What's your bright place?!

I'm not going to lie. The blog title is not original. I stole it from a book that I read a week ago, titled 'All the Bright Places.' Yes, the book is for young adults and no, I am not ashamed to be a fan of that genre. In fact, I am a proud enthusiast because the YA community introduced me to some of my all-time favorites, The Book Thief, The Fault in our Stars, A Wrinkle in Time, To Kill a Mockingbird, Wonder, Lord of the Flies, Harry Potter, and Anne Frank. However, 'All the Bright Places' as such wasn't a very bright book. On second thought, it wasn't bright at all. It was rather depressing and I felt downright miserable after finishing it. Mainly since it revolves around two teens with high suicidal tendencies, out of which one ends own life [That's right, it is a spoiler!]. You see, it is not a book you could easily recommend to someone you know. What if that someone you know was already depressed and this book was all it took to push them off the ledge? So, whenever someone, whom you suspect of depression, corners you for a book suggestion, 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is always the wisest choice. Mostly because towards the end, the gloomy protagonist chooses to participate in 'life' instead of letting go.

Anway, enough about books, depression, and booknerd problems. Let's focus on the title - All the Bright Places. It is what prompted me to buy the book in the first place. I really really loved the phrase and it kind of stuck with me. Even after a week of having finished the book, the title was still in the back of my mind. Over the last few early mornings and late nights, the title evolved into a question - 'What is my bright place in life?' It piqued my interest, urging me to recognize all the places that held warmth and sunshine for me. 

That is when I realized how lucky I was because for me, brightness comes not just from one place, but many. There are my family and friends, who shine on me like the Sun, giving me my life's light and stability. Next, there is solitude, the fire that burns away my social mask and highlights my naked soul. I cautiously contain this fire by my side, letting it not devour the whole of my existence. Then there are books, the magical stars that dot my sky in millions, adding radiance to my abstractness. There is also writing, which comes and goes, illuminating my world like an unpredictable flash of lightning. Finally, there is the seldom celebrated-undisturbed-dreamless sleep, that adds a glow to my face like the firefly's gleam. My world glimmers like a diamond, with all these heavenly places around me. They are my life's beacons, tethering me to my world and adding meaning to the years I cross. And when there are days I feel downcast, they mean only one thing. I haven't been visiting my bright places as often as needed. Because, it is light that shies away darkness, both from within and out. 

Like Dumbledore once said, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." Or, if we know just where to look. All of us have our own shades of brightness. Be it a blinding beam or a fluorescent flicker, it is just one tiny light wave that is required to turn the tables of hope and dispel doom. So, know all the bright places in your life and keep visiting them :)

After You - Afterthoughts

After You, by Jojo Moyes

4.5 stars.. [Contains spoilers from the 3rd para]

I had been holding back from reading 'After You' for a long time, what with all the resentful ratings, anger-from-being-let-down reviews, and disappointed fans. 'Me Before You' is a special book in my life, as in a lot of people's, and I did not want it all taken away from me due to a mere sequel. Soon, I felt I had to find out what happened to Lou, purely in order to have my own opinion when everyone out there was lamenting how Moyes had spoiled it for all of them. As Moyes's loyal fan, I felt I should be at her side, fighting and warding off the pathetic reviewers. 

So, let me tell you, there's nothing wrong with the book. Yes, I know, Me Before You was magical. It created this totally different world for Lou and Will. But, can we please stop comparing that with this. In the words of Moyes, “You don't have to let that one thing be the thing that defines you.” In fact, After You is perfect in its own way. The book sets the pace right from the initial pages and begins playing those visual scenes in your head. That is Moyes's specialty among all things. The ability to effortlessly turn the book into a movie in your mind. I also remember 'One Plus One' being vividly visual and pleasant.

Moyes always adds multiple sub-plots for different characters, just to ensure that everyone's personality profiles get etched in our hearts; that every character has their own story which we'll remember whenever we talk about the book. Moyes has done the same this time too. The repeat characters in this sequel are exactly how they were in the first book, including Mrs. and Mr. Traynor, Treena, Josie and Bernard Clark, and Nathan. As usual, Moyes has detailed the new characters intricately beautiful and in a way that speaks to us. In addition, she paves new roads for everyone, which they tread for the first time. Like how Mr. Traynor begins a new life after the divorce and how Josie Clark discovers feminism out of the blue from Treena's academia. 

