I think Nerd in Shining Armor by Vicki Lewis Thompson is very funny and has good characterization. (Guy and girl stranded together on island.) You might pick up and riffle through It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Art-loving daughter inherits football team from estranged father and has to produce a championship.

One of these days I shall read something challenging again. I started Albion's Seed and was very impressed, but it's dense. A scholarly study of the four major British migrations to America and how their different cultures shaped American society. link.

Nerd in Shining Armor by Vicki Lewis Thompson

I've been looking for that! (I think the actual problem was that the computer said it was at my library, but I couldn't find it.) I think it's on the Kelly Ripa bookclub list. Which I kind of gave up on because the one book I could find, I hated. But I will pull it back out and try again.

Oh, and when I say I like other stuff "when it's good," I'm saying that because I like crime fiction even when it's not that good.

Oh, and Jesse - you have totally got me hooked on George Pelecanos. I had to rush out and get Soul Circus in pb after reading the first two Strange/Quinn books. Curse you! I really didn't need any more books to read right now! t shakes fist

ETA thanks, Betsy, for the title help.

Muah-ha-ha! t /evil laugh

The only "old" Crusie I've read is Manhunting, and I thought it was cute but not much more. Her voice is there, but it was written for a shorter, category romance line, so I assumed it wouldn't be as quirky or dense (in an amount of story way) as her newer stuff.

Early Susan Elizabeth Phillips stuff might appeal to anyone who likes Crusie, as Betsy said. I loved Kiss an Angel and the "football" books, which include It Had to Be You and another one whose title is escaping me.

In the Funny, Charming Historical area I adore Julia Quinn. Set in Regency England, and usually much more going emotionally than you'd expect from books that at first seem to be very light and frothy.

Um, Susan Isaacs..."Compromising Positions" is pretty good.

(I think the actual problem was that the computer said it was at my library, but I couldn't find it.)

It's a paperback; does your library shelve those separately?

It's a paperback; does your library shelve those separately?

Yeah, they do. I looked everywhere. It was probably on the floor under a shelf of kids' books or something.

I really liked Teresa Medeiros's Charming the Prince and Fairest of Them All - both funny and sweet and sexy. (Also read Breath of Magic and enjoyed it, although a lot of it rang very odd to me!) So I'd definitely recommend those (particularly Charming the Prince, which just made me laugh and laugh) and am wondering if anyone has any other Medeiros to rec? Her other books just looked less interesting and I hadn't picked any up.

Phillips' It Had to Be You sounds fun! I will have to put that on my list of books to check out.