But hey, it’s chick lit, what did you expect?

Does it work for the beach? Sure! Will it make you smile at least once? Probably.  Will it remind you of Bridget Jones? At least once or twice (in a good way).

So give it a whirl, if you’re chick lit inclined. It’s only a few hours of your life and you needed the distraction anyway.

“Fit to Live” is about the whole body, not just your diet and exercise, but also your finances, clutter and mental attitude. It’s also a bit more moderate than “Body” and you don’t feel like you’ll go to fitness hell if you fall off the wagon and eat a big piece of cake.

But the most important thing about either of these books is that you actually DO something to change your health. If you’re trapped in a body that you’re unhappy with or you’re developing health problems as a result of your diet/exercise choices, you need to take action! Either of these books will offer you help to get started, recipes, exercises that you can begin doing and powerful motivation for doing it (”Body for Life” has AMAZING pictures that are very inspiring, “Fit to Live” has lots of great personal stories).

Now get off your computer and go run around the block!

This is not a short book and not for the light-hearted fiction readers. However, if you have a vested interest in learning more about diabetes, Hurley has written his book in a way that will keep you turning page after page and sending out emails/tweets/etc. to people with diabetes saying “You won’t BELIEVE what I just read!”

Warning: This is probably not the best book for hypochondriacs who may find reasons in here to be even more fearful than they already are.

The “You” book was written by Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, the same guys who brought us “You: The Owner’s Manual” and “You: on a Diet”.  I highly recommend both of those books for helping people understand how their body works and what they can do to make themselves healthier. Their books feature funny anecdotes, great illustrations and plain talk about sometimes complex bodily systems. Their book on pregnancy is much the same way. And it includes a workout and meal plan, like so many of their other books.

“Baby Bargains” is a great buy for a Mom (or Dad) to be that needs or wants to save money. You can find tips on saving money on cribs, maternity clothes, bottles, diapers and more. While it’s readily available at most libraries, it may be worth buying for an expecting couple so that they can refer back to it again and again throughout their pregnancy and baby’s first year.

My one complaint about “Baby Bargains” is that the most recent version shamelessly plugs their other book “Baby 411“. While that book is written by a pediatrician and does have helpful information in it, I got tired of hearing about when trying to find information on saving money. I have heard that local pediatricians recommend the book “If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay: How to Know if Your Child’s Injury or Illness Is Really an Emergency“, so that may be worth checking out.

As a bonus, if you hate your in-laws, there are some fantastic one liners that you may want to practice.

It’s not a deep thinking book. The ending is a bit too abrupt and trite, and yet it’s still worth reading. If you’re into suspenseful and steamy books for the beach, this would fit the bill.

Your favorite characters are there, of course: Claire, Jamie, Roger, Brianna, etc. along with plenty of new characters who seem immediately familiar and welcome (such as the Hunter family). Lord John features prominently in this book for those of you who’ve been reading her side series about him.

I’ve NOT read them and yet found it easy enough to follow his story line.

If you haven’t read any of her books before, they’re sweeping action/adventure/romance novels  primarily set in Scotland and America with tons of historical and medical references. These are not light reads and they’re not Harlequin romances. Characters are complex, relationships are sometimes painful and circumstances are often bloody and/or gruesome.

While most of the readers of this series are probably female, I do know men who’ve enjoyed them as well. There are enough battle scenes and talk of honor and revenge that most guys will find something that appeals to them.

Of course, the thing that shines through these novels the strongest is the relationship between Claire and Jamie. Star crossed lovers to be sure, but their love for each other seems to be so rich and deep that you almost eat these books up with a spoon.

She tells this story from a variety of characters’ perspectives, which is something that I enjoy about George RR Martin and Christopher Paolin’s books as well. If you feel like you’re getting bored/weary with one character, just keep reading, odds are good that you’ll soon get to read about someone/something else.

Still if I was going to pick a book for my kid to read, I’d suggest “Eragon”, especially if you have a boy who finds most books boring. “Eragon” reads like more of a graphic novel with tons of descriptions of gore and glory that seems to appeal to guys.

Be forewarned, this is a four part series of books. Once you have “Eragon”, you can’t avoid “Eldest” and “Brisingr” and you’ll have a fan on the edge of their seat for the fourth book (which hasn’t been released yet). I think it is cruel of Paolin to make us wait to find out how it all turns out!

If you’re buying for a boy or girl who’s prone to nightmares, you might want to read it out loud together or pre-read it to make sure it will be safe for your child.

If you’re an adult who loves these books, you must read George RR Martin’s series that starts with “Game of Thrones” – possibly my favorite series of books ever (read my review). Though “Lord of the Rings” is clearly in contention for that title.

Even kids without a literary background can (and do) enjoy this book. It’s fast paced and there’s lots of action, battles, crosses and double crosses. It’s probably a book more geared towards boys than girls, but hey – girls can like dragons and sci-fi too!

The dragons don’t come in until the very end, so if your child/teen is a BIG dragon fan, stick to Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series (read my review) instead.

If you’re looking for a chick lit novel with a bit more depth, I’d recommend “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” (read my review) or “The Elegant Gathering of White Snows” (read my review).