Thanksgiving Reading Redux

My main Thanksgiving break task was reading. And I got quite a bit done, though not as much as I would have liked as I got sidetracked by watching many many episodes of Eureka. But I still finished one book I was in the middle of and read two other books and started a new book. So overall, pretty successful! So, what did I read...

The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz
I don't think I'm talking much about the Spellman books, but this is the fourth (and last so far! Lisa Lutz needs to write more!) and it is just as excellent as the previous three books. The Spellmans are a family of PIs, including Olivia and Albert, the parents, Izzy, the 30 something (mostly) former delinquent and main character, Rae, the youngest and most devious, and David, the oldest child who used to be a lawyer. As you can imagine, growing up in a house where there is no privacy makes the whole family a little nutty. If you like mysteries and unconventionally written books, you will like the Spellman books. The stories are told by Izzy, who does not ever start a story at the beginning and are a combination of Izzy narrated plot and transcriptions of recorded conversations. My favorite thing about all the books as a whole is the way that Izzy evolves and interacts with side characters. It is fun to try to figure out what is going on, but I am never right! A mystery until the end.

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
Technically E.L. Konigsburg is a children's author, but I find that distinction particularly unfortunate for any adult unwilling to read kid's books because her books are always amazing. I can't really describe the plot because it would take pretty much the same length as the book. But the main character is Margaret Kane Rose, 12 years old, and the story follows a particular summer. This book kind of follows a normal time line, but with a lot of flashbacks and side stories. I am just in love with the way E.L. Konigsburg writes and the story was very much a story than anyone can relate to. Also, it was a nice, easy book to read over the weekend.

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
I love Sophie Kinsella! Ok, to be fair, I've only read two of her books. But I loved them both. The Undomestic Goddess follows Samantha, a lawyer, who makes one mistake (a 50 million pound [British book] mistake) which ruins her life. She accidentally becomes a housekeeper, which starts to change how she views herself and life. It sounds inspirational, but mostly it is just fun and funny and cute. And for Chick Lit, has very little to do with any of the chick lit standards...shoes, guys, shopping, makeup, clothes. It is mostly about a woman who is lost in life who finds her way through her job. Obviously there is a hunky guy, but he seems almost secondary to everything else going on. If you have read much chick lit or romance it is usually that the chick and the dude are attracted, but hate each other and end up together or they get together and something tears them apart and then they end up together at the end anything. But in this one, there is none of that. It is a healthy relationship for the most part and would probably have worked out even better if Sam were just a bit more open.Sophie Kinsella writes very real characters. And while they are definitely the light, fluffy chick lit I know and love, the characters seem very real and make mistakes just like any normal person would. None of her characters seem stupid or forced or act in a way contrary to what I think they should. I thing Kinsella, Jennifer Cruise, and Meg Cabot are all vying for the top spot in my chick lit queue.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
I finally started reading the second in the Hunger Games Trilogy. It took far too long. When I finished The Hunger Games, I thought I would jump right into Catching Fire, but I had trouble getting started. I think part of it was that I was not ready to read another book where everybody dies and everything is unhappy. But also, I knew that the moment I started reading I would want to finish and I've had very little straight reading time. So I started it Sunday night, which sucks because I don't always have time to read during the week. But I wanted to get into it. My biggest problem right now is that I read The Hunger Games a while ago and I read it really fast so I have forgotten a few things and feel slightly lost. I am going to read up on the first book today so that I am refreshed, but that is hard to do without getting any spoilers for the next two books.

I am also still reading The Historian, but it takes me forever because it is too heavy to read before bed and I often don't make time to read in the afternoons. Maybe next weekend I can carve out some time for vampire book reading. Seems appropriate now that it is starting to turn into winter.