Last year I started reading like a maniac again. I took my son to get his library card last Spring and we've gone to the library every 2-3 weeks since! It was so wonderful to read again - I hadn't really read anything of substance since before he was born.
Some of my favorites were:
The Hunger Games - I read all three in about a week and a half and they blew me away. And, of course, the movie pales in comparison
Under the Dome - Stephen King really knows how to freak a girl out with real people. This book shows how a small town reacts when something bad happens to them. It's crazy. And good. And scary. A perfect SK.
11/22/63 - another SK. This one is about time travel, which is a total mind fuck for me. I simultaneously love and hate time travel plot lines. He does a good job with this one, though...even though I kind of saw the ending coming (the whole time-space continuum thing).
The Descendants - Just a beautiful book - funny, sad, heartwarming, poignant. I just watched the movie last night - since it had been awhile since I read the book, I was pretty happy with the movie adaptation. Plus, George Clooney wins for me in anything.
Two Kisses for Maddy - this one is by a fellow blogger, Matt Logelin. Those of you not familiar with Matt and Maddy's story, go take a look at his site. He has a few quick links to give you background. I came across Matt's blog right after I found out I was pregnant with my son and right after Matt lost Liz, so I kind of followed him from the beginning of his journey. The book was a perfect addition to his blog. Warning: have tissues ready. And if you're offended by the word "fuck" then you may not want to read (or any of the books I'm suggesting, really).
Let's Pretend This Never Happened - Blogger Bloggess writes a hilarious book. I think I peed my pants twice while reading this book. (see above warning regarding the word "fuck")
A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night - The first two books in a trilogy by Deborah Harkness. Alone, Discovery of Witches was rough for me - until the vampire came into the picture. The sequel, Shadow of Night, was awesome (more time travel into the 1500's, one my favorite time periods!). I'm looking forward to the third book.
And, my most favorite book I read last year:
The Night Circus - Have you ever read a book that you were afraid to put down because you were afraid you were going to miss something? That's how Erin Morgenstern's debut novel was for me. It has mixed review on Goodreads, but I absolutely loved it. I recommended it to pretty much everyone I know who loves to read and I even bought it as gifts for my besties for their birthdays. In fact, I just went out and bought a copy for myself so I could reread it again. That's how amazing it was - I'll reread it less than a year after reading it for the first time! Seriously, though, it was magical. Truly magical.
What was your favorite book you read last year?
