Book review: Norwegian Wood

Just recently another author's work boomed in the market. But this time, it was an Asian author. Haruki Murakami. Familiar? Yeah, it should be. I doubt that anybody who loves to read has never heard of Murakami. His works are "hot items" nowadays. Swept by this hype, I bought my own copy, or make it, two copies of his works, just for trial. Upon reading reviews of other book bloggers, I chose "Norwegian Wood" and "After Dark" as the first books that I will read. I understand that Norwegian Wood has created a hype not only in Japan but in the whole of the readers' universe. In fact, Norwegian Wood has been created into a movie in Japan due to its popularity.

With so much curiosity and expectations, I read Norwegian Wood's first few pages with gusto. Quite frankly, I do not know what to expect, for one I have read quite a few mixed reviews of this book, mostly praises but also a few negative ones. Another thing is that I have already watched the movie version of the book, courtesy of my officemate who insisted that it was a fairly good movie for me to watch. I know that our fellow-Asian, Japanese have their own culture, sometimes, quirky, and some are just plainly weird for me but I thought maybe a glimpse inside their world will help me understand their ways of life a little. I hate to say this since I purchased his work due to the "mostly praises" that I have read about Norwegian Wood, but I find it somewhat detached. I mean, yes, it is not a Nicholas Sparks kind of novel, it is somewhat closer to reality, especially about the coming-of-age of the narrator, Toru Watanabe. But a narration that it is, I find it somewhat lacking in the connection department. Norwegian Wood, in my opinion is a "true" love story. And what I mean by true, is that it is somehow closer to what happens in the real world but the idea is to narrate it as a narration and nothing else. Maybe Japanese people are really somewhat detached. Maybe I am so used to the Western kind, which attaches and touches you as you read each part. But I just think that when reading a novel, of course I am not talking about biographies and stuff, I deem it proper to put in some feelings that will make the readers relate to the story or at least live them in their subconscious minds. This element, I think is what Norwegian Wood lacks as a novel. As of this entry, I have also finished reading After Dark, actually I read After Dark first before Norwegian Wood, and it left the same impression on me. Well, maybe Haruki Murakami's works are not my cups of tea. I love Midori's character, though. She is liberated and yet emotional, sometimes she struck me as a little bit weird, but I admire her ability to open up and express herself honestly. Something that I cannot fathom doing myself. And to think that this is 1960's to 1970's. Quite a gutsy lady, I must say.

Book review: The Last Song

Nicholas Sparks made me cry yet again. I just finished his book "The Last Song" early this morning, and by early, I mean 1:30AM. Yeah. I stayed awake long enough to finish the book even though I have work the following day. Well, I can't help it. I want to sleep already but I cannot put the book down since I am already at the climax. When I went to bed, my eyes are red and when I woke up this morning, they are swollen and very puffy. I can barely look at my boss in the eye when he was talking to me since I don't want him to ask about it.

Anyway, I find The Last Song a beautiful book. It is not, though, comparable to A Walk to Remember, also by Sparks. This one I think has to be retitled. The title used is talking about the lead character's dad and his relationship with her. But as I read the book, although at the beginning, it lead me to think that this will be a book about parent-child relationship with a little love story on the side as what the summary at the back of the book states, I do not think it is like that. I think the book revolved more about Ronnie's relationship with Will, and her acquaintances than her relationship with her dad. Although, there are bits and pieces about it scattered here and there, I do not really find it suiting to the title except for the latter part of the book. And I think it was kind of rushed into place as if Sparks realized that the book is about to end without much said about the father which is what the book is supposed to be.

Over all, I think there are some more loose ends to be tied and I wish that it was executed more fitting to the title it bears. Although the love story is good, seems to me, everything just came to a halt with this aspect as Sparks incorporate the role of Ronnie's father into the story more clearly than on the early part. I just wish that Sparks either made it longer or separate these two aspects by splitting it into 2 publishing, like a 2-part series kind novel.

As all was said and done, bottom line is Sparks made me cry again and I can relate to the story although mine would have had its own twists. I view Sparks works as tear-jerkers and as I purchase this book, I have already been expecting it really to make me cry my eyes out and it did not fail me. I appreciate the fact that Nicholas Sparks still has his tear-magic spell going on on me. And with that, I am thankful.

My only frustration: I cannot find a copy that has its original cover on it instead of the movie version cover. Something I really hate when a novel has been made into a movie.

