The Giver by Lois Lowry



The Giver by Lois Lowry

Jonas lives in a perfect world living with his seemingly perfect family, where there is no color, hunger, pain, sufferings, crime.  Their only objective is to conform. Everyone is given a role in the community and Jonas was chosen to be the next Receiver of Memories, an honorable position held by only one person in the community.  The Giver will transfer all the memories of human experience, feeling of love, suffering, loss, human defeat, achievements, war, famine, rain, snow. Jonas must keep all these memories to himself, he is prohibited to transfer and share them to anyone, the community protects his people from the whole range of human emotions, protects them from experiencing pain.  But how can Jonas handle such range of emotions all by himself? Little by little he learns about the imperfections of the community he lives in and thought of a plan together with The Giver to change the beliefs and the ways of life of the people in their community.  

The ending of the The Giver is rather vague, it can be read in two ways, it is for the reader to determine what they want to believe in.

The Giver is an excellent and yet thought provoking book, it makes you think deeper while reading, the kind of book that will sparkle a lot of discussions, it tackles various subject such as  euthanasia or the practice of taking one's life to ease their suffering, restriction of sexuality, the utopian society, family and relationships, diversity, feelings, political activities.  All in all it is a rather hopeful novel, a recommended read for everyone.

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011!

I recently joined the 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge hosted by Book Chick City. I'm very excited with this challenge, I hope I can read more than 100 books for this year so I can also update my blog more often. :)

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules - Read 100 or more books in 2011

• All books can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• Only print books and ebooks count (no audiobooks).

• You can join anytime.

• At the beginning of Jan 2011, I will add a link so you can add your reviews but this is not obligatory.

If you want to join me in this challenge you can sign up here.

Marley and Me

Marley and Me by John Grogan

With an appetite for nearly anything he can get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry, Marley is always getting into trouble. But to his family, he is a dog like no other.

My friend recommended this book to me because she knows I love dogs. And I’m glad I followed her recommendation this is now included in my list of favorite books. I got hold of a copy of this book last year at the Manila International Book Fair and I got it for justP50. I finished the book in just one sitting and it’s a really good read. I could very well relate to this story because I too have my own Marley at home. The story is funny and hilarious a tearjerker too. John Grogan did a good job in depicting what every dog owners felt towards their pet and how he seems to see through Marley, how he understands or how important Marley is to the family, how Marley grew up along with his struggling family, how he gave his unwavering loyalty and devotion and best of all how he made a difference in their lives.

This is a must read book for every dog lovers out there, it’s really worth your time.

My favorite lines from the book:

“A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see."