Don't be illiterate all your life

I love to read. Always have. My mom claims she read to me every night while she was pregnant with me. While I have no way of confirming this (my dad's memory is shot so I wont even bother asking) i'm inclined to believe her because I started reading books on my own when I was three, and I haven't stopped since. If I had the space and opportunity to be so obsessively organized, I would have a room that looked like this:

One day, one day...

If you scroll down a little, to the right over there, I have a visual bookshelf that you can feel free to peruse and get a taste of my literary palate. But for those of you who are too lazy to do so, here are a few of my faves.

1. Rubyfruit Jungle- Rita Mae Brown. Classic lesbian fiction that had me cracking up on every other page. The main character is a nut and you can't help but laugh at her as she grows into her sexuality and starts telling the world to kiss her gay ass. It's an enjoyable read for gay and hetero alike.

2. Sula- Toni Morrison. There's so much to say about this beautifully written book, i'm not even gonna try. Just know that Toni is one of the best and this book was one of the firsts to make me cry every single time I read it. (which would be like 6 times)

3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Dr. Maya Angelou. Another genius piece of work that I first read when I was 11 and instantly fell in love with it. It's Maya's story and she makes it your story. A definite classic.

4. The Tortilla Curtain- T.C. Boyle. This book had me on one so hard. It pissed me off, made me cry, made me laugh and every other emotion I could possibly feel. It's about the plight of Mexican immigrants struggling to leave poverty behind them in search of a better life in the US. The story chronicles two young couples whose lives couldnt be any more different from each other as one Mexican couple have just illegally crossed the border and are homeless in southern California, struggling to survive. The second couple are well established and comfortable in their new surroundings (also in So. Cal) but their world turns upside down when the husband runs over the Mexican man with his car, leaving him badly busted up and bleeding in the road. Thus, the young Mexican wife must change roles completely and step into a world where being an illegal immigrant woman appears to be the worse hand ever dealt. It's an excellent book and I think it should be required reading across the board in every school, for every student.

Okay so there you go. Pick one, read one, and let me know what u think! If you've already finished one of the above, let's talk about it.