A Reason to Read
I
went to three different branches of a popular bookstore to take advantage of
their sale and ended up having three new books to add in my own little shelf.
First of them is James Patterson’s “Sam’s Letters to Jennifer”, a paperback
version of the novel but not pocket book size, which I found still in great
condition (no dog ears) for the ridiculously low price of 65 pesos (from its
original 675 tag). I’ve read the author’s earlier novel “Suzanne’s Diary for
Nicholas” which shared the same style of writing as this follow-up and lists it
as one of my favorite books read.
I thought about staying away from this kind of romance-themed
novels after reading “Little Children“ by Tom Perrotta ( a book which was
bought for me all the way from New York– thanks to Sarita for the favor and for that
advanced birthday gift). Perrotta’s book dealt about life in suburbia and adultery
but I just couldn’t pass on this Patterson’s romantic novel – for its cheap
price, the author’s wonderful writing style, and the quite relevant title,
maybe. I’ve read the first part of the book already, a little confusing at the
beginning. Interestingly though, as I progressed through its pages, I found out
that Sam was Jennifer’s grandmother. Before picking up the book I thought Sam
was Jennifer’s lover, like her husband maybe. I guess, this is just one of the
many surprises this book has to offer but I am not going to spoil them just
yet.
The
second book I bought was “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim” by David
Sedaris. Cool title. In a nutshell, the book is about the author’s experiences
with his family growing up, sort of like anecdotes written in a witty way. I
stumbled upon the book on one branch of the bookstore but didn’t purchase it that
instant because the only copy left looked as if it has been handed down to
three generation of book readers already then returned at the bookstore for
resale at a great discount. So when I found the same book when I visited
another branch of the store, there were still three copies left, I grabbed the
best looking one and now we officially have a book and owner relationship.
Lastly,
I’ve been wanting to buy a self-help book for the longest time and already lost
the hope of getting one as a gift, so I picked up one of the titles of Andrew
Matthews myself (at 20% off). Not that I need some serious help at this point
of my life (a little maybe) and not that my current disposition in life is the
irony of the title, but “Happiness Now” offers great advices on life, career,
relationships presented alongside humorous caricatures. This will be one
interesting read, I thought plus the fact that is something new. I’ve never
read a full book found in the self-help section of a bookstore before this.
Now
you probably are still not convinced why I bought these many books, as if I can
finish all of them in one sitting. Partly it’s retail therapy and partly
because it’s a missed hobby. My social life seems a little boring these days so
maybe a good book can offer me the company I just need when I need it and not
when ‘it’ just need me. Probably this is a reason why books are better than some
of its readers.
