Day 30 – Your favorite book of all time

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

Please do forgive the state of this book. I know that the spine is already cracked and the jacket is wrinkled and slightly tattered. But this is due to the fact that I have read this book a lot of times. And yes, it is my all time favorite book.

Of all the books I own and read, the Harry Potter series have been the closest to my heart since I grew up with it. Every year, I would eagerly wait for the release of the next book in the series. And the moment that this final book came out, I was in our school’s library at 6am to claim my reserved copy. The time that the book was handed to me, it felt like I was holding the most precious treasure in the world. I was so excited yet so afraid to finish it that I hesitated in turning the last few pages. I don’t ever want it to end. And like many other, I would give anything just to repeat the whole experience, wipe away all my knowledge of the whole series and reread the books all over again. 

As to why I consider this as my favorite book of all time, I have a few reasons. First is that everything I had ever known from the first 6 books were changed because of the twists in this one. There were so many secrets unveiled and we see how much foreshadowing there was in the past books. It just feels so great to know the whole truth and the revelations about how the events from the very first book were connected to the end. All the mysteries were so systematically written and was very much the reason why I love the book.

Second is that this book is way more different the the former 6 because in here, we finally see our beloved characters are grown and mature people. They are not just kids hungry for magical adventures, but adults ready to give everything, even their lives, in order to save their whole community.

Third is that despite the almost very obvious and predictable fact that Harry must win and survive the battle with the Dark Lord, Rowling isn’t one to give an ordinary victory. The way it ended is not simple and certainly not a cliché or some sort. Harry’s victory is definitely action-packed yet hair-raisingly brilliant.

Fourth is that even when Rowling caught us off guard with all the tragic death of our most beloved characters in the book, she never denied us the happy ending for everyone. We all know that in every war, there would always be victims, innocent or not, and that’s what the author gave us. She didn’t stir away from the truth just to satisfy her readers. She knew that a lot of us would be disappointed but she still did what she imagined how the story would go. I commend her for that. And like I said, she regained our approval by giving the story a very great and blissful ending.

And lastly, I loved this book because of the strongest most powerful message it held out for the readers: love brings out the light even in the darkest of hearts. For those who have read the book, I guess you already know that Severus Snape is the best proof of that in this book. It shows that no matter how evil a person is, love, no matter what form, requited or not, will always flush out the rotting parts of our soul. It would bring out the very best in us.

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And that’s it! I FINALLY FINISHED THE MONTH-LONG BOOK CHALLENGE! Hooray! I feel satisfied with myself. :)

Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked

Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel

I cannot think of any book hated by everyone but I like. I thought of the Twilight series being hated by everyone, but I don’t like it either. So I scanned my shelf and remembered this book. It isn’t exactly dislike by everyone, but I have heard and read a lot about people not liking the theme of this book. So, I guess this is the closest I can get to satisfying this day’s book challenge.

This book is a memoir of Wurtzel’s struggle with depression when she was 26 years old. In this book, we would learn about the events that could have caused the downspiralling of her life. It is a journal that details her drug use, sex binges, hospitalizations, suicide attempts and everything that constitutes her dark days. It is a tale of a person living with a severe psychological disorder.

Now, from what I read, a lot of people found this book harrowing since it is a very vivid self-portrait of someone’s mental illness. Some say that it is just a book made to bid public attention. And some say that nothing can be learned from the book itself, that it’s useless. Perhaps they were expecting some sort of revelation and lessons in the end or maybe they wanted to know how she coped and got over her problems, but I guess that wasn’t the author’s intention.

Personally, I read this book with difficulty because there are times I can see myself reflected on the words and descriptions of the character. At some point, I can relate with how she feels and the problems she experienced. I guess, I didn’t really care much about how she found herself and made her life better. I think I liked the book because it openly and bravely showed the moments of her life in which she felt the most difficult of emotions. Just how many people can be like that and tell the world of their darkest, most awful experiences?  

I don’t think Wurtzel wanted attention or anything of that sort. I think she wrote this book to let people know about what’s going on in the minds of those psychologically challenged. Because really, we can never fully grasp the enormity of their problems. Yes, all of us have their own difficulties, but can we imagine how bad it feels when these problems eat us alive and take over the rest of our being? I think that was the purpose of this book: to show that it’s not attention but understanding and acceptance these people need. But then, don’t we all?

