"My Beloved World" by Sonia Sotomayor

I found Sonia Sotomayor’s book very inspiring for several reasons. Sonia came from a very difficult environment, growing up with an alcoholic father and a mother who was so focused on providing for her family that she did not have a lot of time to dedicate to her children. Sonia also has struggled with incurable disease from early childhood. However, poverty, illness, and family problems did not deter her from pursuing her life’s dream of becoming a judge. I was also struck by her humility and sincerity. She talks about difficult and very personal subjects in a very unassuming and approachable manner. I felt like I could really relate to some of the circumstances of her life. She also tackles and provides her take on such topics as affirmative action, bi-lingual education and status of Puerto Rico. Her book helped me better understand issues surrounding these topics and see the situation through her eyes. I also appreciated the way she described the role her extended family played in her life: particularly her grandmother, as well as aunts and cousins. I do believe Sonia’s story could be a great inspiration for girls everywhere, especially those who come from diverse backgrounds, difficult family and economic situations, as well as those who struggle with a chronic ailment. I read this book for a book club we have at work. I think this book is great for discussions on a whole range of topics. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

"Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel

"Station Eleven" is a sci-fi novel written from the point of view of several different characters whose lives become intertwined as the human race faces a pandemic unlike any other. The Georgia Flu in effect wipes out 99% of population in a matter of weeks. Humanity is reduced to scattered settlements that are forced to regress to primitive life of hunters-gatherers and subsistence farmers. The novel jumps around in time - going back 30 years before the pandemic, recounting days and hours right before the disease strikes North America and days and weeks following the disaster, and then jumping 15 and 20 years into the future.

Right before the Georgia Flu overtakes Toronto and the rest of North America, a famous actor dies of a heart attack while performing King Lear on stage. A man from the audience who is training to become a paramedic unsuccessfully tries to bring him back to life. An eight-year-old child actress witnesses the death on stage. The novel then retraces the history of these three and follows the two surviving characters as humanity fails to stop the advance of the Georgia Flu.

The apocalypse aspects of the book are very realistic. I couldn't help but admire the author's well-thought out scenarios described in the book. I also really enjoyed the unexpected connections among various characters in the novel, and the way art influences, shapes or destroys them. All the main characters are extremely well fleshed out and easy to relate to. The book is both atmospheric and realistic. I was fully immersed in the world and could not put the book down. Definitely one of the best books I read in 2016. 5 out of 5 stars.