Roxanne M. Dawson's Blog, page 4

100 Musical Love Stories: Stronger (The Hunting)

“Ray!” a bundle of ruffled material slithered across the floor as she tried desperately to reach the door. Just a second later and he would be gone and that was just not something she could permit to happen. He had to hear what she had to say, even if it was by force.

His figure was slowly moving farther away from the house and its party going inside of it and most definitely far far away from her.

She doubled her efforts gathering even more of the ruffles in her hands, discarding her stilettos at some point. Most of the hall’s occupants should have thought her mad, but one look at who she was and they understood. Mira was not one to give up easily when she wanted something, she never was and Ray had been the top of her want list for a very long time.

He was hers for a great while now and she wouldn’t give that privilege up for just one freaking mistake. The boy would understand, eventually.

“Ray!” she tried again and finally he turned his head in her direction, a pissed look gracing his handsome features. Just seeing his wonderful silver eyes made her knees almost buckle, but she stood her ground. Just one little slip up and he would gain the upper hand in their war. Thus Mira held her ground. Standing poised as if she had not just ran after him like a lunatic and now obvious trickles of sweat glittered her aristocratic forehead. But nothing went past him and he knew. It almost made him laugh, sardonically of course.

“”You don’t…”

“What?” he cut her off. “Understand? Get it? Oh, I do. An entire lot in fact, but I do believe that the one that doesn’t get it is actually you.”

“That’s a bunch of…”

“Lies?” he did it again and her temper only rose to the bait. She was always such an easy thing to spoil. “Bullshit? Cause I for one definitely think you are. Face it Mira. You just don’t interest me anymore. Your manipulation and bitchiness can be taken to someone else, ay? I just don’t want to put up with any of it anymore.” He turned around and started walking backwards while facing her, his final goodbye. “We all have to grow up at some point, after all!” And with that, his superior smirk was the last thing she saw of the old him. The next time she did, he wasn’t under her control anymore. Pity.

P.s. Check for the book’s official release here!            

100 Musical Love Stories: Higher

“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there .” – Bo Jackson

“You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limit, that is real joy.” – Arthur Ashe

“If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it.” – Ronnie Lott

 

“If you keep at it and actually believe in it, eventually you’ll find the wings to soar into the sky. It’s important to win, but true happiness is gained from the knowledge that you have the ability to do it. Let’s all find those wings and fly.”

Life is hard. It’s full of misery and sadness. Events that make you take several steps back in life, setbacks you never really expected. We change over time and our mind and goals along with it. We’re weak and the smallest thing can make us give up. People rarely have the necessary motivation to keep doing something to perfection.     

They run every day, their breath harsh and their blood pumping, their minds working a full wire circuit. That’s a sportsman’s life for you. They breathe and live the thing they practice and they show us every day that no matter win or lose they are good at it and they can do it.

Artists are bound by the philosophy of their work. For writers the daily ink they use, the vocabulary they flourish, the minds they tap. Win or lose, they do what they desire. Painters carry their lives out within a canvas, conveying everything they experience through a mass of color and oil.

Even doctors have the greatest of achievement a human can poses. They save another person’s body on a daily basis, making it possible for him to carry out their potential. Wherever that human can do it or not all depends on him and his will.

Remember it’s easy to start doing something; it’s harder carrying it out. Daily life is a challenge and the question for anyone is if they are up for it. Can you defeat all of the problems in your life, can you find the potential to fly, for anyone can. It’s not that’s its impossible, it’s just that you haven’t done it yet and this is a true lesson to be learned.       

Don’t be bummed out by your failures, but rather do anything you can, even if you’ve already done it, no matter how hard it is. Do it in order to fulfill your dreams, but don’t just stop there. Strive to be the best of the best. Go higher and higher to show that you are indeed the best. Make the world see that you can do anything you put your mind to. That’s the way we truly get to fly, by doing and never stopping. 

P.s. Check for the book’s official release here!

Being nice to others and its ripple effect

This has been brought to my attention lately by our very own Carrey Fletcher, YouTube phenomena and younger sister of Tom Fletcher of McFly.

