Author: Anthony Doerr
ATLWCS is a Pulitzer Prize winner for good reason; this fantastic novel is so much more than a war story combined with a love story. Tracking the paths of a brilliant young German soldier, gifted with engineering ability, and a blind French girl throughout WWII, Doerr somehow manages to weave the detail of a scientist with the prose of a poet to form this masterpiece. The book is beautifully descriptive and really captures the raw emotions of a war-torn Europe from the perspective of two children forced to live through the conflict. I would highly recommend it to nearly any reader. “Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever”.
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This is somewhat unfair because I read the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes as an early teen and to date it remains my favourite book that I’ve ever read. Specifically, The Hound of the Baskervilles is my all-time favorite. That being said, I had forgotten how most of the stories went, and it was a refreshing re-visitation of a timeless classic. The only reason this collection is not ranked #1 is that this was a re-read.
Author: Tara Westover
Honestly, I don’t even want to be giving Educated such a glowing review, as it appears to be dominating social circles in an almost clique-esque manner, akin to CrossFit. Unfortunately, the memoir really was that great. It’s hard to imagine a memoir being a page-turner, but Tara’s story of her upbringing in a dysfunctional, patriarchal, hyper-religious Mormon family in the mountains of Idaho keeps the reader gripping the edge of their seat. It seemed as though every chapter, written in the short-story format, somehow tops the previous ones in incredulity. Educated tells the story of a girl, denied any form of formal education through high school, who somehow defies all odds putting herself through college at BYU, a Master’s at Cambridge, a fellowship at Harvard, and finally receiving a doctorate from Cambridge. Throughout this impossible journey, Tara battles with the fact that the more she seems to receive in the form of education, the more she seems to lose in the form of family.
Author: John Carreyrou
You would not think that a retelling of the rise and fall of a startup would be thrilling, must-read material, but Carreyrou somehow accomplishes this in Bad Blood. I could not put this book down, finishing in one day, as the indiscretions and wrongful acts carried out by Theranos over the last decade were expertly exposed. It is absolutely incredible to read how Theranos completely scammed Silicon Valley, the government, high-profile people such as the Clintons, General Mattis, and essentially the entire country. It is a testament to the quality of the Wall Street Journal, that one of its reporters was able to piece together such a compelling tell-all, breaking through the secrecy surrounding the company. Unfortunately, the story of Theranos is the story of a company so obsessed with power that it bent and then broke the rules, resulting in monetary and potential life damages, and therefore this thrilling piece is nonetheless a tragic one.
Author: Don Yaeger
This book hits very close to home, as a former Duke student and documents the entirety of the Duke Lacrosse scandal that rocked the nation in 2007. It is a shocking depiction of the gross misuse of justice that was thrust upon not only the team, but their coach as well; it should be noted that the coach co-authored the book, and therefore it is definitely written with a slant towards the team. I would highly recommend watching the ESPN 30 for 30 “Fantastic Lies” for a visual portrayal of the story, but It’s Not About the Truth was an excellent written version. The book does a great job of investigating the factors, including racial/class differences and extremely vocal outrage culture, that lead to the perfect storm of a national scandal.
Author: Michelle Obama
The memoir of a little girl from the South Side of Chicago. Becoming takes us into the life of one of the most high-profile women on the planet, and humanizes her, and her family, to a degree that I would not have thought possible. Expertly crafted, Becoming tells the story of Michelle’s upbringing in the South Side, through a Princeton education, Harvard Law School, a prestigious law position, quitting to focus on more impactful social issues, and culminating in her recognizable role as FLOTUS. It is amazing how her book strips away the title and persona, and reveals that deep down, the Obamas are just normal people like you and I. Additionally, it is fascinating to hear about some of the behind-the-scenes actions and reactions that went on during the eight years of the Obama administration, and all of the untiring work that got the family to that point in the first place. Becoming was a window into the life of not just FLOTUS, but also the presidency, as well as an American mother, living the American dream her parents wished for her.