1).
Let me begin this selection by saying that books that take the nation by storm are normally lost on me. For example, I'm still baffled by Twilight and more baffling for me is the fact that I read the entire series. I guess I just kept thinking I must be missing something. They did absolutely nothing for me! The "Grey" series is a little different. This series didn't involve intricate writing styles or themes. The plot was pretty mundane and stupid, but it was enthralling. It did keep me up at night and not because of reasons you're thinking...The relationship between the two main characters was just intriguing, I guess, for lack of a better word. I enjoyed watching it unfold and develop. But the main reason I included it on the list is because it's easy reading. It's entertaining. It keeps you coming back for more. I recommend downloading on some kind of e-reader with 3G because once you finish one book, you'll want to immediately download the next!
2).
Wow! This is by far by most favorite memoir I've probably EVER read! As most of you know, my motto is "life is too short to read a book twice"...Not true for this book. It's so funny and uplifting. It's a book any woman and/or mother can relate to. It's beautifully written. It's a book about coming of age...About being a mother and a daughter. As Kelly describes it, "That sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap." It's a story of survival and need. I just loved it. You will too!
3).
This is one of those books that I was so happy I never gave up on. It's hard to get into. The writing style is unique and it takes some time to adapt to. It may even seem boring at first. It's one that can easily be sat down and never picked up again...But don't do it! It's worth every minute you devote to it. It's about two twin brothers in Ethiopia who are orphaned by their mother who dies at their birth. Their father runs away. The boys come of age during a revolution. It's fascinating and heart wrenching. The twins are born conjoined at the head and forever share fates that are intertwined even after they are physically separated. As you might expect, there is betrayal and miracles and trust. This book was named one of Amazon's Best Books of the Year in 2009--A title I believe it wholeheartedly deserves!
4).
I was scouring the internet one night looking for a good book. This one kept popping up on every list: Amazon, New York Times, etc. I quickly downloaded a sample to my kindle. It immediately had me enraptured. It has love, romance, suspense, mystery. It contains a very, very unique story line. The story begins on Nick and Amy's 5th wedding anniversary--The day Amy disappears. It's a dark story about a marriage gone very wrong--one that started out with so much promise. As a fellow blogger wrote: "Marriage is the real mystery in this book". It's true. And maybe it's baffling for everyone. Maybe no one really truly knows their mate like we believe we do. The story is fascinating and hard to put down. I enjoyed every minute of it!
5).
Elizabeth Gilbert may be one of my favorite authors. I loved "Eat, Pray, Love", which made me want to read her next book, "Committed"....If you read her first book, you probably already know her view on marriage. She doesn't think too highly of it. However, you see a different side of her in "Committed". I expected to hear lots of marriage bashing and while there is some of that...She clearly states in the book that survey after survey clearly reveals that marriage benefits men far more than it benefits women....she comes to understand it and envelopes it and not necessarily out of choice, but necessity. It's a good book. One that made me look at my own marriage differently. It's, once again, another page turner. In fact, I read it years ago...And reviewing it here has made me want to visit it again. It's a striking look at commitment...Do we need a piece of paper to be committed to another human being? I really enjoyed it...hence, it made my list this year.
