7 BOOKS I WILL BE READING FOR SPRING 2017
It's that time of the year where I dig into my amazon wishlist for books I've always wanted to read. I just finished reading The Invisible Man and boy was I blown away.
I get ecstatic at the thought of a new read and now I have 7 to look forward to. After my Productivity post, the first order of action was getting my reads situated. Reading is one of my favorite past time, so without further do, here are my reads in no particular order.
Please let me know if you are interested and we can get started together. Sorta have a book club, I will be posting on Facebook say every week. Give each book two weeks to finish. Let's get enlightened oh ye my fellow bibliophiles.
Photo: Courtesy of Random House
Every time I make my visit to Barnes and Noble, this book seems to draw my eyes. I read the back cover one time and put it back real fast. My emotions were not ready. It screamed heavy!!! I say that because the book is written by a guy who is studying to be a neurosurgeon at Stanford. At the young age of 36, he gets diagnosed by Stage 4 Lung Cancer. He starts writing this book trying to find out the meaning of life knowing that we are all susceptible to death. He died while writing this book. I will have some tissues on stand by.
Photo: Courtesy of Random House
Queen!!
That is all!!
I revere Dr. Wangari Maathai so much!! She hails from my beloved Kenya and she is the First woman in Africa to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She perserved through so much and stood by her beliefs till the . I can't wait to read this memoir!!
Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Press
Oh Zadie. The fact that she uses bright colors for her cover is beyond beautiful. Swing is a type of dance that started in the 20's with heavy influence from Jazz. Zadie is a master storyteller and in this book she explores friendship and race between two girls.
Photo: Coutersy of Chicago University Press
Steve Biko was a powerful figure in the fight against Apartheid in South Africa. I have wanted to read this book forever! The fact that the book is titled, "I write what I like." gives me a no hold barred feel about this book. It touches on racism, postcolonialism and black nationalism. I want to read more books written by African Authors. I am open to recommendations.
Photo: Courtesy of Harper Collins
This book is a classic. It has also been collecting cob webs on my wishlist. Time to dust it and give it a go this Spring.
Photo: Courtesy of Harper Collins Publishers
Love love this title!! I am pretty sure I practice this ART ALL THE TIME!! LOL!! He claims that the Positivity is the way to live a happy rich is Bullshit!! Woah hold on, I am a huge positivity spokes person. Naturally, curiosity has gotten the best of me.
Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Group
This book has been recommended to me so many times I have lost count. Junot Diaz recieved a Pulitzer Prize for this book. It will be an Epic read. That wraps up my Seven reads for this season. Summer starts June 22nd, I believe I have plenty of time to get done.
Please let me know if you are interested and we can get started together. Sorta have a book club, I will be posting on Facebook say every week. Give each book two weeks to finish. Let's get enlightened oh ye my fellow bibliophiles.
Will post my first read this week on Instagram and my social media pages so please be on the look out.
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE
My dad loved history. Loved it so much that he used to quote certain historical figures and go on and on on about specific historical happenings. It comes as no surprise to me that PBS is one of my favorite channels. If I find some historical documentary, please do not disturb. This is my PBS AND CHILL time. I am intrigued and eternally fascinated with stories from the past.
Early this year, I promised myself that I would read more. I came across the Goldfinch which won the Pulitzer Prize for 2013 and decided to start reading the works of these Pulitzer prize winners. To win a Pulitzer in writing is like nabbing an OSCAR. It's huge, it's major. Doerr's book had been on my radar having seen it week after week on the New York Time's bestseller list.
The book is set in World War II Germany and France, just that initial detail was enough to have me scurrying to the counter. Without giving much away, the story is about a blind French girl and a young German boy and the many lessons they learned before, during and after the war.
The story switches back and forth through time which can be a tad tedious for the reader to follow but for me that where I got to learn more about the characters and the events that shaped them. Reading some chapters in the book was at times hard to stomach. War changes people, it makes them animals at times. Women and girls were raped, the killings of soldiers, some blown up, others tortured....it can be heavy to read. Doerr captured everything so vividly that at times I had to pause because I could hear myself breathing. That's how much I was immersed into the story. I was often wowed by the descriptions brought forth from the blind girl's perspective. I could not put this book down.
There were so many underlying lessons, the title of the book was just the beginning. One of my favorite lines from the book goes like this,
" Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever."
