"Night" by Elie Wiesel

My 2015 book list has not gone as planned. I finished all the Harry Potter books and loved them just as much this time as all the times I've read them before. The movies are great, but nothing compares to the books. I didn't keep track of the dates that I finished each book, but I did finish all of them!

I almost finished Stephen Covey and am still working on Jesus the Christ and Sherlock Holmes, but I've read a few extras on the side. Just this week, I read Night by Elie Wiesel. I hadn't even heard of it, but a friend at work recommended it, so I reserved a copy from the library and read the whole thing within 36 hours.

My friend told me she liked Night even better than The Diary of Anne Frank, but I don't think I can say that. The story if of Elie's experience living through the Holocaust his time in several concentration camps and is as heart-wrenching and disturbing as any WWII memoir I've ever read. His honesty about his experience and the emotions he went through as a 16-year-old Jewish boy reminded me of the terror that the world experienced at the hands of Nazi Germany. I think it's valuable to be reminded of it from time to time so we remember how far humanity slipped and how fragile life truly is.

I think the only reason I prefer Anne Frank or The Hiding Place over this book is because Elie openly admits that the Holocaust destroyed his faith. As a person of deep faith myself, it made me sad to read that. I don't think anyone can blame a victim of such horrible events for losing some faith, but I personally believe that our loving Father in Heaven is always there, even when He seems far away. With that being said, this is a book I would still recommend reading. But some of the details are very raw and somewhat graphic, so keep that in mind before you start.

"The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom

My mom always says that The Hiding Place is one of the books she would read if she only read ten books in her life - or something like that. It's at the top of her list and for a good reason. It is truly one of the most amazing stories I have ever known and because it had been years since I'd read it, I wanted to read it again this year. It's a quick read, but a powerful one.

Corrie Ten Boom and her family lived in Holland during WWII and risked their lives to help countless Jews escape the Nazis. Corrie was in her 50's when Germany took over her country, but performed heroic acts that others half her age were often too afraid to perform. She and her sister were sent to prison and a German concentration camp for what they did, but they never gave up on their most powerful and important weapon: Faith.

Corrie is one of my heroes and reading her story again makes me want to visit Holland and the Beje (bay-yay), the Ten Boom home where numerous Jews were hidden. I have always loved reading about WWII and the people who survived its ravages, but I think Corrie and her family perfectly exemplify the Christlike love that had to exist during that terrible time. They sacrificed everything in the name of a loving God. What better service can anyone give to the Lord?

Read it. Now. If you haven't already, The Hiding Place should go to the top of your "Must Read" list immediately!

"The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

I started a new job about a year ago and found myself among a group of women with very different literary tastes. I was so excited to find that one of them appreciates classics and "old literature" as much as I do - she and I have spent hours talking about books like Dracula and authors like Charles Dickens. Another coworker is slightly obsessed with all things Harry Potter. A literary soul sister for me there! A third coworker has very different literary taste than I do. Her all-time favorite book (according to her) is The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. For the last year, she has told me repeatedly how wonderful it is - sad, but wonderful - and how inspired she is by Walls, her life, and the way she's risen above the trials of her childhood.

I won't deny it. I have a rebellious streak in me and whenever anyone - and I mean anyone - tells me that I have to read a certain novel or I have to watch a certain movie because it is just that good . . . I resist. The independent streak is also a bit of a prideful streak that has, somewhere along the line, convinced me that popular opinion does not necessarily suggest good opinion. So until someone convinces me that their opinion is actually good, I tend to assume otherwise. I trust my coworker's opinion and love her dearly, but I resisted picking up a copy of The Glass Castle for all these months simply because it was so strongly recommended. And maybe also because when I gave this same coworker my copies of The Middle Place and Shattered Silence to read (because of course I have great taste when it comes to literature!), she admitted that The Middle Place didn't really appeal to her. A clear sign that our taste in books is vastly different.

