Only after disaster can we be resurrected. It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything. Nothing is static, everything is evolving, everything is falling apart.
-Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
Month: June 2016
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Kiss a lover,
Dance a measure,
Find your name
And buried treasure.
Face your life,
Its pain,
Its pleasure,
Leave no path untaken.
Book #11. My second Neil Gaiman read.
This is the story of Nobody Owens, a boy raised by an entertaining cast of ghosts in a graveyard because his family was murdered when he was still a toddler. Mr. & Mrs. Owens who died centuries ago became his adoptive parents while Silas became his guardian.
I enjoyed most of the characters and I love everything about Silas and Miss Lupescu. I also like how the author gave life to Bod growing up with the dead. I didn’t like Scarlett that much but that’s fine. If there’s one complain I have for this book though, it’s that I wish we knew more of the stories of Silas, Miss Lupescu and Liza Hempstock.
It’s a very engaging read all throughout the chapters and is fast-paced. Several themes were dealt with like change, taking risks, childhood, growing up, things we lose, things we gain, bravery, courage, etc. It’s full of those little details that will make you think back about life one way or the other.
There’s definitely a lot to learn from this wonderful, quick read. And now I’m looking forward to my next Neil Gaiman book.
Quotable Quotes :
“It’s like the people who believe they’ll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn’t work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you.”
“You’re always you, and that don’t change, and you’re always changing, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“We who make stories know that we tell lies for a living. But they are good lies that say true things, and we owe it to our readers to build them as best we can. Because somewhere out there is someone who needs that story. Someone who will grow up with a different landscape, who without that story will be a different person. And who with that story may have hope, or wisdom, or kindness, or comfort. And that is why we write.”
“And he waited. It was only for a few seconds, but it felt like a small forever.”
“If I come back, it will be a place, but it won’t be a home any longer.”
Rating : 5/5 stars
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Everyone probably knows what Fight Club is about, if not from the movie (starring Brad Pitt & Edward Norton), then probably from the book itself. My tenth read this year… 
This is my first Chuck Palahniuk read so I didn’t know what to expect. The reviews in Goodreads were quite convincing and I found a copy of it online and so I decided to go with it.
And I was not disappointed. It is a good book.
It wasn’t difficult to read this since the chapters weren’t very long though the pacing was a bit slow for me. But if you’re really into the story, you can finish it in a day.
The main characters were the narrator who was never named, Tyler Durden and the uninteresting character, Marla. I would have given this book a 5 if not for her. But overall, this is a wonderful read, the kind that will mess your mind. Maybe I can also watch the movie this time around. 🙂
There’s nothing more to say that’s haven’t been said yet about this book and besides, the first rule of fight club is you don’t talk about fight club. 😉 So I’ll let the ratings speak for itself.
Quotable Quotes:
“It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.”
“You are not special. You’re not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else. We’re all part of the same compost heap. We’re all singing, all dancing crap of the world.”
“At the time, my life just seemed too complete, and maybe we have to break everything to make something better out of ourselves.”
“Only after disaster can we be resurrected. It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything. Nothing is static, everything is evolving, everything is falling apart.”
“I don’t want to die without any scars.”
Rating : 4/5 stars
Quote of the Week
There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.
-J.R.R. Tolkien
Quote of the Week
It’s all quite simple really: the more hate you hold in your heart, the less room there is for love.
-Beau Taplin
Ramadan Kareem!
Wishing all my Muslim friends, in-laws, colleagues, followers and everyone who follows the teachings of Islam a very blessed Ramadan! May Allah guide us all!
Quote of the Week
Hell is the absence of the people you long for.
-Emily St. John Mandel
HappymessHappiness 