Pages in the Attic

The Memories We Bury - H. A. Leuschel

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 18:03:00 +0000

Published in 2020 and written by Belgian writer Helene Andrea Leuschel.

Lizzie Thomson, a young music teacher whose troubled childhood caused her deep insecurities in life, is now married to handsome, captivating and self-assured Markus. In spite of the differences between them everything seems going well until they discover Lizzie is expecting. They then, decide to move into a nice new home and start afresh.

Being a first-time mom Lizzie lacks the knowledge and skills she'll need in the near future, though, to her relief she meets her next door neighbor Morag, an elderly experienced nurse and mother living by herself and eager at the prospect of having a family and particularly a grandchild she'd always dreamt of.

Not much longer it took Morag to become an indispensable and dear friend who's always there to help in every situation. But soon, as the story develops the plot turns creepy when Morag starts meticulously planning every step and every decision regarding the household and especially Jamie's upbringing (Lizzie's little one).

Is Morag really willing to assist a primipara mother such as Lizzie or does she harbor a more sinister wish to fulfill the emptiness in her own frustrated life?

My rate:

The story portraits three VERY different characters, each one with a deep psychological issue that will interfere with the other two: In the first place we have Lizzie, raised by an unfit, careless mother who never got to truly love and appreciate her daughter. Lizzie will grow up lacking the confidence to stand by herself and claim her own independence throughout life. Thus she will play the perfect bait for a predator such as Morag.

In contrast, Morag, having failed being a mother herself she is now desperately seeking for the perfect child to provide her with what she calls her last chance to become a Gran and prove others that she can be a suitable grandma for Jamie. The search becomes a blinding obsession to control those around her, especially Lizzie, the needy orphan who's always attentive to carry out every instruction coming from knowledgeable Morag. But, has she ever considered something as valuable as measurement? That's something Morag never got know.

On the other side there's Markus, an uninterested husband and much less willing father, convinced that babies are a women's thing. He lives his life as the eternal bachelor, careless and over all absent. Parenthood was never in his plans, not even after becoming a dad himself, he miserably fails to protect mother and child from falling into sickly manipulation.

Markus, by neglecting both, partner and son confers Morag with the great opportunity of undertaking the role of mother and grandmother, and voilà everything fits perfectly. The relation between Lizzie and Morag fall into a game played by the needy and the provider and soon Morag's extreme fixation stifles Lizzie to a dangerous point.

I enjoyed reading about Morag, such a complex character; you never know what she is going to do next. She sees life in a very particular perspective difficult to understand for the average viewer. Why having a child is so important? Sometimes she plays the lovely lady who could be the most adorable granny, and next she becomes a frightening witch capable of the most despicable deeds.

The book reflects quite ordinary situations in which the strongest abuses the weakest, and to the same extent it happens in real life you don't know for sure who's who, moreover the story pictures Morag as someone not fully conscious of the lines she should not cross, therefore it makes it difficult to judge her as the villain. It also makes me think of how easy it is to accept too many favors that over a period of time you will be dragged into debt with someone you took for granted you shared a free friendship with. I like the way the author depicts all these emotional blackmailing and erratic behaviors individuals usually take too long to identify, and even more complicated to get rid of them in the right time.

Lizzie, on the other side, is the kind of a submissive person who doesn't even know how she ended up in such a mess. Unable to fend for herself, she was reduced to the minimum expression of herself, which is so exasperating at times that I'd like to shake her by the shoulders. This character makes me think of an aspect I'd like to mention, I loved the fact that the writer did not bother to disguise all motherhood strains a woman has to endure as to be presented as convenient and pleasant endeavors, I guess motherhood is usually overrated. Rather it clearly depicts the terrible difficulties that come along with having a child without prior careful planning. Well, Lizzie was no exception and she found herself trapped between not having time to work on a job nor being able to count on someone suitable to look after her baby, not to mention Markus who was not a father at all but rather a sheer donor.

As it usually occurs, it's the presence of the baby what confines the mother in a prison orchestrated (in this occasion) by Morag and backed up by Markus. As a personal account it actually amazes me how many women in the world are indeed willing to have a baby without realizing how vulnerable one can become. Suffice is to cast a quick glance around and spot the most prolific cases.

The end was fantastic, everyone got what they deserved. The author took her time to describe and connect all ideas, I pretty much liked the fact that she didn't rush to close up the story, and considered all aspects before reaching a full stop.

Once again, I enjoyed reading H. A. Leuschel's books. Thanks to her generosity of sharing her talent with me.

Áccents of Horror: Four Flavors of Death - Chris Snider

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 23:45:00 +0000

Published in 2013 and written by American author Chris Snider.

A collection of four short horrific stories to read one a night before falling asleep... if you can. The three first stories were written by C. Snider and the fourth was written by guest writer Ellen C. Maze.

Each tale depicts an abominable encounter with death and by being trapped in a web of sinister events characters fiercely struggle to stay alive.

Stories go as follow:

A Stranger in the Rain

After being laid off from work Danny Miller arrived home earlier than usual, just in time to discover his dearly wife Connie lying in bed with this gorgeous teenage boy who regularly comes over to cut the grass.
Acute disappointment and pain led Danny to divorce, and after paperwork was over Danny started being haunted by a hideous faceless man in his sleep. Nightmares became more and more terrifying until he was made to confront the truth of his acts.

My rate:

I enjoyed reading this tale and watching how the writer intertwines two stories in one: The first being Danny Miller's real life and his desire to put his life together again; and the second one is the turmoil of fears in his dreams that become dire terror every time he's chased by this horrendous creature.
Shane O'Brian is the character who accompanies Danny for most of the story. And he is the one who ironically exposes the fact that a murderer is not necessarily an evil person; a murderer could be someone blind of rage unable to reason under certain circumstance. I especially liked the parallel described between the victim and the perpetrator when the two characters strive to get an agreement in order for both to peacefully move on.

Headlights

The classic story of a driver who comes across with a girl who is hitchhiking in a solitary road and decides to pick her up and take her home, to later find out that the girl had long been dead. Of course, the writer adds some twists to the story to make it more appealing to the reader.

Even though the book was published in 2013 I've heard this pretty much same story long before that. It is actually my favorite one to tell my pre-teen students on Halloween night and scare them out. This version is of great interest because, in spite of the fact that you already know what to expect you'll discover new elements absent in the original version which makes the reading more enjoyable.

Dinner with Death

Death, as it is usually portrayed on TV, films, etc; is a faceless creature wearing a black hooded long robe holding a sickle; startles a whole family by unexpectedly entering the house of a farmer in the search for his next victim.

I did not quite enjoy this story as much as the previous ones, and that was because it seemed to me that the argument attempted to bring some kind humorousness into the scene, for instance; when Death takes place at the family table and shares the family's dinner as if he was another guest at dinner time. And the family members actually improvise some kind of casual conversation... Was this supposed to be comic? I just don't know. And then after supper, Death timidly points his finger to the storeroom to let the family finally know what his purpose is. Hard to imagine this character almost asking for permission to take somenone's life... Was he afraid of something? I don't know either.
Indeed, I'm not fond of horror and comedy combination, in my view there is no way to reconceal these two genres.

The Comeback

This one tells the account of a famous TV actor who was replaced by another actor in a TV show for no apparent reason. Jealousy then impels Phil Meddle to conceive revenge and regain his job.

Plot is entertaining and ending is even better, you would never guess. You would assume Phill will take a great revenge and he would be back in the show playing his role but...., rather you will encounter an unexpected and wonderful twist that changes your perspectives making the story even darker.

Writing was denser this time and I had to look up a lot of phrasal verbs in the dictionary; I don't mean to complain though, great source of vocabulary and grammar forms.

On and on... I'd be definitely interested in reading more about these two authors.

Eve’s Destiny: Mike and Eve Series 1 – Renée Y. Lewis

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 17:54:00 +0000

Published in 2017 and written by American author Renée Y. Lewis.

Lucas Coles is an IT technologist and programmer working for Colby Designs, but also an Internet money launderer working for the Gennaro Family. After a short period of illigaly withdrawing money from Colby Designs' customers' accounts he was finally caught and fired.

Being kicked out of the company drove Lucas completly mad, and blinded by rage he went on a rampage one day and shot everyone on his path.

Not quite so romantic biginning for a love story, uh? Well... from my point of view that's precisely the most exciting part of the entire book. But.... hold your horses, this is not exactly what the book's about. This is merely the intro, prior of how Eve and detective Michael McGarrett set their eyes on each other and all the affaire began.

Now, let's take a look at Eve and Mike's story: Leaving everything behind in her native San Francisco Eve needed some company to help her get acquainted with her new surroundings in New York city. Circumstances then brought them together; it was love at first sight for both of them and a very loving and passionate relationship surprised them dearly.

My rate:

My thoughts on the book: Got to say that the introductory chapter was incredibly exhilarating (I certainly bit my nails up to my nuckles!), I loved the investigation part and how Lucas was chased by the detectives. I could spot out, a very well constructed plot, the complexity of Lucas Coles character and his dark business, the Gennaro family and their disrupted relation and felonious activities. Narrative and setting were detailed, fully descriptive and above all engaging. No question, I fell in love with this book!

Several pages later though, a new story took over, and that was the love story between Eve and Mike. At the begining it was heart-stopping and thrilling, but then the novel cooled down perhaps a bit too much, not only because the bad guys were left out and put clearly behind but also because Eve and Mike's story was so steady and predictable it actually became dull at some point. The novel largely revolved on how perfect these two characters were, on both senses: physically and emotionally.

I would have liked these charaters to have some kind of a crisis and struggle before getting together, something that made the reader believe they might not have the happy ending they've been fighting for. But the truth is their realtionship went so smooth they barely had any difference of opinion or anything, instead they were true soulmates in all aspects. I would have expected more turbulence and controversy, it all looks too idyllic for my taste.

From my perspective, intricate issues that were greatly incorporated to the plot right from the beginning of the book deserve to be solved with the same impetus. As a reader I wished I was given further explanations of what happened to the Gennaro family and if they actually paid for their crimes.

