A Book A Day

A long time ago, I read somewhere that a woman had read a book a day for an year, mainly reading 365 books per year. Which may sound boring to a stranger but to me, it sounds awesome.

Since that day, it became a dream of mine and went on the bucket list to read one book everyday for an year.

But the obvious thing is that it cannot be done right now considering how busy life is. When the time comes to retire with a bend back and half the teeth missing, I will do this.

Last week, I read 7 books in a week reading one book per day. And I did not even realize that I was doing that.

The only reason I could do that was that I am still on vacation from studies and we just shifted houses so we did not have internet connection. We are so used to watching everything either on T.V or the net that we have literally forgotten what DVDs are.

Following are the books I ended up reading in this week:

1. The Last Don -Mario Puzo
2. The 5th Horseman -James Patterson
3. The 6th Target - James Patterson
4. The 8th Confession -James Patterson
5. Clockwork Angel -Cassandra Claire
6. Clockwork Prince
7. Clockwork Princess

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Top Ten Books I Read in 2013

I haven't done Top Ten Tuesday in a while, mainly because I have been slacking at reading books. But as the year comes to an end, their last topic is Top Ten Books I read in 2013. So I decided to write down mine. Here they are:

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak:

This books is just amazing. I had no idea what the book was about but it ended up becoming one of my all time favourites. Its narrated by death, set in Nazi Germany and it includes books as the title suggests. This book made me truly appreciate good writing and my love for words grew. Its just so beautiful that one had to read it oneself.

2. I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak:

When I read an awesome book, I tend to read all the books by the same author. So I picked this one with not much hope. I don't even know what to say. Its equally beautiful. The story is worlds apart. The concept of the book is so simple and that is where its beauty lies. The love one feels after doing simple tasks for someone else and becoming selfless for a single second.

3. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult:

I had to include a Jodi Picoult in the top ten. Its one of JP's best works that I have read. I read it just after finishing high school. So the impact was far more intense on me. Because the story is based on bullying and I had seen it firsthand in my school. I love how JP makes a victim into a hero and a hero into a victim. At the end, there is no one hero or one victim. Everyone is half half in their life. And I cannot express enough love for the way she writes and her similes.

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green:

Yes. I am sure that this book is on everyone's top ten list. I loved it to bits. It was just one of those heart breaking books that you don't forget as time passes by. The story was so well written. The characters were perfect. I started crying from the part where Augustus tells Hazel about his cancer. And I didn't stop till the end.

5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn:

This was one of the most different books I have ever read. But because I love thrillers and suspense, I loved it. It was creepy, horrifying, completely different from what you would expect from a story revolving around a married couple. I loved how intricate the story was with all the tiny details tied together with threads. It reminded me of how J.K.Rowling has linked everything together in HP.

6. Arabian Nights:

It was one of the very few classics I read this year. And it was really good. The book jumps from one story to another than goes into another like Inception. Its pretty cool. I literally had to go back a couple of time to make sure that I am not losing track of the story. I have read a lot about that Arab era and I myself live in an Arab country.

7. The Running Man by Stephen King:

Its no secret that I am not a horror fan meaning a Stephen King fan. But I read this book on the insisting of a friend. And its brilliant. Its a dystopian novel. King wrote in 1982 when the term "dystopian" didn't even exist. It just shows how brilliant of a mind he has. The story is simple with not a lot of complicating characters. Its raw and you realize that today, society is not much different than the one told in the book.

8. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay: 

This was again a recommendation by a friend. I loved all of the characters in it. I was so happy to read about their different hobbies because I grew up with a lot of hobbies. But sadly, the idea is dead these days where people mention watching movies as their hobby. She has written a brilliant book on teenage struggles and the life that we lead.

9. The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger:

Whenever I mention this book, I am reminded of the story associated with it. Lets just say that a friend of mine was caught reading it in class. The book was taken away from her. And we stole it back from the Vice Principal's office. It was a hysterical drama which lasted a week or so. But it came my favourite the minute I read it. Its the perfect love story I have ever read. I am amazed at Niffenegger, at how she took such a difficult concept and executed it perfectly.

10. Against Medical Advice:

I had read so many heart breaking books the past summer that I opened this book with the intention of a light murder read. Because that is what James Patterson does. Instead I found myself reading about the struggles of a young boy who has no control over his mind and thus his body. I found myself feeling helpless and crying for him. And the fact that its a true story made me see the strength that we as youngsters have in ourselves. I loved how he made sure to emerge as a winner.

So this is my top ten books I read in 2013 list. I hope that you had an amazing year. And that your list is great.

Adieu !

S

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Book Review: Against Medical Advice by James Patterson and Hal Friedman

From Goodreads: 


Cory Friedman woke up one morning when he was five years old with the uncontrollable urge to twitch his neck. From that day forward his life became a hell of irrepressible tics and involuntary utterances, and Cory embarked on an excruciating journey from specialist to specialist to discover the cause of his disease. Soon it became unclear what tics were symptoms of his disease and what were side effects of the countless combinations of drugs. The only certainty is that it kept getting worse. Simply put: Cory Friedman's life was a living hell

Published: October, 2008
Author: James Patterson, Hal Friedman
Genre: Non Fiction, Biography
My Rating: 5/5
Pages: 304

Once in a while, you read a book that leaves you so spell bounded and heart broken that you cannot even think about it. It is not just a story for you. It becomes more like a memoir. Last month I read The Fault In Our Stars and I thought to myself, I won't be reading anything this heart breaking and sobbing any time soon. And as Cory puts it, I was wrong.

I was reading something very boring and I opened James Patterson to read something different and feel the thrill of what he writes. But I had no idea that this book was life changing. I guarantee one thing. If you read this book, it will change your life. It will change the way you think about it. The way you perceive it.

Cory is a drug addict. Not the kind you are thinking right now, no. Doctors made him one. He had Tourettes Syndrome and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). In short, his mind is not in his control, let alone his body. Its worse than cancer. And reading about him trying to figure out why he is spitting on his own sister when he does not want to, will make you cry.

Cory is a legend. He has achieved things in such a young age that people do not even do in their lifetime. I salute Cory Friedman. I loved ever bit of his journey, his failures and his triumphs, his struggles with life, struggles which were not even his own creation. He just had to deal with the crap that life is. But thing is, he made the most out of it, unlike any of us. He defeated life at its own game.  He turned his fears into his wins. His life was hell and one day, something changed and he decided to turn his life around. I am actually hoping that happens to me, some switch turns on and I get to see life in a different way.

The book itself was written in a very simple way, with the narrative being Cory himself but the story was so heart breaking that it needed nothing else. The story itself was very strong and had a great impact.The best part about the book was that he enjoyed his life even through all the awkward situations he went through. And I want to ride a bike like he does, someday.

"I will survive. I will love life; if life will love me." -Cory Friedman 

...SAP...