Leisure reading, part 1

I may have mentioned it before, but if not, let me reiterate that although I did not get into medical school last year, I have been happy since starting my new job and taking a break from academic study for multiple reasons, including free time to read. Reading has been something I've always enjoyed in my spare time, yet found it quite difficult to make time for during my undergrad years at Cornell. Aside from classes, being part of various musical ensembles and other extracurricular activities left little time for leisure reading, and so I only managed to read the newer Harry Potters throughout the academic years.

Thankfully, I have much more free time on my hands now, and have managed to keep reading on a pretty regular basis since graduation. Like many aspects of my life, I tend towards a sense of dynamic equilibrium, and leisure reading is no exception. Thus, I've tended to switch back and forth between fantasy/sci-fi and metaphysical fiction/non-fiction, which has worked out wonderfully. Since May of last year, I've read a couple of books (for leisure), which I'll mention briefly.

I finally managed to finish the ColdFire trilogy, which Tim had recommended, and found myself pretty attached to the futuristic world and alien planet. This is partly because I feel that the world and its wonders have loose basis on metaphysical studies, which allowed me to relate to the 'fictitious' writing of the author. If anything, I'd say it was a great three book series with vivid language and memorable characters. Sadly, my favorite character in each book managed to die or become useless by the end.

The next book which I remember having a significant impact on me was Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist. If you have not read this book, I strongly urge you to do so. It's a very short read, but can leave a significant impact, regardless of your religious views. I say that only because the book has some underlying theological implications and some biblical references, but anyone can take something from this book. It definitely helped me take a look at where I stood in the course of my life, how I was going about trying to achieve my goals, and makes me appreciate life more than I did before.

Before the end of the summer, I was also able to FINALLY read Ender's Game. My brother had been praising this book since he read it for a class before going off to college, and then Tim bought it for me, so I had no excuse anymore. Overall, a great sci-fi book. It kept me thinking and pondering about being away from home, and how the actions of one individual can have such an impact. A great read, but apparently, Orson Scott Card is a homophobe. Who knew?

After that book, I read another Coelho book, Veronika Decides to Die, which, if you didn't know, is being made into a movie, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. And it doesn't look that horrible! Anyway, it talks about how one should appreciate life to the fullest and not be afraid to experience what life has to offer. Because who knows how much time we actually have left. It was a book that helped me reflect on my own life and how I live it - which for me, is always a good practice.

[To be continued...]