We Were Liars

Some people go to the spa to de-stress. I, on one hand, like to go in literature heaven. 

My week was very exciting, interesting and crazy -- short of being a heart-attack inducing kind. We were running on adrenaline beating a deadline and we all went around the world looking for someone, a team, an individual who can resolve an issue for us. We've touched based with colleagues from all available time zones. It was heady. It was toxic. 

But, oh boy, it felt good. We were on a high. I was thriving in it. But in between those moments is a trough... at this point, I need a good read to stabilize my world. Make everything upright again. 

So, I selected from my iBooks shelf the book, We Were Liars by e. lockhart. I didn't know what to expect. It didn't look extraordinary but I started reading anyway. 

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

The first few chapters made we wonder if it was worth pursuing. There was much rambling. I thought all along that it was just one of those young adult novels that glorify teenage angst. 

Something though compelled me to turn the pages. Each page is painfully heartbreaking. Inner conflict must be the most troubling of all conflicts. And when you're young where and whom do you anchor? 

It's a story of a privileged teenage girl who lost a memory of her entire summer. She comes from a family of old money and trust funds. Of relations that pin their future on the will from their patriarch's fortune. 

She suffers from debilitating migraines and headaches while she strives hard to reconstruct the events leading to her ailment. But it's elusive. She has selective amnesia. She weaved through daily life occurences and memories. She grasps at shreds and snatches of conversations to understand what had happened to her and the family. What has happened that affected her entire extended family's existence. 

The reveal in the end was not what I expected. I kept on thinking she's going to get better and be well. Instead, in the end I cried with her. 

That summer in her desire to teach her family a lesson about how temporary possessions are; that in an instant it can be gone so your happiness and future should not be pinned on them. In a night of youthful brazeness, she and her cousins committed arson. 

Tragically, it turned out fatal. The people they sought to punish for being materialistic lost more than the antiques, fine arts and collectibles. Young, promising lives were lost because of one single act -- the arrogance of the young, its devastating destructiveness. 

And so I wept with Cadence. 

Beautiful, beautiful story. 

What was on your night table this week? Or at your reading corner?

Xx

Sheng

On my night stand: Divergent

Move over, Hunger Games. There's a new book in town: Divergent. 

The book, Divergent is also a trilogy and is also for young adult readers. It shares the same genre, protagonist (girl) and plot. 

In terms of imaginative storytelling, I'd say Hunger Games is still a winner in my book. But Divergent has won me over its pace, character development and cheesy love story.

That said, I was hesitant to read it at first. I didn't want to compare it with Hunger Games and be dismayed. But my friend Erika said it's actually a good read. And that I'd be hooked, too. 

True enough, I read it in one sitting. It was that enjoyable to read. It's not a gripping novel but it does give you that feeling to root for the lead characters. 

It is a story of a girl (Beatrice) who lives in a society (distant future of Chicago) that categorize its people. In the book they were called factions based on virtues. Think: tribes. There are four factions: Abnegation (selflessness and giving), Dauntless (brave), Erudite (intelligent), Amity (peaceful), and Candor (honest).

The story begins with the introduction of the characters leading to the Choosing Ceremony. It's like voting. They do it when their 16 years old. On this day, they choose who they want to be associated with in the factions. And develop those characteristics or virtues once they've joined their chosen faction. 

Beatrice Prior and her brother Caleb Prior come from the Abnegation faction. Interestingly, the Abnegation faction are government people. Leaders in fact. They were appointed because of the fact that they are incorruptible as they are selfless and giving. 

On the day of the Choosing Ceremony, Caleb chose Erudite and Beatrice went to Dauntless. However, in the aptitude test prior to the Choosing Ceremony, Beatrice's result didn't particularly point to any of the factions. What she exhibited was to have a bit of all the factions. And that makes her Divergent. 

But being Divergent is dangerous. So, she was told to keep mum about it.

The conflict arises when those from the Erudite are feeling discontent to the policies and leadership of the ruling Abnegation. A rebellion ensued. In the end, the good triumphs over evil.

I like that it touches on basic issues such as familial love, individuality, friendship, fears and hope. I think that kids would not just be entertained reading it but would also come to terms with how they value their worth in the society. And realize that there is no singular reason, aptitude or virtue that is valued in the world. 

