Book It!

To say that reading makes me happy is an understatement.  I fall in love with good books.  I am like a teenage girl who can’t stop gushing about the boy next door.  I want people to share in my delight!  And so instead of giving you my book recommendations after I have read them, here are the books that are either on my nightstand or on hold at the good ol’ public library waiting for me to pick them up and love them:

“Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed

I have seen this book recommended everywhere – from Oprah to the New York Times - and have had to wait months to get it from the library.  This is typically a good sign. 

“The House at Tyneford” by Natasha Solomons

My aunt called my mom and me one afternoon and told us that we had to stop everything that we were doing to run out and get this book.  She has really never steered me wrong in book recommendations, so I made it happen.  I obviously haven’t read it, but when reading the description I immediately think of Downton Abbey. 

“The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

This is the current book club selection on Momastery.  I’m looking forward to reading/hearing the discussions.

“Let’s pretend this never happened: (a mostly true memoir)” by Jenny Lawson

I recently heard about this blog by Jenny Lawson and it had me crying with laughter after five minutes.  I figured that I would give her book a try; if it’s anything like her blog then I am in for a good time. 

“The things they carried: a work of fiction” by Tim O’Brien

I am really into the military genre right now, as I’m sure you will see from my next four books.  Maybe it is my way of personalizing everything that is going on in the world today; maybe it is my way of trying to remember the sacrifices that my heroes have made; maybe I just enjoy these books.  Whatever the reason, there are a lot of good books out there and this one is a must read.  On a side note, I’m not sure that ‘military genre’ is a real thing, but it is on this blog.

“Unbroken: a World War II story of survival, resilience, andredemption” by Laura Hillenbrand

See above, plus I have never read anything by this author and I have heard that she is wonderful.

“Flyboys: a true story of courage” by James Bradley

Matt and I stopped into an aviation store the other day and the owner gave me this book recommendation, along with the next one.  I am a sucker for stories about pilots, wonder why?! 

“The Great Santini” by Pat Conroy

See above, plus I love this author.

“The Yellow Birds” by Kevin Powers

Military genre and finalist for this year’s National Book Award – enough said.

“One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd” by Jim Fergus

This book came recommended by my mom.  My mom knows what kind of books I love, so I can’t wait to dig into this one.

“The love of a good woman: stories” by Alice Munro

I was reading an interview with Jeffrey Eugenides in the New York Times and he said that this was the last truly great book he read.  I love his books, so I figured I would love books that he loved (that is a lot of love).

“This is how you lose her” by Junot Diaz

Finalist for National Book Award

“A Light in the Window” by Jan Karon

This is the second book in the Mitford Years series.  My mom-mom likes to read these books and I like to talk to her about them.  This series is like a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup on a winter day – comforting. 

 

“Summer People” by Elin Hilderbrand

Because I need some “chick lit” to throw in my reading list between all of those military books!

And with that – I am off to fall in love.