1. Marley and Me by Josh Grogan

I regret buying this book! It’s so tearful. And if you’re a dog lover, don’t let the excitement spoil you, hehe. My OAness aside, Josh Grogan just wrote the greatest dog story of all time, but it’s just me. In his Preface, he described how his childhood was shaped by caring for a well-behaved dog. And when he said his world was turned upside down when he met the worst dog, Marley, he already got me. But you know what; the naughtiest dogs are the ones that become so loyal to you. “A dog is a man’s best friend” is the most understatement there is. When the author’s wife lost their first child, the author was very surprised at how the worst dog helped a crying woman. When they had their first child, the worst dog acted as a babysitter. There are so many miracles that you can witness when you live with dogs. They can be really annoying at times, but the warmth they bring is … well, invaluable. I am tempted to describe my own experiences with dogs, but I think another post would be appropriate.

2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

They say reading classics is the surest way to get a headache. The prose, the native language used and the economic use of the periods are truly classics. But I really wanted to know the dark love story of Heathcliff and Catherine that transcends life and death, that has been the inspiration of many films and that made Emily Bronte the heroine of some bookworms. Sure enough, their love story was so morbid, depressing, creepy, and so tragic. In one chapter, Heathcliff was described standing by a tree in the middle of the night, calling out to the spirits of his beloved Catherine, who seem to respond by sending whispers through the icy wind. I also feel chills in me. His is a story that justifies the notion that between love and hate there is only love; Hate is just an extremely angry expression of love (but it’s just me, again). Heathcliff was a cruel and heartless creature who never existed! Catherine was an ambitious and indifferent woman who gave birth to another man’s child. Together they make the most tragic love story, put Romeo and Juliet aside. The happy and peaceful ending was reached by the next generation. That made the story comforting in a way.

3. Return to Susan Moody’s Secret Garden

What a real title! This book took me back to my childhood because Mary, Dickon, and Collin are my childhood heroes in the book world. This book tells of their separate lives from adulthood until they reached old age. In the Secret Garden, do you notice the character development going on on the characters? Mary was well defined as this snobbish and short-tempered orphan girl from India who found herself ignored by her uncle. So near the end of the story, when she cried knowing that Collin was finally able to walk and her uncle said that she was his daughter too, the tears did not swell in Mary’s eyes, but mine as well. I think this is a mild version of the Wuthering Heights craze. They have some similarities. Three childhood friends. English (or British) environment. Mary and Catherine are orphans, in a way. Dickon and Heathcliff are poor tough boys. Collin and Edgar are spoiled and spoiled rich kids.

4. Your First Job: Your Practical Guide to Survival Success by Nelson Dy

This is a kind of instruction book and, as the title suggests, it guides a recent graduate into the so-called real world. The book compiles the interviews conducted by the author with the CEOs of the main companies in the country such as Unilever Philippines, Chowking, Del Monte Philippines, etc.

The six principles of the book are:

  • Know where you are going.
  • Bloom where you are planted.
  • Keep your nose clean.
  • Help people along the way.
  • Encourage your boss’s success.
  • Let go of emotional baggage.

5. Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley

This book is written by the son of one of the six soldiers in the iconic symbol of American triumph on Iwo Jima. Still on the first pages, I believe that I am destined for another worthwhile journey in the lives of soldiers before and during the worst battle of World War II. Only a lucky few manage to have a life after the war and one of them is the author’s father, John Bradley. Ironically, the father never discussed the war with his wife or children. The closest moment he mentioned was when he was shown a picture of the flag-raising icon and he simply said, “The real heroes are those who never returned home.” And my respect for the soldiers increased exponentially in that moment, right there. So I bought the book. I am crossing my fingers to finish this book.

And you? What books have you bought that you read from the first page to the end?