one of the fondest memories in my life is going to the local bookstore with my family. the smell of hot-brewed coffee wafting throughout the entire store enticing the hopeless coffee addict. the various colorful books line the small shelves arranged in such a way that one can never seem to resist to stop and browse. and when you do stop and open up a book, an indescribable yet familiar scent quickly overcomes all senses. books back home are expensive and reading can quickly turn into an expensive hobby if one is a voracious reader. it's no wonder why the average malaysian reads no more than 2 novels throughout his entire glorified life. to me, and thankfully to my dad as well (else he wouldn't be so willing to spend hundreds on buying books for us), books are gateways to happiness and sadness, to love and nightmares, to the impossible and to laughter. books are knowledge. books are entertainment. to some degree, i would claim my books as my lifetime companions. these tomes of papers are always there when you need solace and they can always somehow magically transport you to a sanctuary where no one else can find and intrude. it's surprising however that for the two years i have been here (and despite how cheap books are here in the states), i have barely bought any books, if any at all. only recently, after turning into a mindless working drone and earning my own due have i rediscovered this beautiful passion. in 5 months, i went on a book shopping spree as if my 2-year book hunger was suppressed for too long and as a form of release, i bought about 70 books in total. going into bookstores always make me happy. heck, even browsing on amazon.com makes me totally gleeful. which brings us to the question: do i even read the books i bought? the answer is i want to read all of them and am in the process of doing so. *insert new year's resolution here* i will read
at least 5 books a month. *insert long term goal here* i will fill my 5-shelf bookrack with books that i
have read.
top 5 must-read books (that i've read in the past year anyway :P ) for all you bookworms out there:
5. tales of beadle the bard by j.k. rowling
i was torn between the five people you meet in heaven by mitch albom and this book for fifth spot. both books rank no. 5 in my list, has 5 separate stories in one and both are meaningful, not to mention artful stories that everyone can relate to in their lives. i contemplated, i weighed and i judged but in the end i decided to choose this over the other simply because i'm a hopeless porter fan. as far as fairy tales are concerned, the moral of the story is always interwoven into the fabric of the story. the same can be said of these meaningful tales as can be seen in one of the stories "the wizard's hairy heart" which is the most brutal yet at the same time the most delightful of the five.
4. a million little pieces by james frey
despite being raved as one of the best recounting of a drug addict ever put into words, into english literature and shattered and called a cheat a few months later, this book has to be read regardless of whether it is fiction or non-fiction. the descriptions and accounts of living through addiction, the friendship gained and the power of love is so moving it takes you into the addict's body and soul. when he finally overcame his addiction, you can feel the sheer joy that he feels as if the drugs had an effect on you yourself in the first place. immerse yourself in this book to feel what it means to be human.
3. the color of magic by terry pratchett
anyone up for some modern satire and parodies? dive into the flat disc-shaped world created by the ingenious terry pratchett and you find yourself laughing at every turn of the page. seriously, who could have thought of the "eighth color" or "inn-sewer-ants" and demean Death as a bumbling fool who speaks only in capital letters at the same time? 200+ pages of laughter guaranteed!
2. kiss kiss by roald dahl
a collection of dark macabre short stories by the master storyteller. who would have thought the guy who wrote james and the giant peach is the same guy who wrote "georgy porgy" and "parson's pleasure"? roald dahl writes in such a way that if an alien who have never heard of humans were to read his stories, they would instantly learn of the dark corners, the dark crooks of the human psychology. combining humor and the human nature, roald dahl managed to spin it into something wonderful, almost magical. twists are part and parcel of this book, expect it at every turn of the page.
1. life of pi by yann martel
the life of pi is a pie well baked. religious, adventurous, metaphorically-rich, this book instantly became one my favorite books of all time. a gripping tale of an indian boy's ordeal through an unfortunate shipwreck, this book cost me many hours of sleep simply because i couldn't put it down late at night! i don't intend to give much of the book away but this is definitely that kind of book that makes you think and think and think and THINK hours and hours after you've read it. a jewel in a sea of metaphors, everyone has to read this one.
