Reads From The Previous Year

I read these books last year, all within the month of September. Forgive me for sharing so late!! But I'm happy to be writing all about the books that have helped me stay rooted to myself. 

Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

Historical adventure books aren't my usual cup of tea, but my friend lent me this book, which she praised so highly.. so of course I had to find out why. True enough, when I read it, I found myself breezing through the pages. I like the strong heroine and how she sought to carve out her own path, defying societal norms, and making a name for herself eventually. There were so many random events too, which I didn't see happening. I remember how my friend and I were seated in a cafe one time and gasps could be heard from my mouth as I leafed through the pages, curious to know what could happen next! My friend could only give out a knowing smile, pleased to see me engrossed in the book she loves so much.

The 10 Loves of Mr. Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami

This is basically about a player and the accounts of the 10 women he 'loved'. He seems to me a person who is incapable of truly genuinely settling down and loving one woman. These women have different stories and experiences with Mr. Nishino but one thing ultimately comes up: he can never really be defined and he refuses to be; he comes into your life, but you'll have to accept that he will leave whenever he pleases. This is probably the book I like the least compared to the pink and yellow one haha. 

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

This may be one of my favorite books of all time. I could re-read it over and over and I will get fresh insights from it. This time around, this paragraph spoke to me most:

"Intelligence is one of the greatest human gifts. But all too often a search for knowledge drives out the search for love. This is something else I've discovered for myself very recently. I present it to you as a hypothesis: Intelligence without the ability to give and receive affection leads to mental and moral breakdown, to neurosis, and possibly even psychosis. And I say that the mind absorbed in and involved in itself as a self-centered end, to the exclusion of human relationships, can only lead to violence and pain."

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I've read this book back in high school, but only realized it when I was already halfway through it. It's a lovely story, so magically written in the way Neil Gaiman knows how. 

The 5 People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Marked as one of the books that made me cry. Our thoughts, words, and actions will always have an impact on others whether it be good or bad, big or small. 

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The writing in this second book has improved, or could it be that the translation became better? I did enjoy reading this one. It made me feel nostalgic for the events that happened in the first book. It also gave me that same mysterious feeling I felt in the first book from when the coffee was poured to the point from when the coffee gets cold...

The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

What a complicated read, but I felt the adrenaline, and I found myself rooting for the heroine. I loved this book and I believe it is worth the hype. I really like stories where we have a very empowered female protagonist. I remember reading this while I was in the hospital, having my Annual Physical Examination. The wait times for the doctor took a while, but I was just so highly entertained by this book!

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Honestly though, finishing 7 books within a month is a feat for me! Which book seems interesting to you so far? :-)