamlet

I am reading “People of the Book” by Geraldine Brooks and I love it. I would also recommend “The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry” by Kathleen Flinn if you haven’t already read it (it’s in the same vein as “Julie and Julia”).

Suzanne de Cornelia

From childhood have always had two speeds: All out outdoor activity, or quietly painting, reading, cooking. Not a fan of TV, 20+ years didn’t have one, and usually had 5 books going at one time.

Although have read through ‘The 100 Greatest Books’ ever kind of lists. My all time favorites are:

-Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ 2nd book of western civilization written in 800BC about events that occured in 1200 BC. It’s important for readers/writers because this is a metaphor for the journey of every life. Greek myth and this hero archetype is the underlying story archetype of everything from Star Wars, the Matrix, Lion King, Danielle Steele novels and the secret of their emotional resonance–because we all have that hero archetype inside. The Odyssey has spawned books, films, poems, plays thru history from Cavafy’s ‘Ithaca’ read at Jackie Kennedy’s funeral–here is a reading of it by Sean Connery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n3n2Ox4Yfk to Tennyson’s
‘Ulysses’ to ‘Cold Mountain.’ My novel French Heart uses this story archetype/blueprint.

-Seabiscuit’ by Laura Hillenbrand. A landmark book I read 6 times.

-Anything by Peter Mayle ‘Toujours Provence’ ‘A Good Year’ ‘Chasing Cezanne’ ‘A Year in Provence’ etc.

-Mark Twain’s ‘Personal Recollections of Saint Joan of Arc.’ This was his personal favorite of all of his books. It drives me nuts when people discount St. Joan of Arc. Her entire 19 years and everything she did to save France from falling to England in the 100 Year War was documented by two trials. I read the trial transcripts. She was as articulate then as Queen Rania is today (and if there is someone more articulate than Rania–I don’t know who that is). Joan of Arc turned around the course of western history during 10 minutes on the battlefield. She is a avatar for feminine courage in my novel. Here’s a famous passage by Twain on St Joan:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/stj05003.htm

-‘The Chalice and The Blade’ Raine Eisler. All women should read this book to understand the real history of women.

Too many more to mention–but those and ‘Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis’ are my favorites. I bought this after 911 to read on the beach and calm myself and wound up buying copies for every woman I knew practically. Very soothing. http://www.amazon.com/Best-Loved-Poems-Jacqueline-Kennedy-Onassis/dp/1401302483

Great topic and love the pix of you and your Mom!

Sammi

Oryx and Crake, Handmaids Tale- Margaret Atwood
The Glass Castle (Memoir)

Wow my mind is blank.. but those are all good 🙂

Mary

Recently read “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and absolutely loved it!

Ellie

The Red Tent- LOVE LOVE LOVE

Lizzie

“Women Who Run” – it’s a great collection of profiles about women of all ages and backgrounds and why they run.

When I was growing up, my absolute favourite thing to do was get a huge green apple and climb into bed with a new Nancy Drew/Trixie Belden/Babysitter’s club book and read until my mum gently cautioned that she was serious about lights out (for the third time!). Unfortunately my English Lit major at college saw me lose a genuine love of reading, because I had to analyze/write a paper/present a tutorial on pretty much everything that was assigned to the class. I’m back, but still not there with the fiction yet. I love books that are about people’s real life experiences and what we can learn from them.

theemptynutjar

I spend hours in abookstore…honestly.
I actually don’t like Jodi Picoult that much….and I didn’t enjoy Julie and Julia that much either…I must be the odd one out.
I like different ones at different times. Fantasy is great at times. But silly chick-lit can also work at times!

Wendy

Hi Jenna!

Completely enjoying your blog! Thanks for sharing.
Just finishing up Jeffrey Steingarten, The Man Who Ate Everything. Very clever book.
http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Ate-Everything/dp/0375702024

Molly M

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn! My fave book of all time : )

Stephanie

You have a lot of great books on there! One of my all time favorites is “Memoirs of Geisha”…BUT, for something completely different, I would HIGHLY recommend you read “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card. Its science fiction and doesn’t fit in to what appears to be your usual taste (it isn”t my usual taste either), but its one of those cannot put down and have to finish asap books. Its not at all what I expected when I started reading it at the urging of a mentor. Its a fast read with a GREAT ending. Oddly, a science fiction book is now one of my absolute favorites.

