When Breath Becomes Air by Dr. Paul Kalanithi

I have been told this is a quintessential books that every person, whether they are pursuing a career in medicine, should read. The book was written by a doctor who was diagnosed with stage four cancer at a young age, so he wrote the book as a reflection of his life as he approached death. While the book discusses the authors journey to becoming a doctor it mostly focuses on learning how to deal with death an accept it as a part of life.

Survival of the Sickest by Sharon Moalem

I own this book, and by own I mean I have it on my bookshelf and I think I may have "borrowed it' from my high school biology class and it ended up in college with me. So I better read it. This book discusses different diseases and conditions that actually have shown to provide longevity to the population as a whole. These are topics that I am interested in so I am excited to read this book!

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

I started this book over the summer, and what I read was very interesting. The book is a dairy of the main character, Charlie, as he is part of an experimental trial for people with unusually low IQs. He hopes to become smart and works to try to understand the experiment. He continues writing in the journal throughout the process, which ultimately tells his story through what he says and how he writes.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

In high school, my English class did a poetry section and I fell in love with the works of Sylvia Plath. Shortly after our poetry section in class I remember purchasing the book "The Bell Jar" and it has been waiting for me since then. I've always admired how Plath writes with a combination of creating a new speaker for the works but also ties in her own feelings. Her transparency is very inspiring to me as a writer.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, holds a special place in my heart. I first discovered her work when I was watching a TedTalk on the dangers of a single story, or a single story perspective. I loved the talk and decided to pursue some of her other books. I read "Purple Hibiscus" and watched her TedTalk on why we should all be feminists. Last spring break I saw a copy of "Americanah" in a bookstore when I was in Seattle. I didn't begin to read it until the first day of summer. Coincidentally, I miss placed the book and didn't find it again until time to move back to Atlanta.

From what I have read so far, the book is fantastic. The book tells the story of a Nigerian girl who has moved to the United States to attend college. It goes back and forth telling stories from her life in the United States and Nigeria. The book shows differences in education systems and governments while showing the transition of a girl into an adulthood on her own in a new country.