I adore reading fantasy books. Well, any book, really - but fantasy books own my soul. Most of the fictional worlds I read about provide the perfect escape for our own, sometimes challenging, reality. Most are fun stories with great characters that I come to love as if they are real...
But then, every once in a while, I come across "That" book. A book that is something far more than just a story to enjoy for a little while. I have only had a few experiences where this has happened, but each time has been very special.
It usually happens unexpectedly. I come to a scene or moment in the book where something happens that changes it for me. A paragraph or a sentence, or a description that touches something deep inside and can teach you a huge lesson for life. These are the moments that turn books into classics - even if it is just your own personal classic. Here are two of my own personal moments that elevated a book or series into something much more special to me:
Harry Potter
Anyone who knows me knows that I LoVe the Harry Potter series. I was introduced to it when my sister wanted us all to go to the very first movie when it came out in 2001, and I then immediately went to find the books. I was lucky enough to even be able to attend midnight release events for the last few books. I love the whole thing. But for a long time it was just a really fun story. Yes, it taught great lessons, but initially, it was just a lot of fun. It changed into something far more special to me as I read Chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In this scene, Harry and Dumbledore have just watched a memory proving that Voldemort had made Horcruxes. It's a pretty intense chapter. Near the end, Harry is contemplating the prophecy and what it means for him. And he has this revelation:
"But he understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him. It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew - and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents - that there was all the difference in the world."
This paragraph changed my life. To consider the difference between meeting our trails with confidence and acceptance instead of denial and defeat will make all the difference for us. It is a powerful way to approach your future: Come what may, and face it.
The Bands of Mourning
This book is part of The Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson. The 6th in the series. The whole series is great, but this book might actually be the best book that I have ever read. And I do not say that lightly. It is amazing. It is much more difficult to explain the context of my "That" moment in this book, so I'll do my best. Wax - the main character has just died. Sort of. He finds himself speaking with Harmony - this world's deity. They are discussing why He lets terrible things happen to good people. I cannot share the entire conversation, but here is the moment that was so so touching to me:
" 'You would have me intervene and stop the murders of innocents. I could do this. I have considered it. If I were to stop every one, what then? Do I stop maimings as well?'
"Of course.", Wax said.
'And where do I hold back, Waxillium? Do I prevent all wounds, or do prevent only those caused by evil people? Do I stop a man from falling asleep so that he will not tip a candle and burn down his house? Do I stop all harm that could ever befall a person?'
'Maybe.'
'And once nobody is ever hurt,' Harmony said, 'will people be satisfied? Will they pray to me and ask for more? Will some people still curse and slit at the sound of my name because they are poor, while another is rich? Should I mitigate this, make everyone the same, Waxillium?'
'I won't be caught in this trap,' Wax said. 'You're the God, not me. You can find the line where You prevent the worst...'
...
'Perhaps,' Harmony said softly, 'I have already done just as you suggest. You do not see it, because the worst never reaches you.'"
There is more to the scene. It is boggling. It changed the way I looked at life, because it made me realize that my perspective is so limited. It was a life altering moment.
So, those are a few of my special "that" moments with my "that" books. Can you remember any moments like this? Or any books that turned you into a full blown reader? Please share them!!