Best,
Stephanie

Sarah W.

I LOVE Certain Girls. I own each and every book Jennifer Weiner has ever written. They’re all fabulous!

Lucy

Well I have my “summer-and-beyond” reading list down after reading your post and the comments! Some of my favorites:
“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” – i read this book on my honeymoon last summer and will probably read it again and again, it’s one of those books that’s not really about anything but is still so, so good!
“Summer Sisters” – i used to read this book every summer
“Island of the Blue Dolphins” – i read this book probably 5x when i was in about 5th grade, loved it! You should start a “Reading List” tab, maybe even do something like a blog book club where we all read a book and chime in – how fun would that be?!

Jayce

I loooove Redeeming Love! If you haven’t read it yet, I would recommend Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series – A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure As the Dawn. And my fave Austen novel is Mansfield Park.

Nicole of Raspberry Stethoscope

Les Miserables, the unabridged version—amazing.
Also, THE ROAD by McCarthy.

Rachel S

Thanks for the recommendations!
I recently read “Shanghai Girls” and loved it!! A great story that follows two sisters who escaped from war in Shanghai and came to California. It’s an engrossing, heart-wrenching read!

Jess

Love Walked In and Belong to Me, both by Marisa de los Santos. (Belong to Me is the sequel.) And everything by Jhumpa Lahiri – The Namesake and her two anthologies of short stories. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop.

Tina

I recently finished Look Again by Lisa Scottoline-read it in one day! Last night I started Tales from the Bed by Jenifer Estess. I’m about half way thru. Its really good so far. My ‘to read’ list is a mile long!

Tara @ Food For Fuel

Currently reading: The Help by Kathryn Stockett and loving it!
Some of my favorites: Time Traveler’s Wife, East of Eden, The Things They Carried, Angela’s Ashes, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Love Walked In
Guilty pleasure: Harry Potter and Twilight Series 🙂

Kelly

This is one of my favorite topics. I love books and like you, am constantly reading. For non-food related I love The Wednesday Sisters, which is all about a group of mothers in the 1960’s who form a writing circle. Other favorites include Goat Song, Bending Toward the Sun, The Cheese Chronicles, and Tender at the Bone.

Jenna

Reading is sooo relaxing!
I just finished eat, pray, love and I definitely think this book is great for you!!!
Jenna

Melissa @ For the Love of Health

Books are an amazing, amazing things! As I was wrapping up my exams, all I could think about was going to the bookstore afterward and picking books to read!!
I have a great recommendation. I just finished The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein and it was AMAZING! So, so good! The story is told by the family dog. It’s very heart-warming.

🙂

Katy ( The Balanced Foodie)

Oh my goodness, I LOVE “On Bread Alone” and I’m finishing “Cooking For Mr.Latte” and I’m loving it. I haven’t read any Jodi Picoult yet but I know I need to. Also, you MUST read the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. Redeeming Love is one of my favorite books of all time, and I am through the first one in the MoTL series (A Voice in the Wind) and it was AMAZING!

Marie

Leota’s Garden by Francine Rivers
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Jessica, Haute Teapot

The Story of Civilization by Will Durant.

maria @ Chasing the Now

I used to read A LOT as a kid. It was my favorite hobby. I still enjoy it, but being active is more my style nowadays!

Kerry

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

DO IT.

Caryn

more votes for the Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) and Animal Dreams (Barbara Kingsolver)
I also recommend Peace Like a River (Leif Enger) and a book that’s probably at a 4th grade reading level, but I just love it…Frindle (Andrew Clements)

Christie

I haven’t read all the comments yet but I must say I love Jodi Piccoult too. And Wally Lamb – he’s one of my favs. But I’m also the kinda gal who reads trashy romance novels 🙂

I also liked “The Lovely Bones”, Jennifer Weiner, “White Oleander”, “Eat pray love”, “Middlesex”, and “Angela’s Ashes”.

My favorite books as a kid were “Where the Red Fern Grows” (so sad I cried and cried), “The Giver”, and “The Great Gatsby”.

Kelly

I love that you posted this! I love reading too (and dessert) and I always need new books to read!

