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!

One of my favorite parts of starting a new year is putting together my reading list of all the books I'd like to read in the next year.  I've had this list put together for a while now, but am just now getting the chance to write it out for you.  Here are the 20 book I hope to read this year...

Books I didn't get around to reading last year:

• The Dressmaker
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
• The Paris Wife
• The Time Between
• The Miniaturist

New fiction books to read this year:

• The Girl On the Train
• Maze Runner
• Vanishing Girls
• All the Bright Places
• Eleanor & Park

Classic books:

• Tess of the D'Urbervilles
• Dracula
• A Tale of Two Cities
• Treasure Island
• The Picture of Dorian Gray

Personal development books:

• I Am That Girl
• You Are a Badass
• Big Magic
• Awaken the Giant Within
• Better Than Before

This is only a small selection of the books I would like to read.  According to my Goodreads list I've currently got 236 new books to read...and it just keeps getting longer!!

The good news is that I already own all of the books listed above, so I won't have to wait for them to become available through the library or go pick them up at Barnes & Noble.  That's what has seemed to hold me up in the past, but now I've got plenty of options to choose from.

Which books are on your reading list for 2016?  Share in the comments below!

Earlier this year I wrote three posts listing the books I want to read this year.  If you want to read about the books I chose, you can follow the links below to my original posts:

• Books 1-5
• Books 6-10
• Books 11-15

I figured now that we're more than halfway through the year I might as well give an update on the progress I've made on my list.  

Here are the 8 books I've read from the list so far:

• Panic by Lauren Oliver
• Ensnared by A.G. Howard
• Atlantia by Ally Condie
• Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
• The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard
• The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
• Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
• Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra

And here are the 7 books I have left to read:

• The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
• The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
• The Time Between by Karen White
• The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
• Wool by Hugh Howey
• Outlander by Diane Galbadon

I feel like I'm right on track to finish all of them before the end of the year.  I actually own all but one of the books I still need to read, so at least I won't get stuck waiting on books to be available from the library like last year.

Even though I already have exactly 200 books on my "to read" list I'm always excited to hear about a great book that I need to read, so feel free to share your favorites in the comments below!  Also, let me know if you would like to see a book review on any of the books I have already read this year.

It's finally time to write about the last five books on my fiction reading list for 2015.  In case you missed them, here are links to Books 1-5 and Books 6-10.  Here are final five books of my list for this year.

My last few times in Barnes & Noble were spent consulting my reading list and looking for e-books through my library to make sure I didn't buy a book that I could get for free.  Basically a whole lot of work to make sure I picked just the right books to buy.  The last time I was in the store, however, I threw my "buying strategies" out the window and just grabbed whatever looked good to me.  One of those books was The Time Between by Karen White.  Here is the summary from Amazon:

Eleanor Murray will always remember her childhood on Edisto Island, where her late father, a local shrimper, shared her passion for music. Now her memories of him are all that tempers the guilt she feels over the accident that put her sister in a wheelchair—and the feelings she harbors for her sister’s husband.

To help support her sister, Eleanor works at a Charleston investment firm during the day, but she escapes into her music, playing piano at a neighborhood bar. Until the night her enigmatic boss walks in and offers her a part-time job caring for his elderly aunt, Helena, back on Edisto. For Eleanor, it’s a chance to revisit the place where she was her happiest—and to share her love of music with grieving Helena, whose sister recently died under mysterious circumstances.

An island lush with sweetgrass and salt marshes, Edisto has been a peaceful refuge for Helena, who escaped with her sister from war-torn Hungary in 1944. The sisters were well-known on the island, where they volunteered in their church and community. But now Eleanor will finally learn the truth about their past: secrets that will help heal her relationship with her own sister—and set Eleanor free....

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica was one of the first books I bought using my credits at Audible.com.  I just finished listening to it last week while I was on a work trip to Houston.  I thought it was an interesting way to tell the story and really enjoyed it.  Here's what Amazon has to say about the book:


"I've been following her for the past few days. 

