working and reading

I have been having trouble finding time to read recently. I have been working quite a lot these past few weeks but I managed to finish a wonderful book called Outliers a story of success by Malcolm Gladwell. This is a very informative read. I learned that in 10000 hours anyone can be an expert at anything, as long as you have the devotion you can acquire the skill. I also learned that I need to create opportunities to succeed. I like the way he explains success as a matter of hard work and opportunity. I wish I had kept my son back in school and now I know why that would have made such a difference.
I am not sure what I am going to read next. I have a couple books with me tonight at work for my dinner break and will see which grabs me. I have purchased a few books lately and my total number is creeping up. I haven't had the heart to count again because I know I am out of control. I really have no place left to stash the books and I can't read fast enough to catch up.
I have made contact with an old school friend(grammar) through Facebook. It is nice to hear from old friends and learn what they are up to. I enjoy having a new email friend to chat with. I can't wait to find out how many or few things we still have in common.

Abarat

I just finished ABARAT by Clive Barker last night. I didn't realize when I started it that it was a children's book, a fairy tale. I think he should stick to the book he does best. The story wasn't bad until you get to the end and it says book one. If it took him five years to come up with that story he should quit while he's ahead. The story is left completely unresolved in anyway and personally I really could care less what happens to the characters. I won't read a book two even if he eventually writes one.
Other than that I have started OUTLIERS and it is fantastic and interesting. It really makes you think about the advantages some people luck into. If only I had 10,000 hours to spend practicing things.

Favorite Books

I have recently been thinking of my favorite books. I will list them here in no particular order.

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
3. A Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
4. Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers by Mary Roach
5. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
6. Jane Austen Novels
7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
8. The Stand by Stephen King
9.The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
10. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
11.The Road by Cormac McCarthy
12. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
13. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
14. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

This is I think my favorites but I am always looking for others. I have a few other favorites that I am not sure are all time I just haven't decided yet. Books like The Curse of the Narrows by Laura M. MacDonald or the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer or A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry are right up at the top. When I look at my list I wonder what these books say about me. Why these books and not hundreds of others. Some of these books would probably be on alot of peoples lists but some maybe not so much. For instance A Brief History of the Dead, I wonder how many people have read this book? If you haven't you are definitely missing something special because it is a book like no other. It certainly gives me a new way to look at life and death. I wish there was more time to reread these books over and over again. Maybe I will make some extra time to work them in and remember just exactly why I love these stories so much.