San Francisco is a booklover’s dream, which is why I’m so excited to spend a few days there at the end of this month. Despite having sent countless authors to this literary mecca over the years on book tours, I’ve never actually been there myself. So I can’t wait to explore the literary haunts I’ve come to love via the experiences of my wonderful authors – the famous City Lights (founded by beat writer Lawrence Ferlinghetti), beloved Haight-Ashbury favorite The Booksmith, and Moe’s in Berkeley. I’m totally bummed to miss the famous Litquake by a mere two days, so I’ll do my best to pack in as much literary goodness as I can on my own.

I’m also looking forward to having some down time to catch up on reading. As a bookworm, working in publishing is both a blessing and a curse – I read nearly every day of my life, and between my clients’ books, books for research, and keeping up with a frighteningly long list of media outlets and blogs, I consume massive amounts of information every week. It’s exactly the way I want it to be – this continuous learning is one of the primary reasons I love what I do.

But it also means I have little time left over for “fun” reading – reading for pure pleasure and escape, typically, for me, in the form of novels. I tend to cram these into vacations and short spurts of time off, and this trip will be no different. But my reading list has been growing for some time, and after trying to pick something out for my trip, I’ve officially hit the decision paralysis wall.

So, I’m enlisting your help! I whittled my list down to my top five choices, and I need your recommendations to pare it down to two books. Have you read any of these? What is absolutely not to be missed? Anything that’s not listed here that I simply can’t afford NOT to read?

GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn – Everyone and their uncle is reading or has already read this “unputdownable masterpiece” – I can’t seem to go a day without seeing it somewhere. I’m also a sucker for thrillers and crime novels, so unless anyone can convince me otherwise, it’s safe to say this is taking one of my two spots.

WILD by Cheryl Strayed – As a book publicist, it feels like a moral and professional duty to read the book that inspired Oprah to relaunch her book club. Add that to the fact that my colleague Margaret got me hooked on her Dear Sugar column at The Rumpus, and this looks like a major contender.

HAPPIER AT HOME by Gretchen Rubin – I admit that I haven’t read Rubin’s wildly popular book The Happiness Project. But when I saw her latest at Book Expo this year, I pre-ordered it as soon as I could. Home design is a total passion of mine, and I absolutely believe that the environment you create in your home, and how you spend your time there, greatly contributes to your overall wellbeing. This one is high on my list.

THE CASUAL VACANCY by J.K. Rowling – This one’s appeal is all about curiosity. I’m not totally drawn in by the premise, but I’m pretty intrigued to find out how J.K. Rowling holds up post-Harry Potter. It’s not out until next week, and I haven’t met anyone who’s had an early peek. Have any of you read an early copy or have some insight from those on the inside?

ZONE ONE by Colson Whitehead – This one proves just how far back my reading list goes – it’s been out so long it’s now in paperback. It’s been sitting on my bookshelf for a year, and after all the amazing reviews (from both media and friends alike), I feel guilty for not having gotten to it yet. But truth be told, zombies freak me out. I had to force myself to stick it out through the first season of The Walking Dead, and as much as I think it’s fantastic TV, the notion of a zombie apocalypse sends me to a place that, mentally, I just really, really don’t enjoy. So give it to me straight – how creepy is this? Is it mild enough for a wimp like me? Or is it just so good that it doesn’t matter? Honesty, please.

So, decision time. What should stay? What should go? And is there anything I haven’t included that simply can’t be missed?