Literary Escapes – Page 6 – Creative Meanderings

_Welcome to Dubai, Baby!_ by Janet Elizabeth Schrum

Jun 122016

_Welcome to Dubai, Baby!_ by Janet Elizabeth Schrum

Being a self-published author and trying to break into the literary market is a challenge. I admire everyone who tries and perhaps one day I will make this attempt myself. A former colleague and a friend of mine wrote this book, published it on Kindle and still aspires to have her future novels published.

If you are a fan of Sex and the City, then you will definitely love this story. Set in the UAE and following the lives of expat women here, Schrum humorously and adequately weaves a tale of the lives that many lead here in this strange Arab desert country.

This is an enjoyable, easy read especially if you are looking for a ‘holiday’ book. I highly recommend it! Although, I will warn that it is more of a ‘chick’ book than a guy one, though that is not to say at all that men would not enjoy it. 😉

~T 😀

_The Boy on the Wooden Box_ by Leon Leyson

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Jun 112016

_The Boy on the Wooden Box_ by Leon Leyson

As time passes, we hear fewer stories about World War II and the atrocities done to the Jewish community due to the ageing population of those who experienced this time in our history. However, it is memoirs like this one by Leon Leyson that are needed to continue to remind us about the beauty of humans even in difficult times.

Leyson shares his story as a young boy and his family being saved by Oskar Schindler during the time of the Holocaust reinforcing other stories that we have heard about Schindler saving so many Jews during this horrible time.

It is a very good read and moving if you are interested in these kinds of stories. Really everyone should make a point of reading memoirs and accounts of this time in human history to remind ourselves that there is always hope for man to rise above the ‘social norm’ of the time to be humane and loving towards others. Although it might be easy to focus on the negatives throughout history or even current times, it is these stories that give us hope and faith in the potential of mankind to be more.

~T 😀

_The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering_ by Marie Kondo

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Jun 092016

_The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering_ by Marie Kondo

Since I am in the middle of moving it seemed like a prudent book to read. Although I did not quite finish it in time to take complete action with my belongings before they needed to be packed up, I have taken some notes to consider when it comes time to move in.

Kondo’s approach is rather interesting, combining new-age thinking with practical solutions to keeping a home tidy and neat. She points out that it is not just about being organized or putting things in the right place, but it is also about making sure what you have in your home is actually bringing you joy and positivity in the space in which you reside.

Although I do tend to go through my clothes quite regularly, her suggestion to pile up every article of clothing in one place, touch each piece and decide if it sparks joy or not to determine if it should be kept or not is a new concept. I do love my clothes and I did have time to go through almost every article I have before packing up. Despite getting rid of about three bags earlier this year, I also got rid of another large garbage bag full of items, plus a load of shoes that I was holding on to!

When we move in and unpack things, I will apply her principle of throwing away papers and only keeping papers that fall into one of three categories. This will be a challenge as a recovering academic, I like to hold on to articles or magazines – just in case. However, I can see her point in that we just no longer need papers in our lives. If I really want to hold on to something I can either scan it or make note of where to find it electronically later (though she is right in that it is highly unlikely I will ever want to see it again…).

I gleaned a lot of good ideas and am looking forward to our new home where I can apply her approach so that we have a tidy and joyful home filled with a focus on love, laughs and living fully rather than being weighed down (consciously or not) by unnecessary clutter.

Thanks, Kondo-san!!!

~T 😀

_Into the Darkest Corner_ by Elizabeth Haynes

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Jun 072016

_Into the Darkest Corner_ by Elizabeth Haynes

Thanks to having a Brit in my life, I have been introduced to some contemporary British authors. Given my enjoyment of mystery thrillers, my lovely husband suggested this read.

It did not disappoint my desire for entertainment and suspense.

A woman meets a man, falls in love, becomes a victim, man goes to jail, woman moves on, woman makes a new start, meets a new man, then one day running from the past no longer is possible.

That is all I will share without giving away the whole plot. Other reviews might share more, but knowing too much would not make the book better. It is a page-turner. British contemporary authors can put the American trash novelists to shame…. 🙁 😀

~T 😀

_The Decision Book: Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking_ by Mikael Krogerus

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Jun 052016

_The Decision Book: Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking_ by Mikael Krogerus

Back when I was still pushing through my PhD one of my friends gave me this book for Christmas a year ago.

It is a really interesting read of different theoretical models and methods for strategical thinking. While definitely relevant to the world of leadership, it is also relevant to life. We should all know these kinds of things as it helps with decision making and even working with other people on an individual or group basis. I even had a couple of pages copied and up in my office to help me lead groups. 🙂

This is not necessarily everyone’s idea of a pleasure read but if you’re a little nerdy, it’s a good one!

~T 😀

_The In-Between_ by Jeff Goins

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Jun 032016

_The In-Between_ by Jeff Goins

My third book by Jeff Goins was a bit less memorable and less useful to me than the others had been. Perhaps it was more about my frame of mind than anything else. Maybe, just maybe, this is the actual point of his book.

Goins talks about how we should enjoy and embrace the waiting period between ‘action’ in our lives as there are lessons to be learned even in these periods of our lives.

It is a good message for writers. It is a good message for people in our current state of humanity. There is so much talk about the tech-generation or how young people are so bombarded with information, which is why I believe trending is happening with yoga, meditation and calmer activities to balance out the frenzy that is going on in other parts of our lives. For writers, the calm is what is needed to make the creativity flow.

