Moving on to Mann

Dear readers! I have finally finished Tolkien's masterpiece and the end was as wonderful as everything preceding it. As a small side note, I think it is significant that Frodo and Bilbo Baggins' birthdays are both on September 22 (which is when the series both starts and ends), because this precise date is my birthday, too!! What are the chances?! 

This will be a short post, and I mostly want to talk about how important and great it is to have people that stimulate and encourage one's literary pursuits. There are certain people in my life, be they friends, family, or teachers, that are great to talk with or learn from. And as each person has their own personal literary interests, I can get a great range of knowledge or recommendations from them and thus explore different genres and styles. 

I am thinking now of a wonderful teacher I had, whom I think I have previously mentioned; she made a significant impact on me when I was in my senior year in high school and has provided me and a good friend (another "literary" friend whom I admire greatly) with a list of Books to Read Before You Die. Worried about what book to read now, I decided to give her recommendations another go, since Pamela, A Home for Mr, Biawas, Lolita, Beloved and many, many other books I have thouroughly enjoyed are on that list. In particular, the author Thomas Mann has stuck out in my mind, since she has frequently recommended him to me, so I bought Death in Venice and Other Short Stories on my Kindle this morning. Though I am a bigger fan of novels, and he has many, I was compelled to buy this collection before trying one of his novels. I will write more soon!