I know where she buys her groceries, where she 

works. I don't know the color of her eyes or 

what they look like when she's scared. But I will." 

One night, Mia Dennett enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. At first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life. 

When Colin decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota instead of delivering her to his employers, Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them. But no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter.  

An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a propulsive debut that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems. 

This next book was on my list from last year and I never got around to reading it.  Wool by Hugh Howey is another book I have gotten through Audible.com lately.  However, at over 17 hours long it may take me a while before I start it.  My plan is to listen to it this year though because I don't want to leave it un-read for yet another year.  Here's the summary from Amazon:

For suspense-filled, post-apocalyptic thrillers, Wool is more than a self-published ebook phenomenon―it’s the new standard in classic science fiction.

In a ruined and toxic future, 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.

I am not even sure how I heard about Tiny Pretty Things, but it sounds like it's a book that I would definitely like.  Here's the summary from Amazon:

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is another one of those books that I don't remember hearing about originally.  I may have seen it in a book store or maybe it was recommended to me by my library based on other books I've read.  Either way, I've already bought it and am looking forward to reading it.  Here is the summary from Amazon:

Orphan Train is a gripping story of friendship and second chances from Christina Baker Kline, author of Bird in Hand and The Way Life Should Be.

Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to “aging out” out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse...

As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.

Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life – answers that will ultimately free them both.

Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.

And that's it, the end of my fiction reading list for 2015.  So far this year I have read five books out of the fifteen I have chosen.  I'm currently reading my sixth book from the list, Ensnared.  I own all but two of the books, so at least this year I won't be waiting on copies to become available from the library before I can read them.  

Maybe halfway through the year I will write a review on one or two of my favorite books so far, so stay tuned for those.

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.

As I promised on New Year's Day, I have put together a fiction reading list for 2015 which includes 15 books I've never read.  Here is a list of the first five books from my list:

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, is also a TV series on Starz.  I haven't read the books or watched the show yet, but it sounded interesting enough for me to add the first book to my must-read list.  Here is what Amazon has to say about Outlander:

Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon’s work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured the hearts of millions of fans. Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages.
 
OUTLANDER
 
The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743.
 
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Ensnared is the third book in the Splintered series by A.G. Howard.  I have read the first two books and have been counting down the days until this one was released yesterday.  Here is the summary from Amazon:

Spoiler Alert: don't read the section below if you haven't read the first two books!

After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She’s determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world—a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts.

In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that’s gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

The Dressmaker was on my reading list for last year and I never got a chance to read it.  I've picked it up a few times but then remembered it's about the Titanic and figured that with all of my cruises in the last year it wouldn't be a good idea to read it until I don't have a cruise planned for a while!  So hopefully I can read it shortly after returning from my next cruise in the middle of February.  Here is what Amazon has to say about this book:

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.

Atlantia is a new book by Ally Condie, who wrote a favorite series of mine called Matched.  I have already used an Audible.com credit to get the audio book, so I'm looking forward to listening to it on my cruise in a month.  I tend to be too fidgety on vacations to sit down and read a paper book, so I'm hoping I'll at least be able to listen to one while on the plane or when relaxing at the pool.  Here is the Amazon summery for Atlantia:

“Utterly captivating. A heroine unlike any I’d met before, a setting I’d never glimpsed, a story I’d never imagined. Atlantia is fresh, wild, and engrossing. I love Ally Condie.” —Shannon Hale, award-winning, bestselling author of Austenland and Dangerous

A New York Times Best Seller! 

Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamed of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all Rio’s hopes for the future are shattered when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected choice, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long silenced—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the corrupted system constructed to govern the Divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

And those are the first five books of my 2015 reading list.  Stay tuned for two more posts outlining the remaining ten books I'll be reading this year!

If you have other books you think I'll like, please leave a note in the Comments section.  I'm always adding to my list on Goodreads!

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!

