An Update on My Reading Goal: The Underground Railroad

The most recent book I have read off NPR’s list of the 10 best books of 2016 is The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.

This book was fantastically written. The imagery was haunting and gruesome. A book about this rough period of time should not be pleasant to read, and this wasn’t, but it was gripping. I found myself thinking about certain scenes in the book at random times throughout the day. To me, that’s the sign of a perfectly told story. I won’t be forgetting it any time soon.

The main character, Cora, is a slave escaping from horrible living conditions via the Underground Railroad. It is a story that has been told before, but Cora is a unique and relatable character. Her strength and ability to persevere kept me intrigued throughout the book.

I was starting to lose a bit of faith in NPR’s list as the last two books didn’t thrill me, but this book restored my interest in completing the list.

(Image from amazon.com)

Here is the updated list:

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Eleanor Roosevelt: The War Years and After, 1939-1962 by Blanche Wiesen Cook

Eyes on the Street: The Life of Jane Jacobs by Robert Kanigel