Jessica @ Jessica Balances

Oooh I LOVE The Poisonwood Bible! As far as fiction goes, I also love No Country For Old Men, All the King’s Men, The Moviegoer and pretty much anything by Flannery O’Connor. My favorite nonfiction writer is Donald Miller; Blue Like Jazz and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years are AMAZING! 🙂

Ashley

I’m a total bookworm! Some of my favorites include:
Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees (both Barbara Kingsolver)
Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin)
Stones into Schools (Greg Mortenson)
Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns (Hosseini)
Baking Cakes in Kigali (Gaile Parkin)
Water for Elephants, Eat Pray Love, The Secret Life of Bees, To Kill a Mockingbird and anything by John Steinbeck!

Gracie @ Girl Meets Health

Thanks so much for posting this. I’m pretty embarrassed at my lack of reading experience. I really do love reading, I just don’t ever know where to start! So I’ll definitely be referring back to this list for suggestions 🙂

Kait

Man, I feel like I haven’t read any of those books and I do read quite a bit…I’ll have to check some of them out!

Chelsea (Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun)

Reading makes me feel alive and appreciate all of the nuances and details of life that commonly escape our attention in everyday life. I love John Steinbeck, and Grapes of Wrath is easily one of my favorites. If you like his stuff, I highly recommend “Travels with Charley.” It’s an autobiography of his cross-country road trip with his french poodle, Charlie. It renewed my fascination and appreciation of this diverse country. It also made me want to drop everything, rent-a-car and go on my own voyage.

Stephanie

If you haven’t already read it, I would highly, highly recommend ‘The Glass Castle’ by Jeannette Walls. It’s one of the best books I have ever read!

Lauren

Hi Jenna! Just started reading your blog, I enjoy so much the diversity of topics and your style! I JUST read “Redeeming Love” and could not put it down until I was finished (which was 2 AM, poor husband)! I am not quite the reading fanatic that my sister is BUT if and when she gives many any good suggestions I will pass them on!! Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Stepfanie

Ohmygosh! The same thing happened to me in 6th grade. I won the prizes for most books read in a month and most pages. My teacher was skeptical and asked my mom if I had “really” read all those books. I won two book lights–so I could keep reading late into the night, under the covers!

Mary (Food Fit & Fun)

Jenna! I love your appreciation for books. I am actually a Master’s student right now at UPenn for Reading/Writing/Literacy! I am working with sixth graders in Philadelphia right now and am having so much fun. I am trying to get the kids to pick up a love for reading. Today I read The Diary of a Wimpy Kid with one of my 6th graders…she ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!! Any kind of book is a-okay in my eyes! Her eyes lit up when I showed her the book and she grabbed it from my hands and immediately opened it. She was laughing the whole time. I think she might be hooked!

lise

DONALD MILLER

“Blue like jazz”…

“a million miles in a thousand years”

( this is his new one, and HONESTLY one of the best books i’ve ever read ) YOU WOULD LOVE IT… it’s all about living “our story”

check it out on amazon NOW!
you will read it in minutes… no joke. i re-read it ALL.THE.TIME – and have quotes of his dancing around everywhere.

xx

Running Betty

Books: Born To Run – funducational, Jitterbug Perfume – crazy fun, The Time Travelers Wife – a true love stort, Alice’s Adventures Underground – always a classic, Peter Pan – ditto, The City of Ember – for 3rd graders so you’ll zip through it fast but it is meaningful and memorable, Thrive – to learn more about how your body processes food, The athletes pocket guide to Yoga – to buy and keep with you for after every bike, run, softball game.

Shannon

Yay for Lonesome Dove! That book is so unappreciated. I’m glad I’m not the only one who isn’t a cowboy or cowgirl who loves it 🙂

Terin

Definitely loving this post…Eat Pray Love changed my life. Bird by Bird is the ideal book for the writer and it doesn’t get much better than Anne Lamott. Stiff by Mary Roach was awesome and made me want to be a crash test dummy in the afterlife. I also found The Truth About Fairy Tales by KT Casha to be rather special.

Reading the Happiness Project now and really enjoying it…followed her blog for two years before the book came out 🙂

Lisa P.

Since you like dogs, I really loved “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” I am more of a cat person, but I loved it. It is written from the dog’s perspective.

