Good Reads : Rebecca Skloot + Ann Tyler

It was close to 1am and the bedside lamp made oblong shadows on the far wall. JD woke at midnight and asked me to close the book, but I promised it was just a few more pages. When I got the end, my eyes filled with tears. And gratitude. That's what a good book does for me. I turned off the light, molded into the curve of JD's spine, and said an evening prayer. The kind of prayers my mom used to say when she put me to bed as a child and made me laugh. Angels dancing above my head and sweet dreams (which I presumed meant aisles filled with candy). That's what a good book does for me. Perhaps that's why my dearest friends know when to pass along a good book

*Today We Are Rich by Tim Sanders. This book was given to me by David Jay, a huge proponent of reading business books. He was so excited about this book he gave a copy to both me and JD. I finished it in a few days and it's a great read because while it touches on business aspects of life, its focus is on life aspects of life. Quality time, appreciation, and balance…I needed to read it.

*The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. My dear friend Gail sent me this book all the way from Indiana, so it's extra special to me. It's the true story of procuring, acquisition, and fostering of cells that changed the course of history and science, but the cells were taken without Henrietta's knowledge. It's story of bio ethics and legal battles and chronicles the lives of her children and as grapple with her death and legacy.

*The Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. When my friend Brianna placed the book on my bed, I didn't know what to think. Our taste in books is…well…she sometimes reads books with a silhouetted poodle and french girl on a pink cover. Umm, yeah. This true story is the intersection of a homeless man and a prominent art dealer in Texas whose lives become dependent on each other through a series of heartbreaking events. It reads like a movie and I cried like a baby.

*Back When We Were Grown Ups by Anne Tyler. My mother gave me a Barnes&Noble gift card, so when Gail recommended this book, I immediately snagged it. And it didn't disappoint. The way Tyler writes is near perfection. The flow, the narration, her ability to draw a reader in…augh…beautiful! The story is about Rebecca's struggle determining–later in life–who she is, who she might have been, and who she thought she'd be. And the balance between her thoughts and the ever-present pressure of family life. I loved it.

If you have a good book, pass it to a friend. If they're anything like me, it'll make them feel loved. Happy Wednesday!