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.

Here's Katerina's To Be Read List, a volume in three parts:

Oops. Formatting! I'll stick in periods instead of doing a long list.

Bibliophiles and their stacks of Books To Be Read

Katie’s TBR Pile (s)

Bedside Table & Current Volume(s): Pile #1 Marie Antoinette: The Journey, Antonina Fraser. Men of War: Life in Nelson’s Navy, Patrick O’Brian. Blood is Not Enough, edited by Ellen Datlow. Wizard’s Dilemma, Diane Duane. Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons, Jane Yolen & Robert J. Harris. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold. Everything’s Eventual, Stephen King.

Living Room: Pile #2 When Elephants Weep, Jeffrey Mousaieff-Masson. John Paul Jones, Evan Thomas. River Horse, William Least Heat-Moon. Queen’s Own Fool, Jane Yolen & Robert J. Harris. Liquor, Poppy Z. Brite. Recollection Creek, Fred Gipson (he wrote “Old Yeller”). Creepies, Creepies, Creepies! Hoke. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett.

Bedroom Shelf: Maybe I’ll Get To These, One Day… Pile #3 Reader’s Note: I made up a rule that I am allowed to buy new books whenever I want to without thinking about this collection glowering at me for my neglect of it. Reader’s Note #2: Listed volumes do not comprise complete collection of TBR books in this shelf. Subset b, alas, I’ve really given up hope on ever reading and I am too lazy to list them. Idoru, William Gibson. Searoad, Ursula K. LeGuin. China Court, Rumer Godden. The Irrational Season, Madeleine L’Engle. The Samurai’s Tale, Erickk Christian Hougaard. The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars, Steven Brust. Dancing Girls, Margaret Atwood.

Recently Completed Volumes: Sir MacHinery, by Tom McGowan (YA tale of Merlin, bought cause: TSH cover). Puppy Lost in Lapland, Peter Hallard (pretty pictures). How Reading Changed My Life, Anna Quindlen. Marie Antoinette: The Journey, Antonia Fraser. Water, Time-Life Science Library.

Queen’s Own Fool, Jane Yolen & Robert J. Harris.

Whoa. Interesting pairing. Please let us know how that turns out.

Subset b, alas, I’ve really given up hope on ever reading

Idoru, William Gibson

If you like Gibson, and I do, when he is on, this is worthwhile. It slightly informs his most recent book which I picked up liked too.

The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars, Steven Brust

I'm saddest about this one. I love this book. It is a talky, meandering exploration of creativity, and it is quite possible that you hated the people in it when you knew them just after college. But I didn't. I pretty much missed out on that bohemian (Bordertown-esque) lifestyle, so I loved it. Other Brust fans don't, but I think it is his best.

It is my favorite Brust. I love that book.

I know, it's really sad! I was loving it too, but I put it down because I was in the middle of something, and ended up just never going back.

Hey, I know: let's vote on what I should read next. I might mail you the book when I'm done, just don't make me write an essay about it.

It's my favorite Brust, too. Or at least the one I find deepest.