Choose Your Own Adventure

The Prophet – Amanda Stevens

2014-04-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

"Twilight...when greedy, grasping entities drift through into our world, seeking what they could never have again."

Following The Kingdom, The Restorer, and prequel, The Abandoned, The Prophet continues with Amelia Gray's adventures in graveyard restoration and romance (both to a lesser extent this time), and explorations of the unseen plane, where ghosts are seen and less material events are happening.

Amelia really caught my attention this time around. I loved her character! During the opening chapters, even her self-talk about rush hour traffic was interesting, and I just wanted to jump into her world, her living room, feeling my own experience through her. Made for a very relaxed and curious read.

Although I didn't find the storyline as frightening as the other novels, I found the topic of African root magic even more interesting. It reminded me of The Serpent and The Rainbow.

I read a review that complained that Amelia's relationship with John Delvin was a little tiresome this time around. I didn't think so, initially, but even the last lovemaking scene was disappointing in a way. It didn't hold my attention like in the previous novels. I can't pinpoint exactly why. Maybe I sensed a lack of love from Delvin, a very essential element missing (yet, he was haunted). Or maybe it was just my mood this time around.

Still, this novel was just what I needed on a cold, spring night. I'm so happy to have started the series.
Preview Book Four, The Visitor on the author's website.

My latest trip to a second hand bookstore

2013-03-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

I think I'll start with The Law of Similars - I love the opening quotes:

"Has it not got down as thin as the homeopathic soup that was made by boiling the shadow of a pigeon that had starved to death?" Abraham Lincoln - Oct 13, 1858

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Proverbs 17:22

The Bite of the Mango – Mariatu Kamara and Susan McClelland

2013-03-18T10:49:00.001-07:00

My name is Mariatu, and this is my story.

I was browsing in Chapters and came across this book. It really wasn’t what I thought I wanted to read, but as I skimmed through the pages I felt a connection. It turned out to be a beautifully written and telling story with as much joy as horror and sadness coming through the pages.

The people of Mariatu’s story touched my heart right off, and at times I wanted for their life of simplicity - eating free run chickens and self-farmed vegetables, rice, and hot peppers, picking fruit right off trees, and dancing and celebrating at night under the stars and moon.

Mariatu grew up as a happy child in a village in Sierra Leone. She made a wish to go to school like the other children from wealthier villages. After a nightmare about palm oil, Mariatu was confronted by her worst fears when rebels invaded her village. After the attack, and after having her hands cut off by children close to her own age, Mariatu began a journey of survival through the forest, where she met black cobras and other animal spirits, helpful and loving people, and eventually ended up in Canada.

Mariatu’s journey came across as spiritual to me. I was very moved at the end when she had a conversation with her grandmother who’d warned her that to dream of palm oil will lead to blood spilling. Her grandmother said:

Mariatu, many things have changed because of the war. And witchcraft can’t change the past. I wish a spell could have stopped the attack on you. But you have turned your hurt and pain into something positive. When those demons reappear, think about all the angels who have come into your life since then.

Even though this is a small book, it’s full of information, heart and soul, and it’s worth every word. It made me believe that it does not matter where we’ve been, or are, but rather where we want to go that matters most. And that’s moving towards our heart’s desires and trusting our chosen path.

S.E.C.R.E.T - L. Marie Adeline - Kobo

2013-02-28T07:12:00.000-08:00

“Cassie, we are our sexual lives”.

I really enjoyed Secret. It had more depth than I thought it would, and the storyline was so much fun. I can’t remember where it was suggested to me, but I wish every pick would be so great ;) As an added benefit, since I read it on Kobo, I stumbled across notes on the pages made by other readers, which made my experience all the better because of this interaction. I noticed from the first few pages in that the words were genuine and thought-provoking (not to the extreme, but just enough to make my reading experience worthwhile and meaningful as well as entertaining).

Cassie, a waitress in New Orleans, lives a boring and self-protected life. She finds a journal at the cafe where she works, left behind by a confident and mysterious older woman who she’s been admiring and is curious about. Although she doesn’t want to intrude on the woman’s privacy, she takes a peek, and discovers pages of sexual fantasies played out on paper. Events unfold and Cassie learns about an organization which exists to help fantasies become reality in order to foster personal growth.

A page-turner for me, and for anyone who has felt their desires (sexual and otherwise) to be unexpressed in any way, I'll say Secret will be comforting and encouraging. But I’m learning by other reviews that this does not include everyone :@) -- So, maybe this novel will be most appreciated by those who can relate. I haven't as of yet found one male reviewer. To be expected, I guess.

One other note: I’m finding the people who didn’t like this novel didn’t, in part, because of the ending. This is one of the reasons why I liked it. The very point of this novel, exactly, for me is that women are often so caught up in the emotional idea of a happy ending that we don’t express and live our true desires and selves (whatever they may be) in the present moment. Of course the extreme to this end is probably not that healthy for one's self-esteem or growth, either, and so balance is the key.

It looks like Secret 2 is coming out in Oct of this year.

The Disappearing Spoon – Sam Kean

2013-02-27T09:22:00.001-08:00

“We are all star stuff, but different star elements and minerals accumulated in different parts of the world."

