Have You Read Any Good Books Lately?

I ran across a book review of American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld on Jeanne's blog Jeannie Marie & Company and it couldn't have come at a better time.  I had set the book aside to read this summer, but was hesitating based on the length and my concern that it might not be light enough for a fun summer read.  Jeanne found it to be well written and hard to put down, but definitely a platform for the liberal author to spread her own political views.  Plus it was too loooooong.  I try to keep my summer reading in line with my movie choices (chick flicks, romantic comedies, light and fun).  So, I'm holding off on American Wife for now and trying to decide between two other books I have heard about recently.

I'm a big fan of women learning more about themselves, or even better, a group of women learning more about themselves together.  Bring on The Help, The Friday Night Knitting Club, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons.

I'm throwing a little vintage love into my summer reading mix and trying to decide between A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff and The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean.  Both books use vintage clothing  as a vehicle to help the main character learn more about herself.  I'm sure learning about the clothing will be equally as fun as learning about the characters.  Has anyone read either of these and did you enjoy them?