the pages that stole my heart // 2014

There are exactly two weeks left in 2014.

Wait, what?

Being my senior year, I've found that time is flying much too fast as I'm attempting to savor every moment that I can.  But here we are, 14 days out of 2015.  336 hours.  And that's all.

One of my favorite things about 2014 was the great books that I've read.  I set myself a goal to read 25 books this year - about two a month - and I'm currently at 28 books and counting! One of the major things that I'm looking forward to on Christmas break is the fact that I can read all day erry day in the comfort of my own home [read: while laying on the floor] and hopefully push that number up to at least 30 books for the year.

I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish to bring you my top ten books of 2014.  But 2014 isn't over yet, so one of the books in my pile to be read over break has the potential to join that rank. With that in mind, I'll talk about my top nine books of the year and letcha know what the tenth was when the clock strikes into 2015. [Also, PicMonkey didn't have a collage template for ten book covers, but we can pretend that that's not the real reason that I'm not doing ten here.]

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

I waited far too long to read this one as it's been sitting on my shelf for ages.  The ending was ruined for me so I went through the entire book in anticipation for the [SPOILER] moment when I would love Mr. Darcy. [SPOILER] I wasn't disappointed.

2. Z - Therese Ann Fowler

Biographies and the 1920s era are two of my favorite things. Add in Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and you're golden.  Evidently Fowler knew that and wrote this book just for me.  Obviously.  

3. The Book Thief - Mark Zusak

Talking about taking a long time to read, I think I had a bookmark stuck between The Book Thief's pages for almost nine months. Once I finally had a long time to devote to reading, I sat down and knocked off the last 300-odd pages in a single setting. The narration in this book is fantastic. 

4. Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand

Read this; I dare you! Unbroken opened my eyes to the world outside of my little bubble and has caused me to think differently about a lot of things [including fresh water] since I finished it at the end of June. 

5. All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque

I'm not usually a huge fan of war novels, but this book offered a unique perspective that I've never seen before. 

6. The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan

I had this assumption in my mind that this was an old ladies' book club book that I would in no way enjoy. After reading it, I've realized that even if it were an old ladies' book club book, I would still have put it into my top nine. The views of life and lessons that can be learned from this book are huge. The story is woven together so smoothly that I can't help but think that Tan should be made a book saint or something. 

7. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

"That killed me." If you don't get the reference, you have to read the book! Another book that I've been meaning to read for a while. Although I couldn't relate to Holden quite as well as other teens have, I could definitely relate to where he was coming from. I sped through this one pretty fast and really enjoyed it.   

8. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK. I love it, I love it, I love it. The first 50% of it was read under the covers after lights out during camp this summer. I know, I'm such a rebel. Shhh. 

9. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

I'm not actually finished with this one yet so it has the potential to become my least favorite book ever, but for now, I'm loving it. I'm reading it for my A.P. English class at school with the hopes that it will indeed prepare me for any theme that the A.P. test might throw at me to write about. 

What were your top ten  nine books of 2014? Do we have any in common? 

xx, Allison

{Book Review} Unbroken

Summary [no spoilers!] - Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, is a true(!) story about Olympic runner and WWII vet Louie Zamperini.  After his bid in the 1936 Olympics, Zamperini was drafted into the Army Air Force and became a bombardier based in Hawaii.  In 1943, Zamperini's plane goes down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and from that point on his life would never be the same.  (Obviously a detailed summary... #sarcasm.)

Pros - First of all, this is the first Laura Hillenbrand book that I have read and I must say that I am quite the fan of her writing style.  This story contains many, many characters and many, many backstories.  Hillenbrand avoids creating confusion by distinguishing each person distinctly so the readers can keep the story straight.  

Also, just the story line itself.  It's intense, insane and definitely eye-opening.  I learned a ton about the United States military system, WWII and human nature and instinct.  

I was engaged through the entire book (I read it in less than a week!).  I never had to take a break because the book was moving too slowly or I was bored with it.  It was more like I had to find out what was going to happen next.

Cons - At some points, the torture that Louie and the other POWs go through was so brutal that I was literally cringing and had tears in my eyes.  The language isn't always the best either.  However, this is a true story and the things that happened were real things.  Expect it to be raw and real.  Just a warning.  

Meaningful Quote - “Without dignity, identity is erased. In its absence, men are defined not by themselves, but by their captors and the circumstances in which they are forced to live.” 

Final Thoughts  - I finished Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand a few days ago, and I'm still thinking about it.  A lot.  I can't put my finger on exactly what made it stick in my mind.  The way that the story flowed together so perfectly?  Maybe.  The insane torture that the POWs went through? Likely.  The determination, strength, and courage that those men showed? Possibly. A combination of all of those things? That's what I'm thinking.

Unbroken is by far one of my favorite books that I've ever read.  I was hesitant at first to dive in as I'm not a huge war novel fan.  However, this book is more than just a gory war novel.  It has definite meaning and, speaking for myself, has been a huge inspiration.

4.9/5 stars from me!

Have you read Unbroken? What did you think?

If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? Go read!