Who loves to read? I sure do! I haven’t always been like this and have taken breaks along the way depending on the season of life though. In fact, I don’t think I read a single book for about the first 10 or 11 months of Brady’s life, because his sleep was off, and so was mine (and I continue to black out that time like crazy, because being sleep deprived is not a good way to live). But these days, I read almost every single night after I get in bed for about 20 to 30 minutes before I fall asleep, which means I get through maybe one book a month or so.

Why read? It’s entertaining. It’s relaxing. And reading a paperback or hardback book before transitioning to sleep is a good way to stay away from technology and ease your mind into a restful night. I always have an actual book in my hand and have never read on a Kindle or other device.

I’m probably a bigger nonfiction reader than fiction, but I’ve done my best to switch it up this past year, and I wanted to pull together all the best titles I’ve read as of late (not of all time, but of recently). You’ll see I don’t really do crime, mystery, sci-fi or romance, but I do like variety other than that.

Bookmark this one for the future, add these to your Christmas list, or check them out from your local library, which is how I usually get my books.

The five best books I’ve read this year (fiction and nonfiction)

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama

This is the best book I’ve read in a very long time. And if Michelle Obama actually wrote the whole book (there’s no other author’s name on the cover, like most celeb books have), she is the best storyteller ever, because she goes back and forth through memories with the most minute of details, and yet the overall narrative works out beautifully, keeping you engaged and in the fold. 

“Becoming” starts when she is young and living in the South Side of Chicago with her parents and brother. It goes through her youth in the “Becoming Me” section, moves on to when she met Barack in the “Becoming Us” section and continues as the Obamas live in the White House in the “Becoming More” section, closing just after they were about to return to civilian life.

And here’s the deal: This is not a book about politics, although you do learn a little bit about how that whole world works. This is about Michelle Obama and how she had to make many decisions and endure some hard times throughout her life, and she does it all elegantly, while showing others how they can do the same in their lives.

Even though this isn’t a motivational book, it truly made me want to help others more too. To serve more. And to just do my very best to be a good human at all times. I loved it, and I highly recommend it as my best read of the year.

Let’s pray she comes out with another book, because Michelle Obama is one interesting and amazing class act of a lady we can all hope to emulate in some way.

“Girl, Stop Apologizing” by Rachel Hollis

This book is a follow-up to “Girl, Wash Your Face,” which I liked, but didn’t love. I enjoyed this second book of girl-power inspiration much more and got a lot out of it. Rachel Hollis has a great writing style, and therefore, this book is very easy to read and is conversational too.

I loved all the stories from her life about how she had to learn to be more confident in herself and go after what she wanted, no matter what other people said. She’s not afraid to spill some juicy stuff.

“Girl, Stop Apologizing” is broken up into three sections:

“The Last Romantics” by Tara Conklin

I love a fluffy light fiction book, and that’s not what “The Last Romantics” is at all. I didn’t pick this out myself, but my mom saw that it was a “Today Show” book club pick and sent it to me, and boy, did I love it. I stayed up late a number of times to finish this, because it truly pulled me in. It was the best fiction book I’ve read so far this year.

The book is about a family who goes through quite a bit of trauma early on, and it follows their lives as these problems continue to resurface, even as the decades go by. The children grow up and go their separate ways, but they stay connected, especially as hardship occurs. The writing is fantastic, and the storyline is both interesting and intricate at the same time.

Even though this book is titled “The Last Romantics,” it’s not really a love story, but more about the family and how love made them do certain things. I felt all the feels, even crying during the last few pages, which is a little cathartic, you know? I’d definitely recommend this one if you’re into that kind of thing.

“When Life Gives You Lululemons” by Lauren Weisberger

Whereas the last title was serious, this one was most definitely not. “When Life Gives You Lululemons” is about some drama and secrets in the affluent Greenwich, Connecticut area, outside of Manhattan. It follows a popular model, who gets arrested for a DUI, and then details how she tries to get her life back with a little help from her friends. One of whom is Emily, from the movie “The Devil Wears Prada.” And throughout it all, we learn a lot about the craziness of the super rich.

There’s a lot of drama, a lot of questionable behavior, and I just thought it was a fun escape to read. Not exactly a Pulitzer Prize winner, but enjoyable nonetheless. We all need that kind of book in our lives sometimes, and I think I read this one right after a more meaty nonfiction book, so it was timed perfectly.

And there you have it! My top reads from the last year, all worthy of a recommendation.

My fall and winter reading list

I have my name on the waiting list at the library for the following books …

• “More Than Enough: Claiming Space For Who You Are” by Elaine Welteroth
• “City of Girls” by Elizabeth Gilbert
• “Everything is Figureoutable” by Marie Forleo

Other posts you may like …

• Three health and wellness books that changed my life — I think everyone should read all of these books.
• Positive thoughts and a book review of “You Are a Badass” — Even if you don’t read this book, there’s some motivational goodness in this post.
• The best health, wellness and fitness podcasts — It’s almost time to do a second installment of this post, because I’ve found a few new podcasts I love.

Sneaky, sneaky giveaway: I’d love to send my copy of “When Life Gives You Lululemons” to one lucky reader to read and keep (and I’ll throw in some Beautycounter samples). Leave a comment on this blog post to be entered. Thanks for being here, and have a GREAT start to your week! 🙂 

Questions of the day

How was your weekend?

What’s the best book you’ve read this year?

Do you like a paperback, hardback or a reading device?