The Filipino Group discussion
This topic is about
Every Day
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Buddy Reads
>
Every Day by David Levithan (Sarah, Tina, Leigh, Biena, Lizette) Start Date: February 1
message 1:
by
Sarah
(new)
-
rated it 4 stars
Jan 29, 2013 04:41AM
This thread is for those who wants to join us to read Every Day by David Levithan.. We will start on February 1. Every week we will discuss our thoughts about the chapters that we read.. :)
reply
|
flag
Ilang chapters per day/week? :)
Biena wrote: "Ilang chapters per day/week? :)"sa first week 4 chapters kasi 3 days lang un.. hindi ko pa nascan ung book.. ilang chapters ba lahat? :)
Leigh (Little Book Star) wrote: "I'll join :)"yey! :)
Mag-set ka na lang siguro ng ilang chapters per day para sabay sabay tayo :)Si Tina din daw sasama sa atin :D
Mag-set ka na lang siguro ng ilang chapters per day para sabay sabay tayo :)Si Tina din daw sasama sa atin :D
Mag-set ka na lang siguro ng ilang chapters per day para sabay sabay tayo :)Si Tina din daw sasama sa atin :D
Biena wrote: "Mag-set ka na lang siguro ng ilang chapters per day para sabay sabay tayo :)Si Tina din daw sasama sa atin :D"
sige sige.. :) ayos!
dalawang "Day" per day tayo.. ok ba un?
May I join? The story seems interesting.
Sarah: Sounds okay to me. Also edited the title, para uniform with the rest of the threads.Lizette: Sure thing :)
Tapos ko nang basahin to pero pwede bang sumali pa rin sa discussion? Hehe. I so love this book. XD
Okay. Magstart na ako mamaya. :D Soo elated.
2 days in the story per day, right? :D I am done with today yay.Day 5994
- A wakes up in Justin's body, and he meets Rhiannon, who is Justin's girlfriend. (view spoiler)
And I'm all Aww on this part, kasi we know that this is probably A's first and last day with her and I just feel the despair when night comes and he's about to sleep.
I really like this part:
What is it about the moment you fall in love? How can such a small measure of time contain such enormity?...The moment you fall in love feels like it has centuries behind it, generations - all of them rearranging themselves so that this precise, remarkable intersection could happen. In your heart, in your bones, no matter how silly you know it is you feel that everything has been leading to this, all the secret arrows were pointing here, the universe and time itself crafted this long ago, and you are just now realizing it, you are just now arriving at the place you were always meant to be.
Sigh. <3
Day 5995
A wakes up as Leslie Wong, a girl who goes in the same school as Justin. Leslie is a bit alone, and she's a bit envious of her friend Carrie who's elated that her crush Corey (Side note: Carrie and Corey, how cute) finally talked to her. Leslie's brother gets into a brawl, and she covers for him. A makes another uncharacteristic move by standing up for himself/Leslie to her brother.
Not sure if this has huge bearing in the story, but I wonder if what A did in Leslie's body will have a positive effect in Leslie's life later on.
On a personal note, parang di bagay yung name na Owen Wong.
Also, it feels just a little bit weird that A is a guy in Leslie's body, and he's pining for Rhiannon. Parang case of mixed identity or something, and it's taking me a while to get used to it. ^^;
I agree. The mixed identity thing is strange so I try to remind myself A is a man.“I wake up.
Immediately I have to figure out who I am. It’s not just the body—opening my eyes and discovering whether the skin on my arm is light or dark, whether my hair is long or short, whether I’m fat or thin, boy or girl, scarred or smooth. The body is the easiest thing to adjust to, if you’re used to waking up in a new one each morning. It’s the life, the context of the body, that can be “am myself—but I am also someone else.
It has always been like this.”
Wow. This powerful opening immediately grabs my attention. The question of who we are and who we should be is often at the back of our mind. However for poor A, he have to figure who he is everyday and not get caught up whomever he is trying to pretend.
Jan wrote: "Tapos ko nang basahin to pero pwede bang sumali pa rin sa discussion? Hehe. I so love this book. XD"That would be lovely.. :D
Tina wrote: "Sarah: Sounds okay to me. Also edited the title, para uniform with the rest of the threads.
Lizette: Sure thing :)"
sige sige.. :D thanks.. maguumpisa palang ako..kakauwi ko lang :D
Lizette wrote: "May I join? The story seems interesting."
no problem! :D
Lizette wrote: "However for poor A, he have to figure who he is everyday and not get caught up whomever he is trying to pretend. "What I find saddest about A's situation is how he cannot afford to have any attachments to anyone he meets. You get to see life in different perspectives (literally!), and yet you can't afford to make a lasting connection because you're just there for a day (and who's going to believe the body-switching thing, anyway?).
