Reader’s Digest, Archie Comics, Tarot Books, Etc.

I am such a bookworm! Did you know that when I was a kid even until college, I like hanging out at the library coz: One… I just love the smell of books (both old and new). Two… I love looking at vivid pictures… from astronomy, to geography, to architecture, to food and people, etc.! And three… I just love to learn new things. I actually prefer the company of books than people. Go figure! No wonder I married Peter coz he’s like a walking encyclopedia. Teehee.

Anyway, I literally jumped for joy when the books I ordered from Reader’s Digest last month finally arrived! Weeee! To think that I still have a ton of books here at home I haven’t even opened yet. Well, that will change this year. By hook or by crook, I will read most if not all of my books this year. Anyway, here they are after I opened the packages:

After I smelled each of them, I browsed at the pages while feeling so happy that this is another great purchase  for me. Everything only cost me Php3,770. I think there’s still one more that they forgot to send me coz from what I remember, it’s supposed to cost me Php5,000. Oh well! Weeee!!!!!

EARTH, THEN AND NOW is a collection of 250 stunning images showing locations around the world as they were and as they are now, with captions explaining the often breathtaking changes that have occurred in just a short amount of time. This book is a thought-provoking reminder of the devastating impact that humankind can have on the environment, with evidence of issues such as global warming and climate change presented in the most graphic way possible.

Gaston Leroux’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN. I never really got to read these masterpieces when I was a child and I believe it’s not yet too late for me to enter the mysterious  and uncanny worlds of these classics.

GLOBAL SAFARI is a book that will take you on a dramatic journey around fifty of the world’s most astonishing wildlife sights, brought to life with some of the most vivid and moving photography ever taken. James Perry provides detailed profiles of the key species that exist in each of the featured locations, and discusses the issues involved in the long-term protection of these areas of natural wonder and the eco-systems they support.

OMG! I’m so giddy I can’t wait to read them all!!! And since we’re on this topic of books I want to read, I am aiming to finish not just these new arrivals but the ones below as well. I’ve already started with the following and I also hope to finish them all this month:

My Reader’s Digest Subscriptions (From Oct. 2009 to Feb. 2010 editions)

 Archie Comics!!! I’ve been a fan since high school!

 My Tarot Books! I think I will keep on reading these until forever… See my Wiccan Blog for more info.

 Oprah’s LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE, Jack Canfield’s SUCCESS PRINCIPLES (which I discuss in my self-help blog), DON”T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF IN LOVE, My DRUMS BOOK and my PARA-GRAMS. Whew! Go go go Jen! I can do it!

Happy reading to me! ^_^

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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays With Morrie… an old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson.  

Like Mitch Albom, the author of this biographical account of Morrie Schwartz, I was in that place before when I was still in school, thinking that I had a greater purpose aside from being able to find work after graduation and make my own money.  Then work did come and my idealisms slowly faded into the backckground. Lucky for him, he rediscovered Morrie, the greatest life teacher he ever had. Unlike for me, I still haven’t found my own personal Morrie. Maybe a person like him just comes once ina  lifetime… that one person that can give me clarity and great wisdom about life and how one should live it. Thank God, there is Morrie. And thank God, Mitch Albom was able to chronicle their time together and in the process, bring to the public an insight about a life fully-lived until the very last breath.

Let me share with you my favorite quotes from this amazing book and help you take a peek  into (for those who haven’t read the book yet) or remember Morrie’s beliefs and principles:

“Dying is only one thing to be sad over… Living unhappily is something else.”

I was with my bestfriend, Jem, this morning. She said that in life, there are three realms. The material world where we are now, the spiritual world where we vibrate on a higher frequency, and the light where we are just particles and energy just like God. Consequently, where we are now, is actually the “hell” that the Catholics refer to. When we find our purpose and self-actualize, that’s when we transform to the next level. So we shouldn’t really be sad about dying. It’s part of our evolution as divine beings. Unless you live a very sad life, then you might not be able to come out of your own hell hole…you will continuously be reincarnated and start everything all over again.

“…the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves… and you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work for you, don’t buy it.”

