I am most awe-struck by old libraries that hold centuries’ worth of knowledge. Those that have high ceilings with arched windows, heavy wooden bookshelves with leather-bound tomes. Most impressive are those libraries with books that were printed with 15th century printing presses or better yet, with hand-lettered books. I’ve entered such a library once in my life at a grammar school that I attended for a year. That’s an experience that I’ll never forget.

There are a few essentials I obviously won’t leave the house with: keys, wallet, phone and transportation card. Further personal essentials include: water bottle, lip balm and earphones. Besides these necessities, there are things which typically are with me: a book, Kindle, portable charger, pen and SD cards.

Comfort is reading in bed with a constant supply of tea. I love curling up after a long day at work, shutting out the world to read. If my eyes are too weary, I plug in audiobooks. On the rare weekend that I’m not occupied with my sporting pursuits or any other obligations (ie. overtime work or tutoring), I love immersing myself in fictional worlds without interruption. That’s what comfort is to me: downtime spent reading.

With 4th of July in full swing, the US is celebrating Independence Day. Since the the only American I know of in my family was my great-great-great-grandfather (so I’m only 1/32 of American descent), this day has never been of much significance to me. What I do relate to are celebrations — Christmas, birthdays, New Year’s Eve, when I was younger St. Martin’s Day and Fastnacht (German for Carnival; equivalent to Mardi Gras) and now Lunar New Year and Eid al-Fitr, even if my family didn’t adopt these customs.

What better books to read in summer than contemporary ones? As much as I have recently fallen into the pits of fantasy, sunny days make me wanna curl up with books that add to the summery mood.