I love to read ! Ever since I learned how to read books have been my passion. There is nothing better than to pick up a book, sneak peaking at some of the pages, reading a few lines here and a few lines there, teasing oneself and then finally sit down to enjoy the book in it's whole.
And there is nothing more sad than to finish a great book. It is so sad to put it down and realizing that - that was it.... I've often longed to hear more about characters or situations after having finished a book. Sometimes I have felt empty inside - like something was missing, because the world which the book contained was gone. In many cases the result has been that I would read the book again :) just to get back into the mood of it or to be with the characters once more.
And that is truely the strenght of the written word - it stays with us forever, in more than one way. What we read, the memories it creates will stay with us in our memory and we can draw on those resources. But also physically the books stay with us. If you want to go back to a certain situation yuo can - just pick up the book, start reading and your there. We can analyze, dwell or jump ahead as we please, all in our own speed.
Seing that I love to read as much as I do I thought that it would be nice to share some of them with you. I'm not gonna make long statements about them and I'm not gonna analyze them (so you can whipe the sweat off your forehead LOL), I'm just gonna list them here, hoping that you'd might decide to read one of them. They have all given me something in one way or the other, be it entertainment, pain, joy or something to think about - and they are all very special to me.
Wild Swans; Three Daughters of China. By Jung Chang. Published in 1992.
Jung at the age of 2 held by her grandmother, seated next to her mother, 1954
Breathtaking. I'm reading it right now and it has really made me think. The things which takes place has made me very angry at times and it has really given me something to think about. A truely wonderfull book which has got it all. A touching story, good characters and is well written, maybe best of all (or rather worse) it is a true story. A biography.
Jung describes the 'three inch golden lillies' which is the bound feet. A horrible tradition which luckily no longer is practiced. When I read that part I felt sick, I had never imagined that something that cruel could be happening, but it did .
If you click the picture you can read an interwiew with Jung Chang in which she shares some of her reasons for writing the book and the fealings she had.
Sofies Verden. By Jostein Gaarder
I was already interested in philosophy before I red this book, but it made it clearer to me that the subject was something I'd like to dig deeper into. I think this book would be a great way to start if you want to know something about the history of philosophy. The discriptions of the philosophers and their theories are exsact and easy to understand, a great introduction to the incredibly exciting subject which philosophy is.
Smillas fornemmelse for sne. By Peter Høeg
Don Quiqote. By
What can I say ? Funny wont cover it - this book is hilarious :) I know this one is old, and old books are by many considered to be bound to be dry and boring - but this one is nothing of the kind. I laughed all the way through it. Also it is one of the great classics - to me a "must-read-book".
I really, really recommend this book - it is absolutely fabulous.