PTERYGOTA CHRONICLES

01

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

What I admire most about JK Rowling is her writing style.  She has a unique gift of taking the reader into an alternative world.  She writes from the heart and from the reader's point of view.  She's been an inspirational and a role model for new writers like yours truly - both her personal struggles as a single, unemployed mother and her past battles with depression.  It is  inspirational how she was able to turn her life around and channel her depression into artistic and creative outlets.  

 

02

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Harper Lee's only published novel was one of the first novels I fell in love with when I was 11!  At that age, she opened my eyes into the sordid world of racism.  I think that the sole purpose of a writer is to bring awareness on issues that matter in our hearts.  I found a great affinity with her when I found out that it took her two and a half years to finish To Kill A Mockingbird.  Like her, I also wish for someone to take the time to read my novel and that someone would really like my story.  Like her, I'm hoping for a little encouragement to continue the path toward creative pursuits!

 

03

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

What else can one say about this Canadian icon? Her fearless stab on creating characters that are dark and not quite likeable - is simply admirable.  This scintillating wordsmith is in a league of her own; a trailblazer for all Canadian female authors!  I love the way this Canadian icon thinks - she is female, she is fantabulous and she is fearless!  The Handmaid's Tale has a concoction of delicious characters that deals with ecological, physical and social degradation - it is a story seen through the eyes of its protagonist, a concubine.  

 

04

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

I am so fortunate to have read three of Fyodor Dostoevsky's novels: The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov and my personal favourite, Crime and Punishment.  I love how Dostoevsky was able to make his reader feel as though one is witnessing the scene at that moment.  I read his novels and I felt that I was actually there in a corner watching Raskolnikov go into hallucination as he becomes overly obsessed with the crime he committed.  Dostoevsky's writing style had been a great influence - I admire the fact that he wrote this novel to conform with his own "metamorphosis"; I also  relate on how many times he wrote Crime and Punishment, then, re-wrote and edited, and re-wrote from the scratch  - a proof that writing is a culmination of deep passion, almost obsessive and yes, the long inner struggles with doubts and fears.

 

05

The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho

My protagonist, the inquisitive William was actually inspired by Paolo Coelho's protagonist in the much acclaimed (it has been translated into 56 languages!) The Alchemist.  Like Santiago, William discovers in life that he needs to embrace and orchestrate his destiny when it presents itself to him;  Both Santiago and William learns that playing it safe in life was more of a risk than taking risks itself. 

 

06

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

What I love most about Charles Dickens was his breezy prose!  His works are easy to read and straightforward than the average novels.  I love Great Expectations because it deals with man's relationship with society.  It tells us a lot about poverty, prisons, chains, barriers and fighting till death!  Pip will always be my favourite classic protagonist together with Harry Potter!

 

07

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

One of the first novels I read (probably second to Lee Harper's To Kill A Mockingbird).  I immediately fell in love with one of her characters, JO. Like Jo, I loved reading and writing.  I love her quirkiness and unconventional behaviour.  I read this book at a time when like the characters, I was also transitioning from a young child to a teenager.  What I love best about this novel was the fact that it is probably one of the few most realistic and human stories in all of human literature!

 

08

Animal Farm by George Orwell

This is timeless and I find that it still applies on today's political scenes. How many times have we deposed a corrupt leader only to be replaced by a more corrupt version of the one they overthrew?  George Orwell was so spot on when he wrote: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

09

1984 by George Orwell

Again, who would have thought that such a novel could actually be a prophecy of some sort?  Fast forward later - it is possible that someone can actually be watching our every move just like Big Brother; someone can actually be reading our minds; it is one of the rare dark books that even though it's depressing and frightening, still it is hard to put down. Such is the charisma of George Orwell. 

 

10

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Who doesn't love Pride and Prejudice? This is my comfort book - when the moon is full and one is feeling a little rough, I turn to my few favourite comfort things: watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, a bar of dark chocolate (Purdy's or President's Choice if I'm on a budget!) and yes, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  A pity that Mr. Darcy is nonexistent in real life!