Saturday, July 28, 2012

Paris en Juillet

"Il faut avoir vécu des années dans le rien pour comprendre comment on peut être subitement effrayé par la possibilité." (Foenkinos' La Delicatesse)
Unexpectedly, Paris was quite cold this July, but that did not keep me from enjoying its beauties :)  
Seine's banks, full of souvenirs and old books...
My friends, the gargoyles, up the Notre Dame, always waiting for something...
Le Marche aux Fleurs, one of my top 5 favorite places in Paris...

"La Delicatessse", by David Foenkinos and "Paris Revealed" by Stephen Clarke were two reads I loved and recommend if Paris is on your mind for a future vacation and if you want to discover either its secrets and past, or if you want to get an intimate account of a sad Parisian's life and loves...
...and "Cafe de Flore" is a superb film, mostly set in 1960s Paris, starring Vanessa Paradis.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey - Six Word Sum Up


Whoever thought erotic literature cannot sell was completely mistaken. The hype that surrounded this book (actually, trilogy) made me read it because I was way too curious about it. Surely, it is quite erotic, in the sense that a 49 year old woman is writing about her fantasies and this made me wonder if I will be dreaming about that when I am 49 as well... Totally undemanding literature, which can be perfect for a few summer nights, depending on your mood!

Dark desires can never be boring.

Read for the New Authors Challenge...

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Story Birds

I have discovered the most wonderful site, STORYBIRD, which I am going to use with my students starting in September.
Simply lovely! Take a look and create your own stories... Boys I Have Loved by czikimonkey on Storybird

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Paris in July


Nothing beats Paris in July... well, maybe Venice in February :)

I decided to join yet another reading challenge - Paris in July - since I love Paris and I will be visiting the city this month so, this July it is time for Paris again and since we're talking books, I will be reading Foenkinos' "La Delicatesse" (which I plan on buying from Paris), Patchett's "Bel Canto" for Orange in July Challenge and "Paris Revealed" and "The Last Time I Saw Paris" because they seem just the books to read while in Paris (actually, while waiting for planes to take off).
See you soon! :)

Friday, June 22, 2012

Word of the Day 6: BRIDGE



One of my favorite idioms in English is "burn your bridges", meaning to do something with the result that you will not be able to return to a previous situation again, even if you want to . Sometimes it is imperious to do it in order to let go of the past and move forward, less burdened and more confident.

Still, before thinking that everything is "water under the bridge" (what happened in the past should be forgotten), you should take all precautions in order to leave all worries behind while "crossing that bridge when you come to it", since you do not want to take bad memories with you on the other side...

Thursday, June 14, 2012

The Summer Without Men - Six Word Sum Up

It has been my first encounter with Siri Hustvedt ( the surname has Norwegian origins) and I am sure I will be reading some of her other books in the near future, especially since she is so interested in psychoanalysis and she has included this aspect in her writing. Here's one of her interesting interviews on the topic.

A cheated woman goes beyond despair.

Read for the New Authors Challenge.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Overchallenged

2012 is definitely the year of challenges ... reading challenges! I have decided to join EIGHT and now I am wondering whether I will be able to finish them. Five months have passed and here is a recap of what I have accomplished so far:

Orange January: 2 books: Rape (Oates) and Small Island (Levy)- completed;

Venice in February: 4 books: The Passion (Winterson), Vivaldi's Virgins (Quick), Invisible Cities (Calvino) and Crossing the Bridge of Sighs(Michael) - completed;

Murakami Challenge: I started 1Q84 (two more volumes to read and two other novels by him);

New Authors: I have read 23 new authors, my favorite ones being Pamuk and Foenkinos;

Orange in July: 1 book to be read (Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett );

Tea and Books: 1 book read (The Museum of Innocence) 1 to finish (1Q84);

European Reading Challenge: 8 books read, there might be more, but I am not sure;

Japanese Reading Challenge: 1 read, a lot more awaiting...

What are your reading challenges these days?

Friday, May 25, 2012

Ten People, Ten Colours... Ten Books

Juu-nin to-iro is a Japanese proverb meaning that everyone has their own tastes. For the next months, my tastes will coincide with Bellezza's and her Japanese Reading Challenge 6 which I have joined for the second year. I am so thrilled to be reading Japanese literature, mainly because it is so different from any other and I managed to gather ten books, mentioned in the collage below.
Five of them are written by Haruki Murakami, but I am not sure I will be reading all of them. My goal is to finish 1Q84 for Birgit's Tea and Books Challenge and two more, for the Murakami Challenge. I will also be reading Yamada's In Search of a Distant Voice since I loved Strangers... Any other book will add to the pleasure. So, will you be joining us? :)

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Saturday, May 5, 2012

The Woman in Black - Six Word Sum Up

     Do you believe in haunting ghosts? 
 

This is quite a creepy book to read, and I stopped reading it a few times, probably because it somehow got to me. Susan Hill has also written a series of crime novels, which I might tackle, after I get rid of this awful feeling of being watched and followed by a woman in black...

Read for the New Authors Challenge. 

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Me, Myself and Jeanette

“I seem to have run in a great circle, and met myself again on the starting line.” This may seem incredible - and it actually is - but tomorrow I will be (hopefully live) on the BBC radio , asking Jeanette Winterson questions about her first novel, published in 1985, "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit". How out of this world that is? :) Am I over the moon? Yes. Am I worried I will be too nervous and make a fool of myself? Oh, yes. Is this a dream come true? Definitely. I will update the post after the interview to keep you posted about how my fascination with JW has reached new heights :)

 UPDATE: No live chat due to my work schedule, but my question has been answered. What question and what answer? You'll have to wait till the 2nd of June, when the podcast will be available :)  
UPDATE 2: Here's the podcast!

Friday, April 20, 2012

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".

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

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?

Friday, April 13, 2012

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 :)

Thursday, April 5, 2012

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)"

Sunday, April 1, 2012

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.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Tish & Pish - 6 Word Sum Up

Fancy Language Can Be much Fun.




It is quite uplifting from time to time to peruse a book that is not a novel. In fact, it is a book about language, and what language that is!
Here are a few examples of gorgeosities:

How are you? - May I enquire as to whether you are in receipt of a state of bodily wellness?

Oh no, not you again - Tish and pish, has the restraining order already expired?

Pleased to meet you - I tingle in your presence.

Hi, allow me to introduce myself - Greetings, pleasure me with permission to present myself to you for evaluation as a potential friend, lover or colleague.

I can read you like a book. I bet you’re great between the covers. - Your forehead appears to have about seventy thousand
words imprinted thereupon. I’d hazard that you are accomplished in the rumpy-pumpy department.

Every cloud has a silver lining - Every visible collection of fluffy, floating water particles possesses a surface layer of a lustrous, pliable metallic element of the atomic number forty-seven.

Oi, taxi! - Forgive my shouting in the street in this rather vulgar manner, but I should like to reserve the usagenosity of your taximeter cabriolet for a journey to... oh, fiddlesticks, someone else has beaten me thereto.