The Green Dress

15 degrees and sunny - great, I can wear a dress without nylons! Walk out the door leaving a few minutes early to ensure a leisurely walk to work. All is as per usual on a typical Wednesday morning, the usual people who seemingly have nothing urgent in life, the loud phone-talkers, the "I slept-in!" crowd, and the casual walkers. While enjoying the few spare moments of freedom before either embarking on a meaningless job, I realize I am one main intersection away. Enjoying my pineapple-apple gum, I blow a bubble while crossing the street with my hands in my pockets. A car with a trailer is in my way so following suit, I place one foot in front of another straddling the trailer hitch. Just as I'm about to move my other foot over the hitch, I am yanked by a stranger who has saved me from being hit by the reckless driver who wishes to hit law-abiding pedestrians with his in-the-way and middle-of-the-intersection trailer hitch! CLOSE CALL.

Lunch rolls around and I look forward to reading my nerdy book which gives a brief introduction to main concepts and theories of Physics. I am interrupted by a creepy yet normal middle-aged man asking, "A pretty girl like you, can't be reading that for fun?". Now, I am not a feminist, but what was he expecting, Barbie fairy-tales with pop-up pictures and scratch 'n' sniff? Thankfully, less than a minute later, an older and very lovely woman says 'what a pretty dress on such a pretty girl'. What a lovely thing to say! I was pleased then immediately after creeped out by creepy mcgie who proceeded to show me clips on his phone and homemade videos of his 'pilot skills'. I had to get out of there and fast!

Since wierd things come in three, I am going to stay locked up for the remainder of the night and hope for the best.

Ciar xo

The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

My blog has become a place to write literary reviews of the abundant amount of novels that I read. Continuing with that theme, the most recent novel that I read will come as no surprise - The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (hence the title of this entry).

I always find Dan Brown's novels to be page-turning thrillers that leave you on edge. If you don't finish them in one sitting you will yearn to read on until the novel is complete. Your dreams will be flooded by the characters' next moves, and attempts to solve the mystery will all seem trivial until you learn of what really happened in the end. The Lost Symbol was no exception. The main characters were all intriguing in their own right:

Robert Langdon - As learned in the previous novels, Angels & Demons, and the Da Vinci Code, is a lovable, lanky brainiac with all of the answers. The villain focuses most interest on Robert and thus, he is naturally the epicentre of the book.

Katherine Solomon - A scientist and the brainy beauty of the book, is a philanthropic genius attempting to help the world with Noetic Science. Of course her work threatens the villain's livelihood, and so she is dragged along for the ride.

Peter Solomon - A former and trusted colleague of Robert is what initially lures Robert to the villain. His capture is the start of the novel and it is Robert's reason for agreeing to the mission of the villain.

Mal'Ekh - The villain, is well-casted. You feel that you know him from the descriptors. However, his character tends to disappoint at the end of the book.

Overall, I felt the plot was well done. The start and middle were it's strongest. I found the end to be cliche and lost my interest. I thought that Dan Brown could have finished the novel a bit sooner with much more mystery and enticement for what could have easily turned into another sequel. That said, it's Dan Brown, and I don't believe Robert Langdon's insight into theology and anthropology is over... I'm sure there will be another novel to follow-up.

As per my next book, Katherine Solomon enticed me to read a Physics piece. It's called a Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking. I look forward to posting about it next entry.

Until then happy reading,
Ciar xo

Wuthering Heights

A literary classic of the late Emily Bronte. Her one and only novel remains a timeless piece set in the isolated north of England. The cool and desolate lands of Northern England embody the novel's morose and dark tale of love and anguish. The character development is what makes the novel such an interesting read. How the characters evolve and the turning points which make their personalities change over time enables the reader to feel as though they are watching the lives' of the characters from a bird's-eye view.

Heathcliff, the main and most morose of the characters, attempts to get revenge of a lost love. His plot backfires and he ends up losing his one true love. From that day forward, he inflicts cruelty upon others around him to die a lonely and complicated man. The one good dead that he does try to do, ends up not working out, so he in turn, gives up right away. Successfully turning everyone on him, his brooding and dark persona is nucleus of the novel.

