We went to the bookstore twice this weekend so the first time I just hung out reading a bunch of magazines. I was so glad to see the latest issue of Venus Zine. I was sure it had gone out of print as I hadn’t seen a new issue in a long time but luckily they are still around and with another great issue.

On our next trip to the bookstore while my husband spent time in the Art section, I wandered over to the fiction shelves. I go to the bookstore at least once a week but usually I’m reading my own books, checking out magazines, etc. but this time I wanted to pet the new books.

Lots of books looked interesting but these are the ones I wrote down:

• Miss Harper Can Do It by Jane Berentson. A story about a young woman who feels like her life is on hold when her boyfriend is deployed overseas. How does she cope? Does she stay loyal? Does she stay in love?
• Kiss the Sky by Farai Chideya. A book about a would be rock star? This isn’t my typical read but I loved listening to Farai Chideya when she was an NPR commentator so I’m curious to see what she comes up with for her debut novel.
• Frida’s Bed by Slavenka Drakulic. I’m fascinated by Frida Kahlo’s life and art so this fictional account of the last days of her life goes on my list.
• The Ingenious Edgar Jones by Elizabeth Garner. An inventor, Oxford and Victorian England. How could I not put this one on my list.
• How to Buy A Love of Reading by Tana Egan Gibson. Honestly, I didn’t even read the description of this one (it was too high on the shelves for me) but I liked the title. The description though makes it sound like a fun read. The parents of Carley commission a book to be written just for her so she’ll love to read.
• Songs For the Butcher’s Daughter by Peter Manseu. From the cover: Summer, sweltering, 1996. A book warehouse in western Massachusetts. A man at the beginning of his adult life — and the end of his career rope — becomes involved with a woman, a language, and a great lie that will define his future. Sounds good doesn’t it?

I only got as far as the “M’s” so hopefully on my next visit I’ll make my way through the rest of the alphabet. Heh. So have you read any of these? Any thoughts?

Thanks again to everyone who commented on my bloggiversary post. Now for the big moment, five of my beaded journals are going out to: Carrie K., Dana H., Litlove, Karen and Stefanie!

Of course I needed some bookish goodies for me as well to celebrate so when we stopped in at Barnes & Noble on Friday I used up my gift card to get two books.

The first one is Independent People by Halldor Laxness. From the back cover: Having spent eighteen years in humiliating servitude, Bjartur wants nothing more than to raise his flocks unbeholden to any man. But Bjartur’s spirited daughter wants to live unbeholden to him. What ensues is a battle of wills that is by turns harsh and touching, elemental in its emotional intensity and intimate in its homely detail. This novel secured for its author the 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature.

My other choice is the bestselling novel, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. This is a combination of murder mystery, family saga, love story and financial intrigue. I’ve heard so much about this one from a lot of mystery blogs and magazines that I’m hoping to be in for a thrill.

Have you guys read these books? What did you think?

Alright, now I think we may go back to the bookstore this evening. My husband wants to look for one book he couldn’t find at B&N the other day and I never pass up a chance to go back to the bookstore so off we go.