Book Recommendations

Currently reading:

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
- Super interesting so far!  I actually borrowed the book on tape for my commute to and from work.  It makes the drive so much more enjoyable.

Book Recommendations from this past year:

The Millennium Trilogy (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Series) by Stieg Larsson
-Suspenseful, addictive, graphic, and filled with plot twists.  All three books are great.  It's hard to get into the first book initially, as it starts off a little slow and all of the character names were confusing and sounded alike, but it really picks up (after about 50 pages in) and you never want to put it down.  I also thought the American movie was great and very faithful to the book. I haven't yet seen the original Swedish movie, but hopefully will at some point.
BOTTOM LINE: Read if you like books that keep you on the edge of your seat.  Some people complained that some parts were too graphic, disturbing, and not for the faint of heart, but it didn't ruffle my feathers too much.


The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
- Believe the hype!  This series is super addictive and a super fast read as it's intended for young adults.  The best book by far is the first one.  I also really enjoyed the first movie, as I thought it was quite truthful to the books.
BOTTOM LINE: Read if you like books that keep you on the edge of your seat.  Much less graphic than Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but still somewhat disturbing the idea of children killing each other in a gladiator-style arena


The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
-A dark and fantastic tale about magic, love, destiny, and heartbreak. I really liked this book.  It's kind of like a period piece rooted in realism with elements of fantasy.  That sounds confusing but it is definitely a book to try out.
BOTTOM LINE: Perfect for those who enjoy books that transport you to magical places.  The descriptions allow you to see the story unfold before your eyes, as if you are actually there witnessing the enchantments of the circus.


Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
-An enchanting piece as well that dealt with magic and other realms. This was another page turner and also a fairly fast read (another YA book haha).  Compared to the Night Circus, this was definitely more fantastical in terms of the other worlds aspect.  Also quite suspenseful as you uncover the main character's origins along with her.
BOTTOM LINE: Great for those who love fantasy, suspense, and a little bit of a mystery.


The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
-An imaginative and enchanting tale about discovering your roots.  The books switches between England and Australia as different characters in different generations are revealed to all be somehow connected.  There are also many new fairy tales that are interwoven into the book (relates to the story) that I thought were great even as standalone pieces.  There's even some twists at the end.  Highly recommend this book.
BOTTOM LINE: Read this book!


The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
-A period piece of a wealthy British family set during the World War I years.  There's love, intrigue, betrayal, and murder.  I enjoyed the Forgotten Garden more, but this was also great read.
BOTTOM LINE: A nice tale for vacation or a beach read.


A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin
-I'm obsessed with the Game of Thrones series, so I wanted to check out his books as well.  They are pretty long and daunting, but super interesting.  I love his descriptions.  Check out the HBO series if you haven't seen it yet!
BOTTOM LINE: Read and watch this series!  The author also switches narrators throughout the books as there are so many characters, but the story is creative you never see plot twists coming.


Eat, Pray, Love


There's more, but I'll keep updating this list when I have some time!