Leer = to read

Ok so school is a very major part of my life. I try my damnedest to not let it be the only thing i have though. So to maintain my sanity I've been reading for recreational perposes [ an unheard of feat in medschool]. At one point last year i was reduced to solely reading editorials in GQ.  I really enjoy my rec reading because I've come upon some some pretty amazing stuff. I think that the best fiction I've read this year was from Junot Diaz. 

He is an amazing writer.  I the first I heard of him was short story he wrote for GQ, Summer Love, Overheated. That small piece was so good by that night i had already purchased his first book.  His first book is his short story collection Drown. I almost couldn't put the book down. I  forget if i wrote about the book early on the blog but if i didn't, i sure cant let the year end without singing his praises. As a whole the book is amazing but each individual story  could easily stand alone. His second book [and Pulitzer winner] is The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, this book was well worth the hype it got. I would recommend it for any and everyone.  Diaz is an amazingly talented Dominican American writer. His books generally speak through Afro-Latino male protagonists. He has a lyrical quality to his writing that flows even better with its interspersed spanish. The characters are so real and at times i felt a longing for my own boyhood and that inexplicable feeling i get when i think about Panama. The homeland I barely know.

Besides the Diaz books I read, I also decided to pic up My American Journey the autobiography of Colin Powell. I came out in the 90's, so its very pre-Iraq/ pre 9-11.  He is hands down one of my biggest heroes and inspirations. What I admire about the most is that He is such a principle driven man. Everyone knows "right" and "wrong", but sometimes when you are in gray areas or your called to make the tough decisions all you have are your principles, instincts and morals. No body is perfect and his story is so inspirational because he showed me that i can make a difference. He embodies the American dream, immigrant parents,with a working class background, a hard worker with nothin but aspiration and dreams. He was no academic maven,what he is, is a Man who does his best, learns from every experience and never blames the "could should wouldas" on others; he always made sure to learn something from the inspirational people over him while still maintaining a steady ear to the people under him.

The year 2008 is quickly coming to an end. I never would've imagined that it would've turned out like this. I hope that the next one is filled with many more great books