This is so true. More often than not, we are bombarded with information and social pressure to be like everyone else… to cater to vanity, power, selfishness, sloth… the seven deadly sins. We must be strong to resist it. If you feel in your gut that this is not what your life is supposed to be like, listen to it. That’s your intuition. That’s the divine speaking to you.

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re  busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way to get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating somethingthat gives you purpose and meaning.”

Need I say more?

“Once you learn how to die, you know how to live.”

Dying is tantamount to suffering. And when one has experienced suffering and survived it, the best response to attain self-actualization is to find joy in everything and feel gratitude for this gift of life. Because once you know what pain is like, then you will start appreciating everything that is the exact opposite.

If you accept that you can die at any time — then you might not be as ambitious as you are.”

OMG! This was what actually happened to me in December 2007!!! I almost died surfing in La Union! That was on a Saturday afternoon. Monday after that, I went to work, filed for resignation (after 6 long years of service) and started living a more carefree life! To think I was being promoted after graduating top 9 in the whole National Management Program of the government agency I was working for. Amazing!

“Don’t cling to things because everything is impermanent.”

This is one of my major goals this year… to not be so attached to things, to be able to let go of my material and selfish desires and to enjoy life more with the people I care about.

“If you’re battling against getting older, you’re always going to be unhappy, because it will happen somehow.”

Well, I am almost 32 now and I can’t wait to grow older and a lot wiser. Bring it on!

“Wherever I went in life, I met people wanting to gobble up something new. Gobble up a new car. Gobble up a new piece of property. Gobble up the latest toy. And then they wanted to tell you about it. “Guess what I got? Guess what I got?”  You know how I always interpreted that? These were people always so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works. You can’t substitute material things for love or  for gentleness or tenderness or for a sense of comradeship.” 

I must admit. I was guilty of this one. I still am somehow. But I am slowly changing that. This year alone, I didn’t have any big purchases. I recyled my unused and old stuff and I am less wanting and needing of material things. The next step for me is to spend more time with the people I care about like my parents and siblings. 

“There are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage.: If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble.  If you can’t talk openly about what goes on between you, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don’t have a common set of values in life, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike. And the biggest one of those values?… Your belief in the importance of your marriage.”

AMEN TO ALL OF THAT!

May this new year bring forth  more wisdom and knowledge to my fellow bookworms out there. May  we try to live like Morrie in our own little and special ways.HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

OMG! This book is ultra fantastic! I mean, I know Sophie Kinsella writes well and most (if not all) of her books are bestsellers! But this one has got to be the most fun and most exciting of all! I bought this book several months ago but it was only last long weekend that I got the chance to read it from start to finish. Every chance I got, I was reading Twenties Girl. From the airport, to the bus, to the boat, while sunbathing by the beach, while enjoying the breeze of a starry, starry night… while I was having breakfast and dinner, while Peter was watching Glee in our hotel room… I was so into it! 

Twenties Girl is about Lara Lington, a twenty-something girl who has a very overactive imagination.  More so, when her dead 105 year old great aunt, Sadie Lancaster, started visiting her and began taking hold of her life.  It was a disaster of course but slowly, things have been unfolding in a way that I did not expect. It’s just filled with one exciting storyline after another! Seriously, where does Sophie Kinsella get all her ideas?! Makes me wanna write a fantastic novel too. But how and where do I start? Anyway, I digress…

You might say that Lara Lington has the quirks of a typical chic lit character — fun, paranoid, obsessive, passionate, independent, etc. But she’s more than that. In a way, I related to her especially with her being apathetic about her family and her family’s history. I mean seriously, who likes attending funerals?! When my fave granny died last year, I did not even go. But in the end, Lara  was able to conquer it all with flying colors! How I wish I could turn back time. I should’ve gone to my granny’s funeral after all.

Anyway, this book has all the elements you will ever ineed in an chic lit — love, frustration, challenges, surprises… I thought the list would go endless. For a 435 page book, it was pretty endless, but in a good, “Oh no I’m almost done” kind of way once you’re reaching the end.

Do read it! 

