The great 8 I couldn't put down:
Okay so I am currently reading these so I can vouch for the first 3.5 of them. Absolutely love them. They are LDS fiction revolving around WWII. One of the coolest parts is all of the research that went into making these books. Dean did hours and hours of research even down the weather if he mentions a specific day, so although the characters are fictional, many of the stories are full of truth. You will learn a lot about WWII in ways you have never seen before. It really made me look at war through different eyes as well as what it is like to be a parent in perilous times. The stories aren't just about the church it's more like you follow one specific family (and the web of other people they know of course) through their lives as LDS people during this era. Highly recommend them!
So I just happened to stumble upon this book while I was recovering from surgery last month and loved it. I'm not really much of a mystery lover but I really enjoyed this one. It is about an actress named Laurel who witnessed her mother commit a crime when she was just a little girl. Now years and years later as Laurel's mother is near passing away Laurel decides to dig into the past to discover a shocking family mystery. I honestly could not put it down. Couldn't quite put my finger on why but I highly recommend this one as well.
So I chose to read this book because I found it this is the same author who wrote Number the Stars (another recommendation if you haven't read it). She is an excellent storyteller. This is the story of a girl with quite the hard life in New Orleans and how she wants better than what her past and New Orleans have to offer her. It's a story about overcoming your circumstances and believing in dreams. Once again I could not put it down.
This one is a tear jerker. It is the story of a high school shooting. I'm sure the way it is written may be controversial to some so you may want to look into before you begin and be aware there are a few parts with some not so nice language. Jodi Picoult writes very real and raw and you have to be prepared for that. The story comes alive as you read it and you almost feel later in the day like you should be hearing it on the news because you forget it was just a story. It really opened my eyes to think about not only the families who were victims but to also see that the parents of the boy who did it are victims as well. It is just such an interesting story full of insight into school shootings and bullying. It is definitely not for everyone but I found it quite the fascinating read.
The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
Okay now before you go judging me as a sappy love story book lover I must say in my defense that I only like some of his books. I think others are downright boring and predictable (sorry Sparks - but it's true). But if you have not read this one you are missing out. I am a country girl at heart and love a good southern love story so maybe I am a little bias but this book is more than what meets the eye. Follow the incredible story of a 91 year old man in a car crash, a college sorority girl, and a rodeo cowboy and see where they intercept. Also a little side note I just saw that the movie is coming out in April 2015 and I'll be honest I am quite excited. Enjoy this one!
So I love a good historical fiction book. They are by far my favorite thing to read and this one was no exception. I know it's an oldie but if you haven't read it you need to give it a shot. It tells the story of the geisha Japanese culture right before WWII. It is seriously fascinating. Golden apparently interviewed a geisha before writing this book (apparently there was a lawsuit about all of this? interesting) so once again although the characters are fictional there is also a lot of fact in the story as well. Really one of my favorite books. Apparently there is also a movie from 2005 I need to look into. I am behind the times!
The Invention of Wings By: Sue Monk Kidd
So I read this book while we were on our cruise (yes that same cruise Mr. Hadley was caught red handed loving reading!) and loved it. It's a very interesting take on slavery. That is one think I just love about historical fiction is how it can open your eyes to see the past from an angle that maybe you had missed before. This is one of those stories. You learn all about the limitations women were given during this time period as well as the ugliness of slavery. You won't be able to put it down (I am sensing a theme here almost every single one of these books - minus Sparks - is a historical fiction story! Sorry!).
Where We Belong By: Emily Giffin
I am an Emily Giffin fan. She is the one who wrote Something Borrowed and Something Blue (also great books if you haven't read them yet). This is kind of another little guilty pleasure fun read for me nothing historical or of great significance, just a great summer read for the beach. check it out (:
More to come alter. check back in the next few days to see my updated list of books I plan to read this summer. I can't 100 % vouch for them since I haven't read them yet so hopefully they are good. If they're not I apologize and trust me I am more disappointed than you are! Feel free to comment adding any other books you have read that you could not put down! Thanks (:
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