judging a book...

I have always thoroughly enjoyed curling up with a good book. Its one of my favorite things to do on a cold, rainy weekend when there seems like nothing else to do, or when i need to relax and unwind in a steaming hot bubble bath. But it was always one of those things that I would only do when there was nothing else going on and in order to remain busy. Since I have been working graveyards (11pm-7am) my restrictions on what I can and cant do has been slightly lifted and therefore I am now able to read during my shift. This new ability of virtually 8 hrs of uninterrupted reading time plus the gift of a kindle that Jim gave me for Christmas and I have become a reading machine! (side note: I think the kindle is the greatest device.EVER!) In the 6 1/2 weeks since Christmas, I have read 16 books. 16! I thought it might be fun to do a little recap/review of what I have read so far and by posting about my new found hobby hopefully you can get an idea of what I like and I can get some good recommendations on what to read next.

*BTW, please don't judge my complete and utter lack of intellectual reads. reading for me is about fun and entertainment, and if you happen to learn something along the way that's great but not necessary. I'm all about indulging in some guilty pleasures when I read...hence the following list:

My guilty pleasure phase:

• Are you there vodka? its me Chelsea by Chelsea handler
  
• My horizontal life by: Chelsea handler
  
• Chelsea Chelsea bang bang by: Chelsea handler
  
• love lust and faking it by: Jenny McCarthy
  
• official book club selection by: Kathy Griffin
  clearly these first 5 books were all about fun and easy reads. I know the authors may not be some of your favorite people but I find them all hilarious in their own ways. I was surprised at how well written each of these were and while for the most part these were all about humor there were times where I actually learned something or thought differently about the authors after reading it. I would highly recommend any of these to anyone who wants to laugh...and who is not easily offended :)

My personal growth phase:

• the five love languages by:Gary Chapman
  I had always heard people talk about the 5 love languages and how everyone should read it. I had the time and the inclination so i figured why not, i have nothing better to do tonight. I am so glad and thankful I did! this book is A-Mazing! its so easy to read, its thought provoking and keeps you interested. I learned so much about myself and the way I am in all of my relationships, not just my marriage. Cannot recommend this book enough to any and everyone, whether you are in a relationship or not
  
• the tipping point by:Malcolm Gladwell
  
• blink by:Malcolm Gladwell
  These 2 books were all books I had to read for work. I was not super pleased with the thought of having to read some scholarly work and be bored to death while trying to keep to stay awake but I was surprised how un-boring these were. They both made me think differently about my approach to my job, my attitude and my relationships with co-workers. Gladwell's books were easy to get through and actually enjoyable...a nice surprise indeed! Recommended for people interested in social sciences or who have an interest in group dynamics and human interactions.

My recommended phase:

• A scattered life by:Karen McQuestion
  a scattered life was a book I randomly downloaded after reading a review on amazon...that and I think it was about $2. it held my attention and kept me interested. nothing profound, but nothing awful either. I know not a glowing recommendation but really it wasn't bad.
  
• water for elephants by:Sara Gruen
  a couple friends recommended it to me so I thought I'd check it out. Also, I want to see the movie so why not read it first. this was not something I thought I would really enjoy but the old saying holds true. Don't judge a book by its cover. This was excellent! and now I cant wait to see the movie. The casting of the movie has me concerned just a titch, but we shall see... maybe the movie will be prove me as wrong as the book did.
  
• ****The Hunger Games Series**** (hunger games, catching fire, mockingjay) by: Suzanne Collins
  OMG! these books are amazing, phenomenal, intense, excellent, and so many more synonyms for great that I don't have the words for. Seriously I am not over playing this, and I am not joking when I say probably some of the best books I have read. They keep you entertained, they make you think, they make you laugh, they make you cry, and they keep you on the edge of your seat. you feel like you are right there in the action. again the premise didn't sound super appealing to me but I was quickly running out of other things to read so i picked up the first one and I don't think i slept more than a couple hrs for the next 3 and half days until I was done with the 3 rd one. Ahhh! so so good! I cant say enough but i will stop now and let you make your own decision after you read it. which you should because its that amazing:)
  
  
• angry housewives eating bon bons by:Lorna Landvik
  the first "official" pick of the oec book cub. i think woman who have a group of fantastic female friends, who share life's big moments and are there for each other thru thick and thin will really enjoy this. you will be find yourself saying oh so and so is like that, and oh my god that's so me. or she reminds me so much of _____. its just one of those books you can relate to. Its cute and charming, but it can take a bit to get thru.
  
• heaven is for real by: Todd Burpo- super quick read! if you've got a few spare hours i recommend picking this up. very well done. makes you think and makes you realize how special gods children are. and how we should probably listen to what they have to say more often.

So there you have it my list of books and my thoughts on 'em. But now I would love to hear what your favorite books are and if you have any recommendations for me. Our hawaii trip is 1 week from today and I would love to have some good beach reads to have with me for the plane and while I'm sipping mai tai's, soaking up the sun by the ocean :)