What's been on my nightstand

What with this bad headcold and a resulting lack of energy, I've been reading a lot lately.  What have I been reading?  Nothing serious or heavy, but a lot of entertainment and light reading:

The Last Time I was Me by Cathy Lamb. The funny but moving story of a woman assigned by court order to an anger management class (because of a little incident involving superglue, a condom, and her cheating ex-boyfriend), and the relationships that develop among the class members.  I love this author's writing.

A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball.  Pure, fun escapist reading, about three women who pool their resources and buy a dilapidated farm and mansion in Virginia.  Made me want to move to the country to bake scones, plant green beans and raise sheep.

Brain Storm by Richard Dooling (which I pulled off of the shelf at the library because of the colorful cover and spine -- repeated images of brain scans on a black background!)  A legal thriller with cutting edge brain research thrown in.  Interesting and entertaining, if a bit macho at times.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman.  Sort of like Harry Potter for grown-ups -- actually, the story wove together aspects of magic in fiction that connected Harry Potter's Hogwarts world and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but from a cynical realistic view of a depressed 17 year old kid.  Definitely unusual and worth reading, with some thought-provoking ideas about what role magic plays in the world.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake.  The story of three women whose lives intersect, alternating between WWII in London and small town American life in the present.  Enjoyable but not devastatingly great.  If you can find it at the library, go for it.

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen. A better-than-average chick lit novel about two sisters, and how the childhood roles they'd had (the smart one, the pretty one) follow them and affect then in adulthood.  Easy entertainment.

Earthly Pleasures by Karen Neches.  A chick lit version of heaven where God is female (and sounds just like Bette Midler), this story follows a new Heaven "greeter" and what happens when she falls in love with an Earth-bound guy.  Charming and light.

First Class Killing by Lynne Heitman.  One in a series of mysteries in which our heroine is a former airline manager turned private detective.  Well-written, with interesting inside glimpses of airport life.  Better than average mystery/thriller.

What have you read lately?