So far this year I have only read 18 books, which means I am way behind schedule for reaching my goal of reading 50 books this year.  I have also only read 2 out of the 10 books from my 2014 fiction reading list, so I've got a lot of catching up to do!  In addition to all of the fiction I'd like to read, I also have a list of non-fiction books that I'd like to finish this year.  Here are the five non-fiction books on my 2014 reading list:

• Life is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally by Patti Digh
• The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
• Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
• Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality by Jacob Tomsky

Here is an in-depth look at each of these books.

I honestly don't remember how I came across Life is a Verb or when I decided to read it.  But I like the thought behind the title and I have a feeling that I will enjoy it.  Here is the summary from Amazon:

In October 2003, Patti Digh’s stepfather was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died 37 days later. The timeframe made an impression on her. What emerged was a commitment to ask herself every morning: What would I be doing today if I had only 37 days left to live? The answers changed her life and led to this new kind of book. Part meditation, part how-to guide, part memoir, Life is a Verb is all heart. 

Within these pages—enhanced by original artwork and wide, inviting margins ready to be written in—Digh identifies six core practices to jump-start a meaningful life: Say Yes, Trust Yourself, Slow Down, Be Generous, Speak Up, and Love More. Within this framework she supplies 37 edgy, funny, and literary life stories, each followed by a “do it now” 10-minute exercise as well as a practice to try for 37 days—and perhaps the rest of your life.

The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande is a book that I have heard about from a few different people.  Knowing my love of making lists, I figured this is an obvious choice for my reading list!  Here is what Amazon has to say about this book:

In his latest bestseller, Atul Gawande shows what the simple idea of the checklist reveals about the complexity of our lives and how we can deal with it.

The modern world has given us stupendous know-how. Yet avoidable failures continue to plague us in health care, government, the law, the financial industry—in almost every realm of organized activity. And the reason is simple: the volume and complexity of knowledge today has exceeded our ability as individuals to properly deliver it to people—consistently, correctly, safely. We train longer, specialize more, use ever-advancing technologies, and still we fail. Atul Gawande makes a compelling argument that we can do better, using the simplest of methods: the checklist. In riveting stories, he reveals what checklists can do, what they can’t, and how they could bring about striking improvements in a variety of fields, from medicine and disaster recovery to professions and businesses of all kinds. And the insights are making a difference. Already, a simple surgical checklist from the World Health Organization designed by following the ideas described here has been adopted in more than twenty countries as a standard for care and has been heralded as “the biggest clinical invention in thirty years” (The Independent).

I heard about Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell a long time ago from a former boss.  He told me that it was a very interesting read and I've wanted to read it ever since.  Here's the summary from Amazon:

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band. 

Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

The only thing I've heard about Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns) is that it's pretty funny.  I'm looking forwarded to more of a lighthearted read compared to some of my other non-fiction choices.  Here is the Amazon summary:

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?” 
 
Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!
 
In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

Heads In Beds is a book I casually picked up while browsing one day in Barnes & Noble.  I always enjoy getting a behind the scenes glimpse into different industries, so I am looking forward to seeing what Jacob Tomsky reveals about the hotel industry in this book.  Here is the summary from Amazon:

In the tradition of Kitchen Confidential and Waiter Rant, a rollicking, eye-opening, fantastically indiscreet memoir of a life spent (and misspent) in the hotel industry.

Jacob Tomsky never intended to go into the hotel business. As a new college graduate, armed only with a philosophy degree and a singular lack of career direction, he became a valet parker for a large luxury hotel in New Orleans. Yet, rising fast through the ranks, he ended up working in “hospitality” for more than a decade, doing everything from supervising the housekeeping department to manning the front desk at an upscale Manhattan hotel. He’s checked you in, checked you out, separated your white panties from the white bed sheets, parked your car, tasted your room-service meals, cleaned your toilet, denied you a late checkout, given you a wake-up call, eaten M&Ms out of your minibar, laughed at your jokes, and taken your money. InHeads in Beds he pulls back the curtain to expose the crazy and compelling reality of a multi-billion-dollar industry we think we know. 

