World Book Night

The 23rd of April is not just Shakespeare's day or birth (and death), it is also this year's World Book Night. There are huge campaigns to promote reading in the US and UK. To check their list of books to be given away click here or here. To let friends know that they should get down to some serious reading these days, send them a text or an email :) Enjoy your reading! I will surely enjoy mine, reading Susan Hill's "The Woman in Black".

The Sense of an Ending - Six Word Sum Up

Disturbing memories can ruin one's ordinariness.

This is my 5th or 6th Barnes, and definitely not my last, since there are already two waiting to be read.
"The Sense of an Ending" is a short novel that goes smoothly until you reach the final pages and you are left wondering if Tony told us the whole story, or memory played tricks on him... or us?

E Scris Pe Trup ...

- Eu sunt Bing.
- Eu sunt Elefana, nu ti-am spus? De peste un an de zile imi comand cartile de pe Elefant.ro, cea mai mare librarie online, pentru ca ofera cele mai bune preturi din Romania, au carti in romana si engleza, ebooks, muzica si filme cat cuprinde. Poti chiar sa citesti pagini din carti inainte de a le cumpara si ghici ce? De cateva saptamani poti comanda doar cu un click, e o metoda foarte simpla, rapida si eficienta.
- Serios? Un site ce ofera servicii grozave, asta e chiar o noutate pentru voi!
- Da, cred ca vorbesti in cunostinta de cauza, calatorind peste tot…
- Nu chiar peste tot, dar hai sa zicem ca am vazut cam tot ce era de vazut prin galaxie.
- Si cu lectura cum stai?
- Lectura e cool(tura), parca asa ziceti voi, nu?
- Da, pana la urma, ignoranta poate fi un pacat, deci citim mult.
- Si cam ce cititi voi?
- Noi? E scris pe trup.
- Scris pe trup? Cum adica?
- Vezi tu, Scris pe trup e o carte ce vorbeste despre ce e mai frumos pentru noi, oamenii: dragostea, o dragoste pe care nu o poti uita, o dragoste care ramane cu tine si isi lasa amprentele in suflet.
- Suflet? Nu cunosc notiunea.
- Iti explic mai tarziu. Acum hai sa-ti vorbesc despre dragostea obsedanta, pe care o pierzi, si crezi ca ai pierdut totul. Hmm, oare “de ce masura iubirii este pierderea ei?”
- “De ce ti-e atat de frica de mine?”
- “Frica? Da, asa e, mi-e frica de tine. Ma tem ca s-ar putea sa ai o usa pe care nu o pot vedea, ca in orice clipa aceasta usa se poate deschide si dus vei fi.”
- “Pune-ti trei dorinte, si se vor implini toate. Pune-ti trei sute de dorinte, si eu ti-o voi indeplini pe fiecare din ele.”
- “Nu-ti dai niciodata inima cu totul; o imprumuti doar, din cand in cand. Daca nu ar fi asa, atunci cum ai putea sa ti-o iei inapoi fara sa ceri voie nimanui?”
- “Problema ta e ca vrei sa traiesti intr-un roman.”
- “Esti un inger cazut, dar nemiscat, asa cum sunt ingerii; trupul iti e usor ca de libelula, ai aripi mari aurii, taiate din soare...”

“Aici incepe povestea, in aceasta camera aproape goala. Atunci cand vom pleca, vom putea lua lumea cu noi, si soarele sub brat.” E Scris pe trup.

Post scris pe blog, nu pe trup, pentru sufletul meu si blogalinitiative.ro :)

Always Jeanette

The Museum of Innocence - Six Word Sum Up

Every few years I stumble upon a book that turns out to be just... PERFECT! "The Museum of Innocence" is such a book, and I can't wait to read more of Pamuk's work!

Obsession - Love raging in the soul.

Read for Tea and Books Challenge, The European Reading Challenge and New Authors Challenge.

Here is a video of Pamuk talking about his book and the future museum inspired by it.
And here is my favorite quote, well... one of the dozens :)
"When two people love each other as we do, no one can come between them, no one," I said, amazed at the words I was uttering without preparation. "Lovers like us, because they know that nothing can destroy their love, even on the worst days, even when they are heedlessly hurting each other in the cruelest , most deceitful ways, still carry in their hearts a consolation that never abandons them." (p.191)"

Catherine Locandro - Clara la nuit

Ce soir-là, je ne redescendis pas sur le trottoir.
Je regagnai ma chambre habituelle et me livrai à une introspection minutieuse. La conclusion de cette plongée en moi-même tenait en deux questions-réponses très simples : avais-je eu peur ? Non. Allais-je recommencer Oui. Le lendemain, j'achetai des porte-jarretelles à ma taille. "

"Clara la nuit" is one of those novellas which you wish it had been longer, so you could discover more about the mysterious character.


During the day, Claire is an ordinary woman who reads and loves walking on the streets of Paris, but during the night she turns into Clara, a prostitute of Rue du Temple. One night, a man asks her not to have sex with him but to read a letter instead. She is moved by it and she seems she cannot forget him. When she finally finds him while being drawn to a portrait resembling herself, she also discovers the sadness in his heart. The relation between them changes when, in danger, she finds comfort in his house and his arms.
Besides Clara's story and her past, the writer also examines the human condition, struggling between loneliness, vice and the need to love and be loved.
There is still an unanswered question: why did she choose to become a prostitute? She tells the painter that it is what she does best, but can that be truly convincing?

Read for the New Authors Challenge.