Happy holidays, everyone!

If you’re anything like me, your favorite thing about the holidays is the opportunity to laze about, alternating between states of reading and napping. So if you’re looking for recommendations, here are my top five books that I couldn’t put down this year:

me-earl-dying-girl

I’m always looking for books that make me laugh out loud, but they’re so hard to find! So I was thrilled to discover Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, which manages to be hilarious even while dealing with serious subject matter. And I have never read anything that captures male, adolescent dialogue with nearly as much accuracy. (Book is better than the movie.)

no-baggage

Out of all the books on my Kindle, No Baggage is the one where I’ve highlighted the most passages. It’s a memoir by a woman who took a spontaneous trip abroad with a guy she just met on OKCupid. They did not make any plans or reservations, and they did not pack anything. The writing and the insights are just beautiful, and it has forever changed the way I view travel. Bonus: My literary agent represents this book!

why-not-me

I loved Mindy Kaling’s first memoir, but I loved Why Not Me? even more. She’s just so smart and so funny. This book brought me much joy on a day that would have otherwise been a long, tiring day of travel.

big-magic

Thanks to my writing partner for recommending this one! In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert builds upon the insights about creative success and failure that she shared in her popular TED talk a couple years ago. She has so many unique ideas about inspiration, creativity, and how to embrace the life of an artist without falling into the trap of suffering. A must-read for anyone who values their creative side, or who wishes to start living a more creative life.

enter-title-here

Wow. Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia is one of those gems that I discovered completely by chance, but that has now earned a permanent place on my all-star list. It addresses a very real side of high school that I’ve never seen acknowledged in young adult fiction before. I felt completely absorbed in this world, and I’ve continued to think about the characters long after finishing the book.