The Reading List

I have a problem (presumably but one of many). Prior to going on vacation, I am never able to decide which books to bring. Generally, this means that I carry far more than I can possibly read. However, for this trip, I am *trying* to pack light. So, besides the Lonely Planet, and a book or two for my thesis, here are the *two* books that I have decided to bring:

Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov - I've already read this one. It is my favorite autobiography (Clarence Darrow has a good one too).

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie - I haven't read this one yet, but it is set in India. The synopsis reads as follows: "Saleem Sinai was born at midnight, the midnight of India's independence, and finds himself mysteriously 'handcuffed to history' by the coincidence. He is one of 1,001 children born at the midnight hour, each of them endowed with an extraordinary talent — and whose privilege and curse it is to be both master and victims of their times. Through Saleem's gifts — inner voices and a wildly sensitive sense of smell — we are drawn into a fascinating family saga set against the vast, colourful background of the India of this century."

All reform requires admission of a problem.