It's been a long time since I've posted a reading list, so I figured now would be a good time to update you on what I plan to read this fall and winter.  Like always, I have about a million books on my to-read list on Goodreads.  Actually, my reading wish list is currently at 366 books right now, but it feels like it only ever gets longer and not any shorter!  If you'd like to connect with me on Goodreads, here's a link to my profile.  I'd love to see what you're reading so I can keep adding to my list :-)

I'm lucky enough to get 2 weeks off work over the holidays, so I'm already making big plans on all the books I'll finish and all the shows I'll catch up on.  Here are the 10 books that I'm hoping to finish before spring hits:

1. Practical Magic
2. The Rules of Magic
3. The Alchemist
4. The White Queen
5. Origin
6. A Wrinkle In Time
7. Letters to the Lost
8. Moxie
9. Ringer
10. Go Set a Watchman

Keep reading for a quick summary of why I want to read each book and a link to all the books on Amazon.

Practical Magic is still one of my favorite movies from when I was younger and surprisingly I never got around to reading the book.  Alice Hoffman recently released a prequel to this novel called The Rules of Magic, so I figured now would be a good time to read both books.  I've already finished the first book and I did like it even though it was different than I expected.  There were a few big differences from the movie, but overall it was an enjoyable book to read and I am looking forward to reading the next one.

The Alchemist is a book I've heard about from time to time over the years, but I never really knew what it was about.  It's come to my attention more and more over the last year, so I decided it's about time I get around to reading it.  Other than knowing it's about the quest of a young shepard boy, I don't know much else about it.  Based on the positive reviews and recommendations I've seen over the years, I am excited to check it out for myself.

​The White Queen is one of Philippa Gregory's historical fiction novels that I haven't read yet.  The book has been made into a TV series on Starz that I've been meaning to watch, but I decided that I would try and read the book first.  I've loved every other book that I've read by Philippa Gregory, so I've got high hopes for this one!

​Origin is Dan Brown's latest novel and I knew it would be on my reading list as soon as it came out.  All of his books have been really good so it didn't even matter to me what it was about.  I'll only start this one when I'm ready to get sucked into the story and not re-emerge until I've read the whole thing.

A Wrinkle In Time is the only book on this list that I have already read before.  I read it at some point a long time ago and I barely remember anything about it.  When I heard that they are making a movie from the book I knew I needed to re-read it!  I just saw the movie trailer over the weekend and it looks like it's going to be good.  I've already started this book and only have a few more days before I have to return it to the library.  Thankfully, it's a relatively short book, so I'm sure I can sprint through the rest fairly quickly.

​Letters to the Lost is a recent addition to my to-read list.  I saw it in one of the reading lists I found on Pinterest recently and I liked how it sounded.  It's a Young Adult novel and also a romance, which are two of my favorite genres, so I'm excited to see how well the author tells the story.  

​Moxie is another YA book on my list that I'm excited to read.  This is also another author I've never read before.  It sounds like the book is highly relevant to today's issues and topics, mostly because it tells the story of a teenage girl who starts a feminist revolution in her Texas high school.  I'm hoping the story is as interesting as it sounds!

​Ringer is the second book in the Replica series.  I read the first book a few months ago and really loved the concept, so I was excited to see that the next book was scheduled to come out in October.  Just like the first book, this one is split into two separate stories from two different characters.  The book is literally split into two pieces, so you can read one story and then flip the book over and read the other one.  The jacket says you can either read the chapters in both books by alternating between the two or you can also read one whole side and then the other.  I read this book in only 3 or 4 sittings, so it is definitely a quick read and a good story to get sucked into!

​Go Set a Watchman is Harper Lee's sequel to the well-known To Kill A Mockingbird.  I bought both of them as audio books a while ago.  The first book is narrated by Sissy Spacek and this one is narrated by Reese Witherspoon.  Like most people, I read To Kill A Mockingbird back in school, but I wanted to re-read it as an adult.  Now that I've listened to the audio book and reacquainted myself with the characters, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to them twenty years later in this book.

And that's the end!  Those are the 10 books that I have read or plan on reading for this fall and winter.  Let me know in the comments if you've read any of these books or if you have your own reading list that you are working on!

I have recently decided to spend some of my extra time on personal development.  Reading "self help" books has always been something that I've enjoyed, so I decided to ask for a recommendation from someone else who has read a lot of them.  The first book they suggested was The Slight Edge.  I looked it up online and liked the description, so I bought the e-book and just finished reading it today.  

Honestly, I think this book might change my life.  That may seem like a bold statement, but The Slight Edge has completely shifted the way my brain works and I don't think I'll ever think the same way again.  Here is the description from Amazon so you can read for yourself what the book is about:

"The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson in 8th edition of his popular book again helps readers learning how to realize the dreams and not be someone who just dreams while life passes by.

