Reading List March 2, 2009
Posted by mattroper in Miscellaneous.trackback
Every year for Christmas, my family gives each other Barnes & Noble gift cards. It’s a great gift but the best part of it is that we have “Barnes & Noble Day” where the family goes together to spend our gift cards and enjoy each other’s company. This year I spent an inordinate amount of money on books (twice the actual value of my gift cards) on a wide variety of topics and genres. I’ve been doing quite well with one of my New Year’s Resolutions to read more and if you click through I’ll give a quick breakdown of what I have read and what’s next on the list.
So far in 2009 I have read:
Into the Wild – I read this book quicker than I expected. Certainly worth a read and it reminded me of real life version of My Side of the Mountain which was one of my favorite books as a kid.
Ball Four – Hilarious. Tons of locker room stories and a good look into the life of a mediocre ballplayer just trying to hang on to his big league dreams.
Yes Man – This book really impressed me. It’s funny, poignant and will basically dare you to take more chances in life.
Killing Yourself To Live - If you’ve never read a book by Chuck Klosterman, I highly suggest it. The man is a master of using pop culture to help you understand any personal experience. This particular book is supposed to be about dead rock stars but ultimately becomes about Chuck’s quest for love.
I’m currently reading:
Life of Pi – Comes highly recommended from the J and Kyle. I am not far enough along to actually have an opinion yet.
Next on the list:
The Kite Runner – Another recommendation from the J. I’ve heard very good things from other sources as well
Sex God – I was a big fan of Velvet Elvis so I’m hoping this Rob Bell book is half as good as his first.
Rose Bowl Dreams – As a Texas Longhorn Alum (and a student at the time of our ‘05 National Championship), I’m basically required to read books about the football program. But this book is really a two-in-one. It follows the author as he almost religiously tracks the Longhorns but parallels that journey with the story of his mother’s struggle against cancer and how football managed to bring them closer.
So thats the list so far. Fell free to comment with suggestions for future reads. Stay classy.
after sex god, you need to check out Jesus Wants To Save Christians. it’s awesome!!
I want to borrow Life of Pi when you are done – I have had too many people recommend that book to me not to read it. The Kite Runner might be the most heart-breaking novel I have ever read (and I was an English major!). It’s also fascinating as it delves into the immigrant experience and the narrator’s life in Afghanistan as the Taliban comes into power. SO good.
Adam Jones here — thanks so much for including Rose Bowl Dreams on your list. Please let me know your thoughts.
Sex God is exactly half as good as Velvet Elvis, so you should be happy with that.
Also, Allison should write the tidbits on the backs of books. If I had not already read Kite Runner, her brief editorial would definitely make me read it.
The J, I would LOVE to do that… reading books for a living is my dream job. Alas, I am not a famous author or book reviewer, so my tidbits will have to be left for you people for now. I will try to start updating my blog more frequently with books I have read. Of course, I don’t think you would want to read “The Other Queen,” but you never know! (No it’s not about a drag queen or anything even CLOSE to that.)