2013 Summer Reading in Review

The highlight of my summer has been being able to read whatever I want, whenever I want. During the school year I really miss reading for fun, and as an avid reader who consumes books like water, this summer has been a refreshing time to indulge in literary goodness! I can honestly say every book I read this summer was moving, thought-provoking, and challenging. Many of them I have listed under "Learn -> Read", but here's a quick run through:

Fiction

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: Two teens with cancer fall in love; delves deep into what it means to be human; heartbreaking... I WEPT.
• In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner: One girl's journey through the Cambodian genocide; fiction meets memoir; haunting, beautiful, poetic, a work of art.
  
• Little Bee by Chris Cleave: A young Nigerian girl crosses paths with a British couple in a way that changes both their lives forever; puts the reader in the shoes of a bright and compassionate, yet vulnerable, young refugee.
  

Science-Fiction/Fantasy

• The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis: Imagining what heaven and hell would be like, and what type of people would be there; uncomfortable and challenging; forces the reader to contemplate eternity, faith, God, and life.
  

Non-Fiction

• Sex Trafficking: Inside The Business of Modern Slavery by Siddharth Kara: Thorough analysis of global sex trafficking; eye-opening and practical; the best book I've read on the topic; proposes a tangible framework for abolition.
• Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg: Sheryl Sandberg, a brilliant and successful woman, examines why there is a lack of women in leadership roles, offers practical career advice, and challenges women to reach their full potential; eye-opening and empowering; a great read for women and men alike.
  

Memoir/Biography

• God in a Brothel: An Undercover Journey Into Sex Trafficking and Rescue by Daniel Walker: One man's journey into darkness; a rare inside look into the world of sexual exploitation, sex tourism, and pedophilia.
• Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff: A book filled with extraordinary and hilarious stories, and what they taught the author, Bob Goff, about faith, life, and the character of God; a whimsical and easy read; inspires the reader to live a purposeful life driven by love.
  
• Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder: The story of a young medical student from Burundi and how he survived the civil war, genocide, and coming to the U.S. with only $200 to his name yet how he ended up studying at an ivy league school; confronting, heart-breaking, inspiring; a testimony to the endurance of the human spirit.

What good books have you read this summer? Let me know your recommendations!