Booklist Magazine's Top 10 Women’s Fiction: 2014.

The top 10 women’s fiction from the last 12 months (reviewed in Booklist between March 15, 2013, and March 1, 2014) cover the spectrum: chick lit to tearjerkers, heavy issues to lighthearted comedy. One of the main appeal factors of this category is that sense of recognition the target audience—yes, women—gets from identifying with the heroines, and these novels deliver something for just about anyone.

To read the full article and annotations, see http://www.booklistonline.com/Top-10-Women-s-Fiction-2014-Rebecca-Vnuk/pid=6670138.

The Apple Orchard, by Susan Wiggs. 

The Bookstore, by Deborah Meyler. 

A Fall of Marigolds, by Susan Meissner

Golden State, by Michelle Richmond.

Ladies’ Night, by Mary Kay Andrews.

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe, by Jenny Colgan. 

Sweet Salt Air, by Barbara Delinsky. 

Time Flies, by Claire Cook.

Who Asked You?by Terry McMillan. 

The Whole Golden World, by Kristina Riggle.

I may be the worst self-promoter EVAH.

Yes, the new book is out and I am terribly bad at promoting it! Women's Fiction: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests, co-authored with Nanette Donohue, came out in November 2013 and we couldn't be more pleased!  But more on that, coming soon, I promise.

Right now, I am working on the March 15 issue of Booklist, where we will once again be doing a Women's Fiction spotlight. Yay!  And as I'm choosing the selections for the year's "Top 10"  it occurred to me.. I never posted last year's Top 10 list!  Ack!

So here it is - and look for the 2014 list next month!  And some promo for the new book!  And some promo for the new Women's Fiction Large Print list I'm working on for Thorndike!  

Booklist Magazine's Top 10 Women’s Fiction: 2013.

The top 10 women’s fiction from the last 12 months (reviewed in Booklist between March 15, 2012, and March 1, 2013) cover the spectrum: chick lit to tearjerkers, heavy issues to lighthearted comedy. One of the main appeal factors of this category is that sense of recognition the target audience—yes, women—gets from identifying with the heroines, and these novels deliver something for just about anyone.

To read the full article and annotations, see http://www.booklistonline.com/Top-10-Women-s-Fiction-2013-Rebecca-Vnuk/pid=5981778

Arranged, by Catherine McKenzie.

The Cottage at Glass Beach, by Heather Barbieri.

The Girl on the Cliff, by Lucinda Riley.

Here I Go Again, by Jen Lancaster.

Keepsake, by Kristina Riggle.

The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service, by Beth Kendrick.

The Next Best Thing, by Jennifer Weiner.

So Far Away, by Meg Mitchell Moore.

Tapestry of Fortunes, by Elizabeth Berg.

You Are the Love of My Life, by Susan Richards Shreve.

BOL Review: The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

Dinah’s world is about to fall apart—her independent coffee shop is failing, and her nemesis wants to buy it out from under her; her overly coddled twin sons are having a hard time adjusting to a new school; and, worst of all, her 17-year-old daughter, Morgan, has just been caught half-undressed in her math teacher’s car. Rain, the teacher’s wife, is watching her life go down the tubes as well—after years of struggling, she is finally pregnant, but, instead of being overjoyed, she’s trying to hide her delicate condition from the scornful public as she accompanies her husband to criminal court. To make matters worse for both families, Morgan is convinced he’s not just using her for sex, that this is true love... Read the rest of the review at Booklist Online!

I. Can't. Read.

I have 4 piles of books next to my bed, a total of 70 books. There are an additional 30+ books on my Kindle waiting to be opened. I have a running "to-read" list on a Google Doc, that now numbers 105 (thankfully, some of those are also part of the physical pile or on the Kindle, but probably less than 20). I have two authors out there who are probably really annoyed with me because they sent me copies of their books weeks (months?) ago and I just haven't had the chance to look at them yet.

The last three books I've read have been for work reviews, and I even have one right now that is painfully overdue (don't tell the boss).

I'm in a reading rut. A complete stand-still. It's like a government shutdown on my brain. And I don't know why! Well, I sort of know why. I'm stressed at home right now, I'm over-tired, I'm doing too much in too little time. But I just don't have any motivation right now. Every book in the pile is a good one (believe me, I weeded an additional 30 of them out last month!), each one is something I really, really want to read. But I just can't muster up the initiative to crack one open. Instead, I check Facebook all evening. Or slog through emails. Or play this ridiculous Nemo game on Kindle. I know full well I am wasting time, but I peek over at the pile of books and I hang my head in shame.

When I was commuting by train for work, I used to read 3-4 books a week. The fact that I read ONE SINGLE BOOK ALL SUMMER for fun is killing me. And it was a great book! Kate Atkinson's Life After Life. Couldn't put it down! Loved every page of it! Couldn't wait to talk to someone about it! I really thought that would help me get my reading mojo back, but nope. That was 2 months ago.

So I need advice. Or just some sympathy. I'm not looking for recommendations (hello, did you not read that I already have too many books to catch up on??), but if you've been in a reading rut, can you tell me how you broke out of it? Or just reassure me that eventually I'll get back into the swing of things?

Mandatory Release by Jess Riley

As you probably know, I'm a big champion of Jess Riley. I love books where I can relate to the characters and the story, and this woman knows how to write 'em that way.

Her latest novel, Mandatory Release is available now in paperback and Kindle (etc.).  From the Booklist review:

Drew is nursing a broken heart (the reasons why are left tantalizingly undisclosed until the end) and isn’t particularly thrilled with her life circumstances. She’s moved back home to not only live with her parents but also start a new job as a special education teacher in the same facility in which her mother works, the local prison. Graham, a social worker at the prison, had a big crush on Drew in high school but never acted on it. When Drew returns to their hometown, he finds himself drawn to her once more, but something is holding him back—the fact that he’s in a wheelchair, having been permanently injured in a car accident. They rekindle their friendship while navigating their own messy dating lives (Drew’s attracted to a guard who is ten years her junior; Graham doesn’t tell his blind dates he’s in a wheelchair until they meet in person), against the fascinating backdrop of a medium-security prison (Riley taught in a prison herself.) This funny, realistic look at modern love is perfect for women’s fiction fans.