100 Books, Part 2

Whew! I didn't expect to write multiple posts about the books I read in the past year, but once I got going, the words just kept coming. I'll try to be less verbose in Part 2, but I make no promises.

Non-Fiction for the Win
It's been said that truth is often stranger than fiction. I don't know how strange my non-fiction selections were, but I sure read some great ones. Looking back over my NF list, it really covered a wide range of topics.

Memoirs: It was Me all Along by Andie Mitchell, Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick, This is Me by Chrissy Metz
Anna Kendrick and Chrissy Metz have the advantage of star-power behind their names (Kendrick is best known for her performances in the Pitch Perfect movies and Metz rocks the role of Kate Pearson in This is Us) and their books have been on a lot of lists. But of the three, Mitchell's weight-loss memoir is by far the best. It's raw and real and hits home in a million different places. Kendrick's and Metz's stories are interesting too, and I'd recommend them for fun and easy reading if you're a fan of their work on the big and small screens, but I'd recommend Andie Mitchell to everyone.

Malcolm Gladwell made me learn things:
I read/listened to Tipping Point and Outliers, both by the incredibly smart Malcolm Gladwell. This man has done a ton of research and knows other super-smart people who have done a ton of research and he's written it all down. In Tipping Point, Gladwell shows readers how the little things really do make a tremendous difference and explores what factors are at play when an epidemic occurs. He talks about negative epidemics (the spread of the AIDS virus is one example) as well as more positive ones (the sudden declining crime stats in New York City in the 1990's) and some that are more frivolous and fun (Hush Puppies and Sesame Street are two mentioned in the book).
In Outliers, Gladwell turns the focus on the best of the best in athletics, art, technology, and other fields to see what makes the best so much better than the average of the population. His examples of why birthdates matter in hockey, how descendants of immigrant dressmakers grew up to the be the most successful lawyers in New York City, and how tech giants Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were uniquely poised to achieve their success due to their age and proximity to the right technology at the right time. While Outliers was incredibly educational, it was also inspiring, because so much of the data showed that hard work and practice, much more than talent alone, is how the best became the best. Malcolm Gladwell has some other books that look interesting and I'm putting them on my 2019 list.

Other Notable Non-Fiction:
Stiff by Mary Roach - This is by far the best book about dead bodies that I have ever read. Okay, so it's the only book about dead bodies I've ever read, but it is really good. Roach delves into all the different ways bodies have been used in science, medicine, weapons research, crime studies, etc... It's not as stomach-turning as you might guess and I actually learned a lot and this book really cemented my long-held decision to be an organ donor.

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown - Another Book Club selection. When we discussed this book, about vulnerability and honesty, we decided to meet in a member's home instead of the pub because we knew tears and stories and personal confessions would flow, and we were right. Brown's years of experience and research in the field touched each of us personally and pretty much left us gutted and raw, but in a good way.

I'll Push You by Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Grey - Two best fiends go on an epic hike 500 mile through Spain. That in itself it pretty cool, but add to the fact that one friend is wheelchair bound and needs specialized medical care, and you've got yourself an inspiring true story about the power of faith and friendship and what it truly means to carry one another's burdens. The book is written by the two friends from the story and it was really neat to get their first-person insight. Also, I want to go to Spain.

Uninvited by Lysa Terkeuesrt - I dunno if you've perused the Non-Fiction Inspiration for Christian Women section at your local bookstore (new, used, or online) but holy cow it's a pretty saturated market right now. I read several this year and Lysa's was the best. (She has another one that just came out and I'm like 33rd on the waiting list at the library.) She doesn't beat around the bush when it comes to hurt and heartache, and she keeps the main things the main things and knows with complete surety where her strength and salvation truly come from.