The World of Bohemedude

Books That Mattered to Me

Mark Twain once said, "The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." Aside from the fact that some people might take issue with what may be deemed sexist language, one cannot argue with the truth in his statement. I consider myself so fortunate to have created a life for myself in which books have played a pivotal role. It has been the act of reading which has informed my conscience and my sensibilities. I am, without a doubt, a much more interesting person as well as a much more interested person because I am an avid reader.

I've been immersed in what I call "a reading life" since I was a child. Many beloved books from my childhood remain favorites even today. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl was a book that amazed me in the third grade. It awakened my imagination in that magical way that books touch our souls. In the 6th grade I read Judy Blume's Then Again Maybe I Won't and realized that many of the things that I was experiencing as I grew into adolescence were not so strange after all. In the movie You've Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) who owns a bookstore says, "When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does." I owe a lot of who I am to the books I've read.

As I continue along the path of my life, I have found that there are a few books that I continue to come back to, over and over again. Some of these titles might actually fall into the category of "great books" and might appear on lists prepared by those scholars capable of identifying a canon of sorts. Others are simply personal favorites, those books that spoke to me for one reason or another. Whatever the case may be, these are the books that have mattered to me.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee---  This is perhaps one of the very best books I've ever read. This is the beautiful story of childhood in the South. Told from the perspective of a child, this novel truly captures what it means to come of age and to learn acceptance of others. The characters are some of the most colorful and realistic characters ever created in literature. Truly a masterpiece.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank--- I consider this to be one of the most important books of the last century. Anne Frank's observations of humankind are incredibly profound. Written against the backdrop of World War II, Anne Frank gives a first-hand account of life in hiding from the Nazis. The honesty and innocence with which Anne records her daily experiences and her dreams for her future are necessarily juxtaposed against the haunting truth of the holocaust. This is required reading for the entire human race.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby--- After suffering a major stroke, Jean-Dominique Bauby lives the remainder of his life as an individual with "locked-in" syndrome. An amazing system of communication is developed by Bauby's caretakers which allows him to speak by blinking his eyes. The result of that communication system and Bauby's own desire to tell his story is the short but provocative book The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.  Bauby's story is one of perseverance and the strength of the human spirit.

The Prophet  by Kahlil Gibran--- This is truly one of the most beautifully written and spiritual books I've ever read. Gibran writes of universal truths in ways that are inspiring and poetic. His writing resounds with the reader's spirit expounding on wisdom that is timeless. When I read The Prophet, as I have done many times, I'm always struck by that feeling that Gibran is saying what I want to say but don't have the words to express. Perhaps he speaks for us all.

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg--- Natalie Goldberg is a writer that I feel I know.  I started with Writing Down the Bones and then proceeded to read everything Ms. Goldberg has ever written. And, when a new book is published, I find myself reading it and savoring it like a letter from a friend. Natalie Goldberg writes about writing in a way that allows the reader to truly see into the creative process. She has a way of inspiring even the most frustrated of writers to pick up a pen and paper and just start.

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy--- From the very first line of this novel, I was hooked. " My wound is geography. It is also my anchorage, my port of call." Pat Conroy has a command of language that few writers have mastered. His prose is poetic and colorful. Conroy is able to paint a picture with words. Everything about his novels is multi-dimensional--the settings, the characters, and the story he unfolds. One might liken reading some books to listening to a brilliant solo violinist. Reading Pat Conroy is like hearing the entire orchestra being conducted by a master!

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok-- Asher Lev is one of my favorite characters from literature. He is my friend, and I know him. You cannot read this novel without feeling that connection with Asher Lev. When I read My Name is Asher Lev for the first time, I found myself dreaming about this young Jewish boy who is compelled to paint, the boy who is misunderstood by his father, a boy who is struggling to become a man. Chaim Potok's story is beautifully crafted and unforgettable