I Love Books

I love books. Books have been a constant and never disappointing companion in my life. From as young as I can remember, I have loved sticking my nose in a good book and blocking out the rest of the world. As I think about things I might like to contribute to this blog, it seems only natural to discuss books. In the future, I may review a book I’ve just read or give a little something about an old favorite. Today, I want to piggyback off my post about my favorite songs of 2019 and share the best books I read in 2019. Unlike the songs, these won’t be books that were released in 2019, but books I read last year and that has an impact on me.

Before we get to the list, I’d like to discuss why reading for pleasure is such an important part of my life. It goes back to when I was a child and the example set by my parents. Both encouraged me to read and both are readers themselves. My mom always used to say, “if you have a good book with you, you’ll never be bored.” I remember one summer day when she sat on the front porch reading while I ran around the yard doing kid stuff. I was shocked by how long she could sit there and read while there was so much fun to be had, it felt like an eternity. In reality, it was probably an hour max. I asked her how many pages she read in that time and she said about 50. I was blown away. Was it really possible to read 50 whole pages in one sitting without taking a break? I didn’t know that was something a person could do. To this day, the 50-page benchmark has stuck in my brain as a productive reading session (though I usually go well beyond it and have read entire novels cover to cover in one sitting before).

The first paperback novels I remember reading were some Star Wars books that took place in the post Return of the Jedi world. This was many years before Disney made the post Jedi world a thing on the big screen. It was awesome to see what Luke, Han, and Leia got up to after taking down the Empire. I must have read a dozen of those books as a preteen. I have a vivid memory of the day my mom told me and my brother that her and dad were getting a divorce. We were so distraught, mom took us to the mall that night and let us each get something to kind of ease the pain. I cannot recall what my brother got, but I got a Star Wars book. I locked myself in my bedroom for the next few days and ran away to a world where things made sense and the good guys always won.

I guess that is the real power of fiction. As is probably the case with most young people, my primary pleasure reading as a teen was fiction, specifically science fiction and horror novels. I would read anything I could find written by Stephen King or Michael Crichton. Jurassic Park is the first novel I remember reading that was geared more towards adults and not YA Star Wars fans. I liked being able to escape to a world that was far more exciting than mine would ever be. Through books, we are able to put ourselves into any context we like and create the world anyway we like to suit the adventure we are on. Unlike movies, books give us almost complete control over how characters sound and look and what their surroundings look, sound, and smell like. It is something cinema and television just cannot match and never will.

As I got older, I discovered the joy of reading nonfiction for pleasure. I am something of an auto didact. Formal education never really engaged me the way it probably should have. You tell me I HAVE to learn something and it becomes a chore, a job, a pain in the ass. If I DECIDED to learn something, I go all in, and the best source of knowledge on any subject under the sun is books. Whenever a topic piques my interest, I turn to the internet only as a tool to find the best books on that topic, and one rarely does the trick. When I decided I wanted to learn more about the founding of this country (thank you, Lin Manuel Miranda) I didn’t just pick up one book about the revolution, I grabbed several. I read bios of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Hamilton. There really is a never-ending supply of information tucked away in your local library if you just take the time to look.  

I am a bit of a history buff so I love curling up with a good biography of historical figures like Caesar, Hamilton, or FDR. I will deep dive into books about the classical world or the Civil War. I cannot get enough of it. I have read books on political ideology, moral philosophy, social responsibility, and memoirs of great athletes and musicians. I have books about my favorite baseball stadium. I have books about Buddhism. I have books by comedians about living your best life. I have books about how to write books!

There is no way to measure the awesome impact reading has had on my life. It is something our society is getting too far away from with our 140-character culture and the instant gratification of streaming. People have forgotten that reading makes us all better people. It makes us smarter. It opens our minds to new ideas and possibilities. It forces us to quiet the constant noise around us and sink into our own brains for a moment. In a world where people are constantly swiping, clicking, and streaming in an attempt to distract themselves during every dull moment, I am grateful for the wisdom of my mom. I am never bored when I have a good book with me. And I always do.

Here are some books I read in 2019 that had an impact on me.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes: I read this book in just a few short days and was sad to see it end. It is the story of a mentally disabled man who is chosen to test an experimental procedure to increase his IQ. The book offers an amazing look at the way humans interact with one another and the value of a life outside of the things was can see and measure. I walked away from this book thinking I had just had a transformative experience and that is probably the best endorsement I can give. This book is a classic for a reason and I’m only sorry it took me this long to give it a read.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders: I was turned on to George Saunders by another book I read, Gumption by Nick Offerman. In Gumption, Offerman profiles people he feels exhibit the best of humanity. I figured if it was good enough for Ron Swanson, it was good enough for me. Saunders is best known for his collections of short stories (Pastoralia and The Tenth of December being particularly delightful examples). Lincoln in the Bardo is his first novel and he dose not disappoint. The story follows the soul of Willie Lincoln in the first night after his physical body was laid to rest. Playing against the very real backdrop of the Civil War and President Lincoln’s grief over his late son, Lincoln in the Bardo offers a unique look at mortality, love, and letting go, all while supplying a healthy does of Saunders’s trademark wit and humor. This one gets all the thumbs up. I sincerely hope he writes another novel.

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport: It may seem odd to promote a book about digital minimalism in a blog that most of you probably got to from a social media page. Odd as it is, it really speaks to the core of what Newport tries to express in this book. It’s not about abandoning all things electronic and becoming Luddites, but being deliberate in choosing how we spend our precious time and not getting sucked into the online void created by advertisers and attention grabbers. I read this book because I was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by the amount of time I spent mindlessly scrolling through Facebook or other sites. The lessons in the book really hit home and I can honestly say I am a better and more productive person since reading it. I would recommend this book to anyone out there, not just those who already feel the oppression of our digital age. There are lessons and ideas in here that can apply to everyone, from those just looking to organize their digital lives to those looking to go off the grid completely. Big time thanks to Yes Theory for pointing me towards this one.

Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes: A great bio of one of my all-time favorite rockers, Tom Petty. Written before Petty died, this book takes us from his beginnings in Gainesville to his Hall of Fame stardom. Get an inside look at the forming of The Heartbreakers, Tom’s friendship with legends like Jeff Lynne and George Harrison, and the issues that threatened to tear the band and Tom’s family apart. Fantastic read if you are even remotely a fan of Tom Petty. The book is extremely well written and, since it was done before he passed, there are large chucks of quotes and stories from Tom himself all over the book.

The Civil War, Vol 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville by Shelby Foote: The title pretty much gives away what this one is about. I picked this up because I knew it was a big source of information for the incredible Civil War documentary by the legendary Ken Burns. Interviews with Foote appears regularly throughout the epic series and he is easily the best part of the whole thing. I could listen to the man talk about anything with his slow and disarming southern drawl. The book was incredibly rich with detail and portraits of the characters who would define the war. While its is a bit heavy on military tactic and maneuvers during the battles, the balance of the book is smart, well written, and easy to read. Recommended to anyone who enjoys books about history, military history, or just wants to know about The Civil War. I am looking forward to diving into volumes two and three. Can’t wait to see how it ends!