My 10 Reads

 At the beginning of this year, I said I wanted to read more on my own time. I kind of did. Not as much as I wanted to, though. So I'm taking my small collection of books with me to college--and it'll be the beginning of a real compilation of good reads. I mean it this time! Hopefully.

1. Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

The face of stoicism. Reading his works will be a source of inspiration, tranquility, and hope for the person I want to build as I grow in ways I couldn't possibly anticipate. 

2. Diplomacy - Henry Kissinger

My brother got to this book first. He told me all about it, and I thought: I really should read this. Foreign service has been something I've been interested for a while, and hearing how Kissinger helped reopen relations between the U.S. and China was admirable to say the least. Maybe I could learn a thing or two... or many... from him.

3. My Own Words - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

As a former Supreme Court Justice and a woman I've looked up to for her progress as a feminist in the legal system, I feel I would gain a lot of valuable insight from reading her memoir. Memoirs have also been something I've enjoyed recently, from Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom to Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. The kind of emotion I can feel from memoirs is, of course, different than a work of fiction. To think that such an impact through text was felt in someone in reality is something I cannot ignore.

4. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke

Clarke also wrote Piranesi, so that's why I looked for her works specifically. This story, however, is set far back into the early 19th century and involves a break from war instead of a break from a single man's hold. I have faith that I'll enjoy this book just as much as Piranesi--and I miss reading fantasy, too. I was a huge Rick Riordan geek in elementary school. Can't leave that girl behind.

5. The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World - Jonathan Freedland

I've read several different recounts of those who have experienced the Holocaust over the years. Every time, I've always walked away feeling glad I read it. No doubt, I'll feel the same way about this one, too. This would be a fresh perspective on the tragedy--and surely a needed one.

6. A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara

A detailed story of harrowing adversities and how they are overcome. I've heard it's heartbreaking, inspiring, and heart-opening. After Tuesdays with Morrie, I think I know how I'll end up feeling after this novel (absolutely heartbroken), but that's okay. Tuesdays with Morrie is also beautiful in its own way. I'm sure A Little Life is, too.

7. The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom

I've mentioned Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie plenty now. This book of his is similar to it in the way that it gives Albom's audience bittersweet life lessons that stick. 

And with how Tuesdays went, I believe it. I trust this random book talk on a website I've never heard of before! Because I never walk away from an Albom novel feeling disappointed! Maybe sad, though. Yeah. Read this!!!!

8. Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (and Banana Pudding) - Laura Dern, Diane Ladd

Another memoir. I know I like them. This one's different, though. The memories are shared by two here. Written by two. A mother and daughter, talking about life in probably the most intimate way one can because of their bond, share their deepest worries, most meaningful stories, and their most real thoughts when one is facing the threat of a life-threatening illness. In a way, this dynamic reminds me of--yes--Tuesdays with Morrie. I don't think I could ever get tired of this theme, though, especially when these stories most certainly aren't fiction.

9. No Longer Human - Osamu Dazai

Dazai has been a name I've heard over and over again for years. His works, I've heard, are captivating in the way that they are discomforting and heartbreaking. This seems to be a common theme of books I've been attracted to and learned the most from. What better to try of Dazai's work first than his masterpiece?

10. White Noise - Don deLillo

White Noise is a novel that illustrates the frustrating prioritization of consumerism and superficiality in our daily lives, but through the fictional tale of a hauntingly emotionless family in a bleak, monotonous world that has fallen victim to a toxic apocalyptic event.

The thing about this is that, when the event hits, people continue. It's just that they're more scared of dying now. From what I've read in the book's blurb, people are still caught up in what is such an insignificant part of our lives: the trinkets and capital we have. Through this, it's an unsettling examination of our own prioritization of material goods.

Sticking to this list will benefit me greatly, I'm sure. I've just got to remember that for the next... ten years. Awesome.