Oprah's grittiest book recommendation yet?

Some Things That Meant the World to Me, by Joshua Mohr
Recommend: Yes
To whom: Not everyone, but to non-squeamish individuals who have a moderate to high tolerance for obscene language and gritty detail
Why: Full of interesting characters, and so unconventional, I never knew what was going to happen next.

Joshua Mohr’s first novel Some Things That Meant the World to Me made Oprah’s “10 Terrific Reads of 2009” list, but I heard about the book from the author’s sister, my friend Jessie. I bought the book to be supportive, but I devoured it in less than 48 hours. In case an endorsement from Oprah isn’t enough to cause Some Things to fly off the shelf, I’ll add mine.

Much of the book is disturbing and painful to read, but if you can stand it, you’re in for a fascinating and unusual story. The narrator, Rhonda, who endured an unbelievably cruel childhood, must confront his past at age 30, at a particularly low point in his life. Mohr alternates his narration between reality and delusion, and allows Rhonda to take high-stakes risks, so that I never knew what was going to happen. When I finished reading, I felt I had experienced something intimate and truly unique.

Never Miss an Opportunity to be Fabulous

What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, by Tina Seelig
Recommend: Yes

To whom: Job seekers and soul searchers

Why: Made me feel better about not having a full-time job.

A few weeks ago my mom brought a couple of self-help books for me home from the library. She knows I've been struggling since I graduated from college to "find my place in the world". One of those books was What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, by Stanford professor Tina Seelig, who strives to help floundering souls like myself. And I think she does this quite successfully, as she addresses many of the fears I have had since graduating without much of a career plan.

Here's some advice and reassurance that interested me the most:

- “All the cool stuff happens when you do things that are not the automatic next step,” says one of Seelig’s former students.

- Having a baby does not kill a woman’s career, but presents unique opportunities. Seelig shares Sandra Day O’Connor’s story as an example of a mother who took time off from her career to raise her kids and volunteer part-time, and rose to Supreme Court Justice!

- Courses graded on a curve encourage fierce competition, and discourage teamwork. Seelig explains how we all benefit from working together and helping each other out.

- “Never miss an opportunity to be fabulous.”

The last point is the essence of Seelig’s entire book. She shares many inspiring stories and pieces of advice, but ultimately, we are in charge of seizing the opportunities that, as she points out, are waiting for us everywhere.