Catherine is Heathcliff's cousin and 'true love'. She dies after saying goodbye to Heathcliff and saying that she does hope that he is haunted by her. Her personality is bi-polar and 'saucy' which peaks the reader's interest.

Linton and Catherine are the children who continue the novel and the streak of the dark and sad tale. Linton ends up dying young leaving Catherine with no one to love.

In all, I think it would be fair to infer that Emily Bronte (writer) was not a happy lady. Her thoughts of unhappiness are apparent and reflected in the novel. It was said that she was a quiet woman and she died young from tuberculosis at the age of 29. Perhaps, one could conclude that each character in her novel had a small piece of her; morose and destined to die unhappy and alone.

Ciar xo

Literary Update

I have never been much of a 'dear diary' person, so blogging has proven to be bit of a chore; necessary evil nonetheless. So my objective for today's blog was to review a few books that I've read since my last book update;

1) My Cousin Rachel - A dark and brooding classic sure to leave you craving a warm blanket, in front of a stone-lined fireplace, with tea and crumpets. The author's command of the english language makes you feel as though you are an apparition watching the characters' tales unfold. Rachel's character is a mysterious and compelling individual allowing people to be open to interpret her actions in a variety of different ways.

2) Moby Dick- The Whale - A difficult classic that engages the reader, yet can also be quite dry at times. Hermann Melville's descriptions and vocabulary makes for a bit of a slower read than most, but a necessary read for any individual who enjoys classic and beautifully written novels.

3) Madam, Will You Talk? - A fun and short read that engages the reader and allows them to almost feel the wind in their hair as they speed down the curvy road in a convertable dodging the enemy and leaving little room to catch one's breath. A truly enjoyable and quick read.

4) Guns, Germs & Steel - A rather intense book whose author won a well-derserved Pulitzer Prize. The novel encapsulates why some human societies have evolved differently than others. Why the tribes of New Guinea vs. the states of the Americas have differentiated. How, the 'third-world' nations are no less intelligent than the developed nations, rather a matter of circumstance and environmental attributions. A dry yet interesting read for anyone willing to engage their academic side and expecting a roller coaster of both fascinating to putting an insomniac asleep.

Anyway, that concludes the update of my novel review. Goodnight and happy reading!

Ciar xoxo

Burning Bridges

Ever wonder where/when the term 'burning bridges' came about? Clearly the term is suitable, but why not 'don't expect to be friends/foster relations with an enemy that you had formerly beheaded and thereafter placed said head on a stake to scare others away'? Or 'don't give someone the HIV or the H1N1', or even, 'bastardizing ones' kin'?? Cruel, yet all with the same overall effect of ostracizing oneself for gain at a solatary point in time and after that gain is achieved, effectively 'burning bridges' when the individuals recognize you actually had alterior motives. Sometimes it's an honest mistake, albeit honest or not, a mistake. Other times it's intentional and only satisfying for a small point in time until you realize that that mistake will ultimately have consequences... To burn the bridge or not??

The Quest for Improvement

I am strong-willed, focused, and intelligent, yet lazy. My laziness is the biggest obstacle to overcome when trying to improve - well anything. Growing up, I studied less than most and achieved good grades. However, as age multiplied and schooling advanced, wading in a sea of mediocracy led me to a well-deserved unambitious position in a bureaucratic maze where laziness got you as far as it should, the tipping point. After many nights, weeks, even years, the ambition and fire to do and be more grew... I applied to law school. Now in the middle of Moby Dick, I prepare for the riskiest and most challenging road-block yet; the question that remains unanswered... does my laziness continue to prevail? In due time it will become clear, but all the while, I will be optimistic in the dig out of a dark hole that was the impetus of reigniting my fuel to succeed.

Sweet dreams,
Ciar xoxo

Ageless Wonder

I grew up with the notion, that immaturity has direct correlation to age... Wow, was I ever wrong! Although I'm not old, my experiences have led me to believe that immaturity relates to feelings and state of mind at the time of the action. For example, if an individual feels that they are being treated poorly or unappreciated, they react to situations 'immaturely' at times. Age seems to have extremely little to with it. Some of the most immature people have to be some of the most unhappy/vile individuals. So rather an age factor, perhaps it's a happiness factor??