books that have changed my life

Ok, so these books haven't changed my life. I mean, i'm still plodding along on towards the same destination as I would have been had I not read these books, but they've definitely done something. Maybe I should have titled this post: books that have made a dent in my life.

(in no particular order)

Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume. Aside from the dozens of Choose Your Own Adventure books I read as a child (and being kia-su I used to go back and choose all the different options to make sure I had experienced the best outcome), this is the only book that stuck in my mind. I read it in Year 5, when I was 10, and when my teachers found I was reading this book, confiscated it because there's a sex scene in the book, where heroine sleeps with the guy while she has a period, so they do it on a beach blanket to hide the mess. I have no idea why I remember that! This was probably my first inkling into grown up fiction.

Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown. Either Dan Brown had magnificent timing, or he secretly planned the assassination of the millenium. This book was released in 2005 and I read it literally just before the death of Pope John Paul II. Reading this book taught me about the processes of conclave, and the meaning of the white or black smoke. This book also taught me about Rome's architectural history, and fictitious or not, provided me with an enormous amount of appreciation when I finally made it to Rome in 2009. PS - not so crash hot on the movie.

The Bride Stripped Bare, anonymous. Wow, I don't even know what to say about this book except that it clearly left a mark because I've recommended it everyone (except my mother) and it has left the same mark on them. A fictitious story based around the concept of the discovery of a journal belonging to a woman who hurled herself off a cliff, this novel details (and when I say detail I mean detail) her most intimate and explicit feelings, leading up to her mysterious death. Every woman should read this book.

Night, by Elie Wiesel. The true story of Elie Wiesel and his Jewish family, and their experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald through the second world war. Slim book, but heavy. Heavy.

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyers. Need I say more? I had to force myself not to place this book on the top of this list, because it is afterall meant to be in no particular order. This book made me fall crazily, shamelessly in love with a fictional character like I have never done before. It made me inhale all four books in the series within a week, it even made me pre-order the movie on bluray, and consequently watched it too many times. It's now made me download the preview to the sequel and secretly watch it whenever Panu walks out of the room. That's dedication!

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. The protagonist of the book is indeed not the Kite Runner of the title. The Kite Runner refers to his best friend and servant, who has the most profound impact on his life - childhood and adult. This book had me in the first paragraph, and I was glued to the very last sentence. It's written so richly that I was so sure it was non-fiction, but it's fiction... and the most colourful humanitarian story I have read in my life... from his privileged childhood in Kabul to his struggle in America, you really do believe Amir is real.

The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls. The complete opposite of The Kite Runner, this book chronicles Jeanette Walls' astonishingly impoverished childhood to her building a successful like in New York. And this story is real life non-fiction. Sure it might be embelished for artistic credit, but the story of her childhood is amazing, tear jerking, and really makes you appreciate what you've got.

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. I don't think this book so much changed my life, nor did it dent it. It did however, throw a complete curve ball at me - I have never read such a bizarre book, with such crazy imaginative authoring... and this is a serious book, tackling the very real issue of modernisation vs religion. If this ever gets made into a movie, I'll be the first in line. Amazing, original, mind-boggling, addictive stuff.

the host

Like many other fans of the Twilight series, when i got to the final page of Breaking Dawn, i felt lost, helpless, hopeless... and without a desire to ever read any other series again. Ever. I'd wander through Borders, touching random book covers and reading blurbs of books whose spines had caught my attention. But... nothing. In despair (oh, me the drama queen), i picked up the other Stephenie Meyer book, The Host, hoping that well, if she did so good with Twilight, she might just do good again.

The Host for me, was a roller coaster ride... I didn't immediately take to it, but then I grew to love it. And then I lost interest... and then it peaked again. And then i hated it. So, I can't recommend nor can I not recommend this book to anyone. I think it's up to you. The storyline is original, set in an alternate Earth where alien souls have taken over human bodies (and wipes our minds in the process). A particular soul Wanderer, takes over the body of a girl Melanie... who refuses to give up her mind. So together they go in search of Melanie's lover (who is still human and in hiding)... and together they become friends, and both fall in love with Jared....

Again, Stephenie Meyer has managed to turn a potentially thrilling sci-fi story into a love story instead - a great art she mastered with the Twilight series. I did like most of the book... but not the ending, and it's a pity that's what sticks in my mind.

all tech'd up!

Wow it's been 5 days since my last post? This week has passed in tedium, but at least it has flown. I can't believe it's Friday, but surely not unappreciating the fact. It's been one of those weeks where one day blurs into the next effortlessly, which again, is appreciated.

I know though that I've spent way more than my allocated weekly allowance this week. My week's shopping list looked a little like...