If you have an interest in the periodic table and what the universe and matter are made of, read this book. If you are already an expert in this department, I'm sure you will still get something out of it. If you are a complete amateur - all the better, it's written in way that anyone can understand and appreciate, and it’s so very informative and interesting. Packed with information about famous and important scientists since the beginning of time to current time, including political, romantic, tragic, heroic, and triumphant historical shenanigans, TheDisappearing Spoon is as exciting as a novel to read. I can’t recall every – sometimes jaw-dropping – story and the loads of knowledge because there’s just so much, but below are a few quotes and notes I made along the way. *I apologize if I should add quotes and leave them out in places, I wrote these notes on my phone while lying in bed so that I wouldn’t forget. The quotes may not be exact.

There is a section about the belief by some how every 26 million years or so, mass extinctions by asteroids or comets happen: "The goddess nemesis punished hubris. She made sure no earthly creature could grow too proud by striking down anyone more powerful than the gods. The analogy to the sun's companion star was that if earthly creatures evolved towards intelligence, Nemesis would wipe them out before they got traction." -- “The sun is dragged along our spiral solar system, getting closer with time, loosening debris like comets as it gets closer, which may hit earth if we are not saved by planets like Jupiter.”

Another topic is about mining for cell phone minerals in the Congo, and the destructive behaviour that can ensue when wealth pours into a resourceful region.

The biology section was one of the most interesting to me, ESP how viruses invade cell DNA, and how poisonous elements, such as the less talked about cadmium, thallium and polonium, wreck havoc in the body, and how radon causes lung cancer. Sulphur (like in garlic) prevents bacteria from reproducing by interfering with folic acid production. Copper and silver are strong antibacterials (money - coins - are mostly made of nickel and zinc and are covered in copper to prevent bacteria from spreading). The gadolinium used in MRIs could be a potential cancer treatment because of its ability to absorb neutrons and become radioactive, producing a "nano-nuke" in the body. However, this element may be toxic to eliminate, if not transformed. Pasteur's take on life and disease was that disease is caused by bacteria, hormones, and chemicals, etc., but that lab work could not mimic the workings inside the human body. Life is chirality... and side handedness in the smallest life matters (see teratogen drug causing birth defects 1950s, thalidomide). *This last part, chirality, I’m still trying to understand, I have to confess.

Read the excerpt from the website (the wonderful first chapter about mercury).

I wish my review could do this book justice. It really is fabulous. I loved the writer’s humour, sincerity, detail and intellect. I look forward to TheViolinists Thumb, and hopefully! more titles down the road.

The Kingdom – Amanda Stevens

2013-02-03T08:05:00.001-08:00

“He extended his hand, and I thought at first he meant to introduce himself, but instead he uncurled his fingers, and I saw my necklace coiled in his palm."

This is the second book in the Graveyard Queen series, following The Restorer (and there’s also the prequel, The Abandoned).

Amelia, graveyard queen, is summoned to South Carolina, Asher Falls, to restore a wealthy family’s graveyard. There’s another graveyard in town which is completely underwater due to flooding, and this is not the only strange thing about Asher Falls.... With a beautiful landscape, history, and a man who’s seductive (and possibly untrustworthy...), and a strange and evil force amidst - Asher Falls captivates Amelia. She feels she’s been brought here for a reason. What she discovers about the place and herself is beyond her wildest imagination or nightmare.

I found The Kingdom to be less frightening than The Restorer, but more intriguing in many ways – especially the characters! I felt like I was in a game of Clue, where the storyline was not predictable and the characters, so sinister! I loved the town’s landscape and cemetery – especially the creatures who roam about the forest and graveyard. The cover was the least appealing to me of all the novels, until I noticed the statue's hand – so Asher Falls ;)

I have to mention (again) when I’m reading these novels I really do feel a deeper connection and understanding to and of the otherworld. I don’t know what it is, but it’s there every time, and as I read through the pages, I’m absorbing something. That’s why I like them so much!

The Kingdom ended on a suspenseful and romantic note, and I am excited to find out what will happen when Amelia returns to Charleston in The Prophet.

Grimms' Fairy Tales - Happy New Year 2013!

2013-01-01T17:27:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I downloaded these fairy tales, free of charge, from Kobo and started with Lily and The Lion.

First off, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. It seemed short and sweet with underlying wisdom, but it wasn’t until really early in the new year after waking in bed that I realized the wisdom: love requires sacrifice.

At the same time, I also had a memory from my 20s, and I thought about the princess in Lily and The Lion and how she reminds me of Aphrodite. Aphrodite is not always all bliss and flowers and dreams come true. She’s a Goddess who will steal your husband, like the princess in the story, and demand something in return to set you free again to love. While begrudging Aphrodite, I thought more about my memory.

When I was in my late 20s I felt unlucky in love. My friend bought me a small Aphrodite statue made of iron - from Greece, nonetheless - to help my love life. I thought, “Finally, my love troubles are over”. I had the tiniest apartment known to man in those days, and searched for a space to put Aphrodite. The next day, my phone caught on fire because of a nearby candle and the cord was burned in two. Then, my Buddha fell off my bookcase and cracked. On top of that, no change in my love life occurred. Aphrodite began to give me the creeps and every time I looked at the statue I felt like it was out to get me. She’s now tucked away in a box somewhere. If I find her, I will take her out of hiding. Maybe.

