17 must-read books becoming movies in 2017

I'm an admitted book worm. Always have been. When I was a child I would stay up late after "lights out", reading by the light of my fish tank so my mom wouldn't catch me. I didn't read very much last year, but this year I vow to do better. I need to make time this year to escape into some good books.

Here are 17 must-read books that are becoming movies in 2017. I hope I can read some if not all of them before watching the movies.

1. Hidden Figures - Release date: Jan 6, 2017

The true story of black female mathematicians and their quiet, unsung achievements for NASA in the 1960's.

2. Fifty Shades Darker - Release date: Feb. 10, 2017

Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele deepen their  relationship in the the Fifty Shades of Grey sequel.

3. Before I Fall - Release date: Mar 3, 2017

Highschooler Samantha relieves the day of her death over and over to untangle mysteries of her life and death

4. The Zookeeper's Wife - Release date: March 31, 2017

Follow the story of the brave zookeepers who hide refugees in zoo during World War II.  Check out my other favorite WWII books.

5. Wonder - Release date: April 7, 2017

Auggie is born with a face deformity. Read through different perspectives as Auggie attends mainstream school for the first time. We are all rooting for Auggie through friendship, compassion and empathy.

6. The Lost City of Z - Release date: April 21, 2017

British explorer Percy gets lost searching for the fabled civilization in the Amazon.

7. The Circle - Release date: April 28, 2017

Mae takes a job at a powerful internet company. Suspense builds as she climbs the corporate ladder and questions start arising about power, democracy and privacy.

8. Everything, Everything - Release date: May 19, 2017

Teenage Maddy has a rare immunodeficiency disorder which makes her allergic to the outside world. When Olly, a boy, moves next door, Maddy falls in love and is willing to take a big risk.

9. My Cousin Rachel - Release date: July 14, 2017

A man named Philip inherits his cousin's fortune and estate after his mysterious death. His cousin's beautiful widow, Rachel may be guilty of killing his family.

10. The Dark Tower - Release date: July 28, 2017

A trilogy series in which a gunslinger searches a magical world for a dark tower to set the world right in a journey of good and evil.

11. The Mountain Between Us - Release date: Oct 20, 2017

During a storm, two strangers charter a plane together. The unthinkable happens and they crash into wilderness. They now have to learn to depend on each other to survive.

12. Let it Snow - Release date: Nov 2017

Three interconnected love stories for the holidays.

13. Murder on the Orient Express - Release date : Nov 22, 2017

A train is stopped on the tracks during a snowstorm. During the night a millionaire is murdered and the detective must figure out who the killer is.

14. Annihilation - Release date: TBD

Area X has seen it's share of explorers all which have had mysterious happenings. Follow the 12th expedition into this uncivilized terrain.

15. The House of Tomorrow - Release date: TBD

A coming of age tale of Sebastian who has been homeschooled by his eccentric grandmother. When he meets Jared, a rebel 16 year old. Sebastian has to decide which path he wants to take.

16. The Nightingale - Release date: TBD

The Nazi's have invaded France during WWII. The Nightingale tells the tale of 2 sisters fighting on either side of the war.  Check out my other favorite WWII novels.

17. Thank You For Your Service - Release date - TBD

A non-fiction book that follows the lives of soldiers who have come back from war. See what life is like for these heroes as they cope with PTSD, life back home and their most painful and intimate moments.

Back in 2012 I challenged myself to read 25 books and I ended up reading 30 books in 2012! You can also read my reviews of some of the books I read in 2013.

Have you read any of these books? Do you plan on seeing the movies this year?

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30 Books in 2013: January - June

Last year my goal was to read 30 books in the year. And I did it.

This year I have the same goal and I'm currently ahead of schedule. Through the months of January to June I've read 18 books. I decided to break up my reviews since it would be too many books at the end of the year and this is more manageable. 

If you'd like more reviews you can read my 30 Books in 2012 Reviews and my Holocaust Novels Reviews. You can also follow me on Goodreads.

Mother Had a Secret by Tiffany Fletcher

This book was okay. I picked it because it's about a daughters point of view living with her mother with 15 different personalities and the effect it had on her childhood and their family. I usually enjoy stories like this from the phsychological aspect. While this book was enlightening about the disorder and seeing it from a child's point of view the story didn't really grab me. The fact that it's a true story though was intriguing.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This story started off so normaly for a while that I wondered what it was leading to. Sylvia's struggle to "snap out" of her depression soon emerged. I wasn't as riveted as I thought I would be given that it's a classic. In the end it was an enjoyable novel to read.

