Books read until 2010

Even though my dad tried to get me to reading books when i was in school, books never interested me. Obviously I didn't read any books during my engineering studies in Chennai, India. It didn't even start during the couple of years in graduate school. Finally after landing in a job in 2005 and not knowing to know what to do in the evenings and weekends and thanks to Barnes and Noble, books became my friends. I read quite a bit ( to my standards) and then again slowed down and again a phase of avid book reading. Till today it is kind of a sinusoidal curve. Anyways in this post I like to list the books I have read in my life until 2010. This posting is not to show off what I have read but only as a record for my future reference.

I dont have the innate ability to write reviews for books. I have come across best reviews written by Ramya(a blogger I came across during blog hopping) for many books at http://ramyasbookshelf.blogspot.com. I am linking the reviews in that website for some of the books I have read. Thanks to the reviewer.

1.Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

2.The journey to the East by Herman Hesse

3.The Stranger by Albert Camus

4.Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch

5.Philosophy Made Simple by Robert Hellenga,

6.Franz Kafka's Stories: The Metamorphosis, An Old Leaf, The Country Doctor

7.Life of Pi by Yann Martel

8.Animal Farm by George Orwell

9.The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway

10.Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

11.The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter, by Peter Singer and Jim Mason

12. Night by Elie Wiesel

13. The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

After 4 years

This week finally I had time to read a book and that was " Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom. Has been sitting in the book shelf for the last 4 years. Aphorisms by Morrie are eye openers. I could sense teachings borrowed from some Hindu Scriptures but it could be in other religions and cultures too or may be even from Morrie's own experience.

Nonetheless lessons by Morrie are more practical. The one that is on top of my mind is " When you learn how to die you learn how to live". My another favorite is on the Tension of Opposites " Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing but you are bound to do something else". So simple and common it sounds at first glance, but if you ponder over, you will realize the importance of this statement.

A must read for everyone in my opinion.

So let me see how far I can continue my reading and blogging from now on.