Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Verdict

This is a book I may read again if I am looking for inspiration on how to find positives in a very challenging situation. It is a well told story but the setting is a bit too dark for regular reading. The book does tell stories of hope and courage but it also does not shy away from describing the atrocities during that time in history.

Still, I would say this is a recommended read.

NOTE: First time I did this. But it will be basically “will read again”, “may read again” and “will not read again”

Strange the Dreamer

Strange the Dreamer is a beautifully written and well thought of book. Its narrative was brilliantly constructed such that I was able to empathise with the characters, both main and secondary, as the story progressed. And, this is the first time where I truly felt that there is no real villain in the story; rather, I see all the competing forces as a result of the past – as if all the characters are victims of monsters and horrors of the past. As tidbits of information slowly unfold in the narrative, actions and mentality of the characters felt more realistic and reasonable. There is so much pain in it (in various forms), it bounces off the pages.

But of course, there was hope. That hope is in the form of Lazlo Strange with the help of Sarai. Lazlo is such a lovable character. I am unsure what superlative to use but suffice to say he is now on my list of favorite male characters in any book I have read. The first few chapters were enough for me to relate to him.

Lazlo owned nothing, not one single thing, but from the first, the stories felt like his own hoard of gold.

He believed in magic, like a child, and in ghosts, like a peasant. His nose was broken by a falling volume of fairy tales his first day on the job, and that, they said, told you everything you needed to know about strange Lazlo Strange: head in the clouds, world of his own, fairy tales and fancy.

He was like a caged bird waiting for his moment to fly.

These visions of freedom and plenty bewitched him. Certainly, they distracted from spiritual contemplation, but in the same way that the sight of a shooting star distracts from the ache of an empty belly. They marked his first consideration that there might be other ways of living than the one he knew. Better, sweeter ways.

Throughout the book, I could not really help but wish him well… and I was happy and inspired when he really took the initiative to be part of his dreams even if the odds or the situation were against him. The wisdom from his head Librarian spoke volumes and I am glad Lazlo was able to find the courage to really speak up when it mattered.

“Do you want to end your days a half-blind troglodyte hobbling through the bowels of the library?” the old man demanded. “Get out of doors, Strange. Breathe air, see things. A man should have squint lines from looking at the horizon, not just from reading in dim light.”

“Life won’t just happen to you, boy,” he said. “You have to happen to it. Remember: The spirit grows sluggish when you neglect the passions.”

I am trying my best to not include spoilers. So, to put it simply, Lazlo’s growth throughout the book, including the people he meets along the way – Sarai, Erik-Fane, Azareen, etc -, produced a very heartwarming story.

My favorite scene remains Lazlo and Sarai’s dreamworld sequence, which is best read to fully appreciate how beautifully written and magical it was.

Honestly, I am curious how the 2nd book would go. But as it is, this was an amazing read. The words were able to capture the emotions – pain, happiness, sadness, longing – and magic of the various moments and experiences. The setting was also something new, which was a good exercise for the imagination. I would gladly read this again.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper told the story of Arthur Pepper, a 69-year old man, who on the death anniversary of his wife discovers a charm bracelet hidden in one of her boots. This eventually led him to step out of his comfort zone and step into new adventures, with some bordering on almost unbelievable. It was a break from a routine he has made for himself since his wife died. But, it was something he pushed through since:

He was experiencing emotions he didn’t know existed. He had begun to discover people and animals that excited him. He wasn’t ready to rot away in his armchair, mourning his wife and waiting for his children to call, and filling his days with plant-watering and TV. And so even if the emotion he felt for this De Chauffant bloke was apprehension and jealousy, it made him feel alive. He needed a jolt to his system. Something to shake him out of the cozy prison he had created for himself. In a home where memories of Miriam were still fresh, he needed something else.

It helped him move on and live his life again.

At the heart of this book are two key concepts: the past and family. Through Arthur’s adventures, he was able to discover more about his wife and the life she lived before they met. More important, the journey helped Arthur realize that “he was stronger and had more depth than he knew and he liked these new discoveries about himself.” Moreover, it allowed him to open up once again to his kids and strangers who would eventually become friends.

