My Picks

If there is something most fulfilling from the tasks that I did today for my personal blog, this is it: to promote the books that I cherish most.

For those who are regular readers of this blog, probably you are wondering who is this Ignacio Padilla whom I love to say I would kill someday (I think he is still in Spain fulfilling his role as an ambassador for Mexico.) Well, he is the writer of Shadow without a Name – a book I read in one sitting in Powerbooks several years ago. The effect of his marvelous crafted short and succinct narrative still lingers in my mind. This writer writes more about countries he has read in books than his native country Mexico. Yet, it can not be doubted the writing skills he showed in his works deserves him to be the next in line after the likes of Carlos Fuentes and Gabo. (Just talking about him, envelopes me already with this urge to get a new page and start yakking like Kerouac and start my own novel.)

Talking about Gabo, a rather new selection of books are presented in my Picks. There is only one book among these three (or four?) that I still have to read: Marquez: Tales Beyond Solitude. I don’t know whether this is the second installment already of the trilogy of his autobiography. I have read already his Live to Tell the Tale – the supposed first installment. The rest that I’m promoting here are books that are part already of my collection and blueprint.

Of course, who would forget Carlos Castaneda? A favorite writer of mine, though I’m sad that he is more known as a promoter of drug use to achieve wisdom than what he actually prescribes. I still have to read these books. And probably, I would be one of the first who will purchase these books straight from my Picks.

I also picked Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements. This book, though short of going beyond why the four agreements that he states in the books are necessities to see the truth, it is still invaluable for common people who wish personal freedom and get the stance of a warrior in this so domesticated world we are in.

I cannot emphasize more that the books in my Picks are solid collection to speak of. I’m just happy and excited that these books graced my blog.

Drat!!! I forgot to include Kerouac's On the Road. Nevermind. As soon as My Picks is changed, his will be included. Oh, surely the Subterraneans will also be there.