Looking back at the books I read, I read a lot I'm pretty lukewarm on. But a few that stuck out: * Chronicles of My Life by Donald Keene. If you ever read mu

Looking back at the books I read, I read a lot I'm pretty lukewarm on. But a few that stuck out: * Chronicles of My Life by Donald Keene. If you ever read much Japanese literature in translation (at least before a particular era) you'll recognize the name, and Keene's life was fascinating. Breezy, fun read. * The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. I was skeptical, and had unfavorable views of this book based on impressions I'd formed by reading reviews, but once I read it and gave it a try... she was totally right about nearly everything she wrote and it literally was "life-changing." I got rid of a ton of detritus and ultimately going through the process of purging my things gave me the boldness to accept a job offer on the other side of the country and take off. The process also drastically changed my shopping habits -- I simply buy much less than I used to, not out of a conscious desire to be "minimalist," but out of recognition that I don't necessarily really want things all that much (though thinking about how much trouble it was to throw things away doesn't hurt). * California: A History by Kevin Starr. About all you could ask for from a one-volume history... nice little primer to my new home state.