My Top Reads of 2006

MENTAL STATUS: Stir crazy. I had planned to go out yesterday, but it never materialized. I NEED to get out of the house. Today. I'm starting to have conversations with my daughter's Ariel Talking Salon.

Okay. Let me preface this list with a disclaimer: These books didn't necessarily come out in 2006. I just so happened to have read them this past year. And while I KNOW I had to have read more than just ten, these are the books that stuck out in my mind because I enjoyed them that much.

So without further ado... my Top Reads of 2006:

10) How I Write by Janet Evanovich with Ina Yalof. **Okay, okay. So I'm not quite finished reading this book yet. BUT, I've already gathered tons of useful writing advice thanks to her fun examples. I can't wait to put them into action.

9) You Could Do Better by Stephanie Lehmann. **What can I say? This book was a great beach read--short and amusing, with a nice HEA.

8) The Everything Blogging Book by Aliza Sherman Risdahl. **Hey, if this book could get ME to blog and look like I know what I'm doing, it's a must read.

7) Don't Look Down by Jennie Crusie and Bob Mayer. **Sadly enough this was my first Jennifer Crusie book--and Bob Mayer book for that matter. But not my last!!

6) I Do (But I Don't) by Cara Lockwood. **There is a small part in this book where a groom jumps out of an airplane for his wedding ceremony. Too funny! That scene forever sealed by admiration for this author's wit.

5) Cheating at Solitaire by Ally Carter. **This book was so charming and funny. I had a stupid grin on my face every time I opened it up and started reading. Really. It was almost embarrassing.

4) Killing Time in Ocean City by Jane Kelly. **I read this book almost 6 years ago and decided to dust it off the shelf and read it again because I remembered liking it. Wrong. I loved it!

3) The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. **If you're a Christian--or even if you aren't--this is a must read. Rick Warren has a wonderful way of putting life into perspective--simply and effectively.

2)I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter. **Well, this author snuck up on my list twice--but for good reason. This was my first YA book as... well... a non-young adult, but I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series.

1) Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. **Okay. Technically this is a children's book, but if you have little ones at home, you must--MUST I tell ya--run out to your local bookstore/library and get yourself a copy. This is one of the few books my 4 year old actually quotes lines from.

So that's my list.

Anything else I should have read?