The Glass Castle

                                                

"I told Mom that I would protect it from the wind and water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight. Mom frowned at me. 'You'd be destroying what makes it special,' she said. 'It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty'"

"'Don't worry, God understands,' Mom said. 'He knows that your father is a cross we must bear.'"

        Jeannette Walls, with her brilliant and vivid descriptions, shows a perspective of living as a second child in yet another kind of family. She takes the word travelling to another level and what makes this memoir even more poignant is how it is based from real life. Having to constantly escape from chasing bill collectors, the Walls family is forced to live a peripatetic life in the most adverse conditions together. However, doing the 'skeddadle' as the father would call the anomalous transfer of place to place was just part of their everyday lives as well as sleeping in open deserts and encountering poisonous snakes and hunting them down. The mother is a self-proclaimed artist who somehow prioritizes developing her aesthetic sense than feeding her children; the father is a peccadillo magnet who turns unpredictable when drunk and is almost always seen using the family's money for drinking. Growing in an environment where the everyday struggles are concerned with survival, the Walls bunch leaves the readers to wonder again what a family means, and if it may be just more than security, protection and acceptance.

       At one point, I had to take a break from the emotional intensity of the book. It was kind of another journey to stand in the shoes of Jeannette Walls and in almost every chapter, I stopped to look at her photo in the back just to imagine that this woman had actually experienced all of what she had written. It was really one of the rare occasions that I, after completely merging with the main character, could see myself in the story. The wonders that a book is capable of. 

Teacher's Day

Okay, so today I found out that it was Teacher's Day (thanks to google) and decided that it was not enough sending her a greeting via email. A mere email wouldnt be able to satiate what and how much she means to me and the gratitude I feel.  So I thought it would be a good idea to shout out to her in my (supposed) book blog. The relevance is that she was the reason for this whole book review blog and without her I wouldnt have ever thought of it.

(The google image of Teacher's Day haha)

I would first like to quote a Vietnamese proverb as an analogy.

 "When eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree." 

And another one.

"A mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."

-William A. Ward

The first time I met her, my first impression of her was that she was really just another strict and austere teacher whom I was going to learn grammar from. I didnt hope or expect a lot really because before I met her I was a rather rebellious pessimistic misanthropist (If I didnt already emphasize that enough). But as cliche this sounds, the more lessons I attended the more intrigued and curious I became not only to the lesson but her as a teacher. We lived near each other (which was an awesome prequisite) and she told us to visit whenever we wanted or needed help. And before I realized it, I was visiting her house more often to just borrow books or have a conversation about anything and everything. I started looking forward to every class, save the moments I didnt finish my homework. But despite all, I think I grew to love her very much. After some time, I noticed myself changing and becoming more... open to things. I gradually learned how to express myself more in words and in ink. The duration with which I had met her was one of my most cathartic experience in life.

And everything that I am now, I owe to her. 

 If you're reading this teacher, I really love you and Happy Teacher's Day! Thank you for everything.

Little Women

6. Little Women

          Little Women is by far the most cake-like book I've ever read. To put it bluntly, I strongly recommend the readers to stow away the abridged version and settle down with the complete one. I say this because as I was reading, each chapter left a sweet and fuzzy feeling in my stomach that made me want more. I enjoyed it to a great degree not only because I may have a slight predilection for old-fasioned books which have characters who speak with decorum and (ever so) posh, but also because of the story which had depths in increments itself.

          Revolving around the lives of the March family, the setting hints an idyllic ambience, which in my opinion accentuates the close knitted family's happiness and love for each other. It is told in the perspective of four strong-willed siblings, occasionally with the augmentation of their mother, with various outlooks in life (and even love). Each of them (namely motherly Meg, pragmatic Jo, lovely Amy, and shy Beth) has their own charms, strengths, and weaknesses, but they are all very much united in the ideals and morals their apotheosis of a mother has shown to them of whom they strive to be like. When separated, their inviduality shines as they learn to mature, but when united they work in perfect concord and harmony that makes them shine even brighter.

           As a woman myself, Im very glad I read this because I found myself being able to relate to each of the characters. For example, I could relate my desire to be refined with Meg's, the down-to-earh part of Jo, the sometimes too indulgent side of Amy, and the quiet, diffident aspect of Beth. Being abe to relate allowed me to assimilate in each of their stories: the pain, the joy, and the sadness. How they acted when faced with a challenge inspired me to face my own with grace and dignity as well. This book serves to be a stronghold of coming of age, maturity, and womanhood to me even up to this day.

The Catcher In The Rye

"I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy."

    This book was unlike any other book Ive read because it felt like the author was talking to you. If Holden, the main character, did not stop where he did, I would have continued reading it even if it took volumes to finish because of the way he narrated his life. As I was reading the book, I could imagine myself being a bystander of the scenes. The usage of casual slang and obscene profanities made the book feel more natural too. I was quite comfortable with it. It was very fitting in some situations which added to the humor and character building as well.