The Kitchen House: A Novelby Kathleen Grissom

This was truly an amazing story. I simply couldn't stop reading it. A white orphaned servant girl gets sent to a plantation in the South and put to work among the slaves. The characters are so well formed and the slaves and plantation owners lives often paralleled each other reminding us "we are all just people". Throughout the book you feel like you become part of the family and you learn the balance between love, loyalty, family and sacrifice. If you liked The Help, you'll like this even better!

The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain

This book was recommended to me on Goodreads. It's the story after a beloved midwife commits suicide leaving a curious note that leads to a heartbreaking secret. The story follows her two closest friends as they try to unravel this web of betrayal and secrets their friend left after her death. You'll be blown away by the female relationships including mother/daughter bonds. I loved trying to piece together the mystery which made it a hard book to put down!

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Another memoir. This one deals with Susannah, a journalist who wakes up to discover she's been hospitalized for a month and has no memory of that time. It was an interesting read about a rare autoimmune disorder that makes the body attack itself, in this case the brain. Terrifying and fascinating at the same time.

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

I picked up this book after reading her other two last year (Still Alice and Left Neglected). I didn't love it as much as the others but it did some serious tugging on my heartstrings. I've always had a pull towards learning about autism and how autistic kids function on the world. Two mother's meet at the crossroads in their lives and it shows their different struggles. I found the parts about Anthony the autistic boy to be the most captivating. How she gave us his perspective seemed spot on. It really opened my eyes to this neurological disorder.

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

After reading The Midwife's Confession I knew I wanted to read some other Diane Chamberlain books. People are good but sometimes they are forced to do horrible things. That is what this book is about. CeeCee was naive and got herself involved in a botched kidnap attempt of a pregnant woman. I don't want to spoil the book so you'll have to read it to find out what happens. Loved the storyline.

Before The Storm by Diane Chamberlain

Laurel suffers from post partum depression and alcoholism and her son is born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Because of this he is taken into the system. Laurel fights to get her son back and continues to  try to make up for her mistakes in her life. But when her son is charged with arson in a church fire things start to unravel. Arson, affairs, and secrets from the past this is a real page turner. 

Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain

This is sort of a sequel to Before the Storm. You meet some new characters and there are some old characters intertwined in the story. More drama and affairs and secrets that will leave you stunned!  You get flashbacks from the first book but from different characters which is nice. I recommend reading Before the Storm first to get a better sense of the main characters and what is going on.

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch

"A historical thriller set in Germany in 1660" A secret peek into the life of an executioner of the times. A town horrified to find several murdered children with strange tattoos on their bodies and discover the possibility of a witch in their midst. They set out to punish the woman they suspect is the witch while the hangman (also the local torturer) is set on finding "the real killer". A fictional spooky mystery with some historical facts thrown in.

The Light Between Oceans: A Novel by M.L. Stedman

Sad to say but probably one of my least favorite books from this bunch. A lighthouse keeper and his wife live on a deserted island. After several miscarriages one day a boat washes up on their island with a baby and a dead man on it. The wife filled with heartache from her miscarriages decides to keep the baby and raise it. It was an entertaining book but it frustrated me because I wanted the characters to do the right thing and they didn't. I ended up feeling sorry for all the characters even the baby.

The Snow Child: A Novel by Eowyn Ivey

Jack and Mabel are farming the untamed and unsettled Alaskan frontier. They are an older couple with no children when one night they make a snow child in the magical snow and the next morning a real child appears in the woods. It's part fairytale and part sorrow and heartbreak as the child grows and becomes part of their life.

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris

A very quick read for the people who atheist. It's a pretty abrasive book and pretty extreme. It was an interesting read but read like a textbook to me with lots of information.

Deconverted: A Journey from Religion to Reason Seth Andrews

The autobiography of Seth Andrews as he grows up as a strong believer in a Christian school/household and even becomes a Christian radio host until he started really questioning his religion in his 30's and became de-converted. Now he's the guy behind The Thinking Atheist podcast. I loved his style of storytelling and it's a fair assessment of religion without name calling or such. Great for anyone who is open minded.

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

Set in Ireland in the winter Chicky Starr renovates herself and an old house and opens a holiday hotel, the Stone House. The book chronicles the first house guests of the season. Each section is devoted to a different characters and told from their point of view. It was a cozy relaxing read with well developed characters but not much plot except for what happens the first week in the holiday hotel. 