Anyway. I finally finished The Glass Castle this afternoon. And did I enjoy it? Yes and no. Jeannette Walls has a unique story and her childhood was as strange and difficult as any I can imagine experiencing. But I still didn't love the book. Memoirs are one of my favorite genres, but this one dragged a little. It's not a long book, so I still got through it fairly quickly, but I was anxious for it to end. Or maybe just anxious to find out how Walls finally rose above the trials of her youth to become a successful adult. I find it especially interesting that Walls rarely, if ever, expresses genuine love for another human being. It makes me wonder if she really has hardened herself to love and affection or if it is only her writing style that makes her seem a bit cold. I am constantly looking for warmth in the characters I read and in Walls, that warmth is lacking. Regardless, her experiences make me appreciate the warmth and comfort of my own life. Reading about the hardships of others always makes me appreciate my childhood, my family, and the little blessings that I normally take for granted.

I am glad I finally took my friend's suggestion and read this book. If you're thinking of reading it, I won't tell you not to. I'll just tell you that you should really read The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan next. Or something even more light-hearted. Like a Calvin and Hobbes comic book perhaps. I think I have one nearby - that's where I'll be for the next hour or two.

"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Every once in a while, when I'm not completely bogged down with reading for one of my many English classes, I find time to read something just for fun.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to grab "Into Thin Air" off the shelf at work. I remember when it first came out and my brother Brian read it (being a climbing enthusiast) and told me how good it was. So all these years later, I finally decided I should give it a try.

Most horrifying story I have ever read in my life.

I cannot believe what people go through to climb Mount Everest. It's true that you have to have some level of craziness to even want to attempt it. I never realized how incredibly difficult (is that the world's greatest understatement?) it is for people to do this. And reading about a climb where so many people died was heartbreaking.

Jon did an amazing job describing the events of that fatal Everest climb. Despite being horrified the entire time, I couldn't put the book down. Jon writes it in such a way that you have to keep reading because you have to find out what happens to everyone. I admire his courage in writing such a difficult and personal story, especially since so many of the survivors have had to deal with countless problems because of their experience on the mountain.

I don't regret reading this. It took me long enough and now I know why people always say how good it is, but also seem to shudder when they say it.

Most of all, I am very, VERY grateful that none of my loved ones have dreams of climbing Everest.

"Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert

The incredible true story of Elizabeth Gilbert and her year-long journey around the world to find, essentially... God. She visits Italy, India, and Indonesia - spending four months in each place and spending that time to find the important pieces missing from her life.

Liz (I feel like she's a friend of mine) tells her story with so much honesty and warmth. Her experiences make me want to have more wonderful experiences of my own. I want to explore the world and discover those things that she discovered. I think that if I didn't have the Gospel in my life, I would be Liz Gilbert in a way! A friend once told me, "I don't know what souls are made of, but whatever it is, so-and-so's soul and mine are made of the same thing."

That's how I feel about Liz Gilbert! I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. You can skip chapter 100 if you want, but other than that a little bit of language you shouldn't feel too nervous. The story is beautiful, the people are beautiful, the places are beautiful. But most of all, Elizabeth Gilbert is beautiful and talented and I appreciate her life and her story for so many reasons.

Besides, I love eating, I love praying, and I love loving!!!

"Shattered Silence" by Melissa G. Moore

Wow. This is a memoir by Melissa G. Moore, the daughter of the notorious Happy Face Killer. She tells the story of her childhood, her experiences of growing up in a tumultuous family and social situation, and the shock and shame of discovering (at the age of 15) that her father was a serial killer.

I read this entire book yesterday. It's on the shelf at work and one of my coworkers had been telling me about it, so I picked it up during some down time yesterday and read here and there throughout my shift. And then decided that I didn't want to stop reading, so I took a copy home with me and couldn't put it down!

I love memoirs so much. They are definitely my favorite because I learn so much from the experiences and life lessons of others. Melissa lived through some extremely terrifying moments in her life, but she has a great lesson to share with the world - one of faith and of standing up to the trials we face. I was so moved by her optimism and her reliance on God even before she realized the role He could play in her life. I truly believe that this women was given her specific set of trials so that she could share her story and help others to overcome the terror in their own lives. I am so thankful that I've never had to live through any of the experiences that Melissa dealt with from a very young age, but I am also very thankful for her story.

If you're interested at all, don't hesitate to read this. The details of Melissa's life are given with tact and as un-graphically as possible. If it was good enough to read in one day, well... there must be something there, right?! I loved it. And I think I'll hug Melissa when I meet her on the other side someday.

"Left to Tell" by Immaculee Ilibagiza

This book, "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust," is one of the most powerful memoirs I have ever read. Immaculee lived through one of the worst genocides in the history of the world and, in my opinion, the most heartbreaking.

