I can’t possibly categorize into sections the varied books I’ve been reading lately, but I want to share them with you, so I’ll just dive in and tell you all about them.

This Charming Man by Marian Keyes: I love Marian Keyes, she’s one of my absolute favorite authors. In fact, I just ordered her latest today and will have the scoop on it for you later. I know some people look down on women’s fiction and chick lit, but seriously, you can’t. Not after you’ve read a Marian Keyes novel. It’s hard to imagine how a book about alcoholism and domestic abuse can be funny or light-hearted in any way, but Keyes is a brilliant and introspective (and hilarious, of course) writer.

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella: Borrowed this from a friend who insisted that I was not allowed to judge this book before I’d had a chance to read it, and of course, she was right. It actually got me thinking, this one. What would happen if I lost my memory and went back three years in time, waking up in the present with no recollection of what had happened in the interim? Scary! Loved the book though, even if it was quick predictable light-hearted fun.

After Dark and Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami: You’d think I’d have read all Murakami’s books by now, but I haven’t. I’m still getting through his backlist, and here he goes writing more. I’ll catch up one day. The plot of After Dark is vague and messy, more a script than a novel. I love how he makes the city itself a living, breathing creature. I didn’t like Kafka on the Shore, probably the only book of his that I haven’t enjoyed so far. There are some pretty graphic animal torture scenes, and I just don’t have the stomach for that, not in a novel. Most people love this book, even calling it one of his best, but for me it was too creepy, a bit too slow to read, and the ending too open for my taste.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje: Am I the only person in the world who hasn’t read this? I vowed not to see the movie until I’d read the book, so now I’m all caught up and can go watch the movie. The prose of this book is amazing, almost comforting and soothing in a way. I kept getting so comfortable in my bed reading this book that I fell asleep several times with it in my hands. I almost never do that.

In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology, edited by Malashri Lal and Namita Gokhale: I got this for research purposes, but gosh, it was so much more. There’s so much I didn’t know about the past, present, and different variations of this character. I’m familiar with all the different versions of the Ramayan, including the South Indian and Indonesian ones, and I have to say, I’m just not a big fan of Sita. You can pretty her up as much as you like, but I’ve always found her to be written in a one-dimensional way. Anyway, the book does more than talk about Sita– it talks about the women and the rituals and the controversies built around her. So much more fascinating.

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: If you do want to read about a kick-ass female Indian mythological character, however, Draupadi is the one for you. She’s definitely right up there in my list of best characters ever written. There are dozens of books written about her, but in the deft hands of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, she’s made even more complex and fascinating. Get a copy of this book and immerse in ancient Indian culture. A definite must-read.

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom: It’s easier to take potshots at popular and famous authors, because you know I wouldn’t be so harsh with a new writer or a friend, now would I? But I guess the expectations are much higher with authors we know and have come to trust, and I was really let down with this one. One can have faith without being religious, in my opinion, and the book seems to argue otherwise, thereby alienating me at the onset. There are the obligatory references to Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, of course, but they’re clichéd and meaningless. A reviewer on Amazon.com called the book “the Oprah-izing of religion,” and as much as I’d have liked not to, I agree.

Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult: The book’s premise really drew me in: “If you don’t believe in God, and your child is seeing angels, what would you do?” What I loved about the book is that it dared to ask the tough questions. It didn’t answer them, but by the end I knew what each character was left believing, so maybe it did. The author didn’t try to make me change my mind in any way (thank you, JP!), yet told a deeply moving story about a mother facing this question. Even though I’m not a mother, I could immediately relate.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: These classics are my comfort reading. They’re safe and predictable, and I turn to them when I’m stressed, going through life changes, or just generally in the mood for safety and comfort. It maybe sound silly, but book lovers will understand: These books ground me. They’re part of my childhood, my growing up years when everything was safe and cozy and perfect, and so I associate them with that. I read these two in the week before my wedding when stress levels were high and I was trying to find my happy place.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger: I took this book with me on my honeymoon because I loved loved loved The Time Traveler’s Wife and just trusted Niffenegger to show me a good time with this one. Uh, what the hell? I’m sure other people have different opinions on this, and I love Niffenegger’s writing, but I could not make sense of this book. There were ghosts, ghosts in cats, ghosts exchanging bodies, and all kinds of weirdness that maybe wasn’t the best honeymoon reading, in hindsight. Anyway, I did absolutely love the ending (totally creepy), but it took an awfully long time to get there.

31 Songs by Nick Hornby: I’ve had this book forever. I think I’ve had it since pre-YouTube, when you couldn’t just get on there and listen to the recommended songs. And I wanted to listen to Hornby’s recommended songs. So on a rainy Sunday morning, I fired up iTunes and YouTube, read and listened to some fantastic music. Trust me on this, there’s no better way to spend a Sunday morning.

Long Lost by Harlan Coben: That’s the thing about Harlan Coben’s books. You want them to end so you can see how the story comes together, but you don’t want them to end because it would be over. I’m a huge huge Harlan Coben fan, that’s no surprise to anyone who’s known me for more than five seconds, and this is a book I’d been meaning to pick up for ages. I finally did, and absolutely loved it. Coben just keeps getting better with time, and Myron Bolitar has to be on the list of one of the most clever characters ever created. All I can say is that Gone for Good is one of my favorite Coben novels (if you haven’t read it, get a copy NOW), and this one comes fairly close. Also? It’s about time Coben got writing about terrorism. I am not disappointed.