Book Review

I love it when other bloggers write book reviews. I love to read and am always looking for new books to read. I particularly like non-fiction, but will read pretty much anything that catches my attention. Since we are currently on summer vacation, I have had a lot more time to read, so I thought I would do my own book review over a few of the better books I've read recently.

The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

I know I'm a little behind on this book, as it came out a while ago, but I finally picked it up at the library to read. I found it truly inspirational. For those of you who have not heard of the book, the author, Randy Pausch, is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has only three to six months left to live. With three very young children at home, he wants to leave something behind so that they are able to know who he was. This is a book about his life - stories from his past that made him who he was, advice for his children (which can be applied to just about anyone), and what he loved most about each of his children. His attitude concerning the whole situation is amazing. It's a grace we should all strive for in the face of terrible circumstances. So, if you are looking for a quick, easy, yet incredibly inspiring (and often times funny) book, I definitely suggest that you pick this one up.

Second Glance - Jodi Picoult

I started reading Jodi Picoult books after the movie My Sister's Keeper came out, and I love them. They often broach difficult and controversial topics and are typically full of unexpected twists. I have not yet read all of her books, but the most recent one I read, Second Glance, has been my favorite by far. There are so many different characters and story lines that it is very difficult to describe. It is part ghost-story, part murder mystery, and part American history. The middle section of the books delves into the eugenics movement which occurred in America around the 1930s. I had never heard of the eugenics movement before reading this book, and if you never have either, it's a rather unbelievable (and horrifying) slice of our history. Certainly not our proudest moment as a country, especially considering what it led to around the world. Anyway, the way Picoult connects all of the characters and story lines in the end is incredible. If you decide to read this, don't get frustrated by the number of characters at the beginning. Stick with it and the end will be worth it.

Born to Run - Christopher McDougall

I heard about this book a few months ago on a friend's blog (thanks Amanda!), but had forgotten about it until I recently saw it on a library book list. It looked absolutely fascinating, so I picked it up, and it ended up going way beyond fascinating. I loved this book! I'm not a serious runner by any stretch of the imagination. I have toyed with the idea of running a half marathon, but have never found the motivation to go do it. After reading this book, I not only want to run a half marathon, but I want to go all the way and eventually run a full marathon. This book is basically about a group of people called "super athletes." These are people who run hundreds of miles, sometimes within mere days, and who never seem to get injured and hardly ever tire. McDougall sets out on a quest to find out what their secrets are - how they are able to perform these amazing feats when the rest of us tend to struggle through a very small fraction of what they are doing. The book heavily promotes barefoot running, and while I'm not about to go jump on that bandwagon, the science and statistics behind it are impressive. In the end, if you are looking for a way to get motivated to run or work out, READ THIS BOOK! Amazing.

I've just started reading Magic Hour - Kristin Hannah, and the other books I have currently checked out from the library are The Help - Kathryn Stockett, Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen, and Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her life - Susan Hertog. I'll let you know how these go. :)