Book review: Eat Pray Love

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert has created a hype since it was published last 2006. As a fiction reader, memoirs and inspirational books never stirred my curiosity before. As a student, at the time of the publication of Gilbert’s novel, the schedule of my student life has been very chaotic and school readings here and there has already occupied my time that there’s no more room for some luxury reads.

Now that I am being very conscious of my reading, I let myself be swept by the still very hyped-up novel of Gilbert’s, especially now that it already has a movie adaptation showing. First things first, by the time that I bought the novel, the book cover has already changed from its original simple, macaronis that form the word “eat”, and the word “pray” formed by a Buddhist rosary, and the word “love” written in scarves, the new book cover is now changed to the movie illustration. Julia Roberts sitting on a bench that she shares with two nuns and the three of them are eating their ice creams on a cup, with Italian backdrop is now adorning the cover of Gilbert’s novel. Although I love the look of Julia Roberts in the cover, posed as if she is the happiest child on earth with her ice cream spoon inside her mouth, looking around her with her doe-eyes, I still want the original cover, which I always prefer.

Reading the book, the first part of which is Gilbert’s agony in New York and then she flew to Italy to experience “pleasure”, away from her chaotic life in New York, the book has already failed to capture me. For me, the most important part of a book is the beginning, the first few pages of the first chapter. If the beginning does not interest me, it would be a struggle already to continue reading. As really want to know what the hype is all about, I gave it the benefit of the doubt and continue reading. The Italy part is about the pleasure of eating and learning a new language. As I am also a food blogger, I expect myself to like this since it talks mostly about the food that Gilbert explored and discovered while in Italy. But I must admit, the book failed my expectation and did not satisfy my hunger for imaginary food trip. Although I understand that it is not a food blog or review, I thought since she is talking about the pleasure of Italian food, she should have gave it a more delicious approach.

The next stop, which is India, has been a nightmare for me. Not only did Gilbert sang a lullaby to me, she also used this part to yak. While reading the India part, I expect it to be serene, to be divine, to let her fly me to religious pleasure and at one point or another, give me a peace of mind, a calming effect. But no, I felt that she just went on ranting about her life, her disappointments, that the “magical” serenity that I have been looking for was blocked out. I think she just yak and yak her way throughout the chapter that when finally, there was a moment of tranquility and divinity, I can only read without feeling anything as if I’m a corpse, letting be pushed in a coffin.

The third part, Indonesia is supposed to wrap up the whole novel by combining what she has learned and discovered in Italy and in India. This part, I like. I think, this is the only chapter where there really is a story. Where Gilbert finally let go of the objective of the chapter and instead focused on telling how the events really occurred while staying in Bali. This is the only part where I enjoyed the whole chapter without falling asleep or urging to fight away the sleepiness that has been creeping in.

All in all, I suggest that if you really want to discover what Eat Pray Love was all about, just borrow a copy from somebody than buying one for yourself. This is one of the books which the moment I put down, I would have to force myself to pick up again to continue reading. I think I got my expectation way high above that the novel failed to meet it.

Book review: P.S. I Love You

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern was released years ago and has also been made to a movie last 2007. But it is only this time that I get to read it. Not that I cannot get a hold of a copy, but because I have been avoiding it. I did not hear of the book when it was released because I was not that keen on reading novels since I was busy with school then. When I heard about the movie, I was in a limbo with regards to my relationship at that time so it was a choice not to watch the movie so as not to depress myself. I was very tempted at that time because of the rave about the movie but I also happen to know through a little research that it is such a tear-jerker so I really have to force myself to skip it. After a while, since the movie is a hit, the bookstores' shelves would always bear P.S. I Love You at the front, where everyone can see it without searching. Again, the temptation of grabbing a copy was so intense but I was scared to read it. It is only now that I have convinced myself that I have finally moved on that I got the nerve to buy myself a copy.

As I start reading the book the other night, I was still skeptic. I do not know what to expect, except for the fact that the book as one of the critics' say is indeed a tear-jerker, "4 1/2 hankies out of 5". As I read the first few pages, I was immediately hooked. I can barely put it down even as the night got deeper. I was almost half-way through when I finally let myself drag me to sleep. I was not able to read last night since I was pretty busy so I continued this morning till tonight. I have already finished the 370-page novel of Ahern.
The plot is incredible. I love the characters in the story because each of them is real. I mean, the characters' emotions are very real that its as if these people truly exists. Cecelia did not bother to sugar-coat a thing and she played with the characters as honestly as she could.