1. Bose iPod Dock ~ the music quality of our little apartment just improved by about two billion times (i exaggerate you not!). Assisted by the natural acoustics of being in the basement, with wood flooring throughout, i cannot even begin to express how awesome this system is.

2. Samsung NC10 netbook ~ oh yes people, netbook, not notebook. for those who aren't in the know, netbooks are the product of what would happen if two small notebooks got together and fornicated. these are baby tiny little laptops, mine's 10.2" and weighing in at only 1.3kgs. My new toy!

3. Sennheiser earphones ~ because my toxic ear sweat continuously destroys any ear phone that I have, I thought i'd invest in a good sturdy sports pair. Enter, Sennheiser. This purchase was a bummer though because my ears are so miniscule, they don't fit properly and fall off when I run. Back to the drawing board.

4. Pressies ~ pressies for friends and babies back home in Oz. This I can't elaborate on, because they read this exact blog... so... i can say that i am proud of the pressies though, gee I did a good job!

In other news, I am still morbidly in love with Edward Cullen (I know, even I'm getting sick of this obsession), and am reading New Moon. I dont want to ruin it for anyone else about to read it, but ok, there is just too much Jacob and not enough Edward! Come on!

Incidentally, I watched a few youtube clips of interviews with Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen in the movie. He does nothing for me at all. I really mean at all. In fact I found him somewhat irritating. He giggles! Edward broods. Give me the brooding vampire any day.

Guess that confirms that I should just head back to my early adolecense then and continue having a schoolgirl crush on a completely fictional character.

the glass castle

last week i finished reading The Glass Castle, a memoir by New York journalist Jeanette Walls, telling of her most impoverished childhood to an extent where you just read with your mouth half agape, astonished that this is real, and utterly amazed by the absence of any resentment towards her parents for bringing them up in this way.

i'm normally a fiction kind of gal, the not-too-heavy variety... chick lits, thrillers, Dan Browns... but once in a while I find myself reading something 'serious' and finding that one great book impacts my life a hundred fold more than a bunch of fictions. This was one of those.

I highly highly recommend this book. it's funny and heartbreaking at the same time... it's written with beautiful simplicity... it makes you cherish everything you have... and makes you love your parents that little bit more.

This is a snippet of an interview with Jeanette, but it might not mean much to you unless you've read the book. Her mother... what an incredibly selfish woman, but still, Jeanette holds no resentment.

paulo coelho, not so crap afterall...

I read Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist some time ago - if you recall my post, i thought the story was far too spiritual and well, full of crap really. which is a big call for me to make - me, who can read anything and watch anything for entertainments' sake!

However, on a friend's insistance, i decided to give Coelho another chance, and bought Eleven Minutes. This book follows the ethical journey of Maria, a young Brazilian girl who travels abroad seeking fame and fortune but falls into prostitution. It delves deeply into taboo topics and notions that I'm sure we all think about, and challenges opinions we all must have. I've just finished Eleven Minutes today. Verdict? I still question Coelho's writing style (but this may have something to do with Spanish translation) however the story is well worth reading...

Today i spent another $25 on Coelho's Veronika Decides to Die. Haven't started reading but the plot sounds interesting... Veronika tries to take her life, but wasn't quite successful - she lies in hospital, the damage to her heart so great that she has only a few days left to live.. and it is during this time that she learns the value of her life...

As you can see I'm moving away from pure commercial trash into books that, while being fiction, can still add value and insight into my life...

fear and loathing...

So I finished reading The Alchemist. Opinion? I really really didn't like it. Maybe I'm just a science baby at heart but this book is the most spiritual piece of writing I have laid eyes on - oh except for the Bible. The theme of self discovery are fine, I agree with them. But I found myself physically shaking my head in disagreement as I read. The way the story is told is so.. sooooo... I don't even know the word for it. Fluffy? You know, like - we'll summon the soul of the wind and the soul of the sun and the soul of the desert and I'll fly like the wind - that kind of crap (sorry, maybe not crap to other people but crap to me).

Glad it's over.

Now reading Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. This was made into a movie starring Benecio Del Toro and Johnny Depp, but I'd never read the book. 6 chapters down and it's awesome! 2 guys driving through the desert in a highly drug induced state - imagining people turning into reptiles.. crazy flocks of bats...

*sigh* maybe I should have read The Alchemist in a drug induced state....

must have been bad steak

Ok I've deduced it was just bad steak... cos I feel at lot better today, physically anyway. Not sure if anyone (besides my mum) worried but tis cool.. I'm healthy again.

Currently reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Appropriate as it's a story about symbols, omens and following your dreams. Has anyone else read it? Heavy story, considering it's only 167 pages long...

In other news, going to the Drum & Bass Home Brewed this weekend. Should be fun....?