Everyone deserves a place. That each of us can't be fitted into a certain mold. We have different virtues in each one of us. And that community is largely improved by interaction and relationship building. 

Am excited to get started with its next book entitled, Insurgent.

I'd recommend it anytime. A good read this summer. And a movie to watch out for in 2014. (The movie rights has already been purchased and lead stars are already chosen.)

Get your copy now at Fully Booked. The paperback sells at P399. If you're a Book Perks member (like me) you get 10% on your purchase. Yay!

Happy reading!

XX

Sheng

Book Review: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

What is a hedgehog? A deceptively indolent little creature, fiercely solitary- and terribly elegant. Here is a parallelism of two life stories that somehow intersected in a social norm called, interaction. This is a story of similarities and contradictions -- of a building concierge seemingly content to her fate of being a wallflower and of a privileged teenager, dissatisfied and full of angst. Say, hello to 'The Elegance of the Hedgehog.'

One of the best I've read in my lifetime.

The book started out slow for me. I felt that the writer was way too condescending, self-absorbed and elitist. Yet, I had this nagging feeling that there must be a twist somewhere in the story. So, I was compelled to get through the obstacle. 

The french novelist, Muriel Barbery who wrote this book, skillfully employed wit, cynicism intertwined with a pragmatist point of view and a healthy dose of humor. 

It shares two voices, two point views of parallel lives. Of a concierge, (Renee) who observes that she has to live a double life, if only to ensure that she doesn't become an aberration to the society's expectations of what a concierge should be -- slow, unrefined, and uneducated. 

But here the protagonist is far from being a dim wit. She loves the written word. In fact, she is constantly surrounded by philosophers in her free time and ponder on their philosophies as to its significance in her time. She enjoys tea, the theater and visual arts.

Meanwhile, a 12 year old Paloma Josse is an upper class kid who lives a privileged life yet unhappy and thinks that life is not worth living. She views the people around her as shallow so more often than not, she criticizes everyone around her.

She sees Renee all the time and suspects that an intelligent woman hides behind that stoic facade.

As fate would have it, one of the celebrated tenants, a food critic, of 7 Rue de Grenelle died. It paved the way for the arrival of a new tenant, a cultured Japanese businessman named Kakuro Ozu. 

He shares Paloma's suspicion of Renee. He befriended both. In the short course of their friendship, Paloma through Renee, realizes that not everyone pursues vanity at the expense of their intelligence while Renee, for the first time in her life, feels that life is worth living. Short-lived as it was, she died a tragic death, she found meaning and affirmation.

As I leafed through the pages, I realized these 3 things:  

1. Stereotype is universal.  
Anywhere in the world, we live by a certain code. And it is largely affected by ones social standing. I believe it's the "caste system" of the modern society. We think that only the rich are gourmands, only the rich are cultured and sophisticated. 

When you're in the lower rung of the society, you're supposed to NOT appreciate opera music, ballet, museums. And that your interests are confined to soap operas and street gossip. 

But I strongly disagree. Case in point: I know of a chauffeur (driver) who's hobby is to read a book daily. And am so envious of him because he gets his dose of reading pleasure while earning his dough. 

Therefore, no one should be judged by the size of his wallet or educational attainment. One maybe schooled but not learned. Intellectual and cultural pursuits transcend generation and social status.


2.Meaningful conversations bridge a gap, any gap. 
The social divide between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots, can be narrowed down if we start tearing down preconceived notions of what and where are our stations in life should be. When we start reaching out to those around us, even those we think below our station, we will be surprised at the depth that they hold. 

And that chatter can turn into healthy conversations. And that hollow pit you feel outside of an unpretentious talk is surprisingly a welcome breather. 

When one opens up to the vast possibilities then, the universe will conspire to make people of the same interests and desires cross their paths. 

3. Cocooning out of ones shell means 'coming out'. 
 One doesn't have to be an extrovert to connect with people. We just need to be more receptive to take the time to talk to the elevator man, the food vendor on the street, the taxi driver you rode with this morning, and that colleague you often see at your favorite hangout. These people may share your interests therefore allowing you to truly broaden your horizon. After all, life is lived in reality and not at the safety of ones head.
 