In short, side story was by far more interesting and intriguing than the main one, I felt more fascinated by Lucas and the Gennaro family than the rosy life of Eve and Mike. So, for future readers keep in mind this is a love story principally, so don't get very enthusiastic with the detective side one.

All in all, I'd like to read the sequel and see how the narrative develops in the second part, I'd like to see the story's evolution and how the characters are presented this time.

It Doesn't Grow on Trees - Jon Bryant & Christopher Needler

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 00:05:00 +0000

Published in 2016 and written by English authors Jon Bryant & Christopher Needler.

Have you ever wondered how people used to trade their goods in the past when there was no money to do so? What kind of currency did they have 2,650 years ago?

If you're between 7 and 12 (or rather a parent of one) you might be interested in having a peek from the past on this matter and getting to know some useful tips to manage your money wisely. This book will expose in easy terms how to make the best of your allowance from a young age, thus acquiring better benefits when you grow older.

In this compendium you will find some background about money that shows how humanity went from exchanging heavy coins to plastic cards and virtual transactions. It also presents a clear description of how the whole thing started through numerous images and links to Youtube videos that offer farther explanations on the topic.

My rate:

Even though this work aims at the younger part of the audience it will catch the attention of grown-ups too. We surely know how bank transactions work today (at least a number of them), but most likely adults did not have any education or training on how to invest their money sensibly when they were kids.

Considering money plays an imperative role in most circumstances in human life I think a careful preparation on this issue is a must for everybody and this book establishes the basis for that precise purpose. Unfortunately, most parents disregard this important aspect in their children's learning process and we all grow up with such lack of formation. Everyone can think back when they were young and realize how much cash they wasted on trivial things simply for not knowing how to prioritize, manage their money purposely and multiply it; rather than just spend it until one completely runs out of it and has to patiently wait for the next allowance to come.

I find the content of this work really instructive and entertaining, keeping in mind schools don't provide this kind of instruction in any of their subjects it constitutes a very useful tool for parents when it comes to guide their children financially. This text is so complete that it offers as well a great range of links to other sites that specialize on the field and Youtube videos to complement the experience.

Additionally, the book introduces supplementary sections that comes along with every chapter such as ACTION and IT'S A FACT. In the first the reader is encouraged through questions to reflect upon the subject and go further in the text and find the answers. In the latter a true evidence is displayed for the reader to check out and confirm it by themselves.

Summarizing, this is a short and complete manual to educate your children on money matters in an easy, gradual and amusing way for both parents and children, stating clear bases for currency management.

Johnny and Jamaal - K.M. Breakey

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Fri, 19 May 2017 01:31:00 +0000

Published in 2016 and written by Canadian author K.M. Breakey.

On one side there is Johnny, a Canadian hockey player with a promising career, friends and fame. On the other side there is Jammal, an American basketball player with great performances on the field and big dreams. Destiny got them to meet in one historic day but... the moment wasn't the right one, light turned into darkness and the inconceivable takes place. Provoked by unfairness and aggravated by racial issues, differences between the two proved to be stronger than reasoning.

Meanwhile, Luke (Johnny's best friend) hangs out with Chantal, a fervent follower of BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement, they both learn about the outrageous event between the two players which raise concerns for their own relationship. Tragedy fosters them to rethink their premises and reevaluate their positions toward racial discrepancies.

Wilbur Rufus Holmes, a guy with a futuristic view of life and an interesting strategy to tackle human frictions, brings up a novel alternative that may lead humanity to racial peace. His thoughts would quickly prompt all kinds of reactions, bringing understanding to some and fear and rage to others.

My score:

Seems to me the book cover is kind of misleading since when judging by its cover one might think the plot is related to sport games and tournaments rather than the real subject the book entails, therefore I wasn't that enthusiast to read it at first; however, I'm glad I did. Let's see why:

The book depicts the always intricate matter of race, the implications and consequences for those involved, and the terrible outcomes America has been enduring for centuries, and that even today there's still a long path that awaits ahead. As a foreigner who spent some time residing in the US I can say that racial differences were by far the most shocking aspect one has to deal with when trying to adapt to American society for the first time, especially when your knowledge about the country's background is so vague that you simply can't figure out what's going on. Making mistakes in a new context is bad enough, but making mistakes with people so racially aware is even worse.

Hence I found the book really educational and interesting, yet it does not provide major explanations on how slavery originated (not that it was needed, one can always do the search) it does clarify in detail current circumstances, a secret well known by Americans but not that obvious for unsuspecting immigrants dwelling there. By reading this book I got the chance to better digest some of the prevailing American behavior and the motives behind it. It also dawned on me how fortunate we are in my native Colombia to not having to carry such guilt and hostility for one another (we deal with other issues though), things we take for granted and don't even realize how blessed we are in that particular regard.

The best side of the story, from my point of view, is undoubtedly the hope of conciliation proposed by Wilbur Rufus. Humanity will be a lot happier when we get to see beyond prejudice and get over resentment; there is nothing to do about the past now so it makes no sense to keep revolving around rancor. It would be a lot healthier for everyone if we start over again and treat each other with respect; who knows..., maybe in the long run we'd end up sympathizing some more. Sadly, this kind of changes take time to develop and there's still a deep wound to heal... we might not be able to see it in this lifetime.

At first stance I wanted to state that there was a side I didn't like about this story, and it was the prevalent and unpunished injustice taking place throughout the narrative, it is definitely a tough bone to chew; but considering the book describes real life facts that's simply how daily like occurs and there's no always a happy ending.

Another aspect I want to mention here is the use of black jargon; whereas difficult to understand (got to admit I did not get the whole discourse), it surely conferred realism to the speech. I was able to 'hear' characters talking, and at times it was just hilarious!

I would absolutely recommend this book since it will certainly help some to understand the absurdity of fighting each other and keeping old hatreds alive. The book offers a scheme on how circumstances could be addressed, yet it does not imply that is going to be easy. For now, I guess people can start by giving it a thought and reflection; with time future generations will start witnessing some change.

I wish I had read this book before; it would have saved me from learning it the hard way.

Shadows of the Past - Carmen Stefanescu

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Sun, 16 Apr 2017 23:21:00 +0000

Published in 2012 and written by Romanian author Carmen Stefanescu.

Anne, a young businesswoman living in 1990, has recently made up her mind on giving her ex-fiancé another chance after a two-year separation. For this purpose they went on a holiday trip together to try to spice things up. They took a walk around the forest and a few hours later they realized they were lost.

Going around in circles they came across with a skull hidden in a hollow tree containing a gem encrusted cross. The sight evokes a vision in Anne who could see a past scene of two women dressed in nun robes. Anne felt uncomfortable in the presence of the oldest woman but could sense the desperation coming from the younger one.

Visions tormented Anne during the whole journey, she kept dreaming of the young nun begging for her help and guiding her to follow the clues she had left for Anne to figure out their meaning; being the cross one of them.

My score:

Back in time, 1480, there's Genevieve, a young nun trying to escape from the wicked abbess who wants her dead for having fallen in love with father Andrew. The abbess obsessively despised them both not only for conceiving a forbidden love but also because he refused to be seduced by the abbess herself. Now she attempts to put an end to their relationship and to their lives as well.

Another brilliant work of Carmen Stefanescu! Two parallel stories in one with no apparent relation but a deep-rooted connection between Anne and Genevieve. Two plots that contrast life in very different contexts and time; feels like reading two different books at the same time that alternates chapters accordingly.

Anne's story portraits a cynical cheating boyfriend who asks for a second chance while the reader wonders why would she even bother; from my point of view he's the typical bastard that doesn't deserve such condescendence. Gotta read the conversation between them when Anne caught them in bed together...; well written narrative with a hint of wisdom and humorous speech.

On the other side I find Genevieve's story more touching and dramatic (which I liked better) considering she had a lot of hardships throughout her life, she had to confront disgrace from a very early age. There's a clear disparity between Anne and Genevieve lives at this point: Genevieve had to run for her very life in more than one occasion, and on top of that she fell deeply in love with a priest; a sin that won't be left unpunished and certainly not at that time. Meanwhile, Anne was trying to meet someone's whims and fancies.

One of the main characters I have to mention here is the evil abbess, Sister Clementa. This woman is like no other, this is a real witch with no principles or pity in her heart. She will do whatever it takes in order to lead a licentious life and get away with it, she will celebrate rites in her own room and will take control over the abbey to fulfill her twisted desires. These scenes are richly described, the author knows exactly how to inflict that sense of uncanny shock and disturbing sights that will leave you unsettled.

We get to know a lot about Anne and Neil relationship, though I felt we didn't get to know much about Genevieve and Andrew. Not sure if the author should have offered more details about it or simply relationships in those circumstances and time did not have the occasion or way to develop further and we should straightly assume they loved each other dearly even if they didn't spent much time together.

All in all great book, I won't tell you the end but, prepare for an astonishing one, it's definitely worth it!

Guess I became a fan of Carmen Stefanescu's books as I will continue reading her stories.

For more about this author read Till Life Do Us Part review.

Three of Swords (1) - J.D. Bretton

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 21:26:00 +0000

Published in 2016 and written by American author J.D. Bretton.

Danielle is looking forward to her next vacation as she plans to spend some quality time with her husband Matt, and renew their relationship that has recently passed through the sad experience of loosing their unborn baby. All she wants to do is to get over it and pull herself back together again; however the process has proven to be excessively hard to be achieved.

As the last straw, an unexpected incident added more salt to her wound when they attend a friend's party just to come across another couple who is celebrating their first pregnancy. Pain turns out to be too much for Danielle to cope with so she soon breaks down and leaves the party, heartbroken.

My rate:

As time goes by distance between husband and wife grows further, and during Matt's absence a ghost named Xavier Hawthorne, former home resident, visits Danielle and comforts her in her loneliness. With time they find things in common; both share a deep sorrow and they're frantically in need of someone's understanding and company. He then becomes the partner she's longed for and a great sexual companion she won't definitely turn away. On the other side Xavier has his own requirements and urgencies so he asks for Danielle's help to sort things out in his life before is too late.

