Bruises

I've found that I am reading. Like a lot a lot lately. I don't think I've read this much since I was in high school and I could find time in the summers between basketball camps and babysitting. I feel like I could never have enough good book recommendations.

And on Tuesday, I stumbled upon a book entitled Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Literally stumbled upon it in a magazine where I heard about it because it was being turned into a movie. All it said was that the book was about a boy who lost his father on September 11th. (Author's Note: Bruises is the title of this post because the boy gives himself bruises and I myself bruise easier than a peach. We have a connection.) I was intrigued by this description of the book, no ryhme or reason as to why though. So I picked it up from the library on Wednesday. It was one of the best books I have read in my life. It made me cry (hard to do, if you know me). It made me laugh. It made me wonder. It made me think really hard about life. Life in so many different forms.

I really cannot sing enough of its praises. I loved this book. Imagine my surprise then on Friday when I looked on Facebook and saw that my alma mater, Michigan State University, had just announced that they, in partnership with the City of East Lansing, had chosen this book, my book, as their book selection for the 10th anniversary of One Book, One Community. Here's the link for more info (Author's Note: Although this article was published on March 23, which was Wednesday when I had just started to read the book, I was not aware of their selection until Friday when I saw it on my Facebook.): http://news.msu.edu/story/9105/

I could not believe my eyes when I saw that this book, the book I had randomly heard about on Tuesday, began reading on Wednesday, and had fallen in love with on Thursday, was now going to be read by my school and former home for the past 4 years. It was a sign, I know somehow it just was. How could this book not be a sign? Too weird a coincidence not to be. The fact I had randomly heard about it, had read on a whim, and then saw the connection with my alma mater. It was a sign. How could this book not be a sign??

I really cannot pin down the theme of this book to share with you. Only that it was just an incredible piece of art. That is how I would describe it, as a piece of art. There are even pictures scattered throughout the book. But the characters and the story's words are the art. I know I was meant to read this book at this point in my life. I just know. Have you ever had an experience like this? I mean, you go about everything in your life and then one thing leads to another and you just know you were meant to read, feel, or experience a certain thing? It is an incredible thing. Intangible to describe.

One phrase has stuck with me from the novel. I cannot stop pondering its meaning. Its almost haunting me really. I'm going to work on doing this.
Starting now.
Hello world.

"You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness."

~ Extremley Loud & Incredibly Close 

Jonathan Safran Foer

pg. 180