The Flying Orchestra

There is a lovely book in this year's nominations called "The Flying Orchestra." I think that it won a Crichton Award, not Book of the Year.

It begins "Some days are so windy that even the angels lose their balance from the top of City Hall." That's when the Flying Orchestra blows into town.

They play symphonies for travellers coming home, concertos for people awake all night thinking, sonatas for sad moments at birthday parties. The Flying Orchestra always play when a baby is born, at dusk and at dawn.

For me, I hear the Flying Orchestra when I gaze at the stars, in the roar of the ocean or the laughter of a friend. The music is there in the warn rays of the sun and in a gentle breeze.

Music is all around.

Kate Di Camillo

Kate Di Camillo has written some beautiful books. Fortunately, in my job, I get to read children's books and therefore I was introduced to her work.

I love "The Tale of Despereaux". Don't watch the movie. Read the book. Fall in love with the writing.
"Love is ridiculous. But love is also wonderful. And powerful. And Despereaux's love for the Princess Pea would prove, in time, to be all of these things: powerful, wonderful and ridiculous."

"The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tullane" is also beautifully written. And heartbreaking.
"You must be filled with expectancy. You must be awash in hope. You must wonder who will love you, whom you will love next."

And "The Magician's Elephant" is a joyous, whimsical fantasy. With a true and important message.
"It is important that you say what you mean to say. Time is too short. You must speak the words that matter."

The God of Small Things

The God of Small Things by Arundati Roy is one of my favourite books. It takes some time to "get into" but is worth persevering with. The writing is beautiful and you spend the whole book wondering where it's going to take you. Then when it gets there you really didn't expect it, or expect to feel so moved by it. 

"As Estha stirred the thick jam he thought Two Thoughts and the Two Thoughts he thought were these: 
a) Anything can happen to anyone. 
and 
b) It is best to be prepared."

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

And the things you learn from them…

 

1.     There are no random acts. We are all connected.

2.     Sacrifice is part of life. When you sacrifice something precious you don’t really lose it, you just pass it on to someone else.

3.     Holding anger is poison. It eats you from the inside.

4.     Life has to end. Love doesn’t.

5.     Our place in life is meant to be.

 

Each affects the other and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one.