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Topic: Recommendation for Light but GOOD reading

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Punkin avatar
Subject: Recommendation for Light but GOOD reading
Date Posted: 12/17/2008 12:55 PM ET
Member Since: 1/7/2008
Posts: 413
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Hey everyone,  I'm 9 months pregnant and I need a recommendation for a good read.  I need something light - has to have a happy ending, no major trauma etc.  I normally love literature and poetry and so it has to be well-written and not just "fluff" - NOT looking for the kind of sex and shopping chick lit stuff or romances that are out there.



Last Edited on: 1/15/09 10:26 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Friend of PBS-Silver medal
Date Posted: 12/17/2008 1:39 PM ET
Member Since: 3/4/2007
Posts: 4,598
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Try any of the books by Brendan O'Carroll.  Both Agnes Browne and The Chiselers are available in the system right now. 

nikebunny avatar
Date Posted: 12/17/2008 2:08 PM ET
Member Since: 4/23/2008
Posts: 344
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Some of Bill Bryson's books are really fun, too - Walk in the Woods is my favorite, a very funny travel memoir about hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 12/17/2008 6:51 PM ET
Member Since: 5/3/2006
Posts: 135
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Anything by PG WOdehouse.

 

Best of luck with the baby.

xengab avatar
Date Posted: 12/17/2008 7:13 PM ET
Member Since: 10/13/2007
Posts: 36,445
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Try the Unwed and undead series about Besty the vampire queen, by mary Janice davidson.. funny, and light, easy read, stuff goes on but nothing major.

VivDarkbloom avatar
Date Posted: 12/18/2008 1:11 PM ET
Member Since: 8/3/2008
Posts: 87
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Although it's overall more "bittersweet" than "happy," I recommend The Commitments by Roddy Doyle.  It's hilarious in places, and it's about the ups and downs of putting a band together, so there's no life-or-death drama or anything like that, just the question of whether or not the band will make it.  Also, it's short and a fast read.



Last Edited on: 12/18/08 1:13 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
Punkin avatar
Date Posted: 12/18/2008 4:16 PM ET
Member Since: 1/7/2008
Posts: 413
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THanks everyone these out!  Keep them comin too - its a fun list

Punkin avatar
Date Posted: 12/18/2008 4:20 PM ET
Member Since: 1/7/2008
Posts: 413
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Huh??  I can't even figure out what that was suppossed to mean!   I left it up and reposted instead of editing becuase I got a good laugh at myself....

Thank you all!

Cosmina avatar
Standard Member medalFriend of PBS-Silver medal
Date Posted: 12/18/2008 7:52 PM ET
Member Since: 6/21/2008
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The Bridgerton family series by Julia Quinn is a great amusing bunch of books that are totally about family and love and all of that.  I lent mine to a friend who WON'T read romance and she is also preggers, she is "LOVING THEM" because there is a lot of humor and brother and sister hijinks in the stories. 

jscrappy avatar
Friend of PBS-Silver medal
Date Posted: 12/18/2008 9:03 PM ET
Member Since: 8/30/2007
Posts: 3,237
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Rosamund Pilcher's books are great light but substantial reads. My favorite is The Shell Seekers.

SanJoseCa avatar
Date Posted: 12/18/2008 11:44 PM ET
Member Since: 7/29/2006
Posts: 1,366
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Definitely read THE COMMITMENTS!  It's a fun read and the movie is good too! (But read the book first!)

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 12/19/2008 10:01 AM ET
Member Since: 2/25/2007
Posts: 13,991
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Read some of the  books by Ad Hudler.  "Househusband," "Southern LIving," "This All Belongs to Me." They are well written and will keep you reading, and they're fun, too. Although they are novels, House husband and Southern Living are very autobiographical, and hilarious.

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Date Posted: 12/20/2008 11:15 PM ET
Member Since: 4/7/2007
Posts: 2,027
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Homecooking by Laurie Colwin.  Lovely writing on light subjects.

kalynn avatar
Date Posted: 12/21/2008 4:27 PM ET
Member Since: 11/15/2008
Posts: 3,308
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One book that I often remember fondly that fits the bill is The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey.  It was her last novel, and its about a dtective who is in the hospital and works on a historical mystery.  The book is quick and interesting and well written with no major traumas and some humor.  It was given to me by my favorite English Teacher, so it is a sentimental favorite as well.

