Literacy Level 1

so here's the deal: i went to fashion high school. which means that while everyone else with whom i would end up in college was taking chemistry and english lit, i was learning how to draft patterns and drape garments. don't get me wrong, i got a quality education, but i missed out on some of the good stuff like quality reading.

this semester's course load seems to be permissive to some leisurely reading. so, my question to you faithful readers, is which of the classics should i get my little hands on and read? which is your favorite?

Searching

i found this image on the internet. it says peace. i think its beautiful and i love it. i love it because it represents all that i am searching for: the blue is clam. the white is pure. the lines look effortless; almost accidentally graceful. and yet,  i know that to make something like this it takes practice, time, determination, love of the thing that you are doing, and love for that thing you are trying to accomplish, and in all this work one must have peace. peace in trial. peace in work. and most importantly, peace in failure. peace in knowing that what you have accomplished, though it was not exactly what you wanted, means that you are closer to your goal. so maybe, just maybe, failure isn't exactly something negative, not something to be feared. not something to be ashamed of. maybe failure is just a stepping stone, required on the path though uncertain and sometimes unsightly.