Īfter reading this book, I tracked down the newspaper article that documents his prison escape, just to see that it was actually real. A bit of a rough opener and then perfection. The same thing happened with one of my favourite shows, Black Sails. Funnily enough, it took me four tries to actually get past chapter one, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. Even now, years later, when people ask me my favourite book, I can spew a monologue about this one. How do you describe something that irrevocably moved you? A book that crawled into your mind and heart and soul. I’m actually a little shocked I never did, because it’s hands down one of my favourite books of all time, but I read it long before I joined Goodreads and started a blog, and sometimes finding ways to review your favourite book is impossible. I mentioned it to someone the other day and it stuck in my head that I ought to actually review it. This is a belated review of a favourite book, actually. ‘I don’t know what frightens me more, the power that crushes us, or our endless ability to endure it.’

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts: fiction I thoroughly recommend it to everyone! Lovely story. It’s definitely a story that will stick in your head for long after you read it. The writing style is so lush and draws you in effortlessly. It tells the story of two men facing the possible end of the world. It was so quietly beautiful and haunting. I picked this one up at random tonight and put off cooking dinner until I’d read the entire thing. And there’s no other place I’d rather be. Maybe it was fate, maybe it was destiny, or maybe it was nothing at all and we’re just two people in the middle of cosmic nonsense clinging to each other because we can.” He waved his hand dismissively, almost hitting me in the face. “Who knows? It’s one of the great secrets of the universe.

Klune: lgbt, short story freely available at the author’s site.

Shantaram goodreads