I know I am! I have loved reading ever since I could read. I think my mom got my first library ID for me when I was three years old. No, of course I couldn’t read yet then, haha, but I was clearly destined to love reading.
Now, at almost-24 (17 more days but who’s counting), I am an English American Lit & Spanish Lit major, I work at a bookstore, and I still love reading. Most of the time anyway. I had a bit of a non-reading phase in the past months, but I think I can safely say I have come out of it. Not only have I stocked up on reading material, but I have also been reading a lot in the past couple of weeks.
Just this past weekend I finished reading By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho who is one of my favorite authors. I have now read four of his books and they are great - my parents are also really into his books which makes me happy. I also read Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, excellent read. I want to read more of his books. Why I was oblivious to his existence for so long, I have no idea; lately I keep coming across his name everywhere. I guess, ignorance is not always bliss as he is a great writer. Then I read Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Marquez, also a good book. I bought it in Spanish in San Sebastián last fall, and had started reading it a few times, but always gave up after the first page, because there were so many words that I didn’t know just on that one page, and that was really frustrating. So I decided I would read it in German first, and luckily they had it at my local library so I did not have to go out and buy it again. Then today I started Girlfriend in a Coma by Douglas Coupland which I also really love so far.
I just wish books I have to read for class were such easy and fun reads. I have been reading Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko for weeks now and I still have almost 300 pages to go (with close to 500 read); it is so depressing.
The other day my friend (and name & birthday twin) Viv recommended this site to me, aNobii.com, where you can sign up and create an online shelf of all your books that you have read, are reading, have not yet read as well as a wishlist. I love the site, it is very easy to use, and just really great. I already had a book list on my homepage, which I was able to import. I have only been able to add the books that I have here, as most of my books are in Munich, but I will add those when I get to Munich again. (Probably not all but the ones I have read in the past few years.) Feel free to browse my site there, and if you also love reading, which I am sure quite a few of you do, maybe you will want to sign up as well?! If you do, you can also add me as a friend on there. I have only been using aNobii since last night but I really love it so far!
Entries (RSS)
i LOVE to read, too. ever since i could read, i would take a book literally everywhere i go… during college, there was a time when i dreaded reading because i had so much reading to do for my classes, but now that i am back to leisure reading i am really into it again :)
i told you before, i read leslie marmon silko in college as well and i know how depressing it is.
i like the website that you described - actually i am already signed up at a similar site called http://www.goodreads.com.
I love reading. When I was in Elementary School we had library every other week and were only allowed to check out one book at a time. So very early I got a pass to the community library, where I checked out at least 2-3 books every week. I usually would read more than one book at once. Lately I haven’t really found the time to read that much. I usually read crime stories and thrillers. Joy Fielding is one of my favorites. Other than that I love Nicholas Sparks and I just saw you read “Dear John”. I loved it. If you haven’t read any of his other books, please do so. You will love them. But be sure to have tissues when you read them!
I love reading, but only if the book is really interesting. I am very picky and I always read the last chapter first. Horrible I know…but I want to see if it’s worth it to read the whole book. LOL Unfortunately I don’t have the time anymore to sit down and read.
One of my favorite books is “Prinzessin Methaphysika”. It’s basically a youth book…a phantasy story about philosophy, but I liked it a lot.
@ san Ditto, I usually have a book with me everywhere I go. I think part of why I didn’t read much for a few weeks was because I had to read so much for class last semester that I was a bit burnt out.
@ Maren I have actually read most of Nicholas Sparks’ books, I just don’t have them here, so I haven’t added any others yet. I actually didn’t like Dear John as much as some of his other books. It was a quick and fun read but nothing that special, in my opinion.
@Tanja That is horrible! Haha, I cannot imagine knowing the end of a book before I have read every single page of it. I may have had a peek at the end a few times before but usually I don’t do it.
I’m definitely a bookworm! Love books! Have you read The Bronze Horseman? Love that one too!
I loved reading until I studied literature. That ruined it for me. After moving to the U.S. I worked in a bookstore for several years and that didn’t help either. But sometime last year I really started getting in to it again. First I read only American books and now I’m back to German literature as well. :)
hello, viviane!
While surfing in the net I discovered your profile and I also love the work of Paulo Coelho!!!! Do you know that he is launching his new book, The Witch of Portobello, through his blog
http://www.paulocoelhoblog.com ?
I found it out because i’m inscibed to his newsletter http://www.warriorofthelight.com/engl/index.html
it’s simply wonderful!
have a nice day!
I really like that book from Coelho! I’m sure you’d also like The Time Traveller’s Wife then. :) Also love all books by Douglas Coupland though I still have to read JPod… All families are psychotic was also fun. It’s been a while since I’ve read Kurt Vonnegut but I think I only read Breakfast for Champions anyways. Ah well…. more time for books after the diplomarbeit.
BTW, send me an email so I can mail you what you’ve been asking for (twice even if I remember right…). Sorry about that!
@ Kai Sounds like we have a similar path in life, studying literature and working at a bookstore. :)
@ Aart Thank you, I didn’t know about that!
@ Sanna I have read and loved The Time Traveler’s Wife. All Families are Psychotic is next on my Coupland reading list. A friend of mine recommended it to me a while ago. I’ve sent you the e-mail, just a few minutes ago in fact.