I've always been a voracious reader, but most of the books i read tend to fall into the fantasy category. Lone Wolf, David Eddings, Piers Anthony.

Any time i've read other types of books, it's always been for class, and they all tend to be serious. Ibsen, Charles Dickens, Asian-american literature... you get the idea Which might explain why I tend to zoom straight to fantasy. It's like brain candy (good brain candy, but candy nonetheless)

Anyway, the point is... i've decided that I want to consciously expand my reading repertoire. Doesn't mean I'll go and pick up Chauncer from Borders though , but it does mean i might pick up something other than the next Dungeons and Dragons book.

As a result, I've been reading What's Eating Gilbert Grape? over the past week. Saw the movie and liked it, so decided to give the book a shot. And i've loved it. Although the book's main character is a 24 year old emotionally stilted guy in the middle of Iowa, I felt a lot of empathy for the story and the titular hero of the book. The little insecurities and frustrations of everyday life, the simple minutiae and battles that we fight, and a stifling sense of ennui... these are all things that I feel from time to time. And this is one of the few times that I felt a sense of resolution and release upon reaching the emotional conclusion of the book. So for anyone looking for a good read, I would strongly recommend it.

Another book I've been flipping through is a collection of memoirs by Amy Tan (of Joy Luck Club). In it, she talks about her life and how her experiences have shaped her writing. Will write more about it in a future blog, but the first thing that leapt out at me is how Asian mothers the world over all seem to have similar issues and also pass on the same emotional baggage to their kids.