friday five

1. what is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)?
i read pretty much everything that gets into my hands, and being a bookshop owner's daughter(and currently even the person in charge of said bookshop), that's a lot of material of all different origins.
right now, i'm in a bit of a novel phase and reading through several year's worth of man booker prize shortlists and winners.
i get other phases though, too - weeks when i read nothing but biographies, or poetry or whatever else, and am an avid newspaper reaer, when there's a good newspaper at hand (like the age).

2. what is your favorite novel?
all these listed here, and more.

3. do you have a favorite poem? (share it!)
again, it's not just one fave, and even with my favourite poets, i never have just one favourite by each of them, i enjoy plenty of poets and plenty of their works for plenty of different reasons. it's impossible and quite ignorant in my opinion to compare late goethe's poetry with that of his earlier days, or erich fried, rilke or kästner (even though i love almost his entire "lyrische hausapotheke") - and pick a fave. there's a list of some favourite poets right here, though.

4. what is one thing you've always wanted to read, or wish you had more time to read?
there isn't anything out there that i really urgently need to read or that i#ve put off reading for ages. if i want something, i get it, and read it, even if i have to make time for it.

5. what are you currently reading?
i am re-reading "the fellowship of the ring" by tolkien (which has been really enjoyable again so far), "practical lessons in yoga" by sri swami sivananda, a book on family relationships that my therapist recommended (whose english title i can't come up with right now) and the current edition of yoga journal, which is the first paper one that i ever purchased - it's only available at airport bookshops, and costs a whopping 11 Euro (twice the US cover price).