Day 7 - Favorite book

'In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you'.

- Mortimer Adler

Hiya

So what is my favorite book??? This is so very hard for me, because I am an avid reader and have so many favorites. My earliest memory of books is my mom taking my siblings and I to get our own library cards in the public library in Windhoek. We each got to take home four books and let me just say, that was a joy to me,( I don't remember the books, but I know one was about a young boy getting his first pet). I went back every week. Yep every week, see not only am I an avid reader but I am also a fast reader. It doesn't take me long to read and understand a book and as quickly as I am done with one, I need another.Books are my drugs.

Now the public library in Windhoek quickly became my favorite spot, I actually made friends with the Librarians and at one point even considered becoming a Librarian. I often had this fantasy of sleeping over in the library, with my sleeping bag, some torch lights, some cookies and just being left alone for the whole weekend. And yes, I had a spot all picked out. My love for the library grew as I got older, my first real kiss was on the stairs of the library, I got dumped there also lol. In fact, I had met a few blind dates there ...... if you didn't know where the library was, Then we couldn't date. Simple. I had been stung by bees there (another post) and my parents forget to fetch me from there. Two places you were guaranteed to find me in Windhoek, either Parliament Gardens or the Public library. Often I would take my books and go read them at the gardens. Ok. So what is my favorite book?

Drum roll please........drummmmmmm.......

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.

A book that opens with a young girl who receives two anonymous messages in her mail box with the questions ' Who are you and 'where does the world come from?'. From that first page, I was hooked!!!!! All 544 pages!!!!! Now I wont go into too much detail, but when I read this for the first time, I was in high school about 14 or 15 and had been interested in philosophy, religion and adventure (brought on my my love for escapism through books). At this age, I was interested in more than the normal teenage books (hello Sweet Valley High) and had gone into esoteric books as well any thing on Religion and Faith.

About the book - This book is about a young girl, Sophie who lives with her mom as her father is away working and is turning 15. Sophie receives these two messages and many more that takes her on a learning course about philosophy, adventure, out thinking and a very interesting ending. Golly gosh, I am really bad with reviews, so here is the Wiki page link and Amazon link for you to check out.

What I will say, is why this book is my favorite. It gave me a broader new understanding of philosophy. And because I had already been interested at such a young age, it just increased my knowledge more. Also, this book for me, was written in a way that I could understand and grasp the vast information on religion and philosophy. As well as understand the profound questions on who we are and what we are doing here. It opened a new interest in me, that has lead me to actually study Religion and Philosophy in University as well as Sociology and Politics and Psychology. Not to mention to seek and find answers for myself. A never ending on going life long process.

I have my original copy that my bought me as a young and read it every year. Its never lost its appeal, even though it was written for a younger audience (which I don't really believe, I think it was written for anyone who wanted to learn about Philosophy).

If you ever get the opportunity to read this book, trust me, Do it. Its an amazing book!!!!! I have actually read a few of Jostein Gaarder's novels. And talk about Law of Attraction, I ended up moving to Scandinavia!!!!! And eating cinnamon rolls ( I first read about them in his other novel which I love ' The Solitaire Mystery'. Another great book).

Peace, Love and Books.