The Best of Me- Nicholas Sparks

I am a huge Nicholas Sparks fan. HUGE. And, unfortunately I don't have very much time to read his books during the semester. However, my mom lives in Atlanta (8 hours away) so I try to squeeze in some leisure books during my drive. Audiobooks are a life saver when it comes to road trips, if you ask me.

So, on my last trip back I decided to get Nicholas Sparks' new book- The Best of Me. I always laugh at myself when I get his books for a drive because I always end up crying my eyes out, and I feel ridiculous when I'm driving and bursting into tears at the same time.

Anyway, this book is an unbelievably sweet and romantic story about long-lost lovers who find each other again. I can't really get into it because (A) I'll cry haha and (B) I might accidentally give away the surprise twist. If you're a hopeless romantic like me, though, you will LOVE this- and I mean love it. A love like the kind in this book only happens to a lucky few of us, and this story is so amazing (as well as a little heartbreaking) that you will not be able to stop until it's finished.

So, next time you're at Barnes and Noble PLEASE pick up this book. It is so good, and I know all you hopeless romantics out there will fall in love with it as much as I have. It's simply wonderful

The Hunger Games trilogy- Suzanne Collins

HOLY MOTHER! Let me start off by saying that these books are amazing. I was a little wary at first because they were so popular I was worried they wouldn't live up to the hype. Oh, but they did. My friend Maggie was gracious enough to let me use her kindle to read these books. I probably should have waited to start them so they wouldn't get in the way of school, but I had no idea how ADDICTING they would be. Once I started I could not put them down!!! These science fiction novels were SO good, I even dare to say they were better than the Twilight saga (and I am a HUGE Twi-hard). It's an action packed story with a little bit of romance, and it has the "Fahrenheit 451 & 1984" feel that I love! (I don't know how to describe those types of books, but I'm sure you've read them and can get where I'm coming from.)

Anyway, they're amazing. I don't know how to describe it without giving the story away so take my advice and READ them. I guarantee you will not stop until the end. I stayed up for hours and neglected school just so I could read them. I had to finish them fast or I would've been behind in school haha. Suzanne Collins did an AMAZING job when she wrote these books, and needless to say, I cannot WAIT for the movies. You won't be disappointed.

Man's Search for Meaning Part I by Viktor Frankl

After reading the first part of this wonderful book it really made me evaluate my attitude on life.  Frankl went through hell and back and he STILL had a positive outlook on life.  What do I REALLY have to complain about?  Honestly, life has been pretty good to me.  Sure, there have been ups and downs and I have certainly had my share of curve balls.  But God has gotten me through and I have survived.  Now, life has been pretty good.  Good grades, good friends, great boyfriend and family.  What more could I ask for?  If Viktor Frankl can go through Auschwitz concentration camp, survive, and still appreciate everything life has given him after losing his entire family, why can't we learn to slow down, cherish the little things, and not get so offended about things that are so insignificant.  If I have learned anything this semester from this book (and Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective people) it is that we CHOOSE how we react to situations.  No one can hurt you or offend you unless you let them.  So let's all take a step back and take a deep breath and think before we act or react.

The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold

The Third book I finished this past December was The Lovely Bones. I finally saw the movie and it wasn't as bad as I heard it would be, but it wasn't great. That being said I know that Mark Wahlberg plays the father and as much as I love Mark Wahlberg (which is a LOT, for those of you who don't know) I do not think he is the right fit for that role.
Anyway, back to the book. I loved it. I cried like a baby in the beginning (an ongoing thing with me if you haven't noticed). But, overall it was a beautiful story. It was tragic but it got better with each chapter. I thought it was beautiful they way the family eventually moved on and began leading wonderful lives, even though it took years to accomplish. This book was full of surprises and it really drew me in allowing me to feel what each person was feeling. Like I said, I loved it.
I would recommend this book to anyone, with a warning that it can get pretty emotional (and i got some nightmares when i read it before bed). This (and, by the way, Nicholas Spark's novels) should come with a pack of tissue. But, it is definitely a story worth reading. So go read it. Now.
:)

Hush- Kate White

I REALLY enjoyed being able to relax and read some great books while I visited my family in Atlanta this past December. The second book I was able to read there was (Cosmo's Editor in Chief) Kate White's most recent novel. This is her first stand-alone thriller and it was just that- thrilling to read. I have never read any of her work before and I have to say I was impressed. I was reading Cosmo one day and saw an excerpt from this book in the back and I was immediately hooked.
Hush is about a single-mother who is a consultant for a fertility clinic and going through a difficult divorce. She has a one night stand with one of the doctors and wakes up to find him murdered. She flees the apartment and has to cover up her being there so she is not seen as a suspect because this may cause her to lose custody of her children to her ex-husband who is suddenly fighting for full custody. But this is only the beginning. Each chapter is more and more thrilling and I did not want to put it down. It is a wonderful read that keeps your adrenaline pumping with the turn of every page. White incorporates all this while giving the reader a wonderful taste of New York City. It is a sexy, enchanting thriller and a book that I would highly recommend to anyone, especially my girl friends. Go out and get it NOW!

Message in a Bottle -Nicholas Sparks

I finally got to read some books for leisure instead of having to read one to study during my winter break this past December. The first one I read was Nicholas Sparks' Message in a Bottle. It was fantastic, as usual. I started reading it during the summer but never got to finish it.
It is a B-E-A-U-tiful story about a woman who finds a message in a bottle while walking down the shore and then tracking down and falling in love with the man who wrote it.
Needless to say, I bawled like a baby. SPOILER ALERT- someone always dies in Sparks' novel (which somehow I oddly forgot) and in this one it is the wonderful man each reader could easily fall in love with- the write of the beautiful love letters to his late wife.
Nicholas Sparks is by far one of my most favorite authors. He has an amazing talent for writing the most beautiful love stories. If you ever want to feel every emotion possible and have a good cry- you should read one of his novels. Each story absorbs you completely and it is almost impossible to put it down and stop reading. Definitely a must-read...