let's be in a book club together

i think we should be in a book club together, you and me. 

here's what i've read recently or am reading right now. get caught up, why doncha?

let's each get a gingerbread latte and talk about boooooooooks.

 +The Passage (Justin Cronin) ... guys, I have no idea of whether or not I liked this book. The first half was awesome! Conspiracy theories, military experiments gone wrong, vamps; it was like a Michael Crichton book on crack! This book got rave reviews everywhere, but I need to process it before I decide. So help a girl out, yeah?

+ Total Money Makeover (Dave Ramsey) ... First impression is that Dave Ramsey's style is a little too folksy for me. Like, I get it. You're a financial guy but not in academia. Yes yes. However, I am really excited about starting down the path to being debt-free and financially sound. Time to be a grown-up about money, y'all. Have you followed Dave's principals? Tell me about your experience! I'm linking to the Amazon listing, but if you're really going to do a total money makeover, you'd better check this book out from the library (thank you for the suggestion, Julie!) and then give yourself a frugal pat on the back. 

+ The Magic Room (Jeffery Zaslow) ... ok, this one I am reading for a book club, but I think you'll want to read it too. The "Magic Room" is the floor-to-ceiling mirrored room in the middle of a bridal shop in Michigan. You know, that place you stood with your mom and your best friends and someone said, "let's see how she looks with a veil on" and suddenly you thought I'm the bride and the moment was magic and tearful and hopeful all at the same time. Oh, that magic room. Zaslow wanted to explore different aspects of love by learning the stories of "women on the brink of commitment" and I can already tell you that I'll weep through this book because the sub-title is "a story about the love we wish for our daughters." Done and done. 

+ Preparing for Jesus (Walter Wangerin Jr) ... During Advent I've been reading this book in place of my regular devotional. Each reading is beautiful and a wonderful way to start my day. I have been having a lot of conversations about Christmas and Advent and there's a deep hunger in me to have this season be about Jesus and longing for Him and celebrating the marvelous wonder of His arrival among us. I was listening to one of the local Christian radio stations the other day and it just killed me to hear them play secular Christmas songs. Christmas is about News so Good that it made angels rejoice and shepherds kneel with kings; I'm certain that songs about Santa will pale in comparison. Do you want to get really wrecked for Christmas? Read this from Jen Hatmaker, but don't say I didn't warn you. Wrecked. What are you doing during Advent?

+ I would never lie to you, so I must confess that after watching Breaking Dawn on opening night, I went back and reread Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and because I'm truly a Twilight dork, Midnight Sun. Thank you, thank you. Do you see now why I need to have a book club with you? This is what happens when I'm left to my own devices. 

So what should I read next? What are your recs? Can we get that coffee date on the sched or what?