Weekly Geeks: We Might Need a Shrink here!

Weekly Geeks has an awesome topic this week. Tara from 25 Hour Book suffers from P.A.B.D., short for Post Amazing Book Depression. I won't replicate the whole post here. I will only quote a few sentences here and there but make sure you read Tara's thoughts on this phenomenon. Anyway, I love the idea and believe that we all suffer from it, it's just that we didn't know the name and now here it is:

So what is P.A.B.D.?


Post Amazing Book Depression - The over-whelming sad feeling one gets after finishing a great book.


Some signs of P.A.B.D.:

*missing characters


* often includes talking about characters in day to day life


* hearing songs that remind you of certain characters/scenes


*constant rereading of the same book

Have you had PABD?
What book caused it? How did you deal with it?

Boy, did I have P.A.B.D.!!!!! Many times over! But I will limit my experiences to two books and one series.All of them I read many years ago and I still keep thinking about the characters and plots and about how amazing the whole experience was. The saddest part is that no matter how many times I re-read the books, this experience will never be the same. The best part is, these books are so awesome that every time they're re-read there is a completely new experience waiting right around the corner (or should I say, right around the page).

Book number one is:

The Children's War by J. R. Stroyar.When I bought this book from the bargain pile in Borders seven years ago , I had no idea what was in store for me. I'm surprised more people are not talking about it. It's the best alternate history book I have read so far.


From Publishers Weekly:


What if the Nazis had won WWII? This isn't the first time a writer has tried to visualize that possibility, but nuclear physicist Stroyar comes up with perhaps the most lavishly detailed scenario so far, realistically describing an alternate 21st century in her massive debut. The author, whose own family suffered under the Nazis, spent a decade on research and travel to Eastern Europe and areas of the former U.S.S.R. With frightening authenticity, she weaves a gripping page-turner that revolves around two men who strive to undermine the Nazi regime. First is Peter Halifax, an Englishman with multiple identities who was orphaned at a young age, adopted by the Underground, betrayed and then doomed to a life of abuse. Then there is Richard Traugutt, an ambitious Nazi official who secretly spearheads the Polish resistance movement's efforts to infiltrate the Third Reich and hasten its demise. When Peter miraculously escapes a life of tortured servitude to a ruthless Nazi official, he blunders into the Polish underground. As Peter and Richard's complex stories unfold, the author layers her fictional tale of modern-day life in the Third Reich with historical accounts of actual atrocities as well as the role of the Polish resistance movement during WWII. The most daring section of the book showcases the underground's plan to use Peter's tragic story as a means to gain support from the North American Union, the only free territory in the world. The author's uncompromising portrayal of an American public inured by evidence of atrocities and only interested in sensationalist personal revelations is a strong indictment of civilized society. Those entranced by what-if scenarios will find plenty to delight them in these pages.

Book number two is:

Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George 
I know that a lot of people like this book by Ms George the least but it's my favorite of hers so far (beats even Memoirs of Cleopatra for me, even though this one's good as well). It's actually the book that sparked my love for historical fiction of which I had known nothing before. 


From Publishers Weekly:


From the author of The Autobiography of Henry VIII comes another massive, painstakingly researched novel that makes history live. Like all tragic figures, George's Mary Stuart has a flaw: a personal and political naivete, misunderstood to the end, that leads to her downfall. Recreating the Elizabethan era with a sure eye for telling detail, George uses her entirely plausible vision of Mary's private life to explain the failures of her public one. Mary's story becomes an allegory for the victory of morality over human weakness; her reign, a symbol of the abuses of rule by "divine right"; her death, of the triumph of the rule of law. Readers will empathize with Mary's pain over an unhappy first marriage, the wrenching upheaval of adultery and her searing realization of trust misplaced and loyalties lost, finally coming to know with her the peace of a soul at rest in God and the glory of a meaningful death. With her use of authentic period language, her gifts for assured pacing and accomplished characterization, and her ability to convey the complex political issues and intrigues of 16th-century England and Scotland, George has created an engrossing novel. Moreover, her deep sympathy for her subject renders Mary an entirely real and unforgettable heroine.

