Thoughtful Thursdays: Poignant Prose

Aaaand, we’re back with my weekly Thoughtful Thursday post! As I mentioned last week, I want to use this Friday-Eve to share things with you all that have a positive or meaningful impact on my life. Reading has the ability to transport you to literally anywhere and literature is incredibly powerful. So this week I wanted to bring you all a few works that spoke to me on an emotional level and that left me feeling moved.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I’m going to start off with the heavy hitter here. This book ripped me to shreds and left a husk of emotion that had me questioning life. Despite the deeply emotional ride this book took me on, it left me feeling uplifted and hopeful. It deals out heavy, heart-wrenching emotions in spades from the eyes of a child which adds a layer of innocence that is at once bright and painful. The lessons of this book, of loss and grief, of letting go and holding on were incredibly beautiful. I suggest it to anyone who has ever dealt with loss in any form. From the Goodreads synopsis:

“Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don’t quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there’s a visitor at his window. It’s ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.”

The Speed of Sound by Eric Bernt

This one is a bit more personal for me. My nephew has autism and while I’ve worked for an Autism center, taken numerous classes during my degree program and known many people with autism it didn’t quite become so personal until my nephew was diagnosed. Despite how prevalent and broad the spectrum is, mental health still carries an immense amount of stigma and it’s heartbreaking to see so many misunderstand such a bright, loving and truly phenomenal child. This was an incredible story in which children with autism are superheroes of sorts (and I honestly do not enjoy superheroes stories at all for the most part). It’s got a thriller aspect, some fantasy / sci-fi and is a quick and fun read with a deep, meaningful message. From the Goodreads synopsis:

“Harmony House is more than a “special place for special people.” It’s a think tank where high-functioning autistic savants harness their unique abilities for the benefit of society. Resident Eddie Parks’s contribution is nothing less than extraordinary: an “echo box” that can re-create never-recorded sounds using acoustic archeology… To Harmony House’s shadowy government backers and radical extremists, the echo box is the ultimate intelligence asset—an end to the very concept of secrecy. Now for Eddie and the compassionate Dr. Skylar Drummond, the true nature of the institution is becoming chillingly clear.”

Book before movie, always.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

I loved the movie – honestly anything with Eric Bana or Rachel McAdams is likely to be right on up my alley. However, it very grossly missed the emotion steeped in this read. At it’s heart it’s a love-story that is wrought with heartbreak. Despite the immense trials that Claire and Henry face their love and time together triumphs. It left me in tears and appreciating every second I have with those that I love. It highlights the effects of time – it can’t be owned, bought or sold but it’s the most vital thing we have. It’s got a lot of mixed reviews but it really spoke to me personally. From the Goodreads synopsis:

“The Time Traveler’s Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare’s marriage and their passionate love for each other as the story unfolds from both points of view. Clare and Henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals—steady jobs, good friends, children of their own. All of this is threatened by something they can neither prevent nor control, making their story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.”

The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence

This one took me by total and complete surprise and I’d like to re-read it and do a proper Recipe and a Read review on it. Based on the synopsis I had no idea the ride this book was going to take me on. It is a poignant tale about friendship in unlikely places and believing in yourself. I was so moved by this it’s what drove me to write my first review on Goodreads! From the Goodreads synopsis:

“A rare meteorite struck Alex Woods when he was ten years old, leaving scars and marking him for an extraordinary future. The son of a fortune teller, bookish, and an easy target for bullies, Alex hasn’t had the easiest childhood. But when he meets curmudgeonly widower Mr. Peterson, he finds an unlikely friend. Someone who teaches him that you only get one shot at life. That you have to make it count. So when, aged seventeen, Alex is stopped at customs with 113 grams of marijuana, an urn full of ashes on the front seat, and an entire nation in uproar, he’s fairly sure he’s done the right thing …”

What books had were emotional or poignant for you?  Have you read any of these – were they emotional for you? Drop me a note in the comments and let me know!

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Keep an eye out tomorrow, I’ll be bringing you a review of A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab with a recipe for Fish & Chips!