This pretty much short book (60 p. approx.) has great content; you'll find a quite entertaining story developed in its pages, which includes a lot of suspense, love, mourn and explicit sex. Considering its length I think this story has a lot to offer to a fair range of readers, a plot that will hook you up soon after reading the first pages, so no chance to get bored.

Danielle's great tragedy is that she hasn't been able to fulfill her dream of becoming a mother, being this experience her third loss, and to top the whole thing up her husband is getting tired of her incessant grieving. It seems that she is trapped in a hole she can't go out of, so you certainly pity her; nonetheless as pages pass by that obsession makes the character somehow dull and repetitive.

Anyway, there's nothing so painful that good sex cannot fix, if only for a while in Danielle's life. The ephemeral antidote gives both Danielle and Xavier the relief they so desperately search for. What impresses me though, is the fact that despite of her deep sadness she can easily switch from desolation to sexual arousal in a matter of minutes! Her capacity to push away all sorrow from her mind makes me wish that would work that well for me too. This feature reminds me somehow of that of comedy-horror movies in which characters go from fright to laugh so quickly that I kind of feel I've missed something, therefore I'm personally not very fond of this type of sequence. On the other side if you're a fan of steaming sexual episodes this is your book! Scenes are described with such realism that you won't want to miss them out.

My favorite part of the book is no doubt the suspense the author confers to her work, the way Xavier approaches Danielle evokes a combination of apprehension and romance at once. There's a kind of gothic aura in his appearance and demeanor that makes you feel attracted and cautious at the same time. My top-notch scene is when Xavier tries to reveal himself to his brother in order to tell him what really happened to him.

Behind that dark guise there's the touching drama of a true sufferer, someone who struggles to fix things around; I wonder if Danielle's ever realized how fortunate she is in comparison. I'm willing to read part II and get to know how circumstances end up for Xavier and what the future holds for both of them. Will somebody else be able to see or sense Xavier's presence? Will more characters become ghosts too? What a thrill!

Change Your Life In 90 Days; Get Rid Of Stress, Anxiety And Depression - Tilep Mathan

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 02:03:00 +0000

Published in 2016 and written by Brittish author Tilep Mathan.
People have different views of what happiness is, and everybody is struggling one way or another to accomplish their goals and live out their dreams to the fullest. We're all quite familiar with this idea, but... how many people actually know how to take their wishes from dreams to reality? Well, this booklet offers just that!

Know how to achieve blissfulness and freedom following some simple tips that will guide you step by step in the always elusive way to Happiness. This book will explain in simple words what is holding you back, what habits you must get rid off and what changes you should make in your daily routine so you get closer and closer to your target. All you need to do is focus and be persistent. Not to wonder, as in many aspects in life, discipline is the key of success.

Presentness
How do you usually live your life? Are you constantly worrying about the future or regreting something you did (or didn't do) in the past? Well... it's time for you to pay more attention to your present, to the options you have at hand today; this reading will show you how. Just keep reading, reflecting upon it and apply all concepts in order to build up a new ritual that will take you to happiness.

My score:

Hormones

Did you know that hormones play a decisive role in your mood? Have you ever paid attention to endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, phenylethamine? Well... me either. No worries though because this book will tell you what exercise routine to follow with the object of producing the right hormones that will help you feel happier. You will also be provided with the list of foods you ought to consume so as to get the happy hormones too. Activities such as workouts, massages, physical contact, etc., will also help you increase your levels of happy hormones.

De-clutter
This one is related to the amount of objects you need to live happily, this is to say, how dependent you are to material things to feel comfortable and to what extent you let the society and the media influence your decisions. De-clutter means making major changes in your life, your home, your finances with the object of being able to live with less. Hoarding possessions will prevent you from moving forward.

Positive mindset
Set your mind on the positive side of life: be grateful, give and forgive. Narrow your attention to those things that will contribute to your growth and avert your gaze from all kind of negativism. It is the thoughts you fill your mind with that determines your path to happiness, so we better watch our mental activity.

I would certainly agree on most of what is said in this book; in fact I think this is a very complete guide since it considers different aspects to work on and proposes a whole plan to tackle all the obstacles you might have when attempting to reach happiness. Nevertheless, there is a couple of ideas I would differ from; let's see:

"... keep your expectations low and to reduce your level of frustration..." this affirmation is stated regarding money. From my perception low expectations on any field will constitute a drawback in the achievement of your goals. Now, when it comes to money it will all depends on what your dreams are off course; it would be tricky for me to come up with a wish that costs little; e.g: one of the most common dreams people have is to travel the world. For that mission you would certainly need a fair amount of money; and the list can go on and on. It is true that if you don't expect much you won't be disappointed but... I can spot a big risk of midiocrity right there; and let's admit that we can do wonderful things in life with money, including helping others, what undoubtedly will provide you with a huge feeling of satisfaction which is essential in order to being happy.

"Stop insisting on the best" this statement sounds almost contradictory to me. In my opinion there's a very strong bond between satisfaction and happiness. The more satisfaction you get in life the happier you will be. For that purpose you will need to project your best effort if you want to reach the highest level of satisfaction; therefore happiness or at least an important part of it. Let's think about the people we admire the most, we're convinced that they have everything to be happy according to our particular premises, simply because they have made their best shot that they've reached the highest level, and that per se contributes greatly to be happy.

Anyway, happiness is a very complex state and it is composed by many different aspects according to our personal likes, feelings and puspose in life, which means it is a belief that veries from one individual to another. The best thing about this book is that it certainly made me think and reflect on some interesting viewpoints I hadn't considered before.

Stand By Your Man - Peter Presley

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 22:34:00 +0000

Published in 2016 and written by American author Peter Presley.

Abby Fork, an only child brought up with good principles, willing to get her independence, decided to leave home and survive by herself. Her parents helped her with some money that she used up, including all her savings, to set up a bar and make a living out of it, but … things did not turn out as she expected and now she strives to keep it open since debts lurk and threaten to close the business. Not only that but her unhealthy habit of getting involved with bad boys who frequently attend her bar make her into trouble pretty often.

Colton Lang, an only child as well who struggled against poverty after his father passed away when he was only ten, had to drop school at an early age. Circumstances led him into the streets where he met boys who sold crack, therefore he quickly became a member of the gang. He grew up a very handsome type whose physical attributes got him any girl he wanted. He later left home and emerged as a wealthy man by making some illegal stuff.

My score:

One day while driving his car Colton and his friend Axel pulled in and came to Abby’s bar for a couple of beers. Long legs and red hair seemed irresistible to Colton so he decided to hit on her right away. After spending the night together Abby assumed Colton would be another one-time get laid guy; however… he went on persisting on trying to win her over.

Once again, this is another entertaining story of Peter Presley who always portraits a bad boy or/and a bad girl as the star in his novellas. On this occasion there’s Abby, a good girl turned into a naughty one; running a bar and getting mixed up with bad guys trading with substances and illicit affairs. When Cotton spots her as his next conquest she was at the time trying to get rid of her former boyfriend Shane, a thug who kept bribing her in order to take the bar away from her. On the other side Colton, a young and rich subject whose fortune came from who knows where; makes Abby so reluctant to trust him.

The book depicts such a dark and dangerous environment where criminals, drug dealers and sex are all combined in one and something can get out of hand anytime. You really wish Abby to close the bar or turn it over to someone else and start anew with a fresh beginning far from that kind of existence. The bar is not the site she intended to and it ended up pretty much as a seedy place gathered by gangsters and such, and so her life became a real mess.

In my opinion I don’t think Colton is a good option at all. Even though his interest in Abby seems to be genuine he is still a mobster with a doubtful reputation. We certainly don't know everything about him, but he surely has a gloomy side I hope to find out more about in book 2.

Things I liked about the author’s writing style is the fluidity of his narrative, this is a short fast story you can read in a single sitting, which means there’s no chance for the reading to bore you off. I also like the informality of his speech; most works are well-written texts following all grammar rules and semantic forms, though in this one spoken-type language is used mostly, at times it sounds so coloquial that it makes the narrative so hilarious.

Something to mention here is that sex plays an important role in all Peter Presley’s books, so explicit scenes are to be found anytime. From my point of view smartly described erotic-sexual passages that confer some spice to the main plot.

Looking forward to reading book 2.

Manipulated Lives – H.A. Leuschel

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:31:00 +0000

Published in 2016 and written by Belgian writer Helene Andrea Leuschel.

Manipulated Lives is a compilation of five stories of five different people playing either the manipulator or the victim roles and the consequences that come along with them. Each narrative portraits a very frequent and devastating episode in which a self-centered subject takes advantage of a weaker one who doesn’t know how to handle a certain situation or is simply trapped in a precarious position that won’t let them react accordingly. Accurately these novellas are true examples of what really happens in everyday life, and some of which we will be always dealing with.

Even though this book is presented as a novel I would say it is quite realistic and it must have required a lot of attention and study of the human behavior and its psychological features to put it down so precisely. If you’re the type of person who has a hard time accepting injustice in life this reading might result somehow provoking. Let’s see why:

My score:

The Narcissist

An old guy lying in bed at hospital room pitying himself for being immersed in such a miserable state. At the very beginning you feel sorry about the poor thing abandoned and neglected by all his family and friends. However, as the story advances it becomes obvious why this guy was left aside by others, including his own daughter. The narcissist is simply that, someone who spent his whole life satisfying himself and using others for his own benefit. I liked the fact that his daughter made it clear to him what a nasty person he had been and how he deserves to be all alone to say the least. In fact I met someone like that, but unhappily his children were so influenced by the Catholic religion that it never dawned on them that they had the right to reject such mistreatment, so remained faithful to their father till his passing. Therefore he never knew how cruel and abusive he was to his wife and children, and no lesson was learnt at all... what a waste...