The point of sharing my experience is that Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, is a force to respect. She is no fool and does not deliver the gift of love without demanding something in return. The Grimm Brothers’ tale seems to have stimulated this insight, and the opening of a door in my mind to a place where experiences, feelings, and images, similar to the story, were found. I find this very interesting and will try another tale soon to see if this will happen again.

I love this quote

2012-12-11T06:05:00.002-08:00

From Goodreads

“The force that played havoc with the cortisol in my blood was the same force that helped my body recover; if I felt better one day and worse the next, it was unchanged. It chose no side. It gave the girl next to me in the hospital pneumonia; it also gave her white blood cells that would resist the infection. And the atoms in those cells, and the nuclei in those atoms, the same bits of carbon that were being spun into new planets in some corner of space without a name. My insignificance had become unspeakably beautiful to me. That unified force was a god too massive, too inhuman, to resist with the atheism in which I had been brought up. I became a zealot without a religion.” ― G. Willow Wilson

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling

2012-12-11T05:17:00.003-08:00

“There was a genteel tap of the knocker and the musical voice asked, again, ‘Where do vanished objects go?’ ‘Into non-being, which is to say, everything,’ replied Professor McGonagall. ‘Nicely phrased,’ replied the eagle doorknocker, and the door swung open.”

Year seven (the final) at Hogwarts is turning out to be tough for Harry and his friends. Voldemort and his entourage (Death Eaters) are aggressively searching for Harry, have infiltrated just about everywhere else – especially the Ministry, and have committed horrendous crimes using the Dark Arts. Harry, Ron and Hermione have to discover where Voldemort has hidden the Horcruxes (bits of his soul), destroy them, and they have to do it under immense pressure and often heartbreak (It starts with Hedwig!!!).

The moment I started to really get into the story was when Scrimgeour (Minister for Magic) arrives to tell Ron, Hermione and Harry, what they’ve inherited from Dumbledore: a Deluminator, an ancient runes text, the silver-winged gold Snitch from Quidditch, and a special Gryffindor sword. The last few chapters were also wonderful! – I always knew about Professor Snape :). He was always one of my favourite characters – the novels (or movies) would not have been the same without him.

I especially loved learning more about some of the other characters’ Patronuses, and the role they played in this final novel. There’s a stag, doe, hare, badger, phoenix, cat, weasel, and others. And also I loved learning what each wand is made of: Holly and phoenix feather, Hawthorn and unicorn hair, Walnut and dragon heartstring, Elder and thestral tail-hair, etc. (the latter, the elder wand, I don't remember the description from the novel but looked it up after).

I could go on but I have to stop. The only thing to do now is to reread The Philosopher’s Stone and begin the journey again! And join Pottermore ;)

One last note: I borrowed this book and have to return it. When I opened it to begin reading I found a bookmark left by the owner. It’s of Regensburg. I love it when things like this happen! Although...I have no idea what this means, if anything.

Bye Harry Potter. What a pleasure it has been!!!

Image from Harry Potter Wiki

“The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity; it's envy. Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can.” ― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

2012-11-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

Inspiring! As I finally start the last Harry Potter tonight!

2012-11-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia:

"Seven years after graduating from university, Rowling saw herself as "the biggest failure I knew." Her marriage had failed, she was jobless with a dependent child, but she described her failure as liberating:

Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy to finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one area where I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter, and a big idea. And so rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.

– J. K. Rowling, "The fringe benefits of failure", 2008."

A Discovery of Witches – Deborah Harkness

2012-11-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

"When historian Diana Bishop opens a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library it represents an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordinary life."

I had every intention of finishing this before Halloween, but before I knew it - November was here. The last month has been one of the most life-altering for me, and so I haven’t really had the time or the focus to read or update my blog.

A Discovery of Witches came at the right time – a birthday gift from my cousin. Both she and my aunt read it and have decided to move on to Shadow of the Night. They are both speedy readers and have inspired me to pick up the pace a little ;)

So...the book:

Diana Bishop is a historian of alchemy. This, the Oxford setting, and the ancient magical book, was all I needed to get and keep me interested. Then, romance entered the scene and the story took off in a different direction. At first I wasn’t sure about the element of love (what about the book, Ashmole 782!?), but vampire, Matthew Clairmont started to grow on me. Mostly after he told the story about how in the past courtship involved going in a closet or room with your beloved to just talk, all night long, to better understand each other. Diana and Matthew’s romance is traditional yet modern and made me yearn for these simple customs that made our ancestors so happy. Their relationship is connected to Ashmole 782.

I enjoyed the last few chapters when DNA of vampires, witches, and demons, got discussed, as well as how evolution will include the merging of different lineages, allowing offspring to carry favourable traits for the future. And, I loved how vampires, demons and witches (typical enemies) hang out together in a (really imaginative) haunted house, trying to make sense of the past and future.

Diana’s parents were brutally murdered and this reminded me of Harry Potter. The seven-year theme also showed up, as age seven is when Diana’s witch powers started to develop. I actually decided that I will finish Harry Potter (book seven) next because of this, and also because my cousin’s two boys threw on the last movie when I was visiting. I simply can’t wait any longer!

