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Things That Only True Book Lovers Will Understand

You Don’t know why So Many People Don’t Read: As an avid book reader, you don’t understand why more people

Literature
 

A Living Antigone Literature And Mythology

He is one of the most famous characters in literature and mythology, and also one of the most endearing. We

LITERATURE TIPS

Book Reading
 

Book reading Tips: Plowing through a long book

If you’ve seen your long and big books sitting on your shelves for a long time now, you need some

Teen Books
 

5 Teen Books to Promote Positive Thinking

It is no cakewalk to be a teenager in the 21st century! Academic and peer pressure can take a toll

German Books
 

German Books by Women We’d Love to See in English

It is disappointing for an avid reader to hear about a book, only to find out that it was never

Books
 

Books to Read before you Hit Thirty

Reading Books is a pleasure not everyone understands. They allow us to live through other people’s experiences and learn from

Book Lovers
  

Things That Only True Book Lovers Will Understand

You Don’t know why So Many People Don’t Read: As an avid book reader, you don’t understand why more people

Novel
 

An Uncompromising Initiatory Novel

In small town Alabama during the Great Depression, Atticus Finch raised his two children, Jem and Scout, alone. A man

Biographical Note
 

Jean Vodaine Biographical Note

Jean Vodaine was born on July 6, 1921 in Volce, today in Slovenia, then in the Veneto Juliana. At the

The Novel
 

The Novel Of A Generation

The characters who run through Sophie Avon’s novel: The Beautiful Years , turned 20 in the 1980s but could just

Biography
 

Biography Of Jean-Paul Klee

Jean-Paul Klée was born in Strasbourg on June 5, 1943. His father, the philosopher Raymond-Lucien Klée, knew Simone Weil and,

Literature
 

A Living Antigone Literature And Mythology

He is one of the most famous characters in literature and mythology, and also one of the most endearing. We

LATEST NEWS & ARTICLES

Book Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Book Review

If you’re hunting for a book that changes your life’s perspectives by providing a positive turn to every event in life, this is the book for you! It is an inspirational masterpiece that has taken a seat in the minds of positive thinkers and believers.

About the book

The original version of ‘The Alchemist’ was published in Portuguese in 1987, after which Paulo Coelho turned it into an English masterpiece. Although the book’s sale was relatively low in the first few weeks, the universe conspired to make it a hit in the later months of its release. As a result, the book has sold 65 million copies worldwide and remained a NY Times Bestseller for over 315 weeks. For anyone who has already read the book, it is a self-help masterpiece that provides a valuable lesson in every chapter, if not every page.

Summary of The Alchemist

The story is centered around a shepherd named Santiago, who constantly dreams about striking a treasure in the Pyramids of Egypt. While on the journey to find answers, he encounters a fortune teller who interprets his dream as a prophecy. While searching, he also meets the King of Salem, who recommends Santiago sell all his sheep and fill his ‘Personal Legend.’

After this encounter, the story shifts to the shepherd boy selling all his sheep and following his life’s purpose. Finally, he starts his journey to discover his dream treasure. The boy faces various obstacles to gain what he believes is his and eventually finds it.

Interpretation of The Alchemist

While talking about Santiago’s story, the author throws light on following one’s destiny. The book’s central theme is ‘when you want something to happen, the entire universe will conspire to make your wish a reality. After you read, you will notice that this motif is followed throughout the story.

Another reader’s interpretation of the book is based on overcoming one’s fear and giving in to destiny. The detrimental consequences of fear are endless. If one lets fear take over their life, one can achieve nothing and live miserably. If Santiago had allowed his fear of the unknown and traveling to a deserted land by selling his herd to get to his brain, he wouldn’t have discovered the treasure in Egypt.

alchemist

Lessons from the alchemist

Although it depends on the reader to interpret and learn a personal lesson, the author focuses on providing the following lessons to his readers:

  • Everyone has a dream that they wish to conquer. If you wish to reach that goal, you have to follow your personal legend.
  • Stop being afraid of the unknown. If you wish to conquer something in life and progress forward, you should never let fear get in your way.
  • It is essential to rise stronger after you fall, which is one of the factors in running after your success.

