House Rules. A book by Jodi Picoult.

I love reading. It just occurred to me I haven't done much reading since I started working. Reading novels, that is. I read scripts and essays practically everyday but that is NOT for leisure (it has the opposite effect, actually, since those essays often give me a mysterious headache after reading around 20 of them). 

I used to love The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella. About the same time, I fell in Love with the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Do you know that J. K. Rowling purposely initials her name as if it were a man's just so that the book will become more known? Because male writers are often more known and celebrated in the United Kingdom. Whatever it is, those series educated and fascinates me when I was growing up, in my school years. But surprisingly, I have ALL seven of the Harry Potter books, but I don't even own any of the Shopaholic series. Hurmmm....

After I graduated from high school, I entered my university years. By this time I've outgrown Sophie Kinsella and J. K. Rowling, but I fell head over heels with Julie Garwood. She often writes about barbarians or barbaric men who are tough and rough, falling in love with beautiful, soft-spoken, fragile ladies. I owned a lot of her books, in which I read as often as I can. Also, I read and own a lot of Cecelia Ahern's and Nicholas Spark's. Notice the theme there? Yes, ROMANCE. 

Then I went to New Zealand, and I came back. I started looking for a new writer that could blow my mind off. When I was in Popular Bookstore with Zombee, I saw a book titled 'House Rules'. Not interesting at all. But something drew me to pick up the book and read the synopsis behind the cover. The story is not about love, fantasy or how a girl struggles to support her impulsive shopping amidst her mounting credit card bills. It's about a mother and her child. And I put the book back down on the shelf.

Days after, I went to a bookstore again. I picked up the same book, House Rules. The writer is Jodi Picoult. Not familiar at all, at least to me. And I put it back down again. This happens for more than 20 times over two weeks, I think.

And then one day, I came back from window shopping with Zombee, I realized that there was something else in the paper bag I was carrying. I didn't realize this earlier because, being a considerate gentleman that he is, Zombee was holding the bags for me. I was pleasantly surprised finding what was inside. Can you guess?

I was so happy and flabbergasted! I hate it when he does that! Buying or getting me things I really-really want! Oh wait who am I kidding? I love it when he does that! Thank you Zombee. He afterwards told me that he felt annoyed pitiful watching me picking up the book every time we enter a bookstore, but not buying it (because I did not have any money then. I was a poor, poor student).

One might say "It's just a book. Anyone can buy it. Duh." Well, MY book has this inside. And it is what makes it special, one of its kind. What makes me treasure it most.

To readers who are looking for a new breath of air, you can try Jodi Picoult. She often writes about mothers or family matters. But if you are looking for romance, you are barking up the wrong tree. Picoult deals with more matures issues in life, such as parental love, forgiveness and accepting imperfection in the people that we love. Her way of writing is so fresh and personal. I've learnt a lot reading her supposedly fictional novels. For examples, now I know a lot about Asperger Syndrom. Well, if you are not familiar with some of her writings, maybe you have watched the movie 'My Sister's Keeper'? Major TEARFEST for me. So does all of her books.