5 Star Books of 2012

Since joining Goodreads a few years ago, I've found it a fantastic way to organize what I've read & want to read, see what other friends are reading, and rate books once I've finished. Last year, I joined the Goodreads Challenge for the first time, with a goal of reading 25 books (I'd only read 14 the year before). I ended up reading 27, and upped my goal this year to 30. 

I went through my bookshelf and saw that there were 7 books from this past year that I'd rated 5 stars, and I thought I'd share them with you.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
After 2 girlfriends recommended this book to me, I downloaded it for my Kindle. Though it's technically young adult, this beautiful story is much more poignant to me now than if I'd read it as a teen. It follows two teenagers who meet at a cancer support group and the path their life takes in the months to follow. Certainly a tearjerker, but it doesn't stay with the stereotype you might be imagining. As an only child, the well drawn relationship between Hazel and her parents was one of my favorite parts of the book. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Thrillers aren't usually in my comfort zone, but I found myself flying through this exhilarating book I read for my book club. At one point, I texted a friend who had already finished because I was so anxious about it I didn't think I'd be able to continue. She advised me to push through, and I'm so glad I did. Though it doesn't have the most satisfying ending, this story following a couple after the wife's disappearance is a well-paced roller coaster ride. 

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain 
We follow Hadley, the first wife of Ernest Hemingway as she meets, marries, and moves with him to Paris during the 1920s. This book paints a stunning portrait of Paris and read like a memoir. I found myself really identifying with Hadley, even as she navigated grim waters. 

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker 
In this slightly sci-fi book, we follow Julia as she deals with normal adolescence against the backdrop of the earth's rotation slowing slightly each day. What I loved about this book was that it was a tremendously well written coming of age story, but also had a unique (and eerily believable) sci-fi storyline. This book is slow paced and beautifully written, and left me thinking about it long after I'd turned the last page.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed 
As an aforementioned "indoorsy" person, I was worried whether I'd grow bored or disinterested with Cheryl's adventures hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. On the contrary, I found this book a beautiful portrait of a woman in her 20s grieving her mother's death, with  easily readable vignettes of her time on the trail. It reminded me of a gritter Eat, Pray, Love without the "you need to find love to be fulfilled" aspect. 

The Stuff That Never Happened by Maddie Dawson 
Sometimes a quick chick-lit book comes along and becomes one of your favorite books of the year. I flew through this book in a matter of days, all the while wanting it never to end. It alternates between the 70s and the present, and the character development is so fantastic. We follow Annabelle and a heart-fluttering and believable love triangle with Jeremiah and Grant. 

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
After reading Wild, I knew I also wanted to read this compilation of Cheryl Stayed's once anonymous advice columns for The Rumpus. What I didn't expect was to weep, be inspired, and want to keep this book by my nightstand forevermore. These advice columns are a beautiful portrait of a strong woman who has a lot of perspective to share.

What were some of your favorite books of the year?

Favorite Things: January 2013

Temple Run - I'm not really much of a game player, but my boyfriend's nieces got me hooked on this game during our recent trip to California. The basic gist is that you're an explorer running through a temple while being chased by monkeys. You collect coins, jump over things, slide under things, and (my favorite part!) when you die, you can just play again. It is mindless and fun, and kept my mind occupied during my long flights. 

David's Tea - I'd heard many good things about this loose leaf tea company, but hadn't actually bit the bullet to order any. Imagine my glee when I found an actual store a stone's throw from where we stayed in San Francisco! I picked up 6 different kinds, and each has been a winner. My favorite so far is Organic Detox, a green tea blend with ginger, gingko, and juniper berries. 

YSL Volupte Sheer Candy - I first heard of this tinted gloss/balm from my friend Ashley (who has an amazing blog & YouTube channel), but it took me a few months to pony up the cash & give it a try. But after all the lip products I've purchased over the past year or so, this one absolutely takes the cake. After purchasing it 2 weeks ago, I literally have worn nothing else. The color (I have mouthwatering berry) is gorgeous, it smells slightly fruity, and it hydrates my lips like nothing else I own. 

Julep nail polish - I have a serious nail polish buying problem, which is why I'm thrilled to have found Julep. Their creme polishes are fantastic, glossy, and long wearing, and they have a fun monthly subscription service (called Julep Maven) where you receive 2 polish colors + a special product each month. Best of all, you can skip any month without penalty. 

What Alice Forgot - I've read many good books this year, but my favorite so far is What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. It follows a woman named Alice who, at 39-years-old, has a head injury where she wakes up thinking she's 29-years-old. It may sound like a slightly cheesy premise, but the primary & secondary characters were extremely well developed and it really left me thinking about the storyline well after I'd finished the book. 

What are you enjoying this month?

Welcoming a New Year

 “I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” -Audrey Hepburn 

It's so difficult to not get in the full scale resolution mode when January rolls in, ready to chuck your current life out the window in favor of some perfect version where you take public transportation daily and make green smoothies after waking naturally without an alarm. I'll admit, I love a fresh start as much as the next person, and after spending a week in Ohio eating cheesy casseroles & cookies, I truly did long to drink that yucky-looking-but-delicious green sludge.  

But the problem with grandiose resolution making is that it creates this mindset that we're not up to snuff, and that we need "fixing". And, when you ultimately don't get up early enough to take the bus to work (ahem, me this morning), you feel as if you've let yourself down. And it's only the 10th day of the year! Oh, the pressure. 

As I was reading all of the very inspiring blog posts and magazine articles about making resolutions, I ran across this gem over at Green Plate Studios. Analiese writes "It’s so important for us, especially women, to remember that we are already powerful, whole, and worthy of love exactly as we are. Set the intentions. Set the resolutions. Set the goals. But don’t make them about fixing what’s wrong. There is nothing wrong with you. (Anyone who tells you otherwise? Probably trying to sell you something.) Focusing on what we see as flaws keeps us from enjoying real life, in all its messy and imperfect glory."

Often, I get caught up in the awful cycle of feeling like I'm not "enough": pretty enough, skinny enough, well dressed enough, you get the picture. But earlier this week, I ran across a photo of a friend who was announcing her pregnancy. She was posed informally with her husband and she just looked so beautiful in a natural, non-model way, and most importantly, she looked happy. That was what stuck out to me the most about the picture. Not her outfit, the location, the shade of lipstick - just her undeniable joy. And it made me realize that inner glow is more important than any external factor. I know I'll need reminding of this time and time again as the year progresses, but it really rang true with me this week. 

And that's why my "resolutions" are taken from the above Audrey Hepburn quote: to laugh as often as possible, love with an open heart, be strong when things are difficult, let my inner glow shine, and have a fresh start whenever I need it.

{Image via Pinterest}