 

Book Review: Ikigai

Book Review

In Japanese, Ikigai means ‘Art of Living and the book justifies every word. It speaks to the heart of readers, educating them about leading a purposeful life. Many avid readers have put their thoughts on the book and stated that it is a book of secrets to leading a happy, stress-free life.

About the Book

Ikigai; The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life is a book by Francesc Miralles and Hector Gracia Puigcerver. They visit the town of Okinawa in Japan, which is considered a village that is  known for its longevity and leading a healthy lifestyle. The authors interviewed the locals and villagers to understand the meaning of the term ‘Ikigai.’ It is comprised of a blend of cultures and is now the epitome of a self-help book that guides its readers in the right direction to gaining non-material happiness.

The book talks about embracing techniques to lead a healthier and happier life by discovering our ‘Ikigai’ and following the road to lead a prosperous life. Various aspects of life, like the importance of friendships, the importance of flow, motivation, and other subjects, are covered in this book. In concise, it talks about the rule of personal Ikigai:

  • Don’t retire; stay active
  • Take slow steps
  • Don’t fill your stomach to the brim
  • Surround yourself with good people
  • Get in shape
  • Smile more
  • Have an attitude of gratitude
  • Live in the moment
  • Follow your Ikigai

Ikigai

Book Review

The villagers of Okinawa swear by these rules, which have helped them stay happy and kept their heart diseases at bay.

The second part of the book talks about the significance of taking care of one’s mental health, which people in the modern world often neglect. It also provides tips on activating the brain solely based on patterns and practices. One of the book’s main aspects is to help people avoid stress in life, which is one of the leading causes of many diseases and premature aging. A brief part of the book also talks about yoga and how it can help people stay flexible and active.

The third segment mainly talks about Morita Therapy, which helps alleviate anxiety and obsessive behavior. It also talks about the techniques that can be followed for this therapy and how they can be used to attain one’s Ikigai.

The last segment talks about the concept of ‘flow,’ which primarily revolves around enjoying even the more minor aspects of life, with concentration to prevent boredom. This book also encourages small gestures that can help establish and preserve friendships and healthy relationships with people.

Conclusion

Overall, Ikigai is an uplifting book that provides positive perspectives on various aspects of life. The simple and calming tone of the book welcomes even beginners to get through the entire book. Furthermore, talking about the Japanese Zen philosophy inspires many by helping them find their true Ikigai.

 

Book reading Tips: Plowing through a long book

Book Reading

If you’ve seen your long and big books sitting on your shelves for a long time now, you need some help opening them and reading them. We have all come across the time when we look at the books staring at us while we feel guilty and scroll through social media.

If you face this feeling, now is the time to bid goodbye because, in this article, we will tell you how to finally stop procrastinating and get through the lengthy book you’ve been waiting to discover.

Knowing your interests

One of the key aspects of buying a long book is first knowing which genre you would love to read and whether or not you’ll read the book. There are always chances that you will not enjoy a book while reading it. Hence, before buying the book, gain insights into the storyline, author, language used, etc.

Put your phone aside.

Imagine a situation where you buy a book you would love to read but safely store it on your shelf. Wouldn’t it be unfair to you and the book? To finish such a long book, you must read at least ten pages daily. One way is to put your phone aside and pick up the book. Scrolling on social media is one of the main reasons for procrastination. By placing your phone aside, you can give the attention the book demands.

Start with short books.

If you’re a novice reader, it is best to start with short stories or books which you can finish quickly. Doing this will gather the confidence to complete an entire book, big or small.

Take one step at a time.

If you’re reading a book just to finish it, there is no point in reading it. Even though your goal is to complete a long book, it is best to take it slow. Reading a long book is like running a marathon, not a race! Generally, long books have a lot of information and fine details that can play with your thoughts. Therefore, it is best to read it slowly, understand the author’s intent, and get the best out of the masterpiece.

audiobook

Explore audiobook

It is a challenging task to sit with a book all the time, irrespective of the environment we’re in. If you find it difficult to carry your book everywhere you go, switch to an audiobook. There are several options for choosing audiobooks from different vendors. You can listen to it while driving, sleeping, walking, and performing other activities, which will also aid in finishing the book sooner.

