Books You Need in your Shelf

I know I did a similar post a few years ago about my favorite books, but I feel like this one is different. I’m not talking about books that once I put it down I was like “wow this book just blew me away, I must read it another five times,” I’m talking about books that maybe you read once, but they have so much meaning and there is more than the story it tells. I’m a big fan of those books that one simple word actually has a lot of different meanings, every word you read is a metaphor or has a deeper meaning that what it seems. So this are the kind of books that are in this list:

                                                                              

  1.    The Catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger

Are you surprise this book is the first one in the list? You really shouldn’t. If we are being honest, the first time you read this book without any background information you probably wonder “what’s the big deal about this Holden Caulfield kid?” but when you dig more into it and you realize this is actually a representation of how a teenager feels about growing up, this is the kind of book you will fall in love.

  2.    Looking for Alaska by John Green

After I finish this book, I remember needing sometime to think the whole book again. I just one of those books that the ending suddenly makes you question your entire life. I’m currently re reading it and being a big fan of marking things on book this one is full of post-it and pencils scribbles, there are so many pieces of this book that makes you reflect. I recommended this book to my brother and to my friend and they both come back to me and were blown away but how good it was.

  3.    Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

I look for this book for a while and I had officially given up until a week after I started university. We were assigned to read the first one “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” and the teacher told us that Nine Stories was a book everyone who wanted to become a writer needed to have. Of course I raced to the closest book store and got it. Some of the stories might be a little hard to read and confusing but just like The Catcher in the Rye, you have to look under the iceberg.

  4.    Bestiario by Julio Cortazar

I think every single person needs to at least read one story by Julio Cortazar. Pick any story by him, the craziest one, the funniest one or the easiest one, but you must read it. I read this collection of short stories for school and once I was done I feel in love with Cortazar and after learning more about him in university, I realize he was the best Argentinean writer ever (Sorry Borges). The way he writes is pure poetry, every single word is there for a reason and every story has a bigger meaning behind. This story have been translated to English and they are around the internet but I believe the book has not been publish. My favorites are “Lejana” (“The Distances”) and “Carta a una señorita en París" (Letter to a Young Lady in Paris").

  5.    One Hundred Days of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This is defiantly not a book to read many times, it is a long and one of those book that are just hard to read. The first few chapters of this book was a constant: “what is going on here?”, but then my teacher would help us understand and everything made sense. It is just one of those books that you need to read once, and do your best to understand that the writer is not crazy. By the way, I highly recommend having a family tree, it really helped.

  6.    The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Don’t worry my first reaction to this book was also “this is disgusting, I can’t read it,” but I don’t think there is anything more beautiful that the metaphors and the symbols on this book. I love the way we discussed this book in university more than I did in school, because this is one of those book that to really enjoy it you have to read it twice. But really what really got me when reading once that I was older was how we can all feel a little bit identified with the main character.

  7.    No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre

I’ve been hearing about this book for a long time and after I was assigned to read it for my Culture class I think I finished it in like a day. Maybe I’m a fan of the whole idea of questioning your existence but this book just touches a subject that we all question but we do not really get into it. What is hell?

Love

Pili

10 Things that Made me Happy this Week!

Hello! I was going to post to Friday but I hated the idea that I had written in my little notebook so I kind of skipped a day. Anyways, here is another Sunday post for you:

1.       Buying my copy of The Catcher in the Rye. I finally have my own copy. How come I didn’t have a copy of my favorite book? I don’t even know.

2.       Literature class. Technically is Contenido Culturales Contemporáneos, which really is like a little bit of general culture, literature and theater. But this week I had my best real literature class and I loved it. We got to analyze Salinger’s story, The Perfect Day for Bananafish and it was such a great class.

3.       Insurgent. Al thought I didn’t quiet enjoy the movie, I had fun at the cinema and I love Ansel Elgort, Theo James and Miles Teller.

4.       Paper Towns trailer. I watched it like three times already and I almost cried the third time. This book meant so much to me and I really can’t wait for the movie.

5.       New Instagram account. I made a new Instagram to share some of the photos I take daily and I put random captions to them.

6.       Mexican food. I had Mexican food on Friday with my friends and it was amazing

7.       New book. I started reading Teen Angst? Naah… by Ned Vizzini and I’ve been really enjoying it. I haven’t read much since school is killing me but I really like it.

8.       Colder weather. Autumn is finally here. Yesterday I was wearing a hoodie and scarf and I love love cold weather so much.

9.       Buying new earrings. Ever since I cut my hair short, I’ve been obsessed with small earring so I got some new ones this Friday and they are shape so they are adorable.

10.    Snapchatting with my little sister. Lately, we’ve been using Snapchat so much with my little sister. I love to send her pictures of my cats here and she sends me of my cat back in Asuncion.

Hope you had a lovely week!

Love

Pili

Moving to Buenos Aires

I officially moved to Buenos Aires this week, and being honest I thought it was going to be easier.  From the moment I hugged my siblings’ goodbye, Tuesday morning before they go to school I was heartbroken. It was difficult letting go of my siblings, who I have lived for 14 and 10 years knowing that I won’t see them until the end of the month. Then I said goodbye to my best friends, who I couldn’t be happier they were also doing what they love and achieving so much. We have been in each other life for three and half years and we saw each other go through so much, grow up and we will eventually watch all of us become professionals, each doing what they love. Then, I hugged my mom goodbye. As I was walking through security at the airport and waving goodbye to my mother I remember the kind stranger telling me “it’s going to be ok, don’t cry young girl.” But the words I’m hanging on the most are my mother saying “You are doing what you love.” And that’s what it keeps me going and not turning back. That I’m following what I want.

