How To Get Into Reading Books

There is no friend as loyal as a book.

-Ernest Hemingway

I have a friend, who actually happens to my best friend and we have been friends for a fairly long time and I suddenly remembered of what he told me years ago. As most of you know, I do see myself as an aspiring writer. I love writing, especially fiction, ever since I was a child. I love creating my own world with characters that is from my subconscious mind. I love giving them a life, feelings, thoughts of their own. Unfortunately, this friend of mine is the complete opposite of myself - but we are very similar to each other in many ways, we even share the same birth date, it's quite creepy actually - and he bloody hates reading.

Don't get me wrong, of course when he needs to read something he has to - like a text message, or a safety sign, or a menu at the restaurant. But reading for fun, he's not about it at all. So I thought to myself, there must be others like him who doesn't fancy picking up a story book and read for fun. And just that alone, I feel like they're missing out on one of the greatest pleasures in life. So, I've decided that I'm going to share about my tips on how to get into reading books, for those who doesn't like to read.

But of course if you're already into reading novels and any sort fictional piece, you can skip today's post. Unless you want to keep reading, which I don't mind at all. I'd love it if you do. It makes me feel very appreciated. Anyways, unto the actual content.

Start with short stories because sometimes reading a novel with 2000 pages can seriously bore and suck the life out of you, especially if you're just starting to get into reading. Short stories are more straightforward, there's no unnecessary plot and characters which can either be really enticing, or really boring. Most of the time it's really intriguing, because of its short sentences and the pace of it is really fast. Like a staccato musical piece.

As ridiculous as this may seem, when I find myself lost in the bookstore, I actually go straight to the very last page and read the ending. I don't know why but I am one of those people who genuinely love spoilers. I like knowing what's bound to happen; I feel as if I won't feel as sad or shocked when it does. Now I know not everyone (almost no one) enjoys a spoiler so how about flipping through its pages randomly and stop to read a line or two? From there onwards, you might decide whether you'd want to continue reading it or not. It won't spoil the whole book for you, it'll be like a preview or a trailer; you only get to see pieces of it.

Of course, if you still feel like that's not enough to intrigue you, you can always start at the beginning. Sometimes a jump start is all we need, right? The next thing you know, you're already at the end and somehow you'll feel lost, as if you're longing for something - or someone. One that you've never even met. And that'll be the one of the saddest feeling you'll ever experience.

When I find myself lost in the words of another human soul, I feel everything all at once. I know then I found myself a 'good book'. But if you ask me, there's no such as a good or a bad book. It's all comes down to you because at the end of the day, you're the one who's going to experience it. If you feel like you found a piece of material that makes you feel everything all at once, you've found yourself a good book. Keep reading it.

Reading a book, whatever book it may be, can really help you in life. It was actually from reading that I decided I wanted to become a writer (duh, that's an understatement Haziqah *rolls eyes*). The first book I ever read that made me want to become a writer was, The Midnight Hand by Paul Stewart. This book genuinely made me feel so many emotions, I cried by the time I got to the end of it. And I can still recall the first day I picked it up in English class back in year 8, when our teacher told us each to grab a book and read for 10 minutes before starting our lesson. It was the best decision I ever made picking up this book.

I don't exactly have a copy of The Midnight Hand with me though, which is a shame. I should add that on my list of many things to purchase (at least I'll feel less guilty when it's not all just skincare products and makeup hehe) and take a walk down memory lane when I have it in hand with me. If you're wondering, the photos I used for today's post are just random books I have in my collection with me, most of my other books are sitting in a pool of dust back home in Malaysia.

There are many ways a book has affected me; as a writer and also as a person. I hope that you can find solace in books, when all else seems like it's crumbling apart. I hope that when you find a book that's worth every second of your time, you'll be able to find another and fill that void that is missing from your heart. I hope that one day, when I have a book of my own, I'll be able to inspire others, make others feel everything all at once with my words. There simply isn't a better feeling than that.

A New Read: The Kite Runner

I am late on this one but I finally finished the one of the most talked about book by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner a couple of weeks ago and it was one of the best reading experiences of my life, thus far. It was devastatingly beautiful, heartbreaking, funny and all the emotions I can ever think of. It was like the first time I read Looking For Alaska, except that wasn't nearly as tragic as The Kite Runner.

The story is about - of course if you've read it, you'll know more about it - friendship, loyalty, religion and most importantly liberation and redemption. If you have yet to pick this book up, I suggest that you do. You will not regret it. A few friends told me it was way too depressing, but personally I don't think so. I think it is a wonderful book with a good reminder to those who are well and healthy, those who do not live in such conditions to always be grateful with the life that they are given. Of course I don't think that was the point Hosseini was trying to make, but then again when it comes to literature, there's always more than one perspective.

I don't really want to write a 'review', because I don't know if I can write it without giving away the entire story, because I am the kind of person who can explain an entire 3 hour movie (novel in this case) in one go if I try - which I'm not going to, because unlike myself, no one likes a spoiler. I am still learning on this blogging thing too so, please forgive me.

I do however want to write about my experience throughout the whole novel and I'm going to attempt to write it without making it sound like I am writing an essay for English class. So, reading it in Amir's voice, it felt like I was him or rather I was there with him but just there as a mere shadow.  I felt helpless and confused, it genuinely upset me when I couldn't do anything to help. With that being said, it wasn't hard for me to control my tears, heck in fact the water works just kept flowing throughout my entire read.

A particular scene which I read and sobbed, like a child who lost his mum, was at the alley. I literally had to pause and put the book down for a couple of days before I could continue the journey with Amir. I have never felt so sick, sad, disappointed and devastated in my life. Like I said, it literally felt like I was in Kabul in the winter of 1975, except I wasn't there and these characters do not even exist. But that does not mean the feelings that I felt and issues that happened in the book isn't real.

Besides the alley, I lost count at how many times I wept and end up looking like a raccoon the next morning. Raccoons are cute, don't get me wrong but me, looking like a raccoon? That's an absolute, no no. This is probably the most famous line in the book, 'for you, a thousand times over' and I still feel my heart ache whenever I come across it. I don't know if I thought of the tragedy that took place behind the alley or if it's something else.

Regardless of what it is, it's a good kind of sadness. The kind of sadness you know you have to endure, in order to move forward and live a better life. This is why I want to become a writer myself, I want to make other people feel things when they read the words that I've written. I want them to remember me, through my words.

Right after the very last page, which ironically is where I began, I started to think about how lucky my life is. I think of how blessed I am in this life and compared to those who are actually suffering, my problems seems so insignificant.

I pray everyday that those who live in such conditions will one day be free of all the pain, I pray that those people whose homes were taken from them, will return and reclaim back what belonged to them. I pray, because somehow that's all that I can do. For now.