When I was in upper elementary and middle school, I was such a bookworm. During the year, I was the kid who obsessed over BOOK IT!, which resulted in umpteen trips to Pizza Hut. I spent lazy summer days devouring The Saddle Club series and then all things Harry Potter, of course!
With a few more years, though, my treasured reading time was ousted by all the other activities keeping me busy — volleyball, band, choir and “being a teenager,” to name a few! Now, I’ve circled back to my love of literature and have begun embracing non-fiction more than ever. I used to see non-fiction as a boring category about science and economics. Now, thanks to a business education and the endless influence of my brother, I recognize it as a category that inspires while it informs.
So, all that to say that I am now a refreshed bookworm who can barely cross titles off her reading list before she adds a couple more! Take a look at what I’ve recently crossed off my list, plus what I have on my list for 2013:
- The Help – Just as amazing as everyone says and, yes, better than the movie! You’ll enter the Old South, wanting to change it right alongside Miss Skeeter.
- The Language of Flowers – A beautiful love story between a woman and flowers, a girl and flowers, a girl and boy, a mother and daughter. But not the mushy kind of love story.
- Water for Elephants – I know. I can’t believe I haven’t read this yet, either! No spoilers if I promise to get it done by the end of February! For those who are also behind the game, it involves a traveling circus. And since I haven’t actually read it or seen the movie, that’s really all I know to tell you.
- Ignore Everybody – I read this one while with family and friends over Christmas. They were all enjoying the holiday festivities to the max while I sat in the middle of the commotion, absorbed in Hugh MacLeod’s writing. Let’s hope they didn’t notice the title; that could have sent the wrong message.
- Daytripper – This one is in comic book format and made an appearance on The New York Times Bestseller List. Reading an entire story told through comic strip dialogue bubbles and illustrations will be a new experience for me. But hey, it’s 2013, and we’re all about the new. So let’s pack our imaginary bags and head to Brasilia with this adventure by brothers Fabio Moon and Gabriel Bá!
- The Designful Company - Reid Wilson himself gifted this read by Marty Neumeier to me this Christmas. I can’t wait to dig in and learn more about Neumeier’s idea of designing, rather than deciding, the future of business! Neumeier also authored The Brand Gap and Zag, two books RGDubs has referenced on the site and in his e-book, Backpoocket. Both made it to my reading list.
- Daring Greatly – Wow, people. Everywhere I turn lately, friends, family and acquaintances have been referencing and discussing Dr. Brené Brown’s book centering on vulnerability. Even a leader in our church recently gave a message that drew from this book. As a researcher and professor at University of Houston, I guess Dr. Brown knows her stuff! I am looking forward to not only checking this one off the list, but truly embracing the ideas in it.
Alright, that concludes the list… for now!
If you’ve already crossed any of these off your own reading list, let me know what you liked about them below. Other recommendations? I welcome those, too!
Happy reading!
