perfect for the state of mind I am in.

A great guide about how to learn about yourself, discover what dating patterns haven't worked for you and attract a partner who fits!

Mary Baxter loses her five-year-old daughter to meningitis. Mary and her husband, Dylan, struggle to preserve their marriage, but the memories are too painful, and the healing too difficult. Mary can't focus on her job as a writer for a local newspaper, and she bitterly resents her emotionally and geographically distant mother, who relocated to Mexico years earlier. Still, it's at her mother's urging that Mary joins a knitting circle and discovers that knitting soothes without distracting. The structure of the story quickly becomes obvious: each knitter has a tragedy that she'll reveal to Mary. There's a lot of knitting, both actual and metaphorical. This novel, though well-written, was too contrived in the way each person in the knitting club called on Mary to reveal their pasts.

wonderful language. all about marriage etc
unfortunately, however, none of them seem to fall in love first, the men are the first to feel affection. Hence, what books have female heroines that conquer their men?

"We seemed to have been designed for each other."

"Allow me to tell you how ardently I love and admire you."

What can I possibly say? Everyone loves this book; and for good reason.

Finished 8/21/07.

Soooo Fantastic! I must say that if you don't fall in love with Mr. Darcy I will never be able to understand you.

I didn't give my daughters the middle names of Jane and Elizabeth without reason!

Sighs...

uh... Pride and Prejudice... need any more be said? Of course not. Best. Book. Of. All. Time.

Oh, Darcy, you must let *me* tell me how ardently I admire and love *you.*

Wonderful cast of characters, great commentary on the game of love, hilarious writing, etc... Simply marvelous.

Aside from being a cutting social commentary, witty and well written, this was the first 'grown up' book my mum recommended that I read on my own.

From the iconic opening line, this book had me entralled, and Elizabeth became a fictional icon for me!

The BBC version and recent movie are also terrific!

I really love this book. I cant wait to read more of Jane Austen's others.

Thanks to my sister I class myself as having read this book. Someone gave her a copy as a bit of a joke and she enjoyed it so much she read it aloud to the entire house for as long as we could stand it. Push past the fact that you're in possession of a selfhelp book and get in a mood to laugh because this book is so funny! Written like you're having a conversation with everyone in the office about your love woes, you can't help but laugh at the personalities of the writers and their schemes to 'help you get over him'.

Whenever one of my mates is having a whinge about something similar I send them a little passage from this book - sometimes even if there aren't any issues, its just so entertaining!

Next time you're on the beach or in a cafe and notice someone reading a copy of this, don't pity them for owning a selfhelp book, respect them for their taste in humour.

Alternatively, if you're stretched for a gift for someone who acts like they've just stepped off the set of 'Sex and the City', maybe think about this book - if they won't get offended.

It's weird because it is stuff you know, but stuff you were in denial about perhaps. It's stuff that someone has to keep repeating but in a funny conversationally written manner that might actually stick. A fun quick read, but a bit depressing too.

Everyone can use a daily wake-up call.

Now in bite-size mantras, the abridged empathetic wit and wisdom of the number one New York Times bestseller He's Just Not That Into You will recharge and inspire your dating outlook one wake-up call at a time.

For ages women have come together over coffee, cocktails, or late-night phone chats to analyze the puzzling behavior of men. Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo are here to say that —despite good intentions— you're wasting your time. Men are not complicated, although they'd like you to think they are. And there are no mixed messages.

The truth may be, He's just not that into you.

He's Just Not That Into You —based on a popular episode of Sex and the City— educates otherwise smart women on how to tell when a guy just doesn't like them enough, so they can stop wasting time making excuses for a dead-end relationship. This book knows you're a beautiful, smart, funny woman who deserves better.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. At first I had the impression that it would be super gimmicky, given the premise, and only something cheesy. It was, a bit, and I don't think much was developed in the characters more than I anticipated- the expected self-discovery and attempts to right one's self with the world. But the interactions between characters were interesting and fun.
The television reality show the characters were on sounds totally absurd, but I think the unrealistic nature of it is tempered by the characters understanding that it is totally unreasonable and stupid.
I liked the inclusion of the gay characters. I predictably disliked the hypocritical ones (as I am intended to do), but I appreciated Abby's redemption.

