Perfecto!

What makes the perfect book? Is it the story that's well told? What about the beautiful language the author uses to describe the events that unfold? What about unforgettable characters? Does it require all of these things and then more?

I've read many books in my life. Some of them I've glanced through (Twilight anyone?) and some I've had to savor and go back and re-read time and again just so I understand what it is the author is trying to tell me. Some I really do love. Some I consider brain candy. Each serves their own purpose, and yet I've never learned what the perfect book is. Does it only apply to fiction or can non-fiction works join the ranks of their novel brothers and sisters? How will I know when I come upon that one work that changes me forever?

This weekend I saw some of the earliest writings of civilizations at the Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago (I'll post more about that later in the week), and it really got me thinking about how important the written language is to the development of civilization. What will be the surviving written language of our generation? Our contribution? Texting?

Top 5 Book for Last 5(ish) Years:
Suite Francaise by Irene Nairovsky
Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri