Books are wonderful companions.

Books belong to various genres, and therefore we have a wide

spectrum to choose from to read and enjoy and understand. They can take us on voyages to unexplored
areas of the world as also of the mind and the spirit. They can take us back in time through historical
material or into the future through science fiction. They can be in as many languages as there are in this
world. They may be fictional stories or belong to the category of non-fiction. There could be horror,
thriller, detective, romance or comedy stories in works of fiction. And likewise non-fiction books could
be in the self-help, religion, spirituality, environment, cookery, travel and academic categories.

I love to read works of fiction in the English language. I enjoy reading leisurely. I fancy buying brand new
books from book stores. I keep my books neat and clean, without dog-earing or marking on the pages. I
have kept safely my collection of books. I now like reading books on kindle too.

The latest book that I have read is titled The Picture of Dorian Gray by British writer, Oscar Wilde. The
book, published more than a hundred and twenty years ago, still makes for good reading. The storyline
is also not restricted by geographical boundaries. Set in England, it is relevant to anyone living in any
part of the world. While it is a horror story, there are many lessons to learn about life and the mystery of
Time and its passage. The book takes us through the life of a youth named Dorian Gray. Intoxicated by
the beauty of his youth, he seeks for its permanence and a life of indulgence. As he grows, he goes from
bad to worse, treading recklessly and wants only on the path of sin and corruption, spoiling others too in
the process, till he is saturated with the burden of his sins including that of committing murder. So as
time moves inexorably, his desire for everlasting youth becomes his very retribution. The story points to
how we can and should use our productive years of youth, and not waste and abuse the period of our
life. For, time and tide wait for none, and time lost can never come back. I am very fascinated by the
idea of Time, and this book delves into this issue through the story of a young man.