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Books to Read

(A running list)

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture."  Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them.  And while they speak, audiences cannot help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance?  If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  But the lecture he gave, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" wasn't about dying.  It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you many find one day that you have less than you think").  It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe.  It was about living.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up  by Marie Kondo

This book is about the Konmari Method of tidying up, which you could also look up to hear a bit more about it.  There is now a Netflix show called "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo" which I have recently started watching to learn some tricks.  There will be more blog posts to follow with this one.

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie
by Ayana Mathis

This book was a quick and interesting read taking place beginning in 1923 with the character of Hattie and her journey during the Great Migration.  As she experiences the trials of being a free black woman, we are privy to not only her perspective but the perspective of her children as well as her grandchild and the role she plays in each of their lives both in childhood and adulthood.  I probably should have run when I saw it was an Oprah Book Club selection, but I have done extensive research and reading about African American History and found the book rather interesting.  Again, a quick read with interesting interwoven stories all revolving around the main character and her role as wife, mother, sister and grandmother in the forming of her family's history.



Just finished this one and as with most Wally Lamb books, it took some dedication.  His books are EPIC in length and he develops his characters so well that you will begin to think you know them.  This one had all kinds of plot twists that were unexpected, but deep down he really knows how to get you thinking and talk about some delicate issues.  I enjoy his books immensely but again, they take time because of their length so make sure you've cleared some reading time.  I actually started this one, then put it down to work on another book and had to start all over again this time around.