The dark days of Holly were so true that its as if you can reach out and stroke her hair to make her feel better. Gerry's love has been so great and pure that you will find yourself half-wishing if you can trade places with Holly. Holly's siblings each has their own lives and yet even though they are not the main characters, Ahern still gave them enough share of their own limelight and yet did not overpower the story of Holly and Gerry.

Overall, the novel is great. Ahern may added a few more characters into the story as it progresses but she did not add them to confuse the readers and she neither did just add them there just to abandon them after their "purpose" at the moment. She gave them their own stories, their own life, and managed to incorporate them to Holly's life smoothly.

Though I must admit that the novel did not gave me much tears to pour, there are some parts where I did cry but not as much as I expected, (or dreaded). I do not however recommend you to compare with me because as I am a little cry baby, I cannot decipher my emotions these past few weeks. I have been having problems processing my emotions so my not crying that much cannot rely upon.

One thing that I have learned though, it that it really is not an option to solely rely to your husband or to anybody else whether financially or emotionally. Holly had a hard time keeping up with the financials after Gerry died that she have, at one point, has to ask her mother to pay for her internet use. The point is, the novel just proved me right and supported my personal policy of having my own money, and my own source of living regardless if I would have a wealthy husband or not. It was also a lesson to be learned for me not to rely on any other person your completeness as a being (which I tend to do with my past relationships). You wouldn't know how to get up on your own once that "life" of yours has already gone. It is also a lesson learned for me that you also have to understand other people's feelings as much as you want them to understand yours. Them being happy when you are suffering does not mean that they are insensitive, they have the will to move on and continue their life which you should also consider doing for yourself. And for once, I truly believe, with the help of this novel that indeed, Happiness is a choice. Brooding about something that you have no control of is just a waste of time. The world do not stop its journey while you are wasting your time brooding over something you cannot change. It continues and you should try to catch up or risk being stuck somewhere only to wake up into an entirely new world.

Book review: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti

I just finished reading I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci. The story as a whole, for me is okay. I mean it is a memoir anyway so Giulia is only narrating her life to the readers, particularly, her love life. The relationships that she had, each ending tragically, only because Giulia would always tend to expect a happy ending with these men only to find out in the end that their relationship with her is destined to only be short-lived. The whole point of the book, I think is that for every failed relationship that Giulia would encounter, one of the things that kept her sane, is food. The same goes even if she is enjoying the romantic period of each relationship. I must admit that the only things that made me keep on going with this book are the recipes. I want to know what food will Giulia prepare for the next event on her life. Although, I must also say that Giulia has a skill in writing wherein she always manage to "wake" me whenever I encounter a slow part of the book. Basically, I think that Giulia made the right decision to write a book about love and food combined. I think this combination is so good because most of the readers love love stories, and they also like to eat. But to be fair enough, although I find some parts of the book, quite boring, I was still entertained. I think the fact that this book tells about her life, made this more entertaining and exciting.

For the food lovers though, you will not be satiated by the love story on which this book revolves because for almost every food that Giulia made for occasions, recipes are included in the book. And I love the side comments that she sometimes adds at the end of the cooking procedures. But the best feature for me is the fact that whenever something that has been cooked before makes a comeback on the succeeding recipe, Giulia always include the page number where you will find the recipe of that particular item (example: pasta). And I have observed that Giulia made a whole lotta pasta over her adult life. No wonder her book title suggested spaghetti. In general, I think I can give this book a rating of 3/5. This is due to some references that I cannot relate with simply because it is neither too old or too rare. But I can't wait to try some of her pasta recipes. I am just grateful that I have recipes without buying a cookbook.

Book Review: Love, Rosie

I have been reading a lot of books over the years and just to put this habit into good use, I thought of writing reviews about these novels. I will try to write a review for every book that I read from now on and if I can, I may also write something about the books that I've read in the past. That is, if I can still remember those novels.

