30 Books to Add To Your TBR Pile in 2015 | My Reading Goal for the Year

Monday, April 6, 2015

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Last week I went to book club for the first time in months and realized how much I miss talking about books. It's not uncommon for most of us to have a notebook or the Notes app open on our phones all evening long, writing down titles other members recommend. I love finding new authors and my club members rarely disappoint.

I drove home thinking, "there's so many good books out there just waiting for me to find them!" Please tell me you feel the same so I don't feel like a complete fool.

Between book club, book podcasts, magazines, Facebook pages, Goodreads, Oyster, and my mom; my TBR list is so long it's bordering on ridiculous. But, since I don't think I'll be giving up reading anytime soon, I remain optimistic that I'll make my way through it eventually.


30 Book Suggestions to Add to Your TBR Pile

In 2013 I set a goal to read 40 books to take some of the sting out of turning 40. When I started this post it dawned on me I never published the update as to if I reached the goal or not (I did, barely). I'm cutting myself some slack and limiting this year's goal to 30. Before, I didn't allow any padding for books over 400 pages. Plus, because of the new Outlander series on Starz (which I LOVE!), I think I may be jumping back into those books.

Since putting it out in public will keep me accountable, here, in no particular order, are 30 books I'm hoping to get through this year.

1. The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh
2. Mermaids in Paradise, Lydia Millet
3. Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman
4. The Miniaturist, Jessie Burton
5. We Are Not Ourselves, Matthew Thomas
6. Station 11, Emily St. John Mandel
7. The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins
8. Men Explain Things to Me, Rebecca Solnit
9. The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey
10. The Life We Bury, Allen Eskins
11. A Land More Kind Than Home, Wiley Cash
12. This Is Where I Leave You, Jonathan Tropper
13. Friendswood, Rene Steinke
14. I'll Have What She's Having, My Adventures in Celebrity Dieting, Rebecca Harrington
15. Look At Me, Jennifer Eagan
16. Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng
17. Landline, Rainbow Rowell
18. The Martian, Andy Weir
19. Yes, Please, Amy Poehler
20. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes
21. I Regret Nothing, Jen Lancaster
22. Zero to One, Notes on Startups, Peter Theil
23. The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, Jeff Hobbs
24. The Paying Guests, Sarah Waters
25. Long Man, Amy Greene
26. Best to Laugh, Lorna Landvik,
27. Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson
28.  The Hypnotists Love Story, Liane Moriarty
29. A Spool of Blue Thread, Anne Tyler
30. The Woman Upstairs, Claire Messud


Bonus book: I confess, while I was putting this post together, I read both The 5th Wave and the second book in the trilogy, The Infinite Sea. They were both really quick reads. If you enjoy YA dystopian/sci fi you'll enjoy these. But, be forewarned: the third in the series will not be out until spring of 2016. 


Should I decide to up my goal to 40, which of your recent 
reads should I add to the list? Follow my progress on Goodreads

Veterans Day 2014 Free Offers and Discounts {Starbucks, Applebee's, Knott's Berry Farm and more}

Friday, November 7, 2014

Next week we celebrate Veterans Day. If you see a soldier, please thank them for their service. If you see a soldiers' family, please thank them, too. If you're looking for a way to give back beyond this one day per year, consider searching for volunteer opportunities on sites like VolunteerMatch, The Wounded Warrior Project, your local USO, or Feeding America (which often host a military food pantry).



Veterans Day Freebies, Offers and Deals for 2014

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost." ~ Arthur Ashe


Free Veterans Day meal or discount available from these restaurants and businesses:

Meals
Applebee's (specific menu items)
California Pizza Kitchen (specific menu items)
Build your own Grand Slam from 5am - Noon at Denny's 
Olive Garden (specific menu items, link goes to their Facebook page) 
Create your own combo at On the Border (link goes to their Facebook page)
Free doughnut and coffee from Krispy Kreme (link goes to their Facebook page)
Free select appetizer from Red Lobster (through 11/13/14)  
Red Robin is offering a Tavern burger and fries 
Famous Dave's is offering a One Meat Salute from 11am - 4:30
Free meal with beverage purchase from Hooters
Free appetizer from Ruby Tuesday
Starbucks is offering a "free tall (12 fl. oz.) brewed coffee to veterans, active duty service members AND military spouses"
Claimjumper is offering their free meal on Monday, 11/10
Free entree or pizza from Uno's Chicago Grill 
Military Appreciation Monday at Golden Corral is Monday, 11/17

Discounts
Military Tribute Days at Knott's Berry Farm from 11/2 - 11/21/14 
Free haircut at Great Clips
Free admission to all US National Parks 
Extra 20% off at JC Penney
"Receive 15 percent off eligible store items and 20 percent off Walgreens, Nice! and W brand products at any Walgreens or Duane Reade drugstore nationwide"


**Always check with each location to ensure they are participating and to get any conditions of the offer (specific hours, need to be in uniform, need to show ID, dine-in only, beverage not included, etc). For more offers (especially for restaurants not in California ), visit Kiplinger's Veterans Day 2014, Military.com, MilitaryBenefits.info, The Military Wallet and the Veterans Day offers page at Freebies.About.com.

Photo credit: Kathy Zinn on Flickr using Creative Commons (text and overlay by me)
 
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