Give a Hoot Read a Book!

So I thought I would dedicate a blog on some of my favorite books. I don't read as much as I use to, but I never shy away about my love of a good read. Here are some of my favorite books I've read in the past year or so and some I'm working on right now.

1. The Peacegiver
Such an amazing book it helped me when I was going through a lot. It's told in an extended parable and the message of this book is pure hope. If you are mormon/christian or just need a inspirational story on forgiveness and redemption this book is for you.




2. The Poetry of Robert Frost
I have to admit that as much as I like to write poetry I often find myself having little interest in the poetry of some of the greatest writers in the world. This has kind of bugged me for awhile so I decided I wanted to find a way to change my mindset and I bought this book. It's an amazing compilation of poetry that is great for when i have some free time. I particularly enjoy reading and pondering some of his more obscure poems. It's made me really consider making a collection of poetry books now.




3. Will the real heretics please stand up
This book has an interesting story attached to it. My mission president met the author who is a former pastor in the mission field and loved his book so much he gave us all a copy to read when we went home! Its a really comprehensive look at modern christianity and what is missing (and needs to be restored) from the church of christ. A great read for anyone searching for better understanding of early christian belief.




4. Blogs of Wrath

This book is co-written by my friend Jordan's husband Zach Shutt. What I love about his book is it's written entirely in the form of a blog. It's a unique form of writing that kept me reading even when I was tired (oh just one more blog post tonight I can do this! :) ). The story itself hits close to home as it deals with the highs and lows of a kid in junior high trying to find understanding in the world and himself. I felt a really strong connection with the main character and enjoyed this book thoroughly. Check it out and help support independent books!



5. Hunger Games

I got roped into this series by a lot of my friends talking about it and I have to say it's worth the amazing amount of spamming I received. I love the writing style and the setting of a future totalitarian government. I love how there's a focus on characters and you slowly get a feel of the world throughout the book. I'm on the second book and couldn't be happier




6. Mafia to Mormon


If you are a member of the mormon church you need to read this book. If you are a christian you need to read this book. Heck even if your only interested in a good story you need to read this book! It's a truly amazing and inspiring true story of a man who goes from a life of crime to a born again christian. It's not very long, but its fully engrossing. I think I read it in about 2 days. Its that good of a story.





7. Anthem


A book I remember reading in High School but thought that maybe It deserved more of my attention (yea i was a sparknotes reader :P) It's a really interesting book if for only the underlying message it carries. That uniqueness and variety are what make humanity exciting.





8. Enders Game

I'm actually currently reading this book again but I thought I should put it down simply because I loved it  in my english class. it's a great space adventure with amazing characters and caught my imagination. I remember writing a song with my friend layne about this book for a final project in English.




9. Hamlet
Ok so I have a problem..I love Shakespeare but it's sooo hard to read sometimes. Even though this is one of my favorite plays of all time but I often find that I watch the Kenneth Branagh movie to help me understand the context of whats happening. I suppose that it's suppose to be seen with that visual aesthetic to help the words have meaning. In any case I love this play and really anything from Shakespeare..he's one talented dude.




10.  I am America and so can you-
Haha oh man this book kind of balances out all of the serious stuff I've read. I always feel that politicians (and really politics in general) often take themselves too seriously. Thats why I love shows like Colbert and the Daily Show. This book pretty much had me laughing more than any book I've ever read. The satire of political pundits and the crazy solutions that they sometimes come up with. It's simply hilarious all the way through.


Books I'm working on
The Lovely Bones
The Alchemist
The Screwtape Letters
Catching Fire
The Chronicles of Narnia
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jane Eyre