I second a lot of these books already mentioned....BJD books, Great Gatsby (awesome book!), Catcher in the Rye, 4 Blondes, Breakfast at Tiffany's, She's Come Undone, etc.

Another great book, even though I wouldn't categorize it in the funny or lighthearted reading is "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan. I have read it like 4 times and it is soo wonderful.

I liked the Nanny Diaries, but certainly didn't find it lighthearted. But then again, I'm a working mom with a nanny, and spent much of the book angsting: "OMG! Do I do that?! Am I like that?!" (I'm not, but why not worry if you can?)

I strongly second Wrigley's recommendation of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon -- these are just amazing books and characters. And also Cluey's recommendation on A Prayer for Owen Meany, my favorite book of all time, too, though not always lighthearted (and for heaven's sake don't even think about that awful Simon Birch movie, which didn't hold a candle to it).

Shopgirl by Steve Martin is pretty lighthearted and funny, and very smart. Also hysterically funny and smart is just about anything by Bill Bryson -- I recommend A Walk in the Woods (he decides to hike the Appalachian Trail) and In a Sunburned Country (Australia). These are easily to put down and pick up over time, whereas Outlander and Owen Meany will have you just about glued to your chair for The Duration.

Does anyone here read John Saul?

reading
 

My favorite book ever was Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. I also like Seamus Heaney.

-Rudey

I'm a huge F. Scott Fitzgerald fan. I just got finished with "This Side of Paradise" and about to start on "The Beautiful and the Damned."

Collin

Just a reminder that Shopaholic Gets Married is out in stores now! I picked it up yesterday.
I'm excited that I'll finally get a chance to pleasure read in two weeks when my student teaching unit is finally finished!

Re: reading
 

Rudey, I can't believe any one likes this book, much less as their favorite. I had to read it one year for a HS english class & thought it was terrible, boring & ridiculous. To each his own, as they say. ;)

I'm currently reading "Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About" by Mil Millington. It's a pretty witty book. Some other good summer reading would be

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Cad: Confessions of a Toxic Bachelor
Shopgirl
Empire Falls
American Gods
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
The Fundamentals of Play
Lit Life

i am so glad that you pulled up this old thread leslie! i just recently started to have time to read for pleasure. i just finished the unbearable lightness of being. and i am reading wide sargasso sea by jean rhys. i am trying to read all of the books from my college lit classes that i never really finished! lol. there are some really great ideas on here!

i have read wally lamb's she's come undone and loved it, too! and skinny legs and all by tom robbins is hilarious!

I finished Shopaholic Gets Married last week and loved it!

I read a lot, since I have a 40 minute t ride to and from work every day so lots of recommendations, and they are all fast, easy reads, good romantic comedy type books:

Milkrun and Fishbowl by Sarah Mlynowski
All Jane Green Books
The Accidental Virgin by Valerie Frankel
Ralph's Party - Lisa Jewell
The Boy Next Door - Meggin Cabbot
Confessions of an Ex-girlfriend - Lynda Curnyn
Dating without Novacaine - Lisa Cache


Let me know if you want to know of any others...

I'm currently reading "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a pretty long, intense, draining book, but is incredibly well written and very, very good. It's about a Christian missionary family in the Congo in the early 60s when the country was struggling with independence. It's not really a topic I'd choose to read about, but I've read all of Barbara Kingsolver's novels thus far, and have never been disappointed. She is a wonderfully gifted writer.

"The Crimson Petal & the White" by Michael Faber
-Very long, very good
"Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch" by Haywood Smith
-Someone may have already mentioned this, but it's worth mentioning again! For those of us interested in the "Southern Belle", this is a good one.

I'd definately recommend either of the Candace Bushnell books. Sex in the City and 4 Blondes are both really funny and witty.

I've read both of the Bridget Jones' books, and loved them. If you liked them, I'd check out Running in Heels and Getting Over It by Anna Maxted.

The Harry Potter books are definately not to be skipped. They're so much more intelligent and interesting than the films.

I also recommend anything by Nicholas Sparks. Especially The Notebook.

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran is interesting if you're into more philisophical work.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera is also an amazing book.

I'm currently working on the Silmarillion, then plan to start the Unfinished Tales by JRR Tolkien before I re-read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

I think it's amazingly sad how few people read for pleasure nowadays, or if they do read for pleasure, it's smut like Cosmo or Maxim.

There are two more books in the Shopaholic series. "Shopaholic Takes Manhattan" and "Shopaholic Ties the Knot". Both were great. Also, "Girl's Poker Night" was an awesome read and "LA Woman" was pretty good. I have lots of suggestions, but these books are along the lines of the ones you mentioned.

I wish that I had more time to read for pleasure. I haven't read a new book this year and it's almost April. :eek: I used to read a book every week or two.