Runaway Girl

This is the typical teenage story of a girl who falls for a boy in high school. As it usually happens she would do anything to get his acceptance and he wouldn't hesitate to take advantage by making her do everything he wanted her to. I guess everyone has had this experience at some point of their life and hopefully has learned something from it; some people even need more than one exposure to see the truth. However, in some way this story had a happy ending.

My Perfect Child

This one really caught my attention, perhaps because is one of the most common situations a high school teacher like myself has to witness every single day. Parents, particularly mothers, are usually too blind to see how their children actually are. I’ve had a thousand opportunities to see how pointless is to carry out a parent-teacher meeting, since very seldom a parent is willing to hear what the teacher has to say about their child’s conduct. Most parents trust their children no matter what and they would never believe how abusive and bully their offspring can be towards other kids and teachers. This story introduces a mother who made a fool of herself by blaming everyone else for her own faults instead of setting up rules to properly raise her child. This character perfectly reflects the circumstance of a great number of people who are not ready to assume such a commitment as parenthood.

These novellas summarize what takes place day after day at some extent or another and at any place. Manipulators coexist with us all the time or maybe we’re one of them. It is hard to identify their influence since their abuse increases so gradually almost imperceptibly, just as depicted in the book, that we become aware of the harm at times too late. I guess victims are individuals with very low self-esteem and are subconsciously afraid of losing someone they consider important in their lives.

I liked the way the author forged her characters; and how she makes you think and question through their convincing and deceitful personalities; just as in real life it is difficult to identify the plotter at first glance and even a while beyond that. The stories contain lifelike arguments that truly make you ponder about people around you and still more make you wonder if you have somehow influenced others for your own good.

In this book we get to know the victim's perception, though I’d like to know what the abuser's position is, I guess it might be a psychological disorder that lead them to believe they’re above the rest and they deserve a better consideration; narcissism as pointed out by the author. We all know that not all bullies are extreme like the ones described in this work, though we're familiar with people who coax others in more subtle ways, but still their reckless behavior obeys to the same abusive pattern.

This is the first book I read of H.A. Leuschel, and I'll certainly be checking out more of her work.

Into the Vines – Kim Troike

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 05:22:00 +0000

Published in 2015 and written by American author Kim Troike.

While driving on the road Daniela got to witness a terrible accident, she quickly pulled the passenger from the vehicle but wasn’t that lucky when she attempted to save the driver. This event will change Francis’ life forever.

Sometime later she gets enrolled in a cooking school in France, there she has the chance to meet handsome Olivier who owns the grape vines where the school is located. In her class she also gets acquainted with Brie; a 40-year-old woman who’s trying to get the best of the experience by learning the French cuisine.

Shortly after Daniela and Olivier start going out and a new attraction arises between them. Olivier shows her around town and they promise to keep in touch after the course is over and she have to go back to the US where she’s from. But… things were not as simple as they planned and tragedy strikes on both sides.

My score:

Alternatively Olivier works as a volunteer pilot saving victims from the war in Africa and helping to relocate them into civilization. Unluckily he eventually gets kidnapped in one of those trips and loses track of Daniela for a long time. In the meanwhile Daniela has to struggle her own battle to get over illness and regain communication with Olivier. This is when Brie comes along to give them a hand.

This is just the beginning of the book, lots of things happen during this fair long story. By judging the book cover I thought the novel would only portrait the glam and the excitement of traveling and visiting several places around the world, walking hurriedly through airports corridors and stuff; and the prospect of meeting people from diversified backgrounds,. But… not quite. The book is actually a compendium of different lives and incidents where sorrow and happiness take place seemingly.

The first pages of the book are just awesome; the accident gets your full attention right away as Daniela tries to save a little boy’s mother who was trapped in the driver’s seat. Reading this passage you wonder if this is rather a sad story about an orphan kid. Well, fortunately not that sad.

Moreover I have to admit that I was startled when our heroine suddenly vanished from sight; and I thought to myself: now what? But things would develop in time; and an unexpected twist of events will abruptly alter the course. The story somehow entails the query: What if your friend’s passing brings you and her boyfriend together? Would you feel you’re betraying your friendship or would you carry on? Mm… food for thought.

However, no long after, the touching scene of the car crash sharply contrasts with the following passages which show the trip to France and all the fabulous places in Paris. There we go then; Café-au-lait and pastry at the French Bleu, a little jazzy place where Olivier plays the guitar and sings with his friend Darlene. The ambience sort of resembles that of La Belle Époque; small cafes, libraries and museums that reflect the Parisian life style. I really enjoyed reading this view of the book as it perfectly matches the picture the reader sees on the cover.

The book comprises a great range of subjects where the author exhibits considerable knowledge on many interesting topics such as everything that is related to the wine properties and vineyards, type of airplanes and how they operate, the raw material for elaborating perfumes; she also describes life in the wild and how the characters adapt well and enjoy the exotic environment; not to mention the cultural ceremonies carried out by locals which display some of the residents’ customs.

The narrative summons a big group of characters who courageously try to do the best of their lives to fulfill their dreams and get along with each other harmoniously. Something I really liked was the deep sense of family and how the characters indeed cared for their loved ones. Being generous enough to accept and welcome someone else’s children as their own, raise them and help them overcome their fears and integrate to a new family; a commitment many of us would frankly doubt to take on.

On the other side, even though a well written text I personally think the book is somewhat slow and chapters too long. Considering the amount of events that take place throughout the book I would rather have chosen to leave out some less relevant passages in order to shorten the text a bit and make it a little more fluid. An instance of this would be the technical information about airplanes, it could be too much data for average readers like me.

In overall, great reading with a sizable variety of subjects and interesting and different walks of life. I’ll be eager to read the sequel if there’s one coming up sometime.

What I love about Dublin – Amanda Laneley

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 03:57:00 +0000

A romance novel published in 2016 and written by Chilean author Amanda Laneley.
Sara has always dreamt about traveling and touring around the world, but her boyfriend Antonio has already designed a scheme for their future together. Settling down in Chile with a stable job and a wedding to ensure a well-planned existence is the most sensible conclusion Antonio has come up with.

Sara has been putting off her fantasy trip to Dublin and the delay has caused differences in their relationship, leading them to a breakup. As a result Sara makes up her mind to give a try to a job proposal at an Irish university in Dublin, and right then and there she sets off in search of new experiences and whatever fate throws at her.

Upon arriving to the new city Sara rents a room in a house shared by a group of friends from different countries. Among them there is Daniel, a handsome Irish lad eager to visit Australia; and determined to make his dream come true.

My score:

Even though Daniel has no interest in having a serious relationship just yet, a strong attraction arises between the two of them, and the new feeling threatens to destabilize the impetuous Daniel. Especially when Antonio bursts onto the scene, Sara’s former boyfriend, who is now claiming for his "rights".

Romanticism is the main element of this work; Sara and Daniel fall in love so passionately and unexpectedly considering both of them had clear motives to not get involved in some emotional attachment under current conditions. The overwhelming fascination growing between them is stronger than any premeditated resolution and they have so much in common that it is just impossible to resist temptation.

The novel describes in great detail all the stages which someone deeply in love passes through, that is; excitement, expectation, infatuation, disappointment, jealousy, anger and pain. Our Daniel is a fiery and indecisive character who finds reasons in each situation to justify his childish tantrums; I must admit that I have come to despise him utterly. If the writer makes such an impact on the reader it most certainly counts to her credit. On the other hand our heroine is very ‘good’, perhaps too much to my view, and after getting ennoyed by her repeated acceptance of Daniel's misbehavior you eventually pity her because of her lack of determination to put an end to a harmful relationship.

I believe the main characters’ romantic scenes and intimate encounters were conveyed masterfully, the writer evidences a great ability to express and transmit feelings through her words and how she makes the reader feel identified with the roles to some extent. Not to mention the rich description of Irish landscapes and dreamy sites visited by the protagonists will surely pick your curiosity.

If you're the romantic type this book will hook you up from the beginning because in its pages you will find love scenes and deep wrenching pain episodes that will doubtlessly shake you off. In my opinion however, I find the story falling a little into a circle of encounters and misunderstandings of a relationship that takes too long to materialize. As the tragedy lover that I am (Hi!) I would have liked that a critical or disastrous event had taken place and had stated a crucial point in the narrative providing some more pronounced ups and downs to the story.

I will definitely go for this author’s next book!

Till Life Do Us Part – Carmen Stefanescu

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 04:20:00 +0000

Published in 2016 and written by Romanian author Carmen Stefanescu.

Barbara Heyer has been able to communicate with the spirits of the deceased ever since she lost her grandfather when she was a child. And it was while driving her car that she heard a female voice, named Kathleen, telling her she had just been murdered. Barbara did not have the chance to figure out whose voice was it until later when the news of her brother Colin’s girlfriend’s death was revealed. As a consequence, Colin became the main suspect of the crime.

Detective Patrick Fischer is assigned to the case and will team up with Barbara and use her power to work along with the police and try to prove Colin’s innocence. But in the process, what they’re about to discover goes way beyond current circumstances and they will be thrown back in time in order for them to understand where they really come from and why they’re together in this venture at this time. There might be a stronger connection between them than the one they’re working on.

My score:

Time passes by with no results, until Catherine, Barbara’s neighbor, comes to scene claiming she knows how to find out Kathleen’s murderer’s identity. It appears that only a past life regression will shed some light on the matter and hopefully clear up all confusion. Though it won’t happen any time soon as they wished, they’re confident that with time everything will settle down again and Colin will get his life back to normal.

The story deals with reincarnation and past lives that intertwine together since centuries ago, showing how unfinished businesses need to come to a purposed end and reach a full circle for all humans. The explanation of a recurrent dream in one’s life might be attached to a traumatic incident in a past life, as well as the reason for us to have a natural talent in certain area without apparent logical sense. Even though stated as a hypothesis, it gives you a sense of relief that everything happens for a reason and that all will come to a happy end at some point, just maybe not in this lifetime.

