Happy birthday to me! Today is my birthday and I received such a great gift from my parents that it warrants an entire post! I received an Amazon Kindle
(affiliate link) because I absolutely love to read. This is the perfect opportunity to share with you some of my favorite books and authors.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information please see my disclosures here.
Why the Kindle is amazing
I used to be one of those “…but I like to hold an actual book in my hand…” type of people but a few years ago I caved and bought a Nook Color. I read a couple of books on it and then put it in my nightstand where it has been buried since (RIP). I started reading hard copy books again because I just wasn’t feeling the Nook.
The Kindle on the other hand is just like reading and feeling an actual book. It is compact and lightweight so it’s easy to put into my bag and have handy. The best part about it (for me) is that I can read outside on the beach or in my bed at night. I couldn’t do this with the Nook because the screen doesn’t allow for easy outdoor visibility. The Kindle Paperwhite on the other hand reads like paper so I can be outside in the sun while reading. It also has a built-in light so I can read in bed at night.
More great features include a dictionary, bookmarking and GoodReads. GoodReads is an application (for your Kindle, iPhone, computer, etc.) that lets users track and rate books and network with other readers. I signed up on my phone and it was so easy. After you create your login information and select the genres you like, you are prompted to rate 20 books by swiping through recommended books and giving them 1-5 stars (if you’ve read them) or clicking “want to read” to add to your “want to read” list.
Sounds a little bit like Tinder…
You can get your Amazon Kindle by clicking here! They also have cute covers here
! I have royal purple 🙂
My favorite books
All titles are affiliate links.
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Two very different sisters are thrown into a different world in France during World War II. Their lives are turned upside down in different ways that both strains their relationship with each other and makes it stronger. One sister is forced to house a German soldier who requisitions her home while the other takes a rebellious stand against the Nazis by saving others. This book is so well written and interesting I could not put it down. It is definitely at the top of my list.
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr
Another World War II book that is amazing. I promise you I don’t have any particular interest in this time period, just a coincidental liking to two very well written books that happen to take place during WWII. This book alternates between the stories of two children growing up during WWII. One story follows a blind girl in France from the time she must evacuate her home to safety while protecting a valuable jewel. The other story is about a young German orphan boy whose innocence is no match for the war. He is forced into Hitler Youth where his intelligence leads him to track down the resistance. His work brings him to France and into the French girl’s life.
She’s Come Undone
by Wally Lamb
This is a very sad and disturbing book but also very well written. I’ve read it several times and will probably read it again. She’s Come Undone brings you into the life of a teenage girl, Dolores, as she grows into adulthood. Dolores struggles with weight issues, men and stability. Life is very unkind for this woman.
The Kite Runner
by Khaled Housseini
This is a powerful novel about the rich and the poor in Afghanistan. It is a great display of the two different worlds for two little boys when they see what the role of friendship and family play in this world.
My Favorite Authors
Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben is a mystery and thriller novelist. His style of writing absorbs the reader into the story to play detective and want to solve the mystery at hand. Coben is from my hometown and writes about places that are familiar to me (even though his books are purely fiction) so it makes the reading experience even more enjoyable.
Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult writes very real, very sad books. Why would you want to read sad books? I don’t really have a good answer for that other than Jodi Picoult’s writing is excellent. She makes you feel like you are a part of the family or characters she is writing about. Jodi Picoult writes about different illnesses and tragedies that you don’t typically hear of. Her stories always end with an unexpected twist that leaves you wanting more. You may know her from some of her more well known novels like The Pact
and My Sister’s Keeper
, which became a movie starring Cameron Diaz.
So there you have it! Get your Amazon Kindle and start reading! 