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

I'm a huge Jodi Picoult fan (loved My Sister's Keeper, Perfect Match and Nineteen Minutes). That being said, this was hands down my favorite Jodi Picoult book thus far.  A jewish baker befriends and elderly man and then he shocks her by asking her to kill him. In a turn of events she discovers he's a ex Nazi officer and her grandmother is a surviver of the Holocaust. Such a riveting plot and you become so connected with the characters and really feel the pain during the WWII scenes. I have a love hate relationship with holocaust stories and this one really captures a good story.

Defending Jacob: A Novel by William Landay

A court room fictional drama. When a local teenager is murdered the district attorney is shocked when his son is named the main suspect. Of course the whole book is about defending his son, Jacob. Did he do it? Will he go to jail? How will this affect their family? This book has you asking a lot of questions and the ending will leave you stunned. When I read the last few pages and closed the book I seriously sat there and said outloud "what just happened."

Wedding Night: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella

Not my favorite Sophie Kinsella book. Cheesy while trying to be romantic. Fliss is interferring with her sisters quicky wedding and tries to ruin her wedding night so she can get an anullment. The main character Lottie just got on my nerves a lot. Maybe it would be a nice easy summer read.

30 books in 2012

Last year I took the Goodreads 2012 book challenge and challenged myself to read 25 books. I ended up reading 30. Here are my mini reviews of my books.

 The Fault In Our Stars  by John Green Amazing and terrible and heart wrenching and hilarious. There are so many great points about life and love captured in this story. Cancer. Death. Trying to understand the vastness of infinity.

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski This would make a good beach read. It started off okay, about self discovery and love and inner strength but I never could really get into it that much. I feel the characters were okay and geared more towards a younger age group. Good if you like melodrama.

The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders A surprisingly entertaining kindle purchase for $0.99. A cold unloving husband and an unwanted wife. The story line was interesting but the end was pretty predictable. It was a good quick vacation read.

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston An enjoyable historical fiction with themes of witchcraft, love and adventure. It had an interesting and spooky twist on magic which I liked. The switching between times/stories got frustrating at times though.

I read several Holocaust themed novels in 2012. I gave mini reviews on these back in July. My favorites were Those Who Save Us and The Book Thief. 

 The Birth House by Ami McKay It was a fairly interesting story. The main character didn't grab me like she should have. There was  a struggle with traditional and modern medicine and gave a small insight to women's rights in this era.

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaarberbol and Agnete Friis A suspense thriller that kept me turning the pages. Someone recommended this book to me. I felt like there were a lot of characters to keep track of and I wasn't really a fan of the main Nina character. I kept reading to find out what happened at the end.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks I'm always a fan of Nicholas Sparks books even though most of them seem like the same story/characters. Sometimes it's just nice to read a nice love story with likable characters and this had all of that. This book didn't blow me away but it was entertaining.

One For The Money by Janet Evanovich Someone told me about these books and told me I would want to read them all if I read one. It didn't happen. This book did not impress me. This book was meh.

Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman I gave this book 5 stars which is shocking for me especially for a religious memoir. I loved the voice she had and the story she told. I loved learning how life was growing up in a Hasidic household. My only complaint was that ending felt rushed.

50 Shades of Gray Trilogy by E.L. James Yes I read the 50 shades books and yes I enjoyed them! The first book I was hooked, why was Gray so dark, tortured and intense? At the same time I found the writing of Ana very receptive, how many times did I read "my breath hitched". But I got past it and the writing changed slightly. I enjoyed the third book the best because I liked following the evolution of Anna and Christians relationship. I wasn't bothered by reading the BDSM parts like some people I know. To each their own, I like reading different things in stories, that's what makes them interesting.

 11/22/63 by Stephen King I don't think I've ever read a Stephen King book before this. I had it in my head that he only wrote horror stories but this story of love and time travel got me good. I enjoyed the beginning and the end even though the middle dragged a lot. He was such a good story teller and makes you wonder, how would you change the past, and if you did what would happen because of what you changed?

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon I was really intrigued from the very beginning. I thought it was going to be a story of one character when it really was about a different character. I think the author did a good job of showing the points of views of people with disabilities. Beautifully written story full of emotion and hope.

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorenson This book did not do it for me. I was bored most of the time reading it. The "secret" was practically non existent and I couldn't connect with either of the main characters in this story. Not recommended.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova What a well researched and imaganitve book. It makes you think twice before answering your cell phone while driving. I found the little know and not understood condition of left neglected to be very interesting and scary at the same time.

Me and Emma by Elizabeth Flock  This book is about child abuse so that's hard to swallow. I figured out the "twist" early in the story which kind of ruined it for me. You are drawn in by these sisters and find yourself hoping they can escape their fate.