From the get go life sucks. We worry about various things: how we look, how we dress, how much others like us, about our families, about our work and the list is endless. It’s no news if a great deal of us is boarding into depression, though we don’t admit it. And to be fair, if we don’t worry about stupid stuff then the world will bring us down with painful or annoying events one after another, you know, just to keep us in check. That’s right losers you have to think about meaningless stuff all the time cause that’s life, but I would like to disagree though and I know I obviously can’t.

The worst of it all is that the antagonists of those thoughts are us, not just we making ourselves think about it, but everyone around us that act in certain ways that might offend us or otherwise. Everything is hard as it is and someone standing right there next to you acting like you’re the biggest s*** in the world is only going to make you feel worse and put you in a bad mood.

Think about it, someone puts you in a bad mood, thus you act terribly towards someone else, that person is put in a bad mood also and acts horribly to another person and so on and so on similar to a cycle, but it doesn’t have to be like that! You can actually act nice and put a smile on someone face, you know you can and that can actually make you feel good and proud in return.

I watched this a few months ago and hadn’t though much of it but it made me think how much better life would be if everyone was like that, but I never did anything about it. Now all I can do is try to act nicely to the customers at my work place, maybe they think that I’m just doing what is pre-required of me, but there is nothing in the contract that says you have to joke with them or act extremely nice to them just for them to smile and laugh, on the contrary all it says is to act politely and smile nothing else, but it’s really hard almost impossible when one of the customers act horribly towards you and actually starts insulting you for no reason at all.

Even so maybe that person was put into a bad mood by someone else and that does not stipulate for me to act that way towards the next person, on the contrary, you should act even nicer. Good deeds is what makes the lives of everyone around even if just a little bit better so it’s no miracle to say that I adore Carrie’s idea of posting post-it notes with little messages, randomly and anywhere really. Even that small a gesture can brighten-up someone’s day. If you want to find out more about that, you can go here.

All I’m saying is that maybe we should act nicer towards other people, either friends or stranger, a small word can make their day and maybe ours as well. Maybe we should try and say simple words as Thank you, You’re great, You’re amazing, You’re beautiful, Have a nice day, cause kindness is what really makes the world spin towards bettering itself or maybe that’s just my wishful thinking, but I still hope and I’ll continue hoping until the very end.

Taking reality into your writing

This is a rather sensitive subject for writers everywhere and it can either offer you a deep sense of relief or one of grief. When one reads your book or one of your short stories, a blog post or just a simple article, they don’t realize the sliver grain of truth that you might have left there. It’s hidden somewhere, so though one can think that one part of the situation is real, that you yourself as the author lived through one, no can exactly pinpoint what is real and what is simple fiction, but you still lay your soul out there, bare for the world to see and that is harsh and at the same time mortifying. You might want to forget that instance, those feeling and that remorse and if you ever think about writing for yourself, with yourself or about yourself, recalling those instances is crucial and painful or trilling. When it comes to happy memories we recall them with joy, but painful ones might just be the opposite.

With everything we write we share a part of ourselves. No matter how much we deny it there is always something that comes from us, our experience, personality, friends etc. Every written word has a secret behind it and it’s the writer’s secret which we enjoy and take pleasure in, that’s what makes our writing so wonderful, it’s filled with emotions.

I write from time to time when my feelings are too much to bare: anger come to the surface, sadness melts into tears, but when they persist I turn to writing. As soon as I finish though, I’m left feeling empty. The entire sensation from before, it’s like it never existed and though that makes me sad and upset it makes me slightly happy as that certain piece is filled with the memories and emotions from moments before. So pretty much writing is our reality isn’t it, our memories, our emotions and our feeling. It’s a part of us, a twin. It’s our entire soul left bare and maybe that’s the reason books attract me so much, it’s like connecting with another or the entire world.