Mercenary Intent by Dennis Hambright

This may be the very first time that I have read an action-packed novel. I used to have biases about these kinds of stories because for one, they’re too macho for me and if you notice, I always prefer chick lits, fantasy adventure and the self-help kinds. I guess the closest that I have come to reading this type of book was when I used to read all of Sidney Sheldon’s novels back in High School (I’ve read them all…he’s one of my most favorites then and now…may he rest in peace) and Dan Brown’s Angel and Demons, Da Vinci Code, Deception Point and Digital Fortress (which I have read several years ago and have yet found the time to review here). Even these novels are not purely action material. There’s always a huge chunk of adult scenes, philosophy, and love angle to it. Mercenary Intent is my first EVER purely ation-packed novel but with a heart. I was excited when I first found out about it but I also had my little doubts when the author himself, Dennis Hambright, sent me a signed copy. Nevertheless, I gave it a try.

Reading the first page, I was immediately put in a trance-like state of mind. This went on until I finished the whole book in just two days (in between work and chores)! That was fast! Even my Paolo Coelho books would seem to take me like a month or a few weeks before I finish each. It’s only ELEVEN MINUTES that got me reading Paolo Coelho’s book this fast!

Reading Mercenary Intent was like watching a closely-knitted action movie for me (and I seldom like action movies but this one is really good!). The way he described each scene, each character, the plot and subplots was so vivid my mind didn’t want it to stop until I come to the end. It’s about Damien Chance, a regular kind of guy, much like anybody we now, who after getting fed up with his life in the big city, chose to ride an adventure deep into the basin of the Amazon Jungle in order to search for gold and lost treasure. There, he met the greatest obstacles of his life, surpassed all unimaginable challenges and in the end, he found love, life and his true self. Unlike other good novels, this one has a ring of truth and reality to it, much like I’m just reading an autobiography of someone I know. Damien’s experiences seem so real and palpable I can feel him breathing next to me. Maybe because the author, Dennis Hambright, lived some sort of semblance to that kind of life himself. So I know there’s a unique ring of truth to the story.

This book is something you will want to have with you whether you’re traveling or at home. It’s such a fast read it will blow you away. Get a copy now! 

The Winner Stands Alone by Paolo Coelho

This latest book of Paolo Coelho is one that is very different from the rest of the pack (I know because I’ve read all of them and I have them in my collection). It was a slow read at first but the more I turned its pages, the more hooked I got. Probably because in my own little way, I have brushed with the world of glamour and celebrities through the acting bits I did in theater and TV and I know for a fact how messy, superficial, vain and shallow people can really get. Many will really try everything they can to get a piece of the pie… any piece of fame and glory that they can get their hands on. Most of the time, I detest it. But for Paolo Coelho’s characters in this book, The Superclass, fame and fortune have  become the end all and be all of living.

The Winner Stands Alone picked a very interesting spot for its plot to unfold — the Cannes Film Festival in France. Most of us, if not all, have an idea how glitzy, flashy and snazzy this event is especially for film makers, actors, directors, designers, couturiers, photographers and everyone involved in showbiz. This is where its central character, Igor, chose to unveil its pure evil by destroying “whole worlds” if only to bring back the heart of the woman (Ewa) he loves. And in the process of doing so, he realized how pointless his cruelty has been… how she, despite everything he has done for her, does not deserve his love and adoration after all.

All of the characters in this book were caught in the trap of fame and fortune… of glamour, like some drug so powerful that one cannot really resist it. And in the end, it’s all for naught. And the winner does stand alone.

The following are some parts of the book that for some reason or another, I resonated with:

“The celebrity syndrome. When people forget who they are and start to believe what other people say about them. The Superclass, everyone’s dream, a world without shadows or darkness, where yes is the only possible answer to any request.” - page 155

> Even in the ordinary day-to-day life, there are people who act this way. They forget who they really are and believe more in what other people say about them. Thank God I’m not one of those! On the contrary, I really don’t care much what other people think of me. It’s my life and I will do what I want with it. As long as I know that I am not hurting anyone, that I am doing my best to be of help to people who matter to me, then that’s enough.  How sad life must be for those whose confidence in themselves rely on others’ opinion about them. They’re not really living but merely existing.