I really liked how the book was written, this is, how the events were distributed in the narrative; I loved the leap to the past episode which was embedded into the main story, however it seemed to be detached you've got to wait to see what's coming up next. It was like reading a whole new story where we get to know new characters and how they dealt with their lives in an old fashion way we may find rather outdated, nonetheless interesting and educational; to finally go back to the original stream and reveal how they’re related to present characters and events. This part of the book clearly depicts what the woman’s role was in the old days and how much injustice she had to endure to merely keep her life if so. It really gets you to feel sorry and at the same time relieved that those days are gone for good.

I also loved the rich description of every chapter; the author displays such creativity and abundance of adjectives that you can clearly see the image in your mind. No doubt the author knows how to hook up her readers right away, she certainly masters the expertise of conveying a story providing with the right dose of intrigue and diligence, and I must admit this book kept me wanting for more and more every time I went through its pages. It was never boring, scenes and chapters had the right length and therefore the story flowed rhythmically for the most part.

And I said the most part because, although I’m giving five stars to this book, there’s a point I’d like to address here: The story somehow speeds up a little towards the end by unfolding events as they have already passed from the perspective of the ‘survivors’; as a result losing a chunk of the suspense which quite frankly disappointed me a bit. From my point of view the denouement is one the most crucial moments of a novel and it needs to be told at the same pace as less transcendent episodes were described throughout the story. Fortunately there’s a final surprise that makes up for it in this work, you’ll see; an unexpected twist that makes you hold your breath for a while but it was all for the best. All in all this is a fantastic book I would definitely recommend if you like paranormal and such subjects that is.

Over all this is a great novel and one of the best novels I’ve read; I undoubtedly will be reading other books of this author, so keep tune for new reviews on Carmen Stefanescu books.

Check out Shadows of the Past

Stone Cottage – Maighread MacKay

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 22:42:00 +0000

Published in 2015 by Canadian author Maighread MacKay. Victoria Anne is waiting at the window, impatiently wishing for her husband’s arrival; because as soon as he comes home everything will be alright again.

More than a hundred years later there’s Rebecca, a contemporary woman working at her father’s company. Struggling to prove herself by her own merits and build her place in the business.

Tragedy strikes Annie’s life and she’s hoping her husband can fix it, what she hasn’t realized though is that everybody has long gone, including herself. Unable to face what’s happened in her life she’s stuck in this plane, turning away from the light every time it appears before her. Thus she won’t move on until Rebecca comes to save her.

My score:

Rebecca, on the other side, is reluctant to give credit to ghost stories. However, she changes her mind after her father’s passing, the eventful day got her falling into a swirl of deep distress. Now she will have to guide Annie to the place she belongs to in order to sort her own life out.

Since her father’s decease Rebecca has been enduring panic attacks, and while trying to keep them under control she comes across an old uninhabited property to which she feels strongly drawn to. Checking over the house she gets a glimpse of a female ghost watching through a window…

The story of these two parallel lives, one having the opportunity to fix the other constitutes the fascinating plot of the novel. Wouldn’t be wonderful to have the occasion to make amends with our past?

The book brings up the subject of reincarnation and states a hypothesis about what’s in there beyond death. Do we get the chance to plan our life before we come into this world? Can we review our earth experience after we’re done with this lifetime? I found this reflection rather educational and interesting. It actually makes a lot of sense to me, considering individuals come to life in a great variety of conditions. Providing that everybody had the chance to choose what they want or what they need to learn in this existence, all suffering and differences between human beings will become understandable and easier to accept from human comprehension. We could now talk about justice and it would surely dawn on us that disparities among us are originated by our own requests prior to this life, and we are not, in fact, just victims of random casualties.

Having the chance to reunite with our loved ones is a priceless gift I’d love to believe in; it would be marvelous to remain faithful that after somebody’s passing we will surely see them again in the future. I like to think that life continues after death and that we were already around even before we came to earth. I’m also keen with the idea that gender is a mere earthly condition, and that above all we have the same chances to grow and learn without gender prejudice constraints.

The book also shows the sever wounds caused by guilt or hatred and how these emotions can mislead a soul and get it caught timelessly, suspended and lost in limbo. How long will it need to come out of that state? According to the book it could require even longer than we dare to imagine.

I loved the positive outcome the author granted to her work. It fosters hope and a great sense of accomplishment for whenever we reach the end of this whole worldly existence. The tranquility which guarantees that, everything will come to a happy ending despite the hardship we have to endure in this journey and the time it may take; proves a great reason to enthusiastically continue climbing up our path.

Something I really appreciated was the fact that the book provides further information once the end is reached. That is, the reader gets to know how the events finally affected the characters’ lives and how they are dealing with a new reality. A lot of books omit this important piece and the future of the story is simply left up to the reader’s imagination.

No doubt this work is a great choice for those of us seeking for answers on what's there after death and what awaits us.

Introducing Charlotte - Charlotte Hains

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 21:44:00 +0000

Puablished in 2015. Badly battered and bruised Charlotte hardly escaped from an abusive relationship that had sent her to hospital. Right after being allowed to leave the medical center she runs into old school friend Anthony; who, visibly shocked at the sight, offers to take her in for as long as she wanted.

Not knowing how to handle depression she spends some time at Anthony’s place; locked away from others and trying hard to get her life back on track. To go through the process of recovering she will need Anthony’s friends to help her to learn the life lessons that will guide her out of the darkness. With the purpose of starting anew she will have to get a new life, find a job and meet new people.

What she doesn’t know though is that acquiring the desirable lifestyle will require a lot of strength and an open-mind to understand different ways of thinking and eventually accept modern concepts she might not have been prepared for up till now.

My score:

Moving in to Anthony’s apartment Charlotte reluctantly agrees to meet Nats and Lloyd, good friends of Anthony who are willing to do everything in their hands to assist her to go through difficult times. It is already challenging enough to come to terms with trust and gain back self-confidence; and even harder to become adapted to a new work place where she will be trained to do a job she has never done before in order to get back on her feet.

After weeks of struggling and adjustment she is revealed of a novel lifestyle her friends have been undertaking for quite some time. A way of life she may find rather overwhelming and confusing but if given a second thought it could result in a revitalizing experience that may supply her with clearer criteria towards life.

Written in direct unvarnished speech; the author resorts to rich and frank descriptions of scenes and characters. Great attention is paid to details and that’s how the writer proves her ability to narrate and convey a story that is provided with high doses of explicit sensuality; not to mention, everything brought together with a hint of humor. Combining all of these elements to create the perfect balance for the reader to enjoy. I like the transition taken by Charlotte, which decidedly reflects her mental endeavor when striving to catch up with normality and get over panic. Ample and interesting reflection on this psychological process is explained in the book.

After reading Introducing Charlotte I guess I must have been into vanilla relationships so far, since a lot of what’s depicted in the book resembles suggestive movie scenes or erotic musical videos we’ve all watched on TV or so. But then I wonder… Who knows what I might be missing out for being so complicated…

Similarly I would like to suggest a couple of aspects to be considered. First, I wished spanking episodes and such events were fewer, so as to avoid too much repetition throughout the book. And second, I would have appreciated a round up ending to give this work a sense of closure. I understand that the author’s desire was to hook up the reader for the sequel by not giving too much away, but…, from my point of view, providing a little more info would have given us a clue of what’s coming next.

To conclude, I enjoyed reading this work and I will certainly be looking forward to the second part. I’m curious if we will ever get the chance to meet the bastard, I just don’t want him to simply get away with it, unpunished. Considering the fact that Anthony is a lawyer there should be something that can be done about it. On the other side I’m intrigued about Charlotte’s future choices, will she be submissive enough to fulfill with every requirement this all new style demands or will she stand for her freedom and be able to make her own decisions without anybody’s pressure?

I'm ready for second round!

Cassie’s Hope – Sue Lloyd

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 21:31:00 +0000

Published in 2016. Cassie is a fourteen-year-old girl who is undergoing a medical treatment in order to fight leukemia. While still in hospital she falls in love with an adorable beagle when watching a TV report on biomedical research at an animal lab called MARK. The dog had been on a trial to test the side effects of a second version of Diosyl; a new medication that is attempted to be used on patients just like Cassie.

Even through the screen Cassie could not resist the hypnotic influence those big hazel eyes put onto her, and decided right there and then that she would become Hope’s savior. Hope was her name and she was about to turn everybody’s world around. From now on a strong bond arises between the two of them.

This young adult story will surely move your heart, as Cassie bravely focuses on her own healing as much as on rescuing her little buddy who is inexorably scheduled to be put to sleep after the trial is over. Cassie then wants to offer her a forever home and a happy life.

My score:

A touching story that engages the reader right from the beginning, since the very moment Cassie is introduced as a leukemia patient that’s been fighting the disease for a year, and now comes across with the uplifting incentive she needed to cheer up her days and go on with her life. Little Hope senses the same emotion when Cassie and her family come to meet her. Now the concern brings out a huge challenge, will Hope be allowed to leave the lab and become the new member of Larimer family? Well..., that’s the issue to be addressed next.

Parallel to this, a love story unfolds as the plot develops, and two more people are touched by Hope’s spell, who seems to manage to orchestrate those around her. Herb Morton is about to find his world upside down, not only professionally but he also might be getting the so-long awaited chance with love.

Although everything appears to be coming to a happy end for everybody involved, for most of the book, tragedy finally strikes hard. The unforeseen mishap makes events happen sooner than expected, and quick decisions needed to be taken as consequences would cause big changes. From my point of view this is by far the best part of the story, since the narrative is generally free of ups and downs till this point. It cleverly contributes with a degree of action granting the story a magnificent end.

The book brings up two interesting subjects: the always-controversial topic of Animal Rights; though the author does not go deep in this field, it certainly makes you reflect upon it. And the prospect of rehoming animals lab after research and testings are done. Why not give these animals the opportunity of a welcoming home? Is it really necessary to euthanize all of them after trial? We might as well consider adopting one of these wonderful creatures.

