More Light Reading for a Snowy Day

I have a stack of feel good, contemporary women's fiction (*chick-lit*) on my bedside table right now and I'm kind of relieved. No doubt a few books in I'll be hitting up my thriller stack (yes, there are actually two stacks on the bedside table right now -- light and dark reading), but for now I'm relishing my Dana Reads. That's what I'm calling them from now on: Dana Reads.

I have three sisters, the JJs and Dana. Dana's a reader, but she doesn't read the same things the Junior Junkies do. Dana prefers her books on the lighter, less paranormal side. In fact, the two of us read the Twilight books together, and although she really enjoyed them, it took my promising to read them as well to get her to finally jump in. I actually started separating the TBR stack into three sections: books to be read and sent on to the JJS, books to be read and considered for Dana, and everything else.

It's snowing. Again. Folks back home, be ready for another bout of bad weather in a few days. No, no snow for most of you, but I'm willing to bet the storm that's causing our weather today and tomorrow will move right through and say hello to you too.

I've said it before and I'll continue saying it until my heater can be turned off and that's that I am totally sick of this weather. I'm ready for spring and summer and hot weather and the smell of grills going in the neighborhood. I'm sick of the smell of cow manure that wafts in with every coming storm. I'm sick of freezing in my own house (regardless of what the thermostat says there's a difference of at least 20 degrees between the living room and upstairs, which means that you have to have blankets to watch tv).

Last winter, I read Katherine Center's Everyone is Beautiful, and really enjoyed it. Parts of that book resonated with me so much so that I still remember scenes very vividly. I'm about halfway through her latest book (due out April 6), Get Lucky, and am totally loving it. It's a book about sisters and surrogacy; I'll be sure to post on it later, but I wanted to share my review of Everyone is Beautiful from last year:

Lanie Coates is kind of miserable. She and her family have left behind their lives in Houston to start fresh in Massachusetts after her husband earns a position at the university that offers free housing. Unfortunately that’s about all the job offers. Peter supplements his meager income teaching piano lessons while Lanie is stuck with their three sons all day. It’s not until another mother at the local park asks Lanie her due date that she decides its time for her to do something for herself. See, Lanie’s not pregnant at all, she’s just let herself go in lieu of taking care of her family. Soon she’s heading to the gym and taking photography classes and on her way to becoming a better Lanie, but it could end up being at the expense of her own marriage. Center has a great voice and Lanie is a charming leading lady. This touching and hilarious read will really open your eyes to what truly makes a person happy, what truly makes a person beautiful in the eyes of another.

My fellow reviewer Jenn also enjoyed the book. You can find her review on bookbitch.com under Book Reviews. (It also made Jenn's list of favorites read since March 2009.)

Katherine Center is definitely one Dana would enjoy! Redbook even called Everyone is Beautiful " A great book for the tub." I can definitely attest to that! And if Everyone was a great tub read (they're all great tub reads in my house, to be honest), then Get Lucky is a great book to curl up and stay warm with. Be sure to check out Katherine's website (lined above) for more on her books, including excerpts!