Don’t forget to enjoy

Go to a park, visit a coffee shop or even lie on your couch and enjoy the book. Try to understand the way the author is connecting with the audience.

5 Teen Books to Promote Positive Thinking

Teen Books

It is no cakewalk to be a teenager in the 21st century! Academic and peer pressure can take a toll on teens’ mental health. People expect young adults and teens to become independent and start making important life decisions suddenly. This prospect can be a daunting one.

A little aid is needed for teens to get through their challenging lives, and it can be in the form of books! Getting associated with different kinds of books allows them to submerge in the books’ characters and provides the much-needed hope to get through life and promote positive thinking.

positive thinking

Ten things I can see from here by Carrie Mac

The book’s main character Maeve experiences life’s hurdles, devoting themselves to overthinking and curating worst-case scenarios in her headspace. The book is typical for all teens dealing with anxiety and anxious thoughts. It is also intertwined with a heartwarming love story which allows her to get over the anxious beliefs that she has grown in her head. It is an excellent book for teens dealing with a similar situation and will help them find some relatability.

Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin

This book does justice to its title by centering on the main character Winnie, who deals with illness and teen drama simultaneously. It is a bewildering journey for her to take, being a daughter to a comedian father. Winnie’s emotions are depicted beautifully in the book, touching the teens’ hearts.

I have Lost my Way by Gayle Forman.

There are three different characters in this book that share similar backstories. All three characters deal with their own problems, joy, and trauma. However, when they are together, they forget everything and find solace in each other’s companionship. It is a great way to showcase to teens friendships and how the right friends can help you get through any situation in life. While helping each other, they also help themselves deal with their complex problems in life.

Anxiety Relief for teens by Regine Galanti

It is an informative book written by clinical psychologist Dr. Regine Galanti who has spent all her professional experience and life treating teens suffering from anxiety. She has also mastered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and solutions to different problems in life. In this book, Galanti mentions simple techniques for teens to follow, like mindfulness in different areas of life, CBT-based tools, and many more techniques which can help anyone lead stress and anxiety-free life.

Anxiety Relief

Take in the good by Gina Biegel.

The book is illustrated b Breanna Chambers, depicting a journal with art prints, exercise, and other writing prompts to help teen readers take in the good. It also has methods on how teens can retain positive aspects in the brain and increase their confidence in a stressful world.

German Books by Women We’d Love to See in English

German Books

It is disappointing for an avid reader to hear about a book, only to find out that it was never translated into a language they can understand. As for books authored by Women, finding a translated version is an absolute rarity. Here are some of the great books written by German authors which have not been translated into English yet:

Deutscher Meister

Deutscher Meister (Literal Translation: German Champion) is written by Stephanie Bart. The book is about Johann Trollmann, one of the popular German boxers of the 1920s and early 1930s. However, the talented boxer’s career was put on hold by the rise of Nazism. The story is set in the summer of 1933, when Jews were being forced out of public life, and sports activities were declared illegal. The fictional novel takes us through the real-life trials and tribulations of the boxer, painting a new picture of what could have been had he not lived in Nazi Germany.

Nachts ist es leise in Teheran

Nachts ist es leise in Teheran

Nachts ist es leise in Teheran (Literal Translation: All Night All Is Quiet in Tehran) is a 2016 novel written by Shida Bazyar. The story takes us through the perspective of four different family members over a time period of four decades. The story begins in Tehran in 1979 and spans to present-day Germany. This inspiring novel is about the life of a family who moved from Tehran, with children growing up in Germany and takes the readers through a journey of oppression, revolution and desire for freedom. The book gives the audience a perspective on how migration and revolution can affect future generations.

Weil wir längst woanders sind

Weil wir längst woanders sind (Literal Translation: Because we are Elsewhere Now) is written by Rasha Khayat. The story is about two siblings who grew apart simply because of their diverse cultures but are now trying to understand each other. The story is spot on with the multiracial representation, with the characters adapting to their lives with completely different approaches. The author takes us through the challenges of self-identity when someone grows up in two different homelands. Life can be incredibly complex in bicultural families, and the author takes us through that difficult perspective in simple yet beautiful words.

