Sam: Reading Rampage

Since I was regretfully not on a tropical vacation over spring break, I had some ample reading time in between sleeping and working. I found myself looking for books to fill the free time, and went on a slight frenzy.

Here are the books I read over break:

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

     I haven’t read YA in quite awhile, but thought I’d return for a book I’d heard a lot of hype over. I think it was one of the only books I’ve read centering on a hijabi teen in the U.S. I think the author did a really good job of cultivating her identity, and showcasing her faith as only one small part of her.

     Must say though, did not miss the cringe-worthy romance in YA and would have liked this to be LESS focused on the love interest and more focused on the protagonists really cool break dancing skills.

Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

I don’t even know why I read this, except for the fact that I like The Office, and usually trashy books. That’s really all I have to say on that.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

This book had SUPER high ratings. I was still pretty much bored every chapter. A lot of the book is analyzing “successful” people and seeing how they got there. But, I wasn’t always convinced, and I didn’t find the writing compelling.

Educated* by Tara Westover

This was actually one I decided to start after looking at NPR’s list of books for 2018 coupled with high Goodreads scores. It’s a memoir of a woman who grew up in a Mormon community in Idaho with six other siblings and no education until college. REALLY well written and would recommend.

*Not done yet