10 guilty pleasure reads recommended by nurses

1. Sookie Stackhouse seriesMy favorite guilty pleasure as of late has been the Sookie Stackhouse series (aka The Southern Vampire Mysteries) by Charlaine Harris. It is the best, hands down. I watched the first season of True Blood and was completely hooked on this little southern spitfire. The books have more to offer than the shows and are a good, fast read. I don’t have much time to read, but I have been able to make it through seven books so far. We have passed them around my office for everyone here to read, too! —Kaila Hubbs Allen

2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
I enjoyed reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. Without letting the cat out of the bag, I walked away learning that secrets can tear a family apart or harm them in unexpected ways. Not everyone in my own family agrees with me, but I do believe in telling the truth and getting secrets out in the open so they don’t poison relationships. The book was so good that it was made into a movie. I haven’t seen it yet. —Jennifer Schreiner

3. Harry Potter series
Come on…has to be the Harry Potter series. If you want to be swept away, you can’t get farther than Hogwarts, and if you want to jump-start your imagination, J.K. Rowling has invented a whole world of oddities that you’ll never find in another novel. With all the death and dying in our profession, it’s nice to bury yourself in wizards, witches and potions! And anyway, doesn’t it all remind you of nursing school? 🙂 —Elizabeth Sheehy

4. Goodnight Moon
I love to read, but most days the only book I get to read is Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd to my four children before they go to bed. It is a beautiful book and they love it. The biggest reward is seeing them learn how to read it after all these years of my reading it to them. They always look forward to it. —Grace Matias Robles

5. Lisa Gardner’s books
I have been reading Lisa Gardner. She is a suspense/crime writer. What I like about her books is that she uses the characters over and over. They may have a supporting role in several books and then be the star performers in the next one. You really get to know the characters that way. I love it. —Delta Pierce Stafford

6. Lucifer’s Hammer
Without a doubt, Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. I’ve worn out two paperbacks over the years and wish Kindle would carry it. It’s one of those “end of civilization as we know it” books that occurs in California after multiple meteor strikes. I guess the reasons I like it are the resilience of the characters and the overcoming of adversity. Besides, it’s just a fun adventure and long enough to keep me occupied for more than a day or two. —Linda Crowder Manous

7. Firefly Lane
I absolutely LOVED Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. It’s a story of two girls who are very different. They grew up on Firefly Lane, hence the title. It’s their journey through life together as best friends. It’s a beautiful book about friendship, love and growth between these two characters. Anyone that I recommend this book to loves it. Try it—you are guaranteed to love it. —Judy Ward-Stauder

8. Honeymoon
James Patterson’s Honeymoon. I love all of his Alex Cross books. I am currently reading I, Alex Cross…this may be my favorite. —Lisa Rena

9. Pat Conroy’s books
Anything by Pat Conroy….his prose is pure poetry. I wish I had command of the English language like this author. Recently read South of Broad. —Genny Thorpe Coffman

10. Stephen King’s books
Anything by Stephen King…the way he writes is so graphic and detailed, you can picture everyone and everything in the book. His stories are so awesome that it is hard to put the book down—and it completely makes me forget about the world of nursing @ noc. —Mary Helen Elizabeth Buchanan