Book(s) Report

For fun, here is a list of books that I read over and over again. If you are looking for some new reading, I can vouch for these books being great reads! In no particular order:

-- The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov. I remember fondly reading this book on the sunny fire escape overlooking Moscow. I've visited many places it talks about in the book, which is why it's so near and dear. Because it was written at a time when speaking your mind got you killed, it is full of hidden symbolism. If you read this book, you MUST read this version, because it has notes in the back that describe all of this.

-- The English Patient and In The Skin of a Lion, both by Michael Ondaatje. Both of these are great books, and complement each other, sharing a character. I read the English Patient at the same time I read Master and Margarita above, because we only had a few English language books. Anyways, both are excellent books that you should read.

-- Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco. Great book, very very thick with information. One paragraph of his prose wipes me out, because the sentences are so complicated. Yet, I still reference this book often when talking about Tetrapyloctomy (the art of splitting hairs four ways). Some people like The Name of the Rose better, but not me.

-- The Sparrow, Maria Doria Russell. I got this book from Anne (sorry Anne, I think I still have it here!). It's a sci-fi story that appeals to just about everyone. I will warn you though, it's not very happy in parts.

-- An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales, Oliver Sacks. Any book by Oliver Sacks is a good book, but this is my favorite. Sacks uses case studies to explore the mind in a fantastic way. The title comes from a lady who is autistic, yet functions exceptionally in the real world.

--Where is the Mango Princess?, Cathy Crimmins. It's about a lady whose husband gets hit by a speedboat, and the road to recovery from that. Out of all the books on this list, this is the one that I am most passionate about. It has made me understand things that I would have not understood without it.