Book number three is actually a whole series. The Legend of Ice People by Margit Sandemo. I first read it in Polish when I was 14 years old and my life has never been the same since. This is the best piece of historical paranormal fiction ever. Unfortunately, the English speaking world had to wait a very long time for this series to be translated and now it's still only available in England. I hope that some American publisher will jump in and buy the rights to it because we're missing a great series here. 

From the author's UK website:


Winter 1581: a deadly plague outbreak robs sixteen-year old peasant girl Silje of all her family. Homeless, starving and shepherding two foundling infants, she stumbles through the corpse-strewn streets of Trondheim on Norway’s northern coast.

Heading desperately for the warmth of the mass funeral pyres blazing beyond the city gates, she encounters in the shadowy forest one of the infamous Ice People, a fearsome, strangely captivating ‘wolf man’. He offers help -- and she feels irresistibly drawn to him. But what is the terrible fascination ? And where will it lead ?

Spellbound, the opening volume in The Legend of the Ice People, begins a journey that spans four centuries and interweaves romance and the supernatural in narratives that are passionate, earthy, often erotic and imbued above all else with a powerful narrative drive.

Weekly Geeks: National Poetry Month

For this week's theme, I encourage participants to to help celebrate National Poetry Month by:

• Posting a favorite poem, or
• Reviewing a poem or book of poems, or
• Discussing a favorite poet, or
• Posting a vlog of yourself reading a poem or find a video of someone else reading one, or
• Writing a poem yourself- any form

Or come up with something I haven't thought of to celebrate and post it on your blog. Let your imagination run wild.

I am not a fan of poetry at all. I never have been and I don't think I will become one. However, there are poets and poems that affect even me and I like to come back to them from time to time. In honor of National Poetry Month, I would like to introduce you to one such poet. It's Wislawa Szymborska,  a Polish poet and a Nobel Prize for Literature winner (1996), translated by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanagh. For more poems by this and other Polish poets, you can visit InfoPoland.

Hatred

See how efficient it still is,
how it keeps itself in shape--
our century's hatred.
How easily it vaults the tallest obstacles,
How rapidly it pounces, tracks us down.

It's not like other feelings.
At once both older and younger.
It gives birth itself to the reasons
that give it life.
When it sleeps, it's never eternal rest.
And sleeplessness won't sap its strength; it feeds it.

One religion or another--
whatever gets it ready, in position.
One fatherland or another--
whatever helps it get a running start.
Justice also works well at the outset
until hate gets its own momentum going.
Hatred.  Hatred.
Its face twisted in a grimace
of erotic ecstasy.

Oh these other feelings,
listless weaklings.
Since when does brotherhood
draw crowds?
Has compassion
ever finished first?
Does doubt ever really rouse the rabble?
Only hatred has just what it takes.

Gifted, diligent, hardworking.
Need we mention all the songs it has composed?
All the pages it has added to our history books?
All the human carpets it has spread
over countless city squares and football fields?

Let's face it:
it knows how to make beauty.
The splendid fire-glow in midnight skies.
Magnificent bursting bombs in rosy dawns.
You can't deny the inspiring pathos of ruins
and a certain bawdy humor to be found
in the sturdy column jutting from their midst.

Hatred is a matter of contrast--
between explosions and dead quiet,
red blood and white snow.
Above all, it never tires
of its leitmotif--the impeccable executioner
towering over its soiled victim.

It's always ready for new challenges.
If it has to wait awhile, it will.
They say it's blind.  Blind?
It has a sniper's keen sight
and gazes unflinchingly at the future
as only it can.

Reader's Epiphany

For this Weekly Geek installment, I'm asking you to think back to the moment when you realized "I am a reader!" The moment you felt that desire to read everything! The moment you knew you were different than most of those around you and that this reading thing was for real.

