I've been lost in three wonderful books for the past week or so. The first was The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. Yes, the novel has a lot of baseball in it but you don't have to be a fan of the sport to love the book. It's hard to put down; you want to stay with the characters, find out what happens next. Since I read when I go to bed, I found myself going to bed at eight o'clock every night so I could get back into it. Harbach spent ten years writing it (I love to hear that) and then it got turned down by a number of agents. The book is now in the fifth printing and on the best seller list, and worth every minute of those ten years. There's a wonderful article by Keith Gessen about the book and also the current publishing scene in the October issue of Vanity Fair that's worth reading. 

The second book was a memoir, You Had Me At Woof by Julie Klam, and if you're a dog lover you'll find it charming and funny. And the other book is also a memoir, Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived In That House by Meghan Daum.  I've been a fan of Daums ever since I read her novel, The Quality of Life Report, and also her insightful and witty Op-Ed pieces in the L.A. Times. If you too have a little magical thinking and obsession when it comes to real estate you'll love this book.  And even if you don't, her writing is so good you'll still love it. 

And I don't think I mentioned a book I read on my Kindle this summer when I was traveling, The Journal Keeper by Phyllis Theroux. I loved it so much that I ordered a copy in hard back when I got home so I could underline all my favorite parts (yes, I know you can underline on a Kindle but it just isn't the same.) I was on a boat in Russia when I first read it and the only way I could communicate via the Internet was through Facebook – so I sent Phyllis Theroux a rather over-the-top-fan message, and lo and behold I got a lovely reply from her.