The Ultimate Book Reading List 2015

Looking for a great book? You're sure to find it here. This lens is separated into 15 book categories and updated based on customer reviews, feedback, and overall popularity for books at any given time in from 2013 to 2015.

Because this post is so large I strongly suggest you use the "contents at a glance" section below to easily navigate to the part of this page that most interests you. Also, if you enjoy this lens, then be sure to visit my profile for more current book and reading lists.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

The author of Seabiscuit has written another inspiring and moving true story of a man who lived through one of the roughest times our history has ever seen. Louie Zamperini became a juvenile troublemaker, then went on to run in the Olympics in 1936, and then became a war hero in the Army. As he was on a search mission over the Pacific Ocean, his plane went down into the cold waters.

Louie's story, seemingly come from a motion picture blockbuster, entailed weeks of being stranded on the ocean, fending off sharks, surviving a typhoon and being shot at. And that is only the beginning. Soldiers all over the world go through harrowing experiences that we never hear about, so reading this book is sure to awe and inspire those of us who have our freedoms protected by such brave souls.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

In 1775, there is social unrest in both France and England. Commoners in France were severely disgraced by the aristocracy. Depicting the tug of war between the revolutionaries and the aristocrats, Dickens tells this story through the eyes of multiple characters. One of which is Charles Darnay, who once was an aristocrat himself and is now in disgrace by being accused of treason against the English crown.

Another is Sydney Carton who is a lawyer in love with Darnay's wife. In 1789, Paris peasants storm the Bastille and thus begin the French Revolution. Following the lives and trials of both characters, among many others, and finally the demise of Darnay, the book comes to a close. With strife, love, and intrigue from page to page, this is truly a classic and popular story.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

A young, tattooed and pierced, woman by the name Lisbeth Salander, makes a living by doing background investigations. With a photographic memory, a chip on her shoulder and autistic like symptoms, she is able to do quite well for herself. She is a tough cookie and although she looks like a delinquent, she actually despises them.

Henrik Vanger owns a family owned corporation and has fretted over what might have become of his niece Harriet for 36 years. Many of his family members live on an island that he is expected to occupy himself for a year. And under the ruse that he is writing a family history, Carl Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative reporter, and Lisbeth Salander start investigating the family to see who might have done Harriet harm so long ago; because that very island is where Harriet was last seen.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

The story of what happened at the 1893 Chicago World Fair will have you on the edge of your seat. Written with a flair that will keep you turning pages for hours, Larson tells the stories of two men. The first is Daniel Burnham who was the architect that constructed the fair and H.H. Holmes who was the serial killer posing as a doctor during the same time. With challenges abounding,

Burnham was still responsible to build this White City, which he does ever so successfully. While at the same time, Holmes was purportedly responsible for numerous murders in the area decided to build the World's Fair Hotel with rooms to complete his crimes. Horrifically, these included a gas chamber and a crematorium. Though the two men were separate players in this big event, their stories are told side by side in this riveting book.

Far Away Home by Susan Denning

After the Civil War in New York City, Aislynn Denehy can't find work, has no place to call home and no one she trusts to help her since her father has passed away. As a young woman of only sixteen years, she must forge her way alone. And although that might frighten some women, she is determined to find opportunities for herself.

This is a love story that spans the United States where she finally ends up in a Utah mining camp with three men who love her and fight for her heart. The first is smart and generous, the second is the typical good guy, and the third adds an element of intrigue to her life. It is a hard life in the camp, peppered with historical events, but raises the spirit of the reader with the lesson that our souls can overcome all trials that come our way.

Escape From Earth by Ivis Bo Davis

With earth in trouble because of increased solar radiation leaking through the ever fading electromagnetic field, the planet will be too hot for survival very soon. The very first interstellar colony ship, Trisznov, has been built to save the human race. It sounds like the perfect escape plan, but the United Nations will not arm the ship with weapons for their defense against whatever they might encounter in space and on other planets.

They claim it is because they do not want to promote war out in the Universe. Intense religious goers think that humankind is too wicked and should not spread such evil to the Universe as well; they would be satisfied having the entire race perish under the sun. With conflict from so many areas such as bankers, black market nuclear weapons sellers, and worldwide panic, there are three teenagers leading a small group that do their best to promote re-colonization.

An Empty Sky by Frank Drury

This story of a boy who was bullied and picked on as he grew up in Cleveland, Cecil Clemenzi ends up being a very successful man. He graduated from a prestigious university and had his first job as a runner on the New York Commodity Exchange. With a goal to become a floor trader, he is a sensitive young man but very determined to make his way in life.

The morning the Florida oranges froze, he lost everything in just one trade. Blaming another trader for this loss, he sets himself on the road to revenge. With evil in his heart, he attempts to murder the other trader's daughter, and then turns his violence on the people in his life who love him most. As he suddenly realizes that the enemy he created is now coming after him, he is panic stricken. He tries to escape across the country but eventually realizes that he must go home and face the music he wrote himself.

In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir by Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney has been in politics for over forty years; he has truly seen a lot. As a very outspoken man, he has been loved and hated by Americans everywhere. In the sea of conflict that politicians sail, he has found an inner strength to get him through the rockiest of times. Not only is this memoir about the political history of this steadfast man, but also his journey through his personal life; the book highlights where he came from, the kind of parents he had and what he experienced growing up that formed his determination to be a political leader.

Carving his way through history, he was the youngest White House Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, and was CEO of a Fortune 500 company. With varied experiences through his life, the description he gives is candid and sometimes very humorous at his own expense. This will give you a new opinion on the controversial man by enlightening you from the horse's mouth.

