Hi there. It's been a long time. I'm back with a new book haul.
Big Bad Wolf recently touched down in Taipei for the biggest book sale ever. The books that I bought are ridiculously cheap, their range of prices are around 120-180 NTD. English books are sold at quite expensive prices here in Taiwan, so when I heard there's an international book sale event, I immediately went there before they are out of stock.
Unfortunately, the books that I originally am looking for is nowhere to be found in the book event, so I ended up buying tons of classics that I didn't think of buying in the first place. I was kind of disappointed in their book selections though, it seems like they sell more young adult novels and children books than non-fiction books. Nevertheless, I did end up with some quite satisfying reads.
Here is the list of books that I bought from bbw:
1. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.
I never heard of this book from Jane Austen before, so I automatically went to
Goodreads and read the review of this book. I've never been disappointed in Austen's novel, so I thought might as well give this a read.
This novel tells the story of Fanny Price, starting when her overburdened, impoverished family sends her at age ten to live in the household of her wealthy aunt and uncle; it concludes with her marriage.
2. Hard Times by Charles Dickens.
I've never read any of Dickens' book before, so I decided to make this one my first since I've heard many people say good things about it.
Hard Times follows a classical tripartite structure; Book I is entitled "Sowing", Book II is "Reaping", and the third is "Garnering". This novel tells the story of Thomas Gradgrind, a retired businessman and one of Coketown's most prominent citizens, runs his life and his school along strict utilitarian lines. He also raises his children, Tom and Louisa, by the same soulless, barren methods, blighting their young lives.
This book surveys English society and satirizes the social and economic conditions of the era.
3. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.
This book deals in themes of love, honor and betrayal, against a backdrop of the seemingly idyllic, but often harsh, realities of a farming community in Victorian England. It describes the farmer Bathsheba Everdene, her life, and relationships – especially with her lonely neighbor William Boldwood, the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak, and the thriftless soldier Sergeant Troy.
4. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.
Another one of Austen's novel. I've just started reading this one, and I'm loving it so far.
Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the Dashwood sisters; Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret as they move with their widowed mother from the estate on which they grew up, Norland Park, to their new home, Barton Cottage. The four women must move to a meager cottage on the property of a distant relative, where they experience love, romance, and heartbreak.
5. The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
I was first introduced to this book when I watched an interviewed about how G-eazy came out with his album The Beautiful and Damned. Apparently, he was inspired and hooked by this book that he named his album just like the book. So when I found The Beautiful and Damned at the bbw book sale, I immediately put in my cart and did not even think twice about it.
The Beautiful and Damned tells the story of Anthony Patch, a 1910s socialite and presumptive heir to a tycoon's fortune, and his courtship and relationship with his wife Gloria Gilbert. It describes his brief service in the Army during World War I, and the couple's post-war partying life in New York, and his later alcoholism.
6. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.
I've been wanting to read this biography since it popped up on my Goodreads recommendation section. This book tells the story of Malala, a young Pakistan girl, who stood up for girls' education and was then shot by the Taliban.
7. Last but not least, Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood.
I did not buy this book from the bbw sale though, I found this gem in a secondhand bookstore. I finished this book in one week time because it's just so good that I did not want to take my eyes off of it. I read it in the MRT on my way to work and on my way back home. Yes, that's how interesting this book is. It's about a teenage boy, Toru who was devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Toru begins to adapt to campus life and the loneliness and isolation he faces there, but Naoko finds the pressures and responsibilities of life unbearable. As she retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.
The reason that I find this book very interesting is that somehow, I could relate to Toru's loneliness. His boring everyday university life kind of reminds me of my own boring life. His Sunday routine of doing laundry and ironing clothes somehow resonates with my boring Sunday routine, where all I do is laundry, clean the house, skyping, and watch Netflix. Also, I love Midori! Although her life is mostly filled with debts and sick parents, she could in some way make her life seems interesting and bearable. I love her extrovert personality and the way her mind works, her words always blew me away.
Anyway, this is my first time reading Murakami's work and I for sure will read more of his other books.
That's all for the book haul. Imma go and read all of them before 2018 ends because I'm not even halfway through my
2018 reading challenge yet.
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