Great Books, Ya know, if You're Into that Sort of Thing

Even though my semester has been pretty crazy, I've made it a priority to keep reading just for fun. It takes me a LOT longer to get though books when I'm in school but I recently finished three great reads.

Brandwashed

This book pacified the marketing nerd in me. I was actually a little bit disappointed initially because the book is written for the average consumer rather than a marketing professional. I quickly got over that when I realized how fascinating the information was and then I got really excited because all of you can read it too! The book goes into great detail about the various ploys marketers and advertisers use to convince you to buy their products. I'm a little bit skeptical about certain parts of the book but I can say that overall not much of it surprised me. If you like being an informed consumer this is a great read. It's fascinating the way marketers use you natural desires/instincts against you. I don't want to give anything away but I would absolutely recommend this book to a friend!

Eating the Dinosaur

Can I just say that I love Chuck Klosterman? I've read the majority of his books and find his insights to be extremely unique. His commentary on pop culture is spot on and really forces you to think outside the box. This book is a collection of essays and, for the most part, I really enjoyed it. There was one essay I skipped because it was a commentary on something I know NOTHING about (thus I was really confused/bored) but the rest was fabulous. If you're a Chuck Klosterman fan or you just like someone who challenges your thinking, this is a great read.

The Gift of Fear

I've been working on this book for a long time but I'm so glad I finally finished it. Gavin DeBecker wrote a brilliant book about using fear the right way and avoiding worry, anxiety, and other such feelings. The book teaches you about various types of crime in a no-frills way that is extremely applicable. My grandma gave me this book when I first moved to Chicago (yikes it took me forever to finish it!) and many of the lessons are good things to know if you plan on living in an urban area. I would highly recommend this book--it is empowering, enlightening, and just plain interesting.

Next I think I may try out a trashy novel or two. I love that most of the comments on this post were very supportive of my book snobbery. However, almost everyone said that branching out into new genres and pushing yourself are very important for an avid reader. I think I've read a pretty broad range of books but who knows, maybe I'll find a trashy book that floats my boat. I'll let you know how it turns out!

How about you guys? What are you reading?