Reading always played a major role in my life.

I was an early reader and often running out of reading material on our family vacations; I started early to read what my parents brought along, from the sleazy Konsalik of my dad to my mum’s Isabel Allende books.

Books opened the word to me. James Clavell’s book played right into my fascination with the Asian culture, and James F. Mitchener’s books re-enforced my interest in connecting the dots of history.

These days, I average around 25 books a year and keep a tab of what I read on the Goodreads app.

Once per month, in the monthly Shadowboxing episode of the Life-Sparring Podcast, I run a “Food for Thought” segment, sharing what I read in the past month.

Around New Year’s Eve, I also do the traditional “Food for Thought” Blogpost on the Life-Sparring Blog, sharing my personal top five books of the outgoing year.