He sees the solution in the introduction of his Slight Edge principle that can be applicable not only to our profession, but also marriage, relationships, friendship, love, almost anything in our lives.
What is most interesting about this book is that most things found inside are common sense, although it's often forgotten.

For example when he says "...The average person spends between 250 and 350 hours every year driving to and from this place and that. That's about forty minutes to an hour each and every day. If you spend that time listening to educational and self-improvement material, you'll have the equivalent of a Ph.D. on any subject you choose in just a few years. That's the Slight Edge...." or "...being productive and being busy and not necessarily the same thing. Doing things won't create your success; doing the right thing will..." reader has to agree with him.

Maybe some readers will be disappointed to realize that slight edge is not some complex principle, something difficult or unique of which you have never heard before.
Slight Edge is actually about the driving force in our life that pulls us closer or moves us away from our goals.

The difference between these two diametrically opposite sides is someone ability to accept this philosophy and advances, with small or large steps toward the goal.

Overall, Jeff Olson's work is very inspiring and motivating piece, well-written and easy to read, and due to all those reasons, a book that can be recommended.

I hope this post has inspired you to take the time to read The Slight Edge, I truly believe it will change your life just as it has mine! 

It's been about a week since I got back from vacation and I definitely have a trip report planned that will go day by day through my trip and all my adventures.  Before I take time to write that I wanted to post the next set of books on my fiction reading list for 2015.  In January I wrote about the first five books on my list and today I'll be writing about the next five books.  Here they are:

The title of Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige is what caught my eye at first and then the description convinced me that this would be a great book to read.  I have already downloaded it from Audible.com, so now it's just a matter of finding the time to listen to it!  Here is the description from Amazon:

The New York Times bestselling first book in a dark new series that reimagines the Oz saga, from debut author Danielle Paige.

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero. But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a road of yellow brick—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas. I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. I've been trained to fight. And I have a mission: Remove the Tin Woodman's heart. Steal the Scarecrow's brain. Take the Lion's courage. And—Dorothy must die.

I bought Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children at the store about a year ago and have decided that I will read it this year.  Here is the summary from Amazon:

A mysterious island.


 
An abandoned orphanage.


 
A strange collection of very curious photographs.


 
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. 

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton is one of the books I recently purchased with my credits on Audible.com.  It sounded like an interesting story and I'm excited to listen to it.  Here is the Amazon summary:

Set in seventeenth century Amsterdam—a city ruled by glittering wealth and oppressive religion—a masterful debut steeped in atmosphere and shimmering with mystery, in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant.

”There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . .“

On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office—leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella’s world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist—an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .

Johannes’ gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand—and fear—the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?

Enchanting, beautiful, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.

I am a big fan of Sara Shepard's books, so I knew The Perfectionists needed to be in my 2015 reading list.  I actually read it last month after borrowing it from the library on my iPad.  I'm already excited for the next book in the series to come out in June, called The Good Girls.  Here is the Amazon summary of the first book:

You don't have to be good to be perfect.

From Sara Shepard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars series, comes another series full of juicy secrets, nail-biting suspense, and beautiful girls who will do anything to hide the ugly truth.

Ava, Caitlin, Mackenzie, Julie, and Parker are all driven to be perfect—no matter the cost. At first the girls think they have nothing in common, until they discover that they all hate the same person: handsome womanizer Nolan Hotchkiss, who's done things to hurt each of them. They come up with the perfect plan to murder Nolan—jokingly, of course. They'd never actually go through with it. But when Nolan turns up dead in the exact way they'd discussed, the girls suddenly become prime suspects in his murder. Only, they didn't do it. So who did? Unless they find the real killer, and soon, their perfect lives will come crashing down around them.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain is a book that has been on my to-read pile for over a year.  I picked it up at Barnes & Noble and knew it was a book I would enjoy.  I can't believe it's taken me this long to read it, so that's why it's on this list.  Here is the summary from Amazon:

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness.--until she meets Ernest Hemingway. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group-the fabled "Lost Generation"-that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking, fast-living, and free-loving life of Jazz Age Paris. As Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history and pours himself into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises, Hadley strives to hold on to her sense of self as her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Eventually they find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage - a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they've fought so hard for.

And those are the next five books on my list to read this year!  I wasn't able to finish my list from last year so I've made it a point to borrow or buy all of these books, sometimes using either my credits on Audible.com or by buying the hard copy.

