I'm staying in Washington, DC and New York City over winter break and the weather hasn't been particularly great so far in the east coast. Holiday shopping isn't much fun when the streets are filled with icy mud and slush. I just decided to stay in with my heater and blanket and catch up on some reading.
Here are some books on my Winter Reads list!
Steve Jobs (by Walter Isaacson)
People were grabbing this biography off the shelves as soon as Steve Jobs passed away last year. I guess I'm a little late hopping on the bandwagon. I'm usually skeptical about biographies because they tend to sugarcoat the person, but I'm hoping this book has a bit more candor. It has gotten good reviews on Amazon.com, but let's see how it goes.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (by Susan Cain)
A lot of my classes are discussion-based and I've realized that even though I don't talk all the time, I can respond by nodding, laughing, smiling, and making other facial expressions. In the end, my participation grade isn't lower than other students who are more extroverted than I am, because active listening is just as important as talking in a discussion. This book affirms that introverts shouldn't be undermined. People often think that introverts are shy, lonely, and not as confident as extroverts are, but Susan Cain turns that stigma around. A great read for all the introverts out there!
Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai (by Katsu Kokichi, translated by Teruko Craig)
I actually checked out this book from Rush Rhees Library. If you check out books in December, many of them aren't due until February 1, so you can read them over winter break! Musui's Story is one of the required readings for my Modern East Asia course I'm taking next semester, so I decided to get a head start. The book illustrates the dynamics of everyday life in Japan during the late 19th century.
La Fille de Papier (by Guillaume Musso)
All my other books are a bit serious, so I decided to pick a 'chick lit' to give my list a balance of genres. This romantic fiction was the #1 bestseller in France a few years ago. I have a copy that was translated into Korean. (The English version is called The Girl on Paper.) Hopefully this book will take the rust off my Korean so I don't stumble over words when I start working in Seoul this summer.
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters (by Timothy Keller)
This book is meant to serve as a spiritual guide for Christians, but I think it is a good read even if you aren't religious. People have been asking me what I'm going to do with my life after graduation, and many are advising me to select career paths that guarantee a high social status and financial security. But what's the point of making a lot of money when I don't even have the time to spend it on what I truly enjoy, such as traveling and cooking with my family? Hopefully this book will provide me with a new perspective on my post-graduation dilemmas I've been dealing with recently.
I'm thinking about adding a few more books to my Winter Reads list. Any recommendations?
(Nibbling on sugar cookies while reading.)
Happy Holidays!