which one?

i am in a book club and it is my turn to choose the book.....EEK!  you see, i am not really a reader.  the extent of my reading in the past has been nora roberts {i know, laugh all you want}, nelson demille {suspense/drama/detective/government corupt-ness, etc.}, david balldacci {similar to nelson demille} and the occasional james patterson {murder, mystery, etc.}.  most of the books i do read/listen to are from my boss's audio library {except of course nora roberts books...that would be interesting!}.  we are one the road alot for work and he is constatly listening to a new book.  that is where i got hooked on nelson demille, david balldacci & james patterson.  i think the reason i stick with those, and nora roberts, is b/c i pretty much know to some extent what the story will be.  when i go into a book store i am COMPLETELY overwhelmed!  there are thousands of books!  i mean, i don't even know where to start, so i stick with the magazines or travel books and they tend to keep me pretty well occupied. 

so, now i am in this book club {to tell you the truth, it's mainly just b/c i like the girls...not b/c i like to read} and have to choose our next book.  i also need to confess that i haven't finished the last two books...........................{one i didn't like, "Olive Kitterage" and one that i did like towards the end and plan on finishing, "the guernsey literary club & potatoe peel society"}.  after looking at many different options i am down to two possibilities and would appreciate any input.

the first one is "the next thing on my list" by jill smolinski.  it would be a fun, light read, summary is below.... 

Meet June Parker. She works for L.A. Rideshare, adores her rent-stabilized apartment in Santa Monica, and struggles with losing a few pesky pounds. But June’s life is about to change.

After a dark turn of events involving Weight Watchers, a chili recipe, and a car accident in which her passenger, Marissa, dies, June finds herself in possession of a list Marissa has written, “20 Things to Do By My 25th Birthday.” Even though they barely knew eachother, June is compelled by both guilt and a desire to set things right and finish the list for Marissa.

The tasks before her range from inspiring (Run a 5K), to daring (Go braless), to near-impossible (Change someone’s life), and as June races to achieve each goal before the deadline, she learns more about her own life than she ever bargained for.

Funny, engaging, and heartwarming, The Next Thing on My List features a loveable, relatable heroine and a story with plenty of humor and heart.

the second book is "PUSH", which was a suggestion of one of the book club girls.  it's a lot heavier of a read, but sounds good as well........

Narrated by Precious Jones, a 16-year-old African-American girl pregnant for the second time with her father's child, Push is a novel tracing her movement from anger, illiteracy, resignation, and self-contempt to some version of hope. The voice of Precious, raw and almost unintelligible at the beginning of the story, is changed when a courageous African-American teacher relentlessly inspires Precious, along with several other seemingly doomed teenagers, to learn to read, to discover what and how they feel, and to put it all down in a diary. The novel ends with everything uncertain and unfinished, but with a young woman changed by the appearance of self-respect.

Commentary This is a very disturbing novel. It is difficult to read, not only because of the language--"Underneaf what I wrote Miz Rain write what I said in pencil. li MG o mi m (Little Mongo on my mind)"--but also because of the raw, brutal language Precious uses to describe the incestuous relationship she had with her father from a very young age. This incestuous relationship was witnessed by her mother, who also sexually abused her.

The book would be a valuable addition to any syllabus dealing with incest, AIDS, and body self-image (Precious is very, very obese). The language of this novel is not for everyone.

there you have it....option #1 or option #2...what are your thoughts?