I am still processing. All I can say now is that this book packs a big punch and that reading it at this point in my life proves my point that there is a Book God who gives you the books you need when you need them.

Booklist Review: In his latest novel, McFarland returns to a favored theme of a family ravaged by tragedy, only in this case it would seem the tragedy is one of their own making. Safely ensconced in their respective New England homes, siblings Ellen and Morris Owen learn of their younger sister's impetuous marriage to an evangelical minister actually named Pastor Vandorpe, and that the couple are now residing in the family mansion along the Alabama coast. Assuming that, like her drug abuse and failed acting career, this is yet another one of Bonnie's reckless forays into self-destruction, Ellen and Morris rush home to assess the situation for themselves. They find Bonnie calm, happy, and several months pregnant, but as the pastor spends more time with the brother-in-law he just found out is gay, his ministerial duty to correct the error of Morris' ways threatens to unravel his marriage, if not his psyche. Portraying each conversation and every encounter as an emotional minefield, McFarland is at the peak of his psychological prowess.

This novel deals with the all-important bond between fathers and sons, the economic desperation of small-town businesses, and the lifelong feuds and friendships that are a hallmark of small-town life. Following a trio of best friends who grew up in upstate Thomaston, New York, over 50 years, the novel captures some of the mysteries of life, including the unanticipated moments of childhood that will forever define one's adulthood. Louis Charles ("Lucy") Lynch has spent his entire life in Thomaston, married for 40 years to his wife, Sarah, and finally living in the rich section of town, thanks to the success of his father's convenience stores. Long planning a trip to Venice, he tries in vain to communicate with the couple's best friend, Bobby Marconi, now a world-famous painter living in Venice. Meanwhile, the artist is now approaching 60 and suffering from night terrors, is still chasing women, engaging in fistfights, and struggling to complete his latest painting. Russo slowly pieces together multilayered portraits not only of the principals but also of their families, and, by extension, their American town. It is an interweaving of childhood memories (sometimes told from three points of view), tragic incidents (the town river, once the lifeblood of local industry, has become a toxic stew that is poisoning residents), and unforgettable dialogue that is natural, funny and enjoyable even though long.

Russo's best book (in my humble opinion) still remains "Nobody's Fool"

Russo's latest exploration of a small northeastern town in stagnation is near perfect, but the sheer length of the book challenges the readers to endure. For those that do, Bridge of Sighs is rewarding, no matter how many dark places it visits along the way.

Watch for the surprising keynote speaker near the conclusion of the book.

Georgia Walker's entire life is wrapped up in running her knitting store, Walker and Daughter, and caring for her 12-year-old daughter, Dakota. With the help of Anita, a lively widow in her seventies, Georgia starts the Friday Night Knitting Club, which draws loyal customers and a few oddballs. Darwin Chiu, a feminist grad student, believes knitting is downright old-fashioned, but she's drawn to the club as her young marriage threatens to unravel. Lucie, 42, a television producer, is about to become a mother for the first time--without a man in her life. Brash book editor KC finds her career has stalled unexpectedly, while brilliant Peri works at Walker and Daughter by day and designs handbags at night. Georgia gets her own taste of upheaval when Dakota's father reappears, hoping for a second chance.

Nice premise, but the characters where never really developed to the point of being interesting or likable. I never could understand why these women were so drawn to Georgia and Dakota's name got on my nerves. Very draggy and predictable.

A great easy read for anyone who loves a story of friendship and the notion of chasing your dreams. In this book you'll meet a wide array of characters that come together and share their passions, memories, and fears, and who eventually form a sisterhood together. This book was witty, imaginative, and truly heart-wrenching.