Für eine Nacht oder fürs ganze Leben

Für eine Nacht oder fürs ganze Leben (Literal Translation: For One Night or For Life) is  a 2015 fictional noval written by Ursula Marz. The story is about the dating situation in the digital world we are living in right now. The book is a mixture of short stories and personal essays with real-life references from the author herself. The book takes us through the lives of people who find love on the Internet and how algorithms decide who we meet and who we date.

Books to Read before you Hit Thirty

Books

Reading Books is a pleasure not everyone understands. They allow us to live through other people’s experiences and learn from their mistakes. Life is too short to learn from our mistakes, so why not benefit from this opportunity? Books shape our identities and help us understand the world better. Books can also provide you with a wealth of information, which will help you broaden your horizons and find new inspiration. Here are some of the must-read books before you hit 30:

Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari

In this book, the author tells the story of how humans evolved from the beginning to who we are today. The author paints a beautiful picture of how humans differ from other species and what sets us apart. One of the biggest breakthroughs that contributed to the fast evolution of humans is the ability to form languages and art and communicate. The author also discusses the advent of money, our behavioral patterns, and how they came from our ancestors. The book gives us insight into how our ancestors’ fight, flight or freeze responses still affect us today. The book encourages the audience to find logical explanations for the way we behave now.

book

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat, Pray, Love is a true-life story of the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, about a difficult time in her life. She was going through a difficult divorce when she decided to go on a trip. The author takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery as she travels to Italy, India, and Indonesia. The book is an entertaining account of how she searched for worldly pleasures in Italy, spiritual awakening in India, and how found love in Indonesia. The book inspires the reader to travel and live a little, away from the daily difficulties of life. Of course, any reader would fall in love with the author who has done something we have all wanted to do once in our lifetime – quit our job and travel the world. The spontaneity, independence, and courage it took for the author to travel alone still inspire women to this day.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

This soul-touching memoir is definitely one of the must-reads. The author takes the audience through her journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. With no prior experience or training in hiking, she takes this drastic spontaneous decision when going through a tough time in life. Through the long lone walk up the mountains, she tries to come to peace with the demise of her mother and her failing marriage. The book makes the reader feel that no matter where a woman is from – be it a first-world or third-world country – our experiences and fears are all the same. There is an instance in the book where the author discusses her fear of rape and the vulnerability of a lone woman in the forest. Readers can’t help but cheer for her when she takes that first step towards the hiking trail, despite her numbing fears.

 

Things That Only True Book Lovers Will Understand

Book Lovers

You Don’t know why So Many People Don’t Read:

As an avid book reader, you don’t understand why more people don’t revel in this pleasure. The pleasure of being cosy, snuggled in sheets with a book and a cup of hot coffee, is something that you only seem to understand. You keep recommending and buying new books to your friends and family, but they don’t seem to share the excitement. It immediately puts you off when you meet people who say they don’t read. You wanna inspire them to read, but they don’t seem to care.

Prefer Books

You Prefer Books to People:

Whatever the day may be, you prefer reading books to spending time with people. The solitude, the peace, and the quiet you experience while reading a book are something others will never understand. When you read a book, you don’t actually listen to people talking to you but nod away and then become confused as to why they bought you snacks a little later. When people get in between you and your book, that’s when you draw the line.

You want to Read fast but Not Finish it:

Only a true book lover will understand this terrible feeling. You want to read your book and know the story right away, but still take time to read every word slowly, so it sinks into your heart. You don’t understand why there is so much buzz around Speed Reading, yet you want to learn Speed Reading so you can get to read as many books as you can. You want to finish the book, but you also know you don’t want to because you will miss this awesome book terribly.

You Don’t Want Your Books to be Borrowed:

Every book lover can agree to this. You want others to experience the joy of reading, but you don’t want them to borrow your books. Book lovers take great care of their books, especially hard copies. They don’t care much about their digital copies. But each and every one of their physical books is precious, therefore shouldn’t be creased or drawn on. If a book lover actually lets you borrow a book, you should be honoured.

