*I thought the headliner sounded kinda similar to "Doctor" Gillian Mckeith's You are what you eat philosophy. I apologize for the lack of originality :P
I reckon that an individual's literary preferences subconsciously reflects and influences their innermost desires. Sounds abit cheem a.k.a profound right? Take for example;
A devout fashionista who loves her Gucci and Prada shopping sprees will most likely be seen with the latest copy of Vogue or Instyle propped on her lap. Without a doubt, that is where her interests lie, as she religiously keeps herself up to date with the latest red-carpet trends sported by celebrities, all that whats hot and whats not. Once in a while, she might even dig some light-hearted chic lit, soaking in stories of how other beautiful young superwomen on this planet juggle their careers and struggle to find mr right without grimacing in pain in their three inch heel Manolo stilettos. Ok, the Devil-wears-Prada-esque description sounded quite extreme there. Lol. Now how about the Shopaholics series for you, ma'am?
On another example, people with a hyperactive imagination tend to crave either sci-fi adventures or wizardry fantasy fiction. Now I don't want to sound too presumptuous there, but I'm only suggesting this based on personal experience, because I've got a hell of an imagination running wild in that seemingly blur brain of mine. (I suppose that can account for my unexplained eerie encounter with Michael jackson dream) The bottom line is, you love adventure (and you probably love travelling as well). And thats why you find yourself spending hours poring over a book, immersed in the world of the past, the future or another. Be it Harry potter, Indiana jones or Luke skywalker, there's always a land full of peril along with a task to be accomplished and a princess to save. Everyone enjoys being part of the adventure or stepping into the mind of a Hero. I guess thats why fantasy sci-fi fiction really appeals to the large market of sporty folk out there.
Likewise, for peeps who'd love an emotional tear jerker, chaps like Nicholas Sparks or Evans would provide a quick remedy. Stories of life and death issues, forbidden affairs and relationships, or perhaps family estrangement, most of which we see the recurring themes of love, loyalty, courage and hope. I recall reading the novel, A Walk to Remember, which was one of the few novels that actually made me shed a tear. As determined as I was to contain my grief and oncoming embarrassment, I found tear drops welling up as I approached the climax of the tragedy, and before I knew it, a cascade of tears fell and soaked up half of the page I was on. bleah.
So as much as I would like to ramble on the different kinds of genres, it has been pretty conclusive to this point, that our opinions are largely influenced on what we choose to infest our minds with. For myself, I love reading sad soppy books when I'm in an emo mood. Or mystery thrillers when I'm restless for a joy-ride. And not forgetting what-my-dad-calls-trash: Teenage Vogue, for all its colourful pictures about celebrities and clothes :)
And due to my sudden rekindled interest in medicine (which died shortly after my 3rd year exams commenced), I picked up a couple of novels from the bookstore recently and subsequently burned a hole in my pocket. Some medical mystery thrillers and some biographies of both famous and local physicians. I thought that since I couldnt be arsed mugging like the local NUS medics, I'd attempt to reconnect myself to the subject by reading medically-related fiction novels instead. Still a bookish geek by nature, I must admit.
And boy, was I inspired.
In case you didnt know, my motivation ocassionally hits a nail in the rut when I find it really hard to discover the thrill in uncovering a chapter of Ganong. Or trying to decipher jargon-filled medical journals for that matter. Medical literature can sometimes seriously really bore me to death.
Yes, thats honestly how I felt when I had to plough through the chapters of my textbook, or when it came down to memorizing signs and symptoms in the marking scheme just for the sake of passing that damn exam. Dry, monotonous and utterly brain-wrecking boring. In fact, I'm not gonna pretend to feign interest and get all excited when I read about subdural hemorrhages or pitutary tumours. Not till I've actually witnessed one in front of me, up at hand.
But yeah, after reading Michael Crichton's A Case of need and Robin Cook's Fatal Cure, I realized that theres this other dimension of medical literature that has yet to be untapped! Bored of reading medical journals? Try reading some medical drama instead. I'm reccomending these titles to medics and non-medics who want an engaging yet readable sherlock-holmes kind of mystery thriller, the kind of suspense that leaves you gripping at the edge of your seat.
I've been encouraged by Ben Carson's childhood journey, how he fought against odds, growing up without a father in the deprived slums of Boston, whilst struggling against society's prejudiced misconception about underachieving Blacks. You may have heard of him, mentioned sometime ago in the Straits Times whereby he took part in the controversial surgery surrounding the siamese twins conjoined at the head. Did I mention he's black?
And I'm still in the middle of 3 other novels. (what a geek! 8-) heh..)
I love reading simply because I'm curious. And hungry. I dont think theres any other way to explain it. Or either that, I was born a GEEK/NERD. haha
Nonetheless, there's only a book that has all kinds of genres fused into one ;)
and I'll leave it just there.
No comments:
Post a Comment