“In her youth, she had always felt rejected by others and never able to be herself. She always had to pretend to be interested in the same things as her friends, playing the same games, going to parties, and looking for some handsome man to be a faithful husband and give her security, a home and children. “ - page 201

> There were times when I also felt rejected by my so-called friends even when they didn’t mean it. I joined their games and pretended to like the things they do, if only to feel like I belong. In times of turbulence I am there for them to listen, to have a shoulder to cry on, to hold them… but when it’s my turn to open up, they all disappear. Or worse, they pretend to listen but somehow manage to turn the conversation about themselves. I honestly don’t know what’s up with that. And so through the years, I learned to manage on my own.  I learned to accept and do what I love. I learned to solve problems by myself. I learned to be a lot tougher and meaner. And the consequence of  this is… I expect others to be the same.

“Carry on, even if you’re not so sure now of what you’re doing. God moves in mysterious ways, and sometimes, the path only reveals itself once you start walking it.” - page 248

> A lot of things in my life happened out of chance. Almost everything I did and still do seemed/seem to be unplanned. I just know I want to do it and so I do it. And in the proces sof doing so, the path is always slowly revealed. I didn’t want to be a government employee but I became one and through the years, I became better and better at it. I was rewarded for my efforts with money and fame. But I stopped wanting it and craved for something else. So I quit and ventured into the carefree world of freelancing. I didn’t know anything about it at first but I braved its waters. I was soon rewarded yet again and things just keep getting better and better. It’s really true! Life is mysterious. God will reveal the path as soon as one starts walking on it. So start walking!

“People get lost in the desert because they’re taken in by mirages… You’re doing an excellent job as a couturier; focus all your energies on that.” - page 308

> This phrase has the most emotional pull on me. I am an Aquarian and by nature I love doing so many different things. No wonder I feel like I’m perpetually 21 years old. I get pulled by so many different forces at so many different directions. Sometimes, I know these forces are just mirages. They’re really not what I want but I take them anyway and that’s when I get lost in life. I should discern which things I am excellent at and focus my energies there. I’ll make that part of my 2010 resolution. So it is and so it will be done.

Overwhelmed

OMG! It’s been several months since I last sreviewed a book here. Honestly I have been so busy with my life…with work… with social activities and travels that I haven’t really had the time tro finish reading any of my books. And I got tons of ‘em! I hope to finish one before this month ends. Until then, let me show you my current collection:

Anime Chat

I was never an anime fan but my husband is. One day, I just decided to browse the web and see what’s out there when I found something that he bookmarked. Apparently, it was a site for Anime Chat. I tried to log in using a user id that he frequently uses. Apparently, it wasn’t the correct one coz I was brought to the registration page. So I registered with my own alias by filling up a short registration form. In just a mere moment, I was in! The first thing that I saw was a small pop-up window that was asking me to allow phone and camera access so people in the chatroom could talk to me and see me at the same time and vice versa. There were around 37 people, from different parts of the world, chatting online when I logged in. I can choose to block some people if I want to or start conversing with anyone I find interesting. What I did was try to complete my profile first. Then I browsed at the available people. There were two rooms, one for anime chatting and one for chatting just about anything under the sun. It really was quite easy to use and exciting to meet a lot of new people with the same interests! No wonder my hubby bookmarked the site. 

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Three years ago, I bought J.K. Rowling’s 6th installment of her Harry Potter Series, The Half-Blood Prince, but it was only recently that I felt compelled to finish reading it. The movie version is about to be shown and I didn’t want my imagination colored by it. Once I got started with the pages, there was no turning back. J.K. Rowling once again captured my mind, heart and soul as she did with the first five books (which I never got the chance to review as this blog hasn’t been around 4-7 years ago) But I think I shall copy some reviews just for my own reference (and because I sometimes get tired of writing my own thoughts about it, hihihi).

