Day 17 - Start a list of books you'd like to Read for fun.

When I first purchased the book "One Good Deed a Day" I browsed through the pages and this was one of the deeds that stood out, I was actually really looking forward to it. I am a huge bookworm at heart and being in nursing school I barely get to read for fun, I love reading for enjoyment so every time I have time off from classes I purchase books I actually want to read. My perfect vacations are usually going to a tropical island, waking up every morning and laying out under an umbrella reading all day.

As a lifelong bookworm, I admit that I am more passionate about books than the average gal or guy on the street. It completely shocked me when I read that the average American never reads another book after college. Reading for pleasure is good for you for so many reasons, not only because it will open your mind, or doors in the future but because if you get into it it's actually enjoyable. There's so much to be gained from reading books, the mind-expanding benefits are huge.

Books help you escape, when life is getting a bit too much, escaping into a book for an hour can really make a difference in your mood - a book can completely absorb your mind, and you can "tune out" the chatter on a train, the TV in the background and even the chatter in your own mind. Books are hugely entertaining, words can do things which images and sound can't: they can take us deep into a character's mind, delight us with wordplay, and deliver a much deeper, richer story than is possible in an hour long episode of your favorite show. Lastly, one of the biggest reasons to turn to books is because not only is it sexy when someone reads but you’re learning as well about different cultures, places and things you've never seen in your wildest dreams.

With all of that being said, after thinking for a bit I came up with a list of 10 books I would love to read:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I am a big believer in reading books before watching the movie because anyone who's read a book beforehand knows that the book gives so many more details than the movie ever will. I've never been a big "action" type of girl so the book never really appealed to me but after watching the movie (my bestfriends made me) I completely fell in "like" with the concept and defintely want to read the book, not to mention I've heard nothing but good reviews  from anyone who's read it and our local basketball celebrity Lebron James from the Heat was snapped reading the book in his locker room which is definitely a plus.
2. 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James - All of my friends who have read it have instantly become obsessed, it's erotic, sexual, adventurous, steamy, sexy, dominating and a love story all in one; in other words its every womans type of book. It's definitely a series of books I'd like to add to my collection. 
3. Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde - This is another fantastic movie I saw, the only thing is I never knew there was a book. Once I found out that there was a book I instantly knew I had to read it. The concept is that one thing can be used to change the world which is gratitude. In order to truly benefit from the power of gratitude though, we need to learn to abandon the traditional act of paying people back, and adopt the act of "paying people forward". As a simple example, you do 3 favors for 3 people and eventually these 3 people will do the same for 3 other people and so forth.
4. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks - Nicholas Sparks has always been one of my favorite authors; his stories have a way of drawing you in and making you not want to set the book down until your done with it. Not to mention he wrote the book The Notebook and what girl didn't fall in love with that story? A Walk to Remember is about a popular boy who falls in love with a preachers daughter yet he doesn't know that she's dying of cancer. The story ends very sadly but it's still one I would like to read. One of my favorite quotes is from the book, "love is like the wind, you can feel it but you can't see it" .
5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - I actually purchased this book some time ago and I haven't gotten around to reading it, I definetely want to make the time in the near future to read it because the reviews on it are fantastic. It has been on Oprah's Favorite Books list (not that I care) and not to mention 3 years on the New York Best Seller's list. It's a true story about the author Elizabeth who felt trapped in her life, she left her husband, sold a book and took her book advance to find herself and transcendent love in Italy, India and Indonesia. It's about a healing journey that gives hope to everyone no matter what age.
6. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - I've heard that this book is a real gem, it's beautifully written and captivating. Animals are one of my biggest passions along with traveling and books, this book is about an elephant who brings a man and woman in a circus together, it's an adventurous love affair and many say it's based on a true story. A movie recently came out about the book in which I refuse to watch until I read the book.
7. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - The book was made into a Hollywood motion picture which was nominated for many oscars, yes I saw the movie which then in turn made me want to read the book. It's a true story based in the 1960's about a young white american girl who returns home from college and is passionate about telling the truth about "the help" which are the black maids that raise the white children and get treated like second class citizens.
8. To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee - It's a novel published in the 1960's and until this day is on the bestseller's list. It's a compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving book about the roots of human behavior. The book is translated into 40 languages and is regarded an a masterpiece of American literature.
9. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneoger - The book was published in 2003, it is a love story about a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about his wife, an artist who has to cope with him frequent absences and dangerous experiences.
10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - I've never really been into the whol fictional wizard and magical stuff but this a book I promised my little sister I'd read, she said if I didn't she would destroy of bestfriend bracelets lol.

When was the last time you read? No, I don’t mean textbooks and no, your latest issue of Cosmo, doesn’t count. I mean a good book that you could curl up in bed with at the end of the day that keeps you flipping from page to page? I definitely encourage you to try picking at least one book you've always wanted to read for fun and get to it!!!♥

"If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She'll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are. Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. - Robert Pattinson