Well, I didn't really have an epiphany. There was no one moment when the light bulb went on and I knew that I would forever be "doomed" to be a reader. It happened over time, every year in my childhood giving me a moment or an event that brought me closer and closer to the realization that books would forever be my true love. And crazily enough, I couldn't even pinpoint which of these moments was the pivotal one or what specific book I was reading at a time that was more important than any other.
That's why I choose to compile those moments in my life,  pieces of the "Reader Inside Me" puzzle.

1. I was barely six years old and was sitting at a kitchen table with my dad. It was one of those rare moments when my dad was actually home (he was a sailor on transatlantic merchant ships and was usually gone from home for six to nine months at a time and then would come home for a two-week break) and I remember wanting to impress him with something very special. The only thing I knew how to do then was read but we didn't own any books, so I grabbed the newspaper he was reading (I know it was kinda rude in retrospective) and started reading headlines out loud.

Now, I know that reading at six is no special achievement nowadays since there are more and more people who start reading a lot earlier, but I still believe that for a kid who was never surrounded by books or by voracious readers, it was a big deal. Why? Because without any encouragement, any good example from adults, deep down I had an instinct to learn to read and read well. And I did. And I also made my father quite astounded and I think proud too.

2. I was a third grader, sitting in a classroom and having a private competition with my so-called best friend. Every student had to read a paragraph from a story we were working on and when it came my turn, I already knew I was a better reader than other students but I wanted to show the teacher that I was not only better but the best (meaning better than my biggest competitor, the girl sitting next to me and pretending to be my best friend).

Well, it didn't end pretty for either of us that day, because we both started accusing each other of interrupting and sabotaging our own reading time. I was actually very very mad when she would whisper to my ear how to read a certain word if I only paused for a moment (it never once occurred to me that she perhaps wanted to help). It seems so trivial now but then it was very important to me that I were the best reader.

3. Fast forward to middle school when our book market had all of a sudden been flooded with Harlequin romances (this was the beginning of democracy in my country and everything Western was being introduced to us). I could not get enough of those little hot books. I had one girlfriend and I purposely got her hooked on those romance books so I could read twice as many. I knew I didn't have enough pocket money to buy them all so I worked out a plan where we would buy two different titles each month and then switch them as soon as we were done (this way both of us could read four different Harlequin books).

I still remember this moment of pure joy, excitement and anticipation when I would enter the store and see a new batch of books had arrived.

4. And finally we are arriving at my high school years. The last two were the most crucial because that's when we started reading 'the big books'. I just couldn't get to the library fast enough to make sure I would get to read each one of the books from the required reading list first. It somehow didn't matter to me that no one else was in such a great hurry to read them anyway. All that mattered was that I had them in my possession and could start reading them as soon as the first break between classes started and then continue on on the bus ride home and if the novel was particularly captivating, disregard all the other homework, concentrate on reading until the book was finished, which meant a lot of times staying up until dawn and going to school with almost no sleep.

It never bothered me in the least that I was probably one of the biggest geeks ever, that I had no other life besides reading (no boyfriends, not a lot of going out or partying either). I was happy when I read and when high school ended I went on to study English philology because I knew there would be tons of reading to be done and I would not only read in my native Polish but now I could move on to read in English which I haven't stopped since...

Weekly Geeks: Top Ten

Weekly Geeks asks us today:

For the second year in a row, we're asking book bloggers to help put together a top 10 list of books published in 2009.

I encourage you to read the whole post Jackie wrote because it is very interesting and it talks about the originator of Weekly Geeks, our dear Dewey. It also explains in details how the Top Ten list should be put together. It is pretty much made out of the best books we have read published in 2009 (no re-issues). When I first read it I actually thought I would not be able to come up with 10 titles deserving the spot of the best ones. I did however, quite easily too.

One thing I would like you all to keep in mind is that some of these titles, while on the top published-in-2009 list, would probably not make it on the top ten books read in 2009. But they are still great books worth your time and attention.

