HAPPINESS SOLD SEPARATELY - Lolly Winston (September 13/06)

Chick lit for sure, but well written and entertaining. Vivid characters - Elinor, Ted, and Gina (not to mention Toby!) - and a relatively unpredictable storyline keeps things interesting. Nothing special, but breezy. *** out of ****

THE RUINS - Scott Smith (August 31/06)

A chilling, very effective novel detailing a group of friends (and a couple of stragglers) who find themselves trapped in a clearing with malicious vines. Though Smith is occasionally a little too verbose and often includes needless flashbacks, there's simply no denying the effectiveness of this book. The unbelievably bleak conclusion is downright shocking, as I would've expected one of the characters to survive the ordeal. ***1/2 out of ****