This Year's Christmas Book List

      This year, my list for Christmas consists almost entirely of books (the two items that aren't books are a couple music albums that I've been waiting for). Here's the list:

1. The Wind Through The Keyhole, Stephen King
2. Carrie, Stephen King
3. The Catcher In The Rye, J.D. Salinger
4. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
5. 1984, George Orwell
6. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
7. The Stand, Stephen King

     

An Innocent Escape

      I, being an introvert, find books to be just as good of friends as people can be. Looking at me at any given time at school (or anywhere else for that matter), one would find that I am more likely to be buried in a book, chipping away at homework, or looking up the latest news on the school computers than socializing with friends.

      They carry endless possibilities, ideas without end, they capture the spirit of the times. They can provide a place to go where there will almost certainly be someone who would understand you, even if you don't actually communicate with them. Unlike video games or computers, you can get endless hours of entertainment without having to charge the batteries, or look away from eye strain or mind-numbness.

      Also, another advantage books have over electronic means is the amount of material available. Books have been published and read for centuries upon centuries, while computers are only several decades old at the most. This allows for a much wider selection of material, and also reflects views on life extending back through history.

       You know another awesome thing about written literature? Anyone can do it. Take a paper, a pen, and start writing. If you do it enough, you might just become good at it. Video games, or computers in general, need extensive and lengthy schooling to even start programming (Okay, yes, classes are required for English, but you do gain a basic knowledge of the language just by experiencing the people around you; this isn't true of programming).

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

My Own Personal Book-Store

      If I were to own a book-store (an idea I find interesting), It would be a place not only to buy books, but also to hang out, have a deep conversation, or maybe check the latest newspaper articles. A place where you can find someone willing to hear your opinion, or maybe to give some friendly advice.

      In front of the store would be several tables where people could sit, read, or chat. In the corner would be a television set to the news, in the back of the shop would be rows of shelves containing all the best books, classics and the most recent, and also several newspapers and magazines (not including celebrity gossip magazines). I would have some quiet music playing from a radio. Maybe in another corner I would have a small cafe where I could serve sandwiches and coffee to customers. Nothing grand or glamorous, just a small counter where I could make a few small, basic sandwiches, a stove for items such as grilled cheese that need to be cooked, and a coffee-maker (one that could also make iced coffees too- those are the best).

      I'd love it to be in an older brick building- one old enough to have a sense of history, but not so old that it needs more repairs than it's worth. It would give off a kind of atmosphere that would be pretty cool along with the books and sandwich/coffee corner.

      Sounds cool, right?

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal