In the last three weeks, I have had five midterms, three 300 page books to read, and too many papers to count. I'm not saying all of this to complain, but rather as an explanation as to where I disappeared to! I actually enjoy being busy, I just wish the stress that comes along with it would take a hike!
The three books I read have actually been the highlight of my school work. It was my favorite homework, but also my most time consuming homework. Over the summer I tried to read a lot and it was really the first time in my life that I was able to read for pure enjoyment. I am so grateful for the time I had over the summer to develop an interest in reading because it has come in handy this semester! I am so glad to be taking classes that I enjoy with material I can't wait to learn! (With the exception of one horrible, horrible class)I wanted to post something about the books that I've read so far so that anyone looking for good, powerful books could look into them.
Outliers: The Story of Success. By Malcolm Gladwell
This book which took home the #1 New York Times Bestseller for 11 consecutive weeks, was SO fun to read. This book basically gives several reasons how our nations most successful people got to the top. The reasons might surprise you. Malcolm goes on to explain that these people that seemingly are pure talent or have amazing knowledge and abilities have been given special opportunities (that were not earned) that allowed them to be as successful as they are. That may not be the most clear summary of the book, but it was highly enjoyable and the author had a great sense of humor. I can't wait to read his other books, "The Tipping Point," and "Blink" but they will probably have to wait until the summer or at least Christmas break!
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
This book was so powerful. This book is set up as a journal of the author's experiences posing as a black man in the south in the thick of black persecution. He dyes his skin by taking pills prescribed by a dermatologist and then using dye to make his skin even darker. By the end of his transformation, people that he had interacted with as a white man could no longer recognize him. He got a true and untainted perspective of how it felt to be discriminated against because of the color of your skin. This book recounts several experiences he had. This book was hard to read at times because it was painful to read about the things that he and the people around him experienced. This book does contain some language because the author "tells it like it is." I still loved it and would still recommend it!
There are no Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America by Alex Kotlowitz
This book goes into detail describing the life of two young colored boys with high dreams,growing up in the projects of Chicago in the 1980's. This book was powerful because it showed how discrimination strongly continued well after the Civil Rights Acts in the 1960's. It showed how helpless the people living in this area were and how they earnestly tried to make a better life for themselves. The two little boys promised themselves everyday that they would get out of the projects and graduate high school. Gangs were prevalent in their neighborhood and fatal shootings were very common especially in the summer months. This book depicts how even the youngest, most innocent children are forced to grow up as they watch their friends, neighborhood, and families deteriorate all around them. I loved this book, but I was so sad reading it wishing that the children of the projects could just relax and be children without fear of their lives. So powerful.
I loved all three of these books and I am so grateful because it made reading them enjoyable. I usually hate being forced to read something, but I couldn't put any of these books down. I think I'm going to write a little bit about every book I read just so that I can look back and remember them.
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