Empty Shelf -- FINAL MONTH

What a great year! I thoroughly enjoyed sharing all the books I read this year here on the blog. Obviously, nursing school slowed me down quite a bit, but I still managed to read 85 books this year! Below are the synopses and star ratings for the books from December. Below that are my top ten books for the year. It was truly difficult to make that decision! I loved so many of the books I read. While I won't be continuing the Empty Shelf Project in 2015 (nursing school is kind of a big deal), I will keep track of the books I read and do a top 10 list at the end of next year. I've already got a good bunch on my to-read list (which never ends....).

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares
Riley and Alice, two sisters now in their twenties, have spent every summer at their parents’ beach house on New York’s Fire Island. Each year, they return to the house and community they have known since they were children—and to Paul, the boy next door. This final summer brings many changes: new love, a life-threatening illness and untold secrets--and the trio must re-evaluate their friendship. (3/5 stars)

Best Kept Secrets by Ann Hatvany
Cadence is an alcoholic. But, she's also a writer and a single mother. She tried to hide her addiction for years, but one tragedy brings it to the forefront and she loses everything. She tries desperately to prove she can change -- she goes to treatment, goes to AA, sees a therapist and writes about her story. For her, the most important thing she can gain back is the shared custody of her 5-year-old son, Charlie. All she has to do is not fall apart again. (5/5 stars)

Outside the Lines by Ann Hatvany
Eden was 10 years old when she found her father nearly dead from self-inflicted cuts on his wrist. He'd struggled for years with mental illness, culminating in addiction, self-loathing and self-medicating. After the suicide attempt, Eden's mother had him committed and Eden never heard from him again until her 21st birthday. Angry from years of neglect, she rejected him and went on with her life. Ten years later, she has a sudden longing to find her father, not really knowing where to start. With some help from  her younger half-brother, her best friend and a new love interest, her search begins on the streets of Seattle and takes her on a journey she never expected. (5/5 stars)

The Wild Truth by Candace McCandless
This tells the story behind the story of Christopher McCandless, the man featured in the Into the Wild book and movie. It's told from the perspective of his younger sister and focuses on their upbringing and the events that occurred at home while he was making his way to Alaska. (2.5/5 stars)

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Another installment of the "Last Survivors" series. We revisit Miranda and her family 8 months after the asteroid hit the moon and caused catastrophic destruction around the world. When her world collides with Alex Morales', another story unfolds as the families work together to survive amidst the devastation. (4/5 stars)

My favorite book this month was Best Kept Secrets by Ann Hatvany. She's a really great story-teller and her characters seem very real to me. I'm planning to read her remaining books in 2015.

Top 10 Books of 2014
1. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
2. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
3. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
4. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
5. Love Does by Bob Goff
6. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
7. Best Kept Secrets by Ann Hatvany
8. The Midwife by Jennifer Worth (the entire series, really)
9. Things We Set on Fire by Deborah Reed
10. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer