Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Books

I've always been an avid reader, ever since I was a kid, and I think it's truly amazing when you stumble upon a book that just wrenches your heart right out of your chest cavity. It's a feeling that's hard to put into words, but if you've ever felt it, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

Of course, I'm probably still looking for THE BOOK of my lifetime, but I've certainly come across many that I've felt a real emotional connection with. A little bit ago, I just finished reading John Green's Looking for Alaska. I know I'm pretty late on reading this book, because I always assumed it was another stupid trendy book, but I recently (within the last few months), started watching vlogbrothers, which is a channel made by John Green and his brother Hank Green. I heard him narrate the chapter of his newest books (which incidentally will be released on my birthday!), and so I decided to check out some of his books because I was so impressed by his writing.

I know this isn't manga or anything, but Looking for Alaska is so raw and real, partly because it comes from Green's own experiences, I think, but it really is an extraordinary book, and I think the fact that my birthday is a significant date in this book (funny coincidence, huh?), I'm even more drawn to it.

So, my question to all of you is, if you read, have you found THE BOOK? Green describes it in his new book, but I'm going to share a description by Lemony Snicket:

"Think of that secret favorite book of yours - not the one you tell people you like best, but that book so good that you refuse to share it with people because they'd never understand it. Perhaps it's not even a whole book, just a tiny portion that you'll never forget as long as you live. Nobody knows you feel this way about that tiny portion of literature."

Certainly this kind of book makes me want to crawl into the author's skin and absorb every single facet of his thoughts and process.

If you care to share, please share it. If you either do not want to share, or have not yet found it, which books have really impacted you in some way, whether emotionally, intellectually, or philosophically?

I know that I'm still looking for my "THE BOOK."

16 comments:

  1. oh yes I have been there

    There are several books that affected me so deeply that I will own them for the rest of my life but might never read them again. books that made me throw them against the wall in pain or frustration which only made it all the richer an experience.
    I think I have found several of THE BOOK, all of them for different reasons. Some have truly touched me with something beautiful, Some have made me hurt in deep introspective ways, and some give a fantasy so encompassing that it can take over your whole reality.

    The only one I am willing to share is actually a manga/anime and that would be fruits basket. It was the first literature that made me truly think about other people, take better care of myself, and just want to be a better person.

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  2. I'm an avid reader, too. Hi!Hi! :)
    The book with the biggest impact on MY life was "The untouchable Juli" from James Aldridge. It was my "THE BOOK" and still is. I have read and loved his books when i was still a teen. And especially this book helped to shape my view on people. It taught me to take my time with a person to look more closely/deeper. Not to assess/judge people by superficial impressions.
    (Sorry, my english sucks... I hope, I could express my thoughts)

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  3. Hi Kat!

    I'm very passionate about reading a book. To be honest i'm pretty much more on Romance, but once in a while I read other genres. I think I found my THE BOOK by Judith Michael, Inheritance. I believe I read the book when I was in high school. It is very significant to me because it was the one that captured my very interest to read other books and explore more and other genres.

    I will always remember the day that I finished reading it and I can't wait to explore other books.

    I hope you would try to read, my Mom actually recommended it to me. :))

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  4. It´s not "the book" yet, but I simply loved "The Book Thief". I recommend it!

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  5. I don't know if I've found THE BOOK but (almost) every book meant something to me. I used to eat them up but now I have so many books to read that I had to enjoy them more slowly. Lately I'm trying to enjoy classics and essays, especially art history essays (some of them surprisingly poetic!!). Anyway I would like to share some titles (maybe you already know them):
    - Josè Saramago: The Tale of the Unknown Island;
    - Alessandro Baricco: Ocean Sea;
    - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: The Little Prince;
    - Philip Pullman: His Dark Materials (trilogy);
    - Kakuzo Okakura: The Book of Tea(...sorry, I love tea and this book is wonderful!!)
    I could go on but I'll stop here! Let's say that each book has affected my behavior, my way of thinking as well as giving me emotions.
    Well...I hope you'll find THE BOOK!! :)
    ps- sorry for my English's mistakes

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  6. Wow everyone! Thanks so much for sharing :) I will DEFINITELY try to read all your suggestions when I get time :)

    @Unknown: I actually don't think I've thrown any books before, but I've often really felt the need to close some books and take a breath... I'm glad that you've found books that can elicit that sort of emotion!

    I've heard of The Book Thief before, but I haven't actually read it--it seems that I should put it on my reading list!

    @Giulia: LET'S BE BEST FRIENDS BECAUSE "HIS DARK MATERIALS" ARE AMAZING :D I own all three books, and love rereading them every single time.

    Hey everyone, also, you don't ever have to apologize for English errors--you're always totally understandable :)

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  7. the book which left the biggest impact on me and i really love the way the author writes: "the grass harp" by truman capote. its absolute wonderful and poetic:)

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  8. Oh, I didn't like His Dark Materials :/ The world was made brilliantly, but plot... It could be so much more :P

    I don't know if it's THE BOOK, but almost every year I read again Astrid Lindgren's 'Mio, my Mio' it's so poetic and beautiful!

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  9. Hi, He decidido escribirte en español para poder expresarme mejor ... mi ingles no es muy bueno -solo lo suficiente para entender tus traducciones-; Me considero una lectora compulsiva, prácticamente devoro los libros, y no creo que haya un "Libro Unico" por así decirlo, sino que en cada momento de tu vida te puedes sentir más afín con éste u otro libro que es más cercano a la realidad que tu estás viviendo. A mi un libro - aunque más bien es un cuento- que me encantó y que me he leido en diversas ocasiones ha sido "El alquimista" de Coelho. Hace pocos dias terminé "Si tu me dices ven lo dejo todo ... pero dime ven" y desde aqui tambien lo recomiendo (para entretenerse está bien, aunque no esté en mi lista TOP).

    Saludos desde Madrid, y gracias por tu esfuerzo y trabajo en traducir los mangas que tantas seguimos.

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  10. hmmmm... i'm brazilian and its sad that out of all magnificient brazilian authors the world only seems to know paulo coelho... sad...please, try works of the author joao guimaraes rosa like "grande sertao" or, a bit more light and actual, the authors marcal aquino, or luis fernando verissimo(o clube dos anjos). it's worth it and paulo coelho is not very popular in brazil ^^....
    kat, I love your blog and especially our monthly portion of "the one"!! =D

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  11. AY! BAS! NOOOO. It's okay actually--you're certainly entitled to your own opinions :) I do think that the plot could be improved, but there's enough raw emotion and childhood nostalgia in those books for them to remain favorites.

    @Coco, me alegro mucho comunicarse en espanol porque necesito la practica jaja. Yo escucho a la musica compulsivamente--entonces puedo entender tus habitos de leer. Gracias por la recomendacion, y gracias por tus palabras buenas.

    Ah, Sofia, that is the sad reality that our locations become very easily defined by one or two things. Thank you for those recommendations!

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  12. @Bas @Kat ...I think that the plot could be improved (for example I would have liked to know more about some relationships between some characters) but I also think that it ends at the right point because if it went ahead it wouldn't have had anything more to say. well, this is just my opinion :)

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  13. quenthelbaenre:
    Well, I have lots of BOOKS. They're all really good and I love reading them again and again. Here are some of them:
    - J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings
    - D. Eddings Belgariad and Elenium series
    - R.A. Salvatore and other authors of Forgotten Realms series
    - Simon Beckett The Chemistry of Death
    - Kerrelyn Sparks Vamps series
    - J.R. Ward The Black Dagger Brotherhood series
    - A. Dumas Three Musketeers
    And there are many others. Some are serious, scary (Koonz) or smutty and funny.

    Btw. For a week now I've been unable to comment things here as livejournal user. There's red warning that my OpenID cannot be verified. Do you know why?

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  14. Hey kat hope u doing great
    the chapter 84 of the one is out..
    if u don`t have it ..here you are
    http://www.iieye.cc/comicdir/199808/
    and finally it`s the chapter we are waiting for.. lele and Eros to be together...yaay
    and waiting for ur amazing translation

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  15. As usual, I couldn't wait till scanlation and took a peek at the raws. SO HOT! But I think there will be more trouble in a while. Like Angus' story and his problems with Dowlan and Lele's career. Ah... Have to jump or I'll explode from excitement.

    quenthelbaenre

    PS: I've tried everything and it still doesn't want to work:P

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  16. the book which left the biggest impact on me and i really love the way the author writes: "the grass harp" by truman capote. its absolute wonderful and poetic:)

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