My attempt at the 2009 100+ Reading Challenge starts here.
Fate has brought you to this sketchbook - a slice of life behind the eyes of a seventeen-year-old Filipina residing in sunny England.
Hey, guys! Meet my new baby!
It’s a pink LG Cookie :] My Nanay (my grandma) got this for me as a graduation gift. Unlimited texts and internet from Virgin Media. Even the more reason to update my Twitter. Hihi! Love love ^_^
Title: Peony In Love
Author: Lisa See
Rating: 5/5
Book 13 of 100: (The 100+ Reading Challenge)
Synopsis:
Peony has neither seen nor spoken to any man other than her father, a wealthy Chinese nobleman. Nor has she ever ventured outside the cloistered women’s quarters of the family villa. As her sixteenth birthday approaches she finds herself betrothed to a man she does not know, but Peony has dreams of her own.
Her father engages a theatrical troupe to perform scenes from The Peony Pavilion, a Chinese epic opera, in their garden amidst the scent of ginger, green tea and jasmine. ‘Unmarried girls should not be seen in public,’ says Peony’s mother, but her father allows the women to watch from behind a screen. Here, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man and is immediately bewitched. So begins her unforgettable journey of love, desire, sorrow and redemption.
I do not have any clue on how to start talking about this book. It’s just way out there. I’m giving it a five because it’s awesome. And interesting. And entertaining. And, just like Peony, this historical novel is beautiful.
There is no easy way for me to avoid putting in some spoilers on this blog but, I gotta tell you, Peony died of her lovesickness. Ever since she fell for a young poet about her age, all she ever did was write poems (an activity not normally done by women at that time) and thoughts about The Peony Pavilion (which I think is the opera version of a drug - it makes a maiden addicted upon reading or watching it). She refused to eat or drink and was happy to sustain herself with only thoughts of the play and her love for Wu Ren. At one point, Peony’s father pointed who Wu Ren is but Peony decided not to look just because. She didn’t know that the man her father chose for her was the man, the poet, who she actually fell in love with. It’s silly because she wasted away thinking that she was going to marry a stranger.
If only she looked.
If only - this is probably one of the major themes in the book. I guess it’s true how they say that people die of false thoughts. And it’s sad. Her death, though, does not stop her from being one with Ren. Because she was not able to fulfill this ‘match made in heaven’ and still has other duties to accomplish in life, she roamed the earth as a ‘hungry soul’ - a soul with nowhere to go and is banned from Heaven or Hell.
In death she was able to write, along with her living sister-wives, a very heartfelt commentary on The Peony Pavilion which was acknowledged far and wide. It was as if she understood more about life now that she’s dead compared to when she was still alive and had her future set in front of her.
I saw you waste away as the words sapped your qi… Only after watching you these last few years as you’ve been with Yi have I realized that maybe writing doesn’t require sacrifice. Maybe it’s a gift to experience emotions through our brushes, ink, and paper… You wrote out of desire , joy, and love. We each paid a heavy price for speaking our minds, for revealing our hearts, for trying to create, but it was worth it, wasn’t it, daughter?
There are a lot of Chinese customs and traditions incorporated in this book such as that of foot-binding, ghost marriages and funeral arrangements. It’s very interesting, actually, and I find that the Chinese are very strict in giving respect to their ancestors because, according to them, their ancestors help in giving them good fortune and health. Even up to this day, these activities are still carried out. I really would love to witness one myself, except for the foot-binding part, maybe.
This book really swept me off my feet. It is lovely in every way and I would be more than happy to read it all over again if given the chance. It is based on a true story which I think makes it even more wonderful.
Title: The Alchemist
Author: Paulo Coelho
Rating: 5/5
Book 12 of 100: (The 100+ Reading Challenge)
Synopsis:
Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is such a book. With over 30 million copies sold worldwide, The Alchemist has already achieved the status of a modern classic.
This is the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world in search of a treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the exotic markets of Tangiers and then into the Egyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him.
The Alchemist is a transforming novel about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read omens strewn along life’s path and above all following our dreams.
