Reading List.

Tonight is my first book club {with some of my best blogger girlfriends – Julia, Hallie, Hitha, and Victoria} so it was only fitting that I do a little reading list for you. Besides, we’re way overdue for one… probably because I’ve been reading more than I’ve been blogging.

• I read Jojo Moyes’ The Last Letter From  Your Lover earlier this summer. Like all of her books, I tore through it in just a few days. Not for lack of substance… but because I could not put it down. Over Memorial Day Weekend I was pretty much immune to any conversation on the beach… nose in book…. I needed to know what happened! I’ve loved her other books too.. they’re all beautifully written, and they all make me cry. Similar to The Girl You Left Behind, this one contained two intersecting stories from both modern day and past. In this one, a young woman wakes up… not remembering a thing. Looking for clues about who she is, she begins to find letters hidden around her house from a man she loved (not her husband.) I became obsessed with knowing their fate (hence how quickly I devoured it), rooting for a happy ending. If you’re looking for a book that will make you stay up all night, this is it.

• My book club read The Circle last month, but I couldn’t make it. To be honest, this book freaked me out a little bit.. mostly because I could see it being real. It also made me really think about how much and how often I’m sharing on social media. The main character gets her dream job at a company (that bears a striking resemblance to Google or Apple) and madness ensues. She finds herself going from someone who doesn’t feel comfortable sharing her life online to sharing everything… eventually isolating her family, friends, even some of her coworkers. I found it fascinating. If you work in social media (or for a tech company, it’s a must-read.

• This one is for the geek girls. Admittedly, I’ve only just started The Book of Life but have been so. excited. for. it. all. summer. So I had to include it here. Naturally, it isn’t for everyone, but if you are into witches + vampires (like me) and haven’t read the All Souls Trilogy, you must. Unlike most books about witches, it actually isn’t a young adult book. It’s smartly written, rich in historical fiction, and (though I found that the first book started out slowly) a page turner once you get into it.

• I just started reading Unfriending My Ex and Other Things I’ll Never Do (I started it right before The Book of Life came in the mail) and it is laugh out loud funny… especially if you work in social media. The author, Kim Stolz is a true Internet addict. It’s smartly written and a fun read, but as entertaining as it is, it is a great reminder that we can (temporarily, of course) live without our phones to live in the moment… and that all that connectivity actually leads to us feeling disconnected in real life.

• Lastly, there is this month’s book club book, Beautiful Ruins, which we will be discussing tonight.  I really, really loved this book. It was beautifully written and takes you on a whirlwind adventure (alternating between a tiny coastal town in Italy during the sixties, and modern day America.) Richard Burton makes an appearance and you get a really incredible sense for the film industry… but more importantly, it’s just lovely to read and the character development is exquisite. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a while.