Summit Staff Reporter
Winter break brings a little free time around– so instead of watching reruns or old movies, why not pick up a book?
As one of the writers for The Summit, I have a side to me that enjoys reading. I was never the one in high school that fell in love with reading, but I like books about things that interest me, like sports, autobiographies and biographies. I just got done reading “Eleven Rings,” an autobiography on Hall-of-Fame head coach Phil Jackson, who coached the NBA-champion Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. Actually, I have read this book three times. What really draws me in are Jackson’s details on his coaching style and his techniques that helped him throughout his career. As Phil Jackson says, “Basketball is a great mystery”—so it’s nice to have some of those answers revealed.
Sports-based stories are not all I read. Since I was young, I have enjoyed stories on famous icons and figures such as Malcolm X. Anything that I feel is interesting, I am definitely reading.
Here are my top five books that I have read:
- “Eleven Rings” by Phil Jackson: I love the way Phil Jackson explains the adversity players face from an emotional and physical standpoint.
- “The Jordan Rules” by Sam Smith: Sam Smith explains how the great Michael Jordan was “strictly business” during his tenure as an NBA player.
- “Money Players” by Armen Keteyian: This book takes you behind the scenes of how the NBA has transformed into a complete moneymaker.
- “Last Shot” by John Feinstein: This story is about two young reporters who try to blackmail a star athlete.
- “Dreams from my Father” by Barack Obama: Takes you inside the life of President Obama and shows you what it took for him to get to his level of success.
Everyone has different tastes in reading, so in case these suggestions aren’t for you, the rest of the newspaper staff has a few suggestions.
Sheridan Martinez: My book recommendation is “Go Ask Alice” by Beatrice Sparks, who writes under the name “Anonymous.” It’s a diary of a 14-year old drug-addicted teenager who shares her stories and travels through her diary. It’s an interesting novel with good plot; the sequel is called “Lucy in the Sky.” I like these books because they are realistic fiction, so they’re more exciting.
Dorion Billingslea: My book selection would be “The Fault In our Stars” by John Green. Even though the movie just came out and it was really good, but the book was kind of better because it was more descriptive. It gave me lots of laughs, but also broke my heart. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read romantic-comedy, and I also recommend you read the book before watching the movie.
Ruby Marquez: “Thirteen Reasons Why” is a book about a young girl named Hannah who decides to end her life. She records 13 audiocassettes and makes people listen to them and pass them around. It’s an emotional and heart-breaking book about the dangers of bullying.
Dylan Pheifer: “A Collected Works of Langston Hughes,” is a collection of poetry from the Harlem Renaissance writer. Hughes challenged the ideas of racial social acceptance and self-identity, despite the controversy of the subject matter. He was known for speaking truth to power, and many of his poems are still reiterated in speeches by civil leaders and politicians today.