You don’t have Enough Time to Read:

One of the biggest frustrations of being an avid reader is that you don’t seem to have enough time in the day to read a book. Even if you read all day long, it is still not enough. You dream of the time when you can actually stop worrying about everything else in life and concentrate peacefully on a book. One of the biggest dreams of a book lover is to own a library, just like in the movie ‘Beauty and the Beast’. You swoon over every pretty library in the world and wish you could spend all your life in one.

avid reader

Not Enough Translated Books Available:

One of the biggest frustrations of any book lover is not getting enough translated books. Reading books is your favourite pastime activity, and sometimes, you just can’t get enough. You can’t wait for a translation, so you think about taking matters into your own hand. You contemplate learning more languages just so you can try to read some of the books in the original language they were published in.

An Uncompromising Initiatory Novel

Novel

In small town Alabama during the Great Depression, Atticus Finch raised his two children, Jem and Scout, alone. A man of integrity and rigor, this lawyer is appointed to defend a black man accused of having raped a white woman. He faces the death penalty. »

This summary appears on the back cover of a recent reissue of Harper Lee’s novel: To Kill a Mockingbird. As Isabelle Hausser writes in the afterword, it helps to understand the success of this book, published for the first time in 1960, success to the point of receiving the Pulitzer the following year. It even seems that Truman Capote, jealous, claimed to have written most of the novel. It is perhaps undermining its scope, or making a commercial appeal of bad quality (come and see what the Americans have been, come and see what they still are sometimes) to reduce it to a simple militant work for the civil rights. Faulkner had this ability, this genius, to start from the depths of the American South to reach universal themes. Without going so far as to compare Harper Lee to Faulkner, there is like this same capacity in the Mockingbird.

A story where, as an adult, Jean Louise Finch, or rather Scout, recalls some of her early years, more particularly those of the Great Depression, in Maycomb, a small town lost in this rural South where the American dream seems far away. , where a Black is not quite a human being and where it is fashionable to mock the speeches of “ the Lady of the Presidency in Washington ” (Eleanor Roosevelt), who dares to criticize the South.

However, we are not dealing only with an initiatory novel: certainly, we see Scout gradually losing his illusions and, with a marvelous humor, we attend his childhood games, sometimes innocent but which can also become cruel. (bringing out Boo Radley), to her childhood beliefs, on her first day of school, when she discovered the ” Dewey Decimal system “, which for her translates into bullying because she can already read. Scout discovers prejudices, or even sees her brother move away from her, no longer wanting to share her games or her secrets: simply growing up.

There are other characters in this novel, especially the father behind whom Scout tends to fade. A strange man, this Atticus, too strange, too different from the others to be honest; and yet, he is honest more than anything. A man of mysteries and secrets who, little by little, reveals himself, an old and weak man who, for a long time, makes his children ashamed because he is not athletic, unlike other parents. Phenomenal man, because devoid of any racist prejudice and who taught his children to respect each human being, regardless of the color of his skin. A man who is soon to be hated by his fellow citizens and despised by his family, because he takes up the defense of a black man. He certainly had no choice: he was appointed. But that he really wants to defend it, this is what the inhabitants of Maycomb cannot accept. So began what Scout later referred to as ” hard time. »

Realistic painting of a South that no longer exists? Indeed: more than forty years after its first publication, To Kill a Mockingbird , the only novel by this woman whom no one has met for forty years, is still fought in many regions of this same South, and some try to ban it from school libraries: it would be blasphemous, filthy.

Jean Vodaine Biographical Note

Biographical Note

Jean Vodaine was born on July 6, 1921 in Volce, today in Slovenia, then in the Veneto Juliana. At the age of three, his family, the Kaucic family, moved to Moselle. He obtained the Certificate of Studies in June 1933 and a shoemaker’s CAP in 1938.

In 1947, he published Rose et noir , his first poetry collection, and got married. He begins a correspondence with Gaston Chaissac and Jean Dubuffet. In 1951, he launched the Courrier de Poésie with Edmond Dune. He worked as a laborer in the Thionville blast furnaces (1951-1953). Then he became secretary to Bruno Durocher (Editions Caractères) in Paris and met many poets (1954-1955). During 1955, he returned to Basse-Yutz.