Go, get your copy at your favorite bookstore. You may also try Amazon, if you're too lazy to go out. See, the options are infinite. Read it now. No excuses.

Book Review: The Blind Side

“The essence of our effort to see that every child has a chance must be to assure each an equal opportunity, not to become equal, but to become different - to realize whatever unique potential of body, mind and spirit he or she possesses” ~ John Fischer 

We had been planning to start a book club. Over the months (or is it a year already?), it has evolved into an online book club as one of our members, Joyce now resides and teaches yoga in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Our first book is The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. Needless to say, we promptly missed the book club discussion -- something to do with mixed up in time zones and connectivity. Besides, my two other friends and members, Joyce and Febz, weren't able to finish the book. Hahaha. 

The book is an extraordinary real-life account of how a marginalized black kid who has the gift of football greatness as observed by the local coaches and confirmed by an independent but with authority talent scout, Tom Lemming beats the odds, in life and in the game.

The drama unfolds when a white family not just help but adopts, legally, Michael Oher -- the celebrated albeit virtually unknown football great, left tackle considered to be the ideal position to counter the blind side of the quarterback. His is a story of a black kid living in a dilapidated housing community bereft of a mother's care but with a combined innate ability in athletics, gigantic body build, and height.

As a child he dreamt of becoming the next Michael Jordan. But in school he drifted from basketball to football, never really seeing himself in the game but prodded by the coaches who see his potential. Without the care of his drunkard mother, his education is hampered. It's as if he really hasn't learned at all. In fact, his IQ was only measured at 80 but the teachers just let him go on to the next level, passing on to someone else's the responsibility of molding him.

The series of life "accidents" propelled him to be in the right place at the right time paved a way for him to fulfill the promise of greatness. It is as they say, the road was never straight and narrow but winding and full of humps and forks.

Reading the book needs total concentration and keenness on details as it's sprinkled with sports statistics, characters and jargons. For a non-football fan, it makes the reading quite taxing.

As I read it though, I tended to focus and identify on its emotional appeal. It is such an amazing real life story of how second chances could transform a life of an individual. And how people who are powerless, economically and socially can hope for a future. It reinforces America's image of a country that offers equal opportunity. But it doesn't belie the fact that the road can be lonely and is a huge undertaking.

And it can be true to any society. On two counts, I am deeply moved. One, that there are people who are willing to go out on a limb for other people. That care is a universal suit. Or armor. Second, though talent is not enough, it is a springboard. And when you harness it, the universe conspires to make it happen.

Whether in first world America or in third world Philippines, a gem can be found even in unlikeliest places. It may be from the heart of the slums. If you are in a position to extend a hand, the fate of one 'hopeless and hapless' individual can be turned.

It makes me appreciate more what those Futsal/Street Football sponsors are doing. I believe that in the long run, not just skills and talents are being cultivated but re-shaping of a child's destiny.

And The Blind Side confirms that.

50 Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Christian Grey. 

People on twitter have posted musings about how awesome or atrocious, lame it is. Clearly, this trilogy have generated so much buzz that in an unprecedented event in the publishing world, it has been digitally published first before the presses have churned on millions of paper copies. 

Its critics say it doesn't warrant literally praise or non-praise because it's just a fan fiction. That it is badly written. And that it is just but mommy-porn. 

Intrigued, I sought out a copy. In a twist of fate, I got a hold of its paperback edition. Ironic, eh? I read it with trepidation. I didn't like to jump on the bandwagon. And I also don't like to get started because from experience I've never put down a book, unfinished. I have a stubborn streak in my body. I read, no matter how badly it appeals to me, if I had already started. I think I adhere to the notion that I shouldn't be a quitter... in reading. Hahaha.

The first in the trilogy that made me lose so much sleep.

Nica, a colleague and a friend, told me that she had a copy of all three. I asked if I could borrow. The rest is as they say history, written all over my dark-ringed under eye.

I think the pull of the book(s) is not just on its superfluous employ of erotic scenes. What it lacks in literary style, makes up for the author's vivid use of words that painted out of this world description of its male protagonist, Christian Grey. 

