A Good Read

I am always looking for something good to read. It's no secret that I am passionate about Pat Conroy and consider him one of the most brilliant contemporary writers. But books like Pat's don't come along but once every five to eight to even 10 years. I also don't like books that are turned out in a mill. If I see a writer that is too prolific, I bypass them because I am afraid they will be too fluffy, too amateurish.

Yes, I am a book snob. Utterly ruined by Anne Rivers Siddons and Pat Conroy and others.

But wait! I found another who turns out really good reads. They are funny, thoughtful, contain great dialogue and I find myself totally engrossed after the first page - books you can lose yourself in. Sometimes for me, that is just what the doctor ordered.

I am talking about Elizabeth Berg. I recently read Open House which was hilariously funny and a great tale about a woman who undergoes a divorce and takes on boarders. The next one I read of hers was Home Safe, about how a woman copes and finds her balance after her spouse dies suddenly. The one I read this past weekend which had me studying much of the dialogue was, Say When. Oooh, I loved this. Not a voluminous book, I read it in a day. It's about a marriage on the brink of divorce told from the man's point of view. I re-read many things the female character said...thinking, "I've said that." And looking through a man's eyes is interesting. I was really glad I read it.

Check out her website, then check your library. You'll be glad you did!