Friday Five: Book Edition

TGIF!

Does anyone else feel like the work week drags when you have something that you're looking forward to? This weekend my cousin Josh comes home for the week and over the course of next week plenty of friends from Costa Rica will also be coming into town to spend the long weekend together, so of course this week went by so slow in anticipation for the weekend. I'm hoping for beautiful weather because we have a cousins dinner planned with my aunt on Sunday and I would like to go somewhere with a patio so we can sit outside.

As a change up from the typical 'Friday Favorites' I do which highlights my favorite things in the week, I decided to do a post on 5 of my favorite books instead. During the summer I get a lot of reading done because I'm spending plenty of time sitting by the pool. Plus I always have a book at my desk at work during downtime and breaks. I used to hate to read as a kid but as I grew up and was no longer forced to read certain books by teachers, I definitely grew to love it. I tend to gravitate towards books that have television series or movies based off of them but I'm guilty of picking up fun reads from my favorite celebrities as well.

A Song of Ice and Fire Series AKA Game of Thrones - By George RR Martin

I can't recommend this series enough. I started reading them when the first season of the HBO show premiered and I was adamant about finishing book 1 before I watched the show so I wouldn't be spoiled and I instantly became obsessed. The books are definitely for the brave because each book dabbles around 1,000 pages and there are so many characters it is easy to get confused but the end game is so worth it. There are still 2 more books coming that I am patiently waiting for because I am now so invested in these characters and I'm dying to know how it ends. Fair warning-- don't get too attached to the characters you're reading about, Martin is famous for killing off characters!

Most Talkative by Andy Cohen

I love Andy Cohen. He is probably best know as the creator of the Real Housewives franchise on Bravo and the host of Watch What Happens Live and when he came out with a book over a year ago I knew I had to read it. The book chronicles Andy's journey from dorky child to successful television creator and host. If you're a fan of the housewife's you will love the inside dirt he gives! It's definitely a fun summer read.

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

After instantly becoming obsessed with the Orange is the New Black series when it was released on Netflix in 2013 I knew I wanted to read the book that the story was based on. It tells the true story of Piper Kerman who was sentenced to 15 months in prison for money laundering and drug trafficking, a crime she committed over 6 years earlier. Her journey at the women's prison has its ups and downs but it's a fascinating look into the life women in prison deal with.

The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris

This book series, inspired the television show True Blood on HBO, was originally recommended to me by my aunt. She told me they were a quick but fun read and since I'm a sucker for a good series I borrowed the first book from her and flew through it. There are 13 books in this series and they tell the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress and telepath living in Louisiana. She gets into all sorts of supernatural hijinks after she comes into contact with a vampire. The book series is nothing like the television show even though they share the same characters, but if you're looking for a fun supernatural lead with a likable main character, I definitely recommend these.

i like you just the way i am by Jenny Mollen

I picked up this book right before I left for Cape May last month and had the book finished in two days. Jenny Mollen (wife of actor Jason Biggs) is hilarious and totally relatable with her crazy antics. Although she can be quite inappropriate during 95% of the book, I found myself laughing out loud reading her adventures. If you're a fan of women like Chelsea Handler or Kathy Griffin you will definitely appreciate this book.

Now it's your turn--- what are some of your favorite books of all time?

xoxo