The New York Times has come up with its ten best books of 2005. On the fiction list: Zadie Smith’s On Beauty, Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep, Ian McEwan’s Saturday, Mary Gaitskill’s Veronica, and Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore. On the non-fiction list, Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking made the cut.

[Via: Moorish girl]

Lolita in Tehran Among the books mentioned in the article, Zadie Smith’s On Beauty is the only book that is already on my reading list. I will attack it soon. Unfortunately, I have been stuck with Reading Lolita in Tehran for over a month now. I just can’t seem to finish it and it is extremely frustrating.

I have to admit this highly-acclaimed memoir offers many intriguing bits, especially the parts comparing pre- and post-revolution Iran. Although some of the literary discussions are thought-provoking, the book somehow drags and I just can’t get myself to get completely immersed in it!

I’m one of those that loathes the idea of starting a book and not finishing it. It is a bit akin to my attempts at cooking; I’m not going to give it up until I make it happen. Anyway, the weekend is coming up. Maybe I will get enough discipline to sit down and finish this memoir once and for all. We’ll see.