Hey everyone! It has been yet another week in the life of yours truly in the heat of the summer! A week which celebrated many brilliant things, and in which I did an analysis of one of my favourite book series—the Harry Potter series! Summer Diaries is a series I’m doing in my holidays and will chronicle my life over the next two months—what I’ve been reading, what I think about the second wave of the pandemic, and will include with some of my favourite literary quotes!

This past week has been a whirlwind of so many amazing things. I don’t yet want to say that things are looking up in the matters of the worldwide pandemic the lot of us are going through because things are not looking up, but there is still hope. There is always hope. We must never, ever let go of the hope we have. So, here are a few things that I think I should speak on!

April, the 22nd: World Earth Day

This Earth Day, my sister and I strived to do something special for the world we live in. We turned off all the lights that evening and did what we needed to by candlelight. So the theory we went by was that if everyone ceased to use electricity for just a few hours, the carbon footprint would considerably decrease! Well, we tried that to play our role in society, and maybe someday, everyone will make their little contribution to the world’s condition. And then we’d live in a green world once more!

I think that nature is the most beautiful thing on this planet. I think that’s something approximately everyone can agree with. Nature is something that every one of us depends on, too. Why is it that we humans are destroying the one thing we need to survive? Because when we destroy nature, we’re indirectly destroying humankind. It’s sad.

So let us all join hands (oh, well, not literally!) and make the world a better place. For you, for me, for everyone.

I would also like to mention Vanya @ Chirps of a Forest Bird for promoting this cause: prevention of climate change, on her blog. Do go check her posts out and leave a few comments—her articles and posts are insightful.

April, the 23rd: World Book Day

Literature has always played a significant role in my life. If it isn’t already clear how much I adore books from my discussions on my blog, then let’s make it clear that I love, love, love books! And writing. I sometimes wish that the brilliant authors of the 19th and 20th century were still alive today. If they were alive, I would like nothing more than to thank them for everything they have done. What might that be, you ask? It’s simply putting their books out into this world, of course!

A little bit of trivia. We celebrate the death anniversaries of all these accomplished authors today: Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. All of these authors are people whom I admire and idolise, too!

Literature is like an insight into a world, into people and their personalities that we could not dream of being. Take The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, for example. Liesel Meminger lives in 1940 Germany and meets Jews, sees how they are discriminated against, and even houses one. I could not live in 1940 Germany regardless of how much I wanted to. But the fact that books like these transport you to that place, at that time astound me.

Then, on a fantastical aspect, I’d choose the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. It is impossible to be the daughter of a goddess, now is it? It is impossible to bravely face a villain and fight his army with only your friends by your side. All while your entire fate is based on a prophecy from an oracle, haha! But these books show us that only the sky is the limit and that our imagination has no limits! That bravery and friendship and knowledge—these things are worth more than anything!

Wonder by R.J. Palacio and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green teaches us many values, all in a tear-jerking story. Values of unconditional love, and truth and honesty and how everyone is different. It urges you to contemplate the meaning of various philosophical questions while showing you a completely different aspect of book reading.

There are innumerable books out there, and it hurts me every time I realise I shan’t ever read all of them. But I shall read as many as I can for as long as I can.

Recently, I’ve been reading a lot more—but I often forget the beginning of my journey into bookland. The series I first read that got me into reading was the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. I know it’s a brilliant series of books, but there are always underlying secrets, truths hidden in the pages of books. I thought I’d dissect the books and find out some things to learn from one of my favourite series ever!!

What makes Harry Potter so good? Why is it so popular? What is the science behind the story? Well, let’s try to find out some of the meanings of this amazing tale today, shall we?

“His hand closed automatically around the fake Horcrux but in spite of everything, in spite of the dark and twisting path he saw stretching ahead for himself, in spite of the final meeting with Voldemort he knew must come whether in a month in a year or in ten, he felt his heart lift at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione.”

—Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

This line makes me tear up every time I read it; it brings back so many memories of the first time I read Harry Potter: when I was eight years old.

—You are not alone.

This is Harry’s flaw, Harry’s disbelief throughout the entire story. He thinks that he must face Lord Voldemort alone, but the truth is contrary. This especially relevant to our times and we must know that there are people everywhere waiting to help us. There is nothing that we must face on our own. Harry learns this through the course of the story, and by the end—in the Battle of Hogwarts—he learns that innumerable witches and wizards have helped him, and selflessly sacrificed so much.

—Bravery is not just strength in a battle.

In fact, bravery is so much more than that. Bravery, as Albus Dumbledore said, is not just standing up to your enemies, but also your friends. And Lockheart was not brave in concluding he knew where the Chamber of Secrets was. He was not brave in passing of other people’s work as his own, no. But Neville was brave. He was brave at the end of the book, where he killed Nagini and braver to stand up to Voldemort although he was hurt. This brings us to—

—Friends are important, and how you choose them is ever more important.

Yes, flashback to the rejected handshake at the beginning of Harry’s journey into the Wizarding World. Had he befriended Draco, we do not know if he would have won over Voldemort. But he chose the right friends; Ron and Hermione, who stood with him, who helped him, who lifted his troubles all through the series

—Everyone is different. That is what is beautiful.

Think of how people thought Luna was mad at first, but how big a role she ended up playing. Everyone has their flaws and their strengths and to know a person is to be able to accept their flaws and strengths and even come to like them. The books show us how sometimes even your greatest flaw, can become your greatest strength, and that’s what I love most about Harry Potter.

Well, I couldn’t leave this part out, now could I? (I know, I am obsessed.)

Yay! That brings us to the end of this post! Did you like it? Now, do you like Harry Potter? Have you read any of these books? Did you do anything for World Earth Day? Thank you so much for reading and talk to me in the comments! ♥♥

Sending you a little bit of sunshine,
Maya.