I would recommend this novel. I only wish I hadn’t been so distracted because there are lots of references – books, elements, etc. that I found fascinating and would like to have researched further as I read. In attempt to do this later, I visited a local library and found a book called Magic and Alchemy by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. In this encyclopedia, I discovered a few photos that reminded me of the manuscript pages Diana found. One of the photos was Robert Fludd’s rose with seven petals.

I look forward to Shadow of the Night and diving further into the topics of alchemy and time travel, as well as exploring some of the author's other works!

The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern - Kobo

2012-09-27T09:42:00.001-07:00

“I want this story. Your story. The tale of what brought us to this place, in these chairs, with this wine. I don't want a story you create from here” - he taps his temple with his finger - “I want one that is here.” He lets his hand hover over his heart for a moment before sitting back in his chair. (The man in the grey suit).

I decided right away there would be two ways to read The Night Circus: as it is - an exceptionally creative and visual story – and/or as a portrayed journey with hidden messages. Everything is like this (loaded with symbolism), and in this case it seemed intended.

The plot of The Night Circus is unique and I loved it right from the opening: The circus arrives without warning.

Opens at Nightfall

Closes at Dawn.

A mysterious black and white circus – Le Cirque des Reves - travels around the world, materializing out of nowhere. Two magicians/illusionists – Celia and Marco – are destined to compete. Only one can win. Celia has been trained rather harshly, in a physical manner, making her very strong (or else she would've been physically harmed), and Marco has been educated well since a young age and is prepared to win. Their battle turns into a romance – one that holds the entire circus together. As things start to crumble, and as the circus experiences interference, Celia and Marco must come up with a plan to keep it going - without only one of them coming out a winner.

There's a lot more to The Night Circus than I initially processed, I sensed. This made it exciting. I didn't spend time analyzing to figure out what all the numbers, symbols, and chapter names, mean (even though I found these details interesting) - I just wanted to enjoy the experience and see what I got out of it, intuitively.

By chapter: Tete-a-Tete: London, August 1896, I decided, to me, this novel is about polarities, and reflection, or better still, balance, as well as the possibilities and creation that come out of this. It made me feel, or reminded me, that anything can be materialized at will - once the belief in it is mastered and skill, strengthened (although, in it it is said that the key is endurance: “Such pain is not lived with. It is only endured...”). What we want to be will be materialized or created (choose your own illusion). Of course others have their own ideas about this, respectfully, and so it is a bit of a game, it seems – a circus.

I hope one day a movie will do it justice. I would love to see it! Below are a few inspirational illustrations I found on the internet that are similar to how I pictured the characters.

Update: Books I've Been Reading

2012-09-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't really been reading The Disappearing Spoon for three months. I started it and then had to fit in a few novels, leaving only a few chapters left. Although I have enjoyed it, It's a book that can be read in spurts, and so that's what I've been doing.

The Violinist's Thumb is also on my to-do list - I'm just waiting for it to come out in soft cover so that I can own a copy.

And finally, I've also not been reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for a year. I was waiting for the right time (timing is everything), which is very soon.

I plan to finish that last two novels in the Graveyard Queen series in the upcoming months, but first, A Discovery of Witches (a birthday gift from my cousin), and hopefully!, if I enjoy the first, the follow up to it, Shadow of the Night.

Wake - Amanda Hocking - Kobo

2012-09-11T08:04:00.003-07:00

I got so excited when I discovered Wake. The cover is so beautiful, and I couldn't resist reading it. It was magical in many ways, just like the cover. And, going with my theme lately, horrific and suspenseful, also.

Like many lead characters in teen fiction today, Gemma is seemingly ordinary, and then one day things change. She is an avid swimmer, has recently fallen in love with Alex, a long-time friend, and has a supportive family and her share of misfortune. During one of her night swims, Gemma is persuaded by a group of beautiful, unusual and seemingly dangerous girls to join them in a cove. They give her a drink and, after losing her sense of her reality, she wakes as a different being. She's changed, that's for sure and, after realizing this, hunts the girls down to find out what they gave her.

The suspense is great, and the desire to find out about these girls, what they want with Gemma, what they gave her, and what she's become, drives the reader forward. On the side, Gemma is falling in love and dealing with a family who are desperately trying to figure out what's going on with her and this gives the novel a human quality.

I love the characters and the relationships they have with each other. Gemma and Alex have a sweet and budding romance, and her sister, Harper, is falling, despite her wishes, for a caring and carefree guy who lives on a boat. Gemma, her sister, and their father, have the type of family that makes you realize home is where the heart is.

I was disappointed, however, when I realized Wake is part of a series. This means I will have to wait to find out what happens. I guess I was hoping for a little closure.

The next books is Lullaby, available November 27, 2012.

The Diviners – Libba Bray - Kobo

2012-09-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Diviners opens with a group of teenagers in Manhattan in the 20s playing a game to summon spirits. They summon N-A-U-G-H-T-Y-J-O-H-N (who has work to do). So, of course, I had to continue.

A very intriguing story with intriguing topics, such as New York’s history, including its underground business lords. All of this is rather vague and does not connect with the rest of the story, entirely, but keeps the reader guessing to grasp the intended meaning and symbolism.

There are many characters and, at times, I lost a few of them. However, the main characters were unique and solid, especially the lead, Evie. Evie is psychic and has intense abilities, but she is also shallow, mouthy, determined, and very curious. She’s sent to live with her uncle (who owns an occult museum) in New York after being sent away from her hometown because of ‘bad behaviour’. She is curious to find out all she can – good and bad – about city life and its inhabitants and this leads her to the scene of Naughty John’s grotesque work.

