What a wonderful year it has been! Close friends will know that 2014 brought unique trials to our family, but we remain confident that, as long as we stick together, and with lots of help from up above, we will be able to overcome these challenges!
I'm especially grateful that I still get to squeeze in reading despite the ever increasing work load (a fact of life: the work load doesn't get any lighter. It keeps getting heavier! haha, which does wonders for one's figure because I end up losing weight even without exercising!)
I'd like to thank Goodreads for the pictures of the 43 books I've read in 2014, not counting the eight "trashy" romance novels I guiltily snacked on, hehe. (OUTLANDER is an exception because it transcends the genre!)
And since I've read too few to come up with a "Top 10" list, here's my humble Top 5 Reads of the year:
1. NORTH AND SOUTH by Elizabeth Gaskell. Best $0.00 purchase on Kindle, ever! And it is now my favorite book OF ALL TIME. It has brought so much joy to my life, and now all I want to be in life is to be like Margaret Hale, the unforgettable and oh-so-admirable heroine in the book.
2. MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Victor E. Frankl. Who better than a Holocaust survivor to write a book about the meaning of life? It's the kind of book that's useless to highlight, because you'll just end up highlighting everything. I will be rereading this book every few years or so, it's THAT important and inspiring.
3. STRINGS ATTACHED by Joanne Lipman and Melanie Kupchynsky. This book made me cry. It is part murder mystery, part tribute to an incredible teacher, and ultimately it is about the redemptive power of music in everyone's life.
4. ABSOLUTELY AMERICAN: FOUR YEARS AT WEST POINT by David Lipsky. I loved it because of the patriotism and idealism that comes out from this wonderful description of a school like no other. It gave me ideas on how to teach patriotism in the context of a Philippine school.
5. I AM MALALA by Malala Yousafzai. She is the Anne Frank of our generation. And with the recent brutal attack of a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, this book has even more significance. Whenever I feel down and start wondering if one person can make a difference, I remember Malala and I am hopeful again. But what struck me the most from this book is the revelation that Malala became what she is because of her incredible father, a hero in his own right. Mr. Yousafzai, thank you for raising a heroine.
The biggest blessing that 2014 brought me is the gift of Friendship. A new friend made, old friendships further deepened... there is no peace like the peace of being one's crazy self amidst people who are as crazy as you!
Here's to another year full of friends, books, food and love!
Previous Years in Books posts:
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007 (a partial list)
