The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin S. Sharma

Very easy to read and inspirational, some might think it too simplistic.

The Fable offers a step-by-step approach for improving your life and living with courage, balance, and joy.
I enjoyed the book a lot and was inspired by the lessons on how to incorporate routines and habits that can transform your life. But it also felt a bit confusing and cumbersome at times.

Julian Mantle, an extremely successful lawyer is forced to confront his lifestyle after suffering a massive heart attack.


The Seven Virtues of Enlightened Learning
Master your mind
Follow your purpose
Practice kaizen
Live with discipline
Respect your time
Selflessly serve others
Embrace the present

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

The story is composed of six separate stories and if you've seen the movie you know that they are connected. It’s only through the reoccurring images and themes that you begin to see the connection, but you must pay close attention not to miss them. The novel is extremely well written and offers many amazing layers of storytelling.

I only read half the book and had to return it to the library, but I’m not interested in reading the rest.  I’m glad I saw the movie first because I don’t like the layout of the story. I found the transitions confusing and I prefer a story with a straightforward flow.

The synopsis from the Jacket: An American notary in the Chatham Island in the 1850s. A bisexual aspiring British composer in Belgium in the 1930s. A journalist investigating a nuclear power plant in California in the 1970s. A mildly corrupt book publisher in present-day London. A genetic slave in a wayward Korean empire in the near future…

The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

Imaginative and Creative. There are no rules in your imagination, anything goes.

There are many lessons on the Egyptian Gods with inventive stories and lots of adventure.  I hate that the heroine was a bit annoying and not emotionally stronger. Maybe it’s the author’s way of showing her human side, but is it necessary for the women to always come apart during an emotional crisis and be stabilized by her male counterpart. I also felt like the fighting scenes with the Gods were drawn out and took forever but the younger audience probably really likes that. Ages 10 and up

Over all I really enjoyed the book, it is fun and entertaining and full of life lessons. Sadie and Carter Kane have their hands full with Apophis, the god of Chaos.

Ha-tep “Be at peace”          Hi-nehm “Join Together”

The Song of Achilles By Madeline Miller

I really enjoyed reading this book; I never wanted to put it down. It is the complicated and beautiful love story of Achilles and Patroclus. It is challenging loving someone completely and learning to accept all that they represent.

I couldn't stop thinking about Brad Pitt as I read the story ;-)

Patroclus has been exiled to Phthia to be raised by Achilles’ father. The boys become friends when Achilles chooses him as his companion.  Achilles is given a choice, a long insignificant life or a short glorious life. His decision will change their lives in ways they could never imagine.

The story is based on the Trojan War.

The Self-Hypnosis Diet by Steven Gurgevich

I enjoyed this book and felt like I learned something new. It has a lot of the usual eat fruits and veggies advice but it also has great and practical information on how self-hypnosis works. I liked the idea of day dreaming and being in a trance. Gurgevich focuses on working with the sub-conscious to teach yourself to naturally do what you need to do.

The book discuses the importance of what and how you think about food more than on what and how much you eat. It is a different take on dieting.

The Key to success – Want it, Believe it, Expect it. P.45

Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality. Earl Nightingale P.95

Hostage by Elie Wiesel

This is the kind of book that you read slowly because you do not want to miss one word. I knew I was going to like this book from the very first sentence: Someone is missing.

The tone of the story is quickly set. I am thoroughly engaged by the time I get to the second page and can’t wait to pick it up again once I've set it down.

The word that comes to mind is eloquent. The sentences are beautifully written and even though it is a sad story there is a comforting cadence and flow that makes you want to read more and more.

Wiesel addresses the power of the written word, the importance of having an heir and, of course, the Holocaust.

The story is about a Jewish man who is randomly kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists (an Arab and an Italian) in Brooklyn in 1975.

Shades of Memnon by Gregory L Walker

The book is full of adventure with mythological and historical tales. It is great to read a fantasy fiction with a strong African young man as the hero. I found it a bit difficult to understand many of the references. I needed more explanation and historical information.
There are references about the Kamitian legends, the Kushite nations and the different Gods like the great serpent Kam-Atef. I need more knowledge and history to fully appreciate the story. It is an exciting read and explores African history from a unique perspective.

This is an epic Adventure, circa 1200 BC, based on the legends of Memnon.

Quote:
You have fire without discipline. Strength without humility. Knowledge without wisdom. (p79)

The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle Laporte

This is a different kind of self help book. Danielle’s approach/style is very diverse and I think some of her suggestions are a bit radical.

