A Wonder-ful Giveaway: Wonder by RJ Palacio

Last year, this time, I was a mess. I felt pressure from all directions: college, friends, life and did not know what to do about it. Then, that day happened. You know... that day when it all blows up in your face?

The good thing about that day was that it could not get any worse from then on.

The bad thing was that it did not have to.

Luckily, I had a brand new copy of Wonder that day. I couldn't read it then... but the next day, when I skipped college because I really.really.needed.a.break... I read Wonder.

And it was like this balm that made everything temporarily okay. It was hilarious, poignant, emotional and impactful. This book made that day okay. Or at least, it made me feel like everything was going to be okay.

Today, I (belatedly) celebrated the Day of Compassion as a part of my Social Psychology course on Coursera.org. As a part of it, it seemed inevitable that I use it as an opportunity to giveaway an e-copy of Wonder because... not only does the book have personal relevance to me... not only do I wish you read it now if you haven't read it already, but the characters in Wonder exemplify genuine warmth in a way that makes you feel cared for; like the world is a decent place and you're in good hands.

Hopefully, it will brighten up your day as well or change your life or perspective in some way!

Publication date: February 14th, 2012
Publisher: Knopf

Stars: 5/5

Links: Amazon|Goodreads|The Book Depository

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

I'm going to leave you with a few quotes from Wonder  that I feel captures a bit of the book:

“Now that I look back, I don't know why I was so stressed about it all this time. Funny how sometimes you worry a lot about something and it turns out to be nothing.”   

 “...your deeds are like your monuments. Built with memories instead of stone.” 

“My mom smiled at me. Her smile kind of hugged me.”  

“MR. BROWNE'S SEPTEMBER PRECEPT:

WHEN GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN BEING
RIGHT OR BEING KIND, CHOOSE KIND.”

To enter the e-giveaway, sign into the rafflecopter below. There aren't any requirements to follow my blog or tweet or anything; though I'd appreciate it if you spread word about the giveaway, all the same!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you have a great week! ❤

Blog Makeover!

I thought it was about time and thanks to Fahima @ I Read, Ergo I Write, it finally finally happened! She took time out to design the beautiful blog header you probably saw a few minutes back before scrolling down to this post! I cannot get over how much I love it! From the black cat to all those titles I loved reading throughout the year to the purple specs, the attention to detail is the coolest part!

Also, while customising the background and layout to go with the header, I finally got the Comment Reply feature and social media icons at the end of every post back! Don't know how that happened. I had a big problem with Comment Reply and the lack of social media icons in the previous layout.

So...it's a great start to the summer! Hope you like the changes as much as I do!