This post was inspired by Katie, who recently wrote a blog post on the books she’s read in the last few months. She’s on FIRE… she’s read 27 books in 2 months which is INSANE. I’m not even close to that… I think I’ve read 3 books this whole year LOL but oh well. Tomorrow is a new day :)
Anyway, here are some of my favorite books I’ve read in the last few years.
NON-FICTION:
- Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
- A memoir about Bourdain’s upbringing/career in the restaurant industry. Bourdain is SUCH a good writer, plus he’s hilarous, bizarre, and a bit of a dick. Put all of that together and you’ve got a highly entertaining book.
- Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
- A biography about athlete Louis Zamperini, who goes to fight in WWII and gets stranded in the Pacific Ocean. It’s a crazy, powerful story that reminded me how of resilient human beings can be.
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- I’ve read a lot of Malcolm Gladwell’s books and they’re all really good, but as with other self-help books, I usually forget the details soon after I finish. BUT: I actually remember a lot of the stories/lessons from this book. The connections he makes are seriously mind-blowing and it’s a fun read.
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
- This is one of those books that you kinda dread reading because it seems boring, but then you come away from it like WOAH. It’s a super interesting read about food choices. I even wrote an entire blog post about it… that’s how much it affected me lol. Feel free to read it if you want to learn more about the book/my reaction to it!
- Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein
- I actually read this book ages ago but I had to include it because it’s just so good. It’s a memoir about how the author, an American journalist in Japan, uncovers some crazy truths about the Japanese yakuza. I think it’s time for a re-read!
- Born To Run by Christopher McDougall
- Every runner/endurance athlete should read this book. It takes you on this journey to Mexico, where you learn about a society you wouldn’t think could/would exist in this day and age (they regularly run hundreds of miles without injury). It made me rethink my own approach to running and the concept of running in general.
FICTION:
- A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
- If you have read any of Murakami’s novels, then you probably know how weird they can be. This is no exception. It’s pretty fricking bizarre, but it’s magical and I loved it.
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Ah how I love this book. It’s about a Nigerian woman studying at Princeton while her long time BF lives illegally in England. It’s part love story, part identity crisis, part racial commentary, part coming-of-age… it has a LOT going on. It’s so superbly written and I fell in love with the characters in the story. I really believe it’s a must-read.
- Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
- It’s almost like reading in another language… the author writes in the Scottish dialect, which takes a while to get used to, but I kind of loved the process. (“Thing is, as ye git aulder, this character-deficiency gig becomes mair sapping. Thir wis a time ah used tae say tae aw the teachers, bosses, dole punters, poll-tax guys, magistrates, when they telt me ah was deficient.”) It’s hilarious/wild/semi-depressing and I highly recommend.
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
- Basically about how this one girl goes crazy. IT’S SO GOOD THOUGH. I was so sad when I finished.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Story of a dystopian future where the government is overthrown by a totalitarian regime that basically makes certain classes of women slaves to men. It’s a terrifying story, but it’s also really interesting and gripping.
Hey Anna,
You have great taste in books! I’ve read everything you listed.
I am a huge Haruki Murkami fan.
Have you ever read ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro? I think you would like it.
Thank you!! And yes I have :) I love it!!
Oh my gosh- awesome. I think you’re my literary twin. :)