I’m a bookworm. I admit it. Not a night goes by where I don’t spend at least 30 minutes reading before I hit the hay. So I thought, why not share a couple of my recent favorites and see if anyone else has some suggestions for a good read. I don’t know about you, but I’m always eager to add more titles to my “must read list.” If you’re an avid reader like me or just like to pick up a good read every once in awhile, please leave a comment with your book suggestion. Personally, I’m a fiction gal but if you have a must read non-fiction, share it and I promise to give it a try.

Oh, and if you’re in the Twin Cities, click here to download a voucher for Border’s in Richfield on 494 and Lyndale.  15% of every purchase made with the voucher today through Sunday will benefit Cornerstone, a local organization that works to prevent domentic abuse by educating, advocating and leading the way to social change. 

Bright Shiny Morning – James Frey
If you’ve read this book, you know why many say Frey should have skipped memoirs and just focused on fiction. Bright Shiny Morning follows the lives of several characters who reside in L.A.  while weaving in historic/quirky facts about how the city came to be.  Be prepared to stay up late, it’s a page turner and will quickly leave you craving the next chapter.

The Gargoyle – Andrew Davidson
The first few pages of this book literally made me cringe. The story centers around a burn victim and a mentally ill (is she, or isn’t she?) woman he meets in the hospital who tries to convince him they were soulmates who met in a previous lifetime. The historic stories she tells will have you mesmerized.  I can’t even do it justice with a brief explanation – just read it.  It won’t disappoint.

The Twilight Series – Stephenie Meyer
Don’t laugh. If you like thrillers and a good love story, I insist you pick up Twilight. Actually, you may as well pick up all four books in the series because once you start, you won’t be able to put it down. Yeah, it’s more of a chick read – did I just say that? I now hate myself…but most of my girlfriends (who are all in their mid-thirties like me) who have read it are now re-reading the series. Can you say obsessed?

Traveling Mercies – Anne Lamott
Anne Lamott chronicles her life in Traveling Mercies as she goes from a troubled alcoholic atheist to a single mother with faith. It had me laughing out loud and crying all in the same chapter. If you look for it at the bookstore, you’ll find it in the religious section but if that would deter you, please don’t let it. I love it so much, I buy copies for friends rather than lending it out.

Llama, Llama, Red Pajama – Anna Dewdney                                                                                                                                                                     I’m a mom so I have every right to add this to the list, right?  I spend at least 20-30 minutes a day reading to my daughter before bedtime and while she likes to read and re-read certain titles, I scour the bookstore for new titles to keep me from poking my eye out. But Llama, Llama, Red Pajama is different.  I could read that book every day and it would still make me howl with laughter.  If you have kids, it’s a must buy; if you don’t, pick it up anyway and give yourself a 5-minute pick-me-up.  You won’t regret it.