Two books everyone should read (according to me)

You may or may not know this, but I'm a huge book nerd.  I carry one around with me at all times, even if I'm going somewhere it's impossible to sit down and read... like the grocery store. (I'm awesome, I know.)

I'm reading these two books right now, and the further I get into them, the more I think everyone needs to read them.

The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect by Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel 

     I bought this book in 2007 for a college class, and to be honest, I never read it in college.  I'm pretty sure I was too busy on the phone with my then-long distance boyfriend.  Anywho, I started reading it a couple months ago.  It's not necessarily the most fun read; I'm just now halfway through the book.  But I'm finding it more and more important, especially with the way journalism has changed in the last few years.  If you have facebook, twitter, a blog, or any other form of social media, you're a journalist. If you read TMZ, Perez Hilton, or any magazine, you're a consumer of journalism.  The book explains what you should expect from these sources and how to tell if what you're reading is true or otherwise.  It also talks about how if you have a blog, you too have an obligation to your audience.  The book was published 5 years ago, so it doesn't get into the "rules" of facebook or twitter, but these elements apply to those as well. It's definitely an interesting, and I think essential, read if you share information with others. 

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed 

     Trust me on this one. Go to Target right now, spend $12.65 on this book (and $55 on other magical gems you didn't know you needed until you got there), and hole yourself up in your apartment for the weekend.  It's collections of letters from an online advice column, and responses you'll swear were written just for you.  You'll laugh, you'll cry your eyes out, you'll text your best friend saying "This is so us!" and cry again. Seriously, I'm just over halfway through and I've bawled my eyes out about 12 times. Not because I'm an emotional girl (though I don't claim to not be), it's because every response Cheryl writes in her "Dear Sugar" column is relatable.  Trust me, you'll want to tweet about 15 quotes just in the first chapter.  

If you do read either book, let me know what you think!  Or if there's a book you're reading you think is better, tweet me!  @KaciKruz  Let's be book nerds together, walking through the grocery store with 3 novels in our purse.