Something every reader must have

Some things everybody must have in life. Some people say that    everybody must have a gay friend, others a fucking buddy when we    are single or a good friend to whom you can count on anytime. I agree  with all the options, of course, but I’d like to include another one: a  book buddy. A book buddy is that friend of yours who usually reads  much more than the average, knows everything about literature that  you would love to know and lend you the best books ever!

I don’t know about you, but I myself hate going through best seller’s    lists to find good titles. Furthermore, walking through bookshelves in  a bookstore does not sound so appealing to me, especially if I do not  have any idea about and author or title. I really don’t like to just try and guess because I personally hate wasting my money and time reading poor literature. Therefore, I suggest that if you don’t already have one, you should find him/her right away.

I’ve found mine almost 20 years ago (Yes, I know, I’m a lucky reader). At that time he was my first boss and nowadays one of my dearest friends. This guy, called Lauro, but who everyone calls “Laurinho”(like little Lauro), is a reader expert. Usually he reads at least two books per month and he has been reading about everything you can imagine for the last 50 years; so you do the Math. Additionally, he provides the smartest reviews ever to people like me, and maybe you: ordinary readers who just enjoy reading as a common habit. Have you found your book buddy already?

Good Stuff

As I said before, I am not an expert in literature, but I’ve read some good stuff. Some books are particularly special for me and I’d like to share some of them with you every week.

Clarice Lispector

Clarice was a Brazilian (naturalized) writer who had a very particular way of writing. Her books are  not easy to find in America, but if you want to start knowing about her, you should purchase her  most recently biography “Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector”, written by the  American author Benjamin Moser.

One of my favorites is called  “Uma Aprendizagem ou O Livro dos Prazeres (Yes, the book has two  tittles!), which translating to English would be something like “An Apprenticeship or The Pleasure’s  book”, which tells the love story between a primary teacher, Lóri, and a philosophy teacher, Ulisses.

Clarice was an existentialist; therefore her books are so intense and not easy to read. However, once you understand her way of writing and get into it, you just will start, my friend, a very special reading trip. Clarice was so brave and original that she put everything she has inside her soul into her books. It is amazing the way she questions life, herself, her feelings and makes us feel so huge and at the same time so small in this world. She goes so deep that you will be afraid of not coming back. But this is the best part of reading her: finding yourself on the way to the last page. Enjoy!

http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/benjamin-moser/why-you-should-know-name-clarice-lispector

Mario Vargas Lhosa – Bad Girl

How many stories we have heard about a girl who loves a guy who doesn’t love her, betrays her, humiliates her, makes her suffer, etc? Pretty common, huh? Not the way this story is told and, in this case, the girl is a boy. Mario Vargas Lhosa has the talent of writing a vibrant love story that makes you support the bad girl and hates the good guy. I’ve heard that the author had lived a story like that in his own life and this story is part of his own biography. I don’t know, but I like to think that this is true just because it is much more romantic, of course. To sum up, this book is about true love, crazy passion and uncontrollable obsession. Feelings that, if you are lucky enough, you must sense once in lifetime. But, please, just once. 😉

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/books/review/Harrison.html

E-readers

Have you tried Amazon Kindle or any kind of e-reader device? Well I still do not have one, but I’ve tried my friend’s Amazon kindle and I can tell: it is amazing! Not only we can download e-books for cheapest prices than regular books, but also we can make our own notes on it, bookmarks, highlights and carry it, wherever you go in your pocket. Additionally the menu options allow users to search for synonyms  and definitions from the built-in dictionary.

Pretty good, huh? However, I would never leave my books because of this amazing technology. You know why?  Because I love to have books in my hands, touch them, hold them, turn the pages, feel them. I adore carrying them in my purse, even when I know that I may not have time to read. Although, carrying them with me makes me feel better, smarter and happier. There is no better way than having a  reading experience like that. My vote? Lets have both!!
E-readers and books; they can truly complement each other.