On My Bookshelf...

Bubbles and other laugh out loud novels...

On Allison's recommendations, I started reading the Bubbles' series by Sarah Strohmeyer. They're not quite as good as Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, but they're an easy and entertaining read. And, yes, at times, I even laugh out loud. I've read four of the five books so far and am going to pick up the fifth at the library in the next week.
Bubbles is a really ditzy blonde hairdresser who as part of her divorce settlement attended junior college (Two Guys) to be retrained for a new career. After failing tons of courses over 8 years, she finds that she's a natural for reporting. After all, what is a beauty parlor anyway but a den of gossip! She has a brilliant daughter who dyes her hair with koolaid and a hot boyfriend named Steve Stiletto. Strohmeyer admits to creating Bubbles at the kitchen table of Janet Evanovich. Definitely you can see Evanovich's fingers in this one.
The other two authors that I really enjoy reading that make me laugh out loud are Christopher Moore and Carl Hiasen. Holly introduced me to Christopher Moore with The Stupidest Angel and her Mom introduced me to Carl Hiasen. Both of them have characters that are out there to say the least. I think Moore is a bit more unhinged with his plots than Hiasen, but both of them write very entertaining and fun novels. These are all great summertime reads as they're light, hilarious and entertaining - just the way, summer should be!

Better get started!

Britain's librarians have posted a list of books to read before you die right here.

I think I went to a really good high school (go, public education!), because I have read 23 out of 30, many of them in high school. I hadn't heard of Birdsong or The Master and Margarita before. A few of these I just haven't gotten to. And I just have to say, "The Lovely Bones????? Are you kidding me?" Man, I hated that book. Actually, I liked it until the convoluted, tacked-on ending, which ruined that book for me. Ugh.

Need a Laugh?

Boy, have I got the book for you! On my flight back to Wisconsin, I read Early Bird by Rodney Rothman. The guy next to me kept giving me sideways looks and trying to inch away. I tried to smile reassuringly and explain, "It's this book! It's so funny!" Yeah, he thought I was a loon. This is the memoir of a comedy writer who loses his job at the age of 28. Lost as to what to do next, he decides to test-drive retirement out in Florida. At first, he's perplexed by the old folks up washing their cars at 6:15 in the morning, 4:00 pm dinners at value buffets, and the ladies who can play five Bingo boards at once (he can barely manage one). But he settles into retirement, gaining acceptance into the exclusive clique that hangs out by the condo pool and joining the shuffleboard team. Laugh-out-loud funny and achingly poignant. A totally satisfying reading experience. I've been recommending this to everyone I know. It's 244 pages and a quick read. Read it! Seriously!