The Rwandan Genocide took place in 1994 when one of the three tribes in Rwanda rose up against another. One million Tutsi citizens were killed by their Hutu neighbors, coworkers, and friends. Immaculee tells her story in this book and shares how she made it through the terror and tragedy of that event by relying on her faith in God.

This book is beautiful. It is very graphic and absolutely heartwrenching, but in its pages, I developed a great love and appreciation for Immaculee and her family. My sister Kelly tried to get me to read this for months and months and I'm so glad I finally did. Just to see such beautiful faith and to truly feel the connection that this incredible woman has with God. I hope to be able to hug her, and her brother Damascene, as well as the rest of her family someday. And to thank her for sharing her story with me.

A dear friend of mine always tells me that he has a list of people that he wants to see first when he gets to the other side. I want to see Immaculee Ilibagiza if I don't have a chance to meet her in this life!

"The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch

This is one of the most moving books I have ever read. Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon and was asked to give a "Last Lecture" to the students there. These lectures are meant to be an opportunity for the speaker to reflect on their life and to say what they might say if they were preparing for their own death. For Randy Pausch, though, this really was a final speech.

He was dying of cancer. And gave his Last Lecture with that in mind, but spoke of optimism and joy and accomplishing hopes and dreams. This book was compiled after his lecture and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. He presents so many little gems of wisdom and his positive attitude was an inspiration to me as I read about his life and the love he had for his family.

It's a quick read, so don't hesitate to pick it up. I've found that ALL I want to read lately is memoirs. I wonder if that means I should write mine someday... but I hope you enjoy this one!

"The Middle Place" by Kelly Corrigan

If I was going to recommend one book this year, Kelly Corrigan's memoir would be IT. It has been a long time since I have so completely fallen in love with not only the people in a story, but the way the story was written.

Kelly Corrigan is a breast cancer survivor and "The Middle Place" is her collection of memories from that battle, as well as from her childhood, adult years, and motherhood. I was completely hooked by the end of the first page and couldn't put it down until I finished - a very short time later.

Corrigan presents her story in such a real way. And it was so easy to become attached to each "character" and to laugh and cry along with them as they went through good times and bad. I was in tears through the story of her husband's proposal, couldn't stop laughing at her father's antics, and truly felt like I knew those people as if they were my own friends and family. I know I read this in March and that there is a lot more 2009 to come, but I really think that this will be my book of the year. If I could be as brilliant a storyteller as Kelly Corrigan... well then my work would be cut out for me, wouldn't it?

Word of warning to the rest of you: There is quite a lot of strong language in this book. I recommended it to my mother and she said, "I wish she didn't use the F word so much!" but I think next time I read it I'll go through with a black marker. And I really wouldn't let that drawback stop me from experiencing this wonderful story.

"Dean & Me (A Love Story)" by Jerry Lewis

If I wasn't a fan of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis before, I definitely am now!

I just discovered that my boss had this book and was totally sucked in by the very first page. It changed my entire view of the comedic duo, but only for the better! There's something about getting to know the people playing characters in a play that makes the act just that much more enjoyable to watch.

Their story is an interesting one and I love the way that Jerry writes - as if he's having a conversation with you and telling you exactly what happened and how he felt about it. It's a very honest, down-to-earth representation of a pretty incredible journey. If you're a fan at all, I'd definitely recommend reading this one. Except for one thing...

There is a lot of swearing in this book. Not surprising coming from an Italian (Dean), a Jew (Jerry), all of New York and Hollywood, the mafia, and everything in between being thrown into the mix. Jerry writes things exactly as they happened - and exactly as they were spoken. If you can't handle reading that kind of language (it's pretty frequent), then you might just want to ask for a more extensive review of this one. But other than that!

Top notch! Five stars! Or at least four and three quarters . . . a quarter off for strong language. I think Jerry would approve!

"Marley and Me" by John Grogan

What a fantastic little book about a huge dog and the huge mess he created for his very patient owners, the Grogans.

Kimi recommended this book to me - she and Momma read it on their way to Kansas City last summer and as she describes it, laughed and cried the entire way through! I did that myself. It's a beautiful story and I really loved the writing style!

The only problem? This one didn't help me with my puppy hunger problem!!!

Read it for sure! I loved it!