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is set during Harry Potter’s sixth year at Hogwarts. With the help of Dumbledore through the pensieve, he explores and learns Lord Voldemort’s past as the very talented Tom Riddle. Harry then prepares for the final battle amidst emerging romantic relationships between him and Ginny and possibly even between Ron and Hermione. Emotional confusions and conflict resolutions arise as are characteristic of mid-adolescence but  despite these raging concerns, the main goal really here is for Harry to realize that love is his ultimate battle gear, something that Voldemort never has and never will experience. That is Harry’s core and that will be his tool as he learns to grow up from being a teenaged wizard to becoming a very responsible and fearless man.

“Rowling’s sixth book opens in the British Prime Minister’s office after ‘a very long, tiring, and difficult week,’ words that cast an eerie light on actual events in London this summer. Yet from the first, the author has used the wizard world to offer insight into the goings-on in the real world, perhaps now more than ever. After the new Minister of Magic introduces himself to the Prime Minister, the scene shifts to Professor Snape’s home, where Draco Malfoy’s mother and aunt pay him a call, referring to a cryptic mission on which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is sending Draco. Next, Dumbledore himself fetches Harry from the Dursleys, as the two begin a book-long quest to get to the heart of the dark wizardry impacting both the Muggle and magical worlds. Although You-Know-Who makes no appearances here, his henchmen gain momentum, and his past comes to light through multiple trips via the Pensieve; perhaps Rowling’s most brilliant invention yet, the Horcrux, comes chillingly to the fore. Meanwhile, after winding up with a used copy of Advanced Potion-Making with notes from a mysterious Half-Blood Prince, Harry aces his Potions class, taught by the new Professor Slughorn; Snape is now teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts — what can that mean? Readers will have to madly flip the pages to find out. Rowling spends a fair amount of time in the set-up but she accomplishes a great deal in this book, pulling together threads from all the previous titles and expertly poising readers for the planned finale. Old friends such as Lupin and Dobbin make reappearances, love interests and subsequent tensions unfold. Harry, now restored to popularity, nonetheless finds Ron and Hermione wary of his new obsession with Draco Malfoy’s activities. The situation at Hogwarts mirrors world events: even Dumbledore finds it difficult to distinguish the good from those who would unleash terror at the school and society at large. If Harry grew up in the last book, here he becomes a man, learning the true impact of the last book’s prophecy, and the importance of love as the antidote to fear. ” - Powell’s Books

The Witch of Portobello by Paolo Coelho

This book is about Sherine Khalil, famously known as Athena, a host to the Mother Goddess Hagia Sofia. It was told in a rather interesting manner, when her boyfriend set out to interview people who knew her and had come to know her as the famous, or shall we say “notorious” witch of Portobello. He did this as an attempt to get to know more his one true love who is Athena. 

In this post, I shall highlight some phrases which struck me so deeply, the same way that Paolo Coelho’s first book, The Alchemist has touched me as well.

Try to feel good about yourself even when you feel like the least worthy of creatures. Reject all those negative thoughts… surrender yourself to dance or to silence or to everyday activities… Everything is worship if your mind is focused on the present moment.”

It was year 2007 when I first got to know the secrets behind THE SECRET, another favorite book of mine by Rhonda Byrne. It talks about the same thing — to FEEL GOOD, all the time, if possible. Of course it takes discipline and practice and a lot of hard work especially for people like me who has been quite used to the negativity that society inculcates in all of us. It all starts by TRYING to be happy even when you feel that there’s nothing to be glad about. Ignore negative thoughts, commentaries and feelings no matter how tempting it is to just simply dwell on them (like perhaps saying bad things about another person, starting or spreading a rumor, participating in written or vocal assaults & persecutions, etc.) because they simply fuel your dark side  and its attraction  towards you. Focus on what you are doing now and always be grateful with the blessings you receive. This will help you live in the moment and not worry about the past and the future.

 When you don’t know something, ask or go away and find out… Believe — simply believe that you can. “

I vividly remember my favorite European History professor, Fr. Lahiff (may he rest in peace), back in freshman college, when he said during our first day of class: The only stupid question is the question never asked. So true, right? When you are brave enough to admit that you don’t know, that’s the beginning of wisdom coz that’s when you start asking, knowing and learning… Critical thinking starts. (I think Socrates may have said the same thing along those lines if I remember correctly).  Believe that eventually, you will know the truth… you can be whoever you want to be.

