What Kind of Books Should I Read?

Not just any adventure novels - the classics! Classic adventure novels like Treasure Island, King Solomon's Mines, Tarzan, Gulliver's Travels and others are not just rich stories of pure adventure, they are also philosophical takes on religion, politics, human communication, and other themes.

There are the classics (Poe's stories and novels, Frankenstein, Great Expectations), the fantastical and sometimes funny (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Castle of Otranto, Northanger Abbey), and then there are the cheesy gothic pulp fiction romances and mysteries from the 50s-70s. Try all of them - especially the pulp! Immerse yourself in foggy nights, hidden passages, and ghostly encounters!

You need to have some fun and a little excitement. You also need to blow off some steam. Try action comedies. What you'll find are witty but hilariously flawed main characters, chases and explosions, and just a touch of romantic tension.

Reading the essays, diaries, and memoirs of others can give us insight into experiences that we've never had but that we might like to. Maybe you can't personally take a hot air balloon ride or trudge across Antartica but you could read the firsthand accounts of those who have. If you need something quiet to read that gives you peace and escape from a chaotic world, you can also find collections of essays that take you into nature like Walden, or Far Appalachia.

You need something to do. Or maybe there are areas of your life that you want enrichment and improvement in. Either way, pick up a how to book. Of course, it doesn't have to say 'How To' on it and you don't have to learn to love fixing your own plumbing. Think of something you're interested in and pick up a book on it. Learn something new!

You might be more fulfilled if you delve into the questions and answers that give us deeper meaning in life. Choose the texts of your own religion or see what your religion is like (or was like for the prominent figures in your text) in the context of others by reading their texts. Or read the supplemental texts of your religion. For example, Jews might read pseudographic legends like the one of Lilith, Christians might read St. Augustine's letters, and so on.