The Diviners definitely has a different feel to it. It’s horror, and seems a little risqué with some of its subject matter, which is not that obvious or subtle. This strangeness makes the novel and writing what it is, I suppose, and it creates a certain mood - one that’s not completely comforting to the reader. At one point, I felt it had an Alfred Hitchcock feel to it, but then this dispersed into something else.

I did enjoy it and was happy to discover it is part of a series - although, I can’t find any information about the next book. For more about the book and to view the trailer, visit: www.thedivinersseries.com

My Enemy, My Friend – Lauren Vaknine

2012-08-28T08:06:00.003-07:00

Download from Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble.

My Enemy, My Friend is an account of a life lived with juvenile arthritis, from the very young age of two. Lauren Vaknine explains how this disease influenced her (mind, body, and spirit) and her family, right into her adult years.

When I started this autobiography I was moved to tears a few pages in. I must’ve sensed the pain and discouragement the author experienced because of chronic illness, and I fell into the story quite naturally. Despite being a true story, it flowed like a novel and kept my interest.

Lauren is an advocate for The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, homeopathy, natural medicine, and she mentions throughout the novel the different alternative therapies she used to heal. She explains how these therapies did not solve all of her problems, but how they helped set her ahead of others with juvenile arthritis who did not use healing modalities other than conventional, and how these therapies helped prevent her disease from worsening.

One of the most interesting of the therapies she mentioned is one offered in Israel and North America, IPEC Therapy, which aims to eliminate sensitivities (or overreaction) to everyday substances by the patient, like food. I guess you could call these allergies or autoimmunity.

With this therapy, from what I understood, an underlying (or subconscious/unconscious) emotion, thought, or experience - the likely cause - is worked on to dissolve the weakness or block causing dysfunction and sensitivities in the body. It also aims to balance Chi (energy) to various organs, tissues, and cells, and changes programming or function if it’s not healthy.

Regardless of the support offered to the body by various therapies, conventional and otherwise, an underlying destructive force, such as an emotional or psychological block, causes regression and disease if it’s not dealt with. It makes sense, then, why healing is often a lifetime event for many, regardless of the external corrections. Working on these patterns is how many complementary, alternative, or natural therapies work, including homeopathy, but the novel piqued my interest to learn more about IPEC Therapy in particular, which I’d never heard of.

The novel is called My Enemy, My Friend because Lauren hated her disease growing up (naturally) but learned, later in life, to take on a positive attitude about the lessons arthritis could offer her. It encouraged her to learn more about herself and reach for her dreams in a way she may not have done without the strong incentive of disease.

I have to mention now how I personally related to the author, especially her childhood. We both: had eye surgery (and both received made cards from our classmates – I still have mine), had a German Sheppard puppy we had to give away (mine I found in an alley during snowfall, brought him home, but could not keep him forever. I too found a farm home for him), wanted to be a vet (but couldn’t dissect), swam in the ocean and natural sulphur springs, loved swimming, were terrible at math, and were rebellious teenagers! It was all very coincidental and strange.

I would recommend this novel regardless if you have an interest in natural medicine or juvenile arthritis, because it was interesting and heartfelt all the way through.

Below is a short video from YouTube of Lauren talking about homeopathy.

666 Park Avenue – Garbriella Pierce

2012-08-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes books are therapeutic. Even if they are horrific tales (like the last few I’ve read) vs. positive overload. And sometimes they offer comfort in the sense that they often ring true (or ring back) what’s similar in us, letting us know we are not alone, and healing trauma through similar trauma.

This is my theory for continuing with my ghost story binge.

666 Park Avenue was not as scary as the two previous novels I recently read, but in a way I related more to the main character, Jane, and her world, transformed from normal, happy, engaged and living in Paris, to haunted and dangerous because of her fiancé’s controlling and freakish family in New York, and a mother-in-law who’s a real witch (literally). However, before arriving to New York, Jane discovers a secret about herself, from her Grandmother, and realises she’s not one to be pushed around by anyone, regardless of how powerful or rich, and that she is endowed with some magic of her own which others may try to steal.

The characters are all great in this novel. Malcolm is caring, kind, and handsome, and has every intention of doing right by Jane. Their relationship is endearing and steamy! When Malcolm is away on various business trips, Jane finds out first-hand about his mother as she tries to take over the planning of Malcolm and Jane’s wedding without giving any regard to Jane’s wishes or ideas. When Jane stands her ground (finally, to avoid bursting at the seams – she’s not even allowed to pick out her own dress! {are you sure that doesn’t make you look fat, dear?!?}), things become spooky, and she realises she’s dealing with a dangerous force with an agenda of its own – one that doesn’t include her – one that wants to win at all costs! Throughout it all, Jane meets a few friends and lively characters, and discovers also that love and magic can flow through her and anyone else with magic – not just Malcolm. And Malcolm comes face to face with confronting his family and their spells or losing Jane forever.

A light, comical, little horrific and entertaining read. It will also be turned into a hit series on ABC. For anyone who liked the movie Monster in Law, which was also very comical, this one might be good for you.

