Friday, July 10, 2015

#BooksNotBullets....Happy 18th Malala!




#BooksNotBullets 

I Support books not bullets because reading and education opens the mind to all the infinite possibilities of the universe. When we choose books we are choosing a life that allows us to become better communicators and problem solvers. Through reading we become more empathic and diverse. By reading; no matter the topic, we are actively learning. Our imaginations are working and we are evolving into better people. Bullets simply can not make us better people...in honor of Malala Yousafzai's 18th birthday I am choosing to highlight some of my all time favorite books and explaining why these books are not only inspiring, entertaining but so much better than bullets.

The Books I choose:

The Color Purple by Alice Walker; because Celie is a young woman who does not let diversity stop her. Though she is beaten, and raped by her stepfather and then married off at a young age, and separated from her sister she still strives to better herself. She wants the best for not only herself but the ones she loves as well. Celie embodies well all that it means to fight back and regain your power.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling; Whats not to love about this series. The trio; Harry, Ron and Hermonie best reflect what true and lasting friendship looks like. Though they have their rough patches they stand up together to battle Lord Voldermort. 

Night by Elie Wiesel; this book is a favorite of mine because like Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl it is about a young person that is forced to face one of the darkest hours of world history. In this short volume we witness the horrors of the concentration camps Auschwitz and Buchenwald as seen through the eyes of a young Elie Wiesel. At the heart of this book is the simple truth that sometimes even at the darkest times you will still be able to survive. 

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury; this book has stayed with me since reading it my senior year of college. This book is all about a world so close to our own today. People use drugs to keep themselves happy and "even", and they are obsessed with watching "screens". All knowledge and learning is suppressed and instead of fireman putting out fires they are lighting them; to burn books. Bradbury was ahead of his time when he wrote this book; its almost like he knew where our world might be heading and he wanted to warn us ahead of time.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan; which is a book about mothers and daughters and how they battle to overcome the obstacles that keep them from understanding one another. This book is sad, funny, haunting and beautiful. 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas; Celaena is an unlikely any other female character I have seen written in sometime. She is an orphan who was taken in by an assassin and taught to kill. She has a lot to prove if she wants to keep her freedom. What I love about Celaena is that she is a book lover. She reads to escape just like we do. I also love that  she fights to overcome her past and to regain her freedom. 

City of Bones (Mortal Instruments Series) by Cassandra Clare; what is not to love about  a story such a this. In the Mortal Instruments series we come upon a world that stands parallel into with our own and the only way to stop the war that is going on within the Shadow world from spilling into ours is for Shadowhunters to protect us. 

Mockingjay (Hunger Games Book 3) by Suzanne Collins. I choose Mockinjay because it is a book about a revolution. In this book we have a reluctant heroine in Katniss; a young woman that just wants to live out her life in piece and like a puppet she is pulled along by strings until she changes the game. Katniss represents what a true hero really should be; unpredictable, ballsy, and thoughtful. 


If you need anymore information on any of these books it can be found on thereadingroom.com or goodreads.com. They are also available for purchase on amazon.com as well as other fine retailers. Feel free to follow me at www.delawarebookaddict.blogspot.com for more reviews and book related editorials and news.   


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