The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith Honestly, I know I read this book and I know I enjoyed it because I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads but I can't really remember the story. Something about it must just not stick with me or maybe I read a riveting book before and after this and it got lost in between. I don't know but I feel like I need to re-read this one.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova I read this before I read Left Neglected and I fell in love with the way Lisa tells a story. She does an amazing job of taking you inside the mind of a person with Alzheimer's. I really felt connected with the fear and frustrations that Alice goes through as she gets progressively worse. I couldn't stop thinking about this book.

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda I adored this book and couldn't put it down. The story follows two families well and how they are intertwined. A very compelling story full of struggles with birth, miscarriage, adoption and love of a child. I found it very inspirational. 

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If you're on Goodreads maybe you want to take the 2013 book challenge too? I'm doing it again this year. This time I'm challenging myself to read 30 more books! Join me!

Currently Reading: Holocaust Novels

Lately, I've been reading a lot of stories about the Holocaust and WWII in general, but mostly the Holocaust. I think the interest really began back in November when I drove an hour away to a Holocaust memorial where a concentration camp used to be here in Germany. I didn't even share that on the blog at the time. That was haunting.

Most of us have read the story of Anne Frank, and learned about the Holocaust and WWII in schools, but really how much do we know? I for one know that I never thought about it much further than that. I felt moved to learn more and read these people's stories so that they would not be forgotten.

When we first moved to Germany, I actually had several older people who were shocked we would live here and voiced their opinions to me. One lady actually told me "I can't believe you live there, I would refuse. I don't even want to visit Germany." Kind of a harsh statement but one I can understand if you've had family who were persecuted by the Germans. Not everyone in Germany hated Jews though and if you read these stories you'll see that. Just like the story of Anne Frank, whose friends hid her and her family, there are random of acts of kindness during these hard times.

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I promise not to give away any spoilers to these books, but I wanted to share what I've been reading and give a small mini review. So that maybe some of you will be intrigued like I was to read something outside of your bubble.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay "the book that made my Mother NOT want to visit France". She was reading this when she came to visit me over Christmas and I read it shortly afterwards. This story breaks your heart as you follow a young Jewish girl who is round up out of Paris and taken to a concentration camp. It's told from two time periods, one in the 1940's and one in 2002 where we're with a journalist who is writing an article about the roundup of the Jews in Paris. This was the first of the Holocaust related stories I read and after that I wanted more.

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum - I felt like this story was taking place in the village next to ours. Anytime I drove past the old bakery in the village of Schonenberg-Kubelberg I felt like this was the scene for this story. It felt very close to home. It took me a long time to get "out" of this story. I loved that it was told from a  German point of view. One of the best books I've read in a long time. I gave it 5 stars!

The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman - You know the ending of the book in the first few pages but it's the story that builds up to that ending that really grips you. As you can tell from the title of the book, two lovers are separated during the Nazi invasion, Their stories are told separately. It's so heart wrenching and beautiful. So full of love and horror at the same time.

The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust by Edith Hahn Beer, Susan Dworkin - interesting point of view and struggle of one Jewish woman to hide herself with the enemies and ultimately survived. Not my favorite, but a great story nonetheless 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - has an intriguing way of being told. It's narrated by Death. Yes, Death as in the "grim reaper" but not as creepy as we think. At first it was hard to get used to this way of reading but then I began to love it. The narrator gives us little tidbits along the way that are interesting or important facts but don't need a whole chapter to tell. This was a reccomneded book for me by Goodreads because of my other currently read books. At first I wasn't that interested in the short bio and almost skipped over it. The only thing that grabbed my attention was the fact that it was rated 5 stars almost across the board by Goodreads readers. I'm definitely glad I read it. It's one of my favorites now!

Stella's Secret by Jerry L. Jennings - this book was a cheap kindle grab for a couple of bucks. I loved her story and the way she spoke reminded me of the interviews of the old couples in When Harry Met Sally. I really felt like I was sitting in a room listening to her tell her story, which is what the author intended. To me, this story tells a lot about the Jewish Ghettos the terrible conditions they had to survive before even being sent to the horrors of the concentration camps.

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So those are the things I've been reading on my kindle lately. Do any of these sound like something you'd like to read? Do any of these stories grab your attention like they did me? Do you know of any other Holocaust stories to recommend? Do you have any stories you've enjoyed reading lately that you can recommend. I'm flying to Florida in exactly a week and need some new good books!