two quick recommendations, and more soon.

It's been too long -- I know. For now, here are my (brief) thoughts about two books I've recently finished:

1. Under the Skin by Michel Faber -- this could be a really good one for a book club, because there would be a LOT to discuss. I wasn't sure what to make of it at first; it has a sci-fi feel as you start reading, but it actually becomes more of a story about what it means to be human than anything else. It definitely gave me the creeps in some places, but it held my attention and gave me a lot to think about. Probably not a book anyone is going to call a "favorite" -- but one that you'll remember for a long time after reading it. (Note: this is by the same author as The Crimson Petal and the White, and it seems that Faber is particularly interested in writing about strong, lonely female characters.)

2. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson -- if you read the first one and weren't sure if it was your cup of tea, READ THE SEQUEL. Infinitely better than the first book: far less gore and disturbia, far more mystery, intrigue, and depth of character. I listened to it on mp3 at the gym and I'm pretty sure it helped me drop my mile time by about 20-30 seconds (I was too focused on the story to realize how exhausted I was getting!) I will caution you, however, that it has a cliff-hanger ending, so you're probably going to have to end up reading book three as well.