October Books Read

I can't believe October is already over. I didn't read as much as I would have liked to, thanks mostly to my research paper being due. I will spare you all the economics books on China and Africa that I read bits and pieces of, and tell you about the chick lit I escaped to instead.

My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler.

When I first picked up this book, I was a little sad that someone would have enough one-night stands to fill a book. A few hours later, when I finished this hilarious romp, I was sad that she didn't have more! Chelsea Handler (she is a stand-up comic, currently with her own show on E!) is unapologetic and just plain gutsy. I can't remember the last time I laughed this much when reading a book.

Final Say: Blush all you want, but read it and love it.

Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark

Unfortunately, the hilarity that is Chelsea Handler was followed by this crap. I desperately needed something to read, but with my petite vacay that I am going on in a few days, I wasn't willing to shell out valuable dollars for one. Digging through my countless boxes of books actually produced this - one of the few I own that I haven't yet read. And apparently for good reason. Clark's supposed thriller is the story of twins who are kidnapped for ransom. One is returned, while the kidnapper decides to keep the other one. The result is less than thrilling.

Final Say: Don't bother.

Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella

I can't think of any other author who makes me happy the way Sophie Kinsella does. I first read her book Can You Keep a Secret in a book club in high school and was hooked instantly. Young, witty, and British, Kinsella writes the way I only dream of writing. Her newest book is about Lexi, a run-0f-the-mill Londoner who wakes up one day in the hospital to learn she has amnesia. The last three years of her life are one big black hole in her brain, and she is left to wonder why she is married to one of the wealthiest (and gorgeous) men in Britain, why her best friends no longer speak to her, and why her teeth have been veneered.

Final say: Pick this one up along with Can You Keep a Secret and The Gatecrasher (which she wrote as Madeleine Wickham). You will thank me.

Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen

This was the amazing debut novel of the author of Water for Elephants. I actually picked this up a while ago, before reading WFE, but hesitated to actually read it. I thought like most horse-themed books it would be sappy and end with a horse dying, and so I was surprised and thrilled to find that once again, Gruen has created characters and a story that make it impossible to put her book down.

Final Say: Read and love Water for Elephants first, then grab this title and its sequel Flying Changes. Don't be deterred when you ask yourself what the heck a double oxer or a posting trot is - you'll quickly fall in love with Gruen's achingly real characters - both human and equine.