Books...

I love reading more than any other activity except maybe drinking wine or martinis and talking about the books I have recently read. This year I have been struggling though with finding just the right book. My girlfriend Joyce recently stated it perfectly in her facebook status:

I hate finishing a good book. Not ready to crack open a new one and start over. Stuck in reflection and the loss of the anticipation of finding out what happens next.

I have been in and out of this state since I finished The Help in February. It moved me more than any other book in recent memory by making me reflect on relationships, myself, attitudes, civil rights and so much more that I couldn't bear to start a new book. What this book did for me is really unbelievable. In addition to raising my awareness of the history of our country and the complicated relationships between women in the south, it also totally changed my reading habits. Suddenly, I started reading books and if they didn't capture my attention immediately I gave up. I had never done this before. I always finished what I started.  I even started books that people told me were wonderful: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Three Cups of Tea, The Zookeepers Wife, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and The Places in Between but none of them grabbed me.  

Finally, I found the book Still Alice and it moved me beyond The Help by inspiring me to look back on my amazing Grandpa Steve who had Alzheimer's and passed away nearly 20 years ago. As most grandparents do, he had a special place in my heart. He was my pen pal when I was little, had an amazing collection of wind-up toys that only he could take out, he dressed up as Santa every year, and sadly, in the end, was very confused. Because of this, I loved the perspective of this book.  It truly opened my eyes to this horrible illness and left me feeling that, even through it all, my grandpa still felt love for all of us in the end. That book is still with me because I  found it so powerful and personal.  It is a must read for anyone who has or had a family member with Alzheimer's. 

Then I found The Hunger Games series and was hooked but not moved. It was fun and totally worth the read but after the powerful stories of Still Alice and The Help, these did not compare. Now I am finished with the Hunger Games and looking for the next novel to capture my attention. I know that every book I read doesn't have to move me as The Help and Still Alice have, but it is hard to really enjoy a book now that I have experienced these stories. 

Now what? Any suggestions? What books have moved you? Please share!!