There's a passage in the later pages (I'm at Day 5997 na) where A talks about this (not spoilery):
Normal people don't have to decide what's worth remembering. You are given a hierarchy, recurring characters, the help of repetition, of anticipation, the firm hold of a long history. But I have to decide the importance of each and every memory. I only remember a handful of people, and in order to do that, I have to hold tight, because the only repetition available -- the only way I am going to see them again -- is if I conjure them in my mind.
So now this makes me think: if I can only remember a few things and a few people, what and who would they be?
Day 5996A wakes up in the body of a boy named Skylar Smith, who lives hours away from Rhiannon. He didn't do much, so here he just explains how he is often careful about the people he gets into, because he hurt a host one time when he tried skiing.
Day 5997
A wakes up as Amy Tran, who lives closer to Rhiannon and has a car. He/she cuts school and heads to Rhiannon's school, pretending that she's just checking out the school just so he/she can see Rhiannon. Again with the weird mixed identity thing. Here we see Rhiannon as a kind person, which makes A fall in love with her more.
I kind of have a feeling that he's really building her up here, and it makes me wonder if Rhiannon is close to being a Mary Sue of sorts? But then maybe A is just very fixated on her.
--
I'm actually reading a lot faster, so I'm a bit ahead. It gets a bit exciting by Day 5998. :D
SaMaiNe wrote: "Can I still join?"sure SaMaine..
i'll post my reflections and questions later.. sensya na guys.. mejo inactive lang these days.. peace :)
Just learned a while ago while reading the blurb that this is a story about A falling in love with Rhiannon. Why oh why didn't I read it before?I really am quite annoyed with A's attachment to Rhiannon but learning that this is a lovestory about the two of them, so that explains it all hehehe.
This line hit me though:
"Someday after tomorrow, or never, he will see these words in his own handwriting and he won't even have any idea where they came from, or even what they are."
Have you ever experienced that? I think once I had.
Tina: I'm restraining myself to go faster but some days are just too short. You just want to read the next page. Hehehe.
First, im quite surprised that A stated in the earlier chapters that he was inlove with a boy before.. So i wonder if this is a illustration of a soul and indirectly David Levithan wants to portray that it is genderless.. Love know no gender.. what do you think?Second, i like the part where A said that he doesn't want to fall in love.. (where in fact we can safely say that he is) have you guys felt the same ambivalence before? hihihihi
Third, how do you like the Amy Tran-Rhiannon chapter should have ended?
Fourth, "They don't realize that the best thing about love is its regular presence" eto ung boom na boom eh! hahahaha.. naeexcite ako malaman reaction niyo sa line na to.. :D
Fifth, i'm not convinced that A is a male.. :)nor a female.. if that is even possible.. XD
Tina wrote: "Lizette wrote: "However for poor A, he have to figure who he is everyday and not get caught up whomever he is trying to pretend. "What I find saddest about A's situation is how he cannot afford t..."
at the top of my head i cannot choose ano lang ang gusto kong maalala.. ang hirap lang.. hehehe.. how about you?
Biena wrote: "Just learned a while ago while reading the blurb that this is a story about A falling in love with Rhiannon. Why oh why didn't I read it before?I really am quite annoyed with A's attachment to Rh..."
why don't you like the attachment A has on Rhiannon? i'm intrigued on the reason why.. :)
Sarah wrote: "why don't you like the attachment A has on Rhiannon? i'm intrigued on the reason why.. :) ."Maybe because if I were A, I should know my limits. He/She knows its too, that he/she has his/her own limits but attachment to Rhiannon would spell selfishness and love is never selfish. :)
Biena wrote: "Sarah wrote: "why don't you like the attachment A has on Rhiannon? i'm intrigued on the reason why.. :) ."Maybe because if I were A, I should know my limits. He/She knows its too, that he/she has..."
I don't think A is trying to be selfish. A is just following his/her heart and taking a leap of faith. A is tired of being "always safe". He/she is being a human. Which brings me to this question, "Is A a human?"
Lizette wrote: "I don't think A is trying to be selfish. A is just following his/her heart and taking a leap of faith. A is tired of being "always safe". He/she is being a human. Which brings me to this question, "Is A a human?" "I'm not in the position to limit him to what he/she can or cannot do, but inhabiting and taking one's life form even for a day for me is unfair enough.
Biena wrote: "I'm not in the position to limit him to what he/she can or cannot do, but inhabiting and taking one's life form even for a day for me is unfair enough. "To be quite honest, I don't believe A asked for that kind of life.
Biena wrote: "Sarah wrote: "why don't you like the attachment A has on Rhiannon? i'm intrigued on the reason why.. :) ."Maybe because if I were A, I should know my limits. He/She knows its too, that he/she has..."
