Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Bought it off the library second-hand cart for 50 cents : )

Chewy, thanks for this thread--I always enjoy hearing about what everyone is reading. Scarlet, I read My Antonia for a Modern American Literature course in college and recall enjoying it. Wilson, Middlesex is a good read too. I'm also glad to hear so many of you liked The Help, as someone just passed it on to me. Embarrassingly, I'm just now working my way through Edgar Sawtelle--probably a couple years after everyone else has finished it. I'm usually slowly reading through a stack of books at any given time, and right now I'm still trying to finish a biography of Abraham Lincoln, a first volume of Susan Sontag's journals & notebooks, and this really fascinating book by Haruki Murakami called What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

I have just finished the second volume of Michael Pailin's diaries (he is a member of Monty Python).
I am reading The Railway Children by E Nesbit to my eldest, because I picked up a second had copy of an old movie of it, and if possible, I'd like her to enjoy the book first (we are also 3 books into the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and 2 books through the Chronicles of Narnia). I nearly cry nearly ever time!

To my second I am reading Milly Molly Mandy.

Also DH gave me a late birthday present of Margaret Fultons Enc of Food and cookery so I have dipped into that too!

I read what you write on this forum.

I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't time for any other reading Angie! I am so not keeping up with even reading every thread on the forum right now (let along making many responses) But for me reading (ie real book reading) is such an important part of who I am, I'd give up the internet first. I don't read books nearly as much as I used to - often just 20 mins before bed in addition to what I read the kids, but I love it when a book really grabs me and I drop everything to read it.

I was one of those kids who sometimes walked along the footpath reading, and occasionally read a book under my desk at school!

Oh wow we certainly have a bunch of readers here don't we!

I haven't read a novel in sooo long - I find once I start one I have to just keep reading til its done - which means I'll stay up all night or neglect my chores/kids etc I tell myself "one more chapter" but end up just reading on through.

So I tend to stick to magazines, non-fiction or internet stuff (YLF!!) so I can switch off and actually stop reading more easily!

So, at the moment I'm reading "et voila - French Pastries from Choux Cafe" by Emmanuel Mollois... yes, a recipe book full of pastry recipes! All it does though is make me want to go and eat LOL.

Kim I also read "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime" - it was actually recommended to me by my DD's paediatrician as she believes its a good insight into how an autistic child thinks. I was in tears at the end, but I really enjoyed it.

Anne I was just like you as a child - would read constantly, often with a torch under the blankets, was given books for every birthday/christmas etc.

haha Angie- so your reading ranges from romance to horror with a sprinkling of soap operas mixed in....

Thanks for starting this thread, Khris. I see quite a few of my favorites listed above, and I'm getting some great ideas for summer reading!

I just finished Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery, and am now reading South of Broad by Pat Conroy.

I also have The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz on my nightstand for a light summer read. It's the fourth in a series of hilarious books about a wacky, dysfunctional family of PI's who spend most of their time investigating themselves.