Books

     Today I cleaned my room. It was the first time that I cleaned it all by myself and I feel like it's a great accomplishment. As I was cleaning my room, I sorted all things to their right places until I found my books. Like, all of them. They were in huge piles! Yup, those were all the books I've read ever since I became interested in literature. I didn't know I could read as many books as those in my life! But I guess that's who I am and what my hobbies are. I am really fond of reading and sometimes I find solace in it.

     So when I saw my books, I checked them one by one. Although some were old looking already, the pages were, fortunately, still intact. Maybe I could read them again someday. I'm thankful enough to handle those books with proper care. How cruel could that be when you own such incredible books and you just take them for granted until they became difficult to be read and are torn and wasted. A bookworm not only reads his books, but also takes good care of them.

     They were so plenty! And I'm fortunate enough to have read as many books as those. There were different kinds! There were fiction, non-fiction, motivational, inspirational, fairy tales (with pictures in it), spiritual, and series. But most of them were fiction. Looking at those books made me remember of the time when I was reading them. The interests I've had in their plots and the amazing imaginations it brought me. It made me realize that books aren't just a source of entertainment, they also contribute great memories of your past. Memories that are meant to be treasured. One example is the seven book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. If it's not for these great seven wonderful books and for the brilliant author behind everything in it, I couldn't have been introduced in the field of literature. And looking back, when I first started reading The Chronicles of Narnia, it brought me the awesome feeling of nostalgia. I suddenly remembered the first time when I was avidly interested in mythical creatures and fantasy. When I was checking the books, and scanning some pages, and skimming through paragraphs, and reading between the lines, it sort of brought me back those days and the feeling is just incredible. I owe my thanks to C.S. Lewis.

     There were other books as well:

     The Inheritance Cycle which consists of three books (Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr) which I completely love (By the way, the fourth and final book of the series was released last September and I'm looking forward to buy and read it!) written by Christopher Paolini. The reason that made me love this book is because of Paolini's unique way of expressing his own perspective and ideas towards fantasy. If Tolkien was still alive today, I'm sure he'd love Paolini's works and that he'll compliment him. Writing fantasy stories isn't that easy. Sometimes you'd have to create your own ideas of your world and the magical creatures living in it. Or if you want to do the easy way, you can just copy the creatures of the different mythologies and make a plot of your own. But either way, it's your style that counts.

     The four novels of Nicholas Sparks which are True Believer, The Lucky One, Safe Haven, and A Bend in the Road. So far these are the only Nicholas Sparks novels I have. Nicholas Sparks really knows how to touch and mend a reader's heart. To tell you the truth, I've learned a lot of things when I read his books and I couldn't stop being so emotional towards them. What I like about Nicholas Sparks is that he can make you relate to his characters. I guess I'm not the only fan of him who notices this. But Nicholas Sparks sure is awesome when it comes to romance drama.

     There was Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. Now I'm not really a fan of him but I consider him one of the greatest authors in our generation. Not because of his plots, but because of his style in writing. He researches a lot before he could complete a book and that his books are usually facts that are made into fiction through his imagination. His books don't really suit my type though. It's sort of complicated and confusing and it can really turn your faith upside down. Hahaha! I suggest Christians, especially Catholics, who are really devoted to their beliefs, to not read his works. But that's only a suggestion. You can read it. But the important thing is, do not let it affect on what you personally believe in.

     I also have old classics like Black Beauty by Anna Sewel, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and A Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. The good thing about these old classical novels is that they last a century or more. I think it's because they were written during the time when people only find liberty through writing. My English Teacher told us that great books are those written during the time of great turmoil. An example of that is Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was written during the time when slavery and racial discrimination were prominent in America. Harriet, being filled with kindness and awareness, intentionally wrote the novel in order to find a way to free the poor slaves from the oppression of their cruel masters. And when that book became popular in the Northern States, it paved the way of the Civil War to happen and through that war, with the Northern States in triumph, the slaves were freed. Another example of a great classical book is that of Anne Frank. She wrote it for her to express her opinions and feelings towards the Jewish genocide led by the Nazi. Up to date, old classics are still popular as ever. I find old classics filled with much more things that are important to be learned than the some books today.

     As a fantasy fan, I could never have read anything greater than any fantasy works I've read so far. And those are the works of the father of high fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien. I have The Silmarillion and The Hobbit. I find The Hobbit quite amusing and filled with more sense of humor than The Lord of The Rings. And if any of you don't know, The Hobbit is actually the prequel of The Lord of The Rings. But as I have read it, it's quite a stand alone novel but probably the best prequel to an epic fantasy series I have read to date. The Silmarillion is really serious, more serious, complicated, and confusing than The Lord of the Rings. There are immense numbers of characters which are pretty much hard to remember and with names with difficult pronunciation. But above all, I love it! That's what makes J.R.R. Tolkien a great fantasy author. He made fantasy into something more serious than any childish fantasy works before (e.g. Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz). And lucky for him, he was thee one who started it all. He even popularized the concept of tall and slim elves with pointy ears that glow. Don't get me wrong but it was the Norse Mythology who first made the concept of these kinds of elves but it was Tolkien who made it popular through his books. Fortunately for him, God gave him a brilliant mind!

     I also have Young Adult Books like The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, Spanking Shakespeare by James Wizner, Erec Rex by Kaza Kingsley, The Snow Walker by Catherine Fisher, and Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (This book was the latest book I've read.). What I love about Young Adult Books is that their characters are those that I can relate to. Being a teenager, I find it fun and easy to read these books. The style of writing is also in its simplest form in order to be understood well by the reader.

     I have countless of books and if I share them to you one by one, it might take me a day to write it in my blog. But nonetheless, I'm gonna tell you some of my great favorites: The Walk by Richard Paul Evans, The Five People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day by Mitchel Albom, The Alchemist and The Winner Stands Alone by Paolo Coelho, The Once and Future King by T.H. White, The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (I didn't complete the series because I heard that it's controversial to the Christian Church but I love the book.), and The Earthsea Series by Ursula K. Le Guin. I also have motivational and inspirational books. Some of them were: The Book of Hope by John Macarthur, Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper, and Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. I have many more books but there are already too many to mention. The ones that I shared are the ones which caught my interests and are my favorites!

     To end this blog, I want to give advice to all the avid readers out there. Learn to value your books and the great entertainment and learning insights it contributes. No matter how old your books already look, it's not the quantity that matters, but the quality it brings.


- Angelo Lorenzo