Count me in on the demographic of young women who was so inspired by “Eat Pray Love” that I promptly Googled “how to find a guru” and “living in an ashram in India” upon completing the autobiographical tale from author Elizabeth Gilbert. Her story swept me away – I felt profound sadness as she battled through a messy divorce, my mouth watered with hers when she described the food she ate in Italy, I found inner peace as she meditated in India and I fell in love with her Brazilian in Bali, there right by her side.

As its “sequel” “Committed” helps to answer the question that Gilbert left readers with at the end of “Eat Pray Love.” What happens next? Does she live happily ever after? Gilbert, still on her quest for “happily ever after” finds herself still in love with her Brazilian in “Committed” and faces pending nuptials as a way to prevent his deportation. Gilbert, still very much shaken from her first marriage, had resolved to live with and love Felipe for the rest of her life, though convinced she didn’t need a band of gold and a piece of paper to seal the deal.

So begins a journey of an entirely different kind. A journey into the history, spirituality and culture behind weddings and marriage. The result is what I consider required reading for anyone who is considering walking down the aisle. Less like the rich narrative that Gilbert spun in “Eat Pray Love,” “Committed” reads more like short stories or magazine articles strung together by a common theme. If you are looking for “Eat Pray Love Part Deux” this is probably not the book club pick for you. But if you enjoyed Gilbert’s cutting sense of humor, wry insight and her ability to gently tug on your heartstrings, this book is committed to all of that and much more.

Photo by: knodum‘s flickr photostream

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I could hardly wait to read Game Change when it first came out in January. I hunted for the book in every one of my local North Carolina book stores and while I was traveling for work in San Francisco, only to find it sold out. I finally found a copy, much to my delight, in the LaGuardia airport and after opening it, couldn’t put it down. You see, it combines my two favorite topics – politics and gossip – within my favorite genre – non-fiction.

What I found to be most fascinating is that Game Change is more or less a history book, recalling the historical Democratic primary and presidential election of 2008. What’s interesting is that this is our history. It’s a peek behind the curtain of what will surely be regarded as one of the most important elections in American history. But unlike historical figures like George Washington, or Abraham Lincoln, these characters seem far more human. In this historical tale, powder white wigs are traded for royal blue pantsuits, and stove pipe top hats, for Chicago Cubs ball caps.

Authors, journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin spun their tale thanks to anonymous accounts of trusted sources behind the campaigns of Hilary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama. The book focuses most of its attention on the hotly contested Democratic primary and shines a light on Clinton’s disjointed campaign and significant spousal liability. It also paints a flattering portrait of Obama’s campaign and the team who took him straight to the top. The same can’t be said for John McCain or Sarah Palin, both who come off has out of touch and unprepared to be elected to the nation’s top office.

Overall, was the book fair and balanced? No. But then again, it is hard to find anything that really is. Was it a page turning, edge of your seat, what happens next modern account of politics at its best (and certainly its worst)? Absolutely! I would recommend it to anyone who watched CNN around the clock in 2008 to get the latest election news. I think you will find it even more so engrossing.

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• See Jane Read: The collected works of Chelsea Handler
• See Jane Read: The Time Traveler’s Wife
• See Jane Read: Julie & Julia

First of all, I know “Are You There Vodka, It’s Me, Chelsea,” is still on the bestsellers list and all your friends are telling you to read it. I’m telling you to read her first book, “My Horizontal Life,” first. It sets the stage for her second book and will help you to fall in love with the author/comedienne.

Now, I’ve never been a Chelsea Handler fan. Not a fan of Girls Behaving Badly or any show she does on the E! network. I’ve never seen her stand up, so I’m inclined to say, Chelsea’s gift is her words. She eloquently and hilariously details the absurdities of her life. When I read about her dalliances with men, I wish I were her BFF and experiencing it in person!

You definitely feel like Chelsea’s best friend when you read her short stories – the kinds of stories a friend confides in you about over a cocktail or four. And that is perhaps why her two books have been my favorite reads this summer. Decide to spend the last week of summer with Chelsea and I promise she won’t disappoint.

Next up: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Photo by: Oh Serena!

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• See Jane Read: Game Change
• See Jane Read: The Time Traveler’s Wife
• See Jane Read: Julie & Julia

This week’s book pick is The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, which has also been made into a major motion picture set to open this Friday.

I first read this book four years ago while my husband was deployed and was disappointed to discover I couldn’t make it through the first few chapters.  A good friend had raved about the story, so I was determined to read on and see what all the buzz was about.  Four years later, it is still in my top ten favorites.

Henry is a librarian in Chicago who suffers from Chrono-Displacement Order, which whisks him from past to present and vice versa, during significant periods in his life.  He meets his artist wife, Clare, when she is 20, though she has known him all her life.

The story chronicles both character’s lives as Henry is constantly, and without warning, transported to other times and places, while Clare is left behind, not knowing when she will next see the love of her life.  We all can certainly relate to that, as our own husbands are constantly taken away from home for work ups, deployments, training, schools, you name it.  I couldn’t help but empathize-and sympathize- with Clare throughout the book.

Author Audrey Niffenegger does an amazing job of creating emotional ties between the characters and the reader as she spins a tale about love, loss, loneliness, passion and life, in general.  By the end of the book, you too will believe time travel is possible.

Do not be dismayed by the fact that this book is more than 500 pages long; I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

Next up: The collected works of Chelsea Handler (My Horizontal Life; Are You There Vodka, it’s Me, Chelsea?)

Photo by scifiscoop

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• See Jane Read: Game Change
• See Jane Read: The collected works of Chelsea Handler
• See Jane Read: Julie & Julia

Welcome to the first edition of the Janes-List.com book club. Let’s face it, we read a lot. We read on planes en route to business meetings, we read on the beach unwinding from our week. And yes, we sometimes read in the car during a red light. Don’t judge.

But we’re not in a book club. There’s no time for that. So that’s why we’re launching this digital book club. We read, write a review and you comment, giving us your feedback. If there’s something you’ve read and want to introduce to our book club, email us at jane@janes-list.com and we’ll ask you to write a guest review.

Our first book is Julie & Julia, the bestselling memoir of Julie Powell. Stuck in a quarterlife-and-then-some crisis Julie embarks to cook all 524 of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year and blog all about it. Sounds like our kind of girl!

Well, the book piqued my interest because I plan to see the movie by the same name, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams on this opening weekend. And in true fashion the book is better than I think the movie could possibly deliver.

The book’s protagonist, Julie Powell is pushing 30 and has pushed aside her dream of making it big in Manhattan and having a child with her high school sweetheart husband. Delving in Julia Child’s cookbook means returning to safer memories of her childhood and using a familiar foundation to challenge herself and change her life. We can relate to that!

In fact, the entire book is entirely relatable. If you’ve ever been stuck in a dead-end job. If you’ve ever botched dinner. If you’ve ever had a screaming match with your spouse. If you’ve ever had a disastrous visit from your parents, then you can find something in this book to connect with.

The book is as relatable as it is readable. It reads like a magazine that you can pick up and put down with ease. But, it doesn’t always flow as easily and contains all the contradictions that tend to make up a post-9/11 heroine. Riddled with anxiety that she is doing something important with her life because she’s seen firsthand how short life can be. Clinging to love and familiarity as much as she’s trying to stretch to expand her wings. And while this can still be relatable, it does make for some inconsistent tone in some chapters of the book.

At the end of the day this will make for a great poolside read and may even inspire you to submit your recipes for Recipe Wednesday!

Next up…The Time Traveler’s Wife

Photo by: Sony Pictures

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