As a non-native English speaker, I always felt at a disadvantage from most native English writers not only because any given writer would be better practiced than I am in his native language, but also that any one of my peers has read several great works of literature at school while I haven’t. Most schools in Lebanon never give students reading assignments—except for short stories in academic books which have no literary merit whatsoever.

If you know me well enough, you will know that I don’t make excuses when it comes to improving my craft. Even though I’m way behind many writers when it comes to reading, it’s never too late to catch up– especially for a fast reader like myself. One of the books on the list was Animal Farm by George Orwell, which I read and finished in two days this week. The other is Lord of the Flies, which I’m currently enjoying. While I don’t have an English literature teacher slash aspiring writer to help me analyze the book as I go, I will have to rely on myself to do that. I will also be sharing my favorite quotes from the book. Here’s one of my favorite so far.