Summer vacation.
While in school, we often took summer for granted.
I relate summer to a relationship. Well, a good one at least. Summer, like a significant other, is one you look forward to seeing at the end of a long hard day/school year. While we were in school, summer had always been this constant that occurred every year. You (maybe?) knew what you were getting yourself into. There might be bad times where going to summer school could be the same as being dragged to see your beau's parents or good times where traveling around the world could be like an exceptional date with your honey bunny. It could be great, it could be bad. But it was always there.
Three summers ago, I had just come out of a long relationship. That summer, I, for the first time in three years, had no one to look forward to seeing at the end of a long hard day, no meeting of the parents to be dragged to, no special date coming up. So I did what I always do whenever I'm bored, uninspired, tired, sad, angry, lazy; I burrowed myself in reading materials.
I have this rather bad habit of going to the bookstore and purchasing a couple of books at one time. I would then proceed to read all the books very carefully and return or exchange the ones I didn't enjoy, keeping the ones I did. That summer was no different, I stocked up on two rather thick books at Barnes & Noble with the utmost intention of returning both.
That didn't happen.
Instead, I devoured both books. (P.S. You'll often hear me use the words, "devour" or "voraciously tear through" or "gobble up" when referring to my book-digesting habits and I kid you not, I don't exaggerate. I seriously do "devour" these books. They absorb my brain, my soul, my energy. When I'm reading a good book, I don't sleep, I hardly eat, I just flip flip flip munch munch munch away.)
Both novels were amazing. Both were total tearjerkers. Both were stunning demonstration of deft writing skills and stupendous story-telling. Both captured my heart.
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
This was the first Jodi Picoult novel I had ever read. (That woman is a machine, by the way, how do you churn out bestsellers year after year after year?) To be frank, the cover and the title lured me in. I have a sister. She's talking about sisters in the story. What does a sister's keeper mean? Okay, reading it. Who knew that this multi-viewed novel spun around a family dealing with a daughter with cancer would be such a page-turner with an exceptionally unexpected ending? I remember throughout the book, I could not keep my eyes dry. Okay, keeping it.
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
My favorite book of all time. Yes, this little (518 pages) novel outshone Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, Dr. Seuss' wisdoms, Archie comics and The House of Spirits and rose to the top of the Janice best-selling list. (I have other books I love too but it's always the ones from my childhood I hold most dear to. They're so wise!) But yes. This book is for you if you're a romantic of the most dangerous kind--a romantic-at-heart. A romantic who's afraid to say it aloud but secretly dreams of everlasting love and handsome gentlemen and pretty ladies and doomed love affairs. The writer, Audrey Niffenegger, is so skilled with dolling up her words. you'd think she was a makeup artist. She transforms what could have been a very complicated story line and semi-annoying pining, whiny characters into a magical real-life (but not so real) fairy tale. Men, even you wouldn't be able to stay away from this thriller/romance/science fiction.
That summer, I fell in love. Not once but twice. Everyone should only be so lucky.
This year, I was reminded of my summer loves because of the release of these two films.
As happy as I am that these two stories will be able to reach a broader (perhaps less literate but more visual?) audience, I'm also sad because movie versions of books never match my expectations. My Sister's Keeper already failed with the total miscasting of Cameron Diaz as the mother and the altered ending. I hope The Time Traveler's Wife will fare better with the luminescent Rachel Mcadams but I'm not holding my breathe. The version in my head will always fill my stomach a little more.
Three summers later, I don't have a summer anymore. My summer consists of a luxe air-conditioned office with a view facing some lovely bamboos and waking up at 7:30 everyday to make gym and traffic. But I don't think I need one either. As long as this shaded, comfy office space allows me ample time to read new books that will steal my heart away, I'll be fine.
Posts
