Book Nerd: Must Reads for Any Book Lover

For those of you who don't know, I tend to enjoy books more than I enjoy most people. Not saying that good conversation with a cool person isn't one of my favorite things, but theres something about getting lost in a book that totally mesmerizes me. I might be in the minority by saying that, but for those of you who like to read as much as I do I thought I'd throw together a list of my recent favorites (with a few of my "go-tos' that will never get old) to jump start your July.

The Girl On The Train- Paula Hawkins

I'm waiting to hear that this book will be made into a movie, its that unpredictable. It follows three characters who's lives are intertwined in one way or another who are all going through their own issues. The disappearance of one leads to a thrilling tale told through all three perspectives that leaves the reader constantly guessing what could have happened and doubting which one to trust. It took me less that three days to finish this book and I'll probably start reading it again because I'm sure I'll pick up on other details that I missed the first time. 

Still Alice- Lisa Genova

After seeing the film adaptation of this book receive so many awards and honors reading it was a no brainer for me. The book follows Alice, a Harvard Psychology professor at her peak,  who gets diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers. The book is interesting because it is written in her perspective which allows the reader to get a glimpse as to what its like for a person dealing with this disease. As a psych nerd, I loved it. It was heartbreaking & loving all at the same time. 

Tiny Beautiful Things- Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed is one of my all time favorite authors. Some of you might know her from her book-turned-movie Wild (which is equally as great). Tiny Beautiful Things is a compilation of her advice articles from her time as an anonymous author on an online newspaper. Her way of being brutally honest, yet somehow encouraging is refreshing and its a good read for anyone. 

A Fall Of Marigolds- Susan Meissner

I ordered this book on a whim and its now one that I know I'll reread multiple times. It follows two women from New York, a hundred years apart, who both lost someone they loved in terrible tragedies (the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire & September 11th) and how a scarf  passed through generations "saves" them either emotionally or physically. Its a book that touches on the idea that even after the world seems to have betrayed you in every way, continuing to live and love is better than forever staying in an in-between place. 

Into The Wild- Jon Krakauer

This is another one of my "go-to" books. Based on a true story, Krakauer, a reporter, looks into the life of Christopher Johnson, a well off twenty something, that donates his savings to charity, burns the cash in his wallet and sets off to travel/live off the land in Alaska. Christopher is found months later, dead, and his story is grippingly haunting. As someone who loves the idea of dropping everything and traveling this book was both an interesting and realistic account of how small we are in comparison to the harsh realities of the wild. A must read for any traveler or wandering soul and a book that I try to read every now and then.