Currently reading for this week:
“The Last Jews of Kerala” (Edna Fernandes)
What I’m thinking of reading next (but not in this order):
“Modern Jewish Girls Guide to Guilt” (Ruth Andrew Ellenson)
“The $64 Tomato” (William Alexander)
“Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine” (Jonathan Schanzer)
“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” (Junot Díaz)
“I was told there’d be cake” (Sloane Crosley)
“The Book Thief” (Markus Zusak)
“Book of Dahlia” (Elisa Albert)
“Raquela” (Ruth Gruber)
“The Fortune Cookie Chronicles” (Jennifer 8 Lee)
“Emma” (Jane Austen)
“Housekeeping” (Marilynne Robinson)
“Life of Pi” (Yann Martel)
“the last american man” (Elizabeth Gilbert)
“Water for Elephants” (Sara Gruen
“Then We Came to the End” (Joshua Ferris)
“Yiddish Policeman’s Union” (Michael Chabon)
“American Wife” and “The Man of my Dreams” Curtis Sittenfeld
“The Girl who Stopped Swimming” (Joshilyn Jackson)
“Ominvore’s Dilemma” (Michael Pollan)
“The Plot Against America” (Philip Roth)
Complete the “Harry Potter” series. (JK Rowling) I think the last one I read was book 4. Or was it 5?
“The Faith Club”
“The Great Gatsby” (F Scott Fitzgerald)
“All the Kings Men” (Robert Penn Warren)
“The Glass Castle” (Jeanette Walls)
“Sixteen Pleasures” (Robert Hellenga)
“Angle of Repose” (Wallace Stegner)
“The Poisonwood Bible” (Barbara Kingsolver)
“Middlesex” (Jeffreuy Eugenides)
“The Friday Night Knitting Club” (Kate Jacobs)
“Belong to Me” (Marisa De Los Santos)
Recent Favorites, from before the 50 books challenge:
Special Topics in Calamity Physics (Marisha Pessl)
The Agnostics (Wendy Rawlings)
Prep (Curtis Sittenfeld)
Gods in Alabama (Joshilyn Jackson)
Good Grief (Lolly Winston)
My Child-Rearing Library
Blessing of a Skinned Knee (Wendy Mogel) A cool view on behavior and “playing to your child’s strength”, from a Jewish perspective. This is still relevant, interesting, and quite helpful even if you’re not Jewish.
“What to expect” series (Murkoff, et al) (three books: pregnancy, first year and toddler years.) These have been wonderful. For all purpose questions on every child related topic, I hardly look at anything else. Except…
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child (Mark Weisbluth, MD) If you know me personally, then you’re already sick of hearing about this one. But if you’ve never heard of it: Worth. Its. weight. in. gold.
1-2-3 Magic. (Thomas Phelan) Newest addition to my library. Go read my opinion, and then go get the book.
50 books 
August 25, 2008 at 8:56 am
Rebecca,
I was going to recommend this to you…
I tore through this a couple weeks ago and don’t remember a recent book that I have enjoyed as much. One I’ve even considered rereading immediately. If you want to talk about it give me a buzz – the kids can play.
Have you read “Sixteen Pleasures”
D
August 29, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Hey Rebecca,
Wow, I’m impressed! Consider adding
The Great Gatsby if you haven’t read it in a while, quick 1 week read and Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin. You are so inspiring. I may steal a few ideas from your list above.
September 21, 2008 at 5:54 am
Read The Book Thief! It was my favorite book last year hands down. It looks huge, but I was sick one day and read it in–I kid you not–one sitting. It’s amazing. Also, for your classics list, think about Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner if you’ve never gotten to it. One of my favorites.
September 23, 2008 at 7:02 am
I’ve got another suggestion for you, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I couldn’t put it down, mainly because it’s unreal that this woman lived such a hard life and succeeded in spite of the odds. It’s a memoir, in case you are looking for different genres. Enjoy!
September 30, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Just finished The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. It was an ineteresting expansion on Jacob’s family from the Old Testament from the prospective of his only daughter Dinah. A little hard to read while pregnant, lots of midwife stories from the olden days – loved it!
November 27, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I just finished a good book that is a quick read– The title is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.