If you're going on vacation or traveling back from the holiday break, consider bringing along a good read! If you are anything like me, you know how hard it can be to get off of Instagram, Facebook, and Netflix and find time between all of the other work and stress we have to simply read for pleasure. However, this list of reading is guaranteed to get you hooked on a book you won't want to put down.
1. Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson
This is a gripping story about two boys once as close as brothers who find themselves on opposite ends of the Holocaust. Elliot Rosenzweig, a respected, wealthy philanthropist, is accused of being a former Nazi SS Officer named Otto Piatek. His accuser retains an attorney and reveals that the true Piatek was abandoned as a child and taken in by the accuser's own family only to later betray them during the Nazi occupation.
2. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Esperanza Rising follows the story of a girl caught in the horrors of the aftermath of the Mexican revolution. When her family is forced to move to a work camp in California, at just a young age, she learns to deal with loss and acceptance.
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A page turning novel about brotherhood, friendship, and assimilating to the challenges of life.
4. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
An inspiring memoir, based on Jeannette Walls' profoundly flawed childhood about having close to nothing but a determination that enabled her to create a successful meaningful life.
5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
You won't be able to put down this murder mystery that intertwines fiction, culture, a clandestine society and real world artifacts until you unravel the truth.
6. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah 
Firefly Lane is the powerful tale of two lifelong best friends from two opposing worlds and the magic of friendship despite bumpy roads.
7. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Now also a movie, The Girl on the Train is a thriller that captures the reader from page 1 - exploring jealousy and betrayal, forever changing how you look at other people’s lives.
8. An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff
This New York Times bestseller tells the true story of how a simple gesture of kindness forever changed the lives of a busy sales executive and a disadvantaged young boy.
9. All You Could Ask For by Mike Greenberg
All You Could Ask For tells the insightful and delicate story about the power of friendship, heartbreak, and love in the lives of three memorable women.
10. Looking For Alaska by John Green
An engrossing story about teen characters in a clique in a private Alabama boarding school. A relatable page turner with a tragic plot twist, you'll have to read to find out.
11. Atonement by Ian McEwan
Atonement is a complex story told from multiple perspectives about love, family, and the power of the truth. (Huge twist if you read carefully!)