Yesterday, I went downtown on my own for the first time. It was scary. But I kept going because I know that if I ever wanted to achieve one of my biggest dreams of moving to New York, it meant that this was nothing. I knew that if I really wanted to work as a journalist one day, I had to move to Buenos Aires and study.

Lastly, something really metaphoric to me was that the first thing I saw when I got to Buenos Aires was a whole bunch of rye. I’ve mention before that my favorite book is The Catcher in the Rye that talks about growing up. So it seem to me funny, that I saw rye in the place where I was going to grow up and become an adult.

My last advice is, we spent our whole life wanting to grow or to move away from our parents, but do appreciate your time with them. Tell them you love them, hug them daily, spend time with them and never ever take them for granted.

Love

Pili

Outfit of the Week

Hi! How is everyone doing? December is finally here! It is such an exciting month and I can’t wait! My graduation ceremony is tomorrow, so I’m kind of freaking out!

I’ve decided to do an outfit of the week from now onwards. So this one is this week. I really like this outfit I wore it to the mall with my friends and to have dinner at a café with my parents! (Btw, it is summer here :) )

Holden Caulfield Thinks You’re a Phony shirt – DFTBA

High-Waisted Acid Wash Shorts -Forever 21

Black Sandals- Daniel Cassin

Hope you have a lovely week!

Love

Pili

Favorite Books!

Hello! How is everyone doing? I’m really excited about this post because I’m such a big fan of books. So, I thought that doing a post base on book is defiantly the right thing to do. Here are my favorite books in no specific order:

    1.   The Maze Runner series by James Dashner

This books are simple genius! I highly recommend this to anyone. I go around to all my friends telling them to read them because they are amazing. I love love the characters and the story is simple crazy and quite interesting. So, if you like The Hunger Games and Divergent I highly recommend this one.

   2. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

This books are as amazing as the movie. I read the first one when the first movie came out and I couldn’t stop. I was so excited to see the movie last Friday and I can’t wait to see the next one next year. I actually bought Mockingjay again to re-read it because I kind of forgot about it. So, I highly recommend this one as well.

   3. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

This book is actually my favorite book ever. I could write so much about this book (I actually wrote a 4000 word essay on this book). I love Holden, I love the themes of the book and I love the way it is written. I seriously love this book more than anything else. I feel a strong connection with Holden Caulfield and I just love that character so so much. If you are a teenager or older, please read this book.

   4.  Paper Towns by John Green

I’m kind of in that John Green phase where everything I read by him is amazing. This book though, kind of hit me really hard I felt such a strong connection with the character. I think it was the fact that I’m also finishing High School and the way I understood the Paper towns metaphor I could really connect. I’m so excited for the movie to come out too!

  5. Veronika decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

This book is for a really mature audience but I really like it. I’m just really interested in the way metal patients were treated before and this book really gives you a glimpse of that. I have to be honest I was a little bit of scared of reading this book, but I quite enjoyed it.

6. .Looking for Alaska by John Green

Yes, another John Green book. I just love his book so much. This book really hit me when I read it last year. Is such an amazing book. I’m actually looking to buy it because I want to re-read it. Like The Catcher in the Rye is a book about growing up, so I highly recommend it to young adults out there.

7.   13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I can’t really say what I like about the book. I think the story was one of my favorites. I also really love how it was narrated, I thought it was different and really interesting. It is a sad book so prepare to cry if you want to read it. But it is a good one, really recommend it.

8.  Everything is perfect when you are a Liar by Kelly Oxford

This one is a little bit different than the rest because it is more comedy than drama like the rest. While reading I could not stop laughing. Kelly Oxford is hilarious and I highly recommend it you want a good laugh. It is an extremely entreating book, as well, so go for it!

I hope you enjoy it!

Love,

Pili

The Catcher

Hello guys! Like I promise I’m posting again this week! But this one is a little personal. Like I mentioned before I’m not a big fan of sharing my poetry with people but I got a little inspired a decided to give it another try with this one.

I want to share the story behind this one because it is more personal that last one and I feel like a lot of people would identify and understand. This poem was inspired by many ideas I had in my head that day:

First, I am reading The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger and if you interpret like I do it talks a lot about growing up and the transition from being a teenager to and adult, and this is what this poem is about, growing up and being a grown up.

Second, the song called Ribs by Lorde had been stuck in my head the past few months, and how she repeats, it drives you crazy getting old and I wanted to express that, I wanted to express how I felt about growing up and all the changes we go through.

The next reason is way more personal. I’ve going crazy with school things and being just busy. If I’m not doing a project, I’m learning how to drive, or figuring out college or how to live on my own. I realized how little time I had for the thing I loved when I was younger. It is like adults change so much because we don’t have enough time anymore. I remember a few weeks my friend said: I don’t go on Tumblr anymore or read anything about my favorite band. It suddenly hit me why, we are so busy with growing up and grown-ups things we forget what we did when we were younger and had more time.

Hope you like it and I can’t wait to share more poems of mine with you J

Lots of love,

Pili