5 Books To Read Before You, well, Die

My private library is appallingly scanty. It’s not what you think. I didn’t disregard all printed works in favor of the more practical devices touted about these days. The feel and the smell of books remain a constant source of joy, but due to their sheer numbers, I surrendered most to charity drives, interested family and friends and future academics in the guise of my nieces and nephews. Books are friends to the friendless, and on this note, I’d like to invite you to pick up five of my favorites, though nowhere near the only.

Long Walk to Freedom – Nelson Mandela

The former South Africa president is the epitome of inspiration. Whenever despair and self-pity pay me a visit, culminating in a depressive state that can stretch the course of weeks, I revisit this great man’s trials, in both thought and the book itself, reminded that if he can endure 27 years in prison under appalling conditions and emerge sane, then what do I have to feel sorry about? Bitterness and the desire for revenge may plague him in private, but there is no hint of it in this humbling work.

War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy can tell a tale, and a long one at that. Not that I minded the 510,000 words constituting this epic. The plot primarily revolves around aristocratic lives and the French invasion of Russia and its aftermath, dividing critics on the matter of classification. Is it a poem or a historical chronicle? What they can’t dispute is the realism of the era in question nor the authenticity of the characters. You be the judge.  

The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou

It’s taken me years to warm up to poetry, on account of my limited affinity to sentiment, but I credit this collection to accelerating the process. Ms. Angelou’s unconventional prose runs along distinct themes, the most dominant being challenging stereotypes in the arena of race and gender, and she does it beautifully. Poetry may be her forte, but this wordsmith has an autobiography spanning seven volumes that transports readers through her triumphs and trials, as well as her travels.  I recommend them all.

Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill

This is not only a manifesto on how to achieve financial freedom, but an apt serving of reality. I first read this book when I turned fifteen and it was the first time I truly grasped the concept of thoughts manifesting into actions. If I think I’m depressed, then, true to form, moments later I will be. If I think this is the day I’ll pen the greatest work ever read, the enthusiasm sets in to pound at the keys, mapping and remapping plotlines. Hill is blunt and often mean, but hey, if you desire to accomplish anything in this life, persistence will carry the day.

The Bible – The King James Version

It’s everything, really. It’s the answer to every question, comfort to the grieving, hope to the despairing, peace to those in turmoil and the cadence of the happy. It’s our Creator lending us the grace to know Him before life ends.

Great Bite?

Lentil soup served with thick slices of freshly baked rye bread. Very medieval, but what could it hurt?    

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