Welcome to Bookie Monster

Welcome, fellow readers!

My name is Rodrigo and I’ve been a fan of books since I can remember. Sure, back then, the books I was reading were about a cute little dog named Spot and had no more than 50 words in them. The point being that my love for books was always evident.

It’s the main reason I wanted to start this blog. I’ve watched this community for years now, hopefully gazing from the outside wondering if I would be let in. What’s become clear is that book lovers are a welcoming people. And also that if I’m going to be part of this community, it’s going to be my choice. It’s going to mean me putting in the work—which is what this blog is all about.

In form of an introduction, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite things to go back to when I’m feeling uninspired or in need of a comfort read. They’re not necessarily my favourite books of all times (how hard to narrow down the books you rank as the best!) but they’re the ones I often pick up when I don’t feel like making a hard choice.

1) The Harry Potter Series

I was 11 years old when Harry Potter received his admission letter to Hogwarts. And I’ve been waiting a long-ass time to get my letter too. Actually, my brother threw me a great Harry Potter-themed party years back in which a letter from Dumbledore apologized for this obvious oversight. The Harry Potter series has a huge spot in my heart. It’s what I return to when I feel uninspired to write. It’s not perfect and J.K. Rowling has become a problematic fave since I first fell in love with the series, but it’s the kind of books I’d like to write one day. By the way, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is my favourite of the seven.

2) Homer’s Epics: The Iliad and The Odyssey

When Diego (my brother) and I were growing up, we would sometimes manage to convince my dad (who was a very tired and hard-working single parent) to read to us before going to bed. It should speak volumes about who my dad is, and who my brother and I were to become that his choice for a bedtime story was a section of his favourite two books: The Iliad and The Odyssey. I think my brother saw himself in the strong and brave Achilles but I felt more drawn to the introspective and wise Ulysses. We still talk about moments from these books all the time.

3) My Plant of Orange-Lime

This book is probably not as well known in anglo-countries as it is/was in South America. I remember having to read it for school reasons and understanding how a book could make you truly feel for the characters. It was the first book to make my cry, and I think it’s also the reason why I have developed a strong sense of empathy for other people who may not be as lucky or fortunate or privileged. It’s an emotional journey of a child who is caught between enjoying his youth and being forced to deal with a harsh reality around him. He learns what it’s like to love and just as quickly what it’s like to lose that love. Definitely Vasconcelos’ finest work (although the sequel is also worth reading!)

4) The BMB Run of Daredevil

I wanted to make sure my blog would reflect my own voice and still find something important to contribute to the overall book-loving community. I think my love for comic books and graphic novels can be just that, something I can provide a unique insight on and also share why I think the comic book medium is a severely underrated art form. The BMB run is a complex take on Daredevil’s character and brings the superhero down to earth, easily defeating some super villains while struggling to take on the bigger forces that oppose him: his sense of guilt, his PTSD, the weight of the secrets he has been carrying. If you liked the Netflix Series (and even if you didn’t), do yourself a favour and check these issues out.

That’s all I have for now! I’d really love to hear your thoughts. Have you read any of the books I mentioned? What are the books that you find yourself revisiting?

Also, make sure to connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Goodreads. And bookmark this page because great things are coming!