Need a Read?

As most of you know, I like books. I like reading them. I like collecting them. I like staying up in the late hours of the night reading them. I like the smell of old books, and the creases on the page where someone previously dog-eared them.

In the age of Kindles and online reading, printed books allow one the opportunity to escape to an electronic-free world. A world that is not your own, a voice that is not your own. You can be someone else for an hour, a minute, a second.

Recently, I have had several people ask me to recommend some books for them. At the time, I felt overwhelmed making suggestions off the top of my head. But after having some time to think, I think I can make some educated suggestions. This is going to be a long post with a lot of text, so I apologize in advance!

First up, we have the Hunger Games series. A well known series, admittedly. In fact, most of you have either read the series or at least seen the movies. For those of you who may not know, the series follows Katniss Everdeen in a post apocalyptic America. When her sister gets called to participate in the annual Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place. The first book follows Katniss's first Hunger Games. The sequel, Catching Fire, follows Katniss's participation in the 75th Hunger Games. The third book, Mockingjay, follows the uprising against the Capital that follows these events. I stayed away from this book for a very long time, mostly because I felt no desire to read it. However, I finally buckled down and read it, and I have to admit, it was pretty good.

Next, keeping up with book series and young adult books, we have Divergent and it's two sequels, Insurgent and Allegiant. A lot of you have probably heard of this series as it was recently made into a major motion picture. Also set in a post apocalyptic world (this time, Chicago), this series follows Tris Prior as she leaves her comfortable home and family for a more exciting life elsewhere. I try not to give too much away as I LOVED this series. I LOVED it. I read it last summer at a week at the beach, and I ended up finishing the whole series in four days. I definitely recommend these books, and my hope is that you will end up as entranced by Tris's life as I was.

Currently, John Green is the reigning authority on young adult books. I mean you have heard of The Fault in Our Stars, haven't you? Well, this superstar wrote other books- two of which are on this list. First, we have Looking for Alaska. Miles Halter has no idea what's in store for him when he transfers to his fathers old prep school, but he knows it must be better than where he is. He falls into a group of friends that introduce him to a more exciting way of living. He is also introduced to Alaska Young, the girl of his dreams. The book basically follows the group's adventures and the unanticipated tragedy that befalls them. This is the book that my blog name comes from, by the way.

If you liked The Fault in Our Stars, this next book is for you! The Spectacular Now follows high-schooler Sutter Keely as he experiences life "in the now". This was also recently made into a movie, by the way. Sutter parties every night, sleeps with who he wants, when he wants, and seems to have no plans for the future. After getting dumped by his girlfriend, Sutter meets Aimee Finecky. Sutter introduces her to alcohol, starts dating her, and begins corrupting her previously sheltered life. Things get serious between the two and Aimee begins to pressure the commitment-phobic Sutter. The movie and book have different endings, and I'll let you decide which you like more.

Next we have Mindy Kaling's autobiography Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?. This is an account of comedian and actor Mindy Kaling's (The Office, The Mindy Project) life thus far. I read this book a while ago, but I remember really loving it. Mindy intertwines issues of racism and sexism with her own comedic style. If you like laughing uncontrollably while reading, this is the book for you.

Something a little more edgy comes next. A Million Little Pieces is a story of drug and alcohol abuse and the rehabilitation that comes with these two. We are brought face-to-face with a provocative new understanding of drug abuse, as told in first-handed kinetic and visceral prose. The story is a memoir and recounts Frey's multiple stints in rehab centers and continued fight against drug addiction. Honestly, it's a hard book to read- as it is so harshly honest. However, if you can look past the difficulty of the subject matter, the message being told is a great one. This is the kind of book that makes you appreciate the issues everyone is going through and humbles your own stressors in life.

The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing is a coming of age story that all young women should read. It teaches you that independence is key, happiness is what you make of it, and you don't need a man to make you happy. I have been meaning to read this book for several years, but never got around to it for one reason of another. However, in May, I finally picked the book up at a used bookstore and haven't looked back. It's written as a collection of loosely connected short stories that revolve around a girl named Jane. The whole book follows Jane's life as she deals with love, lose, and even cancer. Seriously guys, just read it, it's a great book, and it is a definite must-read for young woman everywhere.

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods changed my life. It really did. It follows Bryson's journey of self-discovery as he hikes the entirety of the Appalachian Trail. Bryson tells an Walden-esque story that touches on the same themes of self-reliance and the value of simplicity that Walden does, but with much more humor. This memoir will make you want to hike the Appalachian Trail until you realize two weeks later that you could never hike the Trail. Or could you? If it would lead to a beautiful tale of self-discovery, maybe you could? Decide for yourself and read this brilliantly written memoir.

I don't think I need to introduce this next author. Tina Fey is an accomplished comedian, producer, actress and former-SNL writer. Read her hilarious and honest memoir Bossypants. That's all I have to say about that. 

Next we have another John Green book on the list. An Abundance of Katherines is probably my favorite of Green's books. It's about a boy who dates exclusively only Katherines. That is until he meets a non-Katherine. Don-don-don. Read it, it's really good.

Finally, for those who enjoy something a little more... non-fiction-y, A History of the World in 6 Glasses is for you! This book analyzes the importance of six different drinks- beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and cola- throughout different cultures throughout history. It analyzes their economic effect, as well as their effect of agriculture and globalization. It may sound dull, but it's truly amazing how these seemingly unimportant drinks can have made such an impact throughout history.

Well that's all folks. Whether you're at the beach, by the pool, or at the doctors office (like myself), there is a book for you.

If anyone has suggestions for other books not listened here, let me know below!

Again, I apologize for the length of this post!

Later, gatorz