One book that really entertained me is "Love, Rosie" by Cecilia Ahern. Ahern is the daughter of the former Irish official, who has a Journalism degree under her belt. I heard of Ahern for the first time when the movie "P.S. I Love You" came out. I was not that interested on the book, and I did not watch the movie either because I was, at that moment, under the spell of pain. A love just ended and I was not ready to watch or read anything that speaks of ended relationships. But after several trips to my favorite bookstore and countless visits to fora that recommends good reads, I was persuaded. In these actual and virtual visits, "P.S. I Love You" always stands out. So I thought, maybe the book is really that good that a recommendation list is never complete without it included. When I was about to finally buy a copy of this novel, I stopped and diverted instead to Ahern's other novels. After browsing a bit, I finally decided to purchase "Love, Rosie" instead. I guess, I really don't believe that I can read "P.S. I Love You" yet, since I know that I really am not yet ready.

Love, Rosie is a chic-lit novel that tells about childhood best friends who happened to be of the opposite sex. The novel is composed mostly of exchanged notes, letters, and e-mails between these two characters, Rosie and Alex. Each exchange tells of the latest happenings on their lives, full of their true feelings but coated in a wad of fabrications. Each stories shared to each other are true yet some are pretentious.

I laughed and cried throughout the novel and after reading the whole thing, I felt touched. The story speaks of the truth. What happened to Rosie and Alex is not impossible. The plot is not at all fiction. Of every relationship, some things are better left unsaid. But sometimes, you have to take the risk of losing something, or someone. So that you can freed your own self and be honest to the person concerned. Anyway, the person involved has the right to know the truth behind all the inconsistencies and conflicting behaviors you have been displaying. The truth shall set you free. And in this story, the truth has indeed set both Rosie and Alex free.

From Princesses to Murderers

I am a book lover. I prefer buying books and reading it while in bed, in coffee shops, instead of listening to it. What with audio books or podcasts everywhere. I love turning pages of read-worthy books. Kind of books that will certainly take your breath away, making you ache to know the next thing that will happen, those that will make you keep your hands clutch tightly on the book as events unfold.

I have been reading quite a lot of books since I was in Elementary. It ranges from Sweet Valleys to those book report types. But, as much as a book lover that I am, I never had a favorite author. Even though every time I fill up a friend's slum book, I always write Francine Pascal as my favorite author. Growing up, my love for book reading did not at all, ceased. But it has lessen. What with textbooks and textbooks that school teachers require us to read. I just do not have time for leisure reading anymore. It is when I am about to graduate in college that I started the habit of reading again. I have read a variety of books but I have discovered that chic-lit books are what I mostly opt for. It is because of the fact that my life is already stressful that I want something that could lift my spirits or make me laugh at the very least instead of cry a river thing. Well, sometimes though I read those tear-jerker books like Nicolas Sparks' A Walk to Remember. Anyway, in my search of beautifully crafted chic-lit books, I found Princess Diaries. Of course, with the help of cable channels showing Mia Thermopolis' transformation. I dived into the royal world of Mia. But, I did not however, finish all the published installment. I guess, I have grown away from it.

Last year, I have scanned my stacks of magazines and tried to search for books featured on these mags to add to my collection. I am aching to read again but I want those fun, light ones, so that it won't add to the heaviness of my emotional baggage. It was then that I came across "Size 14 Is Not Fat Either". At first, I did not realize the author. I mean, I just wrote down the title, the author, and then head to Nat'l Bookstore to purchase it. But then, the book was a little over my budget at that time so I did not buy is as planned. It was only last month that I saw it again, with much a lower price than the first time I saw it. So, naturally, I bought it. The 1st and the 2nd installment. I left the 3rd installment behind thinking that I will buy it after the first two installment. Well, honestly, to "test the waters". If I will like the story or not.

So now, I just finished the 2nd installment of Heather's Mysteries, she is the Mia in this series I am blabbering about. She is the heroine of Meg's crime novel. And now that I have finished reading the 2nd installment, I am really disappointed of myself that I did not buy the 3rd installment. It is really a magnificent novel. Meg Cabot do not only know royalty and grandeur. She also know murders, stories I mean, and executes it perfectly. I sooo love this Heather Wells' Mysteries series. Meg wrote the story not only thrillingly but also comically. Okay, you may not be convinced on the greatness of the outcome of this combination. But, it is real awesome. You should try reading this to see for yourself. I know you will be addicted to it. You will be actively thinking with Heather, trying to solve the puzzle yourself. But this kind of thinking you wouldn't mind doing. You would laugh on the hysteria of Heather's bouncy life. You would be frustrated on Heather's love life.

Meg Cabot is simply a chic-lit novelist alright. A princess of her own field as I can say.