On the other side there’s a couple of things that I would have liked to see described in more detail in this narrative, such as the impact caused by having a close relative battling leukemia. In the book is not quite clear how parents and siblings reacted or felt towards their daughter's condition. However, considering that being a book aimed at a young audience it would have brought too much sadness to the story I suppose. Still, I think that a little bit of more crisis wouldn’t have hurt much. Likewise it caught my attention how the characters seemed to be prone to prefer Hope over the other creatures at the lab. At times Hope was way more favored and cared about than the rest of the dogs in terms of love and appreciation. Aren't they all deserving of the same affection?

In conclusion this work is beautifully written and easy to follow; I would as well recommend this book to teenagers, children and even foreign readers as myself. I surely enjoyed the reading and it would definitely be a great choice for parents and school teachers.

Thorn of a Soldier – Piper Presley

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 23:11:00 +0000

It was published in 2016. Marisa, a young lady recently married to soldier Clark Brody, with whom she tries to start a life together, finds it hard to cope with the typical difficulties of married life with a military husband. The challenges she must deal with, due to the conditions imposed by her husband’s profession, makes her wonder what life would be if instead of having a soldier husband she had a rich man willing to indulge her with expensive gifts that an ordinary recruit could ever grant her.

In addition to this they will have to spend a year apart since the Army requires Brody’s deployment, and while the couple plans how to survive the distance Marisa reunites with her ex-boyfriend who thought she had long forgotten. Kenneth then is a mature and wealthy man who knows how to use his strategies to captivate a woman without a bit of shyness or guilt.

My score:

Now that her husband is away most of the time, the unexpected appearance of Kenneth places Marisa in a difficult dilemma to resolve: On the one hand she loves her husband deeply and has a great devotion, but on the other she feels very lonely and vulnerable during the early stage of her marriage. Consequently the love triangle in which she refuses to take part in ends up becoming a temptation too difficult to resist all the while Body is absent.

This is a short romantic story you read in just a while (35 pages approx.) and it definitely provides you with entertainment. Due to its length this work flows throughout smoothly, which for me is a plus, since I greatly dislike getting stuck in the tedium of a slow reading that makes you waste time. The book describes the insecurities that a person experiment when they feel attracted to two people and how their mental arguments come into a conflict impossible to work out satisfactorily for those involved. In this case Marisa is the victim (or perhaps the executioner) who wonders and questions what she should have had clear since the very beginning of her relationship with Brody, though she lacks the maturity and determination to prevent herself from falling into extramarital seductions; furthermore, to ever consider whether the potential lover really deserves such condescension.

The book also has a dose of explicit sensuality, without the characteristic omissions of the novels and I did not actually expect. The clear and direct style of the writer reveals her ability to describe scenes with prolific details and without giving to social constraints pressure.

This story quickly engages the reader and because of its fluency reading is concluded in one go, however, I personally would have preferred an outcome in which the characters gave strict account for their actions; I consider they were granted too many concessions.

Born - Tara Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Sun, 17 Jul 2016 21:44:00 +0000

Published in 2012. Emma, a 19-year-old girl, who has lived alone in a hut in the woods for a decade since her father passed away, was taught the basic rules of survival and how she should hide and protect herself from the infected. Up to this day she has followed the rules as she was instructed and avoided any contact with other human beings; she only has her faithful wolf Leo as her sole company.

But one day she hears the chilling knocking at her hut’s door; a crack she had feared all these years and now the panic confirmed that the time had come. For a few seconds she tries to make up her mind on what to do, and then takes her gun and decides to pull the door ajar.

My score:

Born is the first book of the trilogy, but it gives the impression of being the second one. Apparently crucial events occurred ten years ago, such as the end of the world, just to mention one; but the author does not give many details about it. The lack of background gives the feeling that we missed an essential part of the story, or that we simply opened the book at a random page and have started reading from that point. Ten years ago many people died and many others got infected, of what? We do not know. And only a small percentage of the population survived, and our heroine of course, belongs to that percentage.

The argument takes place in a rural area where the characters must supply themselves with very meager resources and sometimes of their own invention: such as the manufacture of bows and arrows. However, incidentally the use of phones and other technology is mentioned which suggests that the story unfolds in present time or at least not far from ours.

The beginning of the work is a little slow; we do not know what the characters attempt to besides surviving in a rural sector and with limited means. Only halfway through the book begins the action and the plot takes an interesting twist. There is a site whose purpose is to reproduce healthy humans in order to preserve the species. Unfortunately this episode is temporary so the narration falls back into the camp life, meetings in the evenings around a campfire and songs accompanied by strings.

I found the scene frankly boring, it struck me as tiresome. Though there was a time when the protagonist comes to town and it seems she will find more adventure there, but she just decides to turn back to the monotony of the field.

Emma is a teenager who knows how to take care of herself; however, her heroin role is magnified to disproportionate levels. With no more preparation than hunting animals, making arrows and living alone; Em achieves to dismantle an organization with the help of a group of people that operates under her leadership. When did she acquire such a skill? We do not know. It's a kind of tall tale the fact that this girl who clearly doesn’t know how to manage a relationship with a guy actually has the guts and the wit, essential elements to plan and execute a massive rescue.

The appearances of zombies are sporadic and their role in the plot is unclear. I imagine that this point will be further discussed in the next volumes of the trilogy.

In conclusion the book aims at a teenage audience, whith sensual scenes where guys are willing to have fun while girls fall in love are frequently described. In my opinion it is a monotonous narration with a point of interest, but nothing really compensates for the weaknesses pointed above. However I must admit that I had the bad sense of reading a poor Spanish translation (~~the price we’ve got to pay for free stuff~~) and this failure certainly took its toll since I didn’t have the chance to know the writer’s style; therefore, this circumstance has also contributed to the fact that I found this work unattractive.

If I decide to read the second part, I hope to find more precedents that explain a little more what happened ten years ago as the first book left many loose ends.

Born - Tara Brown

The Trojan Horse (2) – Masada – JJ Benítez

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 00:45:00 +0000

Written in 1986. Trojan Horse 2 reproduces the second time travel Jason and Elysium made back to Palestine year 30, two American travelers who stayed 11 days in the company of Jesus during his passion and death and the preceding days. The first trip ended after the Galilean apparent resurrection which the explorers had no opportunity to confirm.

An unexpected incident occurred during the first trip forced the Trojan Horse project to send the two militars on a new expedition. Among the instruments that Jason and Elysium took with them to carry out their mission was a microphone that the Major had hidden in a vase in the room where the Last Supper took place, and due to an earthquake Jason was forced to leave and return to the spaceship for the journey back to 1973.

My score:

Well, this artifact recovery was crucial to perform a second leap in time since the latter had not been initially planned. The microphone was used to record the conversation between Jesus and his disciples during the Last Supper right before his capture. It was necessary that these devices return to the period to which they belonged and not leave them "forgotten" in a time that could raise suspicions and confusions among locals.

The first part of the book, perhaps more than 200 pages, is a very extensive account of strictly technical matters: the new instrumental travelers should implement, the dismantling and subsequent assembly of the spacecraft, the medical checkups the explorers had to take, etc.; this is perhaps the most tedious part of the whole series. This fact explains why a number of readers leave the task in this sequel; because the amount of irrelevant data that uses nearly half of the book is an almost infallible deterrent; and needless to say the quantity of footers that abound throughout the book, some of them even take more than half of the page. Only those who were truly captivated after reading the first part will be in shape to withstand the test that constitutes the second prologue.

Although ... to its credit, all that long-winded speech has its interesting side; for example the technological advances we can count today that back in the 70s are presumed not to exist are remarkable, as is the "snakeskin": A super resistant layer Jason wore attached to his body in order to protect himself from attack, it is similar to the material developed with nanotechnology today and that is projected to manufacture garments in the future.

In this second volume it is finally revealed what was said in the Last Supper scene, which was hinted at in The Trojan Horse 1, but was not included in the first paperback edition due to its length. As we note in the first volume, many of the events that happened in the life of Jesus were disrupted by the sacred writers; and as expected alterations are still present in the episode of the Last Supper. Jason discloses a lot of data that greatly differs from the accounts provided by the Bible such as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; leaving the institution of the Eucharist in question.

The second trip, in addition to recovering the microphone is planned to register Jesus' apparitions after his resurrection. Again, the sacred writers varies in many aspects: number of apparitions, sites where they took place, and witnesses that were present. According to the Mayor, this discrepancy in the information recorded in the sacred books lies in the fact that the disciples never took the initiative to note down the events that happened in the life of Jesus in those very moments, and it was until many years after his death that they thought about writing down his teachings and deeds, of course not without altering information because they either did not remember accurately or because of the ambition to form a new religion. It is also to be considered that some of the writers of the Bible, converted disciples after Jesus' death, had no direct contact with him; therefore their role is reduced to mere hearsay witnesses as in the case of the Apostle Paul.

Another important aspect of this volume is the presence of Mary, Jesus’ mother; she describes the episodes of Jesus’ conception and childhood. This chapter is worth reading it, according to the writer, sacred works went from exaggeration to fantasy, altering dates, circumstances, and adding fantastic objects to the story. Trojan horse claims that the facts were much more quotidian and human than it was taught by religion. Only the "profitability" of a future religion would confer divine and sensational nuances to natural events such as the conception and childhood of a human being.

Note: Only the Spanish edition is available at the moment.

Mrs. Dalloway – Virginia Woolf

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 23:31:00 +0000

Written in 1925. Clarissa Dalloway plans to throw a party tonight; so she will get some flowers to decorate her home and will make all arrangements for the great evening. Unexpectedly a visitor comes to her residence, an old boyfriend of hers she hasn’t seen for a long time and so she spends a short while having a superficial conversation in order to avoid alluding to episodes that Peter Walsh does not want to reveal.

The story unfolds in the early twentieth century and describes the features of English society at the time, being Mrs. Dalloway the typical upper-class woman who organizes meetings in which the senior members of the community regularly attend.

My score:

This work is told in the third person by an omniscient narrator alternating events and characters that are rarely interrelated. The novel chronicles the events that take place over a period of 12 hours, with flashbacks to past scenes from the life of the characters.

Considered the most representative work of the author, this work is included in the list of the hundred most outstanding books of all times.