A hopeless romantic, spinster or otherwise, would surely pine for a man like him. Almost perfect in its description whose only fault is the desire to deeply care and lavish his woman with desirable material things, ordinary beings are just wont to imagine and have them in their fantasy. Never mind that he is extremely good looking, too with a penchant for sexual adventures not accepted in the "normal" world. 

It has a lot of parallelisms to the Twilight saga. Given that its premise spawned from the fan base of the saga, there's no surprise there. 

But what makes it more exciting than Twilight is its ability to engage a wide-range of readers because for one all characters are human or as human, as one could get. Secondly, the readership centers on the upwardly mobile young professionals who enjoy the perks of being young with earning potential beyond the average person. 

In my love affair with the written word, I have not been selective with my reading. I'd devour anything printed, recommended or otherwise. As long as it's available, am game. Hence, my genre, I think is broader. 

I've read the likes of Mills and Boon, Harlequin when I was but a young girl. The stories written there are more provocative back then. Shocking and scandalous. The male leads were depicted as the Adonis's of the mortal world. In fact, Fabio as a perpetual paperback cover had attained a status unto itself. 

So, I'd say the E L James trilogy isn't really something new that should shock the sternest aunt or the extremely shy maiden. What it offers is a fresh take into what the modern world consider as shocking and delectably provocative. 

Cheesy, yes. Beneath the veneer of sophistication, women like their cheese. Especially, if it's served on a silver platter. 

Holiday Reading

A cup of coffee and a good book are two of my guilty pleasures. Regardless of the state of my work life, I try to find time to read a chapter each night or finish a book in a week. To some, de-stressing means retail therapy. To nerds like me, a good book, a cuppa and a nice couch to cocoon are all that we need to bounce back to the right state. 

Photo Credit: Corbis

Every Christmas break, I bring at least five books when I travel to my hometown. And a magazine to read at the airport. When the books are thick, I worry about excess weight on my luggage allowance. It's such a pain, literally and figuratively. But I don't have the heart to leave them unread in my pad. 

But last holiday vacation, I headed to my destination with not a single book carried. That's because, I have quite a shelf on my iBooks. Thank you, Steve Jobs. I shall  be forever grateful for opening up a chic device to house all the books I could ever want to read. 

In my iPad, I have over 500 titles to choose from. Two days before Christmas eve, I settled into my old room at home, and opened my bookfest with Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. Ha! Is it crazy or apt for the occasion? John Grisham is my modern hero in writing. He never goes wrong in all of his novels. Although, court drama is his forte, he is fearless in dabbling into pop fiction. And I must say, the book didn't disappoint. It was funny and heart-warming at the same time. 

With the mood established, I moved on to modern classic. Dubbed as a coming of age book, I dabbled into the world of J.D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye. He rambled on and on and on. It was a nice read. The angst of the writer was tightly woven into the writing style, wit and humor. 

Because I had so much time in my hands, I multi-tasked bonding with my family, especially my niece and nephew by letting them play on my bed while I read. ha ha. So I moved on another classic -- J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Ah, the adventures of Bilbo Baggins are the kind that make you believe in leaps of faith. And as always, Tolkien does not disappoint. It's beautifully written. The pace can be breathtaking and the denouement is just unbelievably good. I almost did not want it to end. 

Then, I moved on to another adventure book. This time it's The Hunger Games. It's futuristic setting does challenge the imagination. Yes, it's a young adult book. Yet, it still tickles one's imagination. So much that I needed to devour the next two books of the trilogy -- Catching Fire and Mockingjay -- first week of the new year. 

As the previous young adult title did not disappoint, I gave the Pretty Little Liars a try. Plot is thin but I persevered. And before I knew it, I was already into Book 7. Ha ha ha. Now, am just waiting for Books 8 to 12. Yes, am a sucker for teenage romance and promises of redemption. Anyhoo, I hate not finishing what I started. Lol. 

I also visited Tom Clancy. I used to be a fan. In college, I felt that he can never go wrong. And he made me fall in love with Jack Ryan. It was as nostalgic as it can ever be. Red Rabbit is not as sharp as Sum of All Fears or Clear and Present Danger but it is still laced with a Clancy panache. 

 I must say, I ended 2011 in the right frame of mind. Capped it with what I love doing most. And sipped my favorite brew, as I flipped through the virtual pages. Happy reading, everyone!