Friday, January 10, 2014

Looking Forward To in 2014

2013 was a year to celebrate...and by that I mean it was a year of great new book releases. In an effort to be thrifty and support my local communities, I've been on a library kick this past year and borrowed many of the books I read in 2013. That meant that when a new book came out, I sometimes had to wait over a month before I could get my hands on it. I could have easily downloaded it on my kindle or gone to a bookstore to buy it, but frankly I'm a bargain hunter and the prices of brand new hardcover books sometimes hurt my eyes (not to mention my college-student budget). I'd say the books that I anticipated most in 2013 were Life After Life and Bellman and Black. I have yet to get my hands on the latter but I am determined to read it by the end of winter break. I love the anticipation of a new release, but sometimes I do get a little bit impatient waiting for it to be published. I often get jealous of those lucky readers who are granted a sneak peek and get to tell us all how amazing the book is...but then we still have to wait months and months to experience it for ourselves. 

Below is a list of just five books that I'm looking forward to in 2014. They all happen to come out this month (some of them a few days ago), so I'm thankful that when it comes to these five, my impatience will be short-lived.

January 7, 2014

I am a huge fan of The Secret Life of Bees. I think this author has an extraordinary ability to write about heartbreak in a way that makes you feel it in your core, but she also finds a way to take that tragedy and shape into something that we can eventually feel hopeful about. This book was released three days ago, so it's already available for those who cannot wait! I feel like this one may need a permanent spot on my shelves...

January 7th, 2014

Beah's first book, A Long Way Gone, holds a very special place on my shelves. I read it in eighth grade as part of a bookclub, and it was the first book to introduce me to the harrowing lives of children in war-torn places like Sierra Leone. As it happens, I've grown up in very safe communities and although it was a hard book for me to read at that age, I so appreciate that it gave me a great sense of perspective.

January 14, 2014

This is a follow-up to the widely acclaimed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which I had happened to download in 2011 because it was on sale in the kindle store. It took me quite awhile before I actually got around to reading it, but it was one of my favorite books in 2012. It's a morbid read, but also really unique, and the antique photography used throughout helps to embellish the story and make it feel completely real. This doesn't seem like one of those sequels that can be read on its own, so if you haven't picked up the first one yet, I'd recommend doing so soon!

January 7th, 2014

A book about reading, and the ways in which it shapes our lives, thoughts, and perspectives. It argues that we should spend less of our time doing meaningless tasks and reading more. {Amen!} I anticipate that this will be a favorite read, and it has great potential as a gift for the other bookworms in your life.

January 28th, 2014

This book was officially released in 2013, but is now being released by Knopf this month & will finally be available on Amazon. It's a take on the infamous Dreyfus affair, and although I haven't read a book by Harris before, this book has received worldwide admiration and stunning reviews. I'll admit I'm sadly lacking in knowledge when it comes to this moment in history, and I look forward to experiencing the renown storytelling of Harris while learning more about the events that took place. 

No comments:

Post a Comment