Reading List

Happy day 2 of 2014. Is everyone sticking to those new year's resolutions? If reading more is something you'd like to accomplish in 2014 ( and trust me it should be ), you're in for a real treat. I ended 2013 by wrapping up my reading list and I think a few of my picks are definitely 2014-worthy. I'm always on the hunt for a good read, so if you have any recommendations you think I should add to my reading list, I'm all ears. Here are a few of my top picks and a little bit of background ( without giving too much away, I hope! ).

1. Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan | A true story about a young journalist who at the the age of twenty-four begins to go a little mad. What begins as atypical behavior ( convincing herself her apartment is infested with bed bugs, snooping through her boyfriend's emails, and laughing hysterically at inappropriate times ) quickly escalates into something no doctor can quite diagnose. This story about a woman's diminishing health gave me goosebumps because I'd like to think my friends and family would fight for my life like Susannah's did for her.
2. Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick | If you've seen the movie, you know how good this story is. Let me tell you first hand that the book is even better. I actually read the book the day after I rented this movie. The day after. In one sitting. And didn't get bored. I didn't find myself comparing the book to the movie because there was such another element to the book that the movie hardly touched on. Easy read, but definitely worth the few hours this book will consume you.
3. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple | An untraditional format makes this book a winner in my...er, book. I'm a sucker when authors deter from the expected copy blocks and chapters and try something a little more exciting. This book does just that. A compilation of emails, documents, and letters shape this story about a wife and mother – one who's experienced great success and extreme disappointments in her life – who disappears from her family without a trace. Quirky, satirical, and a bit sad, this novel is sure to keep you guessing.
4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins | An instant hit for obvious reasons. Finally a story about a strong, independent woman who can fend for herself and doesn't need to be saved by the male lead. In fact, she saves him – more than once. Plus the unique setting of how a post-war, futuristic world functions is an intriguing aspect of this trilogy. Although I found myself comparing the book too closely to the movie, there are definitely added details that help fill in the plot gaps.