As promised, January Book Report right on the heels of last week’s December Book Report! This month the books span a wide variety of genres. I picked the quote above because I think each of these books is helping me to build a connection between and understanding about people very unlike myself.

Becoming by Michelle Obama – To be honest, I haven’t quite finished the whole book yet, I’m about 85% finished. I’ve been listening to the audiobook version which is narrated by Michelle herself. I may have mentioned before that I don’t love audiobooks in general, but I love listening to people tell their own stories! I have been inspired by this book and I’ve learned a lot about Michelle and her family that I didn’t know before. Definitely would recommend if you like memoirs and autobiographies. I always find it so fascinating to learn about the “behind-the-scene” stories of public personas.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert – This book was brought to my attention via two Instagrammers who also host a podcast called Bad on Paper. One of the ladies has read Big Magic at the beginning of every year for the past 5 years as a way to jumpstart her creativity. I’ve been feeling a bit in a slump so I figured I’d give it a go. It is a wonderful mix of advice, mysticism, practicality, and tough love. If you have any interest in pursuing art or just living creatively, I definitely recommend this book!

The Final Empire and The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson – These are the first two books of the Mistborn series. I’ve had them on my To Read list for awhile. I’ve read Brandon Sanderson books before and enjoyed them, but forgot how detailed and tedious they can be! They’re good, they just take awhile to get through. The Mistborn series is a set of fantasy books based in a universe where some people have magic powers derived from metal. Different metals produce different powers. The books also deal with human rights issues between an upper class and underclass of people, political theory (such as safety under tyranny vs the risks that come with freedom), the purpose of religions, and complicated ideas about manipulation, abuse, trust, and love. If you are a habitual reader of fantasy, I’d say give these a read. I have one book left in the original trilogy that I’m currently on the waitlist for from the library, but I can’t wait to continue the story!

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus – A few years ago I started meeting with a couple of former coworkers once a week for a breakfast book club. We only read philosophy and try desperately to make meaning of it in our modern lives. Unfortunately we stopped meeting as often and in person awhile ago due to life circumstances, but every once in awhile we hope onto video chat with drinks in our hands to rehash old ideas. This exploration of absurdism was the text of choice for our next meeting and let me tell you…I can’t wait to have the other guys explain to me what the hell Camus is talking about! I would only recommend this if you have ironclad focus while reading and also have a couple of smart guys in your corner to help you understand it!