So, although the book didn’t motivate me as much as I might have liked given the other ones, I guess I cannot say that it did not have some kind of impact. Perhaps this book is just what I needed in-between making decisions about changes in my life!

😀 ~T

_You Can Heal Your Life_ by Louise Hay

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May 312016

_You Can Heal Your Life_ by Louise Hay

I was introduced to this author via the title _You can Heal Your Body_ through some ladies at yoga. When I went to the bookstore to have a look, I found that this one was more along the lines of what I felt like reading. The other one may get read as well, but I think that this one was definitely exactly what I needed to read.

Louise Hay shares her belief in how to change our thought patterns so that we are open to abundance and success. Along the same lines as _The Secret_ or law of attraction ideas, her belief is that when we allow our minds to say negative thoughts, even if they seem trivial, we are attracting what we actually do NOT want. Our minds do not necessarily interpret a thought as negative or positive, it just interprets what most often makes a presence. Therefore, if we focus on positive thoughts, then we attract more of that.

I learned quite a few good tricks to keep myself motivated and going especially during this transition period between homes. However, truly, the best part is that I have been able to use a lot of her quotes and techniques to support my friends.

There are times when I just do not know how to best support people when they need a loving word or encouragement as I never want to sound cliché, but also want to offer adequate love. In these times, having an arsenal of quotes or techniques to offer is so helpful. Maybe this is the ‘coach’ in me now, but wow has this book been helpful lately (or at least I hope so!).

To sum up, I definitely recommend this book as a read even if it does not all seem relevant to you. There’s just lots of good stuff in it to make one think.

~T 😀

PS I realized the other day that I have gone delinquent on my book reviews, so have a long list in my drafts of books I have read over the past year or so. Therefore, I shall be catching up and interspersing posts with my literary escapes! <3

_The Goldfinch_ by Donna Tartt

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Sep 302015

Yikes! I started this post almost a year ago and didn’t realize that I never really finished it. When I was reading my friend’s blog the other day, it made me wonder if I had ever written about my brief version or not…. Apparently ‘not’ is the answer. So, here it is:

Back in my brief stint of writing briefs of books, I was given the ask of writing _The Goldfinch_ by Donna Tartt. I had not heard of her before this, for good reason. Tartt only wrote two other novels. She’s won awards for two of them including this latest.

It was a daunting task to write a brief of this novel, since it is what I consider a modern-day classic written with such talent that there was no way that I could do it justice even if I had more than 1/3 of the novel to reproduce.

Tartt’s writing took me back to what I’ve enjoyed in the Russian authors of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Although there is a lot of detail in the novel, it all comes together for purpose the more you work your way through the tale. The words are put together beautifully and the story unfolds in such a way that one is dazed and confused, but in a surreal satisfactory way.

Of course, it’s not for everyone, and even the brief may be too much to read, but I’m glad that I did read it and do recommend it as something more challenging to read than a James Patterson novel. 😀

_The Barkeep_ by William Lashner

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Mar 162014

_The Barkeep_ by William Lashner

I finished reading this a couple of months ago now as the last book review until the company gets back on track. I am not sure if the job will be returned or not. In any case, I am enjoying my time off from it, I must admit.

So, this latest book by William Lashner was an easy read. I had not heard of this author before, but it seems that he has done a fair bit of writing before.

Here’s my final recap –

The Barkeep tells a story of Justin Chase. Having learned how to be an ideal barkeep after finding his mother dead at home, Justin struggles with his conviction that his father was guilty of having his mother killed.

Just when Justin thinks he has a handle on his life, an old man named Birdie Grackle enters it and starts Justin on a new path of discovery and acceptance.

While Justin looks for the truth following Birdie’s breadcrumb trail, he and his loved ones face more death and danger. However, eventually the truth really sets him free and Justin finds the peace he had been looking for.

Lashner does an excellent job of keeping the reader questioning truths and considering how perceptions can be confused when looking for the truth. Although a story about a crime, this is also a story of how we can accept reality for what it really is.

Overall, it was a plane/trip book and engaging enough to keep the pages turning. Enjoy! 😀

-T

_The Goldfinch_ by Donna Tartt

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Feb 032014

_The Goldfinch_ by Donna Tartt

The third brief I was given to do nearly was the end of me as well as my work freelancing. First, it took me over three weeks to complete. Although I had a week with the holiday included in that time frame, it just did not go as smoothly as the previous two had.

It was about an 800-page book to begin with. Then, unlike the previous book, it was very well-written and dense. The story was complicated enough that trying to brief and read it for the first time simultaneously was not a great idea. So, I found that I was spending hours on it, staying up late, falling asleep while briefing and all for very little monetary gain.

My lesson learned was to not choose books that look overly interesting for this job, but rather those that are easy and quick since I am not getting paid enough to invest so much time into this work.

In any case, the story was reminiscent of J.D. Salinger’s _The Catcher in the Rye_. It was a story of a boy who copes with tragedy and poor choices whilst learning to understand love, loyalty and life. I recommend reading this one in brief (hopefully the editor made it better than when I submitted it to her) as it is a long story and some parts are far too descriptive for anyone’s good.

However, Tartt is a very talented writer. This being only her third book and yet it has drawn a lot of attention. When I read such books I am daunted at the idea of writing my own. Still, it will happen some day. 😉

-T 😀

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