Step Mile Journeys

One of my last posts, I talked about getting back to reading. I’ve been aiming to read at least 2 books a month or maybe more. I used to be an avid reader (flashback to high school where I was basically friends with the librarian) and since university and now having a full-time job, it seems that I’ve been reading less and less. It’s not because I simply don’t have the time, it more because I just don’t have the motivation and drive, I once have (there’s other things that I’d rather do, really). BUT (yes! There is a BUT), I’ve kept on buying books. There are books that I previously read or once owned (currently re-building by Harry Potter collection, in their original covers). 

Side note: I once had an entire HP collection, all in their original covers, because I got them as they were released. I also had fond memories of getting these books, like I once came home from school and found the Order of the Phoenix on my bed (it turns out my mum bought it while I was in school) and it was such a nice surprise when I came home (practically finished reading it that night). Unfortunately, I had to get rid of them, when we moved to Oz (from UK), cause shipping. 

Anyway, I’ve found a renewed sense of motivation in reading again and with a full-time job where I work long shifts, these will be my solitudes and my escapes from reality (especially since COVID means no travelling anytime soon). Hence, these monthly (-ish) reading library. This September, I started with Piranesi and the Midnight Library. 

PIRANESI

by Susanna Clarke

JACKET:

Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.

There is one other person in the house–a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.

For readers of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane and fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, Piranesi introduces an astonishing new world, an infinite labyrinth, full of startling images and surreal beauty, haunted by the tides and the clouds

THOUGHTS:

I bought this book without looking at any of the reviews (I do this with all the books I buy), so I wasn’t sure what to expect here. In fact, I only bought this book because I really liked the title, ‘Piranesi’ (still not sure what this means) and the blurb on the jacket cover interested me enough to buy it. The entire book is laid out as journal entries and all in the POV of Piranesi. I would say it’s a mystery/fantasy novel, where the setting reminds you of the Wood between Worlds from the Narnia books (which is the inspiration). We, as readers, learn more about this world at the same time as Piranesi does, in fact we are in a way in the story with him as another character (Piranesi does address this and regards the readers as this). It’s very interesting to follow Piranesi’s journey to finding out the truth about the place where he is in (the place between worlds) and about his identity. He is an observer and a scientist. He keeps detailed records of everything (hence the book). Overall, it’s very enjoyable to read and quite liked it. 

Read or Return:

If you love mystery with a bit of other worldly fantasy, then Read. It’s not a fast-paced book, again these are in journal entry formats, there is a sense of time passing. It’s still a great read before bed and you want to be transported to some other reality. It could easily be read within a day or a weekend when you just want to have a day or two to yourself after a long and (perhaps) stressful week. 

The Midnight Library

by Matt Haig

Jacket:

Nora’s life has been going from bad to worse. Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived. Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live?

Thoughts:

Have you ever wondered about the what-ifs in your life? What would your life be like if you have taken a chance at something you normally wouldn’t or have done something differently? That is what this book is about. Our protagonist was given chance to try and live these what ifs. 

[Spoiler alert here! Skip this part if you want to read the book first or don’t want to ruin anything.]

The book starts with Nora reflecting at what her current life is and decided to commit suicide. In that single moment, time stops, and we get transported to the Midnight Library (it’s like a world/moment between time, this is a very popular theme btw in lores and myths). Here, Nora is welcomed by someone from her past and the purpose of this library is explained. All the books are different possibilities (the what-ifs) in her life. Open one book and you get to live out that life where one choice was made differently (this plays on the Uncertainty principle, where for any point in our lives where we are given a choice, we have infinite possibilities to choose from and only becomes certain once we have decided).  The books in the midnight library are those infinite other possibilities we could have taken. Some scenarios might lead to a better outcome and some leads to not so better outcome. 

The midnight library delves into Nora life and the regrets that she made in her original life. Trying out different what-ifs scenarios to see how different her original life would have been. At the end, she returned back to her original life but with a new perspective, having learnt from her regrets.

Read or Return:

Definitely a Read. Love, love this book. Everyone has regrets and everyone has had that thought where you wonder what would happen if you have made this decision and not that. There is a lot of learn from this book and in a way, we could ourselves in Nora shoes and relate to her. After reading this book, I’ve made some self-reflection on where I am at this point in my life. Looking back at my own regrets and actively reflecting on the lessons learned along the way and how they could be adapted for the future. 

November Library

For November, I’m gonna stick with still two books. I don’t know what the future has in store for me but I know that I found joy in reading again. This next book was part of my September list but I wasn’t able to read it then and the second book was something that I pre-ordered back in August and it has now finally come to me and I’m quite excited to read it.

Ye Wenjie witnesses Red Guards beat her father to death during China’s Cultural Revolution. This singular event will shape not only the rest of her life but also the future of mankind.

Four decades later, Beijing police ask nanotech engineer Wang Miao to infiltrate a secretive cabal of scientists after a spate of inexplicable suicides. Wang’s investigation will lead him to a mysterious online game and immerse him in a virtual world ruled by the intractable and unpredictable interaction of its three suns.

This is the Three-Body Problem and it is the key to everything: the key to the scientists’ deaths, the key to a conspiracy that spans light-years and the key to the extinction-level threat humanity now faces.

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in happily ever after. Until she learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, and her dreams are shattered.

Desperate to stop the wedding, and heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game – and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy . . .