Reading again...

Yes, I have been missing for quite a while. Its time to give a little update and insights into what I have been up to for the past two months or so.

I have re-acquired the art and love for reading books. To be exact, the classics. I am content to read passages from a book late at night instead of surfing the net or blogging away. I started off reading JD Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye". Its a book about a American teenager ranting his head off. The story begins with him in a boarding school and in a matter of a few chapters, he has leaves the school and makes his way to the streets, looking up old friends, mere acquaintances, even a social escort, out of his sheer frustration of not being able to invite anyone out for a drink. I thought he was a crazy boy but other reviews I read simply said that it was a book about angsty teenager with very real, forceful and idealistic thoughts about the world, about people.

The next book I read was a memoir of a teacher: Frank McCourt's "Teacher Man". It is a autobiography of sorts which is very funnily written. McCourt takes jibes at himeself throughout his teaching career. He tells stories of his Irish immigrant story to students and that is what they learn the most about in class. He speaks of a teacher entering a classroom and taking the right posture as many pairs of student eyes are sizing him up, to see if he is a softie or the hard taskmaster type. Maybe the teachers out there will be interested in this book :)

The wonderful story I read next was "Anne of Green Gables", by L.M. Montgomery. Its a lovely heartwarming story of a red-haired orphan who finally finds a home in Green Gables where this old brother and sister adopt her. The book is full of her vivacious and sunshines personality, her every-so active imagination and her non-stop chattering. She is so endearing. Following this, I started watching on YouTube the drama serial. Its lovely. Please check it out.

I am also ploughing through "Middlemarch" by George Eliot. Its my second time reading it so I shall take my time. I first discovered this author when doing my S-Lit papers during JC. She is able to describe ever so insightfully a character's thoughts and that is what fascinates me about George Eliot's writings. Middlemarch is available online as the author's copyright has expired some time back. The beauty of the internet and being able to read some books online for free!

Interestingly enough, its only now that I can bring myself to read novels again. I used to disdain reading (apart from my law textbooks and cases, for which I had no choice but to pore over them, and of course the bible for daily sustenance) for quite a while after I entered law school and started work. It is a professional hazard. I suppose this has something to do with part-time work and having more space in my mind to accommodate other types of writing.