Now, the story! Before we delve into it, let me first make a point here. Will and Lou are basically different in two ways, which makes them polar opposites. While both of them are capable of loving very deeply, Will is selfish; puts own welfare first; and loves himself against all odds. On the other hand, Lou is selfless and puts everyone else first. Secondly, Will is secure and spontaneous at the same time. The moment he feels like traveling, he can fly to the remotest part of the globe and plop down to sleep in a motel as comfortably as in his home. But, Lou is different. Lou draws security from the people that surround her. She loves the stability of a home. She likes the familiarity. Even if she had the material means, she will not travel or constantly move. However, when Will urges her to travel the world as his last wish, she takes the leap of faith, willing herself to believe that she would enjoy the things that Will enjoyed doing. That is where After You picks up, with Lou's travel diaries. Like I expected, Moyes gently unravels Lou's base character to us in the sequel, how she is actually different from Will in all things possible and how there is no way she can survive these spur-of-the-moment travel plans. So, we eventually find Lou making her way back again to where she started. I really loved that :) Lou is Lou and Moyes hasn't forgotten that.

Now, two new characters: Lily and Sam. Surprisingly, Lily (Will's you-know-who) did not make even the tiniest impact on me. In actuality, none at all. Despite her character being amazingly detailed, I never could warm up to her. Believe me, I really tried. Maybe because, the book did not have time to show off Lily's good side. In Me Before You, Will was a jerk and then, Lou's hero. Here, Lily's a jerk and it just kind of stops there. But, I loved Sam. Much more than Will. He is just what Lou needs and it makes me happy :) I do accept, Sam's character is not too strongly out there in the book since he's a very gentle and silent bloke. But, now that Sam and Lou are together, I would like to know Sam much better and I daresay it is time for the next book, titled, 'You, Me and Us.' Lou's life still needs closure for me. I want concrete evidence that she's going to be happy the rest of her life, without any major disasters and hazards.

Apart from that, Lou's family is the chaotic mess as it had always been and I laughed myself heartily through those moments. I also teared up when Josie and Bernard get together after their fight and when the members of the Moving On circle share two-liners about their lost loves and let go of balloons. I was immensely happy when Lou let her balloon go, figuratively :)

Finally, 'After You' will never be magical if you keep comparing it with 'Me Before You' and never give it a chance. Allow the book to make an impact and only then it will :)

“It is important not to turn the dead into saints. Nobody can walk in the shadow of a saint.”

The Nightingale - Afterthoughts

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

"They can break your body, but they can never break your soul and spirit."

'The Nightingale' becomes another addition to the list of painful stories I have read till now. Set in France, it talks about two sisters, and how they unfold when the World War II strikes; how people can be starkly different in the way they respond to the cruelties; how great wars bring out both the best and the worst in everyone; how war shows that all of us are fragile except for our spirit; how there never is enough time for us to be with our beloved ones and we realize it only later on; how it is our choice whether to fight or just survive the war; how we never care to understand that we cannot get by life all alone; finally, how it is always our choice whether to fight or just survive the war; how, at the end of a war, those who were in it are left only with a shadow of themselves. 

The book begins slow and patience is key to get to the best part. It definitely was a challenge to keep reading but soon, I was reading through parts that were built from deep hurt and irrevocable losses, which were so overwhelming to read and yet I kept on at it. The Nazis; the Third Reich; picturesque France overtaken; the Vichy government giving up; the billeting; requisition orders; curfews; yellow stars; deportations; assaults and abuses; concentration camps; the holocaust. But, beyond all the above, there's also unquenchable patriotism; unbreakable bonds; unstoppable mutinies; admirable bravado; courage under fire; sisterhood tales; beautiful moments.

By the time I finished reading this, I couldn't hold back tears and knew that humanity is cursed. Every little bit of redemption that we seek, it is soiled with shame and guilt. So, if you are a person who loves to read about the WWII or strong female protagonists or a story of love and loss, The Nightingale is definitely a good choice.

In love we find out who we want to be.

In war we find out who we are.

Here's to LIFE!

Here's to mellow Mondays,

larger-than-life goals,
passionate pursuits,
and all-nighters.

To kindred minds,
intelligent talks,
compassionate hearts,
and good deeds.

To soul-deep connections,
patient loves,
tender moments,
and unbreakable bonds.

To tight-knit families,
encouraging support systems,
shared secrets,
and proud legacies.

To unquenchable wanderlust,
earned vacations,
long-awaited trips,
and captured memories.

To treasured company,
leisurely evening strolls,
sun-kissed pavements,
and amazing sea views.

To abstract thoughts,
good books,
rainy days,
and hot coffees.

To Sunday sleep ins,
lazy brunches,
movie marathons,
and silent dinner dates.

Here's to LIFE!

- Anusha