5 Books To Read This Year

On the hunt for a good book? Check out this short list of entertaining, inspiring, thrilling or just plain good books to add to your reading list this year

One of my goals for 2020 was to watch less TV. I'm always amused by TV, but I never feel particularly great about myself after I watch, say, The Real Housewives of New Jersey. In fact, I actually DO feel much better after I've spent the night reading. I feel like my brain was actually exercised. I also notice that my vocabulary is improved, even if I'm reading a relatively "dumb" or merely entertaining book. If you want less screen time, or simply to enjoy yourself curled up with a good book, I couldn't recommend reading more. It's really a great hobby to enjoy. Even if all you do is carve out 15 minutes a day to read before bed, I bet odds are you'll be happier than watching TV until you go to sleep! With all that said, if you're looking for some good reads to embark on a new reading/less TV spree like me this year, I have this post that has some great titles in it. I've also got these 6 books to read this year, all of which I've enjoyed:

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In A Dark, Dark Wood
I'm a fan of a good thriller. Why? I don't know because I read before bed and when my husband is gone traveling for work, it becomes challenging to fall asleep at night. This one is about a bachelorette party that starts weird and gets weirder, with secrets between friends and a few dead participants to boot. If you want a fast read with twists and turns, this one is for you!

The Woman In The Window
Another thriller. It was after reading this one that I realized I needed to cool it on the thrillers because it was getting hard to sleep! I got this as a recommendation from a girlfriend's book club. It didn't disappoint! A heavily medicated shut-in woman witnessed something, but what did she really see, and how does she convince people she really saw it when she's so heavily medicated? When this book gets to the culmination, you absolutely can't put it down! I stayed up until midnight reading it one night, which is saying a lot because I usually get up at least once a night with a child and then get up for the day around 6am. So if it's worth it to lose that much sleep on a book, it must be good.

Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe
I can't believe it took me 35 years to read the book behind my favorite movie of all time, Fried Green Tomatoes. For my 30th birthday, a girlfriend and I took a trip to Georgia to see the town the movie was filmed in and eat at the cafe (the fried green tomatoes and the fried chicken were indeed delicious!) It's an endearing story about an unlikely friendship. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll think of yourself as one of the characters in the book, just another friend following along the story. This classic stands the test of time, and is a sweet read (that, if you also are a fan of the movie, will give you so much more insight to the film, so definitely read it).

The Alchemist
My mom handed me this on one of her visits, and told me that the woman on the plane next to her had given it to her to read. It starts out a little slow, but I have to say - this book is inspiring, and it has some one liners that really get you thinking about your own life. It's a super fast read; I think I finished it in a matter of days. If you're looking for a simple book with a simple story that, somehow, gets you thinking about your life and the choices you make, this is your book.

The German Girl
I really wasn't sure if this one was going to make my list. It starts out SLOW. And perhaps just as bad as being a slow starting novel, it's repetitive. So it repeats the slowness. However, about a quarter of the way in, I found myself unable to put it down! It gets really good. You get invested in the characters. And it's a deeply emotional story that makes you think about WWII, The Holocaust, and Nazi Germany in a whole new way (at least for me, a non-Jewish woman who, frankly, never considered the details of what 1930's Germany was actually like). It's an intense book! It's not uplifting. But I think it's a really important story to read. If it doesn't leave you a more compassionate person, nothing will.

I've now rounded up all the titles that I've enjoyed lately, and am in need of more titles to read! We're creeping up on summer though, and I find that I like happier, cheery novels that are quick reads. I can handle dark thrillers in the dark months of winter, but in summer I want romance and comedy and all things light and airy. If you have any recommendations, let me know! Otherwise I'll blindly get a list of books together and likely craft a list next spring for some easy going summer reads. Happy reading friends! I seriously recommend turning your TV off and turning your mind on to enjoy yourself, even if it's just a few minutes before bed every day.