Book Choices

My book choices has changed over the years. It's interesting to look at the phases of my life from my book choices.

I love a good story. Who doesn't? The first phase in my book choice is story books... Malay or English doesn't matter. I'd devour the story in the fastest time possible. Then my preference leaned towards English books because my teacher said we can learn English by reading English books. And probably because I want to show off to my brother that I read English books even though sometimes I didn't really understand many words but I managed to enjoy the storyline. That's the most important thing. Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie books were among the books I love to read. Teenage years was when I was introduced to Mills &Boons.

When I started working I purchased self help, finance and management books. At this phase in life, I want to be successful in my career. I want to be the Bill Gates or Anthony Robbins or the person who successfully climb the corporate ladder. I don't read novels anymore. The novels engage my mind, engrossed me with the characters, laugh with them, cry with them but it didn't bring me anywhere. I need the formula to become the successful young person in the organisation.

After a while I didn't purchase books anymore. I bought lots and lots of magazines on women fashion, my interest in photography, home deco, garden deco and travel magazine till one day I realise I didn't manage to read the magazines from page to page and cover to cover like I used to. I have been busy with work and other responsibilities. Then I started scaling back on my magazines purchase till in the end I didn't buy any. Only once in a while when I think it will get due attention from me.

When I became a trainer, books are used to glean ideas on things that can be shared with the participants and also finding the next best philosophies, mantras and wisdom. After a while I abandoned theoretical books for books that gives me practical approach to make my training better. I also purchased quite a number of books about writing.

Now I'm on to another phase of book choices yet again. Islamic motivational books... books that will help me love Allah and His Prophet better because there is a Malay proverb that says, "tak kenal maka tak cinta". So to truly istiqamah in my pursue of hereafter, I must constantly learn about loving Allah and His prophet s.a.w. I've also purchase books on success stories that motivates... a la biography. One that I just read is "Ulu Yam di Liverpool". I believe there should be a lot more books of this kind. Enough of romantic novels that fills the mind of our youth with unrealistic love stories. Encourage them to read life stories of others, their hardship, failure and success, and hopefully motivate them to wake up and take responsibility of their life and be motivated to work hard to achieve their goals.

So those are my book choices over the years. Reading for enjoyment, reading for self development (worldly pursuit), reading for relaxation and pursue of interest, reading for improved work performance and reading for  self development again (worldly as well as hereafter pursuit).