Summer Readings

If you have been on this little blog for some time now, you’ll probably know that I’m an avid reader. A book on the coffee table, another on the nightstand, on the refrigerator in the kitchen, in the bathroom and sometimes on the shoe rack and in the car. That’s how I tend to carry books everywhere I go.  Sometimes, I get so broke yet the urge to buy books and read becomes arduous for me. It is unhealthy, I know.

With 2015 as the National Reading Year, I often hear people picking a book to read. It’s never too late to start anything, I believe. This small step by an individual will go a long way once the reading habit is developed. My brother and sister has picked up this habit as well. It’s such a delight to see a book on their nightstand. It fills me with immense joy.    

I have recently completed reading these books amongst others and I’d recommend if you’re looking for light summer reads like me (I’m forever on the hunt for good book recommendation).

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

One of the most important works in American Literature, The Great Gatsby is a novel that offers damning and insightful views of the lives that are corrupted by greed which is incredibly sad and unfulfilled in the roaring 20’s.

The events are narrated through Nick Carraway, a young Yale graduate. Upon moving to New York, he rents a house next door to the eccentric millionaire, Jay Gatsby. Every week, Gatsby throws a party at his mansion and all the great and the good come to marvel at his extravagance and gossip about him.

Despite his high-living, Gatsby is dissatisfied. 

Long ago, Gatsby fell in love with a young girl, Daisy who is now married to Tom Buchanan.

The novel portrays the unfinished love affair of Gatsby and Daisy, Tom’s suspicion and his mistress, Gatsby’s fortune through illegal gambling and bootlegging.

However, the reality of the situation is that Gatsby is a man in love. Nothing more. He concentrates all of his life on winning Daisy back.

This book is definitely one of my favorites.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

I enjoyed this gothic classic five years ago. Five years later, I picked it up and felt the same enjoyment as I did for that very first time. The story, and in particular the language blew me away. 

Also known as The  Modern Prometheus, it is about a scientist who creates a monster and the awful events that follows.

Victor Frankenstein, obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, he assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

However, I like the fact that the book allows reader’s to see events from the monster’s perspectives. I could sympathize with his loneliness when humans spurned him away. It’s a painful book. It’s hard to believe that this book was written by an 18 year old girl in 1818.

My Beautiful Shadow by Radhika Jha

Set in Japan, it tells the tale of a young Tokyo housewife, Kayo whose obsession is beautiful clothes and accessories. A drug that threatens to destroy her life as a good wife and a mother.

Reunited with her beautiful childhood friend whose life appears glamorous, Kayo wants to become her. In that pursuit, she is pulled deeper into a dark underworld of yakuza, debt and prostitution.

So far I have been fascinated with Murakami’s works and whatever little I have come to know about Japan is through his books. Compared to Murakami’s Tokyo, Jha’s Tokyo is a total different world. It’s about neighbors being your police, judges and your jailors. It’s about the Japanese bias against Koreans who probably owns small businesses and the Americans whom her husband seems to enjoy working for.  

A powerful tale of one woman losing her way and a mesmerizing tale of consumerism gone mad.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

This was my all time favorite book as a child. Now even as an adult, I enjoy reading it as it brings back happy memories of my times spent in Tsirang with my mother and brother.

Our quaint little house was in the middle of a guava, mango and orange orchard. On summer afternoons on weekends I used to sit down under the guava tree in my turquoise little frock and read Heidi while my brother used to pluck guavas and hand me down. He was my soldier and my provider. 

These happy memories were tucked inside the book and it never fails to bring a smile on me till today.

Memories aside, Heidi is a story of a five year old orphaned girl who is left by her aunt to stay with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. Heidi soon becomes a local favorite. Several years later, the aunt snatches Heidi from the Alps to become the companion of the wealthy but specially challenged child in Frankfurt.

Transported to the anonymous city, Heidi is lonely and longs for the Alps and in the meantime she learns to read and turn to God. The story encourage honesty, integrity, kindness and deep religious faith-the sort of reading that parents should encourage but sadly seldom do.

Emotion Code by Bradley Nelson

I was curious when a friend talked about emotion code and the trapped emotions all of us have. A couple of conversation and I was already intrigued. So I asked him to email me the pdf copy and the audiobook. Boy, it was truly fascinating.

The book talks about a form of energy healing that helps to get rid of emotional baggage. The Emotion code uses muscle testing to find and release trapped emotions that affect your health, your relationship and your successful mechanism. 

It’s one of the simplest and the most effective form of energy healing.

It provides you with amazing facts and research which helps to understand your body to a greater level. Interestingly, you can check your trapped emotion yourself and treat it as well.  

I got pretty excited about the book and shared it with a couple of friends and family. If you would like, I’d love to share. Drop me a message in the comments section below.

Have you got any recommendation for this summer?