One Book

At the risk of stating the obvious, let me say I love books! Reading has added immeasurably to the richness of my life, words and ideas swirling together to shape me into the person I am today. I'm going to say something crazy, so brace yourself. You need to read books. It will help you lead a more successful, richer, and even happier life. There, I've said it. You've probably fallen off your chair laughing, but you'll thank me one day. :)

Narrowing it down to only one, I recommend to you The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a story about a young orphan living during World War Two. Immediately, I was caught by the narration of this story. The story is narrated by Death. Yes, you read that right. Think the Grim Reaper. He tells this painful story with beauty and color and life, ironically. The young orphan's name is Leisel, and she steals something banned in 1939 Nazi Germany--books. With the help of her kind foster father, she learns to read and she also learns that sometimes breaking the rules is the right thing to do. Through the eyes of the narrator, I was reminded of the cruelty we humans inflict on each other but also the splendor seen even in tragedy.

Okay, so I know this section is entitled "One Book", but I'm going to make it "One Book Each: Fiction and Non-Fiction". One non-fiction book I recommend to you is called What the Eyes Don't See by Mona Hanna-Attisha. I read it--or rather listened to it on Audible--this summer. It tells the all-too-real story of the Flint, Michigan water crisis back in 2015 and how a huge difference was made by one woman, a pediatrician at the local hospital. What the Eyes Don't See is a testament to the bravery of regular people who stick up for the poor, the outcast, the marginalized. Check it out!