IT’S HERE, MY NEW BOOK: BREAKING POINT

Surprise, surprise! What do we have here? Oh, yes, my new book! It might not be much but I’m proud of it and I want you guys to feel good and understand a little something more about the world as you read it. It’s name: “Breaking Point”. It’s a compilation of four short stories depicting different psychological phenomena in fantastical setting, including that of Alice in Wonderland, Dracula and many more (the other two you’ll just have to figure out for yourselves).Its genre pretty much encompasses fantasy, horror and romance, but you can be the judge.

Currently it’s only in available in eBook format and just on Amazon, but slowly I’ll make it available on a wider scale (Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and including a printed version as soon as the illustrations and possibly new cover are ready, not quite satisfied with the current one). But anyway, for those that desire to know more, there is a small excerpt of it available on Goodreads. So if you want to read it for yourselves, you can start there. Hope you find it to your liking.

And before we close off with this small presentation, I have a favor to ask of you and that is to spread the word about it. I know it’s a bit much, but for a current no-name author such as myself word of mouth is the best way to go and so without further ado I hope you enjoy this small bit of heaven from me as much as I hope you will.

Most gratefully,

Yours truly,

Roxana M. Dumitru

P.S. I’ve updated my contact information and for those that wish to contact me, they can now do so at (e-mail to be added later):

Goodreads: Roxi

Twitter:  Roxi

Facebook:  Roxi

I’m back!

There are moments in my life when I have to scream and when I have to scream even harder, out of happiness of course. For once I can say I finished something and I did. Breaking Point, aka my first finished book ever will be out in about a week or less and I couldn’t be happier than at this moment. Of course I still think it’s badly written, stupid and all that but the deeper meaning is there so whatever. If it were for me it wouldn’t even see public eye since I would never be satisfied with it. Don’t really understand the process of publishing it though, but as soon as I know I’ll let all of you aspiring indie authors get familiar with the hard (hellish) process of it. Haven’t published anything in a few months but I got a job (yay!) and that took up all of my time, but I’m back so salutation to all of ya! Till later! (hugs)

THE 10 BEST READS FROM 100

1. Easy by Tammara Webber 5/5

Summary:

Rescued by a stranger.

Haunted by a secret

Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.

I loved this book and quite easily it became one of my favorite. The characters are lovable and the plot while predictable and easy to understand is rather deep as well. We go through a journey of the pains of first love, the problem of rape in today’s society and the way to deal with it, childhood scars, hope, renewed love, lies, death, drugs and so many more. It makes you simply fall in love with the book since most likely it’ll resonate within each one of us one way or another. I give it a 5/5 and recommend it to anyone who wants an easy and heartwarming read.

2. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion 5/5

Summary: ‘R’ is a zombie. He has no name, no memories and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name is Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows – warm and bright and very much alive, she is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape. For reasons he can’t understand, R chooses to save Julie instead of eating her, and a tense yet strangely tender relationship begins.

This has never happened before. It breaks the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with life in the grave. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won’t be changed without a fight…

Never thought I’d love a book about zombies, undead such as vampires yes, zombies never, but this proved me wrong. It’s a pleasing book, as well as fascinating. I got a hold of a copy in which every new chapter an anatomy drawing showed up and I love anatomy, but beyond that this actually made me feel good while reading it. It both makes you think and gives you hope. It’s a new type of apocalyptical reading that is fun, heavy on the plot and doesn’t make you hit your head repeatedly against the wall in frustration. It’s good for everyone really, even for those that hate the gore since it’s not as horrifying as other zombie lit.

3. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones 5/5

Summary: In which a witch bewitched the hatter’s daughter – and then some….

Sophie lived in the town of Market Chipping, which was in Ingary, a land in which anything could happen, and often did – especially when the Witch of the Waste got her dander up. Which was often.

As her younger sisters set out to seek their fortunes, Sophie stayed in her father’s hat shop. Which proved most unadventurous, until the Witch of the Waste came in to buy a bonnet, but was not pleased. Which is why she turned Sophie into an old lady. Which was spiteful witchery.

Now Sophie must seek her own fortune. Which means striking a bargain with the lecherous Wizard Howl. Which means entering his ever-moving castle, taming a blue fire-demon, and meeting the Witch of the Waste head-on. Which was more than Sophie bargained for….

