Here is a list of books I've read that are similar to what I'm looking for:

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Treasure Island by Stevenson
The Remains of the Day by Ishiguro
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (a little long)
White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Nothing too heavy in style, nothing too long (under 400 pages?)

I suggest Lost Horizon by James Hilton and Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. I read both recently and enjoyed them a great deal. Easy to read, interesting.

I requested Peace from the library. It's on one of my TBR lists... somewhere.

I'll add Lost Horizon to my regular list.

Oh! I just stumbled over Darling Jim, by Christian Moerk, another recent read which I, and some friends, enjoyed very much. Mystery, set in Ireland, modern times...not about the conflict.

edit to add more books

Farm City by Novella Carpenter; and, Mrs. Astor Regrets by Meryl Gordon

OK, I'll stop for now but I have also read a Tony Curtis bio that I liked. Let me know if you need the name. These last books are on my Kindle.

Message edited by its author, Oct 16, 2009, 2:50pm.

Arnie the Darling Starling by Margarete Corbo
The Grasshopper Trap by Patrick F. McManus (or any of his other books)
Anything Can Happen by George Papashvily

All of the above are fast reads and funny.

The secret life of bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Bean trees by Barbara Kingsolver

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson.

I suppose you can start reading a lot of the old, pulpy science fiction. Most of those clock in at two hundred pages or less.

The only drawback with this is that you would be reading old, pulpy science fiction.

My pile is pictured and listed here!

http://moreofmorph.blogspot.com/2009/10/...

Nice selection!

Very nice!

Have you tried either of Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz books yet? Nice and short, but very satisfying.

No, not yet. The only thing I've read of his is Elantris.

These aren't much like Elantris at all. They are very funny and kind of quirky. I loved them both. I think you might find them amusing. Do you have time to get them from the library? Here are the titles - Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians and Alcatraz Versus The Scrivener's Bones.

No, really don't have time. BUT I will bump them up on my TBR list!

Bimbos of the Death Sun is light and really hysterically funny if you've never read it. Otherwise, if you want something short and unfamiliar, I might recommend Rebecca and Rowena by Thackeray. Loved the satire!

Editing this to include something that you may well have already read since it is authored by Tolkien. It's short and so charming Smith of Wooton Major. It stabs me to the heart every time I read it.

Message edited by its author, Oct 23, 2009, 1:06pm.