Wild Stories: The Best of Men's Journal by the Men's Journal Editors

Men's Journal has published works by America's best authors and journalists for a decade. They have been leaders in men's literary reading the entire time. This book takes a collection of 32 fantastic pieces, from various authors, which have appeared in the magazine over the years. Split up into categories like, The Adventures, The Sporting Life, Men's Live's and The Reporting, reading is sure to be an adventure in and of itself.

There are articles and stories from every corner of the sports world for fans everywhere including bios and stats, travel narratives from all across the world, works involving things men love like building and engineering and newsworthy reads as well. As a very diverse book, any man will be able to find something entertaining and informative here.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The character, Henrietta Lacks is an impoverished African American migrant from Virginia. She lived and worked the tobacco farms there and was the mother of five children. When she died from an intense bout of cancer in 1951, a sample of the infected tissue was taken from her without her knowledge or permission. What was discovered was that cells could survive in a lab setting. From this single woman's cells, scientists were able to make fantastic discoveries, such as the cure for polio.

When Henrietta's family found out years later what had happened, they were extremely angry because they had continued to live in poverty and sickness. The author followed the trails of her family, slowing encouraging them to trust her, to piece together all the evidence in this book. She asks the very thought provoking questions of "Who owns our bodies?" and "Who carries our memories?"

Degrees of Guilt: Kyra's Story by Dandi Daley Mackall

This is a new trilogy that follows the very different perspectives and insights of three high school seniors and their lives after the death of their fellow classmate, Sammy. What happens before, during and after to these three teens, along with their own choices revolving around the tragedy is what will plague them while they search for meaning.

They all have a certain level of guilt regarding the death of their friend and they go through their own personal journeys as they develop a relationship with God. However, Sammy's sister Kyra, thinks she knows exactly why he died and she feels intensely that the guilty parties need to be punished. Sometimes blaming someone is much easier than being the one to live with a wrongdoing, and everyone in this Iowa town will understand just that.

Professor Atlas and the Summoning Dagger by Paul Maguire

The year is 1342 where a wizard mourns the loss of a vibrant civilization that was once full of life, and is now in ruins. The conflict that brought this disaster about is something he curses. He spends the last little bit of magic he has left on a very unique dagger and buries it in the earth with the hopes that someday, someone will find it who has bravery enough to save the village from ruin.

Several hundred years later two seventh grade boys, Tyler Gerard and Brandon Giles compete in a contest where theyr get to go on a quest to find the Summoning Dagger of Mercastus. With typical imaginations of teenage boys, they think it will be fun, but they have no idea of the adventures and perils that lie ahead.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

What used to be a popular comic is now a full-fledged book. Middle schooler Greg Heffley is coerced by his mother to keep a diary, and he is even more mortified when she brings one home that says, "Diary" on it; not really the most masculine of journals. So for an entire year of school, you get to live his drama from cover to cover. Greg likes to draw pictures to accompany his daily accounts that add an element of humor to the stories.

The boy is pretty clueless when it comes to his friends and family which adds another element of fun to the reading. Unfortunately, we are taken on the humiliating ride he goes through when he becomes the kid in gym that the big guys get to wrestle and beat. He tries to figure out what the enigma is behind the "popular" crowd, among other entertaining trains of thought.

The Big Book of Girl Stuff by Bart King

Most fitting for girls in grades 4 through 8, this is a guidebook for the rough preteen and teen years. It goes over things that girls have wondered for centuries like why boys stink so much, to how to deal with the mean kids in school. Each section is short and easy to read so the attention span won't be challenged. Growing up can be hard to do, and being in school with other kids who are bumbling through growing up too, can make things awfully difficult. But the author is able to accurately portray the things that girls go through every generation.

Written not only to be a handbook for teenage girls, but also for their parents; the hints and tips are sure to reveal truths you never thought existed. With a creative reversible cover, for sneaking the book into school, the author relates to what kids naturally do anyway, breaking the rules. But at least they are learning valuable tips while doing so.

The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

Toddlers are notorious for their endless energy. That energy sometimes carries them into the evening when it is time to put a lid on it and go to sleep. And most of them do not like it one bit. This book has been a favorite and bestselling book for years. Having a book specifically about bedtime can get your little one in the mood more than any other story.

The last thing you want to do is read an adventure story to them that will get them all riled up again. In this charming story, animals on board an ark watch the sun set and then prepare for bed. They go through their routine and finally say good night as they are rocked to sleep by the boat. The book is full of simple rhymes and silly animals that keep the interest of your child as they settle in to the sound of your voice and start to get sleepy.

Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman

Children know they are loved when they are cared for, hugged, read to and played with. However, a magical book with beautiful illustrations and flowing poetic language will make a memory that will last a lifetime. This book follows a child through wonderful landscapes with animal friends from pandas to elephants. The love of a parent is described on every page, "Make a big splash! Go out on a limb! My love will find you. My love can swim!"

With every picture planting itself in their memory, your voice will stay forever in their hearts as you tell them that you love them no matter what, no matter where they are, no matter what they do and no matter what happens. All topped with the physical affection that comes with snuggling and reading a story to your young child. It will last in your memory too, as they grow older and no longer need bedtime stories and are too big to sit on your lap.

Well that's all! I'll be updating this regularly with new picks and insight. Your feedback is important to me. I'd love to know what your favorite book of 2013- 2015 is! Please leave a comment below with the book title and author's name as well as any other information you'd like to leave. If you enjoyed this "ultimate book list", then take a look at my profile where I've made a more extensive list for most of the categories above.