Day 28 – Favorite title

The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordono

I cannot really exactly explain why I like the title of this book. Unlike other books, which I choose because of the plot or the genre, I pick this up because I found the title interesting. How many books have something connected to math in their front covers? Plus, it made me think as to why it was entitled like this. What is it with the prime numbers and what could be its connection to the characters? And that’s when I realize, prime numbers seem to be really the loneliest numbers. They don’t really fit into other groups of numbers because they are only divisible by 1 and itself.

It may be very geeky but I think it could be a good description of me. I mean, I am not sure but at times, I can feel that I do not fit in into any group of friends, that somehow, I don’t belong. That could also be said about my relationship with my family. I feel out of place and a bit of an outcast. Sometimes, I can see the way they look at me like they just don’t understand why I am the way I am. It’s not a good thing but well, it happens.

Okay, enough about the personal babble. Let us go to the book again. The story of this book is about two people who are “primes”, misfits and haunted by the tragedies they experience when they were young. They met again as teenagers and both of them recognized each other’s kindred, lonely and damaged spirit. As their lives intertwine again after a few more years, emotions were revealed. But can two primes ever be together and fit the way they cannot with others?  It really is a good read. A very nice view of how it is to be human despite all the difficulties we face in life.

Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

NO SPOILERS, I SWEAR.

Now, I know that this book was made into a movie and I have watched the film itself. But for this book challenge, let us disregard that rotten movie and focus on the book. If you’re wondering why, it’s because the movie and the book has a very different ending, which makes me dislike the adaptation so much.

Reading the summary at the back and knowing that this book has a cancer-trodden character, I expect death or something tragic in the end. Well, I was right, kind of. The ending was tragic but it was nothing like what I had ever hoped to expect. If you have read the book, you might probably understand what I’m talking about. The book has a lot of plot twists but nothing could ever compare to the ending. The final twist in the story just caught me off guard and I never imagined it to be one of the possible ending for this book. It came to me as a combination of pain, sadness and shock. 

For those who haven’t read this book yet, you must be a little intrigued by what happened in the book. Let me describe it to you like this: Imagine that you were planning for the best trip you been wanting for your whole life and then all of a sudden, that trip was cancelled because the place you are going to suddenly cease to exist.

Yes, it sounds a little too exaggerated but that’s how I feel. I was so sure of how it’s going to turn out, I had strong feeling each of the characters, and my head was so focused on my already made judgments then all of a sudden, the ending just blew my head off. Everything I imagined and created in my head was shattered. Oh, you might think that the book sucks, but no. That big twist in the ending made it so much beautiful and heart-tugging. It was definitely what made the book a success, which wasn’t the case for the movie. The change in the ending in the movie was a bit anti-climactic and predictable. So I guess what I’m trying to say, is that you read this book even if you have watched the movie.

Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most

Matilda Wormwood from Roald Dahl’s Matilda

If someone would ask me who Matilda is, I would really be disappointed. I mean hello guys, she’s like the best bookworm fictional character in the history of children’s book. Well, I guess that’s only my opinion.

And that is part of the reason why this character is the one I can relate to the most. Ever since I was child, I prefer reading book compare to playing dolls and whatever else. As I was growing up, my mom would always tell me that I behead my barbies because I hate them and that I sleep with those gigantic picture books of different fairy tales. And until now, my love for books never wither. There’s just so many worlds you can visit with just a flip of a page.

I also see myself in Matilda, with regard to how her family treats her. I mean, my parents are not exactly like the Wormwoods, literally. I have my parents and a sister, who’s a complete opposite of me. I am not really close with my parents, especially with my father, like Matilda. Also, my parent’s do not abuse me like what Matilda experienced. No. It is comparable in a way that my parents doesn’t appreciate the thing I like and enjoy the same way that Matilda’s parent’s regards her love of books as something freakish and weird. I always feel that my parents have a hard time accepting my weird and boring personality.

And also, I understand how Matilda feels when her parents are forcing her to watch the telly and act all normal. In my case, it’s my mom always frowning upon my every book haul and telling me to go out and be a normal teenager, socializing with my friends. It’s not that I hate my friends. It’s just that I really enjoy books so much that I could get lost in them for hours—days, even. 

