I have loved to read ever since I was a little girl. My mother encouraged reading by taking me and my brother to story time at our local library. Overtime, I got to know the librarians and they became my friends. Years later, I was sad when all of the librarians I knew eventually left the branch. Since I am a very nostalgic person, I will always remember those times at the library fondly.

I was homeschooled in elementary, which gave me the freedom to engage with reading material that was above my age level. In middle school, I thrived in Amy Abram’s honors English class at Northwood Middle School. Her expectations were high, but those are my favorite kind of classes. I like the teachers who reject mediocrity and push you to achieve things you once thought were impossible. You look back later and realize that you did not die, but in fact, you became much stronger both intellectually and morally.

At Kentridge High School, I had two more exceptional English teachers. I took AP Language and Composition with Nathan Sun-Kleinberger and UW English 131/111 with Beverly Henderson. These incredibly challenging courses caused my love for English to grow even deeper and stronger. I love how simple words can be strung together to create stories, ideas, arguments and worldviews. English allows people to find common ground with one another, whether they identify with a literary character or are inspired by an editorial piece.

While falling in love with English, I also discovered I had a knack for sports medicine. My passion for health and fitness as well as my background in dance caused me to consider physical therapy as a potential career. To achieve this goal, I set out to cultivate a love for science in myself. I intended to eliminate English from my life and instead follow the science route. It’s a long story but in the end, my plans changed. I have decided to pursue Communication and English which encompasses my passion for the written and spoken word.

After that long backstory, here are just a few of my favorite books. It was hard for me to narrow down since I enjoy nearly everything that I read. If you want to see what else I am reading, you can follow me on goodreads.com.

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry

I’m sure everyone has read this book by now but if you haven’t….drop what you are doing and find a copy. This was the first book I read critically in 7^th grade and we listened to the book on audio. That was easily one of the strangest experiences of my life. Try reading this book out loud and you will understand what I mean. In middle school, I thought this book was pretty sick and twisted. As an adult, I see that the people in this story are trying to do what they think is best. Their goal is to shield people from all forms of pain and suffering, which is an interesting reflection on our current society.

2. The Summons by John Grisham

My dad owns every single John Grisham book and most are hardbound editions. This was the first book of Grisham’s that he recommended I read. I am by no means into legal thrillers, but the twists and turns in this novel keep you on the edge of your seat. I also highly recommend Grisham’s “The Broker” and “The Testament.” The premise of this book is Judge Atlee on the verge of death summons his two sons to his home to discuss his will. The sons arrive to find their father already has passed away and realize that their lives will never be the same.

 

3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

This book is told from the point of view of a dog named Enzo who is convinced that he will reincarnate as a human. What a stupid book, right? Actually, Enzo experiences the emotions of the human experience through his devotion to his owner, who is a Formula One racecar driver. His wisdom, insight and humor make this book one of my all-time favorites. My dad has been an instructor of “high performance diver education” as is described in the book. The drama and deep insights make this book a winner for me every time.

4. They Call Me Coach by John Wooden

This is an autobiography of John Wooden, who was a head basketball coach at UCLA. He won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period, including a record seven in a row. I have no personal interest in basketball, however, Coach Wooden’s philosophies and insights on life can easily be applied to anyone. In his coaching, Wooden did not emphasize winning as heavily as other coaches. His expectations were concerned with how his players carried themselves before, during and after the game. This book details his admirable outlook on both success and failure.

(My high school senior quote came from this book: “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”)

5. Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland   

This is an autobiography of Misty Copeland, a ballerina who currently dances for the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. As of 2015, she is the first African-American woman to have been promoted to principal dancer (the highest possible position) in the 75-year history of the company. This book tells the remarkable story of Misty’s journey to success, including her efforts to defy the aesthetic norms of a highly established artistic tradition.

7. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

This is a classic novel about a young man, Holden Caulfield, reflecting on getting kicked out of boarding school. He wanders around the city and goes to a hotel but mostly just thinks about his life and identity. Some people dislike the main character because of his crass nature, self-deprecation and overall gloomy nature. If you look hard enough, I think you may find bits of yourself reflected in Holden’s heartbreaking narrative. All of us want to be heard and sometimes obsess over how others view us. We tend to glorify the innocence of youth and lament the corruption that inevitably accompanies maturity.

8. Me, Myself and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer

            Confession: I enjoy classic Veggietales episodes now even more than when I was a kid. I love watching the audio commentaries on YouTube, listening to Mike Nawrocki and Phil Vischer talk about how the first Veggietales episodes took so few gigs of data that today you could produce the same amount of content on an Ipod. I love the autobiographical aspects of this book as Phil Vischer gives the story of how Veggietales came to be. He had a dream to become, as he put it “The Walt Disney of Christian media,” but God had other plans for his veggies. In this book, Phil provides fantastic insight on dealing with failure, even when your goal is to glorify God.

(For those who don’t know, Veggietales is a computer animated children’s series starring talking vegetables that originally told Bible stories. It’s pretty great)