Quotations and Literature Forum

Hello everyone...I'm 17 years old, just finishing my senior year in highschool. Since I was young, I've never been much of a reader, more of and on the go, very tactile, active child...However I would really like to get into the habit of reading, I just dont really know where to start. I'm really interested in new perspectives, higher power, inspiration, poetry, even a little philosophy...so any suggestions will do...shoot for more mature reads, 17, sounds young i know, but im quite a bit more mature than that number reveals, thanks.

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Umm, I find what other people have to say very interesting, compelling, and often times very enlightening. It's definitely important to make time for yourself, to do the little things that keep you happy and more importantly, sane.

A great book of inspiration is Awareness by Anthony De Mello. It has short chapters on awareness and being the person you need to to without trying to please others.

Pick up a good piece of world literature. Any of these are amazing:

Crime and Punishment (by Fyodor Dostoevsky)

A Tale of Two Cities (by Charles Dickens)

Les Miserables (by Victor Hugo)

Fahrenheit 451 (by Ray Bradbury)


That should keep you busy for a while. These are all classic pieces of world literature that are a must for any person. (And no, you aren't too young to read these... I am younger than you and I am totally in love with all of them)

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Life without chocolate would be darkness and chaos.
~truckernun

Noticed u mentioned an interest in philosophy well here's a good book to get started:
Logic and Philosophy: A Modern Introduction
by Paul Tidman, Howard Kahane

And maybe later on you'll find books by great philosophers, such as Socrates, and Plato.

Plato's "Republic" is also very good - one of Plato's greatest works.

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He who would have the fruit must climb the tree

Enigma... I would like something on philosophy too, Do you know any book that is written on " What is the mission of our lifes" or something " The time you see your Death"..... The above are not any titles, but a subject. Please advice couple of books to me too...
Thanks

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Ishrat Noor Khan

With regards to mission in life:
You can read :

The Philosophy of Life
by Swami Krishnananda
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/phil_00.html

The Purpose of life and the general theory of ethics
by Jack Brannigan
http://www.independentbook.com/product_info.php?products_id=91

"Ecce Homo: How One Becomes what one is"
Nietzsche

And with regards to the time you see your death you can probably read

Death and Philosophy
by Jeff Malpas

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He who would have the fruit must climb the tree

Thanks Enigma.... You know I love to go to these peaceful places and sit there, looking at the skies and doing nothing.... I visited this place in India (Jaipur), Theres this Palace on the Mountain called Neilgrah Palace, I sat on the Walls of the Palace and watched the sun go down and leaving its reflection on the lake below... People think its stupid and waste of time, I think its a level of self examination for a person to observe what around him.. I won;t Bore you.... Thanks for the reference's.

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Ishrat Noor Khan

Well I'm also a senior in high school and currently taking an AP English course and these books are guaranteed to make you think!

-Portrait of an Artist as a young man (James Joyce)
-Gulliver's Travels (Johnathan Swift)
-Animal Farm (George Orwell)
-A Modest Proposal (I think that's by Johnathan Swift)
-Hamlet (Shakesphere)

Also if you want a few poems that will have all of those "hidden meanings" are:
-The Wasteland (T.S. Elliot)
-Alexander Pope's Poetry (there's a series of them)

Pesonally I didn't care for any of Pope's poetry or Gulliver's Travels because of the bland writing style (deep thoughs though are included, it's just hard to read it!), and A Modest Proposal would have made me think that Swift was crazy if I didn't know the situation of the time period and what the satire was about. Animal Farm is an easy read and has more satire on government and power. The other's are well written (I can't say much about Portrait though, I'm still in the middle of it.) and have good symbols and themes. Enjoy!