Mel's not-so-national Novel Reeeadding Month

okie dokie. so I've decided instead of participating in NaNoWriMo this month, I'm going to do the opposite. this is Mel's Novel Reading Month. haha. I seriously don't have time to read when I'm in school, and with my project out of the way, I have a wee bit more free time. and dude, I have *sucked ass* about reading published fiction lately. the last few years, when I read, I read non-fiction, because I'm a little information sponge and that's how I get my rocks off.

but I'm beginning to feel illiterate, haha. so! while I'm still footloose and fancy free...novel reading month.

ok, so I have a few books I've had on The List to read for a while now, namely The Kite Runner (which I read a third of at a friend's house a while back, and never got around to finishing), McCarthy's The Road (which a friend bought me as a rec), and The Bluest Eye (which I've been meaning to read since college AfrAmer lit).

but 3 ain't enough. so!

give me a rec. literary merit-ish. I'm not a huge book snob (not a huge *anything* snob...*is a dork*), but I get my share of escapist literature from you folks, haha. what's the book that changed your outlook on the world? if someone was only going to read one book in their lifetime, what would you want them to read?

do me a favor and tell me what the book is about and why you think I should check it out, so that I can decide if it's for me or not.

contemplating putting lil book reviews or whatnot up as I go, if anyone's interested.

ok, hit me. thanks yall!