It is surprising how movies have started influencing what our reading lists look like. I have always observed that reading a novel is quite different from watching a movie. Sure, visual effects are pleasing to our eyes but the characters that grow in our imagination when reading a novel are far more colorful and realistic than the ones on screen. I must confess that John Green didn’t ring a bell until I saw the movie, The Fault In Our Stars DB 74112.

Moved by the movie, I started reading the novel.  Contrary to my expectations, the movie does live up to the novel’s reputation. The portrayal of the movie characters is as good as in the novel, though some of the omissions in the movie make the novel more desirable. I’d definitely suggest our readers try the novel if they haven’t yet even if young-adult novels are not their thing. It is a funny yet sensitive work of fiction about two teenagers affected by cancer who fall in love.Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

It hasn’t been long since I joined CLP-LBPH, and one of the library projects that seemed exciting to me was visiting the nearby Mercy Alternative Training and Employment Center. On various levels, I could connect the novel to reality through these visits and my interactions with the people there, many of whom have multiple disabilities. An important lesson I learnt from these visits is that life is what you make of it. One can cry foul over the losses or take them as a challenge to make their lives adventurous and joyful. Living is not just surviving but enjoying every moment of our lives — it makes surviving a lot more interesting.