Last year I read a total of forty-nine books (that's almost one book every week!) and this year I've already read nine, so I'm on track to beat my number from last year. I've been using the goodreads app to track the books I've read and also the books I'd like to read. Right now I have ninety-five books on my to-read list…and it just keeps getting longer! So I've put together a list of my top ten fiction books to read this year. This post only has the first five, so I'll do another post next week with the other five. 
The next book I'm going to read is Divergent, by Veronica Roth. I know I'm a little late to jump on the bandwagon, but I figure with the movie coming out next month now is the time to read it. I waited on the library's waiting list for about a month, but I finally got it yesterday! Here is the summary from Amazon: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. 
Wool, by Hugh Howey, is a book that was recommended to me by a co-worker. I'm not much of a science-fiction fan, but the story sounds interesting and I decided to give it a shot. Here's the summary from Amazon on the first book of the series: In a ruined and toxic landscape, a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Sheriff Holston, who has unwaveringly upheld the silo’s rules for years, unexpectedly breaks the greatest taboo of all: He asks to go outside. His fateful decision unleashes a drastic series of events. An unlikely candidate is appointed to replace him: Juliette, a mechanic with no training in law, whose special knack is fixing machines. Now Juliette is about to be entrusted with fixing her silo, and she will soon learn just how badly her world is broken. The silo is about to confront what its history has only hinted about and its inhabitants have never dared to whisper. Uprising. Wool is the first novel in the bestselling Silo series that also includes Shift and Dust. 
The Eve series by Anna Carey was suggested to me on my library e-reader app. It caught my eye because the quote on the cover is from the author of the Fallen series, which I just finished a couple of weeks ago. Here is the summary from Amazon for the first book: Where do you go when nowhere is safe? Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her. Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life. In this epic new series, Anna Carey imagines a future that is both beautiful and terrifying. Readers will revel in Eve’s timeless story of forbidden love and extraordinary adventure. 
I recently saw the movie version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I really liked the story so I am looking forward to reading the book (even though I usually like to see the movie after reading the book). Here is the Amazon summary: Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective…but there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. Since its publication, Stephen Chbosky’s haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over three million copies in print, spent over one year at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and inspired a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. Of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. 
On a recent trip to Belfast, my love for all things Titanic was re-ignited. We added Belfast to our 11-day European itinerary without any plans on what to do when we got there, so when we realized that the Titanic was built there we knew the best place to visit would be the Titanic museum. It was an awesome experience to stand where the Titanic was built! So when I heard about The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott I knew it was a book I'd really like. Here's the summary from Amazon: Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she’s had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be her personal maid on the Titanic. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men—a kind sailor and an enigmatic Chicago businessman—who offer differing views of what lies ahead for her in America. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes, and amidst the chaos, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. The survivors are rescued and taken to New York, but when rumors begin to circulate about the choices they made, Tess is forced to confront a serious question. Did Lady Duff Gordon save herself at the expense of others? Torn between loyalty to Lucile and her growing suspicion that the media’s charges might be true, Tess must decide whether to stay quiet and keep her fiery mentor’s good will or face what might be true and forever change her future. And those are five of the books I'll be reading this year! Later this week I will be writing about my happiness project and the non-fiction books I'll be reading in an effort to learn some new things this month.
If you have any book recommendations, I'd love to hear them. I'm always adding to my list!
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I can hardly believe that this is the 20th week of my happiness project! How did that much time go by already? For the month of February I am going to focus on learning new things. Last week I decided to listen to some podcasts from Stuff You Should Know. This week I am changing it up and moving on to documentaries. I did some looking around on Netflix and found a few documentaries that looked interesting. The one I am definitely going to watch this week is called I Am. Here's a summary from Netflix: "In this contemplative documentary, filmmaker Tom Shadyac conducts in-depth interviews with prominent philosophers and spiritual leaders -- including Archbishop Desmond Tutu -- about what ails the world and how to improve it." It sounds very interesting, so I am looking forward to watching it. Next week I will highlight some non-fiction books that I've recently added to my to-read list. Are you a fan of documentaries? Leave a comment letting me know which one is your all-time favorite.
There is a great sale today only on the Kate Spade website. You can save up to 75% and also get free shipping on orders over $200! Owning a Kate Spade wallet or handbag has been on my wish list, so I bought one of each today! Here's what I got: 
Mikas Pond Stacy Wallet in Zinnia Pink (originally $100, on sale for $49)
Allen Street Neil Bag in Coal (originally $268, on sale for $129)
Plus…if you shop through eBates you get another 3.5% in cash back! Use this link to start getting money back right away! Leave a comment if you buy something from the Kate Spade sale today. I'd love to see what you buy!
For the second week of February I will continue on with my goal of learning as much as possible. Last week I talked about signing up for an email where I'd receive an interesting random fact of the day. I found two sites worth checking out. The first one is called TodayIFoundOut.com and the second one is called MentalFloss.com. Here are some of the facts that I found interesting:
And for this week I am going to spend some time listening to podcasts from Stuff You Should Know on HowStuffWorks.com. I am already subscribed to their podcast, so I've got a lot of options to choose from. Here are the ones I'm thinking of listening to:
As you can see, there is a wide variety of topics to listen to. Now that I've picked out seven different podcasts, I have something to listen to every day! If you've ever listened to the Stuff You Should Know podcasts, let me know what some of your favorites are. I'd like some recommendations for future listening!
For the end of the fourth month of my happiness project, I am wrapping up my focus on health and wellness. I am proud to report that I lost almost 8 pounds in January, which is a great head start on what will hopefully be a lifelong journey of being healthy. Even though the month is over, I plan on continuing the good habits I developed last month in hopes of continuing my weight loss and improving my health even further. 
Now that February has started, it's time to shift my focus to another aspect of my happiness. This month I will be spending time on learning. I have always enjoyed learning new things and in February I am going to make an effort to add learning to my every day routine. The first thing I'm going to do this month is to sign up for a daily email of random facts. I am hoping to learn all kinds of interesting things and also have cool tidbits to share with friends and family. I'll follow up next week and throughout this month with some of the most interesting things I learn! I haven't decided where to find a daily email of random facts, so if you know of a good one let me know so I can check it out.
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AuthorMy name is Beth and I live in Denver. I am a single lady in my 30's and wanted to start sharing my awesome and amazing life through a blog. Categories
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