Finally just to give you some perspective and a bigger picture: in 2009 I read a total of 52 books published in 2009, therefore the ten I put together beat 42 other contenders.

And now, taa daaa (meaning, the list)*:

1. A Child's Journey Out of Autism by Leeann Whiffen - memoir

2. The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higginbotham - historical fiction

3. BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker - thriller

4. Afraid by Jack Kilborn - horror

5. Finding Grace by Donna VanLiere - inspirational memoir

6. A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal - memoir

7. Follow Me by Joanna Scott - contemporary American fiction

8. Worst Nightmares by Shane Briant - horror/thriller

9. Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Kidd Taylor - memoir

10. A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi - thriller

* The books are listed in order I read them

Weekly Geeks: How I fight the bloggers' block.

This Weekly Geeks gets deep:

This past week wrapped up Book Blogger Appreciation Week, in which I'm sure many of you participated. In two weeks will be Banned Books Week, in which I'm sure some of you also will participate. I'm also sure that many of you participated, and will participate, with at least a post per day, if not more, on your respective blogs.

Personally, after such weeks, I feel almost burnt out and think, "Why am I doing this? I'm not getting paid for this." Do you ever feel the same way after weeks like the ones mentioned above? If you do, what do you to counter it? How do you keep going? Do you take a break from posts after that, or do you just "soldier on"?

Or if you don't feel burnt out after such weeks, why not? Also why are you a book blogger? From what I've seen and experienced, it's certainly not the fame or the glory that you get. So what is it? Why? Why? Why?

I have once written a post explaining in length my reasons for blogging about books. So far, they still stand.I specify that it's book blogging because, truthfully I don't think I could write about anything else. It's my passion for books and the need to be accepted and understood by fellow book lovers that is the driving force behind my blogging. Because of my introverted personality, I could never actually open up to anyone standing in front of me and start talking about reading and books, not to mention actually recommending anything. Virtual reality makes it easier and almost effortless in terms of my mental reservations.

Now, do I feel burnt out? You bet I do. I have also written about that and just burning out in life in general. For me, life is a daily struggle in many ways. Blogging has become part of my life, just like reading. I stop and think about futility of writing posts about books read or waiting to be read countless times. I call it my 'dark hour of the blogger's soul'. So far, I haven't given up. I hope I will not give in to that temptation ever. How do I manage to keep blogging? Besides my life being a struggle, it is also a mountain of things and projects I undertook and never finished. A lot of them glare at me as my personal failures. Every time I wrestle with the idea of abandoning this blog, I tell myself that I will make it work this time, I will stick with it and I will not let it be another failure.

Well, there it is. It's gotten awfully personal and slightly depressing but I hope you don't mind.

Weekly Geeks: One Title/ Author Collection

Weekly Geeksters, tell us, do you have a collection, (or are you starting a collection,) of one particular book title? If so, what's your story? Why that book, and how many do you have, and what editions are they? Share pictures and give us all the details.

Or perhaps you dream about starting such a collection. What title would it be and what would it take for you to get motivated to start collecting?

Or maybe it's the works of a particular author you collect (or want to collect) instead a certain book title?

I am crazy about books, no question about it. However, I think my madness still has more levels to reach since I do not have a collection of one title. I have actually never given it a second thought. My bookshelves are already double stacked (horizontally and vertically sometimes) and there is really no space in my tiny house to put more. However, now that I read this Weekly Geeks question, I gave it more thought just to see what this one book would be, had I a big enough house with a beautiful, spacious library to show off my collection.


And yes, there is that one special book: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I had fallen 'head over heels' for this book back in high school and fifteen years later it is still my 'take to a deserted island' book. I absolutely love, love the story of Cosette and Jean Valjean. I have read it several times now and it gets me everytime: I don't cry...I weep and weep and then weep some more, and worst part is, I somehow always end up finishing it at night, staying up until 3 or 4 in the morning crying my eyes out. When I get up the next day, I look like I am suffering from a hangover of a lifetime.

