The Yellow Library's Top 10 Books Ever

In my last 2 decades of reading and collecting, some books just stayed with me throughout the years long after I have read them. They are the ones that are not just wildly entertaining but also strike a chord within all of us and resonate with the truth.   They demonstrate the strength of the human spirit and inspire us to live life to the fullest.  Here is the list of the most beautiful and unforgettable books I have ever read.   I hope someday you will get to read them too!   (Click on any title for more information.)


1.  Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
One of the most gripping sagas I have ever read, Pillars of the Earth is a breathtaking concoction of princes, princesses, castles, love, war, and revenge. Set in medieval England, it is so meticulously researched that Follett was able to blend fact with fiction and weave it into a compelling story that is impossible to put down.

2.  Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Get lost in the haunting world of pre-war Japan where geishas flourished, whose beauty regimen were practiced religiously to beguile the most powerful of men, whose charm and cunning were made into an art, and for whom true love was never an option.  An amazing story of survival and the search for true love.

3.  Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Based on the true story of The Lost Woman of San Nicolas, this book is an amazing story of survival, hope and the strength of the human spirit.

 

4.  The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
One of the most inspiring books I have ever read, Life of Pi won the Man Booker Prize in 2002.

5.  The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
More than eighty years since Pearl S. Buck won the Pulitzer Prize for The Good Earth in 1932 the book is still as compelling and poignant today as it was then.

6.  90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper
A gripping true story about a man who met a terrible accident, was pronounced dead, went to heaven, and came back to life after 90 minutes. In those minutes he had a glimpse of heaven in all its glory which he says no words on earth can aptly describe. 

7.  The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
A book that is so strikingly simple, elegant, beautiful, and yet so powerful it resonates with the truth. Its purity is what makes it profound and it never fails to strike a chord within each one of us, young and old alike.

8.  Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
A love story shrouded in mystery. It is a gripping read with an atmosphere bordering on gothic.

 

9.  The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Considered to be one of the first mystery novels ever written, The Woman in White was the first book to feature many of the elements we find in many thrillers today such as the "white lady", domestic murder for money, sprawling manors in the English countryside, etc. Collins narrates the story as several characters in an epistolary style that is very genuine and creative!

10.  Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The legendary persona of the ultimate detective, Sherlock Holmes has no need for any further explanation.

The new Annotated Illustrated Edition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Finch in Manila

Last Saturday Batman graphic artist and writer David Finch visited Fully Booked High Street in Manila.  It was my first time to hear of David so it was interesting to see him talk about his work as an artist in person and draw on the spot.  There was an artist talk that was followed by a book signing session.  Sharing the photos of my visit here :-)

The Artist Talk at the U-View Theater, Fully Booked basement.

Book signing at the atrium area, ground floor.

 
Thanks to my book buddy Natassha Po for the book signing photos :-D

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken is a mind-blowing epic true story of one man's personal heroism and perseverance.  If you have read Seabiscuit then you know how Laura Hillenbrand can weave an amazing story of survival and redemption in the midst of WWII.  The book itself has been on the Amazon bestseller list for weeks and enjoys rave reviews.

Louie (left) and his brother Pete (right)

The son if Italian immigrants, Louis Silvie Zamperini was born in 1917 in Torrance, California. He was a wild and unruly child, always getting into all kinds of trouble, breaking into homes, and no one, not even his own parents could control him.  It was not until he was 14 did someone finally manage to channel his energies into something that he would find meaningful enough to give him a goal in life, and that was running, which his brother Pete introduced him to. As soon as his legs hit the tracks and learned to run,  he began breaking records, including collegiate, state and finally national for the mile. At 19 he muddled his way into the US Olympic team for the wrong event, the 5,000m, at the very last opportunity, and within days was on a steamer heading for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Through it all he remained cheerful and charismatic. In the finals, he came eighth, shook hands with Hitler, and went home determined to win Olympic gold for the mile in 1940. No one doubted it was possible, and he knew he could be the first, as many experts agreed, to break the four-minute barrier.   

