What are your five favorite books, and why?
It is really very difficult to narrow down my choices from a plethora of awesome books. Well, the Big Five for me definitely have to be To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, The Townsman by Pearl S Buck, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Only Love is Real by Brian Weiss.
Each of these five books has an associated story. I fell in love with books when I first read To Kill a Mocking Bird. The book gave me a whole new perspective about judging people. Sometimes, we tend to takee people for granted based on their background. This book taught me to set aside my differences when dealing with people.
Thomas Hardy's books, except for Far from the Madding Crowd, have a tinge of melancholy and pessimism in them. Yet, the Mayor of Casterbridge has been an all-time favorite. Maybe, because I definitely empathize with the protagonist. I would probably have done the same thing that the protagonist did in a given situation. It made me realize that decisions can change the course of one's life.
What can I say about Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind? After all, tomorrow is another day!! Scarlet O'Hara undoubtedly made be believe in hope and accept that there is a next time for things and moments, if they go wrong.
The Townsman is a book written by Pearl S Buck using a different name. Through this story, she inspired me to accept whatever opportunity is available and make the most of it. This book encouraged me to dream and believe in miracles.
And finally, when my chips were truly down after the death of my spouse, Brian Weiss' Only Love is Real made me accept death and loss. It opened up a whole new realm from the spiritual world and made me realize that it is not the body but the souls that are connected.
Besides these five, there have been many other books that have touched my heart. I become a child when I read Enid Blytons. Mitch Albom and Nicholas Spark make me weep like a sentimental fool. John Grisham and Dan Brown evoke curiosity. Shakespeare, O Henry, Ruskin Bond, oh, there are so many writers whose writings I love...
What do you read for pleasure?
When I really want to loosen up, I turn to books by Enid Blyton and Ruskin Bond. They instantly bring a smile to my face. Also, I love browsing through cookbooks and food stories. They help me relax. Besides these, I at times, pick up books by contemporary authors based on their blurbs. If the first few pages pique my interest, I continue. In short, any genre, except erotica and pure sciences, make a pleasurable read.
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