Last year I talked about the books I read during my travels and you guys loved it! Reading is a passion I am trying to get back into. This year my goal to read 2 books per month or 24 books total. Sharing my good reads with other people allows me to inspire them to read more as well. When I travel reading on flights it keeps me calm, and on trips, it keeps me unplugged. The best way to read and is through your local library. Go and grab your free library card and download the app, Libby. You can download e-books and audiobooks for free right from your cell phone! I received a Kindle Fire for Christmas so I love using it. Before that, I used the Kindle app on my phone and it worked perfectly. Many popular books have a long waitlist, but put those on hold and read the less popular ones first. Here is what I have read so far:
January:
The Night the Lights Went Out:
This book was a perfect recommendation to start the year. With the setting inside of metro Atlanta, the plotline engaged me with familiarity. The beginning starts off very cliche, but once you hit the climax you won’t be able to put it down. You’ll always remember those people who made an impact on your life as a child, good or bad. The main character Merilee can attest to that for the rest of her life.
Luckiest Girl Alive:
I had this book cover on my phone for months so it was time to read it. I’ll be honest, the climax was the complete opposite of what I expecting. I think I said “O my God” out loud multiple times. The beginning seems like it might be very mundane with just a rich girl in New York. Get past the first 50 pages and I promise it will pay off. I loved the middle of the book because it was such a page-turner. Although I was a little bit disappointed by the ending. I’m curious to see if they turn it into a movie as it says on the cover.
February:
The Light We Lost:
I flew through this book and similar to the last book in January, the cover is what drew me in. Written in the first person this book is different than the other books I have read this year. A romance when you are younger seems to always stay with you in your future and this book reminds me of those blissful times. Wanting a simple read but with a deeper meaning, this is the perfect book for you. I laughed (in my head) and I may have shed a few tears while also saying “Oh no!” out loud, but this read should be high on your list for this year.
Educated:
One of the most eye-opening books I have read in my life about a different perspective on education. This book is of course about education but is more about the path before her education and what led to it. As a memoir, I loved how deep the author got into her childhood in the first half of the book. I wish the end of the book was equally as in-depth. Hearing how another person grew up in the same country as you but in a different environment, really gives you an appreciation for what you have. You might see a fancy name like Harvard or Cambridge on someone’s Linked, but their story to get there might be different than you think.
March:
The Day the World Came to Town:
A friend of mine recommended this book to me when I was at a girl’s beach weekend and she said “If you just want a great read about how people can be kind read this book,” and she was right. I never realized how many more people 9/11 impacted than just those who were in the buildings, firefighters, police officers, and family members. Millions of lives were impacted after these tragic events, but some people became superheroes to others after those days. If you have Amazon Prime, you can get this book for free with Prime Reading!
The Astonishing Color of After:
This powerful read written in the perspective of a high schooler was one of the most beautifully written books. I am not a very good writer (ask my graduate advisor), so seeing how an author can intertwine a tragic plot about death and depression with beautiful words that captivates a reader is a work of art in itself. I read this book in about two days because once the travels begin and there is this constant cliffhanger, you can’t seem to put it down.
April:
An American Marriage:
I have had this book on my list for about 6 months, and I for sure judged a book by its cover. I thought it was going to be a light-hearted story about the struggles in traditional American marriage but it was so much more than that. Timing, distance, and physical touch are all important aspects of human interaction, especially in a marriage. Roy and Celestial are torn apart in a way that almost no one can relate to, but can love to conquer all of life’s problems?
Sharp Objects:
I’m not quite sure why I’ve been so into crime-related books this year, but I cannot get enough of them! The title of this book has a whole different meaning than you’d expect. Small towns always have their secrets but combine that with an overbearing mother, a crazy half-sister and this main character is in for a real treat. Just when you think the crime was solved, prepare yourself for a twisted ending that will make your fist clench. This book was also made into a short HBO series. I have heard mixed reviews of it, but I know many times for me, shows or movies many times ruin the book.
May:
Hunger:
I’m not quite sure how I stumbled upon this book but I am so thankful I did. This is the second memoir I’ve read this year, and it was more powerful than the last one. Talking about obesity, and being overweight is such a touchy topic. Roxane wrote it beautifully and honestly, and my perspective is forever changed. You never know what is happening in someone’s life that has to lead them to where they are. The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” is resonated throughout the novel with our bodies being the cover. A fantastic read that I would recommend to anyone no matter their size.
Where the Crawdads Sing:
This was the most recommended book by everyone in my circle and of course Reese Witherspoon as well. A beautifully written story that integrates racism, adulthood, love, and passion. This book has you cheering for the main character and her tragic story almost the whole way. Rooted in pureness of nature and what it can bring to someone’s life, this beautifully written book will capture any reader.
June:
The President is Missing:
First of all, who knew that Bill Clinton was an author? This book co-authored by him is amazing. The position of being the president of the United States is known as a hard job, but what does reality look like when a crisis occurs for a president? What would the world look like if we had no access to any technology? How would our lives be forever changed? A mix of crime, politics, and a dose of reality this is a great read.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine:
This has been one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. This main character is so quirky and interesting and to be honest I felt her weirdness was very similar to mine. As someone who is an extrovert, it was great to read a book about a protagonist who is extremely introverted. Unexpected friendships, deep past secrets, and the most twisting ending, this book needs to be high on your list.