The B-24 Liberator, the bomber plane model
that Louis became a crew of. Their plane crashed
in the Pacific during one of there missions

But then the second world war erupted.  Louis was sent to join the air force to man a bomber plane and started flying missions over the Pacific. One day while on a mission to search for lost airmen over the Pacific, his plane crashed and sank. Louie and 2 other crew members survived but began a 47-day ordeal in the open sea during which they survived on raw fish and birds, fought off sharks, and drifted over 2000 miles only to be found by the Japanese.  


What happens next is Louis' terrific ordeal as a prisoner of war that extended for over 3 years in Japanese prison camps, where the living conditions were anything but humane.  POWs were beaten and humiliated almost on a daily basis, made to live on broth and gruel alone, were not allowed baths, made to sleep in cramped vermin-infested prison cells, and left to be ravaged by disease.  One particular warden Mutsuhiro Watanabe or 'The Bird' singled out Louis and was determined to make his life a living hell.  By then Louis' life hung by thread.  

Laura Hillenbrand

Based on materials and interviews painstakingly researched for over 7 years, Unbroken is Laura Hillenbrand's masterpiece. She artfully weaves together facts into a compelling story that reads like an epic.  I admire her talent for finding  "le mot juste" or exactly the right word, profound and precise.  Laura interviewed Louis over 75 times, and jokingly says that Louis was an easier subject that Seabiscuit because at least Louis could "talk."  


When the war ended Louis was finally able to come home, but he was far from saved. Memories of the war still haunted him and in many ways the war was still not over for him. Watanabe had been declared a war criminal and was hunted by the authorities but was never found.  An overwhelming need for revenge engulfed Louis.  It was not until he discovered an evangelist did he finally find peace, and was able to finally forgive his captors, even "The Bird." I have not read other books on WWII but what I thought made this book special was how in the end Louis was able to find truth and forgiveness despite his extraordinary ordeal.  While most prisoners of war come home broken for the rest of their lives, Louis remains to be cheerful, charismatic and most of all, UNBROKEN.  Let his story of redemption serve as an inspiration to us all.  

Louis Zamperini, 94, lights the torch
he carried at the 1994 Olympics

The following is a fascinating video presentation of Lous' story.  It has a dramatic ending where in the film makers are able to track down and interview Watanabe or "The Bird" himself.

Steve Jobs Biography as Graphic Novel



Steve Jobs: Genius by Design
Campfire Graphic Novels

Since the launch of Steve Jobs' biography by Walter Isaacson you have probably been planning to read it but just haven't found the time, not to mention that it's almost 700 pages long!    If that's the case then the graphic novel format Steve Jobs: Genius by Design by Campfire Graphic Novels is the perfect solution for you!

Campfire is an amazing graphic novel publisher based in India. What I particularly like about them is that they publish beautiful classics and biographies in graphic novel format at very affordable prices since 2008. I, for one, am particular fan of theirs and I have a collection of several of their classic novels.   Their books are available at selected National Book Store branches for approx P200 a copy only.  For more information about their titles check out my previous post here.

Steve Jobs: Genius by Design takes the reader through Jobs' life - from his birth, adoption, professional life until his last days.  All the facts in the book are based on research sourced from books, news articles, films and documentaries. Out of the research several interesting trivia were uncovered, including the fact that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were good friends, that Jobs created Windows before Bill Gates started Microsoft, and that when Jobs was a small boy his school teacher had to bribe him to do his homework.    The illustrations have been done with Jobs principle in mind - 'less is more'.   

To sample the novel, you can download this 30-page preview FREE of charge for iPad, iPod, PC, Mac, Blackberry and Android here.   The digital preview was released last February 24 as a tribute to the legend on his birthday.  I've sampled it and it's very easy and enjoyable to read.  Plus the visuals make it easy to remember.  The full novel will be out on April 15th and will be priced at Rupees 195 only (approx Php 170)  Hopefully it will be made available here in Manila, too!

