I finished reading In the Absence of Sun by Helie Lee. It's a follow up story about how their family rescued their North Korean relatives that were left behind. I have been to Karakalpakstan which is part of Uzbekistan which according to the Lonely Planet was the saddest place on earth. It's true that the living conditions there were far below U.S. living standards but people had access to food and water and had the freedom to choose where they lived. According the descriptions of life in North Korea given by the refugees, it's a wonder how anyone can survive there. The government dictates where you live and what kind of a job you have. The food shortage is severe and people are paranoid that their neighbors will report them for breaking any kind of law. After reading the book, I felt moved to pray for the people in North Korea. Reunification of the two Koreas seem almost impossible these days, but who knows what the future holds.

While I was reading the book, I once again realized that I am not a leisure reader but an obsessive reader. All I want to do is read the book and finish it. I can't sleep at night, I lose track of time, I don't hear what people are saying to me, I don't want to do any other activity, etc. I remember when I was a kid, I would stay home all day and read without washing my face or brushing my teeth all day, stopping only to eat and go to the bathroom. One day was all I needed to finish reading a book then. Now the books have more pages and it takes a lot longer than a day.