Either I have been reading too much of what I'm supposed to read, or I've deprived myself of reading the kind of books I usually read.
Months ago, I decided to get to know the Divergent series and involve myself again in the whirl that is teen series by reading the first book in the series. I'm pointing all fingers to my friend (Hi, Arianne) who's a big fan of Hunger Games (You know their saying if you point a finger to someone, you're pointing four fingers back to yourself? Guys, please laugh). The hype for the movie last March added to my sudden urge of reading teen series once again.
You see, two years ago, I decided to follow my friend's change of path by reading only well composed literary works - the kind that boggles your mind by citing thoughts so scattered that they can't be easily put into a coherent whole to make sense of them. But the problem was my "reader personality" faltered and the next thing I knew, I stopped squeezing non-academic books into my busy college life. Upon reading Divergent, the old reader in me came back to life and started reading once again.
How it started
My supposed change of path started because of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet's love story. No, my dear friends, I'm not the evil third party who decided to go book-vegan because I'm a loser... they're fictional characters from Pride and Prejudice! Although a lot of us like to believe that they are real. When I first encountered the book all I ever thought was "Jane Austen pls" (to quote ala tumblr language). Who wouldn't go crazy reading these lines:
“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” ― Jane Austen, Pride And Prejudice (Translation: I love you)
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| via Google Images |
Now, when I think of it... I think Pride and Prejudice started it all. If you haven't read it yet, I think you're missing a whole lot of Mr. Darcy! For those who aren't inclined to reading, fret not for there is a movie adaptation starring Keira Knightley! *fireworks* Going to tell you only one thing though: "Nothing beats the book. That's a given." When you've done any of the two, go watch the Lizzie Bennet diaries over YouTube... they're really funny!
I've been quite obsessed with Murakami's works recently so I've been meaning to mention his books in my blog.
Have you heard of Hard-boiled Wonderland? The title is not really as weird as its author: Haruki Murakami. Murakami is a japanese novelist, born in Kyoto, Japan in 1949. He's the most popular Japanese novelist with works translated into English, and with millions of sales worldwide. If you want an easy story, and nothing like the pain and pleasure quality of reading classic Jane Austen, you may want to read Norwegian Wood. It's more realistic than his other works, but equally good.
So far, I've only read South of the Border, West of the Sun, After Dark, and Sputnik Sweetheart. I'm currently reading Norwegian Wood and I hope to finish it soon so I could watch the movie adaptation (from Japan, ofcourse!). When you've read a lot of Murakami works, you're going to notice a sense of similarities or a reborn of a character. Like there WILL always be a cat, mysterious woman, among others. Use this and see if you can say "girl bingo na ako!" (Girl, I've hit bingo!)
It's published in New York Times Book Review, drawn by a cartoonist for the weekly online strip "Incidental comics". I'm not even kidding. See for yourself:
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| via Tapioca.tv, via Instagram |
I think I've grown bored with the kind of books I've been reading recently, so I tried reading teen series books again since they're more adventurous and full of thrill! I don't deprive myself of the joy of series anymore, I read the books I like but explore other kinds of literature too. To quote Murakami...
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” ― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood
...but that doesn't mean you should stop reading other kinds of books! What kind of books have you been depriving yourself lately?P.S. There's a book called Me & Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter. Just in case you want to read it.
P.P.S. I would really appreciate it if you share your thoughts!