Here are sample screenshots I took using my iPad. Enjoy! 

Here are some news articles about the graphic novel.  Click to enlarge. :-)

Paris Booksellers Along the River Seine

Paris Book Stalls by the River Seine - photo by karishma.me

Stroll along the river Seine by the Pont Neuf or the left bank and you'll find one of the most iconic spots in Paris - Les Bouqinistes - or the Parisian used and rare booksellers.  Stretching out for over a mile from Pont Neuf to the Left and the Right bank, these Parisian booksellers have marked the city for over 300 hundred years.  Boasting of over 200 independent stalls carrying up to 400,000 new, used, rare and collectible books and magazines, these book stalls are sure to delight any booklover with a truly unique Parisian experience.

Bouqinistes first appeared in as early as the mid 16th Century when they would trade goods from carts.  During the Crusades, these goods would included illegal Protestant pamphlets sold discreetly.  

The Bouqinistes of the Seine began to flourish after the French Revolution when they had access to entire libraries confiscated from the rich.  But it was not until the end of the 19th Century that they were granted permission to permanently bolt their stall boxes on the stone wall of the river banks.  The french government then regulated the size and color of the boxes In 1952.   Because of their role in preserving a cultural heritage, these bouqinistes are exempted from paying taxes by the government today as long as they conform to the regulations.  They must be open at least four days a week regardless of the weather or the foot traffic, and not more than one out of four box stalls can contain "souvenirs". The rest must be literary material.  

Rifle through their wares and you'll find a variety of surprises including ancient editions of books, old books, second-hand contemporary novels, comic books, engravings and prints, magazines, posters, antique postcards, collector's stamps, souvenirs and other odds and ends.  To keep their wares safe, the iconic green-colored boxes are locked up at night.  

Prices are surprisingly reasonable, too.  The only downside is that while they have books in English most of them are in French. However if you can't find what you want the stall owners will be happy to look for it for you.  It is this personalized service that has kept them going despite the presence of more formal bookstores in the city.  Still, you never know what hidden treasures you might find among their wares so browsing is still a highly enjoyable treat that may last for hours. I've been to the bouqinistes once in my life during my honeymoon. But it was only for a few minutes and I can tell you it was hardly enough!  I did manage to get this rare book - a hardcover illustrated french edition of The Little Prince from 1953 for 20 Euros (about P1,200). 

Photo courtesy of The Virtual Tourist 

Photo courtesy of The Virtual Tourist

Photo courtesy of The Virtual Tourist

Photo courtesy of 23photosofparis

Photo courtesy of A Traveler's Library



Photo courtesy of A Traveler's Library



Photo Courtesy of My Paris Blog

Photo by amanthei

Photo by amanthei

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

First Edition Cover

It has been more than eighty years since Pearl S. Buck won the Pulitzer Price for The Good Earth in 1932 yet the book is still as compelling and poignant today as it was then. The Good Earth was also a major factor for Buck's winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938 and recently it was included in Oprah's Book Club.  When I read it I couldn't put it down.  Perhaps it's because of my Chinese ancestry, or simply because of the raw imagery and captivating writing, but I was immediately drawn into the world of O-lan during pre-revolutionary China. 

Pearl S. Buck

The story opens on Wang Lung's wedding day. Wang Lung, a peasant farmer, is the central figure around which the entire narrative revolves.  He is a man true to his Chinese ancestry as he tries to follow tradition in his relationships with his wife, his father, his children and his village.  Wang Lung's most precious possession is his land, its value equating to his own self-worth, thus the title. Although steeped in the ancient customs, at times he reflects certain enlightened thinking that may be more for the author's emphasis of injustices than a true depiction of the average Chinese peasant in the early 1900s. 

