Recent Reading

I am a very eclectic reader. I thought for a short Saturday night post I would list a few books I've recently read. If you are a reader and haven't tried them I think you might find some of them interesting. If you have read any on the list I'd love to know what you thought about them. I'd also like to hear what you're reading these days!

Getting Things Done by David Allen: The veteran coach and time management consultant shares the productivity methods he has introduced to tens of thousands of people across the country. It's always good to brush up on how you are getting things done (or not).

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch: When Pausch learns he has incurable pancreatic cancer the Carnegie Mellon professor wrote this book based on a last lecture he gave his students. It is mainly the lessons and values he wants his children to learn and live by once he is gone. Very inspiring.

The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson:  The first volume in the late author's Millennium trilogy. A computer hacker and a journalist investigate the disappearance of a Swedish heiress 40 years earlier. This book is difficult to get into, but once you get going you won't want to put it down.

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls: This is the true story of Walls and her siblings' difficult childhood and eccentric parents. It sounds like it wouldn't be interesting, or that it would be sad, but it's not. It's a good read.

When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough by Harold Kushner. In this book Rabbi Kushner uses the Book of Ecclesiastes to explain why living is worthwhile and can be a joy, especially if we get our focus right.

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson:  The second volume of Larsson's Millennium trilogy in which a Swedish hacker becomes a murder suspect. Like the first book, character Lisabeth Salander keeps surprising you; another stay-up-all-night to read book. Quick shout-out to friend Doug Davis for turning me on to Larsson's trilogy!

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon. This is the second "Father Tim" book by Karon who wrote the charming Mitford books. In this book the beloved Episcopal priest and his wife head across the Atlantic on a long-awaited vacation in Ireland only to find mystery and intrigue. Not as good as the Mitford series, but Karon is a wonderful writer and always leaves me feeling better about things.

The Air I Breathe by Louie Giglio: In this short book the Passion Conference and Passion City Church leader bares his heart for worship, describing it as something we all do whether we realize it or not; it is as natural and as essential as the air we breathe.

Johnny U: The Life and Times of Johnny Unitas by Tom Callahan: Drawing on numerous interviews with colleagues, competitors, and The Man himself, Callahan offers a interesting behind-the-scenes portrait of the legendary quarterback who was voted one of the greatest players of the last 50 years.

Tick Tock by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge: In Patterson's billionth best-selling book, New York detective Michael Bennett returns to enlist the help of a former colleague to solve a rash of horrifying crimes that are throwing NYC into chaos.

The Emperor of Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee: A powerful and ambitious "biography" of cancer and its treatment by this compassionate and "readable" doctor and researcher. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has been touched by cancer (and who hasn't in some way?).