Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers

I picked this book up at a used book sale, unable to explain my attraction to it. After finishing it, though, I felt like somehow my subconscious knew it would be highly impactful. Though nonfiction, the story has all the makings of a tense, tragic novel. The book is about Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Muslim Syrian-American owner of a painting and contracting company in New Orleans, who chose to ride out Hurricane Katrina in his home and helping others. That part of the story, I expected. What I didn’t expect was the turn his fate took when he was jailed in the middle of the flooded chaos. I felt like I had a window into a life almost destroyed by the stupidity and assumptions of FEMA/police officers. Powerful.

This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, by Ashton Applewhite

Lately, I’ve gone deep in the world of ageism because of the subject matter in my upcoming novel and shepherding my website, Startup Decoder. Ashton Applewhite is an activist and the clear leader in a growing movement to shine a light on ageism. (Check out Yo! Is This Ageist for a peek into her work.) While I consider myself quite in touch with the many faces of ageism, particularly in the workplace, Applewhite has challenged me to go deeper. That said, I don’t fully agree with some of her interpretations of ageism.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb

I could not put this book down. Almost literally. I devoured it in a weekend and am still thinking about it today. Gottlieb, a therapist, brings the reader into her office, following four of her patients’ journeys. The twist is that after a bad breakup, she too enters therapy, which makes her the fifth patient profiled in the book (a little meta, indeed). All five patients would be completely compelling characters if in a novel, which perhaps explains why it’s such a page-turner.

The Water Dancer, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

I love this book. Period. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the difference between writing and story, and this book manages to excel in both areas. The writing is lyrical and lovely. The story is both sweet and terrifying, with many unexpected turns. Set in the South before the Civil War, the main character is an exceptionally gifted slave. His gifts lift the book into a phantasmic realm that is totally intriguing. 

This Might Get Me Fired: A Manual for Thriving in the Corporate Entrepreneurial Underground, by Greg Larkin

A friend recommended this business book aimed at guiding intrapreneurs, employees within large, sluggish corporations, on how to use startup methodologies to innovate within the corporate structure. It’s a fast read and I can see it would be very inspirational for any employees beaten down by corporate bureaucracy who hopes to launch a product that makes a difference to the company and the world.