"Just Don't Fall: A Hilariously True Story of Childhood, Cancer, Amputation, Romantic Yearning, Truth, and Olympic Greatness" by Josh Sundquist

322 pages

When Josh Sundquist was nine years old, he found out he had a very serious cancer in his leg. His chance of survival was fifty percent. After chemotherapy was ineffective, Josh's doctors were forced to amputate his left leg at the hip. Then he still had to go through chemotherapy for another year to make sure that the cancer didn't crop up somewhere else. At the end of it all, when Josh finally had time to let it all sink in, he found himself looking at a future without soccer, running, or any of the other activities he'd lived for as an active young boy. There was one thing he could still do, though--ski. He discovered the sport shortly after losing his leg, and when he realized that he had a knack for it, he made an incredible goal: to reach the 2006 Paralympic Games in Turino, Italy. With years of training, his family's support, and unbelievable perseverance, Josh made it to the Games, but not without a lot of ups and downs along the way.

This memoir is super-inspiring. Josh writes about his experience with so much humor and wisdom that I not only laughed along with him but also got a new perspective on my own troubles. I felt like a big dork because none of my problems are close to what he faced when he had cancer and lost his leg, and yet I still find myself complaining about trivial stuff every day. In addition to giving me a reality check, Josh's story totally motivated me because, hey, if he can learn to ski with one leg, I can do a lot of the things I think I can't. On top of all the inspirational value, I just had fun reading this book. The pace is just right; there's enough detail to give readers a clear understanding of the story, but not so much that it gets dull. The tone works well, too. There's no glossing over of the tough parts, but it has an optimistic feeling overall. If you like memoirs, I suggest you read this book.