I particularly loved how this book was able to come full circle – weaving together the past, present and future wherein Arthur Pepper came out stronger from it. The book was an amazing journey and made extra special since Arthur Pepper was a very amiable character. He was such a nice man and someone who dearly loved his wife.

My key takeaway is how the past has power only up to the extent we give it as mentioned in my favorite quote from the book:

Arthur thought about how it was possible for memories to shift and change with time. To be forgotten and resumed, to be enhanced or darkened as the mind and mood commanded.

It can consume a person with regret –

He regretted it now. They should have visited new places together, had new experiences when the kids got older. They should have grasped the opportunity to do what they wanted to do and expand their horizons, especially now he knew that Miriam had lived a fuller, more exciting life before they met. He had stifled her. He had been so set in his ways.

Yet, the regrets and what have beens should never overwrite the wonderful memories created –

Memories gradually began to emerge in Arthur’s mind, like friends appearing out of the mist. His curiosity about the stories behind the charms was beginning to fade. They were almost like fairy stories, things that had happened in a time past. He was pleased that his head was becoming full of his own stories again, ones about his wife and children.

And, sometimes the past may best be left behind –

You can’t stop people doing what they want to do if they really want to do it. Perhaps she thought that her life before you was no longer relevant. Sometimes when you’ve lived a chapter of your life, you don’t want to look back.

Other characters in this book in Mike, Bernadette, Nathan, Lucy and Dan were also adequately fleshed out and had their own stories to tell. I had a soft spot for Nathan’s story so I am glad for his turnaround as the book ended.

I loved this book and would gladly read this again. I have new found understanding for those who maintain charm bracelets; I did not realize how much stories those hold.

A Boy’s Life

A Boy’s Life is Cory Mackenson’s re-telling of his experiences as a 12-year old boy in Zephyr, his hometown. Zephyr is just like any ordinary town but made rich and magical by its eccentric set of residents and the powerful mind of a boy.

The story follows a murder mystery, a rarity in the quiet town, embellished with snippets of happenings around the town. The murder mystery in itself was a journey throughout, with lots of hidden clues and dead ends. It was also satisfactorily closed at the end of the book.

But, for me, the strength of this book lies on how it was able to discuss and cover a lot of heavy topics like bullying, bribery, death, depression, racial discrimination, animal rights, modernization (e.g., effects of supermarket in small towns), grief, etc. There was just a lot of meat in this book. Sometimes, I put it down just to give me time to digest and process its contents.

The book also draws a lot of power from Cory’s imagination as a boy, wherein admittedly the world is a lot different and contains just a bit of magic.

Personally, I feel like this book is one of the greatest books I have read. Admittedly, I did not know about it but was only intrigued as the cover said that it was a winner of the World Fantasy Award and Bram Stoker Award. After reading it, it deserved the accolades. Definitely a great read.

Thank you Robert McCammon for this wonderful gift to the world.

—

Favorite quotes:

On growing up –

“They may look grown-up,” she continued, “but it’s a disguise. It’s just the clay of time. Men and women are still children deep in their hearts. They still would like to jump and play, but that heavy clay won’t let them. They’d like to shake off every chain the world’s put on them, take off their watches and neckties and Sunday shoes and return naked to the swimming hole, if just for one day. They’d like to feel free, and know that there’s a momma and daddy at home who’ll take care of things and love them no matter what. Even behind the face of the meanest man in the world is a scared little boy trying to wedge himself into a corner where he can’t be hurt.”

“All life isn’t hearts and flowers.” Dad put down his paper. “I wish it was, God knows I do. But life is just as much pain and mess as it is joy and order. Probably a lot more mess than order, too. I guess when you make yourself realize that, you” — he smiled faintly, with his sad eyes, and looked at me — “start growin’ up.”

Don’t be in a hurry to grow up. Hold on to being a boy as long as you can, because once you lose that magic, you’re always begging to find it again.”

On writing or being a storyteller –

THERE IS NOTHING MORE frightening or exciting than a blank piece of paper. Frightening because you’re on your own, leaving dark tracks across that snowy plain, and exciting because no one knows your destination but yourself, and even you can’t say exactly where you’ll end up.

