When we set off to our various destinations for winter break, many of us traveled with not only a month's worth of laundry, but also a number of lofty goals to accomplish over the few weeks of down time, whether it was to get in shape, see old friends, or ambitiously get a head start on next semester. At the top of my list was reading, and read I did.

It began immediately after Christmas. My sister received "Memoirs of a Geisha" as a gift and I immediately confiscated it, wanting to read the book before seeing the movie. After finishing that, I read my mom's gift, "The Dogs of Babel" and am now in the middle of my Christmas book, "A Thread of Grace."

Now, some of you may be thinking, “Three books. That's not that many.” But when two of the three are more than 400 pages, it becomes quite time-consuming. Oh, and I forgot to mention that sleep was another goal high up on my list. One day I slept until noon and spent the next three-and-a-half hours on the couch reading, much to my parents' chagrin.

However, with the onset of a new semester, I fear the inevitable and rapid decrease in the number of hours in each day that are free to devote to reading. All students will shortly have their heads in the books, but probably very few of these will be featured on The New York Times' Bestsellers List, or be recognized outside of their respective departments.

There are still some of us who go against all odds and create time to squeeze in a quality book when we can. I am one of those insane people that still, despite loads of other work, cannot resist slipping a book in my bag before going to class. After all, you never know when there will be free time to read, whether during break or a boring lecture.

As many of you know, book clubs are popping up all over, and I would like to establish one right here and call it Avid Readers Anonymous (ARA). For those of you who only have a few precious free hours that you are ever able to devote to reading a novel or other choice book, you do not want to waste that time on a mediocre piece of literature, so instead I would like to take suggestions from readers on books to read and I will preview them in my column. I also welcome book discussions, via e-mail, that I can share with readers as well.

One book that has been garnering a lot of publicity is "Memoirs of a Geisha." With the film's recent release, I myself was anxious to read it, but others may wonder if seeing the movie is a good substitute. Though the film is incredibly well done, there is still no substitute for a good piece of literature.

Just as a director's vision for a film is important for its success, the talent of an author is also imperative to the quality of the story that is told. "Memoirs" was written by Arthur Golden and published exactly seven years ago. The fact that the reader can easily forget that this is a novel and not a real memoir, as it presents itself, is a testament to Golden's immense talent as a writer.

"Memoirs of a Geisha" is told through the lips of a geisha to a good friend of hers, who in turn transcribes her story. She chronicles her life from the time she was a young girl and known as Chiyo in a tiny fishing village, the intensive studies and training she undergoes until her eventual debut as the geisha Sayuri in Japan's famous Gion district.

Another way to look at "Memoirs" is as a work of historical fiction. Sayuri's introduction to the world of the geisha begins amid the Depression following WWI and her entrance into the geisha profession coincides with the years leading up to and continuing through WWII.

Despite the fact that it is a work of fiction, it is clear a lot of research went into "Memoirs." How else could Harvard-educated Tennessee native Arthur Golden create such a successful portrayal of geisha life? Having no background in Japanese history, myself, I have no knowledge to say how accurate his portrayal is. However, I feel more versed in a part of Japanese culture than I ever would have otherwise from reading this novel.

The life of a geisha is something that is very culture- and country-specific. In the United States, the closest occupation a geisha can be compared to is a prostitute. In Japan, geisha are greatly respected not only within their communities, but also within society.

At the same time, their lives are also under constant scrutiny and their actions are very restricted by the rules geisha are expected to follow. You will find, as you read, that there are many freedoms we take for granted to which Sayuri was not privileged.

"Memoirs of a Geisha" is a peephole into a once celebrated Japanese tradition whose popularity has eroded significantly over the past 50 years. I sincerely enjoyed this book. It's one of those you will not want to put down. In fact, since my sister opened the novel, she has hardly done anything else but read it. She's been reading wherever she goes, whether it is in the car, the dentist's office, at the gym or anywhere else.

Despite the temptation to forgo it in favor of the shorter film version, I recommend taking that scarce reading time you do have and devoting it to reading the book. Just like those “Harry Potter” films, no matter how long a movie is, something always gets cut when you put a story on the screen. Plus, it is always fun to compare a book to its film adaptation.

I hope you have enjoyed this first meeting of the ARA and I look forward to your suggestions for future books to be featured in this column.

Meghan Dunlap is a junior majoring in Spanish and elementary education. If you have a recommendation for a future column or a question for Meghan, e-mail her at [email protected].