According to my Goodreads list from 2014, I read a total of 42 books last year.  Some of the books I read were old favorites, but most of them were new to me.  In order to keep track of the books I wanted to read, I made three reading lists and shared them on this blog:

• 2014 Fiction Reading List
• 2014 Fiction Reading List (continued)
• 2014 Non-Fiction Reading List

All together, these lists included 10 fiction and 5 non-fiction books. I didn't get through the entire lists like I had hoped and instead only finished 9 out of the 15 books.  So it seems like I have some catching up to do!  Not only am I going to try to read the 6 books I missed from last year, I am also going to put together a new list of 15 fiction books that I'd like to read this year.  I'll be posting that list soon.

In the meanwhile, I'd like to highlight 3 of my favorite books or series from 2014.  Here they are:

The Fallen series by Lauren Kate was the first new series I started to read in 2014.  I had just finished the Matched series by Ally Condie and I was ready for another good set of books to read.  The Fallen series was recommended to me through my library based on the other books I had recently read.  Although the series didn't sound like my usual reading style, I decided to give it a shot and ended up really enjoying all 4 books.  Here is the summary from Amazon of the first book:

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

The Selection series by Kiera Cass didn't show up on any of my 2014 reading lists because I hadn't heard anything about it.  I actually found the first book, The Selection, while wandering the aisles of Barnes & Noble.  The cover caught my eye and then the description of the book made me realize it was something I wanted to read. I believe I read the 3 books of the series in less than a week, and maybe more like 4 days total.  The story sucked me in and I had to keep reading to find out what happened.  In case you haven't read my blog post about the series, here is the summary from Amazon for the first book:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

As I was looking up the series on Amazon I saw that there is a fourth book coming out on May 5.  Without giving away what happens in the first 3 books, I'll just say that I'm excited to see how the story continues in The Heir.

It seems like almost everyone I know has read the Fault in Our Stars, including my mom. It also seems like everyone really enjoyed the book and the movie.  Personally, I think they did a great job on the movie and it made me cry even though I hadn't cried when reading the book itself.  I think I connected more with the characters on the screen than the ones on the pages of the book, if that makes any sense.  In case you haven't read the book yet, here is the description from Amazon:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love. 

And those are my 3 favorite books or series from 2014!  If you haven't read them yet, I would highly recommend them to you.

Please check back soon to see my upcoming 2015 Fiction Reading List.  Appropriately, it will contain 15 of my top choices for fiction for this year.

There are two things that indicate to me that I really like a book.  The first is that I can't put it down until I'm done.  The other is that I keep thinking about it after I've finished the book.  A bonus is when I want to start right back at the beginning so I can experience the story again.  The books in The Selection series had all of these qualities for me.  

The last time I got so wrapped up in a series was for The Hunger Games.  I don't want to get your hopes up and make you think The Selection series was on the same level as that ultra-popular series, but for me this reminded me of my insatiable, can't-get-enough feeling I had when reading The Hunger Games.  In fact, an article on Hollywood.com referred to the series as "The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games".  No wonder I liked the series so much; those are two of my favorite things!  I can only hope this series is made into a movie trilogy so I can experience it in the theater.

In case you haven't heard of The Selection series or don't know what it's about, here is the summary of the first book from Amazon.com:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Apparently I'm not the only one who enjoyed the series.  The ratings on GoodReads are all right around 4 out of 5 stars.  Let me know if you get a chance to read the books because I'd be interested to hear what other people think!

I was recently introduced to a new young adult series by Ally Condie, which starts with a book called Matched.  Here is the summary from Amazon.com in case you would like to read more about the first book:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Now that I've finished the first book, I've already purchased the second book, Crossed.  I just started reading it, so I am anxious to see what happens next!

Once I'm done with the series, I'll be on the lookout for other book recommendations. Let me know in the comments section which books you've enjoyed this year!

A couple of people have told me about The Happiness Project, so I decided to check it out.  Here's the overview from Barnes & Noble:

"Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference."

Now that my 30th birthday is right around the corner, I've decided to start my own Happiness Project beginning in October and going for an entire year.  I plan on writing about my ongoing project in this blog, so you will get to see which parts of my life I've decided to work on and also hear about how the project has (hopefully) changed my life for the better.  Stay tuned for more!

Have you done your own Happiness Project?  If so, I'd love to hear about it.  Please share your experience in the comments section!

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, is the best book I've read all year.  I won't give away any of the details, but there's a major plot twist part way through the book that will leave you reeling.  The movie adaptation is set to come out in 2015 with Ben Affleck as the husband.  I had heard Reese Witherspoon would be playing the wife, but IMBD has Amy Dunne's character listed as being played by Rosamund Pike.  I haven't read anything else by Flynn, but I'm on the wait list for another of her books called Dark Places.  I'm anxious to see if it's as good as this one was!

Here is the summary from Amazon.com in case you'd like to read more about Gone Girl:

Marriage can be a real killer. 
   One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn. 
   On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 
   As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
   With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.