The exercises are great. This is a workbook that should be read slowly because there is a lot of information to process. There are many questions which you may not be able to answer right away. This is not the kind of book you pick up and read straight through. I think to get the most out of the book you should spend at least one week on each session.

She’s witty, easy to read and engaging. The book tries to shake, challenge and motivate you. The exercises are not easy and are quite demanding. It brings to mind the saying “Baptism by Fire”

Two of my favorite lines from the book:
Day to day makes up a lifetime
When you feel disconnected, give

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

It is not an easy book to read; the material is difficult to accept but I think it is very important that everyone reads this book because it affects us all. The book has a lot of sobering facts and I found it to be very informative and insightful. How can one justify putting young men in jail for life for small possession of drugs, while murderers and rapists are given lesser sentences. The book does its best to educate the public of “Mass Incarceration” of African American Males. It is not a coincidence and it is not because young African Americans commit more heinous crimes then young Caucasians.

 http://www.newjimcrow.com/about.html

From Amazon - In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt. Yet, as legal star Michelle Alexander reveals, today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against convicted criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans. Once you’re labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination—employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusion from jury service—are suddenly legal.

Fifty Shades Freed by E L James

Books I and II are poorly written but book III is absolutely painful to read.Twilight reads like literature compared to this. I had to ask myself “do I love my blog readers enough to finish this book”. The answer is yes and I take a deep breath and continue.

I want to start the “I hate Anastasia club”!

Ana is twenty-two; she "marvels" at going to bed with a man with two different personalities, she’s petty and stupid. Why did the author make Ana so stupid? Are twenty-two year olds really that stupid?  I'm so sick of Ana "oh I'm not good enough, oh it's so hard to get used to being so rich, oh no another $30,000 bracelet" oh please give me a break!

Grey reminds me of my friend’s two year old sun screaming mine, mine; no one can touch her, look at her or speak to her.

The relationship is very dysfunctional. Why would you want to marry someone you are afraid of and you are always saying "please don't be mad at me"?  

The sex scenes are great but they always F it up by talking and the timing is inappropriate and not realistic at all.  The improper timing of their sexual escapades makes it dirty and sadistic.  It takes the eroticism out of it.

 Overall I am glad to be done. I enjoyed reading the wedding vows in book III; they are beautifully written. 

Fifty Shades Darker by E L James

More of the same. The story picks up exactly where it left off and it should have been a continuing chapter not a new book. The dialogue is so redundant and painful to read but I wanted to know how the story unfolds. It is boring reading the same conversation over and over again between Ana and Christian.

Christian-“Oh Ana you’re so beautiful I want to be inside of you all the time.”

Ana –“I can’t believe this super rich, super gorgeous, super beautiful man with super gray eyes want me.”

We find out a little bit more about Christian but the writer is stretching the story. Ana is so annoying, reading her character is like listening to scratches on a blackboard. You just want it to stop.

It’s best to just skip to the sex part. The story takes place only over a few; well maybe three to four weeks and they've had sex how many times. I’m thinking sex addict; well sex is the only way he knows how to express his feelings...really?

Some of the sex scenes are fun and there are some pretty good ideas for experimentation but the story is exhausting.  I had to put my super speed reading powers into motion.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

Because there is so much buzz about this book, I took extra care in reading it. Paying attention to the details and how I felt every step of the way. It is a sexually charged love story.

My first reaction is; impressed. I like the detailed descriptions. The author has me intrigued and interested in Mr. Grey. I can already feel Ana’s excitement and fascination, but the sex is a bit raw for me. The anticipation I felt in the beginning of the book quickly turns to discomfort by the middle of the story. And yes the book is poorly written.

The book begins to lose my interest once Ana turns on the low self-esteem and the self pitying dialogue of “I’m not pretty enough”. When Grey starts to speak during sex, I have to laugh out loud. I can’t keep a straight face, and think, who says that during sex.

How many times does E.L. James have to tell us that he runs his fingers through his hair? Yes we know he has beautiful grey eyes and yes he is so gorgeous. It is disturbing that Ana is so completely obsessed with him. And why is she always murmuring and whispering. Why can’t she talk like a regular person? I get really annoyed with her by the end of the book. In the beginning Mr. Grey sounds intriguing and sexy but by the end he sounds sleazy and a bit yucky.

The book is entertaining, erotic, fun, and comical and dares to explicitly explore BDSM. I found it hard to take some of it seriously, but I enjoyed most of the book, especially the email exchanges.

According to Wikipedia “The series has sold around 20 million copies worldwide, with book rights having been sold in 37 countries, and set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time, surpassing the Harry Potter series.” 

Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett

This is the first book I remember reading as a teenager and it is the reason why I fell in love with reading. I remember completely being transported to another time and feeling as if I was right there with the characters. It was the simple and straight forward style that captivated me.

This is a story about race and faith. Homer Smith is a black ex-GI living life on the open road until he stops at a farm in Arizona and sees four women working on a fence, and later realizes they are nuns from Germany. Homer had no idea that this stop would change his life forever.

The mother superior is convinced he has been sent to them by God to help them build a new chapel. She asks him to do a small roofing repair job. He enjoys the friendliness of the nuns and decides to stay overnight. When he is done, Smith tries to get the mother superior to pay him so he can leave by quoting Luke 10:7, "The laborer is worthy of his hire." Mother Maria Marthe, asks him to read another Bible verse from the Sermon on the Mount, after all she had a bigger plan in mind for him, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay

“The thoughts we think and the words we speak create our experiences.” Louise L Hay 

This book has a lot of powerful and positive messages, great affirmations and many radical ideas. Louise not only believes there is a direct correlation between what you think and your illnesses, but she absolutely believes that you can heal your body with the right thoughts. She believes that “Forgiveness” can cure many of our diseases. She has specific thought patterns for different problem. Example: Fat Belly – I nourish myself with spiritual food, and I am satisfied and free. There are many versions of the book but I really enjoyed the 2007 release because of all the beautiful pictures. I think it’s very interesting to remember that our thoughts truly affect our bodies.

Louise is known as one of the first to have written a book about how your thoughts affect your physical health.  Her first book “Heal Your Body” was published in 1976.

Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein

Gabrielle pulls out the lessons that touched her most from “A Course in Miracles” and explains how they helped her change her life. She brings these lessons to the 20 something and older audience to help us understand how the ego is wrecking our lives. She focuses on the power that is in you (she calls ~ing) and how you have to learn to listen and understand your inner voice. She focuses on developing your spiritual relationship to a higher power in order to realize who you really are instead of letting the ego pull you in all different directions. Connect to your spirit.

She shares her difficult journey with the readers and guides you on ways to overcome your fear. The book includes several meditations and affirmations to help you every step of the way. www.Gabbyb.tv

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

I've never thought of President Lincoln and Vampires in the same sentence. This book has an interesting concept and the author is very creative in blending fact and fiction. I almost want to believe in vampires and I think the author might be calling certain people vampires. Not just the vampire described as the undead but people who actually suck the life out of others. It was very easy for me to think of people that reminds me of vampires.

Grahame-Smith cares about slavery and the importance of the Civil War. He is very clever. Unfortunately I don’t know enough about Abraham Lincoln to differentiate enough fact from fiction. I do admire the style in which the author reminds us of the sacrifices that were made to make America a free country.

The book completely surprised me with the depth and seriousness it brings forward on Abraham Lincoln’s mission to abolish slavery. It will be interesting to see what they do with the movie version.

Pendragon: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale

Pendragon is a young adult series and book one is The Merchant of Death. The book is imaginative, fun and exciting but there was too much excitement for me. The story line develops too slowly because there are so many adventures/conflicts/obstacles to escape from. Bobby is so busy trying to stay alive, that I felt anxious and exhausted as I read the book. This maybe why young adults love it because they are not trying to get to the end, they just want to enjoy Bobby’s adventures.

Bobby, a “normal” fourteen-year-old boy who lives in Stony Brook, Connecticut has a mysterious uncle named Press who visits him from time to time. Bobby soon discovers that the world and the cosmos are completely different then what he’s known all his life. He is taken away by his uncle to a different world called Denduron and told that he has to save the world.

Wishes Fulfilled by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

I don’t know exactly what to write about this book because it has so many different ideas. I was expecting the book to concentrate and focus on manifesting your desires but there is a major concentration on spirits, the spirit world and God. I’ve also learned a new word Orb. I had to read certain paragraphs twice and I’m a bit resistant to the idea of spirits that are around me all the time. But I have an open mind and I am willing to investigate and not shut it out. So here are a few things that stayed with me.

The book concentrates on the words God spoke to Moses “I AM That I AM”. Dyer repeats throughout the book how God is in us, God is us and how we can grow that spark of God in us to manifest the things we want. I was surprised that the theme had such a strong biblical base.

Dyer wants us to focus on the fact that I AM is God’s name and that we should therefore use these words very carefully when we describe ourselves. When we say I AM, we are invoking the spark of God that is us. So putting any negative adjectives behind the words I AM is using God’s name in vain. For example never: I AM weak, I AM stupid, I AM not successful; instead it should be: I AM smart, I AM successful, I AM love, I AM well, I AM healthy.

