Something About Me Reading Challenge involves picking five books that relate or represent yourself. On August 1, you pick other books from the list of other participants and hence, a discussion begins of books chosen. This is my first reading challenge, and I think it’s a pretty interesting one to begin with. I joined the Harry Potter Read Along a few weeks ago too and that starts next month in preparation for HP7.

This is my list for “Something About Me”. This was difficult to say the least. These are books that I’ve read, but I wish I had more choices that were more overt about who I am. I just want to read more after making this list. I also avoided repeats from other participants’ lists.

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie – I loved this book as a child. I obviously wanted to be Wendy. I think this book, the imagination, and the characters were all a reflection of myself as a child. My love for children’s books and fantasy novels (Narnia, His Dark Materials, Harry Potter) continues to this day so PP was just one of the first. It was this or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as I wanted to be both Wendy and Lucy when I was younger.

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham – I read this last summer. It was not easy, spirit lifting or the funnest read in the world at times, but I think a lot of the issues raised by the author and the protagonist are ones I am relating to now. I think that a lot of people at some point in their life may relate to the conflict Maugham presents here.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – I read this when I was 13, and while I loved books before, I often think this marked the true beginning of my “adult” reading obsession. I read W&P last year which I also loved, but there is such tragedy, beauty and mirth in AK. I haven’t reread it since, and I didn’t relate to the characters so much at time, but I found them interesting, sympathetic, well written and just very human. Tolstoy has always written life in a way that I can perceive as well.

A Cook’s Tour by Anthony Bourdain – A nonfiction travel memoirs. Simply because this is funny and brings my love of food and travel together.

The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby – I recently finished the second of Hornby’s collection of criticisms from “The Believer” magazine called Housekeeper vs. the Dirt which followed up TPS. If you read TPS, then I highly recommend its follow up. He’s different than your average critic. I find his conversational style very personable, relateable, funny and poignant. As a book (movies, music, etc) lover, I can relate to a lot of what he writes in these essays, and I don’t even read or like book reviews. These aren’t your average reviews, but more general mediations about the books he reads and the ones we choose for ourselves.