April. There is an expression in portuguese that is something like "in april, rains a lot" (or something like that). So, for some people April means a lot of rain, but for others, like me, April is the month in which celebrates the 25th of April, the famous "Carnation Revolution", the conquest of "freedom". I did not witness the Revolution, nor before that the dictatorship, but I value my freedom with every breath. So I remembered that it would be nice to celebrate this date here on the blog with the creation of a tag inspired in this theme and cross it with one of the things I like most: books. Hope you like it.
1. Dictatorship: A book that oppressed you somehow. Either because you did not rest until you finished reading it, or because it has been on the shelf for a long time and you feel bad for not reading it, or because you found it offensive in some way, etc etc, but tell us which book make you feel imprisoned.
A: In my case, this book is Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. It was a book that did not work for me, but I recognize its quality.
2. Salazar: That book with a detestable protagonist.
A: Anastasia of Fifty Shades Freed and the romanticism she attributed to Christian's obsessive control. If in the other books she annoyed me, then in the last one I could no longer see her in front of me.
3. "Proudly Alone": That single book that stands for an entire trilogy / saga.
A: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. A book that everyone should read once in a lifetime.
4. PIDE: What was that book that you read and loved, but that society nurtures hate/prejudice? It's that book that you said in your circle of "friends" that you read (and you loved it) all of them is going to look at you sideways.
A: Twilight. BUT I DO NOT CARE (post "yes, I am a fan of Twilight, and ..? Twilighter Booktag "). I'm #teamedwardforever
5. "Grândola Vila Morena, Em cada rosto igualdade" (.., In every face equality): A character by whom you identified or felt that could be your friend (if it existed in reality).
A: Katniss from the Hunger Games has been my heroine ever since I read the books in the saga, so she would be my fictional BFF.
6. The Carnation Revolution: The book that revolutionized your life. You may have read many books after that, but that book... that book will always have a special place in your heart.
A: The Shark by WM Paul Young. This book has changed my way of looking at life. It was the book I reread the most.
7. Democracy: Select 2 books you have to read and let your followers choose one of them to be your next reading (or to read when you get the chance)
A: Finale, the last book from the "Hush Hush" trilogy by Becca Fitzpactrick or do I read "PS I Still Love You" by Jenny Han, the second book in the trilogy "To all the Boys I've loved before".
8. Freedom: Recommend any book that makes you happy to have the opportunity, and freedom, to read it.
A: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. It was an eye opener for what could happen if women did not fight for equality and fairness.
9. In memory of the stolen lives: A book with a strong character who fights, in any way, for his own freedom and for the freedom of his peers.
A: I recently read Flore Balthazar's book "The Wolves of La Louvière". This is a book full of examples of how small acts of rebellion can change the life of a person, and especially the life of a woman. So my choice would be Marguerite, a teacher who in day-to-day life was kind to the Germans who had occupied the city, but who at night was a rebel distributor of a clandestine newspaper.
If you want to respond to this tag by replacing the word "book" with "movie" you can also do it, ie in the first category you would answer about a movie that oppressed you, the second about a movie with a detestable protagonist and so on with the other categories.
With this tag I do not want to disrespect anyone, nor treat freedom as a "banal" subject. I know perfectly well that freedom has different meanings for each person and that freedom is actually different from person to person!
Because unfortunately, as far as human rights are concerned Portugal (and the whole world) still have a long way to go!
With this tag I intend to celebrate the conquest of Freedom in Portugal after an oppressive regime. In addition, I HIGHLY value the fact that I did not witness a time when there was censorship like the one that happened before April 25th, because surely I would not have the opportunity to read half the books I have read to this date (and so many others that I intend read).