This April I bought myself the most useful gadget I’ve ever purchased. No, not an iPhone, iPad or laptop but an Amazon Kindle.  Within a month I knew it was a “must-buy” gadget and you can find my full review here.

Since it’s the end of the year, and about 9 months since I’ve owned the Kindle, I decided to take stock of all the books I’ve read since its purchase. Turns out I’ve managed to read 25 books on the Kindle already! Toss in a few more e-books and 5-6 actual physical books, I consider this a successful year for reading.

So how much of this is owed to the Kindle? I’ve used the Kindle App on my iPhone/laptop for a few years now but had only read one book on it.  I did purchase several books a year but was limited to reading whenever I was at home or on an extended vacation.

But perhaps the greatest luxury of having the Kindle has been while I traveled. I no longer have to stock up before a flight or try and fit half a dozen books into an already overweight suitcase.

So what are my recommendations to read?

• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling – a hilarious collection of essays by the comedienne that every girl would enjoy.
• The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin – an uplifting self-help book for anyone looking for more direction in their life.
• The Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator, Silicon Valley’s Most Exclusive School for Startups by Randall Stross – a look at the behind-the-scenes of the SF startup life.
• The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins – My first Kindle purchase was the best-selling novel behind the hit series. I enjoyed the book much more than the movie.
• Olives by Alexander McNabb – written by Dubai’s very own, a gripping love story set agains the backdrop of Middle Eastern conflict.
• By Invitation Only by Alexis Maybank & Alexandra Wilkis Wilson – An inside story by the founder of Gilt.com. A must read for anyone working/interested in working in e-commerce.