Anyway, having a blessing of speaking two languages, I read Les Misérables in both Polish and English translations. Both were fantastic. My dream is to one day learn French so I could finally read this work of art in the mother tongue of Hugo's. I cannot even imagine how beautiful this novel really is, as there is always something lost in translation.

Polish Version

Well, there it is: one day I will master French, I will own a big house with a library the size of my entire cottage I live in now and the central spot will belong to all different copies, originals and translations of Les Misérables (Polish title, by the way, is Nędznicy).

Weekly Geeks: Why haven't I read this yet?

Here's what Weekly Geeks serves us this week:

I think just about every reader has a least one book that they've been meaning to read for awhile (months or even years) but, for one reason or another, they just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe it's a book a friend recommended last year, or a title you've flirted with in a bookstore on more than one occasion, or maybe it's a book that's sitting right there on your bookshelf, patiently waiting for you to pick it up -- but the thought is always there, in the back of your mind: Why haven't I read this yet? This week, tell us about a book (or books) you have been meaning to read. What is it? How long have you wanted to read it? And, why haven't you read it yet?

I have so many books that I haven't read yet but really, really want to or know that I should read. Heck, I already own most of them in preparation to start reading but somehow, some other titles always get in the way and the books that were meant to be read first, take a back seat.
Because there are tons of books I have been planning on reading for at least a year (most of the time longer than that), I am just limiting myself to the authors, series and only a few individual titles that are burning a hole of guilt in my heart for neglecting them.

1. Authors:

Jean Plaidy - I know she is a fantastic historical writer and I love historical fiction. Every time I see one of her books reviewed somewhere, I look at the stack I own and promise myself that right after the current reading project I am concentrating on her. Well, since Plaidy earned a spot in this post, it hasn't come to fruition yet.





Nuruddin Farrah - this is a Somalian author I have wanted to read since I fell in love with books by another African writer, Chinua Achebe. I own Farrah's Variations on African Dictatorship trilogy as well as Knots. From what I understand he is a very accomplished writer and the themes in his books are close to his heart and deal with serious issues of politics and regular people's hardships in Somalia. I prefer such African literature to the kinds of McCall-Smith's mysteries (not to take anything away from them) because in my opinion the literary voices of Africa have to be heard and we know how 'the pen is mightier than a sword'. If you're interested in Farrah's accomplishments and life, here's the link to his biography.

2. Series:

Terry Goodkind's The Sword of Truth - because I am a fan of classic, hard-core fantasy sagas.





Terry Brooks's The Sword of Shannara - see above. I also own almost complete series of both authors.

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's The Cycle of Saint-Germain - because I am a sucker for history, romance and vampires combined and this is what I can find in her books.

3. Books:


Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen






The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

I sometimes feel that both of these books were read and loved by all but me. And it causes me moments of great embarrassment when I say I am a book lover and I'm asked about these two titles when I have to admit that indeed, I have not read either yet.

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King - King is one of my most favorite authors, evil vampires are my most favorite kind of vampires and I really don't know what I'm waiting for.




Roots by Alex Haley - it's a classic, it's a real chunkster (the longer a book, the better for me) and it's a saga spanning generations that's simply asking to be read.




All these books represent just a tiny percentage of all that I haven't read yet but really want to. They have been on my mind for simply the longest time and I know I will not be able to ignore their call for much longer.

Weekly Geeks: Second Chances

Here's Weekly Geeks for this week:

There have been times in my life where I reread a book (or author) I hated--or thought I hated--but the second time around ended up loving. Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever changed your mind about a book or author the second time around? Have you ever given a book or author a second chance?
If you have, I'd love to hear your stories. Blog about your experience(s) in giving second chances.

If you haven't, I'd like you to consider giving a book or an author a second chance. You can blog about your intentions to do so--or if you're a quick reader, maybe you can even squeeze something in!