Dyer says imagination is very important; always imagine yourself as you want to be. It is also important to fall asleep thinking positive thoughts because they are recorded in our subconscious and has a major effect in our everyday lives.

Xenocide by Orson Scott Card

The first word that comes to mind is Descolada (Portuguese for "ungluing") Wikipedia. The Descolada is a virus that kills all humans, but the pequininos, the natives of Luisitania who need the virus in order to stay alive and become adults that can reproduce. The Starways Congress is afraid of the effects of the virus on humanity, and has ordered the destruction of the planet.

This is book 3 of the quartet and Ender is once again handed the task of saving the World. The story is very religious and very confusing nevertheless an interesting read if you don’t mind diving into deep philosophy and questions that have no answers. There is this obsession with being filthy and dirty and unworthy, it’s like “oh enough already”.

The philosophy sounds repetitive Card makes the same points over and over again. I had a very hard time connecting to any of the characters because I could never figure out who they were. It was very clear that Card used each character to reflect a particular philosophy and then have them interact with each other to explore that particular dilemma.

Card explores a number of ethical questions, does human survival justify the extermination of another species, and how fear of the unknown will always be a barrier when interacting with others.

death is not an option by Suzanne Rivecca

This is a compilation of short stories about young women who are very sad, lonely, confused and a bit weird. The stories are well written and the book was chosen for the Young Lions Fiction Award. The first short story “death is not an option” is an interesting game where you are given some horrible choices but you cannot answer with “I would die”, you have to choose the lesser of two evils.

The main characters’ voice in every story sounded the same; it felt like one drawn out unconnected story. It sounded like the same person over and over again.

The author’s style is very honest and open as she touches on some very disturbing issues.

The book just gave me a feeling of dread and despair.

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

My favorite quote From Ender Wiggin: “The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and therefore should be treated with great caution.”

The story is deep and complex and takes a completely different angle from book one “Ender’s Game” and the author does say that he wanted this sequel to stand alone. After Ender destroys the “buggers”, he and his sister Valentine decide to space travel and discover other worlds. Speaker for the dead is one who tells the truth about the life of the deceased. We are introduced to all new characters. I did not like the book because even though the story is imaginative and has some interesting characters, it is mired in religious theology. I did like Card’s comparison of the discovery of intelligent life on another planet with the European explorers encountering the natives of South America.

Speaker has a lot of great characteristics and does bring up important issues such as, discrimination, guilt, redemption, compassion, and the power of truth but its religious tone makes me very uncomfortable. I enjoyed the philosophical aspect and still love the Ender character but wanted to see it developed a lot more.

A new world is discovered, and with it - the piggies, an unknown primitive race. Luisitania is colonized by humans who are restricted to minimum interaction. When the piggies, the natives of Luisitania and the only other being found since the buggers, kill the lead scientist the other worlds begin to fear that they are dangerous. Andrew Ender Wiggin is called to speak the scientist’s death. 

The 39 Clues

Includes a website, so far the story has 11 books, games and cards to keep you engaged; this can put a little bit of a hole in your pocket. I’ve read the first three books.

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

After the death of their grandmother, Amy and Dan (14 and 11) are given a choice; Inherit One Million Dollars each or to go on a dangerous scavenger hunt in search of 39 clues that will lead them to a family secret that would make them the most powerful members of the family. They discover that their family, The Cahills, is no ordinary family. Benjamin Franklin it turns out is one of their ancestors and the focus of book 1. The story is full of adventure and very fun to read.

 One False Note by Gordon Korman

The adventure continues and the writer has kept the pace. The story focuses on Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart, older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was a very talented musician in her own right. Her talent was never acknowledged and eventually suppressed because she was a woman. Amy and Dan follow clues that lead them to Vienna and Salzburg in Austria and Venice, Italy.

The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis

I didn't like the beginning of this book and found Amy and Dan acting like idiots, sounding like babbling fools. I felt like Amy was not dependable and her stutter was becoming annoying. Towards the middle the story really picks up and I really liked the end of the book.  Amy, Dan and a few of the Cahills are in Japan and South Korea for this adventure. We are introduced to samurai Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Yakuza. 

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

I don’t remember reading books like this when I was 10-15. If I would have, I am not sure that I would have understood and appreciated them as much. The lessons in this story are so deep. I can see and understand an adolescent reading Harry Potter or Percy Jackson but Ender’s Game is so heavy, dark and based on the manipulation of Child Soldiers. This is a great book for discussions on “what will we do in order to survive”. Is survival the one common of the Human Species? As a whole do we just want to live? The story addresses the struggles of an unwanted child, but it is based on many social, political and ethical ideas of society. This is a great book overall and the author concentrates on the sacrifices and difficulties of war.