Wang Lung takes for his wife O-lan, the slave of a slave from a wealthy household. O-lan comes to live with Wang Lung to cook, clean and bear his children.  The marriage brings satisfaction to both for different reasons.  Wang Lung is pleased to have found such a competent and wise woman to bear and raise his children, while O-lan considers herself fortunate to have married a responsible husband and allowed to live a life that is better than she has ever known. Together they live on the thriving farm and have five children.


But farm life in pre-revolutionary China was not as simple as it seems.  Women do not enjoy the many rights and privileges we do today.  They were still considered "property" owned by their husbands during those times, and there was enormous pressure for couples to have boys instead of girls.  To top it off, Wang Lung never displays open affection for his wife.

I may have Chinese ancestry but stories about life in China then were only told to me vaguely by my grandmother when I was still a little girl.  Pearl S. Buck's writing opened my eyes to how it was really like to live then, made me appreciate all that my ancestors went through to get us where we are today, and made me all the more grateful that I was born in today's generation.   

The characters were very richly developed and provided me with deep insight into the Chinese psyche at that time.  To me Wang Lung is the epitome of the Chinese farmer - responsible and hardworking, yet stoic and shows no affection to his wife. He tries his best to follow tradition but watches helplessly as times change before his eyes, especially after his children grow up.  O-lan, on the other hand, is my heroine and the reason for my finishing the book. She may have been uneducated and she was not at all pretty, but I was deeply struck by her strength and her bravery as a farmer's wife.   She does not seek comfort, and she does her duties all day without complaint.   One of the scenes I can never forget is when she gives birth to her child in the field all on her own, and when it is done brings the child home and then goes back to the field to work that same afternoon.

The writing is easy to read and does not interrupt with many highfalutin words.  It simply narrates the story with raw imagery of the environment.  I for one found myself immediately drawn into Wang Lung and O-lan's world.  

    

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is probably one of the best books I have ever read.  Readers be warned that it may be slow in the beginning and doesn't get exciting until past 1/3 of the book when Pi gets lost in the ocean, but it is well worth the wait. So if you are planning to read this, don't give up just yet until you get to that part, please.

Yann Martel, holding a copy of Life of Pi,
winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2002

This Man Booker Prize winning book is about the remarkable story of a young boy, Piscine Molitor Patel, who calls himself Pi to escape the jests of his classmates calling him "pissing."  Pi's family live in India where has father is the zookeeper of Pondicherry, a very small area in the south of the country.  Growing up in the zoo, Pi knows all about animals.  He learns how to keep the animals, from monkeys to tigers, happy and controlled.  One day when Pi was 16 his family decides to move to Canada. They board a Japanese cargo ship where the animals are contained in cages and Pi's family are given bunk spaces to sleep on.   One night a storm hits the ship and Pi manages to escape onto a lifeboat before the ship sinks.    Then he finds that he is not the only one taking refuge in the lifeboat but also a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a huge Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.  What happens next is Pi's extraordinary story of survival for 227 days adrift in the Pacific ocean.

Because the main drama of Pi getting lost in the ocean doesn't happen until well into the book, Yann Martel had a solution to keep his readers interested.  He begins the book with a note from the author, who is said to have interviewed Pi in old age.  So if Pi was able to reach a ripe old age then that means he survived his ordeal, right? 

The special Illustrated Hardcover Edition,
with its beautiful illustrations by Croatian artist Tomislav Torjanac

The novel doesn't forget to inject light humor in a dire situation.  It is riddled with lots of memorable quotes, charmingly funny phrases, an amusing use of language, and an interesting deep dive into the thinking of animals it makes you think you can jump into a zoo and start conversing with the them.  Its rather reflective insights on life, God and the universe may lift the eyebrows of some readers, yet it is also a light novel that opens your mind into seeing the world a little differently.

The following trailer is fan made but it gives a pretty good feel of what the book is about.  Enjoy!

A film adaptation of Life of Pi directed by Ang Lee is said to be released in December this year, starring Tobey Maguire as Yann Martel.