    It was such an 'English' book and I was confused why the title seemed so Chinese-like with the red horse background and all (according to a friend of mine) But it turns out the title Catcher in the Rye symbolizes something and holds meaning worth its name. Salinger presents a realistic view of life through the main character who was the kind of person who wondered where the ducks went during winter and who thinks talking to famous people isnt really a big deal. The story is told in the point of view of a 16 year old boy, Holden Caulfied, who is expelled from his school, Pencey. But he cannot go back home as he does not want his parents to find out he was kicked out. And so he loiters around trying to fill up his life to make it more enjoyable in the streets of New York. He doesnt  have a dream nor passion to become or do something. But he tries in every way to spice things up. Then he calls his ex girl friend, he gets in a fight with his friend, he gets in a fight with unpleasant taxi drivers, he gets robbed, he meets nuns at a restaurant, he gets drunk, he even gets into conflict for incidentally involving with a prostitute at one point. But the meaning of the title still does not reveal at this point. Towards the end as he is drunk, he sneaks into his house late at night and meets his sister, Phoebe, whom he is quite fond of. They have a touching reunion. During their conversation, Phoebe, who is young but smart, realizes that his brother became a dropout. She asks him one thing he likes the most or to be the most to which he answers(after quite a lot of contemplation)that he simply wants to be a catcher in the rye, chasing children with the company of nature and having nothing to worry about. 

This book sort of made me realize that no matter how many people you meet in this world and even in the busiest crowds you can still feel alone. And the comfort you are looking for may actually just be right in front of you, so you dont have to look that far. The part that struck me in the most throughout the whole book was when Holden was trying to have intellectual conversation with people. But even his smartest friend wasnt able to satisfy what he wanted to have. At the end I realized, in his conversation with Phoebe, that it wasnt intellectual conversation he wanted. He just wanted to be understood. And Salinger portrayed this theme very well. He could have just made Holden say 'I wanted people to understand me' but no, he made the readers find out through the events and in the experiences of the character. 

Some may think of it boring because it can strike as a series of random events but I think the rather arbitrary events were what made the book so special at the same time. 

Tuesdays with Morrie

Death ends a life, not a relationship

    Before you read this it is best to be prepared with a box of tissue at your side. I regret reading this book yet at the same time it was the most beautiful book I've ever encountered. Now I could tell you a million reasons why I 'regret' reading this. One is because my mother worried of my mental well-being. Tears kept pouring down from my eyes as if its tear pipe worked on its own, and I started telling my mom how much I loved her and started apologizing to her like a sinner to a priest. I rarely opened up to my mom about my problems and worries because I was going through a phase so she really didn't see it coming. I felt bad for the time I spent on the internet  instead of talking to her a little more. Another reason I 'regret' reading this is because it depressed me a great deal. Death was a very sensitive subject for me to think about that time and the book had to talk about death. It was like facing my fears, and even if I was beyond terrified to face it, I knew it was going to awaken and re-freshen the way I thought as well as answer some questions that had burdened me for years.

    Every Tuesday, Mitch would go to his teacher's house and learn something new. This may sound common and nothing special as it is normal for a teacher to teach his/her students but it was a little different in this case. Morrie, the teacher, was quite old and was diagnosed with an incurable disease that had his days numbered. Yet he remained optimistic, his sense of humor never ceasing, throughout the end which not only touched Mitch but the whole world as well. At first Mitch listens to the request of Morrie rather reluctantly but then he finds himself enjoying as the days flow by. I found this part extremely depressing because it meant, in a way, that the nearer Morrie came to his end, the more he grew on Mitch's heart. Morrie delves in topics such as emotions, families, pride, religion, and even love. If someone tells me to pick the best quote from the book, it would be like asking me to pick my favorite song from my playlist. Everything Morrie says feels like the lines of the bible and it gets to me every time. And as corny as it may sound, it actually heals the wounds of the soul. It makes you wonder about the true definition of humanity and the like. I still get mind blown the fact that it actually happened and there actually lived someone who continued to change lives even after his death up to this day. It truly is a great book not only for teenagers but for grown adults as well. You never know if your life will turn a new leaf upon reading this. 

Eragon

    I never really liked adventure or fantasy books since I thought them unrealistic but J.K Rowling and Rick Riordan managed to change my views on them. In fact, they can serve as a form of escape from the 'real world' and allow you to imagine something out-of-this-world sometimes (quite literally). Kind of like Dystopian stories. And Eragon was one of them. Whenever I wanted to shut myself out from worries and problems, I would sort to reading this. Because, let's face it, realistic books can make you even more depressed sometimes. You already know how there is ongoing war in this world in some places and how people die of disease often and how love doesn't work sometimes and how frustrating the government is in your opinion. So a little bit of dragons and monsters and elves and dwarves wont hurt. 

    Eragon is basically about a young boy who is entrusted to unite the nation of Elves and Riders who had long been at war. He is fated to be found by a dragon egg which he decides to keep. (note how I said found by the egg and not found the egg) And from there many events start to unfold. The grand adventure begins where he discovers his purpose and a new kind of world one by one like a cavalcade. He learns powers he never thought existed or possessed. He stumbles upon underground places and unusual cities. This book had made me cry at one point. I applaud the author for the amazing world he formed. It is really a great book. 

The Kite Runner

List of recommended books

10. Kite Runner

-"For you a thousand times over"

When I first saw this book, I thought it was going to be about the culture in the country of the author. I thought it was going to talk about how they flew kites over there. And in one way, it did but it turned out to be a very different story from what I initially expected. I was surprised to see the depth in which the story of two characters created. The story of two boys, one a little luckier than the other, but same nonetheless in how they learn to live in an unsympathetic world of war and violence. It makes people wonder why good things happen to bad people and how much true friendship is worth at the end. It was for him, a thousand times over after all. Because of this, I stalked searched other works by the author which were equally good too.