January - The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin
February - Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
This amazing woman finds herself on a three-month hike along the Pacific Crest Trail in search of herself. After losing her mother and hitting rock bottom, she uses the last of her money to buy equipment for this hike - without even ever had hiked before! It is inspiring, sad, riveting, and happy. I cannot wait to see the movie!
March - Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippmann
This was not my favorite book to read, I thought the 'secret' would be more exciting/scandalous. This story is sad. A young girl and her friend are accused of murdering a baby as children and are released from prison many years later. They are trying to make it in the world and things turn for the worst for one of the girls who just can't shake her past.
April - Trash by Andy Mulligan
Trash is about a group of kids living in the slums of a Third World Country picking through trash to make a living. It is also a sad tale, but two of the boys find something mysterious and try to right a wrong and end up benefiting significantly from their findings! This book speaks of unfathomable poverty that was really hard for me to read, as it is described in such detail.
May - Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews
My sister lives in Savannah, GA, and told my mom and I about these books (I have read a few!). They take place in Savannah and are super fun, short, reads that are filled with humor and hope. BeBe Loudermilk is a Southern Bell who ends up being swindled by a man who takes her entire fortune. She plays detective and tries to solve the mystery, in a hilarious manner!
June - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I don't care who you are, this book is beautifully written and will make you cry. The movie is beautiful as well, and will make you cry. I really enjoyed getting to know Hazel and Augustus and learning about their young love for each other that turns out to be resilient in the face of cancer.
July - Looking for Alaska by John Green
I couldn't get enough of John Green from the month before, so I had to read another of his books! Looking for Alaska is extremely witty and intelligent. I laughed out loud so much and was truly touched by the strong bonds Alaska's friends form in a quest to find out what happened to her. I loved this book.
August - Carry On, Warrior: Thoughts on Life Unarmed by Glennon Doyle Melton
I originally read this book two Summers ago and just needed to read it again. Glennon is quite the story teller and I love how much raw truth she gives her audience. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more and more than once thought she was describing my life (Target tantrums)! I also felt encouraged that maybe I'm not so bad as a wife/mom/friend when she describes her faults. If you are feeling down, or in a bad place as a mom - read this book. It will just make you happy.
September, October, November - Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant by Veronica Roth
First of all, I am not a huge sci-fi fan, but I watched "Divergent" and loved it! What an interesting story and it had action, and complex theories and organization of its people AND my husband enjoyed the movie! So, I had to start the books. I read non-stop for a week and a half and finished all three. So, I had to take a break from reading because, geez it's hard to read that much and raise a family! These books are intelligent and filled with love and adventure. I craved more. I really enjoyed this series!
December - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
This book originally came out when I was in high school, and I read it over 10 years ago! I saw they were making a mini-series out of it and could not wait to watch it. The mini-series was great, but so different from the book. I had to read the book again and I loved it just as much, if not more than when reading it as a young teenager. This book is a fictional Biblical story about the only daughter of Jacob and Leah and her life. Dinah had four mothers, and many brothers. She finds true love and out of her brothers' jealousy, loses her husband. She suffers the loss of her son to her Egyptian mother in law, but starts to find her place in the world. She becomes a gifted midwife and finds love again. Although fictional, this story is beautifully told and I think it really depicts what life was like so many years ago.
Enjoy!
Brittney
I didn't care for "Wild," but I do love Cheryl Strayed. And "The Fault in Our Stars" - oh it's SO damn good. Hadn't heard of some of these - thanks for the suggestions :)
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