Electrician worker, site accountant, assistant quantity surveyor at Alsthom, he travels on the railway tracks. A new collection, Les Pauvres Heures , appeared in 1955. Three years later, he launched the review La Tour aux Puces (1958); but he soon suffered an accident at work (1960). In 1962, he published the first issue of the journal Dire . At the Mas de la Greffe in Montpellier (1964-1966), he continued this publication which he printed himself, then he returned to Basse-Yutz.

In 1969, he presented a retrospective exhibition of his graphic work, Funny Birds , in Basse-Yutz. He begins to print several books. The Fable of Animals Remained Alone on Earth , by Jean Vodaine, is given to Georges Pompidou by the mayor of Metz. He teaches at the School of Fine Arts and Applied Arts in Metz and divorce (1972). He then moved to rue des Allemands, in Metz, in a former shoe repair shop, and launched the project for a Maison de la Poésie (1973), which was unsuccessful. He publishes Serenade for a sleeping dog and presents a retrospective of his graphic work in Pont-à-Mousson. Dire magazine ceased publication in 1984.

In 1985 he published Maixines . He finally obtains French nationality. He then lives in a small village in the north of Meurthe-et-Moselle. On August 8, 2006, at the age of 85, he died in a retirement home in Pont-à-Mousson.

The Novel Of A Generation

The Novel

The characters who run through Sophie Avon’s novel: The Beautiful Years , turned 20 in the 1980s but could just as well have them today, as the story told is both unique and lived by thousands of young people. people, to each generation: what this novel describes is the way in which youth falls into line and, in order to survive, gradually strips itself of its dreams.

They are called Sonia, Grégoire, Viviane, Laurent, Adèle, Willy, Paul or Lili; between them, very few things in common, except to attend, in the 1980s, the same theater class. And, over a decade, according to current events (election of François Mitterrand as President of the Republic, fatwa launched against Salman Rushdie, Lockerbie attack…), they cross paths, love each other, ignore each other, get jealous, give up. Behind their jaded air, they are all terribly romantic and fragile. They all arrive full of dreams at this theater school, convinced that glory awaits them, and surprised that no one is rushing to their door yet, that they have to run to the auditions: ” Why doesn’t Chéreau come to see him there?” And Pilat? And Rohmer? And Sautet? And Techine? “Or they are simply eager to escape from their family, even if, among the grown children they remain, loneliness is sometimes hard, and the family, so desirable, even if it would go through the necessity to ” relearn the gestures of love. They are politicized or not, like Sonia, whom we discover on the evening of May 10, 1981: ” She had not been brought up to worship community, had no sense of community, was never sure most people were right. She distrusted slogans and dogmas. She just wanted to get on stage and say lyrics written by other people because she had been taught the love of words. She only believed in that, the authors, the language, the thought inscribed in the verb.

But when you want to be a great actor, it’s very hard to have to face reality, like Laurent, whom everyone says is magnificently gifted, and who never stops questioning himself and destroy himself: “ At least with the stamps of La Grande Main de Faragaladoum he will be able to have the number of hours required to receive the allowances. Dirty business, he thinks. Why doesn’t the outside world look like the class where he is so happy? It’s the only place he feels at home. Because outside is life, with its cruelty and its dramas.

Then comes the time of disillusionment, of questioning; since dreams don’t nourish that much, since you have to live well, there is no other choice but to leave, to confront the routine, for example by earning a living as a secretary in a cabinet lawyers, or any temporary job that allows you to live a little longer. And, living in poverty-stricken maids’ rooms, having so little of their fill, having only their dreams to get them to get up in the morning, very few of them admitted the truth to themselves: ” At that time, I wasn’t aware that I was living the worst years of my life, but I was indeed living them. Or this other observation: She met so many people who toiled night and day and who remained in the shadows, never rewarded, always dismissed, as if success, even temporary, even fleeting, did not want them. »

Sophie Avon achieves this feat, with a polyphonic novel where the characters meet, seek each other and get lost, to make each of them endearing to us, to have pleasure or sadness in accompanying them a little and then to see them disappear. , when we would so much like to know more. So much this story of the 1980s is a story of every generation.