Books...

...are one of my most favourite things. I love reading. I love books. Before I finish reading a book, I've already bought several others. That leaves me in a situation where I have several unread books left on the shelf while my compulsive behaviour keeps me buying books impulsively whenever I see a bookstore. Bookshops and I are like the opposite poles of a magnet. I just can't resist going into one.

Besides that, I have a penchant for collecting books - I'm extremely fussy when it comes to buying books. I check the book over carefully, making sure that there aren't any dents or ugly marks. Basically, as close to perfect as possible. (Yes, I know. Stop laughing.)

I would borrow books from libraries, but I'd prefer owning one myself. (I told you I'm fussy.) So even if I've read a book before which had been borrowed, I'd still go out and buy a copy for myself if I really like it. (That means I have currently a list of several books I'm still hunting for.)


I recently finished reading Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day.

It won the 1989 Booker Prize. It's one of those novels where you have to read it in one sitting, otherwise you'd lose the flow of it (and forget what's happening). I love Ishiguro's prose. It's simple, and very English, which reminds me of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (which I loved very much as well). The twist at the end left me feeling all melancholic, and wanting for more, but somehow the ending was befitting.

(Remains of the Day, incidentally, was lent to me by a friend. Does that mean I'll be buying my own copy soon? Maybe. =P)


I'm currently in the process of reading Marilynne Robinson's Gilead.

It won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It's ... ah, I'll quote from the backcover: "In 1956, towards the end of Reverend John Ames' life, he begsin a letter to his young son..."

It's basically a long letter written to his 7-year-old son. It's a bit spiritual and all (with all the Christian themes), but I think anyone can read it. It's beautiful and sad at the same time as the Reverend recalls his past, reflects on his life, and writing all that down to his son. I hope to finish it in the next few days.

(Btw, sorry for the crappy quality of the picture. And subsequent pictures. I need a better webcam. Gah.)


Today, after church, I went to Borders and after spending a happy hour or so browsing around, I finally bought (in spite of myself):

Agatha Christie's Dumb Witness, a Hercule Poirot mystery, and Edith Wharton's 1921 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Age of Innocence.

I've read almost all of Agatha Christie's books before, and I especially love the ones with Poirot. And yes, those were all practically borrowed. But it's been ages since I've read an Agatha Christie mystery.. and yes, it's part of my book-colleting fetish. (Bleh.)

I had been eyeing The Age of Innocence for awhile, and finally bought it. (I've been eyeing several other books for awhile now as well, and ... will... try to refrain myself.) And I realize that I've been choosing all these... books which have won prestigious awards and so on. Haha. I just feel like getting back into the classics and "real" stuff.

But just to show you that I'm not that serious and literary when it comes to my choice of books, (I say that it's just a phase I'm going through now), I shall show you that I am a proud and avid fan of the fantasy genre. In fact, I actually brought over with me from Brunei, Terry Goodkind's Stone of Tears, which is the second book in his Sword of Truth series.


Alas, I confess I have yet to make it past the third chapter. It is ridiculously thick, but then, most fantasy books are. (I will read it, soon!) And my heart is already set on buying Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, which is apparently, very good. A friend recommended me her books last year. And I want to get Raymond E. Feist's Magician, (!) which has been highly recommended to me. I love, love, love fantasy. I remember buying almost all of David Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean series in one go a few years ago at Kinokuniya in KL. (I know I'm nuts... I think I racked up a bill of RM$300++ that day, including some other random novels and a few of my sister's own selection of books.) And while I'm at that, you guys MUST read those series!!

On top of that, I still have Jane Austen's Emma, which I bought a few months ago. No, I haven't finished that. I have Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, as well. No, I haven't read it either. It was kind of hard to get into. But I will attempt it again after I finish my other books. *coughs embarrassedly* I think I still have a few unread books back in Brunei.. (I knowwww.. I shouldn't have bought those two books today.)

But I promise I'll finish reading them all!

Someday.


Somebody stop me from buying anymore books!