The story takes place in c. 2300AD; Earth is at peace following a devastating nuclear war against an alien race called "buggers". Ender is the third child of a family at a time when having more than two children was not acceptable. Ender was genetically engineered to have superior physical and mental capabilities and at six years old he has been chosen as Earth's final hope against the next war with the buggers. 

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

This is the second book in the series of The Heroes of Olympus. Percy is back in action and we finally know what happened to him, this time he is at Camp Jupiter. Percy has a wicked case of amnesia and doesn’t understand why everyone keeps calling him the son of Neptune. He befriends Hazel, who is back from the dead and Frank, who doesn’t know who his Godly father is. The three embark on a dangerous quest to Alaska to free “Thanatos” (Death).

The book is exciting and full of adventure. As always Rick weaves life lessons, historical studies and geographical information as he keeps you glued to the story. Now I am learning about the Roman Gods.

These can be found on Rick Riordan’s web page.

Gods

Greek     Roman

Zeus        Jupiter       God of the Sky

Hera        Juno          Goddess of Marriage, Mothers and Families

Poseidon  Neptune    God of the Sea

Ares         Mars         God of War

Athena     Minerva     Goddess of Wisdom, War and Useful Arts

Apollo      Apollo       God of Archery, Music, Poetry, Prophecy, Medicine and later on the god of the sun

Hades       Pluto         God of the Underworld

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games Trilogy

Katniss Everdeen has left a lasting impression on me. Every once in a while you read a book that twist your insides, a fiction that rings and corresponds too closely to the real world. This is a story that forces you to accept the cruelty of the world around you, and pushes you to make an individual choice of how you will live your life. Will you succumb to it and become as cruel in order to survive. Or will you rise above it and build the best life possible without sacrificing your integrity. Will you let the circumstances around you dictate who you become or will you use those circumstances as lessons to help you become the individual that you want to be?

Book I –“The Hunger Games” focuses on an event that happens once a year; a barbaric game where two adolescents and/or teenagers, a girl and a boy are chosen from every district to partake in The Hunger Games. Think of the TV show “Survivors” with kids and played to the death. The games are a reminder to the districts of what the last revolution cost them, a punishment to subdue the districts and remind them of the Capitols power. There are 12 districts (the 13th was destroyed); reminds me of the 13 US colonies. The districts are separated and never allowed to communicate with each other, the Capitol’s idea of divide and conquer. 


The Hunger Games depicts a cruel and horrible world run by the “Capitol”. The Capitol has an iron grip on the districts, using cameras to watch their every move and have “The Peacekeepers” who punish and kill for any disobedience. While the districts suffer, lacking the basic needs of clean water, a place to live and the people die of hunger, the people of the Capitol want for nothing. Their children never have to join the hunger games and they have such an abundance of everything that they are able to spend their free time leisurely, partying and dining; spending an enormous amount of money on their appearance. The most exciting event is watching the Hunger Games each year; watching children kill each other.


Book II –“Catching Fire” begins with less violence but just as menacing as book I. Katniss’ (the protagonist) survival and defiance angers the Capitol. There is unrest in the districts and. President Snow is out for revenge and no one is safe, not her family or even the previous winners of the Games.
Katniss describes the abundance the people of the capital have. How they take it for granted and do not realize that people in other districts are dying every day from lack of food, clean water and other essentials for life. It truly makes me look at myself and all that I have. Running hot and cold water every day, A home to come to, family and friends and so much food that I’m always on a diet.


The love triangle is so potent and gut-wrenching that it makes Twilight look like kids giggling and holding hands.


I do not like Katniss but that’s because I like my heroine in a neat package. The author made her too angry and suspicious even for her surroundings. Everyone around her is going through the same thing and even worse but she takes it too far. I know she wasn’t named after a cat but that’s what she reminds me of.


The books are real page turners. Even thought the story offers a reality that’s a bit too rough, awful and mean for me (I know plenty of it exist in real life, I don’t want it in my recreation). I couldn’t stop reading and I really wanted to see how the story would develop. Her coming of age, but I think the authenticity of her character is what appealed to me.



Mockingjay
Katniss is convinced to become "Mockingjay": the symbol of the rebellion. The ending of the story is sobering and calm; all of your trials and tribulations, where will they lead you? In the end, Will it be Worth It?