This is a classic. I mean everyone has to know the movie and if you don’t, you missed something amazing. The movie is great, but I might prefer the book more, if only just for the fact that their character is sketch at a deeper level. Especially that of the wizard Howl, who is very much that of an incurable playboy. The movie made me think he was adorable as a guy and a want-to-have boyfriend, but not the book. It brought more light to his character and I would so want to avoid guys like that. The book is a classic. It’s fun and easy to read and it would certainly bring a smile and a laugh to the most uptight of people.

4. Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky/Less Wrong 4.5/5

Summary: Petunia married a biochemist, and Harry grew up reading science and science fiction. Then came the Hogwarts letter, revealing a world of intriguing new possibilities to exploit. And new friends, like Hermione, and Professor McGonagall, and Professor Quirrell… Ch. 87, ‘Hedonic Awareness’. The further trials of Hermione Granger.

For all those who love Harry Potter and his adventures, this shows us a new hidden side to the world of the little hero, a more scientific one. While we loved reading the books and learning about Harry’s hidden adventures, we never really thought deeper about some of the issues the story has. We wanted to practice magic too, yes, but have we ever thought about how a spell was invented or who created it, obviously it didn’t appear out of thin air. Also, have we ever thought about mixing magic and muggleness. This person here, our dear Eliezer has and oh the journey is a dozy, a Rowling worthy one. Plus it’s a fanfic and it’s free to read. Amazing lit and free, what more can anyone want?

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5782108/1/Harry-Potter-and-the-Methods-of-Rationality

5. How to be popular by Meg Cabot 4/5

Summary: Do you want to be popular?

Everyone wants to be popular or at least, Stephanie Landry does. Steph’s been the least popular girl in her class since a certain cherry Super Big Gulp catastrophe five years earlier.

Does being popular matter?

It matters very much to Steph. That’s why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. She’s got a secret weapon: an old book called what else? “How to Be Popular.”

What does it take to be popular?

All Steph has to do is follow the instructions in The Book, and soon she’ll be partying with the It Crowd (including school quarterback Mark Finley) instead of sitting on The Hill Saturday nights, stargazing with her nerdy best pal Becca, and even nerdier Jason (now kind of hot, but still), whose passion for astronomy Steph once shared.

Who needs red dwarves when you’re invited to the hottest parties in town?

But don’t forget the most important thing about popularity

It’s easy to become popular. What isn’t so easy? Staying that way.

Popularity isn’t what it’s caught up to be, it’s not always as good to be popular as it is to be just a normal high school, but we obviously don’t know that and wish for it with all our might and this is just the book that gives you an insight look in how you can obtain popularity and what are the consequences it brings with you, all packed in a fun and light story curtsey of the Meg Cabot style.

6. The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot 4/5

Summary: Suze is a mediator — a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won’t leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn’t seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.

But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it’s not that easy. There’s a ghost with revenge on her mind … and Suze happens to be in the way.

Another one of Cabot’s masterpieces and another one of my favorites. Mix in ghosts, a mediator and a hunky cowboy from the 19th century and you’ll get a hot and fun read. The whole story is fun and fast pace and the characters are absurdly lovable. But was it just me or were we all actually rooting for the main character and her new hunky brother instead of the ghostly handsome wonder living in her bedroom. Hmm…we’ll have to see what you guys think then won’t we.

7. Vampire Kisses – Royal Blood by Ellen Schreiber 4/5

Summary: Summer break is over, and Raven is hardly eager to be returning to Dullsville High. Not only does school mean daily interaction with preppy pest Trevor Mitchell, but her sleep-filled days and romantic nights with her immortal boyfriend, Alexander, must come to an end. Plus the shock of morning classes isn’t the only change in store.

An unexpected letter turns up at Alexander’s mansion–announcing his parents will be coming to town. And once they arrive, just about everyone has had a sighting of the macabre couple except Raven. What could be delaying Alexander from introducing Raven to them? Could Alexander be hiding something about his parents’ homecoming?

