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?

What is it with my luck this week?

Just look at what I got today! Another book! And not just any book, it’s Insurgent! The one book I am dying to have ever since it was officially released last May 1st. I have read it already on eBook but it’s a different feeling having the actual book. Oh and finding it is not what I’m referring to as my luck. No. I considered this day lucky because this book was given to me by my cousin. Yes, I got another book for free. It’s was just yesterday that I got my Wreck This Journal, literally.

I received a call from Denise, asking me if I’m free to meet up today because she’ll give me a “treat”. Since I don’t have anything to do today, I agreed to go to her house a while ago. Turns out, it was her payday today and she was off to buy books (she’s a bookworm too!) and she saw this on display at SM Manila. She knew that I was looking for this because I lend her Divergent (the first book in the series) and she also was waiting for this. So she bought two, one for me and one for herself. I though she was going to ask me to pay since that was what we talked about when we were both looking for the book but then she told me that it was her treat since, like I said, her payday.

So yes, I am very much shocked and overwhelmed with the luck I have been experiencing for these couple of days. I am seriously wondering if I really deserve such gifts. I am scared that this will give me something bad in return, sometime in the future. But right now, I am so very thankful for having such kind and giving friends and relatives. Someday, I’ll return the favor. I swear.

They say that first love never dies, that the flashbacks will haunt you forever. But I guess it’s not the sweet memories you’ve had with the person that actually lingers. I think it’s the fact that this person was the one who made that first crack in your perfectly healthy, undamaged heart.

Awesome-est friend ever.

Lalalalala. My happiness right now is inexplicable because of this book. It’s been so long, and I finally got my hands on it! I am just so freaking happy. You might say that I am overreacting but I really don’t care. I wanted to have this book (well it’s not actually a book) so bad for the last couple of years and I have been hunting for it in every bookstore I go to.

And all these feelings won’t exist if not for my very awesome friend, AJ. It was our enrollment today and she told me that she has a surprise for me. Of course, I wondered what it was because she is the type who never gives gifts or whatever for no special occasion. I thought it was just some souvenir or trinkets from the US since she spent her summer there.

Imagine my utter surprise when she handed this to me. I was so overwhelmed that I jumped and hugged her. Apparently, her family went to Barnes and Noble and there, she spotted this book. She told me that she remembered how I was so desperate to find one (she was always with me when I am searching for the book in every bookstore possible). And the astonishing thing was that she bought it. FOR ME. Free of charge.

You have to understand that this is a big deal because AJ doesn’t treat anyone even on her birthday. So I was really really thankful for what she did. She’s one of my closest friends in college but I never thought I would like her more that I already do. Seriously. Again, AJ Bird, thank you so much for this. I really am glad that I have a friend like you. You know me so well. I don’t know how to thank you enough. I love you, baby girl!

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.