My favorite books are “Lord of the Rings” and “Cat’s Cradle.” I recently started a book about cadavers called "Stiff." The author said the main thing about cadavers is that the people who work with them have to stop seeing the people they were and start seeing them as objects. I couldn’t do this, and I stopped reading the book. So now I’m reading the short stories of Graham Greene. I liked “The Power and the Glory,” so I thought I’d give some of his short stories a try.

I just read "The Knitting Circle" by Ann Wood. Beautiful, descriptive prose about a woman going through the grieving process after the death of her 5-year-old daughter and the support she receives from a group of women. I'm in the car many hours a week, so I borrow book CDs from the Scott County Library. I just finished E.M. Forster's "A Room with a View." It's a story artfully told, and the reader was wonderful. No wonder it's a classic. I just started listening to "The Mermaid Chair" by Sue Monk Kidd. Another wonderful story, completely different from her last bestseller, "The Secret Life of Bees." People who don't use their local libraries are really missing out. What a wonderful system, and it's all FREE!

I'm reading "Thriller," the first and, as of the 2006 copyright, only short-story anthology of thrillers. I'm almost done and I've predicted the outcome of some of the stories but a couple have come up with an ending out of left field.

On deck: "Good Dog. Stay" by Anna Quindlen

I also have not one, but two, of those book shelves full of books to read. I am ahead of my husband though because I put the books that I have already read into a basket on one of the shelves and that basket is nearly overflowing while waiting his turn.

I read about "Pretty Little Mistakes" recently and it interested me enough to go to the Web site (http://www.prettylittlemistakes.com/), where you can "try out" the book.

I am definitely going to get it for my sister for her birthday. But that's not till April so, if I'm real careful with it, I can give the real thing a go before I drop it in the mail -- would that be considered re-gifting?

My fiancée and I have started reading through “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis. We read a couple of chapters each week and then talk about them. It’s my second time through the book and her first, but I still feel like I’m learning something new with each page. It’s a wonderful book. Up next on the docket for me is “What is the What” by Dave Eggers or “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union” by Michael Chabon. I keep meaning to get to both, but I never really do.

I’m also really excited to read through the oral history of Saturday Night Live called “Live From New York.” It seems pretty interesting.

I’ve been keeping my eye out for “Total Money Makeover” at used book stores, but I haven’t happened on a copy yet. I suppose the more financially prudent option would be to use the library anyway.

In the meantime, I finally finished “Yiddish Policeman’s Union” (wedding planning and prep took up more of my time than I thought), and I’ve moved on to “Live from New York.” It’s really a pretty interesting book, and it’s made me want to watch the DVDs of the first seasons of “Saturday Night Live.” Also interesting is that current senate candidate Al Franken features prominently in the book so far. It’s a good book with an interesting interview-only style that I find intriguing. I’m hooked.

I’m also hoping to spend some of my time coming up reading “American Born Chinese,” a graphic novel.