Top Ten Books We'd Recommend To X Person

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We decided to tackle this topic by making each recommendation to a different person but you could do it that way or by making the 10 recommendations for one person. However you choose to interpret it!

Lori's picks

1.  For a smart, sassy gal in her mid-twenties (or older) who needs to know she's not totally crazy--Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding.  I read this book when I was nineteen and I didn't really "get" it, but I reread it this past summer at the ripe age of twenty-five and it made so much more sense!  And was so much funnier!  I may have done some ridiculously stupid things around guys, but nothing ever was quite as bad as what Bridget got herself into.  Also, she always got out of the messes--that's important to remember too.  (Note:  I have not read the third book in the series)





2.  For someone who loves language--The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.  I loved this book as a kid and I still love thinking about it (which means I need to reread it soon).  I love all of the messages of this book--say what you mean and mean what you say, there is no reason to ever be bored, words are extremely important, and so on.  It's just a fabulous exploration of the many nuances of the English language (my memory prohibits me from commenting on how this book my translate to another language).

3.  For someone who needs or wants to remember what bravery really is--To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  I adore this book.  There is so much I want to say about it, but it all seems so inadequate.  Just read it and cry at the end like I always do.









4.  For someone who wants to try to get their...stuff together--The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  I might not be able to get myself to carry out a project on this type of scale, but I can still think about it and I can ponder what makes me happy.  I think that Rubin does a great job of presenting her research and engaging the reader in that presentation because you really do start to think about what would be in your personal happiness project as you read the book.  Her website has a lot of fantastic tools to help you get started, if you do want to conduct a happiness project of your own.

5.  For someone who finds themselves getting inexplicably cynical and hostile around the holidays despite promising themselves that they will enjoy it this year--Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris.  This is a short collection of essays that is just absolutely hilarious.  David Sedaris is definitely part Grumpy Cat, just like I am, so he always has something interesting to say.  I think I'm going to need a get a new copy because, though the holidays haven't really even started yet and I am already feeling my holiday cheer becoming more akin to:

Julia's Picks:

6. For my bestie who loves Ender's Game --  Ready Player One by Earnest Cline. I am actually pretty sure I did recommend this to my friend and she did like it. This book is amazing and amazingly narrated in the audio version. It is set in a dystopian world like Ender's Game, but also has enough philisophical ramifications to the world, that I thought she would enjoy it.

7. For my colleague who loved Fifty Shades of Gray -- Bared to You by Sylvia Day. I can't say that I have read either of these books, but I have heard that those who liked 50 Shades, also enjoyed Bared to You. I actually was the one who rec'd her 50 Shades after she told me how much she loved Twilight. Insane how that worked out so well (50 Shades started off as Twilight fan fic in case someone was wondering.)

Jamie's Picks

 8. For my friend who just read and loved If I Stay by Gayle Forman (obviously I gave her Where She Went) - The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson: Like If I Stay, it's emotional, beautiful and poignant.

9. For anyone who feels like they need an adventure of the armchair variety -- Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard: Travel through South America with a girl trying to find herself a bit -- loved the adventure, the soul searching and the romance.

Bridget's Pick

10. For anyone who appreciates stark beauty in literature -- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's funny, sad, thought-provoking, and devastating. My friend recommended it to me a while ago and I finally got around to reading it a few months ago. It's wonderful.