My reading comes in waves. Sometimes I read nothing--but it was probably the mental exhaustion after finishing my M.A. that thwarted my desire to read--and other times I read three or four books at the same time. Right now I'm doing the latter. I thought about going back and listing all the books I've read since I've left Florida but that would be exhausting and overwhelming to you as a reader. I'm probably close to thirty books or a little beyond.
So I've decided to start listing my books as of January. As a disclaimer, this isn't much I won't read. I love it all. The quick, poorly written stuff; the complex, mind-blowing fiction; the often difficult sociological explorations into human habits. I love it all. To me, heaven is a library.
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
- You've surely read The Alchemist (or at least heard of it), and The Pilgrimage is written by the same author but the book is a lot different. Both bad and good. It's not as well written as Coelho's Alchemist, but in some ways it's a lot better. Maybe it's because I've read TP twice. Once in my usual speed racer pace (bad habit) and the second time really slowing down and absorbing it all. It chronicles Coelho's pilgrimage across northern Spain and guides the reader to find meaning in his or her life, even in the most mundane areas. For me, it was a nice read to meditate on how finding my purpose is useless until I know what I will do with it.
- This was a book I grabbed from a friend's shelf because I was craving a real book (I bought a Kindle for my travels, knowing that space is limited for reading). I wanted something quick and easy to read, and it was. This book essentially tells the story of how the author got into a bus accident in Laos and took many years to recover. I finished this book in less than 24 hours. It was clearly written and compelling. I wanted to keep reading about how the human spirit can override most physical setbacks. This was an inspiring read but not perspective shifting, if you know what I mean.
- This book was recommended to me about two years back, and frankly it sounded boring. I kept seeing it pop up (especially on FB and everyone's top 10 most influential books posts), so I decided to give it a try. It's about the HeLa cells that pretty much changed the world of science and medicine and cells, and they're from an African American woman. Some of it got a bit "science-y," but most of it was pretty fascinating to follow. Did you know that you don't have any say over cells that you leave behind? So when you give blood, and someone finds something pretty amazing in your cells (maybe an inability to die, much like HeLa), they can be used for science without your consent? Interesting stuff. It also touches upon a little history and the struggles African Americans went through, especially when it comes to science.
- I had no idea what this book was about, but it was one of the many books that popped into my Kindle by *eh-hem*a help of a friend and a USB. I just looked it up today because I finished it this morning (another 48 hour read), and it's...well...a NY Times bestseller. Sometimes that can be a great thing, and other times it's evident why most of America liked it. This was the latter. It was about car racing (so American), greedy grandparents who feel they're better at raising their grandkids then the parents (again, America), and a dog who means the world to one man (need I say more?). Did it make me cry at the end? Oh, yeah. Will I re-read it for deeper meaning and application to my life? Hell no.
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