2 Book Recommendations

Lois Lowry's The Giver and Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss. XO

The Giver by Lois Lowry (Newbery Award Winner)

There’s a movie adapted from the novel and numerous play adaptations.

The giver talks about a society where your job, parents and partner are chosen for you; and you have no memories, emotions or family lineage of where you come from. You have to use precise “ un-emotive” language and behave perfectly with your classmates and other fellow people in the community. When you start to have “undesirable emotions” , talk about “undesirable things” at home, your parents inducted into the system bring you to get an injection, after which you would be freed from the “undesirable individual emotions” again. The unique thing is that everyone seems happy and nobody feels that their inability to imagine or know their past is problematic. There is one position in society where a single person can receive the memories of the past and holds unique power, a position that gets passed on to a single person in the next generation. Jonas, the twelve- year old is chosen to be the next receiver and he starts to question things and visualise a different future where there is the option of choice again.

Thought that this is really an interesting book linked to the present because it seems like many things are “decided” for you in society and there is a general sense of learned helplessness and a lack of critical independent thinking, away from the politically correct norm and the risk of being cancelled. XO

This is a really short novel. Probably takes an hour plus to finish. The language is simple but the writer has a unique voice and is an enjoyable read that is not horror-listic to read.

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (Published 2020/ 2021)

The Sunday Times Bestseller

Reasons to like this book:

Realistic romance story and realistic family developments

Satisfactory ending and satisfactory resolution to family members’ growth

Won’t give you nightmares. No references to horrible times in history like some other modern romance novels

Thoughts on the book:

Like it that the main male protagonist stuck around the female protagonist for so long and the writer didn’t make it sound so cliche (every chapter doesn’t feel repeated) Relating back to my past relationships, got into them because I felt like it’s something I have to do but I don’t really love them. It’s just that I haven’t met in-person someone I really love. The novel is quite sweet and realistic and makes me hope again.

Post-book review thoughts:

Have many favorite books (especially most books by Paulo Coelho and a few books that I am currently reading but they are either too close to my heart or guarded treasures that I don’t want to relinquish yet, being a renewed part-time bookworm. From the top of my mind, one of my favourite fiction authors would be Patrick Rothfuss and my favourite non-fiction author would be Steve Templeton. www.stevetempletonauthor.com

^^

Thank you. What books/ news publications do you recommend? XO

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