Well ... I differ from the high appreciations that has sparked this book. To begin with, this reading is difficult to achieve, just the concentration exercise represents a heroic act to the reader, and it is inevitably getting lost in its lines over and over again. This was my third attempt to conclude this task and I finally got it, but not without having made a titanic effort to overcome the boredom and tedium. I lost concentration and interest on each page, and the experience became a masochistic measure to me.

Imagine a sack full of things of different nature that after being shaken its content is poured and spread out on a table for the reader to establish rhyme and reason: i-m-p-o-s-s-i-b-l-e m-i-s-s-i-o-n. Mrs. Dalloway is a mixture of events, characters and disjointed reflections that are randomly picked up and which together don’t make any sense. It is a story stopped in time and thronged of thoughts and banal dissertations broken down to the most minute detail. Reading this book is a bumpy journey that changes direction without warning, we never know where we’re coming from and where we are heading to.

As for the central role, I do not know why Clarissa Dalloway was chosen as the main character in the book. She has a practical character, sometimes frivolous; and her contribution to the work is so tiny that it borders on banality; hence the author invests long episodes introducing other characters and forgetting about her almost completely.

The only point of interest, however, is Septimus Warren Smith, a subject suffering from manic-depressive hallucinations that reflects the same condition Virginia endured.

As stubborn as I can be I refused to think that ae work so famous did not enclose some transcendental event in its outcome and naïvelye kept the hope of finding an incident to justify the wait; but nothing happened in the end and I never knew what the story was about. For the first time I didn’t feel the need of a closer examination of the information before posting my review as I usually do in order to not ruin the experience of the future reader, but quite frankly there is nothing relevant to say about it.

In conclusion, I never got to intuit what the writer wanted to convey and the only utility that this book has to offer, from my perspective, is that of preventing my bedside table from wobbling.

Mrs. Dalloway

As a Man Thinketh – James Allen

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 02:50:00 +0000

Published in 1902. "The man is literally what he thinks, his character is the sum of all his thoughts", James Allen carefully explains the process behind a sustained positive thinking and the impact it generates in our circumstances.

The events in our lives do not occur by chance but are the logical result of a persistent mental process through constant practice and patience that human being becomes the master of his life.

Certainly man can not directly influence on the conditions of everyday life, but actually can, through his thinking, influence indirectly and affect his reality, and thus shape his experiences.

My score:

The human being is the master of the world around him, he has the power to forge the weapons with which conditions his existence, whether happy or not. He or she must stop blaming others for their failures, since only he himself is the creator and executor of the decisions he makes; and whether he acts right or wrong he will endure the circumstances he has caused to himself. His responsibility then, is to carefully choose the thoughts that will predominate in his mind to create the conditions he pursues. Man is always the doer of his circumstances, even in difficult times; he in his ignorance is the naive teacher who does not notice that the solution is in his hands if only he changed his mind pattern.

Whoever wants to change their present conditions must train their mind to only focus on the thoughts that will bring peace, prosperity and love. That is, he will have to insist on keeping an idea that represents his desire, and patiently wait for its materialization. Facts will take some time to become apparent on the outside, while thinking and outside events come into one whole. It is a mistake to judge the current external circumstances as proof that present thought has no effect, because visible conditions are the results of a previous mental process.

"Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself"

"The body is the servant of the mind, watch your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind"

"A man can only rise, conquer and achieve by lifting up his thoughts"

Like all human beings, I am in the search of something (who knows what ...), I’ve read several authors in order to find answers, including: Claude Bristol, Joseph Murphy, Bob Proctor and Tony Robbins; and apparently those answers are not as hard to find as I had supposed, but difficult to put them into practice as I have experienced so far. I found The Power of Your Subconscious Mind written by Joseph Murphy, quite educational and easy to digest, it offer very simple and practical exercises.

The title of the book As a Man Thinketh was inspired by a Bible proverb that says: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" The book says that is not enough to assume a positive attitude at certain times of day: in the morning just before waking up, or at night right before getting completely asleep as J. Murphy says in the book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. It is essential that positive thoughts will last throughout the day in our minds if we really want to turn our dreams into reality.

"Raise your standards" says Tony Robbins and create your R-I-T-U-A-L-S. "Change your paradigms" warns Bob Proctor, until they become H-A-B-I-T-S.

Consider this phrase for a moment: "A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances", I want to believe that this sentence explains everything; the good and the evil around us. This is a fascinating and vast subject that is worth deepening; I suggest reading the authors mentioned above as a complement, all of them speak essentially about the same thing even though they use different terms. As for the veracity of this theory I’ll let each reader make their own decision.

As a Man Thinketh – James Allen

The Gravedigger’s Daughter – Joyce Carol Oates

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Sun, 15 May 2016 18:31:00 +0000

It was published in 2007. After the escape of Nazi Germany, the Schwart family makes its journey across the Atlantic towards the American territory. And it is during this expedition that Rebecca Schwart comes into this world, a creature that joins the family not like the joy of a new descendent but as the straw that breaks the camel’s back, due to the load of difficulties in which is immersed this group of Jews who aspires to become immigrants of the United States.

Having reached the new continent, the father, a former school teacher is forced by circumstances to take the position of the town gravedigger, taking his entire family to an old shack built of stone within the domains of the cemetery.

My score:

The drastic change of life, the new culture they have to deal with, the extreme poverty and discrimination from local people, get the whole family sunk into despair and hostility. Making all members take extreme measures in order to survive in a foreign country.

Consequently, Rebecca far from being the beloved daughter of her parents and brothers she grows in an adverse, full of scarcity and heartbreaking environment, experiencing one of the worst tragedies to which a human being can endure; the loss of a loved one in the most atrocious circumstances. Forced to run away from home she spends her teenage years under the tutelage of a school teacher, who took her in until the moment Rebecca decides to leave forever and start a new life on her own.

Once grown up her circumstances don’t get any better, she’s still struggling in a sea of vicissitudes caused by the man she falls in love with, bringing her down to a state uncertainty, humiliation and coldness. Rebecca then decides to claim her freedom by assuming a new identity and an existence that will lead her to new directions she’d never imagined before.

The story narrates in great detail Rebecca’s life and background in a very straight and crude way. In this book there are no roses or touching love scenes, for tenderness and candor rarely ever make appearance in this novella. The scenes move for their excessive realism, for the intense suffering and above all the indiference that several characters profess to the protagonist.

The book cover is a bit confusing because, in my opinion, it does not completely fit the play’s central character; in fact I think it reflects a child that resembles nothing to Rebecca at all. In the picture we see a well taken cared and well-dressed girl who seems to enjoy the love and protection from her parents, while in the book we find a victim of domestic abuse deeply traumatized by adverse events that do not reflect the image shown on the book cover.

The argument per se is quite interesting and it reveals details of the flight of the Jews in the early twentieth century, and the reality that had to deal once they arrived to the American continent. The author makes no effort to soften or minimize the tragic scenes of the play, she rather tends to expose the seriousness of the facts in its entirety, i.e. in her style there is no room for sentimentality or schmaltz that usually adorn literary works, and the kind the reader might wrongly expect after watching the book wrap. The fact that the author calls a spade a spade does not shock me, though this type of prose is less frequent and certainly unexpected judging from the book's introduction.

The weak aspect of the work, to my mind, is in the extension of each scene, this is definitely a long book (over 600 pages), and because of this the reader gets stuck with regular frequency, which prevents the task from flowing with the right rhythm, leaving the reader at the mercy of boredom and tedium. I stopped reading this book several times, I actually thought I was not going to finish it. I believe the work could have been more concise and light, it undoubtedly would have hooked a larger number of followers.

The Gravedigger’s Daughter – Joyce Carol Oates

And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Mon, 02 May 2016 23:16:00 +0000

Published in 1939. Eight people were called to spend a holiday on an island. The invitations were sent on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. U.N. Owen, identified as old acquaintances with whom they had a brief encounter at some time in the past. And now with the pretext of a job offer or participation in a business they are drawn to the island to spend a few summer days.

The letters of invitation allude to the occasion that the alleged interview with Mr. and Mrs. U.N. Owen took place, although none of the addressees had a very clear memory of the event, the details described in the missive on the other hand leave no doubt that they actually met up once in the past.

My score:

All guests then head promptly to the island and stay in the mansion, whose owner certainly don't know yet, settling comfortably in separate rooms. Hung on the wall of each room are the lyrics of a nursery rhyme Ten Little Indians; its macabre verses depict the horrific way characters die one by one; the sign is overlooked by the naïve guests.

The group is greeted and served by two staff members, as the hosts of the house are absent at the moment and will not arrive until several days later. Meanwhile, servants will provide with everything the travelers might need to feel comfortable.

Feeling glad with the warm welcoming and having a cup of coffee after dinner, attendees are shocked with the unexpected playing of a gramophone. The disturbing recording directly accused each of the guests of having committed or participated in a crime and having gotten away with it. After getting over from the early stupor visitors go into a state of confusion when they find out they had fallen into a trap and had been deceived in order to be held on the island.

Before long terrifying events begin to happen, and visitors deaths occur in the same conditions described in the Ten Little Indians nursery rhyme.

Being the greatest work of the writer, Agatha Christie does not skimp when it comes to introduce a large dose of suspense to the story. In my opinion, a work well accomplished. The book begins with the introduction of each character separately, since there seems to be no relationship among them other than the fact of having been all called to the island. At this point the question arises, how come everybody simply accepted the bid without making clear who the sender was? And meekly sail to the island without taking any precaution. What is also amazing is the hosts’ absence, being a formal call it cannot be expected that none of the owners is present for the reception.

The most significant element in the book is undoubtedly the lullaby; its appearance on the scene is so seemingly irrelevant that no one would ever imagine that its lyrics contain literally the disastrous outcome of the novel. Using this and other elements the author manages to convey the siege and the horror with which characters are harassed in the play; the deep concern that overwhelms them when going to bed without knowing who will be the next victim, the natural distrust that arises between the tenants and the desperation to escape the island.