Shoot me for being the last person to read this book. It’s a very worthy read - hands down. Which is probably the reason why I had a hard time finding a copy.
I really like this book. Oh, no - scrap that. I love this book. It’s just mesmerizing, you know? And I am sure you would agree with me, if you’ve read it, that this is absolutely the very book you would need to get on with your life after a nasty fall.
When a person really desires something, all the universe will conspire to help that person to realize his dream.
In my case, it did. It made me get on with my life, I mean. There’s this thing about putting in some life lessons and whatnot in books. But Paulo Coelho is just ever so clever at involving divinity in it which, I believe, is where it all comes down to in the end. It’s wonderful. I have never really thought of how everything in life is interconnected the way the desert, the wind, the sun and, of course, God made it all possible for Santiago to disappear from where he was standing and just apparate to another location.
From the church where he used to spend the night with his sheep up to the point when he reaches the Pyramids of Egypt, it is very clear how Santiago grows up to be a man of honour and bravery. He learns about life by actually living it. It’s ironic how people sometimes complain about what they have, or lack thereof, but if truth be told we do have everything we need already. And in realizing one’s dreams, it is not unusual to encounter obstacles along the way. It’s what makes the journey worthwhile.
Maybe God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees, he thought.
I do not think I would forget about this book. Ever. It has really deepened my understanding of life and dreams. From it I’ve learned that there is no such thing as problems - they are simply challenges. To overcome them, we are required to be one with our hearts and with the natural world.
Title: Magic By Moonlight (from the Stardust series)
Author: Linda Chapman
Rating: 3/5
Book 11 of 100: (The 100+ Reading Challenge)
Synopsis:
Nine-year-old Lucy is really pleased when Allegra Greenwood moves in next door and the girls quickly become friends. But when Allegra tells her that she is a ‘stardust spirit’, Lucy discovers a whole world of magic beyond even her imagination… As well as the ability to fly, each stardust spirit has their own set of very special powers dictated by their individual star. Very soon, Lucy finds out that not only is her secret identity exciting but also brings responsibility. She has much to learn about stardust and it’s going to be a rollercoaster ride along the way! The first of four books about friendships and family relationships weaving fantasy seamlessly into the every day world.
I do not have much to say about this book apart from the fact that it is quite an interesting fantasy read. Obviously, I got this from the Children’s section just to have something light and quick to rest my eyes on. It’s really nice how the author incorporated the themes of dreams and nature to make the ’star’ of the story, Lucy, a good example to children everywhere.
I did enjoy reading this although I have to say it’ll just be a one-off. I do not think I’d be that keen to look out for the rest of the books in the series.
If you haven’t already guessed, the word graduation seems pretty alien to British schools - well, just until further education at the most. Here they refer to it as Leavers’ Ceremony (the same way they call prom as Leavers’ Ball). We had ours on Tuesday the 23rd of June and, yay, I have now officially left sixth form college. ^_^
To be honest, ceremonies here in Britain aren’t exactly what I would call tear-jerker-y or memorable. It’s, like, different. Different from the ones we have in the Philippines wherein parents rush in to take pictures of their children and everyone else is in a very chatty mood. In England, everything is just so… proper. The ceremony started and ended on time, there were no technical difficulties whatsoever and everyone was present. You’re not even allowed to take photographs because the presentation was meant to be ’solemn’. No togas or gowns or whatever graduation attire - just come in your usual school uniform. See what I mean about not being memorable?
Having said that, though, I am absolutely a hundred percent thankful that I have come this far. Without sixth form college, I obviously would not have been able to attain my A-levels and other requirements for University. It was two years of good fun and tears. Good fun in the form of friends and teachers. Tears in the form of too much paperwork. No regrets, really. Sixth form stressed me out badly but, still, I do not regret studying here.
As far as having a very ordinary leavers’ presentation, I still have to say that I would miss my time at sixth form and the bonds I have made with my peers. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions - I don’t think I would ever forget that.
Now that I have graduated, or as they say - left sixth form college, I think I’m definitely ready for University now.
Wish me luck :]
