Reading, Set, Go

I'm sooo late to the party when it comes to popular book series. I read Twilight years after it came out. And Hunger Games. Even Harry Potter was a late one for me. And there's probably more. I get all in my head about how I don't care about these little popular books that can't be worth anything. And then when I finally get around to reading them, I'm become insanely addicted, finishing them all in an entire weekend without sleeping or eating properly.

I really should follow the crowd more.

And now we have Game of Thrones.

Mike loves this series and since he rarely reads fiction that doesn't involve a zombie apocalypse or Hobbits, I figure it might be worth reading. He borrowed all the books from a co-worker and even went out to purchase the most recently published one. Did you know the series is still being written? This completely took me by surprise because the HBO series is entering it's fourth season.

And then I found this in my Christmas stocking:

The blogosphere is running amok in book lists so I thought I'd add my book lists to the frenzy:

Five books I read this year and highly recommend:
Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Amazing. Beautiful. Follows the story of a young boy with a facial deformity who enters mainstream school. It's a young adult novel that should be required reading for everyone on the planet.

Abundant Simplicity by Jan Johnson. I originally found this on the Simple Mom web site. It's spiritual in nature, but a wonderful guide for really thinking through how we seek and live in simplicity.

Quiet by Susan Cain. This book has literally changed the way I understand myself. I've always had a hard time reconciling that I can be "on" and chatty and outgoing, as needed, with the fact that I also need vast time in quiet by myself. She finally explains it to me. Cannot recommend this book enough!

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. A fictionalized history of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley. I knew very little about Hemingway and reading this book made me fascinated with his life. Those crazy American writers in Paris. Sheesh.

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan. Somehow I've missed Gaffigan's stand-up comedy, but when I picked up this book on a whim at the library, I literally laughed so hard I cried. Repeatedly.

Books I wanna read:
Where'd you go Bernadette? by Maria Semple. My book club read this and I skipped out that month. Such regret. Everyone loved the book and now I've gotta make up time.

Crossing to Safety. by Wallace Stegner. This book was mentioned by Modern Mrs. Darcy and I have a strong feeling it will strike a chord with me. I loved Gilead and she says it will appeal to fans of that book.

Notes from a Blue Bike. Anything by Tsh Oxenreider of Simple Mom is going to be on my must-read list. The book is due out in February (but you can pre-order it on Amazon) and chronicles her life while living abroad. Can't wait.

What about you? Any recommendations? Or reading priorities?