“Seems to me a writer gets to hold a lot of keys,” she said. “Gets to visit a lot of worlds and live in a lot of skins. Seems to me a writer has a chance to live forever, if he’s good and if he’s lucky.

On moving on and finding peace –

“You know, no mistake in the world can’t be fixed. All it takes is wantin’ to fix it. Sometimes it’s hard, though. Sometimes it hurts to fix a mistake, but you have to do it no matter what.”

“I don’t think anybody gives you peace, Dad. I think you have to fight for it, whether you want to or not.

“Readin’. Writin’. Thinkin’. Those are the rungs on the ladder that lead up and out. Not whinin’ and takin’ and bein’ a mind-chained slave.

On death –

I remember hearing this somewhere: when an old man dies, a library burns down. xxx I wondered about this as I walked amid the graves. How many stories were here, buried and forgotten? How many old burned libraries, how many young ones that had been building their volumes year by year? And all those stories, lost.

All the Bright Places

NOTE: Plot spoilers may be included in my thoughts about the book – it was hard to leave them out this time.

The One and Only Ivan

This was a quick but a great read. The story is told from the point of view of Ivan, a Silverback Gorilla, who was captured as a baby, raised as a human then finds himself in a cage in a mall along the highway when he got too big. He shares the mall with other exotic animals, including the wise Stella, an elephant, and Bob, the stray dog. Then Ruby, a juvenile elephant, comes along.

I know it is hard to put into words how animals really think, since we do not really know how or what they think about. But, for me, the book was able to adequately put into words what they may be thinking. It is as if the author was able to empathize with Ivan, Stella, Bob and Ruby.

The glass says you are this and we are that and that is how it will always be. – Ivan

A lot of insights, which is only possible through observation, was also present in the book.

I’ve learned to understand human words over the years, but understanding human speech is not the same as understanding humans. – Ivan

Gorillas aren’t chatty, like humans, prone to gossip and bad jokes. – Ivan

Humans in the story were depicted in various ways – insensitive, brutal or caring, which I think is the simplest classification possible. Ivan was lucky to have Julia and her father George as keepers in the mall since they were instrumental leading to the story's conclusion. Julia, in particular, was key. The world needs more of her really.

Additional quotes I liked from the book are:

• This one talks about focusing on yourself and not what others think –

Humans don’t always seem to recognize what I’ve drawn. They squint, cock their heads, murmur. I’ll draw a banana, a perfectly lovely banana, and they’ll say, “It’s a yellow airplane!” or “It’s a duck without wings!” That’s all right. I’m not drawing for them. I’m drawing for me.

• Another one is on memories, as mentioned by Stella the Elephant –

“There’s a difference,” Stella says gently, “between ‘can’t remember’ and ‘won’t remember.’” “That’s true,” I admit. Not remembering can be difficult, but I’ve had a lot of time to work on it. “Memories are precious,” Stella adds. “They help tell us who we are.

Overall, I liked this book. Simple but a lot of heart in its pages.

I am still on the fence as to zoos over natural habitat but reading a lot about poaching and illegal hunting makes me think twice. But, I know animals need protection from humans since they are defenseless against bullets and greed, among others.

The Inexplicable Logic of my Life

This is a beautiful book. Honestly, I could probably rank this as one of the best books I have ever read. It has a lot of heart and soul in it. For me, it is able to maturely discuss a lot of sensitive matters, such as the different kinds of loving, grieving, death, and family.

It followed the growth of Salvador from boyhood to manhood through his thoughts. He was blessed with a wonderful support group – Sam, Fito, Mima, Vicente and Marcos – but not an ordinary life. (Though if I think about it, is there really an ordinary life?) Each of the main characters have their own challenges and it is so easy to warm up to them and cheer them on.

There is so much to pick up from this book that I know when I read it again, I would have another favorite quote depending on what I am going through at that point. But, for now, my favorite would have to be this line:

I finally understood something about life and its inexplicable logic. I’d wanted to be certain of everything, and life was never going to give me any certitude. – Salvador

This book also has Vicente Silva, whom I could say now as one of my favorite characters ever. He, for me, can be likened to Albus Dumbledore or Atticus Finch, particularly in his role in guiding Salvador, Sam and Fito in this inexplicable thing called life.