Can't think of a single book or author? Don't worry, you can stretch this one to include movies or music if you prefer.

I love to give second chances. Unfortunately it has not happened with my favorite thing, books. I now realize that I am very unforgiving when it comes to reading bad (in my opinion) books. So, to cut it short, I do not have a book that I gave a second chance. However, I am glad that there is part two to this question. It made me rethink my harsh judgement as to the books I didn't like and I indeed have come up with two titles that I am willing to give a second chance.


1. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

I cannot tell you often enough how much I sweated and how many tears of frustration I poured over this book in college. Because it gave me such a hard time, and because I did not finish it, and as a consequence I believe I failed a quiz test, you can imagine the resentment I felt towards Moby Dick. But now, it is 10 years later and I think I have grown up mentally a little bit (at least I hope I have, who knows, maybe I've regressed and am being a tad bit optimistic here). Anyway, I am fully prepared to take my chances and give this classic another shot.


2. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

I disliked this book so much that when I wrote a review of it right after having finished it, I believe I might have been too harsh. It's been a few months since, so my guilty memory is still quite fresh. I know that this author is loved by many and there just must have been something I missed while reading the book. I own two other books by this author, including the ARC of Sacred Hearts, and I will definitely give this author a second chance because the guilty feelings will not stop until I do.

Where in the world have you been?

This week's Weekly Geeks asks you to tell us about your globe trotting via books. Are you a global reader? How many countries have you "visited" in your reading? What are your favorite places or cultures to read about? Can you recommend particularly good books about certain regions, countries or continents? How do you find out about books from other countries? What countries would you like to read that you haven't yet?

I am definitely a global reader but I also think that when you read books you inadvertently become a globe trotter. This is the beauty of reading. Without stepping outside the house, I get transported to places and very often times (if you happen to read historical fiction) I wouldn't have a chance to visit in reality.

I honestly can't tell how many places I visited over the years of reading therefore what you see on the map are only the countries that I remember the most. And even to pick my favorites is quite difficult because every country has its charm and something special that cannot be found in any others. I most definitely enjoy reading books set in Japan and China, maybe because the culture is so foreign, so old and so rich in mysticism. India and Africa are also special treats for me. I have fallen in love with India and especially Indian writers when in college studying its literature plus literary works set in colonial and post-colonial period of India by British writers. Africa, especially Nigeria, came into my reading world in college as well, while working on my Master's thesis on Chinua Achebe who is a native of Nigeria. I was simply enchanted by the multitude of languages there (some 200 tribal languages and dialects in Nigeria only), beauty of tribal traditions and beliefs, and of its people. And then there is Europe, with so many countries to choose from it makes me dizzy: Ireland, Spain, Russia and Italy, just to name a few.

The books & authors that have stood out for the past few years are really worth reading as they did make me almost ache for the places they portray.

1. Shantaram by Gregory Roberts. It is a fictionalized account of the authors life in India. It is one chunkster of a book but I was taken in from the first page. I know that there are some opinions that argue that the line between fiction and truth is too blurred, it's hard to say what we should take as facts but I honestly don't care about that. It transported me to India I had never known before, the author's love for this country and Indian people was contagious and gave me no choice but share it.

2. All the novels by Jonathan Carroll. He is not a very well known writer in the United States but from what I remember, extremely popular in Europe. He uses magic realism in his novels, with a perfect mixture of metaphysical, magical and reality. Even though he is a native of New York City, he lives and writes in Vienna. Vienna is also the setting of a lot of his novels and they made me in turn want to visit this magical place with its old streets, enchanting cafeterias and brick buildings. The bullterrier in this photo is also present in many of Jonathan's novels.

3. Margit Sandemo and her Legend of the Ice People. My, oh my how I love this author and her saga set in Norway, spanning the centuries about the clan of witches. Even though it's supernatural, it is also combined with beautiful Scandinavian landscapes and culture. I first read all the books in Polish when I was a teenager and now, almost twenty years later I still remember it all vividly. Sadly the books are not available in the U.S. yet but they have been recently translated into English and are sold on the British market.