MY FAVE READS THIS YEAR
I have been thinking of doing this book review for quite sometime now. I opened this section specifically for this reason. As an avid reader, I figured I could share some of the books that made me laugh, ponder on life, learn something new, and so forth. Clearly, I have been slacking on this aspect but better late than never. It’s been said that book lovers never go to bed alone. I can’t tell you the number of times I have woken up with a book strewn carelessly next to me, or somewhere on the floor. I love books, especially books that make me laugh or cry, or do both simultaneously. Listen! I can make a case for books that would appeal to any unsmiling, stone-faced jury and I am confident I would win my case. No hung jury here. Lately, I have been doing my reading on the subway. That’s the best time for me to catch up on my reads during that 30 minute commute. Without further ado, go ahead and save these books on your amazon wish list, or jot it down and take it with you on your next Barnes and Noble stop.
THE DEFINING DECADE (Why your Twenties Matter and how to make the most of them now)
By Meg Jay PhD
I found this book through a Ted Talk by the same author a couple of years ago. We were having a conversation on how our twenties matter and so forth because most of the time, if you are in your twenties and want to work on something, what you tend to hear is, there’s no rush, you have all the time in the world. Truth be told, what you do in your twenties will play a huge role in your later years. So I watched the Ted Talk, loved it!! Bought the book later and absolutely loved it. I definitely recommend this book especially if you are in your twenties trying to figure a few things out. She offers sound advice and explain in details how someone struggling
THE BOOK THIEF By Markus zusak
When a movie comes out based on a book, I usually find myself drawn to the book first because Hollywood has a way of editing someone great details. Plus, I at times think that my imagination is much better. The book thief is one of those movies I watched on a whim. I had stopped by a Redbox, and grabbed it. I was drawn to the story of the little girl, in Nazi Germany who liked books. The fact that she stole books made me want to know more. The movie was beautiful. Later this year, I was reading Biko Zulu’s blog and happened to stumble on his review of the book. I am a huge fan of Biko, his writing is impeccable plus he has a way of putting words so eloquently if he was an artist, he would be a modern day picasso. Long story short, I saw his review, and walked out with it on a random Barnes and Noble store.
I have one word to say about this book. Phenomenal!
I ate it up as if it was a whole bag of chocolate covered raisinets. The book is penned by Markus Zusak, an Australian author who tells an unforgettable story of a nine-year old girl Liesel Meminger, living in Germany during the second world war. Liesel’s brother dies, she steals a book, her mother gives her up for adoption because she is not able to provide for her. Consequently, she moves to a small town in Germany called Molching where she is exposed to the horrors of Nazi Germany. Torn from everything she knows, her adopted father, discovers her love for the written word, then secretly teaches her how to read and write in the basement. Then there is the young man, a Jew, whom they hide in the basement. It’s hard to review a book which is so beautiful written. I have read many books, but I can tell you the few times I have finished reading a book, then immediately started from the beginning. This book right here, is it!
It is astounding, wonderful, vivid, doleful, and beautiful. A story about friendship and loss. It will make your heart sing, it will crawl under your skin, unknowingly might I add. You will ponder on it. You will read someone sentences, then re read them in as much as you want to go on to the next paragraph. It will leave your soul shaken to the core, something the movie sadly couldn't do for me. The narrator of the story is, wait for it… DEATH
I was moved to tears and at times laughter. I highly recommend it.
I also found out that the book is based on the story of the author’s grandmother.
This was my first ready by Markus, I have another of his books on my wishlist. I AM THE MESSENGER. New fan!!
KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL By Anthony Bourdain
I have a crush on Anthony Bourdain! There you have it. My secret is out. This is a very biased book review because I like the man already not only does he travel the world eating his way, he also has one of those personalities that I absolutely love. He calls it as it is. No holds barred with Tony. See how we are first name basis! It’s that serious! And he is a chef. A man who creates culinary delights. What’s not to love!? I had been watching No Reservations and picked up on Parts Unknown when it started airing on CNN. Thanks to Netflix, I can watch reruns to my heart's content. Kitchen Confidential is a memoir where he dishes out the good, the bad, and the really ugly about the restaurant world. Bourdain can not only cook, but he can write is ass off!. I learnt a lot about what goes behind the scenes and what why you need to avoid fish on Monday’s. A really hilarious and entertaining tell all.
THE POWER OF HABIT
I am always fascinated with people who used to do one thing, then completely stop and are doing something totally different. For example, a guy who used to take a smoke break every 30 minutes stopped smoking, changed his life and is now running marathons. The same goes for people who lose weight and dramatically change their lifestyle. What happens and what makes this person stick to his routine? The author, Charles Duhigg makes a case on how people can identify the patterns in their lives and how to change them. He gives examples and concepts of people and businesses that were able to change their habits and become more successful and on a business standpoint, profitable. Another interesting read!