My dad nodded. “Can I just say one thing, Salvador?” “Sure.” “There’s nothing ordinary about you. Nothing ordinary at all.”

Mima, Salvador's grandmother, was also quite special. It was through her that I learned about the beautiful phrase "Dejate Querer", which loosely translates to "let yourself be loved".

Again, such a beautiful book. Thank you Benjamin Alire Saenz for this gift.

—

Some other quotes from the book:

On anger –

“Okay, maybe I can get this right. Anger is an emotion. But there’s always something behind anger. Something stronger. You know what that is?” “Is that a trick question?” “It comes from fear, son. That’s where it comes from. All you have to do is figure out what you’re afraid of.”

And one more thing: I didn’t want to admit that I had anger living somewhere inside me. But that anger didn’t make me a “bad boy.” All it did was make me human. There was nothing wrong with getting angry. It was what you did with that anger that mattered. – Salvador

On loving –

“I know you don’t. You don’t think she really loves Sam—but she does. Everybody doesn’t love in the same way, Salvie. And just because she doesn’t love Sam the way you or I would like her to doesn’t mean she doesn’t love her daughter. It’s very difficult being a single mom.” – Vicente

On being one's self –

“I never wanted you to be anything, Sally. I’ve always just wanted you to be you.” – Sam

On living –

When is the right time for anything? Who knows? Living is an art, not a science. – Vicente

“Do you remember what you told me?” “I remember,” she said. “I told you that there were only two things you needed to learn in life. You needed to learn how to forgive. And you needed to learn how to be happy.” – Mima

“I know you sometimes think that people are like books. But our lives don’t have neat logical plots, and we don’t always say beautiful, intelligent things like the characters in a novel. That’s not the way life is. And we’re not like letters—” – Vicente

Highways are nice and paved, and they have signs telling you which way to go. Life isn’t like that at all.

I am Malala

I have been on a reading slump lately mainly because of *cough* Everwing *cough* and inability to write a review for this book. I appreciated the book yet find myself unable to string words and phrases to summarize my thoughts about it. Part of it maybe is the awareness that the fight for equal rights on education is not yet over – not just in Pakistan but in other countries as well.

But for Malala, her message is clear:

I love my God. I thank my Allah. I talk to him all day. He is the greatest. By giving me this height to reach people, he has also given me great responsibilities. Peace in every home, every street, every village, every country—this is my dream. Education for every boy and every girl in the world. To sit down on a chair and read my books with all my friends at school is my right. To see each and every human being with a smile of happiness is my wish. I am Malala. My world has changed but I have not.

I don’t want to be thought of as the “girl who was shot by the Taliban” but the “girl who fought for education.” This is the cause to which I want to devote my life.

A lot can already be deduced from the book's title – I am Malala: the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. The title is straight forward as I already got to know what she is fighting for and what happens near the end. The book then offers us a glimpse of her parents, childhood, environment and other elements that led to this wonderful story of courage during times of violence and uncertainties.

From my point of view, I would say his father was her primary influence.

My father would say to me, “Any organization which works for peace, I will join. If you want to resolve a dispute or come out from conflict, the very first thing is to speak the truth. If you have a headache and tell the doctor you have a stomachache, how can the doctor help? You must speak the truth. The truth will abolish fear.”

Though her mom may have provided strength through silence, it was his father that was also involved in various organizations and made public appearances.

As her journey continues in the international stage but away from her country, I am curious to see how this journey will end. Just a few hours back, I read she will be studying in Oxford. A lot of challenges remain and I do wish her well in her advocacies in life.

Let me end this with one of my favorite lines in the book:

We human beings don’t realize how great God is. He has given us an extraordinary brain and a sensitive loving heart. He has blessed us with two lips to talk and express our feelings, two eyes which see a world of colors and beauty, two feet which walk on the road of life, two hands to work for us, a nose which smells the beauty of fragrance, and two ears to hear the words of love. As I found with my ear, no one knows how much power they have in their each and every organ until they lose one.