The Restorer - Amanda Stevens - Kobo

2012-08-15T07:30:00.001-07:00

“Listen to me, Amelia. There are entities you’ve never seen before. Forces I dare not even speak of. They are colder, stronger, hungrier than any presence you can imagine.”

I was wondering how the last story would connect with this one, despite having only a few of the same characters. I started to get a glimpse of how a few chapters in when Oak Grove Cemetery (the cemetery in The Abandoned) is investigated because of several dead bodies found there (ones that shouldn’t be there).

Just like The Abandoned, The Restorer is beautifully written, is a great mystery and ghost story, and has intriguing, dimensional characters. It is also a bit of an exploration of the occult/black magic and those who practice it (including vampires). And for some reason - of all the novels, movies, and thoughts I’ve given to the occult over the years - these novels seem to leak out a deeper understanding instantly and effortlessly in comparison, without really going into much laborious detail. This was much appreciated and made for a very entertaining and enjoyable read.

This time, Graveyard Queen (and restorer), Amelia, and police investigator, John Delvin, join forces and dive deeper into a scandalous and murderous secret society and its connection to Oak Grove Cemetery. The romantic chemistry – again – is simmering below the surface and is touching and realistic as it includes real obstacles, such as being haunted ;)

The difference between The Abandoned and The Restorer is that the latter is downright CREEEPY at times and really came close to crossing my boundaries in terms of how much horror (and subsequent fright) I prefer and can handle in a novel. Somehow the author manages to do this in good taste, so all was well, but I felt I had my fix of the dark side and wanted to slow down the adrenaline at one point. Regardless, I couldn’t stop reading – I was too enthralled by the story.

I’m hooked and look forward to the next in the Graveyard Queen Series: The Kingdom!

Great romance, horror and suspense author! I would recommend these novels to anyone who likes this type of genre. Fall is coming, and there’s no better time for a ghost story!

The Abandoned - Amanda Stevens - Kobo

2012-08-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

The Abandoned is a suspenseful, romantic, and a little horrific ghost tale about a psychology student who works at a psychiatric hospital.

After the death of her favorite patient, Violet, Ree Hutchins starts to sense the undead around her. Because of her concern and suspicion of ill treatment, she is forced to investigate a secret society to uncover a centuries old secret and bring clarity to the present.

What she discovers brings her deep into the merging worlds of paranormal psychology, graveyards, the dead, the living, and a somewhat unconventional justice system. With the help of her friends, including deemed Graveyard Queen, Amelia Gray, Ree is escorted through the dangerous and sad terrain of past and present to help an elderly lady and her mother who suffered for a lifetime.

It’s no surprise to me that Amanda Stevens has written several romantic novels. The romance between Ree and her paranormal investigator/lawyer friend, Hayden, is believable, sensual, inviting, and is a wonderful companion to the suspense of the novel. The suspense holds its own, regardless, and is unpredictable, delivering a great ghost story with lively characters. But it’s not just a ghost story; it’s also a scenic exploration of unknown energies and the motives of the living and the dead.

I have never been a lover of graveyards, but I did recently visit one a few weeks ago. I took these photos of tombstones. They now mean more to me as I wonder about the lives of the owners.

The prequel, The Restorer, is Amelia Gray’s story. The Graveyard Queen series continues with The Kingdom and The Prophet.

I will be reading more of this series!

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne – Kobo

2012-07-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

Finley Jayne is not normal - she has some kind of special powers. I thought that this book would be about those special powers (and something to do with clocks). Not so much.

What aroused my interest initially was set aside for a late 1800s London mystery about Finley Jayne’s friend and employer, Phoebe, who is engaged to a very rich man, Lord Vincent, who is an inventor of automatons and is more than twice her age. Finley, a girl who is a bit feisty and likes to stand up for what she believes is right and fair, while reading Frankenstein, is determined to come to the bottom of Lord Vincent’s true intentions for wanting to marry her friend. Meanwhile, Phoebe is in love with someone else, and she confesses to Finley her reasons for going through with the marriage. Finley discovers through it all that she likes her dark side and differentness, and that she is stronger and smarter than she realised.

The Strange Case was a very quick and entertaining read. I actually wished it had gone into more detail and was a bit longer, but it was short and sweet, nonetheless, and engaged me fully all the way through. I look forward to more of the Steampunk Chronicles by Kady Cross – The Girl in the Steel Corset is next in line.

Aleph – Paulo Coelho

2012-07-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Where to start? I finally found an internet cafe in St. John’s to update my blog. I have yet to master doing everything on my phone. But it’s okay - the wait gave me time to think more about Aleph and what I would like to say about it.

If I were to write a traditional review I’d say “triumphant” and leave it at that. I would say this because after reading a few other novels by Paulo and thinking that I somewhat understand what he’s reaching to accomplish in his novels (truth), and after searching for a certain type of novel all of my life (one that brings me closer to truth), in Aleph this destination is met, I feel.

Aleph is an honest-feeling story about a man in search of understanding his spirit and finding his kingdom. Trying the traditional paths through gurus, a Master, etc., he realises that the understanding and enlightenment he searches for must be found within and from his past and present lives. On the advice of his Master, he sets off on a journey via the Trans-Siberian Railway to bring the divine spark back into his life. On the way he meets a woman (Hilal, a violinist) whom he has had ties with in a past life. Together, they try to figure out how to heal a horrifyingly sad past while staying true to their present lives.

