So many great reads in 2017, here are five of my favorites:

1. Just Mercy: Still thinking about this book almost a year later. If you want to have an informed opinion on our criminal justice system, it’s a must read. My teen daughter also read this over the holidays and it was powerful for her as well. She had the chance to see the author speak recently and his words, on the pages and in person, were incredibly impactful.
2. When Breath Becomes Air: Our culture needs to talk about death more, Lucy and Paul Kalanithi open the door to what it looks like to manage this process beautifully. This book had another interesting layer for me in that I know the doctor who treated Dr. Kalanithi, so it was fascinating to have an inside look into the incredible work she is doing.
3. Small Great Things:  Hard to read but worth the effort.
4. The Girl You Left Behind:  Historical fiction will always hold a special place in my heart. I am also a big fan of the author, Jo Jo Moyes. If you loved Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, you will love this one.
5. All the Light We Cannot See:  Been around a few years, worth the hype.

Meeting Lucy Kalinithi, who finished the writing for When Breath Becomes Air, and talking with her about how she is keeping her husband’s memory alive with their daughter was definitely a highlight of my year.

* Shanti – Sanskrit word meaning “inner peace” or “tranquility”

Wishing you a great year of reading, learning and growing!