Glad to hear that you’ve taken to reading non-fiction as well. Ain’t it just feel good to reap all those real knowledge that comes with the pleasure of reading?

Yep, I’ve read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It’s a good and heartfelt read. Will definitely take a look at Paloma.

I just wish I’m not as bogged down by my uni studies as I am now.

1. Paloma by Rich Winograd
2. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Those books are recommended by my friends when i about to start reading the non fiction books. those are only thin yet the message sent is meaningful.  i thought you could think about that!

Second, I knew you’d love Matthew Reilly! All his defense mechanism, deadly traps, funny call signs and such detailed action-packed punch that leaves you grappling for air. They all justify the exorbitant courier fee from Australia and favor that is so far unpaid to Ju Anne, thanks to your little trick of sneaking out to meet her.

I remember when papa took me to Novel Hut in Yik Foong Plaza to get some second-hand text books. He was naturally averse to any extra spending after the hefty toll on his wallet, but somehow he gave in to my sulking. “Muncung sekaki,” he said. I went home with a Christopher Pike that day, it was 7 ringgit. I remember a Malay lady taking out a 50 ringgit note to pay for a tower of books and I promised myself one day I will earn my own money and do exactly that.

And you know how the story goes after that with me and books. The sagging bookcases in my house tell it all. Dov has moved on to screen-reading but I have too much love for the feeling of paper between my fingers.

Some people read books exclusively for their escapism value, some for  career betterment and self-help, others to pass time. Some, bless them, do it for the sheer love of reading.

I love my fiction books as much as my non-fic, and one of the best books I have came across in my years of reading is a fiction. I think that you don’t have to stick to fiction to enjoy a good read. Non-fiction can be as enjoyable too.
Anyone venturing into the world of non-fiction should try Bill Bryson. Get used to raw, uninhibited laughter erupting from your belly. All he talks about is facts and his memoirs, yet you don’t want his book to stop.

In fact, I have a long list of books that warrants a yearly read, both fiction and non-fiction. They are not necessarily New York Times bestsellers, not even mainstream publications. But I find that their re-read value lies in the extensive subject matter. A few, reminds me of a more optimistic time and the importance of being grateful. A few of them:

• One Hundred Years of Solitude, Garcia Marquez
• The Cairo Trilogy, Mahfouz
• On Writing Well, Zinsser
• You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons, Mo Willems
• Science, Gribbin
• Everything is Illuminated, Safran Foer
• The World is Flat, Friedman
• The Lord of The Rings, Tolkien
• Russia, Dimbleby
• … and everything by Bryson

Give me a book, a cup of coffee and a room with a view. I can read all day long in bliss.

And this comes from a reader who has Mutiara Naga mangas lining up her desk in her youth and still look forward to a new Detektif Conan every month.