Heads in Beds is a funny, authentic, and irreverent chronicle of the highs and lows of hotel life, told by a keenly observant insider who’s seen it all. Prepare to be amused, shocked, and amazed as he spills the unwritten code of the bellhops, the antics that go on in the valet parking garage, the housekeeping department’s dirty little secrets—not to mention the shameless activities of the guests, who are rarely on their best behavior. Prepare to be moved, too, by his candor about what it’s like to toil in a highly demanding service industry at the luxury level, where people expect to get what they pay for (and often a whole lot more). Employees are poorly paid and frequently abused by coworkers and guests alike, and maintaining a semblance of sanity is a daily challenge.

Along his journey Tomsky also reveals the secrets of the industry, offering easy ways to get what you need from your hotel without any hassle. This book (and a timely proffered twenty-dollar bill) will help you score late checkouts and upgrades, get free stuff galore, and make that pay-per-view charge magically disappear. Thanks to him you’ll know how to get the very best service from any business that makes its money from putting heads in beds. Or, at the very least, you will keep the bellmen from taking your luggage into the camera-free back office and bashing it against the wall repeatedly.

If there are any good non-fiction books you've recently read, please let me know so I can add it to my ever-growing list!  Happy reading everyone!

This is the second half of my 2014 fiction reading list, which includes another five books that I will be reading this year.  My main issue with my reading list in general is that I love to re-read my favorite books, so sometimes it's hard to make myself read a new book when all I want to do is go back and read books that I love.  But now that I've laid out the top ten new books I want to read this year I think I will be more likely to stick to my reading list!

I can't remember where I heard about The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp, but it's supposed to be a great movie and I'm looking forward to reading the book first.  Here is the summary from Amazon:

This National Book Award Finalist is now a major motion picture -- one of the most buzzed-about films at Sundance 2013, starring Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller.

SUTTER KEELY. HE’S the guy you want at your party. He’ll get everyone dancing. He’ ll get everyone in your parents’ pool. Okay, so he’s not exactly a shining academic star. He has no plans for college and will probably end up folding men’s shirts for a living. But there are plenty of ladies in town, and with the help of Dean Martin and Seagram’s V.O., life’s pretty fabuloso, actually.

Until the morning he wakes up on a random front lawn, and he meets Aimee. Aimee’s clueless. Aimee is a social disaster. Aimee needs help, and it’s up to the Sutterman to show Aimee a splendiferous time and then let her go
forth and prosper. But Aimee’s not like other girls, and before long he’s in way over his head. For the first time in his life, he has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life—or ruin it forever.

Splintered by A.G. Howard is one of the books I'm the most excited to read this year.  It sounds very interesting and the best part is that there's also a second book called Unhinged (I'm a sucker for a great book series).  Here is the summary of Splintered from Amazon:

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa must face her worst fears and step through the mirror to find the origins of the curse. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy-but-suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

I have heard good things about The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, but I'm going to have to make sure I'm in a good mental state before I read it because I've heard it's a tear-jerker.  I've also seen the trailer for the movie and it looks really good.  Here is the Amazon summary:

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.

After seeing and loving the movie based on The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, I knew I had to read the book.  Is it just me, or are there a lot of movie adaptations from books right now?  I think half of my reading list has been made into movies!  Here is the summary from Amazon:

Meet Pat Peoples. Pat has a theory: his life is a movie produced by God. And his God-given mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate, whereupon God will ensure him a happy ending—the return of his estranged wife, Nikki. (It might not come as a surprise to learn that Pat has spent several years in a mental health facility.) The problem is, Pat’s now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he’s being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany; his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of therapy. Plus, he’s being haunted by Kenny G!

Every Day by David Levithan is another book that sounds intriguing.  It kind of reminds me of the plot for Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, which was a book I really enjoyed.  Here is the summary from Amazon:

In his New York Times bestselling novel, David Levithan, co-author of bestsellers Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, introduces readers to what Entertainment Weekly calls a "wise, wildly unique" love story about A, a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life. This new paperback edition features six additional chapters about A's earlier life.

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

And that's it, the final five books on my 2014 fiction reading list!  I've already read the first two books of the Divergent series and am about halfway through the third book.  Now I just need to decide which book to read next…so many options to choose from!