The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

A feminist's nightmare ... forced sexual slavery, public hangings, right-wing religious and political tyrrany, absolute dystopia ... truly frightening.

The few fertile women left in what was the USA are forced to be sexual slaves to the upper echelon of the new government -- but not for pleasure -- purely for reproductive uses. Women are no longer allowed to read and each class of woman wears a different color. I could go on and explain the rest, but really, it's worth reading.

APPROVED! 4.5 bookmarks!

Good in Bed -- Jennifer Weiner

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

I get awfully involved in books. For example, I came into my office yesterday and I was totally confused because I was not in the newsroom at a newspaper in Philadelphia and I was not a plus-sized woman named Cannie.

I like it when books make me laugh out loud. That's why the Bridget Jones books are on my top ten favorite list. Jennifer Weiner is right up there, too. Hysterical. Plenty of self-depricating humor, lots of adventures, just enough plot twists and even some mental meltdown.

APPROVED! 4 bookmarks!

PS If anyone has read this, we must discuss the airport scene and my physical reaction to it.

The Pact -- Jodi Picoult

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

I am a total sucker for Jodi Picoult tear-jerkers. This one, though, was a little tough for me. It says there on the cover "A Love Story" so I wasn't prepared for death, sadness, suicide and mayhem. I guess I should have been since Picoults books almost always involve a court drama (always?). I read this baby in less than a week -- I walked home reading, I ate dinner reading, I stayed up late reading ... I couldn't put it down.

Books like this one make me scared. I guess because they make me think that life isn't going to always be this easy and this fun and this good. There are hurdles ahead that I might not be prepared to handle. Enough philosophy for now.

This book is a keeper -- apparently it is on several reading lists for high schools -- and also protested against by some parent groups. Lifetime made it into a movie (with Megan Mullaly from Will and Grace of all people) and has a whole informational kit teachers can download about teenage suicide.

Here's something rare: 5 bookmarks. Totally worth reading -- and absolutely worth discussing. Enjoy.