How I Met Some Books
People often told us the way they met someone. “We were classmates,” “I met her at my friend’s wedding,” or “I think I’ve seen his face on social media.” But how did you come across a book? In what way did a book enchant you? How did a book embrace you warmly like a true friend? I have a few little stories about how I met some books.
Relativitas — Adi Purnomo
Around 2016, I went to a lovely bookstore in Bandung. I ‘scanned’ the bookshelves with my eyes while pointing them one by one, hence I found this book. The old version has plain black cover with a tiny title written in serif font — “Relativitas”. Kind of mysterious, wasn’t it? I read, then it changed my life. I switched my hobby from drawing to writing ever since, as we know drawing is an essential activity in the design field.
Manuscript Found in Accra — Paulo Coelho
Once a year, faculty of fine arts and design in my university holds a book fair. I could get various books at discounted price there including this novel. Just like everyone else, I admire Paulo Coelho’s writings because of The Alchemist so I bought Manuscript Found in Accra with no doubt. I read it about a year or two years later, however, it’s among my top 5 books of all time.
Homeless — Liyana Dhamirah
I scrolled through a well-known bookstore website from Singapore, finding the right books. I looked at Homeless, then I decided to have it on my Kindle. This book revealed the reality of Singaporean housing, where actually some individuals still couldn’t afford home so they should live in a temporary tent just to survive. It left a lasting impression on my mind, but the bookstore has officially closed due to a scandalous issue.
Nunchi — Euny Hong
After 11 years apart, I reunited with my secondary school friends. One of them shared his recommendation — Nunchi — and lent me the book. After I finished it, I honed my awareness at the office, when I met pals, and in the end it all makes sense. We’re able to “read someone’s mind” if we “take a closer look” at the situation. I influenced several fellow readers to read it, and they acclaimed Nunchi as a life-changing book as well.
Nocturnes — Kazuo Ishiguro
Such a meet-cute — my favorite library in town has a dedicated corner for Kazuo Ishiguro’s books. Nocturnes, instead of Never Let Me Go or Klara and the Sun, captivated me because it’s a compilation of short stories about music and nightfall. I fell in love with it easily.
How did you meet your best books, or even a book you dislike? I’d love to hear your stories. Oh, I’d also love to meet new books.
P.S.: Yesterday I talked to someone about classic sitcoms. “How I Met Your Mother” was on top of my mind. That was how I chose this title.
P.P.S.: I’m writing this on Just Write #1, a session by Journal Kita.
