Oh My Janey

52 Books: June Books

I got back my reading mojo last month. I read some pretty good books and some pretty annoying ones but it’s all good. Whenever I read a book I don’t particularly like, I just tell myself that it’s good to feel something. It’s better to be annoyed than not feel anything at all. I’m pretty I’m not making any sense. Heh.

1. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Of all the depressing books I have read, Norwegian Wood stands out tall and proud. Every turn of the page seems to lead me into something more crushing, something more heart-wrenching. The ever-present death also seems to be the number one driving force of our two main characters. Hence, the main character’s mantra summarizes (I believe) the story: “Death is not the opposite of life but an innate part of life.

It’s really beautifully-written but I don’t think I have fully grasped what Murakami is trying to say.  This is his first book that I have read and I am excited to read more. His words have a way of taking you to the very core of the story. Toru Watanabe may be the narrator of the story but it’s not only his emotions that we see. I kind of understand why people say that this book is honest. It’s as if all the emotions of the characters are exposed in plain sight. We see their pain, we see their happiness. It’s all out in the open that it’s impossible not to feel what they’re going through. Everything feels so raw. I haven’t read other people’s reaction to Norwegian Wood. All I know is that a lot of people I respect love the book. But I really think that Naoko and Watanabe are bad for each other. They become isolated from the whole world and are often enveloped in sadness when they’re together. Kill me for saying this but I think Watanabe’s presence pushes Naoko into depression. Midori and Watanabe’s relationship, on the other hand, is what I would call healthy. It’s not clear what happened between them but I’m really hoping that it ends well for these two.

The number of suicides in the book baffles me. I have said this out loud before but it really bothers me how Murakami makes suicide as if a usual occurrence in Japanese society. I know that Japan has high suicide rates for both sexes but for it be part of a novel, it’s still unsettling. I understand what drives Naoko to do what she did. Two of the people she has loved committed suicide. She’s even the one to discover the body of her sister. What I don’t like is how she explains Kizuki’s suicide as something that is inevitable. The two of them are so happy that it’s kind of unfair for the world so Kizuki kills himself because that’s bound to happen anyway, she says. Well, to me that’s what she means. That’s just a stupid thing to say. Other than that, this is a really good story and I recommend it to anyone who wants to have his/her heart broken.
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52 Books: May Books

May unconsciously became a Young Adult-themed reading month. I swear it was unintentional but circumstances and whims made me choose young adult novels to read next. I have no regrets! Last month allowed me to read lighter books (except for that one), just letting me enjoy other things. I also got too busy with “life” (e.g. TV dramas, summer outings, e.t.c.) so reading wasn’t on top of my list.

I intended to reread Harry Potter last month but I always end up picking something else. I guess my stack of unread books is way too high to be ignored. But I did read one HP and I will probably skip to the last book this June.

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

I’m not going to lie. Chamber of Secrets is my least favorite book in the series. A lot of my most disliked characters are introduced in this book: Ginny Weasly, Gilderoy Lockhary, Malfoy on a broomstick (git!), and Colin Creevey. I eventually changed my mind about Colin but I still do not like Ginny and Gilderoy. But of course a lot of good things are introduced, too! Any chapter in the entire series devoted to Harry’s time in the Burrow is my favorite. The Weasleys is my favorite fictional family and I don’t think anyone will ever beat them.

After reading this book so many times, I somehow think my opinion of it improved a little. I now laugh at parts I used to not find funny simply because my comprehension of the English language  the first time I read t was still not that good. But I find questionable details that I’d really rather not focus on. Once I finished Chamber, I was tempted to read Prisoner of Azkaban (my favorite!) next but I opted not to. This is the first time I will read the series without reading everything. But I will try not to think too much about it or I will get depressed.

P.S. I also realized how lame Malfoy is. I mean, he is a good wizard but he really talks too much nonsense.

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52 Books: April Books

I got a little lazy last month and only read four books. It was a good reading month, I wish I read another book but I somehow feel like I’ve been reading too much. You know what I mean? But I swear I’ll get back to reading soon! I have bought seven books from various book sales last and I should get started on those. Also, I started my Harry Potter reread. I doubt I’d finish the seven books by July.

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green

So how do I even begin to describe this book? I have conflicting feelings about it. I love the characters, I love their intricacies. I love how smart they can be and I love how they can be so deep. So deep that I sometimes raise my eyebrows. I believe I do not understand many of the characters at all. I often think, was I like that in high school? I hope not.

You see Looking for Alaska is a really good book. The prose is awesome, a lot of pretty words derived from these supposed smart and “deep” characters. But though the plot is exciting enough, I don’t like it that much because I just don’t get Alaska at all. I don’t get why people fall in love with her. I don’t get how she could be a good character. I do not like her, but her flaws are the reason why we a have a story. Maybe I could have given this book five stars but my feelings for Alaska clouded my judgement. I cannot fully love a book when I hate the lead so much. Not just Alaska, too. I do not like Miles. He is okay at first then he got overly emotional and hormonal. But I love the secondary characters, Colonel and Takumi. They salvage the somewhat overly dramatic plot.

Will I read this book again? Maybe. Do I recommend you to read it? Yes. Because it has beautiful prose and so pretty words. And it’s though-provoking and it’s never a waste to read a book that will make you think. [Read more…]

52 Books: March Books

To tell you honestly, I am quite  not sure where I found the time to read seven books in a month. When I look back at March, I realized that I actually went out a lot more than usual. (I’m a homebody, remember?) Maybe it’s because I read three thin novels that’s why I managed to read 7. I told you I pretty much have all the time in the world. I love my job, I can do anything I want after work hours. Anyway, even though I’ve read two books more than usual, I still can’t say March is a good reading month. The books I read for this month didn’t evoke that much emotion from me. Heh. [Read more…]

52 Books: February Books

Another late 52 Books post but this time, I tried to input more into my reviews. February was a really good reading month.  Also, I read two classics. That’s quite something considering I rarely read classics. Thank heavens for book sales!

1. Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk

Rant is a book I randomly bought simply because I wanted to read the works of Chuck  Palahniuk. I read some reviews of this book before actually reading it.. The reviews were disheartening so I postponed reading this for about five months. It was a lucky day, though, when I finally peeled off the plastic cover and started reading. I immensely enjoyed Rant even though Palahniuk used an unconventional format. Maybe it’s even because of this format that drew me quickly to the book. The shift of POVs were quick and sudden so I got confused at first. But after about two chapters, I got used to the format.

The story line is quite confusing but any story line involving time travel can surely confuse me.  But there’s something so consistent about his writing. What I also like is how he managed to make each character different from one another. There are so many POVs but each one has a distinct quality. Rant, though his POV isn’t included in the story, comes alive through the tales shared by the other characters.

I am eager to read another Palahniuk book. I already have Pygmy but I don’t think I am ready for that. But I really, really want to read Invisible Monsters. [Read more…]

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