Em (The Lady Pastor)

YOU MUST READ THESE 2:

1. The History of Love

2. Alice in Wonderland (the original)

Amy

I’ll have to come back to read the comments when I have time to make my own reading list. Two of my favorites are:
Pillars of the Earth
Red Tent
Both are incredible historical fiction and take you back in time. I could read them over and over.

Courtney (Pancakes & Postcards)

Best post and comments list ever!!! I too am bookmarking this. Just finished Poisonwood Bible, and OMG. I live in Africa and it was so powerful that I had to wait another week to touch another book! I just want to echo the sentiments already shared here for Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, as well as The Art of Racing in the Rain (you would love it by what I can guess), and Eat, Pray, Love. Also Donald Miller´s “Blue Like Jazz” is an AMAZING book. There´s another Christian (but not preachy, just more inspirational) book by a guy name Erwin McManus (my pastor at my old church in LA, Mosaic) called “Chasing Daylight” that I would definitely recommend to you, I think you would really like it. And yay for Jodi Piccoult, everything she writes is amazing.

Delfina

I adore this book of short and hilarious articles by Starshine Roschell (Professor and Columnist for a Paper in Santa Barbara, CA) called “Keep Your Skirt On”. So many good laughs! I also love “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck and “Garlic and Saphires” by Ruth Reichl and “The Dirty Girls Social Club” by Alissa Valdez-Rodriguez (totally chick lit., but I still love it!).

Kathryn

I just read “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett and loved it!! It is a must read — especially for us Southern gals.

Barbaera(Blood, Sweat and Heels)

LOVE LOVE the Outlander series!!!! and Price of Tides..it makes me ball!

Heather @ Side of Sneakers

I got accused of cheating on my summer reading log too. Thank goodness for mom’s who know their daughters are bookworms 😉

Jackie

I LOVE the Outlander Series. Best books ever.

Corinne

Ahh forgot about book recommendations! If you want something light … ANYTHING by “Chelsea Lately”. I dont think I saw the Kite Runner on your list, that is another solid page turner.

SueP

I know I’m late to the party; but I needed to post a couple of my favorites:

Water for Elephants – best.ending.ever.
Things We Keep – Elizabeth Berg – such a great voice
How to be Lost – by Amanda Eyre Ward. Okay, I take it back. THIS one has the best.ending.ever. Every time I loan it to someone, I re -read the last 30 pages.

Kimmy

Oh and Ive never met anyone else who read A Year of Fog — Great Book!

Morgan

The Help is one of the best books you’ll ever read, no joke. Read it and then let’s discuss who will be cast in the movie.

Water for Elephants is also wonderful and sad all at once.

Are you still going to France this summer?

Can you recommend your Paris foodie destinations? I’m heading that way in less than a week!

Joanie

Jenna-
I know you have gotten hundreds of suggestions for books already. I am a huge reader and I am always looking for the next great read.

Have you read Jodi Piccoult? She writes about current issues and every book includes a trial. She is a fabulous writer who makes every book a page-turner.

By the way, I bought a new cookbook yesterday and was hoping to find yours there…but then I realized that it isn’t out yet…when can I buy it??

Kinder

So many great suggestions, and I know I am late to the party, but an awesome book is “The Book of Negroes” by Lawrence Hill, it’s US title is Someone Knows My Name. Such an excellent book, especially if you like historical fiction.

Ingrid

the outlander series is the best! did you ever finish the last one??

jennifer (take the day off)

Here are a few really good ones!
Little Bee by Chris Cleave is amazing, I’m reading it now.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
The Hours by Michael Cunningham

Mayura

Great post! Nice to find so many other enthusiastic readers.
One author I don’t think I saw mentioned in the other comments is Georgette Heyer. She’s not very well-known in America, but she’s pretty much credited with inventing the historical/regency romance genre. Her books are so much more than historical romance novels though…they have a lot of humor, very memorable characters, intricate plots. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve re-read her books! But some of my favorites are “The Grand Sophy”, “Sylvester” and “Venetia”.

The PFB @ Paris Food Blog

it’s “a moveable feast” i think

Alexia@ Dimple Snatcher

I am obsessed with the “House On Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros.
That is all.