Oh and not to seem boastful or whatever but like Matilda, I really am good in Math and Literature, both when I was a kid and until I am in highschool. Well, more of the Math, though. Call me geeky, but I do love numbers and their consistency. Ask me to recite the formula for the perimeter, area, surface area or volume of a shape and I can answer you. Hahaha. Okay, I am so lifting my own seat right now. But honestly, I love geometry! I can’t help it. Haha. Sorry.

And the only thing I cannot relate with this character is her telekenetic powers. Although, I would really love to have that talent. Imagine being someone who can control things using mind power. That would be awesome. But I still think time travel is way cooler than that.

Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

This book may probably be one of the most controversial memoirs ever written. It’s not because of the theme or the content or writing style, it was because the author allegedly fabricated most of the events that he supposedly experienced while he was in a treatment facility.

But I don’t really care about that. Get past the issues surrounding this book and try to just read like it’s another fictional book. I have read this two years ago and I must say, fiction or not, this book is genuine in terms of how it depicted the destruction of a man’s life and his journey to reconstructing it. It was a story of how an alcoholic drug-addict find solace and friendship in a very unlikely place. Yes, there are a lot of books telling people’s account of how their lives in rehabilitation programs changed them for the better. Counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, friends and loved ones are what usually influenced them to find light. That’s where this book is different. In Frey’s story, it was his own self who was accountable for the crumbling of his life. He never blamed anyone. Contrary to his counselors’ treatment advice, he believed that it was his wrong choices and bad decisions that led him to this wasted life. He took the responsibility of his actions and faced the consequences and from there, he begin to try and overcome his problems.

I wish more people would read this book since it’s a very first-hand account of what it’s like to be in a rehabilitation program. Fabricated or not, readers would be able to have a look on the struggles people experience inside these kinds of facilities. Not only was the treatment plans explained, but also the extent the addicts go through to punish themselves for every mistake they’ve done. It’s painful, inspirational, and eye-opening. It is so very honest and the emotions were so raw.

I think if more people read about this, they could somehow understand the hardship these people go through. Yes, they did things that were wrong, but that doesn’t mean that we should condemn them forever. They are human beings and they also feel pain, fear and agony. And that is the reason why we shouldn’t judge them for one mistake they did.  

Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera 

This book was actually given to me as a gift for my 18th birthday. I got it from my friend and she told me that my roommate was the one who suggested it. Knowing that this roommate of mine is also an avid book lover, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Plus, I’ve read a lot of good reviews and one of my bookworm friends told me that he also enjoyed this one. And I am also a bit intrigued by its title.

But then time, passed and I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if you can see it in this picture, it’s not very clear, but the book is still in its original packaging. I haven’t even opened it yet. There’s just always another book stealing my attention when I look at my shelf. Sometimes, I’m just not in the mood for reading. And so this particular book just lie there, dusty and forgotten. Hopefully, I can find the time to read this book soon, this year.  

Day 22 – Favorite book you own

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Wow. This is the second time that this book turned up in my book challenge! 

My reason for selecting this as the favorite book I own is simple. It’s because this book is a signed copy. I almost chose the Harry Potter set but then this one won the special place in my shelf because John Green’s hand have swept over a page of it. The day I got this, I immediately opened the page with his signature and as embarrassing as it is, I rubbed my face on the little green-inked signature. I am just that crazy. I mean, hello, only the first 150,000 copies were signed and I was lucky enough to get one. How can this book not be precious? I just hope I can also get my Harry Potter series signed by JK Rowling in person. It would be the best day of my life when that happens, I am sure of it. 

Day 21 – Favorite book from your childhood

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Braum

Aside from my ever beloved Harry Potter books, this one has been read to me over and over by my mom when I was a little kid. Sadly, I can no longer find my copy of this book and I am guessing that it has been donated somewhere. But I can remember that this is the cover of the one we had before. 

Anyways, when I was a kid and cannot really read thick books like this, my mom would always read to me every weekend and this was the story I would always ask for her to read. When I grew up and was able to read by myself, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was my favorite. I don’t know how to explain exactly what attracted me at that time, but I guess I am already in love with fantasy and magical worlds even before. I mean, duh, it is so easy to believe in these kinds of stories when you are young. And maybe, it stuck to me until today.

So yes, this one is my favorite childhood book. Don’t tell me that you don’t need to read this one because you’ve already seen the Judy Garland movie. No. Like any other book-to-movie adaptations, there’s so much more in the book that are not included in the movie. Dorothy and her friends had a much more difficult adventure and let me tell you that her magic slippers are supposed to be silver. Yes. NOT RUBY RED. It’s not to late to read this. No matter how young or old you are, you would still be in for a treat. 

