Shaz Kahng's 3 favorite reads in 2023

I loved that the characters in this true story were able to accomplish something that no one ever expected of them. This book follows the crew team of nine working-class American boys from the University of Washington who, against all odds, ended up competing in the 1936 Olympics.

The main character in the story is Joe Rantz who comes from an incredibly harsh background with no family, no money, little food, and few clothes. He arrives on campus, discovers a love of rowing, and develops a great proficiency in the sport, ultimately helping his team achieve their dream.

You’d think that after reading one account of a crew race you’d get the picture, but this book manages to make each race vivid and suspenseful. I really enjoyed this book!

If you love to write, then this book will open up your thinking to different approaches in constructing a story of fiction.

The book was written by George Saunders, who is an accomplished author and a professor of writing at Syracuse University. He selected seven short stories from Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol and takes us through these narratives, asking questions about life, truth, and character.

As you are reading the stories, Mr. Saunders peppers you with questions that are aimed at eliciting what the story means to you, as well as shining a light on the technical aspects of storytelling.

I came away from this book being more reflective of any story or book I’m reading and learning some lessons about creating compelling fiction that I can apply to my own writing.

Reading this book was like getting a master class in fiction writing.

Have you ever wondered what is going on inside the mind of an octopus? If so, this book delivers the perspective of an octopus beautifully.

The novel incorporates the POVs of two characters: Tova Sullivan, an elderly woman who has a cleaning job at the local aquarium in the Pacific Northwest. The other character is Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus whose home is in the aquarium and whose days in captivity are numbered.

Remarkably, these two characters, Tova and Marcellus, strike up a friendship and help each other solve a problem that has been looming over each of their lives.

The book also deals with some powerful emotions as well as highlighting what each character is yearning for. It’s a charming, sweet work of fiction that really draws you in and offers a meaningful perspective on love, loss, and friendship.