Love is never selfish.. hahaha.. i like that.. parang may pinaghuhugutan :D
but in a deeper sense isn't it that falling in love is already selfish in itself? the mere notion of falling in love.. it's like you already let yourself fall for someone.. you decide to fall inlove and if you are lucky enough that the other person also feels the same way then that's it.. :)
Lizette wrote: "Biena wrote: "Sarah wrote: "why don't you like the attachment A has on Rhiannon? i'm intrigued on the reason why.. :) ."Maybe because if I were A, I should know my limits. He/She knows its too, t..."
is A a human.. that is a tricky question.. ayos! :D maybe it also depends on how we define HUMAN.. :)
Biena and Lizette let's also try to talk about dun sa mga question ko sa taas.. :) i wanna hear your opinions about it..
Sarah wrote: "First, im quite surprised that A stated in the earlier chapters that he was inlove with a boy before.. So i wonder if this is a illustration of a soul and indirectly David Levithan wants to portray..."
LizetteSame thing as some of us never asked for the life they are in right now, albeit, we may not be given a choice on which country to land, which parents/family to have, etc., we can definitely choose to do good everytime. :)
And, to answer your statement that A is just so tired of playing it safe, oh well, you can go out of your own box if you do have one, but in this case, A doesn't have his own vessel to inhabit, no body to take care of and protect, thus defeating the purpose of NOT being safe, because you always need to be safe whenever your borrowing something that isn't yours, right?
Sarah
Falling in love maybe is selfish, but love never is.
Well, I'm now pass the part where Nathan emailed him and all I can say is... Karma is a bitch. Haha. I really love David Levithan, just when I'm beginning to hate his character he interjects things like this to keep me reading more.
I meant to say A didn't fall in love with Rhiannon just to steal her away from her boyfriend. I don't think you fall in love with someone on purpose. A FOLLOWED his/her heart despite the enormous risks. Sure, A did a lot of selfish things just to see Rhiannon, but don't we all do that sometimes when we love someone? It goes to show how A is willing to give up everything just to be with her. It's unfair to judge A for being human and having the same desires.
Sarah wrote: "They don't realize that the best thing about love is its regular presence"I'm intrigued by this quote and have spent days thinking about what it meant. Boom na boom talaga.
Biena wrote: "Falling in love maybe is selfish, but love never is."this! it gave me light.. as much as i want to believe in this.. i still can't seperate the two.. :)
Lizette wrote: "Sarah wrote: "They don't realize that the best thing about love is its regular presence"I'm intrigued by this quote and have spent days thinking about what it meant. Boom na boom talaga."
after thinking of it for days.. what is your conclusion? :)
Lizette: The thing is, there is nothing to give up. He is definitely a different case.
Ay ang haba na ng usapan. I'm reading ahead, and I have to say a lot of things happen later on and it gets really interesting later. I can't say I completely like what happens, but I'm really interested in how it will end (or not end, haha, based on reviews).
To answer some questions:
"They don't realize that the best thing about love is its regular presence"
Ah. I read somewhere about how familiarity breeds contempt, so the more you're used to the person's presence, it's easier to take their presence for granted. I think that's why there's so much longing when the love is unrequited, because you don't get that regular presence (unless you're friend zoned, but that's another story). I think this is also why long distance relationships are hard because you realize that they're so far away even if you talk a lot, and then if you let that get to you, it would be easy to get used to them not being here anymore.
Not that I have a lot of experience on this. Just thinking aloud. haha!
They say loving is a decision in the end, and I think realizing how much the other person's presence means to you is a decision, too. And A's circumstances makes him see this more.
Falling in love maybe is selfish, but love never is.
I agree. I think our concept of love has been tainted with all the stories and movies, about how the other person should be able to give you this, this and that to show they love you, but really, I think love won't count that. Love is about what you are willing to give without asking for anything in return, right? It's our own expectations that blurs this love, and we get all hurt and stuff. Kaya nga sabi nila no expectations. :D
Ahem. Just thinking aloud, again. Haha.
Tina: I'm restraining myself to go ahead, but I guess, I shouldn't :)
Biena wrote: "Lizette: The thing is, there is nothing to give up. He is definitely a different case."That's true and also sad. For A couldn't even give up something that is his/her own just to prove his/her love.
(view spoiler)
I think Rhiannon would be giving up more from her side if she pursues this, too. A has no choice with what happens to him, so Rhiannon would have to follow with who A is everyday. That's a big thing to ask of her. This kind of reminds me of Claire from The Time Traveler's Wife, except maybe that Claire has more hold of Henry in that book.