The story leads the reader to take part in the investigation and to speculate on the reasons each character had to get rid of their peers, and what implications their past crimes could entail for them now. In some cases these crimes are real, but in others they are interpreted as such by the murderer. On the other hand, the reference to nine offenses conducted independently it is per se a business difficult to achieve, as it is also unlikely to reveal the common factors that may aim to the definitive identification of the author.

The outcome of the work closes the story with a flourish. Christie reveals the identity of the villain, who at this point is completely unsuspected; I must admit it fooled me till the end. From my perspective, some characters deserved to pay for their crimes, but the multiple homicide is in my opinion an excessive measure, still not entirely convinced by the motives alleged by the murderer. Justice must comply with a legal process that incriminate offenders through a trial; it is inconceivable that someone decides to simply dispense justice only because they consider others are wrong and they should be punished for their actions; I mean, even revenge contains a logic from certain angle that explains its realization.

And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie

Landry Saga – Ruby (1) – VC Andrews

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 20:58:00 +0000

One of the best sagas Virginia Andrews "wrote" in 1994. Ruby is a teenager who lives with her grandmother in the swamps of Louisiana; there they lead a precarious life and she helps her grandmother by selling paintings made by herself, among other gadgets and groceries she displays in a stand on the edge of the road.

Despite how hard the situation is Ruby seems to enjoy her life in the swamps. At school she meets Paul Tate, a very attractive guy son of one of the wealthiest families of the marshes and it is only when they attempt to establish a formal relationship that her grandmother Catherine reveals the truth that will keep them apart for a long time. This confession impels Ruby to put distance between them with the excuse that she wants to meet other guys.

My score:

But admissions do not end here, grandmother Catherine has more to say before she passes away. Ruby's father lives in the city of New Orleans and there is where she should go once Ruby’s grandmother dies. After the funeral and having let Paul know the truth about their origin and the circumstances that bring them together, Ruby travels to New Orleans in search of her father; where she acknowledges the existence of a twin sister; an urban copy of herself.

From now on everyday life in the city becomes a whirlwind of sharp and unexpected turns for Ruby; while trying to adapt to a new context she must face the emergence of new characters that will produce painful impacts in her life. Keeping a harmonious relationship with her sister means an additional challenge for Ruby, until a decisive event cut short both girls’ plans. Ruby blames herself for the misfortune and decides to bear the burden of what happened, her penance will be to give up her own dreams.

This novel, like all novels Virginia Andrews wrote, is fraught with catastrophe and incest. And as usual the story never gets boring, since it's always something happening unexpectedly; setbacks and discoveries happen all the time. This is a smooth reading and easy to conclude, no doubt the reader will be willing to continue with the second part of the saga.

The villains of the story are unspeakably evil; and perhaps the most irritating aspect of the work is that the good characters backslide into stupidity again and again; such is the case of Pierre Dumas (father of Ruby and Giselle) although he strives to provide Ruby with a warm home, he actually remains unaware of what happens in the family, and if he were to suspect something he would surely feel overwhelmed by the effort that represents to muster enough courage to face his wife or his daughter Giselle and give Ruby the proper place; eventually he would opt for the easy alternative of leaving her at the mercy of Ruby’s stepmother and sister.

Ruby meanwhile, is the typical protagonist who was born to suffer; her life is filled up with a succession of tragic events that make up her sad existence. This girl despite her experience does not learn anything; she continues to allow others to abuse her without making any protest. This is a clear example of the disastrous consequences that religious and superstitious influence rooted from childhood lead to; it is particularly reflected when Ruby takes the blame for what happened to Giselle as a presumed reply of her prayers.

In my opinion, the biggest disappointment in this work is the fact that although the novel was published under the name of VC Andrews, it was actually written by the author Andrew Neiderman; substitute that was assigned to Virginia after her death. Worth mentioning, for a deeper disillusionment, much of the known VC Andrews books were concluded, or composed entirely by Mr. Neiderman. Being Flowers in the Attic the book in which the author got more involved, it was consequently the work that had more publicity compared to other sagas as: The Saga Casteel, The Saga Cutler, The Saga Landry, The Saga Logan, among others, in which Neiderman intervention was partial or complete; but the prose and the plot were as good as in Flowers in the Attic.

Ruby (Landry Book 1) - Amazon

Schopenhauer: A Very Short Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Edna María) — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 19:42:00 +0000

1819, this booklet contains a collection of arguments and considerations made by philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer about love, women, death and other subjects such as art and morality.

The author refers to these issues by analyzing the factors that influence them in order to reach his own conclusion; thus, for instance, he argues that the attraction (or love) that arises between two people is nothing more than nature’s command on both subjects for the sole purpose of perpetuating the species.

From his view, women are creatures of little understanding and little talent. Beautiful and useful objects that are good to perform household chores and can coexist within a herd in such company under the regime of a man.

And death is the one that truncates everything without considering for a moment how sublime is the task we have devoted to with such passion.
My score:

Love

According to Schopenhauer, love, as we understand, does not exist; the romantic idea that inspires dreamers, artists and teenagers is a fiction created by our imagination. Reality is much more practical and earthy; the genius of the species looks after it to preserve the human race by making the individual believe that they are in love. This being does not act on behalf of his own interests as he believes, but his behavior lies just on instinct; and being lost in his reverie fails to make the difference. Consequently man is the instrument nature uses to fulfill its mission.

Sexual attraction, therefore, is no other than nature’s dominance on its individuals and subdue them to reproduction. The expressions of beauty that we see in one another follow a much more basic instinct, it constitutes an unconscious way to measure the counterpart’s capability when judging their contribution in producing defect-free specimens. As an evidenc sign, the emotion we claim to feel is not such as it can be proved after one reaches the climax it is immediately eclipsed by disenchantment.

While I do not agree a hundred percent with the author's statements, I believe he is right in some of his statements. Generally speaking human beings tend to reproduce, especially women; only a minority of the population believes that a relationship can also be complete without the involvement of children; in some other cases, the presence of children is precisely which deteriorates the relationship of their parents. It is common to hear expressions like: "Children are the basis of marriage" or "A woman is truly complete when she becomes a mother," as if happiness and fulfillment of a human being was directly proportional to their biological capacity to procreate. Personally I think that married life and parenthood are two individual states that do not necessarily have to be related; a couple can be happy without children as well as a person can feel fulfilled with their children without being assisted by a partner; in the latter case we have single mothers (not all of them have a happy life, of course).

Women

Although I could admit, partially, that the writer is right, as to his views on love, I have serious doubts about his perception of women, a verdict that, as a matter of fact, verges on misogyny. Let's see: in the first instance we must consider the time Schopenhauer lived to grasp his perspective a little, (I must admit that it cost me a bit). Taking the insubstantial role women played in the eighteenth century will help to clarify the poor concept the philosopher had about them. According to him women were born only to give their contribution to the procreation of children, for that reason, they, elemental creatures, were more dominated by the genius of the species than men. Woman were totally denied their ability to discuss the divine and the human, leaving them as only option imitate men in order to please others and be accepted in society; so that, to keep them reduced to their minimum expression women should not be allowed to read more than culinary texts.

Records, according to Schopenhauer, women have not produced, in history, any kind of artistic expression, and whether some isolated cases have been reported, this would only represent the exception that proves the rule.

It really catches my attention how Schopenhauer, having such a low opinion of women, has bothered to devote an entire chapter to them. In fact I think that the perception of the philosopher is due to the insipid performance of women at that time which is easily explained pointing to the sad fact that women were mentally castrated from birth of all their capacities to develop as a complete human being. Historically, women have been plunged into a state of lethargy so they can’t think by themselves, much less to conceive a concept of creativity that can bring something extraordinary to the world. This condition of irrelevance is likely to befall anyone who has had a similar upbringing, since it does not lie directly in the gender.

Unfortunately, despite the great progress women have made over the years, there are still remaining remnants of the old guard. Today however it is still a prevalent fact that some people, especially among the female audience, make all efforts to acquire a pleasant physical appearance, but neglect other aspects of such or even more relevance. In many cases for instance, the tendency to buy a hair dryer instead of a book is predominant; resulting in a splendid appearance but an intellect that makes you feel sorry.

Death

Death turns any effort into a vain act, because nothing escapes it. Life forces us to engage in a hard, painful and debilitating battle for the death to come and the cycle is repeated viciously over and over again. God does not exist and proof of this is the prevailing misery in this world that is far light years away from that image of perfection that religion professes. Happiness and well-being are always distant, either in the past or in the future, but present is justly what man wants to escape from.

I guess this is a sick pessimistic view of life, but right from certain angle. If we think that everything will end up with death, many of our tasks and projects in life would lose sense, because not all people feel attracted to the idea of leaving a legacy to humanity.

We only become aware of happy moments once they’ve passed, therefore their remembrance only causes us sadness, why would a god create a world full of misery when nothing at all would be more appealing?, Wouldn’t he have a guilty conscience? Man is condemned to struggle in a permanent state of desire to get something, a longing that never satiates and makes his existence a poor expression of suffering.

"It's a natural story of pain, which is summarized as follows: love with no reason, permanent suffering, continuous fight and then die ...".

Morality

Schopenhauer states that morality does not exist for religious people, because the goodness they make is diametrically opposed to the fear they experience before a divine punishment, i.e., they act not inspired by philanthropic purposes but persuaded by a more selfish interest, to occupy a place beside God, just to mention something. This leads me to think that the most important thing in humans are not their virtues but precisely their faults, for who would object to the good in a human being? It is their imperfections specifically that will define our views on them and depending on the outcome we would decide to stay in their company or run away from them.

Religions play a useful role in society to some extent, because many people need a leader to tell them what to believe in, but when they become a band that does not allow you to see the truth it is necessary to move away from them. In my opinion, religions can eventually become a quite harmful influence; they act as the corrupt politician, who once robs the people, they give free meals away.

"Many people censure and criticize pride; certainly they do not have anything to feel proud about." This statement reminds me of people who rant of money, surely they are subjects in serious financial problems; a millionaire would never condemn money.

Schopenhauer: A Very Short Introduction