nautomaton

Today I finished the blind date book I've been dancing around. I got it a few weeks ago from Victoria, BC, in a really fancy bookstore I can't remember the name of. I was in a nature-y mood because of a game I had finished recently, Greedfall, so the little blurb on the wrapping intrigued me enough to buy it. Not only that, but the person working the til knew what the book was, and said it was good. I had no right to believe otherwise.

Took me a bit to get through because I kept preoccupying myself with other stuff. Drawing, mostly. Keeping up with a little daily blog I have that really only aspires to be a daily blog. A family vacation gave me the push I needed to finally finish the dang thing.

The book was "The Island of Missing Trees" by Elif Shafak. I had no idea about the history of Cyprus before reading it. That sounds mighty ignorant, and it is, but I swear they never mentioned a lick of it in history class. Guess the school system doesn't considering the dealings of other countries to be any of our business. Now, I can't rely on school to be my only teacher. I've gotta roll up my sleeves and do the heavy lifting myself.

It took me a while to get situated in the book. I'm still fighting the effects of social media-induced short-term attention spans, but I managed to wrangle myself in. I found myself hung up on Yiorgos and Yusuf. You already know how their story ends, so everything you learn about their lives adds another weight to their tragedy. As I neared the end of the book, every mention of them had me pausing and staring at a wall. I'm glad their remains were found in the end. I couldn't bear seeing them be forgotten.

I had a short-lived love for trees once. It was mostly fuelled by my obsession with Dear Evan Hansen, as the titular character is a fan of trees. I saved a bunch of pngs of different trees to my computer and tried to memorize their names. So when I came across this passage:

You might even say there is a tree for every mood and every moment. . . . If you hurting and have no one willing to listen to you, it might do you good to spend time beside a sugar maple. If, on the other hand, you are suffering from excessive self-esteem, do pay a visit to a cherry tree . . . To reminisce about the past, seek out a holly to sit under; to dream about the future, choose a magnolia instead. And if it is friends and friendships on your mind, the most suitable companion would be a spruce or ginkgo. When you arrive at a crossroads and don't know which path to take, contemplating quietly by a sycamore might help.

If you are an artist in need of inspiration, a blue jacaranda or a sweetly scented mimosa could stir your imagination. If it is a renewal you are after, seek a wych elm, and if you have too many regrets, a weeping willow will offer solace. When you are in trouble or at your lowest point, and have no one in whom to confide, a hawthorn would be the right choice. There is a reason why hawthorns are home to fairies and known to protect pots of treasure.

For wisdom, try a beech; for intelligence, a pine; for bravery, a rowan; for generosity, a hazel; for joy, a juniper; and for when you need to learn to let go of what you cannot control, a birch with its white silver bark, peeling and shedding layers like old skins. Then again, if it's love you're after, or love you have lost, come to the fig, always the fig.

I couldn't help but feel connected to my younger self. A little tunnel through time, allowing me and my past self to cross paths, just for a moment. Like an estranged parent finally finding one thread between them and their child. I wonder if this advice will come in handy one day.

I cried once when reading this book, and it was over something ridiculously small.

'A cynical hawk,' said Kostas with a smile. 'I love you. I'm proud of you. And if they give you a hard time, those kids, we'll find a way to sort it out. Please don't worry.'

I don't think my own dad has ever said those words in those order to me. Not to say he's a coldhearted jerk, he's just not the heartfelt words type. He's always loved me in his own way, and I know I'm quite the reserved lover myself, but I cried realizing that he's never said "I love you, I'm proud of you" to me directly before. And maybe he never will. Or maybe it'll only be when times are dire, when he knows he'll never get the chance to again. I'm not especially close to my parents. I'd like to be, and I can only hope that what bonds us isn't loss, but rather, new opportunities.

Overall, it was a wonderful book. It came together surprisingly well at the end. Meryem left, Ada returned to school, and we learn the truth (or as close as we can) behind Defne's death without much fanfare and I feel like that was fitting. Life goes on, with or without a bugle playing during every grand moment. It isn't something I would've chosen to read had it not been a blind date book, but I'm glad I read it anyway. I think everyone's oughta try things they wouldn't usually go for. Lord knows I could use the extra perspective.

I also watched "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" almost immediately after finishing the book. I did so with my older brother. I love the first movie, I watched it 3 days ago. The second one was good too, really good. Y'know when the second movie is great, but the first one is just too iconic to be usurped as the best film? That's how I feel about NATM:BOTS. It's a real good sequel.

I wish I was a bigger history buff so I could pick out more of the references. My pop culture knowledge is also severely lacking. I thought the Jonas Brothers were supposed to be One Direction. I don't know why I thought that considering there are more than three guys in 1D and they were formed one year after the movie's release.

It's tragic but also strangely hilarious how Ahkmanrah manages to get even LESS screentime. Especially in the movie about his brother. Oh well, better luck in the next movie, which I will hopefully be watching some time this weekend.