okay, i admit, im kind of a bookworm.
you’re more likely to find me at home reading, munching on some late night snacks (chips, arare, kimchi bowls) with a chilled bottle of stella rosa sparkling wine in hand, than out at the clubs, or bars. although that’s not to write bars out of the question entirely — i love darts, & am new to the game of pool so it still has that exciting edge to it
i think my bookworminess stems from summers when i was little, being a part of my mom’s “summer adventure program.” it included: adventures to the library, homemade lunches, & a mandatory book list that needed at least ten completed titles added to it by the end of the summer. (she’s a teacher, go figure. and her only enlisted members of this program were my brothers, my cousins, and myself) during the school year, after homework & dinner, we had “quiet time” which meant no tv permitted (my dad hated that rule) for an hour, where we’d all sit & read quietly, sometimes i’d volunteer to read aloud & my siblings and mom would listen.
now that college is done, i find myself feeling very lethargic, & slow-minded if i’m not actively reading & writing. i don’t like feeling like i have to scramble to find the correct descriptor, or as if i’m lazily “dumbing” down the way i speak because im not challenging myself to learn new words.
so, to help others out there that are like me, in need of titles of worthwhile reads on-hand in order to get the ball rolling (it’s like going to gym, it gets easier once you start, i promise) i’ve compiled a *list of my favorite books as of 2014. keep in mind, it’s starting off small & to the point, because i’ve read a lot of books, but not all of them make it to the favorites.
*they’re in no particular order, because i’ve only fairly recently found that i like multiple genres so have at it, whichever suits you best :]
This is the first book that comes to mind when a friend or coworker needs a recommendation for a new book to read. A young adult romance novel, H.T.K.A.R.S is about Eliza, an aspiring journalist who move to NY to make it big. her passion for music, and a little coincidence, causes her to meet Hudson, a musician. the novel is told from both their perspectives, and you experience their jealousies, fears, selfishness, and selflessness carried through witty dialogue & an all too familiar raw vulnerability. i identify with Eliza, and find myself torn between Hudson & Loring. If you read it, please comment and let me know: are you team hudson? or team loring?
“Eliza has the sky in her eyes and I’ve always wanted to touch the goddamn sky.”
There’s a big difference between being alone and being lonely. And I’m guessing that once you’ve discovered this distinction you can’t go back to solitary confinement without serious emotional repercussions.”
“Note to self: Always remember how lucky you are to wake up next to someone who thinks you’re the shit.”
**this author has only written 2 books in her writing career, the first being God-Shaped Hole which is not as well-crafted as H.T.K.A.R.S, but it’s a good read too. If for some reason Ms. deBartolo ever reads this: pleaseeee write another novel. your talent is too amazing to end at two books :] with much love & encouragement, your friendly bookworm.
Wool is for the rebel reader, the anti-establishment, down with conformity, & exploiting government corruption enthusiast in you. typically, this isn’t my cup of tea (i usually stick to young adult romances, but like i said, i’m learning to explore other genres) but after the short kindle sample, i was hooked. it’s part of a trilogy, with the 2nd & 3rd installment being Shift, and Dust. it’s a little too complicated, and has too many dark secrets to simply summarize, but basically the earth isn’t as we know it to be now. something has happened to make it unlivable, so the survivors, the last hope for humanity lives in underground silos. its a strict system that people abide by, live by, not knowing any other way of doing it — but there are a handful of rebels, that sense that they weren’t made to live like this. asking questions & challenging authority creates fear, & for those fighting for freedom, their greatest wish becomes their punishment: the freedom to venture outside the silo.
“And now you see why some facts, some pieces of knowledge, have to be snuffed out as soon as they form. Curiosity would blow across such embers and burn this silo to the ground.”
“We are born, we are shadows, we cast shadows of own, and then we are gone. All anyone can hope for is to be remembered two shadows deep.”
***Howey has a new book unrelated to the silo series called Sand, but i have yet to read it. it’s on my wishlist of books for the future :]
Before the thrilling plot, before the intricately crafted characters, the first thing i was drawn to was the lyrical tone of the book. Doerr knows how to move the plot along, while still keeping the narrative poetic. overall, it’s beautifully written. as for the genre, this novel is more historical fiction, based on WWII france and germany. the storyline jumps between the past and what is perceived as the present, and is told from main characters of both sides of the war. marie-laure is a blind french girl who is daughter to the key maker for the natural museum of history in paris, which holds a stone that is sought after by many due to the legends surrounding it, and needs to be protected. werner is an orphan who has a great curiosity for science, which enables him to get further than the coal mines most orphans are predestined to work at. i dont want to reveal too much, but the paths of these main characters, & other supplementary characters are all woven into a complicated, sometimes tragic, storyline which i was addicted to until the very end. on a side note though, i think this novel would make a great movie someday, & would really hope if that ever happens, that the movie doesn’t miss/mess up the lyrical aspect of the text.
“She walks like a ballerina in dance slippers, her feet as articulate as hands, a little vessel of grace moving out into the fog.”
“His voice is low and soft, a piece of silk you might keep in a drawer and pull out only on rare occasions, just to feel it between your fingers.”
im sorry i dont have more favorites yet. i figured it would be kind of redundant to list the books that are already very popular (for good reason) that i’ve enjoyed like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, Fountainhead, and many more.
please let me know if there are any favorites of yours that i should add to my “future reads” list (which i promise is longer than my favorites :3)
lastly, if you’re curious, i read most of my books on my ipad, using the kindle app so that i can easily have multiple books lined up ready for me. it’s nice because i can download free samples of books im on the fence about as well. i recently subscribed to Kindle Unlimited via amazon, which im finding a lot of new books through. it’s $9.99 a month, with unlimited titles to download & you can also listen to the audiobook version of them for free too! i understand if you don’t get a lot of reading done every month, it probably wouldn’t be worth it, but for an avid reader like me, it’s definitely worth it. just something to look into :]
– mm.
earthtomars 