I was both exhilarated by this novel and angry – yes, angry – because I’m used to happy endings in Paulo’s novels, and I assumed that Hilal would have received her reward of love in the end after what she went through in her other life (being rejected by her love and then tortured). After thinking about it more, I realised she was rewarded with healing and forgiveness, which are just below love on the totem pole of important things, I believe, as they are miracles and a blessing and can only lead to greater love. On a personal level, this nurtured me to come to terms with the fact that love is a choice – even if not initially (love at first sight) – it has to be chosen to be real – just like courage. Both, when real, won’t be denied.

The exhilarating part came from all of the spirit of the novel. I’ve never heard of alephs before – there are small ones and large ones – and the idea of these spiral portals connecting everything in space and time really helped me and my own spiritual understanding and personal JOURNEY, which is what it is all about. One of my favourite characters, because of his spirit, was Yao - a translator who accompanies the two (and the others) on the journey.

Along with that,there were times of movement. I cried a few times over the smallest things with the kind of tears that sting, can’t be held back, and just want to FLOW. Here are a few examples:

“I think that perhaps this will be the last step required to reach the top of the mountain, the note that justifies a whole symphony, the word that sums up an entire book.” I can’t read it now without crying, and I guess this is really what Aleph is, in essence.

“Do you see it in the ugly, in the damaged, in the poor, and in the unwanted? If you don’t, you don’t see it.”

I laughed when I tried to slow the flow of things by writing down every detail, but was stopped in my tracks when none of the pens I grabbed worked. I also had a memory of high school when I did past life regression on my girlfriend. She remembered looking down and seeing sandals on her feet and said people were throwing stones at her. It was an interesting memory of her vision to have at this time.

Bits of wisdom: Purge the hurt and vengeance inside which is a vacuum sucking up the life force. In the novel Hilal partly did this in a church, and it was mentioned that alephs are stronger in places of high energy, such as places of worship (after all, as said in the movie, Contact - is there something to God and spirituality, or is 99% of the world suffering from mass delusion). The only way is to try I guess and see what happens. Coincidentally, I had just visited an Orthodox Greek church in Toronto a few chapters into the novel. I lit three candles.

Letting go of vengeance, I have come to believe, is part of the reason for our journeys. We purify our souls and evolve through our journeys through love and suffering (often through being “burned”) and reside in our kingdom which is where we are in spirit and consciousness and continue on our path of growth to what will be.

The author said you should read a book and see what remains after, and what I pondered near the end was what happened to the other girls (there were eight from the past life and he met six in his current), and why was the connection to his wife so strong? Maybe I missed something and will have to go back and reread, but this question did remain with me. Or maybe they have just not crossed paths yet.

Definitely a novel to be read again because, despite being quite small, there are fine details everywhere and it’s hard to remember everything. But, then again, it will remain with me anyway, everywhere I go.

The Magicians - Lev Grossman

2012-07-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

I Just found this - hardcover - for a STEAL (I can't even say) in St. John's. How Serendipitous!!

The Red Tent – Anita Diamant

2012-06-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine invited me to her book club and this was one of the novels. I have wanted to read it for years and I guess the right time finally arrived. I went to a second-hand book store, bought it, and then went to another second-hand store to find it for sale at a lower cost. When I opened the book at the second store, this was written in pencil inside:

To my beautiful wife, the mother of our newborn eldest daughter. With infinite joy and excitement. Celebrating your motherhood, womanhood and our parenthood. Love... (I couldn't make out the name).

The Red Tent takes place in biblical time and focuses on the lives of biblical females. Dinah, a midwife, daughter of Jacob and Leah, sister of Joseph, introduces her family and tells their stories. Then she moves on to her own memories and life story, describing in detail the fulfillment from the loves of her life and her own family, as well as the destruction from Jacob and her brothers. As a child, Dinah has four mothers (aunties) who all have the same father but different mothers, and who eventually share the same husband, Jacob. I absolutely loved the descriptions of these mothers:

Leah is the alpha mom, Dinah’s birth mother. The story is she ruined her eyes over an expected marriage proposal by crying. Despite her mismatched eyes, she has perfect vision, and is very fertile, and eventually goes on to marry Jacob after he connects with her by looking her in the eye. She dreamt of a pomegranate with eight seeds and was told she would have this many children.

Rachel, the village beauty, who smells like water, is young and it was love at first sight for her and Jacob. She goes through her own hardships, though, as she is too young to marry and has trouble conceiving. She turns her fate around by becoming a midwife and medicine women and eventually gives birth in a special way.

Zilpah remembers being in the womb and her own birth. She believes men are for making babies and moving heavy objects. She saw the presence of El (god of thunder) hover of Jacob on the day of his arrival. She talks of gods and goddesses only, and creates dances and songs for the new moon. Her mother was an Egyptian slave.

Bilhah was a child when Jacob arrived. She’s an orphan from a black slave. She hardly speaks or laughs, but she climbs trees and studies the nature around her, especially the animals and birds. Grandmother says “Bilhah sees clearly,” and she comforts many in the village because of her nature (she eventually falls in love with Leah’s son).

