I’ve been reading a lot lately. Four books so far this month. Reading makes me happy, it fills my time, it gives my hands and my eyes and my brain something to do.

I didn’t make a new year’s resolution to read more this year or anything, but I should have because so far I’ve been a reading machine. Yes, a machine that reads. I think this speaks volumes about how much free time I have these days. I love having my evenings free and being anti-social. Surely this is the life I’m meant to live.

Anyway, every book I pick up turns out to be gold. Well gold in the sense that it’s really enjoyable, so if you’re looking for something to read, try these:

Egalia’s Daughters. It’s a satire of the sexes. It’s about a society in which men posses what we consider typical “female” roles and characteristics, and vice versa. I read it in college for some English course, and I pulled it out again to remind myself that so much of what we “know” and accept to be true is just a result of our perceptions passed along through time. It’s pretty entertaining.

Kite Runner. I was worried that this was going to be a book about foreign policy that I’d have no hope of understanding. Turns out it’s a really great story about a boy and another boy and some other people. I won’t give it away, but don’t be intimidated by the back cover description.

Lolita. A nymphet? I mean come on, you gotta read it. It’s not the sexually lewd novel you might be hoping for, but Brad said I was “obsessed” with this book the whole time I was reading it. He’d leave the room for a second and come back to find me once again engrossed in this story.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey. This was on my “to read someday” list forever, so I finally bought it at the used book store, and after it sat on my shelves for a few months, I gave it a go. It’s pretty short and it was a genuinely interesting story, so I read it in two days. It doesn’t befuddle you with complicated language or confusing plots. It’s simple, yet discretely intertwined.

Now I’m reading Watchmen. It’s a graphic novel. Brad introduced me to this genre, and although I was skeptical at first, I’ll admit I’m now a bit captivated. Apparently this one is on some Top 100 Books list, alongside the likes of Hemingway and Salinger and other greats. So far I’m not disappointed.