Books

I keep a database on the books I read. Every now and then, I like to review all the books I’ve read in the last few years. As my eyes pass over each title, I am carried away, in my mind, to a different world.

Have books been influential in your life? If yes, how have books affected you? Give examples of specific books that have shaped your thinking in some way. If your conversation partners are not familiar with a book, please give a summary of it.

What subjects - fiction or non-fiction, history, science, love, philosophy, mysteries, science fiction, real life etc. - interest you the most? Have your interests changed over time? How?

Give examples of books you’ve liked in one or more of the genres mentioned above. Explain why you like them.

Are libraries available in your native culture? Who is in charge of libraries? What kinds of books or other things can you find in them? How often do you use the library? Do you borrow books from friends or family frequently?

Do you like to go to bookstores? Do you have used and new books in stores? Can you find everything you would like to read? Do you have too many or not enough books in your own house? Explain.

Do you always finish books that you start? Why or why not? Do you ever reread books? Explain.

Do you enjoy writing? If yes, do you aspire to write poetry, fiction, non-fiction, letters, news stories or other things? What are favorite topics that you have written about in school, or at work, or in your personal life? What kind of a writing style do you have?

Do you have a message for the world that you wish everyone would listen to? How can you get this message to the world?

The writer of Ecclesiastes in the Bible says:

“The Preacher (himself) sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one shepherd.”

“But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.”

Do you agree with these statements?