little bitty girl

Everyone seems to be reading these days, or at least looking for books to read. I am glad to know that I have more "reader" friends than expected because sometimes I feel like this really big geek. I have this secret wish to read as many books as possible and, being a bit of an overachiever, I had this unattainable goal of reading at least four books a week. Then real life happened, so I read when I can.

The good thing about being on the road so much is that it gives me the opportunity and time to read. The unfortunate thing is that all I want to do is read fluff. I hate starting something too intense and then having to concentrate on real work once I get to my destination.

I had vowed that I would keep a book journal because sometimes, when you read as much as I do, you tend to forget certain details. However, I have been cheating a bit and not bothering to write down the fluff books. Do I really need to remember, ten years down the road, how the "Shopaholic tied the knot"? Not really.

This weekend, while I was swapping book titles with a fellow reader, another girlfriend confessed that all she truly enjoyed was reading chick lit. I felt bad for knocking the genre so much because it's not as if I read prize award winning books all the time. It should simply be enough that someone can read something and gain enjoyment out of it.

Which brings me to this new reading dilemma. I was talking to my girlfriend Leah, and she asked me to list my top five favourite books so that she could start a "must read" list. I have to confess that I have been thoroughly distracted by the thought of this list all day at work. It's really hard to come up with the list because how I feel about a book will depend on my mood or frame of mind. Plus, there are so many genres out there and I truly enjoy most of them that it is really hard for me to narrow it down. So I have come up with this cop-out list for now.

Non-Fiction

Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem by Simon Singh, John Lynch

I loved that this book not only dealt with the scientific and mathematical histories but also explored the personal histories and struggle of the individual mathemeticians who helped form part of the solution.

Literature

The Famished Road by Ben Okri

So beautifully written. Ben Okri deals with extreme poverty and violence in his native Nigeria, but intersects the harrowing details with parable-like hallucinations of the spirits. Despite the darkness of the topic, there is always a thin line of hope threading its way throughout the story.

Children's Fiction

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith (Illustrator)

I am still such a kid at heart! Honestly, this book is so hilarious and I've always felt that it's more for adults than kids. It's basically a bunch of well known fairy or children's tales rewritten in a really cheeky way.

Classic

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I know, I know, but it's Jane Austen and I love her. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who have not read this. After you do, you must rent A & E's mini series with Colin Firth, that yummy man.

Backbreaker

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

This book has a lot of problems — the lengthiness of it being the biggest. There are some chapters that deal with the Indian court system in the 50's that are wholely unnecessary. Coming from someone who has read it several times, you can almost skip it as it has nothing to do with the main storyline. That being said, if you are even slightly interested in Indian culture, the inner struggles of the caste system and the exploration of Hindu-Muslim relations, you will be mesmerized by this book and its characters. I always recall the ending and think to myself, "MUST DISCUSS!"

I am sure as I read more, this list will change and alter. I think this would be easier if I could have named my top fifty books of all time instead.