For my last post of 2015, I’ll go through some of the books that stood out for me in 2015 (14 in all). Here we go:
1 Mindwalker by AJ Steiger
Why I liked this: I found some elements of Divergent in there, but I really liked this because it was extremely fast-paced and well-written. I am really looking forward to the sequel, Mindstormer. I found Lain to be relatable and I was rooting for her.
2 Counting My Blessings by Francis Brennan
Why I liked this: Francis Brennan owns a hotel in Ireland called the Park Hotel Kenmare in county Kerry. As shown in the book, he has a sunny outlook on life. It was a light easy read and enjoyable.
3 The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro
Why I liked this: I simply got sucked into the story immediately and the book was very descriptive. I think there should be a sequel.
4 Divergent by Veronica Roth
Why I liked this: I forgot to finish The Hunger Games, but this was an excellent novel with great characters.
5 Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Why I liked this: Again see above. I am hunting everywhere for Allegiant and I cannot wait to finish this excellent series!
6 Travelling To Infinity by Jane Hawking
Why I liked this: I picked this up in my local library. I have long had a fascination with Professor Stephen Hawking, but also I had personal reasons for choosing this. A truly eye-opening account of life with a very famous man.
7 Weightless by Sarah Bannan
Why I liked this: This caught my eye in the library. The way the book was written in the third person gave it a fresh perspective. An original piece of fiction.
8 Tease by Amanda Maciel
Why I liked this: This book was based on the tragic suicide of Phoebe Prince who moved from Ireland to the US. Similar to Weightless but again this sucked me in from the first page.
9 The Smartest Guys In The Room by Bethany McLean
Why I liked this: I read this in April when we had watched the documentary of the same name in strategic management class. If I hadn’t watched the doc, I would have found it very dry but I found it gripping.
10 Prince Lestat by Anne Rice
Why I liked this: I love Anne Rice and her vampire world – simple. This was an easy choice, with well-crafted characters.
11 The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Why I liked this: Though this is a Christian book in tone, I found the book non-preachy and very comforting.
12 The Owl Who Liked Sitting On Caesar by Martin Windrow
Why I liked this: A man who adopts an adorable tawny owl called Mumble? Gimme…..cue “awww!” I am crazy about owls and I just fell in love with both Martin and Mumble.
13 Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom
Why I liked this: I realised that brands are impossible to escape, they are everywhere.
14 Screw Business As Usual by Richard Branson
Why I liked this: I really admire Richard Branson and unlike some other business books this is easy to read. An interesting look at his philosophy.
Aoife Lennon 