 Reprogram yourself every minute of each day with thoughts that make you grow. When you’re feeling irritated and confused, try to laugh at yourself…”

This is another way of saying that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. We all die in the end anyway so let’s make the most out of it and have clean fun in the process. Take delight in life! It is a God’s gift, after all.

 Society tries to define how ideals should be manifested in reality. Currently, for example, the ideal of beauty is to be thin, and yet thousands of years ago all the images of goddesses were fat. It’s the same with happiness: there are a series of rules, and if you fail to follow them, your conscious mind will refuse to accept the idea that you’re happy.”

For me this means that I shouldn’t take seriously what society believes to be the basis of happiness especially those that deal with vanity because they change all the time. Whether I am fat or thin, the most important thing is that I am healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. Whether I carry designer clothes & accessories or not, the most important thing is that I didn’t steal or covet my neighbor’s goods or earned my money in a sinful way. There are many rules that govern us and dictate how we should live our lives. I think that as long as we are not hurting anybody, as long as we know what makes us REALLY happy, then we should keep on doing what we are doing. Enough said.

 Start doing what you want to do, and everything else will be revealed to you. Believe that God is the Mother and looks after her children and never lets anything bad happen to them.”

This is one way of saying that we learn by doing. You want to be a teacher? Teach. You want to let go of your grudges? Forgive. You want to learn about honesty? Tell the truth. You want to become an actress? Act. And so on and so forth.  When you start doing what you want to do, it means that you are putting yourself in a “receiving mode” and the whole universe will conspire to give you everything else that you need in order to pursue and excel in that dream of yours.

 In order for us to liberate the energy of our strength, our weakness must first have a chance to reveal itself.”

In dire situations, when we feel that our weaknesses have brought us to rock bottom, there is no way to go anywhere else but up. And that’s when we realize that we are stronger than we think. 

 In order for us  to understand the powers we carry within us  and the secrets that have already been revealed, it was first necessary to allow the surface  — expectations, fears, appearances — to be burned away.”

When we expect, fear or worry about appearances, we focus on the past and the future and that does not always turn out well. Most often than not, it leaves us emotionally paralyzed and we begin to doubt our capabilities. The moment we cast them aside, that’s when our focus turns to the present moment. And when we are at the present moment, we are in a state of worship and that’s when all good things, including the power we carry within us,  are revealed.

I felt very loved, wanted and protected. In difficult moments, remember that feeling. “

When was the last time you felt loved, wanted and protected? Carry that feeling with you especially in moments when there is confusion, sadness and doubt. When you go back to your happy place, it gives you a feeling of peace… it lets you focus on the good things. And when you start feeling good again, that’s when blessings will once more start pouring into your life.

Now that I’ve found my path, there will be no more difficult moments.”

I used to have a job that I felt was not my path. It was very difficult. There was resistance coming from deep within me that I could not control and brought great misery to my life. I think when the time comes that I can say that I’ve finally found my path, life will be so much easier because I am just simply doing what I love to do. I am no longer working but playing. And wouldn’t that be divine?

Eat in moderation, but take pleasure in eating… Remember that for millennia we have struggled  in order to keep from starving. Whose idea was it that we had to be thin all our lives?  Use the energy and effort that you put into dieting to nourish yourself with spiritual bread… Instead of artificially burning those calories, try to transform them into the energy required  to fight for your dreams. No one ever stayed slim for very long just because of a diet.”

I agree, especially when done in an extreme manner. Why do we keep punishing ourselves physically just to look good the way our society tells us how to look good.  Some of us turn anorexic or bulimic, turn to drugs or starve themselves until ulcer or some other diet complication kills them…We spend so much time, effort and money following the dictates of our society… in “artificially burning those calories”. Isn’t it better to use your time doing other productive activities like fighting for your dreams, knowing your passion or getting in touch with your spirituality? Think about it.