Book 'em

In medical school, my roomate was a brilliant yet surprisingly normal guy. One day he came home from studying and found me in our living room reading a copy of the book Bram Stoker's Dracula. I had never read the classic and thought that I would before the Coppola disaster hit the big screen later that year. My roomate was dumbfounded that I would read a book that was "that thick" when I could spend a measly two hours at the theatre. I was shocked that he would suggest such a travesty. I came to find out that his last venture into nontextbook reading was the third grade thriller Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. He Cliff's noted his way through any subsequent piece of literature.

I have always been surprised to hear that some people don't read - books that is. Certainly, I'm not losing sleep over Posh Spice's recent revelation that she has never read a single book, citing her lack of time to pursue any literary endeavors (i don't envy her hectic schedule, let me tell you). And for most of us, the time crunch is the major reason that leisurely reading gets put on the bedside table. But my inner geek gets to remembering all of the page turners, the classics, the tear-jerkers, the wonderful writing that has given me new perspective on the world around me. And I wish that same feeling for everyone.

I've decided to keep a running tab of what I'm reading on the side bar of my blog in case anyone needs some ideas or wants to read along with me. I'll post my thoughts on the book when I'm finished. In the mean time, below is a list of some of my favorites in no particular order.

Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Night by Elie Wiesel
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Weekend by Peter Cameron
A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Stiff: The Interesting Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
You are Not a Stranger Here (stories) by Adam Haslett
The Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried (short story) by Amy Hempel