60 Books To Read In Life

 

We have been counseled to seek wisdom and enlarge our knowledge out of the best books. It would be wise to receive a proper balanced education of history, mathematics, philosophical, scientific, and other practical areas. Reading is truly essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. We have been told that whatever principle of intelligence we attain in this life shall rise with us in the resurrection and if a individual gains more knowledge and wisdom through diligence and obedience than another that they shall have so much advantage in the world to come.

Everyone may have different opinions or preferences regarding the best books ever written. The standard works of course will provide the greatest knowledge on how to life a proper life. However, in the case of best books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. Listed below is my list that is a great starter pack on where to begin that have been influential in my life. 

Don Quixote-Cervantes
the Great Gatsby-F Scott Fitzgerald
Moby Dick-Herman Melville
Hamlet and/or MacBeth-William Shakespeare
Odyssey-Homer
Wuthering Heights-Emily Bronte
Catcher In the Rye-JD Salinger
Pride & Prejudice-Jane Austin
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn-Mark Twain
Alice/Adventures in Wonderland-Lewis Carroll
Jane Eyre-Charlotte Bronte
David Copperfield or Tale of Two Cities-Charles Dickens
Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit-JR Tolkein
James & the Giant Peach-Roald Dahl
A River Runs Through It-Norman Maclean
Canterbury Tales-Geoffrey Chaucer
Charlotte's Web-EB White
Robinson Crusoe-Daniel DeFoe
7 Habits of Highly Successful Men-Steven Covey
Count of Monte Cristo-Alexandre Dumas
Never Cry Wolf-Farley Mowat
Lion, Witch & the Wardrobe or the Chronicles of Narnia-CS Lewis
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea-Jules Verne
Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde-Robert Louis Stevenson
Winnie the Pooh- AA Milne
the Jungle-Upton Sinclair
War of the World-HG Wells
Last of the Mohicans-James Fenimore Cooper
Old Yeller-Fred Gibson
Jonathan Livingston Seagull-Richard Bach
Raving Fans-Ken Blanchard
Where the Red Fern Grows-Wilson Rawls
The Illiad-Homer
Catch 22-Joseph Heller
1984-George Orwell
Man's Search for Meaning-Victor Frankl
Great Expectations-Charles Dickesn
Grapes of Wrath-John Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird-Harper Lee
Gulliver's Travels-Jonathan Swift
the Giving Tree-Shel Silverstein
Old Man & the Sea or Farewell to Arms-Ernest Hemingway
Leaves of Grass-Walt Whitman
Frankenstein-Mary Shelley
Gone with the Wind-Margaret Mitchell
How to Win Friends/Influence People-Dale Carnegie
the Scarlet letter-Nathaniel Hawthorne
Little Women-Louis Alcott
Treasure Island-Robert Louis Stevenson
All Quiet On the Western Front-Erich Maria Remargue
Call of the Wild-Jack London
Of Mice & Men-John Steinbeck
Sherlock Holmes-Arthur Conan Doyle
The Republic-Plato
Power of Positive Thinking-Norman Vincent Peale
Harry Potter/Philosophers Stone-JK Rowling
Red Badge of Courage-Stephan Crane
Tarzan of the Apes-Edgar Rice Burroughs
Uncle Toms Cabin-Harriet Beecher Stowe
Silas Warner-George Eliot

Possible Burgess Replacements/Candidates

 As speculated and anticipated BYU assistant Coach Chris Burgess took his talents and headed to team North. Chris was an expert recruiter and his loss leaves some big shoes to fill. This is something that Pope will have to address quickly as possible. However, BYU does have another vetting layer to process so the replacement search could take a few extra weeks. Listed below are some names that certainly make sense and may come as possible candidates. Although, Coach Pope likely will have a longer list to go through. 

The first name that comes to mind is Mark Madsen. Yes, the former Laker assistant and current UVU coach. At this point, is likely a long shot. Although a rising coaching star in the making, has created a decent resume with UVU in most recently a 20 win season and even beating the cougs. Am sure that it would take a lot of coin thrown at Madsen and BYU if motivated could certainly do it. 

This is huge off the radar prospect to fill Burgess's slot as an assistant. Kahil Fennell was an assistant at Louisville this past season but is currently searching for work after coach Mack left mid season. Apparently, this is a name that Pope is has as a possibility. Kahil is not a member of the LDS church and has no other known connections to BYU. Although, heading into the Big 12 would certainly help bridge the gap when it comes to racial diversity and having a non-member coach on staff. Fennell does check all the boxes with experience from the ACC. Keep an eye on him in the coming weeks.

Although, Dave Rice may not be the first on the list he does bring a wealth of experience both in coaching and from within the program as a former assistant. He does bring a lot of success as a recruiter as well and would be a rather safe hire if considered for the position.

Paul Peterson has been the head coach at nearby national HS basketball power house Wasatch Academy since 2018. He is a member of the LDS church and helps bridge the racial diversity gap heading into the Big 12. Paul may lack the coaching experience at the collegiate level but is well dialed in with recruiting locally. This may be a strong choice. However, if BYU is to continue have Wasatch as a potential feeder school there is no reason to cut that tie to bring him aboard. Having Peterson at Wasatch may help the cougs more than it would to have him on staff. He has been ridiculously successful there. 

Would former BYU player Lee Cummard be interested? He may be in play to replace Jeff Judkins as BYU's womens head coach. Oft referenced option could include Payson native Barret Peery. Peery now as associate head coach in Lubbock. Would he have any ambition to come back home to the state and coach? There may be others on Pope's list and who gets the spot, only time will tell.