July:
Little Fires Everywhere:
This book came highly recommended by many people and I even checked it out at my school’s library to bring on my trips this summer. The plotline was very intriguing with many intertwining characters struggling with friendships and their true identity. Relationships between mothers and daughters in this book are so strong and I love how they show two sides of motherhood. Right up until the end of the book I was so hopeful, but the ending fell flat for me, but I’d love to know what you think!
City of Girls:
The beautiful cover of this book drew me in. Also, Elizabeth Gilbert transitioned me back into reading for pleasure when two years ago I read “Eat, Pray, Love.” The 1940s setting combined with the glamour of New York City will draw anyone in. Twisting and turning plotlines and the headstrong female protagonist has you turning each page wondering what is she going to do next? Love is always tricky for any 20-year-old woman, and City of Girls really showed in an old fashioned time how everyone’s love story won’t be the same.
August:
The Other Woman:
I was so upset when my rental for this travel read ended before I finished, that I was so impatient I had to re-rent it again! Getting along with a future spouse’s family is an important aspect of a relationship and this book dives into it all. The good, the bad, the ugly all comes out in this feud between Emily and her future mother in law, but you guys, the ended is nothing I expected.
Braving the Wilderness:
I’ve been really into non-fiction books this year that have also been memoirs. This book was so eye-opening. I’m not a huge self-help book fan in general, but this travel read made me see a different perspective on people’s lives. Moving towards the school year, her words really opened my eyes to my student’s perspective. She has a lot of different books and I’m excited to read more of them.
September:
Before We Were Yours:
I never knew there was an adoption issue in the United States until I read this book. Historical fictions are another theme of my travel reads this year and it was beautifully written. Wingate did an amazing job of weaving this horrendous part of history with the power of love and family and connections. Put this is on your list before the end of the year, one of my top 5 reads.
Something in the Water:
The cover of this book intrigued me, and the plotline was so bizarre! It was a very simplistic read and I finished it quickly, but it was honestly very unrealistic to me. I honestly felt like I was watching an intense action movie and I wanted to get to the ending because I just had to know.
October:
Small Great Things:
What a powerful travel read that everyone needs to pick up. Jodi Picoult always does an amazing job of integrating social issues and stigmas in our world with novels and this is no exception. We all know racism exists in our country and we all think we aren’t racist but we don’t really know if we’ve never experienced it. Stepping into the shoes of the main character of this novel and her life really allowed me to open up my eyes. I finished this book with may more empathy than I had before.
The Alice Network:
Last month I was speaking with my girlfriends about how much I’ve been diving into reading this year. We decided to start a book club, which I’ve always wanted to have! We chose this book and it was one of the few books I’ve listed to with Audible and it was tremendous. Last year I recommended the book The Nightingale which was about spies during the world wars and I raved about it. The Alice Network was equally was an equally amazing historical fiction book. The intertwining of two diverse stories that combine into one at the end for an amazing climax will everyone gasping as I did in my car.
November:
Becoming:
Everyone raved about this book when it came out at the beginning of the year, and to be honest they were right. I listened to this book on my 12-hour roundtrip car ride to and from Raleigh. I love that she read her own audiobook and it made it even more sentimental. My favorite part of the book was the first 2/3 learning about her childhood and her life in the public eye before she ever became the first lady. You never really know someone personally feels about the good and bad aspects of their life unless you really get deep, and Michelle really poured her heart out in this book.
Burial Rights
We chose this book for our book club this month. I am not going to lie, it has a very slow start to the book. With a lot of characters involved and all of their names are in the Icelandic language it can be difficult to follow first. Once you get about 30% way through the book it really grasps you in and you have to know the rest of the story of Agnes. Why is no one listening to her? Is she the same person everyone says she is? Great travel read and also helped me learn a lot about Icelandic culture as well.
December:
The Rest of the Story
Sarah Dessen is an author I grew up reading. Seeing the new book in my school’s library I knew I had to read it. Her target audience is mainly young adults. Although, her books are such great travel reads and I think this new book adds to her depth. A summer away is every teenager’s dream. However, a summer away meeting a whole side of your family you never knew about can add a lot of drama. This book intertwines two worlds and shows by the end that regardless of the years, location or history family will always be there for you.
Daisy Jones and The Six
This travel read my friends chose for our book club for January. I blew threw it before the end of the year. My friend said it was a historical fiction book. I was excited to read about the band on the internet after I finished it. It turns out the band doesn’t exist. The book was such a page-turner and I love the style it was laid out in, very non-traditional. If you love music, drama, and of course love stories this is the book for you. Since it is such a popular book, it was very difficult to find at my local library or rent online, so use those Christmas gift cards or holiday money to buy it physically for yourself then hand it off to a friend to read!
I hope that this blog post gave you some inspiration for books to read. These travel reads are great year-round. If reading is a goal of yours going into the next year make a goal and stick to it.
