The War of Art | by Steven Pressfield

This book has been widely recommended by many…so I thought I’d give it a shot.  It gives a very different approach to disciplining your creative works, pushing the limits of your creativity and comfort, and ultimately developing yourself as a whole.

Where Men Win Glory | John Krakauer

I don’t consider myself very active in political discussions and I really don’t keep up as well as I should with world news.  Sad to admit…but true.  So this book was very interesting for me as it shed a lot of light on the war that we’re in right now and shared things that many people haven’t heard.  The book itself is based on the story of Pat Tillman’s life…NFL football player turned Army Ranger in a patriotic move to help his country.  Although I loved learning about the war through this book, and I’m sure for some people these parts would be the highlight of the book, for me the parts that truly drew me into the book were the ones that told the story of his life and how he came to leave millions in the NFL to serve his country.  Not a decision to be made lightly and not one that many would even consider…let alone act on.  For Pat Tillman, however, there was no question about what the right thing was to do.  As all of Krakauer’s books are, this book was wonderfully written.  Definitely a book that has appeal for just about anyone.

Back When We Were Grown Ups | Anne Tyler

Wonderfully written.  Later on in life, the protagonist is questioning who she has become and who she may have been.  Don’t we all end up asking ourselves those questions at some point.  Well, after going searching for her true self (and digging up an old boyfriend along with it) I believe the protagonist finds that she is where she was meant to be.  I think in general we always know that…but sometimes it’s good to find out for yourself!

Alice I Have Been | Melanie Benjamin

Told in the voice of Alice Little…the girl who Alice in Wonderland was dedicated to…this story has a very interesting plot line and had me dreaming of Wonderland.  This story follows Alice from the time that she was a little girl and the very interesting relationship that she develops with the man that would one day be known as Lewis Carroll, how the book came to be written, how she tried to avoid association with the story throughout her adult life, and eventually how the story would bring her a peace that nothing else could.

Vanishing Acts | Jodi Picoult

Usually when I’m on a dry spell for a really good book I pick up a Jodi Picoult book because I always know what to expect!  She has written many great books that are always an easy read, interesting, and touch on a certain moral or ethical issue and examines these from a different perspective.  Vanishing Acts was no exception to this and I’m glad I grabbed it!  This book follows Deliah as she abruptly finds one day that there is a lot from her past that she doesn’t remember…including the fact that she was kidnapped and given a new identity by her father as a small girl.  Many shades of gray are explored in this book!