Tina wrote: "Love is about what you are willing to give without asking for anything in return, right?"is this really what love is? i'm honestly trying to know if that is true.. then is love an action? not an emotion.
would you guys kill me kung natapos ko na yung book kahapon? XP (nung sinimulan ko basahin hindi ko nabitawan XD)
mejo skepical ako sa "love" no? pasensya na guys.. but i really appreciate your opinions.. it makes me look at it in a different perspective.. :)
Sarah wrote: "is this really what love is? i'm honestly trying to know if that is true.. then is love an action? not an emotion. "To each his/her own, really, but I've always believed that love is a decision. Yes, in a way, you're right -- love is an action. Sabi nga sa isang kanta, love is a verb. There are emotions in love, but it is only a tiny bit of what love really is, imho. The emotions are the spark, but the spark can only last for so long. My married friends can vouch for that. :)
Pero again, depends on what you believe in.
Also, I'm almost done with the book. XD No worries about it. But this is a very interesting conversation ha. :D
I have also finished the book. I agree with you, Sarah. Once you start, you can't stop and I feel so emotionally connected. Argh, that's why I try to avoid romance novels as much as possible. :)
Tina wrote: "There are emotions in love, but it is only a tiny bit of what love really is, imho. The emotions are the spark, but the spark can only last for so long. My married friends can vouch for that. :)"the only concrete thing that i believe about love is that it is yes, a decision. maybe there are emotions as you've said na onti lang dun.. In A and Rhiannon's case why don't they just decide and accept that reality and still be together.. is it
A. they are selfish enough to think about what they will and will not get/benefit in this relationship
B. "Love" is not enough
Lizette wrote: "I have also finished the book. I agree with you, Sarah. Once you start, you can't stop and I feel so emotionally connected. Argh, that's why I try to avoid romance novels as much as possible. :)"Emotionally connected.. :D i think this book will have a sequel.. hahahaha
Pa-singit!About love, it's never selfish XD not to look like a religious nut, check out 1Corinthians13 to give you a great scripture about Love.
Also, love is a verb. An action, decision, and more importantly, a COMMITMENT. You commit yourself to love that person (either friends, loved one, etc) and accept them for who they are. It's not selfish because you love. I still don't understand why people see love as a negative one and a selfish one. I think because of the misconception that they become possesive when they love. Love is a give and take action, I think.
Wala lang!
I was reading the thread because I read the book last year and it's good but I felt cheated with the ending (or the no-ending ending of the book).
Tricia: I just finished kanina! And yes, it is a no-ending. But I liked what A did sa huli, what he did for the the guy and Rhiannon. Now that is pretty selfless. :)Also, I honestly thing it's our own expectations that make love seem selfish. In return, it's not really love, but...I don't know, lust? Selfishness? When we set high expectations of one another, about the things that they should give us because we deserve it, because that's what we think love is, then love becomes selfish. Most especially when we get hurt about it.
Haha mahabang discussion pa yan. Last night lang kausap ko yung married friend ko about that, at pinaiyak nya ko. Haha!
--
Sarah: At first I think A was selfish because he was pressing it, wanting to be with Rhiannon at the expense of his hosts, and the expense of Rhiannon's emotions. But in the end I think he did the right thing na. It's not that they can't be together, because I think they can find a way to make it work if they want to. (view spoiler) And it's not that love isn't enough either. What A did in the end for Rhiannon is the most loving thing he can do for her, and I liked that.
Okay I rambled. Haha. :D
Normally, the ending would have frustrated me. However it did not due to the fact that I knew it will never work out. I'm contented that the author end it on a nice note, eventhough it made me cry when they were trying hard not to say goodbye.
Tricia i feel cheated too in the way this book ended.. i don't know if i will feel grateful or annoyed that i read this book.. LOL! XD anyway, baka naman isipin mo ang nihilist ko masyado.. but i'm trying to simplify this definition of love in the context of this book.. :)
Tina
so there is the answer.. they can make it work if they want to.. yun naman pala eh.. pero si Levithan eh.. heartbreaker! XD
Lizette
buti ka pa hindi nafrustrate.. ako gusto ko sana may book 2 pa tong librong to.. :D
to conclude the things that i've been trying to reiterate.. hehehehe.. i'm trying to convince myself that LOVE itself is not complex and has a pluralistic nature.. i want to believe that it is just simple.. natural just like breathing.. not a "subject" that is very diverse..maybe it is a connotation that we have a misconception of love because of movies, teleserye na paulit ulit ang kwento,and books perhaps? but the truth is i just want to know the purest meaning of "Love" if that is even possible.. :)
and to quote Tricia's comment about 1Corinthians.. i think it starts in verse 4.. there are things that describes love in their but still too vague for me.. there is something that i need to dig in that chapter :)(in short pinapakumplikado ko lang buhay ko.. LOL! XD)but really, i appreciate your comments.. :)
QUESTION
If you are Rhiannon.. Would you be grateful or sad in A's decision.. Put yourself in her shoes.. What would you feel? :)
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
