Bibliography of Books I’ve Read Recently
Pride and Predjudice- Jane Austen
A Man Called Ove- Frederik Backman
Thornbirds- Colleen McCullough
Cloudstreet- Tim Winton
Down Under-Bill Bryson
The Expats- Chris Palvone
Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd- Mark Blake
Barkskins- Annie Proulx
The Long Way Home- Louise Penny
Still Life- Louise Penny
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams-Stephen King
The Rosie Project-Graeme Simsion
New York- Edward Rutherford
A Town Like Alice-Nevil Shute
The Light We Lost- Jill Santopolo
The Nightingale- Kristin Hannah
France- Edward Rutherford
What Alice Forgot-Liliane Morarity
Big Little Lies- Liliane Morarity
Obasan- Joy Kogawa
Imagine Me Gone- Adam Haslet
Bitter Seeds- Ian Tregillis
The House on Mango Street- Sandra Cisneros
Giovanni’s Room- James Baldwin
A Lesson Before Dying- Ernest J. Gaines
A Confederacy of Dunces- John Kennedy Toole
Life as We Knew It- Susan Beth Pfeffer
Night- Eli Wiesel
American Sniper- Chris Kyle
Hiroshima- John Hersey
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
Analysis:
Many of the books listed here have historical themes to them, which points to my love of learning about history and the events that shaped and influenced it. Those same history books also portray the relationships between people as things change and fall apart. This indicates that I have a tendency to read books that take me through people’s lives and allow me to see how they overcome challenges, both inside themselves and in the world.
A lot of the listed books are considered classics, which points to my love of reading how society was in older times and how the people lived. This indicates that books that depict the past are very special to me and are worth reading. To narrow things down further, at least six of the books on this list depict life in the 1930s or life in World War II and afterward.
Overall, there are a multitude of genres in the list, which indicates that I am flexible. If a book sounds interesting, no matter the genre, then I’ll read it.
Why Do I Read?
I read to escape the confines of the world and immerse myself in something new or exciting. Sometimes life can be very stagnant, mundane, and even depressing, and thus I read to leave those qualities behind and find peace. I read to learn and increase my knowledge of past events. I enjoy reading how an author characterizes his/her protagonists and what steps they take to rise above complications. Characters that I can relate to get more points from me. Most of all, I read because I enjoy it; it is one of my hobbies after all. It is one of the most stable things in my life, and I cannot think of myself without a book in hand.
How Do I Read?
I tend to read very fast. Any books that are 200 or more pages will be finished in less than a week, especially if I’m really enjoying the plot. I grasp concepts very quickly, and thus am able to read fast. I also believe that I read fast because of my vocabulary. Another thing to note is that I don’t stop to think about what I’m reading, unless a character has said something profound or funny. I tend to think about the book’s themes and connect everything once I finish. Sometimes I can read a book with soft music in the background, especially if it fits the overall theme of the plot. However, if I’m reading a book that I’m extremely invested in, then music is a no-no.