When Raven is finally invited to the most thrilling dinner party of her life, the next turn of events could transform her entire future with Alexander. The sixth book in Ellen Schreiber’s bestselling Vampire Kisses series takes an unusual twist in the continuing romance of Raven and Alexander.

Vampire Kisses is actually an entire series of book, but while it starts out promising it quickly becomes a dud with the forced stretch-out of the entire story. We get it she’s a Goth, he’s a vampire, but she still has family thus can’t go off prancing with her sn boyfriend. Even so, do you have to drag a new family member in each new book, like its more interesting meeting the crew one by one than all at once, face palm, no. In this one, we get to meet the parents and goodness me, I have to admit it was good, majorly so, but once again I found myself rooting for her and the douche bag football star, Trevor. Woe is me, will it ever end?

8. Song of the Lioness Series by Tamora Pierce 4/5

Summary: “From now on I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.” And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Disguised as a girl, Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page.

But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.

Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna’s first adventure begins — one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.

Alanna’s journey continues…         

Knight, adventure, dragons, a cross dressing girl, wait what?! You heard it! Song of the Lioness is a series about a girl wanting to become a knight, a thing that was impossible for a girl back then. When her father sends her and her brother into an apprenticeship to decide their future, she takes her brother place to become a knight, while said brother went on to become a sorcerer. From then on we follow her through her journey from squire to knight, romance, adventure and a bit of thieving. Hah, good for both males and females. It really made my day this one.

9. On Dublin Street by Samantha Young 4.5/5

Summary: Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare…

Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well—until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.

Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.

But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won’t be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her… down to the very soul.

Oooh, Scottish romance. Nothing beats a good day than curling up on the sofa with a good romance book in your lap. While it frustrates you a little bit, no one can say that this book is not well written or that the story doesn’t draw you in. Quite the contrary. You’ll love everything about it, from the main character, to her bubbly roommate to the oh so virile Scottish hunk. It’s all here. Combine with it a bit of drama and angst and voila you have a romantic masterpiece. It literally burns!

10. The Selection by Kiera Cass 4.5/5         

Summary: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself–and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

In a dystopian future, humans are separated into classes based on their occupation and skills. Our heroin is someone who is in love with a guy from a lower class than her own, which would obviously put her in said class if she ever married him. It’s not much of a wonder when both her mum and boyfriend push her into the selection for the prince’s bride, but dude she loved you, did you have to push her into something she obviously didn’t want. From then on the entire book reminds me of the TV show “The Bachelor”. A great fun read, until we see her ex come back as a guard in the castle and still unable to forget about her, cliffhanger for book 2, so frustrating!

100 Musical Love Stories: Could it Be?

Your life is never as you expect. Nothing is planned out. Fate? Destiny? What is that? Maybe they exist, but fact is that if they do, you are still the one that plans everything. You make the decisions and no one else.

If there truly is a plan on a higher astral level, then you must first figure out in what it consists before anything can start. Life, in a way you’ve never imagined it, starts from that point on. No one can expect what life itself throws at them, but can you?

Lovers meet and decide to pursue a relationship, but no one ever said that it’s going to work out, did they? They might love each other, now, but may be married with someone else, happily or not, ten years later. Some might be forever happy with their first love, while other’s first love ends in a, one-sided or not, tragedy. Who know what you can expect, no one does, not really.

For some time, the so called “studies” described a type of friend zone that some boys enter at one point in time. If those males have that certain misfortune, then they can most likely say goodbye to a future love related connection with the girl that placed them there.

They will forever be viewed as friends and nothing more, even if that pair might be one of soul mates, fate interconnected. The greatest accomplishment of destiny itself is when said girl, blind as she is, actually sees something beyond her makeshift cocoon and starts viewing said boy as something more, a totally unexpected development.

It’s the grandest occasion when said person turns out to be her childhood friend too, almost 1% or less of the planet’s married couples deriving from a similar bond. Such a miracle is the time when destiny gives itself a pat on the back for a job well done. It’s the happiest occasion, it truly is.