Froggie avatar
Standard Member medalFriend of PBS-Silver medal
Date Posted: 12/21/2008 4:58 PM ET
Member Since: 10/27/2007
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Any of the Debbie Macomber books are a good read.  Qiuick and easy.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 12/21/2008 5:12 PM ET
Member Since: 3/25/2006
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I'm going to disagree about Debbie Macomber. Her later novels, including the street name/number series, have had trauma and topics that aren't fun - divorce, rape, and suicide - in several of her books.

Her earlier books are far more fluffy.

P.G. Wodehouse is definitely a great recommendation!

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Date Posted: 12/21/2008 7:52 PM ET
Member Since: 7/2/2008
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Oh yeah, gotta agree with the recommendation of anything by PG Wodehouse! I'm in the midst of reading (and re-reading) several by him as we speak!  Another couple of books that just popped into my head would be: Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns, 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff, and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.

Happy Reading! and Happy Baby!

Claire

KaneJ avatar
Date Posted: 12/27/2008 4:02 PM ET
Member Since: 5/28/2008
Posts: 65
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I love Sophie Kinsella.  She is most famous for the Shopaholic series, which I enjoyed, but my favorites are the ones not in the series.  The Undomestic Godess, Can you Keep a Secret and Remember Me.  If I had to pick just one to recomend it would be Can You Keep a Secret.  I have them all on my "keeper" shelf.

 

My favorite Author is Jude Deveraux and I love her older titles with my favorite being A Knight in Shinning Armor.  It's a fun read and I haven't met anyone who hasn't enjoyed it.

Punkin avatar
Date Posted: 12/27/2008 5:20 PM ET
Member Since: 1/7/2008
Posts: 413
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Thanks everyone!  I just picked up I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.  I am looking forward to reading it..... and I also picked up Grey's Anatomy Season 2 HEEhEE!  

Thanks for the great recommendations - I'm really enjoying them and have a list.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 12/27/2008 9:22 PM ET
Member Since: 7/15/2006
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Daughter of Time was Tey's best work

PrairieBlue avatar
Date Posted: 12/28/2008 1:17 AM ET
Member Since: 7/31/2006
Posts: 2,462
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Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen was a favorite of mine

Bucky1of1 avatar
Date Posted: 12/28/2008 6:45 PM ET
Member Since: 11/15/2008
Posts: 1,705
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Hey Kim, congratulations!

You might like the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (I think there may be 14 or more of these), and I think they are all available on this site.  I loved these books and they are fun, and light fast reading.  Stephanie Plum is a reluctant bounty hunter that is always getting into all kinds of trouble, mix in an old (and current in the later books) boyfriend who is now a cop, and a mysterious HOT uber bounty hunter, a crazy family (I love the grandma), and you have great fun with some pretty good action.

Anyway one of my favorite series!

Marilyn

 

Punkin avatar
Date Posted: 12/29/2008 1:16 PM ET
Member Since: 1/7/2008
Posts: 413
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The have never heard of Josephine Tey, but I will have to check her out - a couple of you recommended her.  Half Price Books is having one of their 20% off sales that ends today, so I think I'll get my hubby to drop me off to check out a few things. 

You know what else I just had at home here that I started reading?  Native Son by Chang Rae-Lee.    I am only on the second chapter.  Its really well written but it has a bit of a somber mood - I'm hoping nothing shocking is going to happen in it becuase I have no idea where its heading. 

LaurieH avatar
Date Posted: 12/29/2008 8:38 PM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
Posts: 61
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Seconding the Stephanie Plum series.

Also I've found Katie McAllister to be fun and fluffy.  She also writes under the name of Katie Maxwell - young adult, but fun.

Carole Nelson Douglas' Midnight Louie or Irene Adler series'.

If you go with Mary Janice Davidson, she also has some books about a mermaid named Fred - I read one and enjoyed it.

Meg/Megan Cabot (Princess Diaries fame) She has some slightly more adult stories.

Oh, the Aunt Dimity mysteries by Nancy Atherton.

Joe Grey mysteries by Shirley Rousseau Murphy (Cat on the Edge, Cat Fear No Evil)

OK - I've run out of fluff for the moment.  Hope that helps! :)  And congratulations!

sarabelle avatar
Date Posted: 1/13/2009 12:00 PM ET
Member Since: 10/7/2008
Posts: 54
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Just finished Me & Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter. It's a great lighthearted read and has a great ending!

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