A few of my favorite books....

You might have noticed that I have barely posted about books lately... I haven't been doing as much reading lately! I've had more social plans in the last 2 weeks than I did during the entire month of October! Plus, the last 3 books I've read were from the "Twilight" series, and I feel like I can only post about the first one. I will read the 4th book, but something about the 3rd book left a bad taste in my mouth. I still read it really quickly, but I didn't like it as much as the first 2.

The Christmas season is upon us so I thought I'd talk about a few books I love! Tomorrow I'll do a post about some books I am hoping to receive from Santa this year!

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom - You'd probably have to live under a rock to not know about this book. If you haven't read it - go buy it today. Or I can lend it to you. I read this book about once a year - it has so many great messages. It's written by Sports Writer Mitch Albom - he re-unites with a college professor, Morrie, and meets with him every Tuesday to discuss themes such as love, family, and forgiveness. Albom has gone on to write 2 other books that deal with similar topics (The 5 People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day), but this is the finest of the 3 in my opinion.

Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach - My friend Katie recommended this book - it is one of my favorites and makes a great gift since most people haven't heard of it. It's a travel memoir, so it'd be a great gift for someone who enjoys traveling! I re-read it this summer before going to France and it definitely got me more excited for my trip! The author, Alice Steinbach, considers herself an independent woman: she makes her own choice, shovels her own snow, and pays her own bills. However, she finds that she has become dependent on others in a different way. She had "fallen into a habit of defining myself in terms of who I was to other people and what they expected of me." Steinbach decided to take a sabbatical from work and travels through Europe to find out who she is when away from the people and things that define her.

Love Walked In by Maria de los Santos - This certainly doesn't fall under the 'high-brow' category, but is a fun, light-hearted read. The novel tells the story of two women - one older, one younger - and the unexpected ways in which their lives are forever changed by chance. References to classics films such as "The Philadelphia Story" are peppered throughout the book. I need to go back and re-read this so I can write down all the movies she mentions and watch all since I love old, classic films! The sequel to this novel, "Belong to Me," is also worth checking out!

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson - This book is a true page-turner. I read it in a day and stayed up until the middle of the night, finishing it. It is also a tear-jerker, so consider yourself warned. In the beginning of the book, we meet Katie Wilkinson - she has found the perfect man at last, but one day he disappears, leaving behind a diary for her read. The diary is written by a woman named Suzanne and is addressed to her new baby boy, Nicholas. Who Suzanne & Nicholas are and how they are related to Katie's boyfriend are revealed throughout the book.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer - Jon Krakauer, an outdoor enthusiast and contributor editor at Outside magazine gives a first-hand account of his summit of Mount Everest in March of 1996. By the end of the summit, eight people are dead. If you have any interest in what it takes to summit Everest, I highly recommend this book - it's another page turner.