But how many of us can consider ourselves as soul mates? And when we think about it, what does that actually mean? Do we make goo-goo eyes at each other for the rest of eternity and live happily ever after or do we live a fairly happy life with our very own share of good and bad times, managing to get past any obstacle that stands in our ways?

What does it mean exactly? Are you happy with your love right now? Really happy with no regrets? If you are, then fate is most likely smiling down upon you two and congratulates itself over a pint of ale.

Moments and sketches, the bloody awe striking truth

So recently for my 1000 book challenge I started to read everything in sight, including everything in my library, read or unread and I came across one of my childhood favorites, Moments and Sketches/Sketches and Stories (depending on translation) by I. L. Caragiale. For those that don’t know this (which I suspect is most of you) I. L. Caragiale is a late 19th century comedy writer famous for his satire and plays. We actually studied a great deal of his work in school (both elementary and high school), they are actually that good.

Most of his work, except for his plays, consists of a series of short stories that bound from satire, to fables, to plays etc. and I planted myself today on my chair with one of his collections (which I obviously found stashed in my classical books one). I was happy and content to reread some of my favorite ones, but what I never realized is that reading something in your childhood and then rereading it during adulthood are two totally different things!

While it was comedic and fun to read when I was little, I never realized the mockery and the stupidity of the human kind that was brought to light in this book. I actually realized it before but I never gave any semblance to it. That’s normal since most children read books for the fun of it (the older generations at least – though I’m not that old, I’m still barely in my really early twenties – won’t put my hand in flames for the tikes of today) and not for its deeper meaning or whatever. It’s rare when a child actually understand everything in a book from an adult’s point of view.

I was horrified. It’s as if you realize that a great part of the Disney movies don’t actually happen like that in the book and let’s say the Little Mermaid doesn’t truly get as much of a happy ending (spoiler alert, oops).

The events ranged from a child no older than ten smoking a cigar with the utmost approval of his mother, the mockery of the school system if a professor happened to teach a kid from a rich family and a boy who entered so much mischief during a train ride you would actually question the sanity of the women who raised him when you knew that the whole deal was like a sort of vacation for the boy not to fail another school year (I was in a play about it once, I played his grandma), I was like whaaaat? It makes your brain buzz with various thoughts when you read them, adult or not. They’re rather fun.

I also realized that when you dot on a child that much, you actually are that stupid. So you people out there be careful about your child’s education. Without knowing and unintentionally (of course) you might raise a monster.

I truly recommend this for anyone who can actually get their hand on a translated copy (though they are rare). It’s fun, it’s funny and it actually enlightens you a bit on some of the weaker points of human nature itself, though I seriously hope people weren’t that moronic in the 19th century. I mean really, how much of a stupid ass can you be?

 

The Challenge of a Thousand Books

Reading is fascinating. The entire prospect of entering a life separate from your own, but most likely more magical and adventurous always excited me somewhat. Think about it, based on the number of books and thus new stories you read, equals the many new lives you get to live, thus a normal human that reads 100 books in his entire lifetime didn’t live/experience that one life but 101 in total.

As I said before, I love reading. I adore reading. I can’t really live without it and so last year when I was leisurely doing just that, I remembered how much I used to read during my high school summers and how scarce that activity became. It’s a good thing if I read 10 books a year, great number these days, not to mention 100 or more.

While thinking of this, the Friendship Pact with my best homey came to mind and wanting for us both to go back to our fun selves, I realized I wanted once more to be that book-a-holic from long ago and set up a challenge. That challenge is to read a1000 books (any type) by the end of summer 2013. It’s a loooot! I know, but I find the prospect both fun and fascinating, so be free to join me if you want (with a smaller number of course).

My 2013 Reading Challenge on GoodReads is currently set up at 500, which will increase if I set myself strait and read the necessary amount. My current number is at 65! Yay! But that’s still a long way away. I was thinking that from time to time I should also review a few of those I read, mostly the ones I find to be worth reading, like really worth it. Think I already have one actually, but that will come later.

Anyway, hope you guys keep me in check with this small challenge of mine and I’ll keep you posted with how it works out and of course some book reviews. Thank you for listening and ciao!