Audition by Michael Shurtleff is the perfect book for anybody looking to enter the world of acting. It provides tips directly from one of the most accomplished casting directors. He dives into a multitude of ways on how to make your auditions pop. Since reading the book, I’ve grown more confident in my auditions and understand what auditors are looking for. Shurtleff uses examples from auditions he’s seen to clearly teach what to do and what not to do in an audition.
Tuesdays with Morrie, written by Mitch Albom, is a memoir recounting his reconnection with his former college professor, Morrie Schwartz, who is battling ALS(amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). As Mitch finds himself drifting from his former passionate self to a discontented individual, Morrie's illness serves as a catalyst for their reunion. Through their weekly Tuesday gatherings, Morrie shares lessons with Mitch about life, love, and death.
Invisible Child is a nonfiction book written by Andrea Elliott. Elliott used her decades of reporting of the poverty in America to highlight Dasani, an impoverished child of many in America. Dasani grew up homeless in New York City and faced the problems of poverty. She leads her siblings through the world of being homeless. She encounters chances of escaping poverty but must ask herself what she wants.
Midnight in Chernobyl is a historical non fiction written by Adam Higginbotham. As the title suggests, this book details the entire Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in what was at the time, the Soviet Union, but now present day Ukraine. Higginbotham begins by explaining the precursor to this tragic event. This includes how the Soviet Union cut costs in their construction of nuclear plants in order to bring them online at a rapid pace. This included operators not being properly trained.
The Sun's Heartbeat by Bob Berman explores the rhythmic pattern of solar activity and its impact on Earth's climate and civilization. Berman highlights the correlation between the sun cycle, solar flares, and the solar magnetic field every 11 years, highlighting how these events influence our planet's weather patterns, technological infrastructure, and even human behavior.
Over the last few weeks I have been reading The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz and it has helped me with struggles I knew I was having but couldn’t previously explain. To be honest, I thought that the topic of choice and how too much is bad was a little narrow, and that an entire book didn't need to be written about it, but I was wrong.
This book is all about what it means to truly be a Christian and live a Christian lifestyle. It focuses on three different principles: be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did. The book is broken down into these three parts and through both real world and biblical examples tries to explain and show what life as a Christian should look like. The book focuses on discipleship and what it means to be an apprentice of Jesus following his ways and practicing life as he did.
The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs by Tristan Gooley Nonfiction – a guide rather than a story The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs is a collection of information, tips, tricks, and diagrams put together with the intent of introducing the reader to the concept of natural navigation: how to gain insight and knowledge from what we can observe in the world around us.
If you are into true crime and are looking for a compelling, nail-biting, and somewhat gruesome story, The Want-Ad Killer by Ann Rule is the book for you.
Enrique’s Journey tells a story about the immigration of a young boy (Enrique) who was separated from his mother as she looked for job opportunities in the United States. After longing for his mother for years, he decides to make the journey to find his mother. Alongside the storyline, Nazario explains the difficulty many children like Enrique faced when attempting to immigrate to the U.S. and how they overcame them.