Day 20 – Favorite romance book

I don’t really know if this even fits the romance category but I think this book will do. I am not much of a fan of romance novels and I usually stir away from those books with almost-naked couples onn the cover. The closest think I get to romance is in the young adult books, in which it’s always teenage love and all that cheesy stuff.

So, this book is my pick for the day’s challenge. I bought this one because I liked the premise I read in the summary. It’s the story of two people getting together on the last day of college. It may be a little too late for them to realize something since they already graduated, so they agreed to stay in touch. But this is not the usual friendship thing because the catch is that they only get to talk or meet on one particular day of the year, which is every July 15th. Every chapter relates the details of their encounters on that said date from the year 1988 to 2007. Some years were good, in some they fight. What is unique is that they don’t have any romantic commitment with each other. They are free to date and whatever, but every 15th of July, they never fail to reach each other whether via personal meetings, phone calls, emails or texts.

I guess I like this book because it is a different kind of romance. In the book, we see how both characters develop. Emma’s story is the typical rags to riches as she strives to work hard for her own benefit. On the other hand, Dexter’s life is the gradual deterioration of a man due to his overwhelming indulgence with success and fame. I also like the style of this story because even though we only get a glimpse of their lives once a year, the readers would be able to feel the growing tension and the attraction between the characters. There are points in the book when I want to scream at both of them to just get it over with and be together. But then it’s nice anticipating about what will happen to them on the next years.

This book is not a happy-ending kind of story that the readers want. Those who have read this would understand what I’m saying. And I think that’s the reason why I prefer this to other romance novels that I’ve been hearing about. Its tragic and unexpected ending proved that sometimes, it’s too late. Sometimes, things depend on timing and it is important to grab every chance we are given in life. For me, these kind of endings seem more realistic than all those happy-ever-after finales.

Day 19 – Favorite book turned into a movie

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

As a firm believer of the “Books Will Always Be Better Than Their Movie Adaptations” Law, this challenge of the day was a bit difficult for me to do. I am one of those big complainers when certain books make their way into the movie screens. But then as I stared at my shelf, this book caught my eye.

I have read this book way way back when I was a senior in high school, I think. And I really enjoyed the story. It is a love story with a science fiction twist in it. I was not able to make a review of this before but basically, here’s how it goes: The story revolves around the lives of Kath, Tommy and Ruth, three best friends from Hailsham Borading School. It may seem to be an elite academy with very prim and proper, obedient students at first glance. But this place is a breeding ground for human clones created for the sole purpose of giving up their vital organs to save other people’s lives. Now it may all sound so wrong and scandalous, but what I really love about this book is that it focused on the friendship and lives of the three main characters instead of the implications and ethical issues of the said premise. 

In 2010, the movie version of this book was released and I was able to watch it. Unlike other book to movie adaptations I have watched, the changes in this one did not leave me disappointed. In the book, the series of events jumps from past to future to past again, so on and so forth. It was easy to follow in the book, of course. In the movie, it was made in chronological order and the audiences were able to witness how the characters grow and develop throughout their existence. I think this made the plot clearer to those who haven’t read the book.

Also, the setting and the feel of the movie was what I imagined while I was reading the book. I mean, with all the cloning and advances of technology, somehow, the book does’t so futuristic to me. And in the movie, it was depicted just like that as it was set in, like, around the late 80’s or early 90’s. The colors and hues of the film give a vintage and mellow ambiance which is nice. The movie was also able to capture the mysterious Hailsham Boarding School well enough. The students there were following a bunch of weird rules and they are very much in sync and orderly that the audience would easily conclude that there’s something different going on, which was actually true.

The characters Kath, Tommy and Ruth were also portrayed in a very good manner. To those who was able to watch the film, who would forget about Andrew Garfield’s heart-wrenching scream at the end? Although, Ruth seemed to be a little more colder and unfriendly in the movie. In the book, there is a deeper reason why Kath was putting up with Ruth’s bossy and manipulative behavior. Ruth and Kath are great and close friends in the book And I think that was not really touched in the movie version and Ruth seemed to be a selfish antagonist in it.

All in all, I chose this book for this day’s challenge because of all the books turned to movies, this one has fared very well in both versions with each standing with their own appeal and brilliance. The book AND the movie are both captivating.