Hi friends and happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate, IF you celebrate! We had a wonderful holiday season and I am really looking forward to the new year. I love the start of new years because it’s a chance to reflect and regroup. I did not post for a few days because I wanted to focus on spending time with family and friends over Christmas. I had some friends in town that I do not see often and had a great time catching up with them. Andrew was home from work for four days, which is always wonderful. Plus, we had my parents over for Christmas dinner. It was honestly a wonderful weekend. However, Saturday night some very scary tornadoes came through our area. One touched down a few blocks from us and another less than a mile away. We came out completely fine, but so many others have lost homes, pets, and for some they lost their lives. Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks and months as they rebuild.
I wanted to share with the year ending the books that were my favorite books of 2015. I had a goal this year to read 52 books. I read a lot more than that, and I read two more this past weekend! But there were some that really stuck out to me. These are not all profound books that will leave you with thought provoking conversations, but they are all books I enjoyed.
Top Row: The One That Got Away | Ugly Love | November 9
Middle Row: Maybe In Another Life | The Girl On The Train | To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before | Stories I Only Tell My Friends
Bottom Row: The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up | The Status of All Things | The Royal We
If you read ONLY one of these books have it be The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up. That book honestly inspired me to clean out every closet, drawer, etc in our house and get rid of so many things. Also to really be mindful of what items I am buying. Do they bring me joy?
If you need a page turner that will pull at your heart, read November 9 or Ugly Love. Ugly Love did not come out this year, but it had been on my iPad waiting to be read for MONTHS and I finally read it!
Maybe in Another Life and The One That Got Away were two of my favorites and I have read both of them twice now. Such great stories of “what if?”
Rob Lowe’s autobiography is really interesting about what Hollywood was like for him and all of the struggle he went through.
The other books are fabulous as well. The Girl On The Train and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before were both book club books I really LOVED! The Royal We was AMAZING, and if you are fascinated by Kate and William you will love it! The Status of All Things was really perfect for a long flight I was on.
What were some of your favorite books of 2015? I need some suggestions to add to my list!
I’ve been looking for new reads! I’ll check these out!
The only book from your list that I read this year was The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up. SO good. Although, I can’t say that I’ve implemented much I’ve learned from it yet, but I did like her approach.
Among my favorites this year were Jen Lee & Tim Manley’s The 10 Letters Project, Brene Brown’s Rising Strong, and Sahar Paz’s Find Your Voice.
I’ve been hearing a lot about The Royal We. Definitely planning to read that in 2016. One of my favorites from 2015 was The Canterbury Sisters.
I’m always looking for good books to read so thanks for all these great ideas. The only one I read this year from your list was Girl on a Train. I’m adding others to my Goodreads list right now. Thanks.
I have almost picked up ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ at the bookstore SO many times. Sounds like it’s time to finally grab it and read it. All of the sound wonderful – will have to add some to my reading list! I unfortunately didn’t read a ton of books this year, but my favorite was definitely ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ by Cheryl Strayed. I’m actually re-reading it now. 🙂
Interesting choice of books. I wrote them down and will add them to my list. I am reading a lot of self help books this year. The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes and The Way of the SEAL by Mark Divine. I used to be in the military so that’s what j know. 🙂
I just finished Girl on the Train and that’s the only one that I’ve read off of your list. I’ll have to check out some of the others!
I’ve been wanting to read Girl on the Train. Maybe that will be next!
The Girl on the Train is on my reading list. I’m hoping that next year I can read a lot more than I did this year.
Oh I like November 9 too. I’ve added a few books to my favorite list this year too.
Great list! I’m actually on the hunt for a good book to read over winter break. Thanks for sharing!!
Love this list I have read some amazing ones this year I needed a few new ideas and this helped !! 🙂
I took a screenshot of your list bc I’m in a journey to read 27 books by December next year.
The Royal We was OMG so long but such a girls book. Read it in a weekend and it left me pretty satisfied although I don’t know if it’s one of those books I’d read again.
coffeeslag
COFFEESLAG New Year, New Coffeeslag
Wow, great book sugestions. I’m looking for a good read!
I read the girl on a train, loved it but wasn’t as impressed as I was with Gone Girl. I also ready the art of tidying up and decided that I need to spend less time reading about it and more time actually doing it!
Great list – need to check some of these out!
I’ve never read those but I have a few on my list so I should get to work lol!
You should come link up at our Bloggers Spotlight party, we pin everything to our group board and have two separate link-ups, one for posts and one devoted to pins so you get even more exposure!
http://www.raisingfairiesandknights.com/category/bloggers-spotlight/
Love these!! I read a few so I am looking for some new suggestions. Thanks so much for the great article!
This looks like a fabulous list of books! I love recommendations for good books! I read The Girl on the Train. Such a good book! Thanks for the list!
Re: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Soooooo, earlier this year I went through a minimalist phase and got rid of hundreds of books (including teaching and writing resources), and it is probably my biggest regret of the year. I am now a skeptic of “tidying up”. Haha!
I really loved Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and I thought Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews was brilliantly written. 🙂
Happy 2016 to you and yours!
Adding some of these to my list, well at least the ones that aren’t already on there.
xoxo, Jenny
Some of these made it on to my favorites list this year too! I’m going to look into some of the ones I haven’t heard of from your list, I am always looking for new good books to read.
I’ve read The Girl On The Train and both Colleen Hoover books! All great reads. Ugly Love is my favorite of the 3. I really wanted to read the Jenny Han book but I didn’t get around to it. Definitely next year! Great list. 🙂
Girl on the Train>>>I couldn’t put down!!!
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before>>>lost interest
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying>>>I’ve implemented some of the steps, but towards the end it got a little hokey for me.
Out of all these, I’ve only read Girl on the Train, so thank you for the suggestions. In my book club, we last read Where’d you go Benadette and We were Liars. I liked the second one better, and it was a super fast read.
You read so many books! Great job! The only one I’ve read of those is Girl on the Train, so I’ll have to pin this and check out the rest later!
I sort of got into a non-fiction kick this year, so I appreciate this post. I needed some ideas to update my reader with. The One that Got Away looks like a great read.
I am so interested in the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up!! I have heard great things about it! I’m thinking I am order it tonight.
Love your list! Colleen Hoover is a-maz-ing!! Maybe in another life was my favorite read this year.
I look forward to hearing what you read in 2016.
I’m still on the hunt for good books since I’m currently just reareading old favorites. I’m checking these out!
1.) I’m so glad y’all didn’t get hit by tornadoes. Was thinking of you!!
2.) I also took a break for Christmas, and it was AWESOME. We earned it! Plus family is worth it.
3.) I *just* started the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and I think I’m only on page 20 and my life is already transforming. I got rid of two huge bags of clothes already…page 20! I’m imagining what I’ll be doing when the book is actually finished…!!!
Coming Up Roses
This is just what I needed to read! I love having a go-to recommended list of books to read. I’m definitely interested in the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – I feel like I go around “tidying” up all.the.time and this is just what I need to give me some direction!!