I’ve always maintained my reading for pleasure, even when faced with big deadlines or other books that need attention. (And how do I always manage to start a blog post right when S is waking up!) Once in college, I spent three days on the couch during finals week reading the first four Harry Potter books; it’s a good thing that’s all there were at that time, because I might not have made it to my finals. My roommates were so irritated that I was reading instead of being frantic.
After college, I remember being so excited to read for pleasure, and because those were tight times, the library just a block away was a boon for my reading. I like taking recommendations from people, and I like finding stuff on my own. The library reduces commitment. The Kindle also helps with the read a sample feature.
With the boys, I hadn’t been reading much other than parenting manuals and online blogs–yes, of the mommy/daddy blog variety. I’m reading again with this dissertation nearly defended and done. What’s weird though, is I’ve been reading all along, however, when things get really tough, I tend to read Young Adult lit. Wonder what that says about me. (I did enjoy The Hunger Games, Matched, and The Book Thief recently. I read the first two on my Kindle and the last in paper. I think the last needs to be read in paper.) Right now, I’m reading The Weird Sisters (still). I’m liking the story of the sisters, Rose, Bean, and Cordy, and their problems with adulthood (hmm, for an adult book, this is a young adult theme). I’m not such a fan of the Shakespeare references, because I think they’re a little obvious. However, they don’t detract from the novel.
All this is to say…now that I have some time (hahahaha) to read again, what should I put on the list? At the risk of embarrassing myself, I like family drama, historical fiction, young adult, and interesting female characters, but I’m willing to consider something else if you make a case for it.
Academic Leigh Speaking 
Don’t beat yourself up for your reading choices. I understand. I was sitting in the library yesterday (on my computer doing email and facebook — nothing so grand as research. Hahaha) and noticed that on the shelf opposite me were books and authors that I always intended to read but never got around to: Virgina Woolf, Thomas Wolfe and Tom Wolfe). I did stir myself to go pull “The Virginia Woolf Reader” off the shelf, but could no summon the mental stamina to actually check it out. So I still haven’t gotten around to them.
However I do have some lighter authors to recommend to you. I have recently found these and enjoyed them because of their sense of place and the fact that they have a lot of inter-laced characters that I can relate to. I am recommending Debbie Macomber and Dorthea Benton Franks. I think I recommended them to you once before in a facebook status, but maybe what with S&G distracting you it might have slipped your mind.
Here are two other books I give specific recommendations for: “The Help” and “Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt”.
I have been reading a lot of memoir lately. “A Year of Wishing” I find especially enjoyable and have read it 3 times. I also recommend Gretchen Rubin’s “The Happiness Project”.
I have no suggestions because most everything I read these days is post-09/11 fiction (for the dissertation, you know), so not exactly light-hearted. But I wanted to make sure you feel so not alone about the YA love because that is completely my guilty pleasure. Back when summers weren’t devoted to writing, I would reread at least some of the Harry Potter series as soon as the spring semester ended, and I devoured The Hunger Games after prelims. It’s so simple that it feels like a nice release.
Saving fish from drowning.