2015 (so far) in Books!

I think this  may be my first book post of the year, which is really weird. Usually I'm all "once every few months or so", but hey- I've been busy.

Busy reading.. seriously though, I've meticulously been keeping track of every book I've read since 1/1/15 and I'm currently on number 45. It may not sound like a lot, or maybe that is just to me, but it sure feels like I have read a lot.

In honor of the Friday Five.. my top five for the year (so far), a few that I've mentioned previously and that you've probably seen floating around the review world. All for a very good reason.

 

1) All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: this recently won the Pulitzer and for a very good reason, the book is amazing. I always find it interesting to see what wins each year, and the comparisons people make. Reminder Goldfinch won last year- and honestly I didn't think The Goldfinch was that great. This one though, a bit more tied together. The story takes place during WWII and gives the view point from two characters, a blind girl living in France and a German boy fighting in the war. It weaves an intricate tale connecting the two during a very interesting time in our world's history. Buy it, put it on hold at the library, borrow it from a friend- no matter what add it to your list because every page is worth the read.

 

2) The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah: Maybe because we feel a certain amount of time has passed but these WWII/Holocaust book seem to be trending lately. Here is another. A completely different viewpoint on the war, The Nightingale is about two sisters and the roles they both took to help out and fight back against the Germans in France.  It touches on how the quality of life changed for many people and the little things that were being done to fight back and hold on to their humanity. Just as good, in a completely different way, as All the Light We Cannot See.

 

3) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: Jojo Moyes is a recent author discovery for me and I couldn't be happier with the find. This book in a particular is on a whole other level for a love story. It's not cheesy, and I'd like to think it is a bit more real. TheSkimm summed the description up nicely yesterday "A playboy ends up in a wheelchair and his assistant has to convince him that life is still worth it." Definitely have a box of tissues ready.

 

4) Yes Please by Amy Poehler: If you've ready Bossypants by Tina Fey or Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling then Yes Please should be an automatic yes for you. I liked Amy's book a bit better than Tina's just because it gives a bit more behind the scenes to her career vs her personal life. A lot of fun stories about Upright Citizens, SNL, Parks and Rec. She is an easy person to read, if you have seen Amy Poehler on anything then the voice of the book flows well, and she  is all for the girl power, which she should be, and you should be too.

 

5) Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult : I've been a long time fan of Jodi and this is her newest book. Like her others she knows how to pull on your heartstrings, she gives some great information about something you know but probably not a lot about at the same time (in this case, elephants) and is great at throwing in a surprise ending. Even when I think I know, she still surprises me. If you have enjoyed any past Jodi Picoult book you will enjoy this one. They basically don't even need descriptions.

So that's only 5 of 45. Others have also been great, I've had  a nice mix of YA novels, mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction and fantasy. And we are now in May. I'm guessing the reading will pick-up a bit in summer, just because I usually have a bit more time and I will be traveling more. That equals more time to read.. yay!

What have been some of your favorites so far this year?

And I'm adding this awesome song to my link-up today because it is one of my book memory triggers, in this case The Secret Garden.

plus can we talk about how fantastic this music video is??

<div class="blue-giraffes-and-concrete-jungles-button" style="width: 250px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://www.bluegiraffesandconcretejungles.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow"> <img src="http://i1374.photobucket.com/albums/ag402/rebekah_lee2/music%20button2_zpsto6xryc6.png" alt="Blue Giraffes and Concrete Jungles" width="250" height="250" /> </a> </div>

Happy Friday!