The Red Tent is a place for women to come together. A womb. A place to go while menstruating and to give birth. Tales of pleasure, miscarriages, healthy and unhealthy babies, happen here, and wisdom is passed on such as “babies only come when women smile.”

Although, this is not true because, Ruti, Laban’s (the father of all the mothers) slave, gives birth – twice – despite her unhappiness and ill treatment. This part was heartbreaking and I had to put the book down a few times because I became so moved hearing about the abuse she went through. It was described something like: she resembled a beaten down animal in comparison to the other women, appearing much older, despite being younger, and she was often avoided as a result. Laban is a disgraceful person. Rachel steals his teraphim to get him back and he later retaliates and goes after Jacob.

Rebecca, mother of Jacob, wife of Isaac, and goddess, the great grandmother, is worried about what will happen to the tent and its traditions, and she predicts they will disappear in the future. She does not suffer fools lightly, can be unkind, and seems to be indifferent to the tragedies going on around her. She tolerates only those who honour womanhood in the spirit of protecting future generations. She also seems to accept things just as they are (as IS), and I think it was her or one of her women who explains that everything goes back to the great tree anyway.

All of the characters in this novel struck a chord with me - why I can’t stop talking about them. At the beginning of the book there’s a bit of genealogy which seems to go back to the beginning of time, and the characters that spring forward from these origins are fascinating and filled with life. For some reason, spontaneously, nearing the end of the novel, the song, The Wreck of Edmond Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot, came into my head: “All that remains are the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters.”

In essence, to me, this novel is about the strong bond women have had to each other since the beginning of time, sharing the wonderful times: marriage, pleasure, childbirth, friendship, innocence, and the hardships: pain, death, migration, and torture and mistreatment, especially from men. The sadness the author brings forward, at times, is not depressing, but rather calming, a type of rawness, tender and exposed. The happiness and love stories are familiar to the heart, reminding that love makes everything worthwhile.

During book club, on a patio in a made red tent, we talked about some of the topics in the novel: sharing husbands, circumcision, types of relationships between men and women, different bibles, traditions around food, and wondered if there is a similar book to this one for men, and what men would think about this novel. Even though entering an actual tent during menstruation or birth is no longer a tradition for most women, I don’t think the tradition is lost completely. I’ve always communed with my friends, in a way, and received and given much knowledge and support over the years. Knowledge about women, their hearts, minds, and bodies, and what goes on in relationships and what makes women happy. We all have this wisdom - even if it’s not transparent, and we try to make sure to pass this on to each other :)

This novel definitely has much wisdom and should be read by all.

“Why had no one told me that my body would become a battlefield, a sacrifice, a test? Why did I not know that birth is the pinnacle when women discover the courage to become mothers? Bur of course, there is no way to tell this or to hear it. Until you are the women on the bricks, you have no idea how death stands in the corner, ready to play this part. Until you are a woman on the bricks, you don’t know the power that rises from other women – even strangers speaking an unknown tongue, invoking the names of unfamiliar goddesses.”

Kiss Me Deadly – Michele Hauf

2012-06-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

Another recommendation by Kobo.

I read a crazy negative review which said this is a ridiculously terrible novel and so I almost didn't bother with it. From the first page I realized why I do bother with these free Kobo writes - they are often entertaining and fun, and for some reason the characters hold my interest.

This one is about a vampire and a witch, and focuses on why they hate each other and shouldn’t be together.

Vampire Nikolaus was a neurosurgeon before becoming a vampire, and he wants to kill the witch because she "killed" him. She tried to kill him because she watched his kind rape a woman, and something to do with her parents. Ravin Crosse, a witch for centuries, lives in an apartment and makes spells in her kitchen. She has made some kind of deal with the devil (who is made of brimstone). Her job is to destroy vampires. However, to be the light, she's required to kill less and make more potions instead.

So anyway, Nikolaus breaks into her apartment to kill her and her love potion gets spilled all over them (this was funny). Ravin decides there and then she won't bemoan (this was the word used I think) her safety, regardless of how great this one thinks he is. But he's stronger and does his vampire thing and then they fall in love, reluctantly, because of the potion. They go on a love adventure. It's amusing.

But then...the wolves, witches, and a clan of vampires are in a turf war, partaking in mindless destruction for their own gain. By the last few chapters I raced through because I was getting bored with the whole “I’m a vampire I can’t love a witch routine.” In chapter 1 it was cute, by chapter 24 it was like - haven’t you dealt with that yet?? But Nikolaus is not really unsure; it’s just that he’s under the control of a dictator who wishes to control the world to meet his own objective and security. But the devil has planned all of this and how things will turn out, and when Ravin is about to be burned at the stake, Nikolaus has to decide what to do.

I won’t give away the whole purpose of vampire and witch being together – or else the story will be ruined - but it has to do with forgiving past enemies and the unions and creations which ensue.

What I liked:
Lots of brain ranting: parietal lobe, cerebral cortex, love brain (ventral tegmental area in the brain stem), occipital - vampire showing off his knowledge.
Ravin uses cream rinse-I haven't heard that term in a long time.
There's swearing (worse than Fifty Shades).

What I didn’t like:

The title, cover picture, and the long hair (really??).

I don’t know about all this vampire, werewolf, and witch stuff. I think I am getting more confused as time goes on. I might try another by this author - lots of novels to choose from.