TUESDAY’S WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom
I glimpsed this book at work, on someone’s desk at work. I din’t think much about it until I stopped at Barnes and Noble later that day. Truth be told, being in New York, I tend to frequent that store often, I usually feel like I am visiting a friend who has something new to teach me. So I am slowly perusing a table full of best selling paperbacks and there surrounded by other big selling names is this tiny eggshell book in red letters staring at me. It can't be a coincidence. I pick it up to figure out what this Morrie guy wants with me. I add the book to the stack of books and magazines I am holding on my arm. I take the escalators up the second floor and find a quiet spot to enjoy my reads. I figure I should start with the tiny book then work on the rest.
I read the first the first few words, turn a page and by the second chapter I already know I have found a gem. I never got to the magazines.
The story is based on the relationship between a teacher and a student. The teacher Morrie is diagnosed with ALS and has just a few months to live. The student who had graduated and somewhat lost contact with his teacher reconnects with the teacher after seeing a Nightline show. He then decides to pay him a visit which turns into regular visits - on Tuesday’s - where the author, Mitch,learns the greatest lessons. This is a powerful book. It’s the first book that comes to mind when someone asks me to recommend a book. It was particularly depressing at times, reading of someone who was about to die, but Morrie’s positive and upbeat personality stayed with him until the end. I kept thinking of the doctor I worked for and his final stages while reading this book. At an age where society dictates everything and consumerism is at an all time high. This books makes you take a step back and appreciate life in general. The story is beautiful, heartfelt and poignant. I give it all the stars I have.
What books are you currently reading?
15 QUOTES THAT WILL (AT LEAST) MAKE YOU GRAB A GOOD BOOK.
As a ritualistic Throw back Thursday phenomena that has been embraced by masses all over social media, I posted a picture on instagram of me siting at the airport engrossed in a book. If you don't already know by now, that is one of my favorite hobbies. Reading. A good book can change your life. You tend to view things in a whole different perspective and the best part about reading, it somehow improves your own writing. I can attest to that. Walking into a book store makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. I am actually investing in a mini library of my own, sorry kindle. I don't know how it will look 10 years from now but it's exciting to see my books pile up.
I am a huge fan of quotes. Here is a list of some of my fave quotes that will make dash to Barnes and Noble, click buy-with-one-click on Amazon straight to your Kindle, or grab that book that you have been saying you will read. Yes, the one collecting dust on your shelf.
When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young. Maya Angelou
People who hate to read scare me. Good books have kept me alive. Unknown
The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a novel, must be intolerably stupid. Jane Austen
Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it’s a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it’s a way of making contact with someone else’s imagination after a day that’s all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss. Nora Ephron
If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads. Ralph Waldo Emerson
If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. Oscar Wilde
The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours. Alan Bennett
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go! Dr. Seuss
Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent. What I wonder is why everybody doesn’t carry a book around for those inevitable dead spots in life. Stephen King
You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend. Paul Sweeney
A common quality I see of people who are successful is that they are voracious readers. Matt Mullenweg
What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic. Carl Sagan
Once you learn to read, you will be forever free. Fredrick Douglas
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Richard Steel
Here’s to books, the cheapest vacation you can buy. Charlaine Harris
HOW TO BE PARISIAN WHEREVER YOU ARE
I frequently go back to it due to its little phrases of wit sprinkled all over like powdered sugar on French toast..
Wear a black bra under your white blouse, like two notes on a sheet of music.
No one should ever see your gums when you talk or laugh.
Find your perfume before you turn thirty. Wear it for the next thirty years.
Be unfaithful: cheat on your perfume, but only on cold days.
Always be fuckable… You just never know.
Read those first few lines, then made a bee line dash towards the register. Yup! We are going home. I saw the book while reading Man-reppellers blog sometime last year, later got the book -Damn you Barnes and Noble, it was an impulse buy- read it, and here isthe book review now. Ah, better late than never, or so they say.
It’s super hilarious because it had me grinning half the time. I finished this book in a few hours, but I frequently go back to it due to its little phrases of wit sprinkled all over like powdered sugar on French toast.. Yumm!
I enjoyed it, I don’t know if I am now Parisian here in Baltimore, but I did learn a few things…