Shantaram
Gregory David RobertsAs promised last week, here is my review for one of my favorite books of all time, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

The book is very long, over 900 pages (!), but because it is so action packed it can be a quick read if you have the time to let yourself get involved. In brief, the book is about a man who escapes prison in New Zealand and ends up in Bombay working as a slum doctor. Thus the book is about the life he build in Bombay, and follows him over several years, first as a slum doctor, then moving on to mafia man and then mujahadeen fighter. The twists and turns of the plot make you want to keep reading, never knowing what will happen next. What makes this even more interesting is that, while fictional, much of what happens is based on experiences from Roberts' life. In real life Roberts had been a former heroin addict who managed to escape from prison in Australia and ended up in India. There is debate as to which events in the book are true and which are not, however Roberts claims that most of it is fiction. Never the less, there is at least some that is based on true events, and the book is sure to hold you attention.

In real life Roberts is ultimately recaptured to serve out the remainder of his prison sentence, and it is during this time that he wrote much of the novel, which makes the story even more amazing. There are many parts of the story that seem like they could be exaggerated, scenes that you wonder if could ever have really taken place, but the reality is it doesn't matter since this book is a novel, and a great one at that. He manages to write in such a way that as the reader you feel like you are experiencing the heart and soul of Bombay, and being taken to places that you will likely never venture on your own.

Shantaram is a real piece of work, and I would highly recommend it to most anyone, especially if you have an interest in adventure, travel and/or India. That said, there are parts that contain extremely violent events, so keep that in mind before picking it up. But if you choose to read it, you will not be disappointed.

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My Top 10 Books

Labels: books, interesting, random, reading

I always enjoy reading other people's Top 10 lists, and I thought to myself that I've never done one. Usually I'm not great at picking favorites, but just for fun I decided I'd put together a list of ten books that I've thoroughly enjoyed over the past few years, plus a few extra just because I can't narrow it down to ten.

Keep an eye out for some reviews of these books in the future. I have actually written some for another site I used to run, so over the next week or two I'll try to get a couple posted up here. Also, for a list of all the books I've read over the past couple years, take a look over here.

Here is my list (in no particular order). What are some of your favorites?

• Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
• Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
• The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
• Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
• A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
• Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Life of Pi - Yann Martel
• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - Chris McDougall
• A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - Bill Bryson

And some runners up:

• Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
• On the Road - Jack Kerouac
• Into the Wild - Jon Krakaur
• Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho

Labels: books, random, reading

Falling Uphill,
Scott StollFor the last two months or so I have slowly been reading my way through Scott Stoll's book, Falling Uphill. It is quite an enjoyable and inspirational book, and the fact that's it's been taking me so long to read it actually bodes well for the book, ironically enough. I find that if I am enjoying a book, I tend to take it slow because I am not ready to be done with it. The exception to this rule is for novels that end each chapter with a cliffhanger, in those cases I have been known to sit and read for hours.

In Scott's book, there is plenty of substance, and quite a bit that gets you thinking about life. I particularly enjoyed the following quote of his, and wanted to share it with you.

I like the challenge of cycling up a mountain: breathing hard, my body burning, and the feeling of peace when I reach the top: sweat being whisked away by the wind, watching the lizards scuttle, listening to the birds sing, sitting on a rock, the whole world spinning beneath me. That's what I enjoy most in life. I want to walk through the world barefoot, as if I were a child again, letting the leaves of grass tickle my toes even if my feet get dirty.

As I mentioned last week, if you know of any inspirational blogs, websites, or stories, please share them with me. I am always interested in reading and promoting stories that inspire.

Also, check out Scott's blog here, as well as his twitter.

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Long Walks and Inspiration

Labels: biking, books, inspiration, reading

I just finished reading the book Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert, and I must say, it was a very good book. I was a tad embarrassed to be seen carrying this book around because it is a bit of a "chick book", however it was a great book.

Funny, witty, serious, inspiring, it really kept me interested. In brief, it is a biographical book about the author documenting her travels over the course of a year. This year is following several difficult years prior, in which she went through a difficul divorce, another failed relationship, and the hardships faced in coming to terms with being a newly single 30-something woman in New York. As the title indicates, the book describes her four months in Italy eating, four months in India praying, and four months in Indonesia loving.

A very good read, especially for anyone looking for direction or support in their own life.

Labels: books, inspiration, reading