I love browsing in bookstores, and I love buying new books, and reading books. I enjoy my reading time so much that for me, the best leisure time is reading with a cup of coffee or tea and cookies on the weekend.
However, if you ask me when I started to fall in love with reading, I think everything started in college.
Before high school, my life was filled with studying and exams. I didn’t have any time for free. Even I did have free time, I wanted to go back to sleep under the stressful studying life. Therefore, I didn’t read much at that time.
After I entered college, the schoolwork was not so busy, and maybe it was because of my personalities, I didn’t like noisy places, then I realized that the silence and neat atmosphere totally attracted me. And I had been enjoying the time of reading since then.
I like to go to the bookstore in Saturday afternoon, looking the arrangement of books on shelves. And most of the time, I pick up novels, literature, anthropology, philosophy, art and design.
For novels, I don’t have a favorite author, but I especially like stories based on art and history, or plots about classical music. I read “Mozart on the Way to Prague”, “An Unrequited Love, an Episode in the Life of Beethoven”. For novels based on history, I like “The Historian”, “The Da Vinci Code”, “Nefertiti”, “Die Nacht des Don Juan”, and “The Shadow of the Wind”. I read a lot written by Philippa Gregory and Michelle Moran.
When it comes to the popular science, I thought it is too difficult to understand. However, I took a course in my undergrad, though I already forgot the name of the course, it was an impressive learning experience. The course invited many lecturers who are all great masters in different fields such as biology, anthropology, and writers in popular science. They were all passionate about their expertise, and willing to share with people.
I read a book called “The Story of Mankind” during the course. There were no difficult professional terms in the book. Instead, it talked the process and history of how mankind has become like the presence from the beginning.
What kind of creature is the mankind? If we put down the tag of “soul of the universe” on ourselves, and start to know the mankind from the third perspective, isn’t it an interesting topic?
Besides what has mentioned above, I read about philosophy as well. I found out that some authors packed philosophy with intriguing stories, and this gives people a new way to enter the world of philosophy. Even if you are not a philosopher, you still know the Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. I enjoy the thinking of Aristotle, and the book “The Golden Mean” talks about the relationship between Aristotle and his student Alexander the Great which I have read many times. I am also attracted by the description about languages in the book “Night Train to Lisbon”. The “Sophie’s World” written by Jostein Gaarder is the philosophy 101 for me, and his “The Solitaire Mystery” is the most mysterious philosophy tale for me which I sometimes read it before bed.
Last but not least, the art and design category. This is the most beautiful kind of books in visual.
Since I am not good at photography, I love appreciating the photos in books, especially books of art, fashion, painting, and music. I also bought books from museums, art galleries, and exhibitions, which are not only souvenirs but also ways for me to know deeper about the artists. I love these books because I can start and end my reading without cutting off any story plots. Reading them before going to sleep helps me relax, and I can read about some of the most classic art pieces after a busy day.
The books I mentioned are all my most impressive memories since college, and they are still my favorites. Now I have a full time job during the day, I have learned how to read effectively by reading different kind of books in different time of the day.
During my 90 minutes commuting every day to the office, I like to read business related books. For example, I am reading “Women Who Work” by Ivanka Trump. The author is a successful mother and businesswoman, and she does all well in health, family and career. I hope she shares her tips and ways to this achievement in her book.
I read books about art and design before bedtime. Sometimes short poems, articles as well. These books make me release my stress, and help me gather my inspiration for my writing.
If I have a whole day, I choose a novel which I have been expecting. Like I plan to read “Sweetbitter” recently. Or a book that I once read but I want to read again for its attractive plots. And in the afternoon, I make a cup of earl gray tea with some cookies, and I read for three hours. After dinner, I snuggle up in bed, have a cup of herbal tea, and keep reading.
Do you have your own reading list or some of your favorite book collections? If you have not been reading for some time, pick a book and start before bedtime. You will be surprised of how many unforgettable memories will be created during reading like me!
Follow my latest updates on:
