Reading In Between The Lines

A well-read person would appreciate such a sight of a stack of books inviting themselves to be pored over. In today's world it is vital to gain knowledge, and the way we gain knowledge is by reading. The English language is the medium of all knowledge, the language which has been instituted for these times. It is therefore necessary to become acquainted with good English, and to educate oneself in languages, history, geography, science, the arts, and religion to name a few.

I have enjoyed firstly, many books on religion, those which inspire tolerance, understanding and faith. In my possession is a Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, Religions of the World, a copy of the Holy Qu'ran translated to English, alongside many other Christian writings of today. Of all the books I have, these have been the most inspiring and faith-promoting reads.

Then we come to the greatest magazine on earth. Allow me to introduce...

...the National Geographic magazine. My affiliation with this magazine began 2 or 3 years ago whilst regularly watching the National Geographic channel on television which always aired many interesting topics. When an unclaimed copy of Smart Investor was left on the post boxes downstairs at the beginning of this year, I took it home and enjoyed browsing through a few articles of note. It was then that I decided it would be nice to buy a certain magazine every month from which I could experience an education about some subject or another.

I was immediately struck by the distinctive yellow border around National Geographic's magazine, and coupled with my existing interest in Geography and the World, it was an easy choice. And so, since February, I have been thoroughly perplexed and engulfed in this remarkable magazine containing some incredible accounts of people, countries, nature and scenery. The photographs are no less stunning. I have proved to myself that it is still possible, and just as rewarding, to educate yourself even after school days are long gone. "Education is" truly "the best provision for old age" or any age, I would remark. (Not that I'm getting old just yet! Although with my 27th birthday recently come and gone, I am now closer to 30 than 20, which all of a sudden seems a little scary.)

Finally, I love a good novel, a good story. I am a great admirer of Dan Brown for his all-action, adventure epics including The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. They are in every way, page-turners, nigh impossible to put down, except when the chores of looking after a toddler rise to urgent levels.

The plot, the storyline, the description, the haziness between fact and fiction, are all fine faculties of Dan Brown which he expertly manipulates to grab and reel his audiences in. He leaves one to ponder deeply and come to one's own conclusions to the secrets, conspiracies and suggestions he has put forth in his work.

I have read The Da Vinci Code three times and still find myself absorbed by every single line, transfixed to the character development, glued to each page as the plot thickens, twists and somersaults over itself. I have loved feasting on accounts of history, paintings, scientific explorations and breakthroughs, unknown cults which may or may not still be functioning today. Perhaps what I love best about Dan Brown's books is precisely the fact that it's hard to draw the line between where his facts end and where the fiction begins. It therefore, persuades me to pursue additional study to discover for myself the concepts and arguments that he raises in his books. The educational banquet continues long after the back cover is closed.

I am an aspiring writer and author myself. I find inspiration in reading a wide range of work from various authors and on differing topics. Reading and writing, for me, is the greatest passion in life, my panacea, the place where all of my feelings are best expressed.

I hope you've enjoyed my book collection, of which I'm extremely proud.

Classical literature is another interest of mine, particularly as I have advanced in years. Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy and William Shakespeare are all authors whom I have studied. Obviously they are much more difficult to stomach, but just the fact that they have gone through me appears to make me a little better. Sometimes we don't understand everything we read, but we become more knowledgeable in the process.