Freakonomics

There always comes a time when life feels redundant. Nothing ever happens, and you need something totally different to turn it on its head. This is the time to pick up Freakonomics. Suddenly, a whole new way of looking at the world enters your head. Drug markets become respectable monarchies. Schoolteachers are pitted against sumo wrestlers. And the best part is, you're pulled into Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner's way of thinking seamlessly. Each chapter opens with a thought-provoking proposition that makes you first scoff and then puzzle over the answer. Charts, statistics, and intriguing try-it-yourself examples are sprinkled throughout the pages to prove Levitt and Dubner's chapter argument. My eyes tend to skim over any passages in books that I find overly confusing, and I don't think I did so once while reading Freakonomics. In fact, all that's left to do now is get my hands on the sequel.

Born on a Blue Day

This is one of those books that deals with a topic so unique and fascinating that it feels as though it were a piece of fiction. In fact, at times I had to flip to the back inside flap with the author bio to remind myself that this was an actual person's memoir. However, Daniel Tammet's award-winning autobiography is a completely true tale. Each chapter presented a new storyline that tied in wonderfully with the main theme: the challenges of living with autism and savant syndrome. There were so many interesting facts and memories perfectly recounted that it was insanely difficult to finish one chapter and not turn the page and continue reading. From learning about the efforts of Tammet's endlessly caring parents to his struggles with independence, this book is guaranteed to make you feel thankful for all the differences that determine who we are and who we become.

How Not to Write a Novel

Maybe you've wondered why your fiction characters always seem so plain and one-dimensional. Or perhaps your plot always turns out way too clichéd. Whatever troubles you think your writing contains are all covered in one imaginative, informational guide: How Not to Write a Novel. I personally discovered this find when I was browsing around the aisles in the library. I found an amusing ordinary how-not-to read sitting right next to a book I was searching for. I checked it out on a whim and inhaled it almost as soon as we got back. Packed with often-seen errors of aspiring authors, an ordinary how-not-to book would become boring in about three pages. However, How Not to Write a Novel uses well-placed doses of humor to keep you interested enough to keep turning the page. But it's never easy to forget what this book is all about; it still provides a wealth of tips and tricks. From sarcastic and witty chapter openers detailing the exact steps to make people steer clear of your manuscript to cringe-worthy example excerpts, this book is something you'll refer back to again and again.