Gratitude. Always.

Flawed

I am a fan of Cecelia Ahern. I started with Thanks for the Memories and I have not stopped since. 

Flawed, however, was a total turnaround story wise for her that I had to check if I got the author right. Don’t get me wrong, I also liked this book; but, the light feeling I usually have after reading Ahern’s books is not here in this one.

Flawed follows the life of Celestine North, who was suddenly thrust into the spotlight simply for doing an act that is against the law but is the right thing to do. I don’t do spoilers but suffice to say that the absurdity of the reasoning got stuck with me that I breezed through the book in quite a short time. 

I just could not believe the consequences of Celestine’s simple act of compassion. It poses the question of “are you willing to do the right thing even if it is the hard choice?”. Some would just argue maybe it was not the right thing after all. But then again, thinking about it is different from actually doing it. I know that in every day, there are struggles in making the right call – especially if self preservation surfaces. 

I’ve learned that people aren’t cruel. Most people aren’t anyway, but people are strong on self-preservation. And if something doesn’t directly affect them, they don’t get involved.

Courage and strength – if only someone could have an endless supply of it.

I’ve learned that to be courageous is to feel fear within, every step of the way. Courage does not take over, it fights and struggles through every word you say and every step you take. It’s a battle or a dance as to whether to let it pervade. It takes courage to overcome, but it takes extreme fear to be courageous.

One thing Celestine has going for her though is the amazing support from her family. They stuck with her even with the additional challenges of having a Flawed person at the house – dad, mom, grand dad and even her sister. I honestly do not know how one person can survive a branding without a strong support system, especially with consequences that severe.
To end, I want to highlight this quote from her math teacher:

We see being Flawed as a strength, Celestine. If you make a mistake, you learn from it. If you never make a mistake, you’re never the wiser.

Totally agree. 

This book, however, has a sequel; so, as expected, it ends with a cliffhanger (good thing the Kindle version I bought had ten preview chapters).

The Bookshop on the Corner

The opening lines of Jenny Colgan’s message to the readers adequately captures what this book was all about:

Because this book is about reading and books, and how these things can change your life, always, I would argue, for the better. It’s also about what it feels like to move and start over (something I’ve done quite a lot in my life), and the effect that where we choose to live has on how we feel; and can falling in love in real life be like falling in love in stories, xxx

This book builds a good case for anyone to try and pick up a book… somewhere out there is a book that would peak and suit your interests – may it be a children story book, a series about cowboys and aliens, an end of the world apocalyptic novel or simply the bestsellers (either fiction or non-fiction).

There was a universe inside every human being every bit as big as the universe outside them. Books were the best way Nina knew—apart from, sometimes, music—to breach the barrier, to connect the internal universe with the external, the words acting merely as a conduit between the two worlds.

If only Nina, the protagonist, can talk to us; finding those books would have been easy. Scattered in the story are anecdotes on how she was able to touch the lives of various characters just by finding the right books.

But the key takeaway for me of the story is how readers actually need to manage real life.

Some people buried their fears in food, she knew, and some in booze, and some in planning elaborate engagements and weddings and other life events that took up every spare moment of their time in case unpleasant thoughts intruded. But for Nina, whenever reality, or the grimmer side of reality, threatened to invade, she always turned to a book. Books had been her solace when she was sad, her friends when she was lonely. They had mended her heart when it was broken, and encouraged her to hope when she was down. Yet much as she disputed the fact, it was time to admit that books were not real life.

As much as we want it to be, books are not real life. 

I am not arguing against reading books.  I could personally attest on its value in helping me cope with whatever struggles I was facing. However, this book reminds us that there is still real life out there to manage and how complicated it will be if we mix our literary journeys with reality.

“It’s not about fricking romantic picnics and moonlit walks and storybook stuff! This is real life.

To end, I really liked this book. It was a refreshing feature of various contrasts – urban versus rural living and reality versus “storybook stuff”.  There were some parts I wish were not included but overall well told. 

Nina got very lucky with her friends, acquaintances that became friends (and lovers), and timing.  A lot of things could have gone wrong but Nina had her happy-ever-after after all. 

Now, back to real life I go.