This is the map showing all the places I've been to (while reading):



As far as reading about the countries that I have not yet gotten a chance to, Australia is the one that takes the prize. I already have two books on my shelves about Australia and I am getting to them really soon: Bryce Courtenay's Four Fires and Colleen McCullough's Morgan Run.

Well, there it is, my travels around the world.

And to finish the post nicely I must say that I sometimes find myself talking with authority about this or that country and people would ask me, "How do you know that? Have you ever been there?" and I would answer, with just a little pride in my voice, "No, but I read the books.". Ha!

Weekly Geeks - Memorial Day

With Memorial Day in the U.S. this coming Monday (well, it already came and went), I thought it would be appropriate to focus on the military. Either share your favorite book on war or movie on war and why. Provide a clip from the movie if you'd like or a passage from the book that shows us why you it's your favorite book or movie. Or do both. OR choose your own military theme, for example, if you have a relative or friend in the military and you would like to send them a video or a message of thanks, do that on your blog. OR do all three. The book and movie also don't have to be "patriotic" necessarily. For example, one of my favorite fictional books on war is Johnny, Get Your Gun by Dalton Trumbo.

I have never read any war books (fiction or non-fiction) on wars following the WWII. I don’t know the precise reason for it but I prefer to read about events that are finished and done with and are left to judge by history itself. Don’t get me wrong though, I have tremendous respect for our military people, who in my eyes are true, selfless heroes willing to put their lives on the line for a person like myself, who they don’t know, never will know and will not get anything back (other than regard) from him/her. I in general am not a huge fan of any war books at all but the ones I did read have stuck in my memory ever since and I definitely recommend them to anyone.

1. The Children’s War by J.N. Stroyar

I read this book six years ago and I am still under its spell. It is an alternative history novel about the world in which the Nazis did win WWII and now rule every part of Europe. It was an amazing read and I didn’t want it to end. A great example of “What if” scenario which I am glad is only that, a scenario that never came to fruition.

Publishers synopsis:

Bad papers. That's how Peter's nightmare began. Living in contemporary Europe under Nazi domination -- more than fifty years after the truce among the North American Union, the Third Reich, and the Soviet Union -- Peter has struggled to make sense of the reign of terror that governs his world. Now, arrested for bearing a false identity, he is pulled full-force into a battle against Nazi oppression. The crusade for freedom that belonged to generations past is now Peter's legacy -- and his future depends not on running away, but on fighting back.
Escaping a Nazi prison camp and joining the Underground Home Army, Peter dedicates himself to breaking down the system that betrayed him. But by facing the evil at the heart of the Nazi political machine, Peter falls deeper into a web of intrigue and adventure that risks everything he holds dear -- in this life and for the sake of future generations.

2. Queen Margot by Alexandre Dumas

This one is talking about events much, much older than WWII but nonetheless very bloody and cruel. I read this novel only once, in junior high (some eighteen years ago) but I remember having been absolutely mesmerized by it. Every time I read about a scene where a woman or a girl reads something with blushed cheeks and spark of excitement in her eyes, I see myself sitting in my room, right before Christmas Eve dinner not being able to tear myself away from Queen Margot despite the nagging of my mom and my dad that it was time to leave the house. The murder of Hugenots is described in such a visual manner that, being a teenager, I was at once appalled and fascinated.

Publisher’s synopsis:

Alexandre Dumas' novel Queen Margot, centers on the beautiful, proud, and willful Marguerite Valois, whose mother Catherine de Medici arranged Marguerite's marriage to the Huguenot leader Henry of Navarre in 1572. It is a marriage that pleases no one except the Queen Mother. Marguerite's brothers, who nicknamed her Margot and prize her with a love that borders on incest, are outraged. Just six days after the wedding French Catholics slaughter over 30,000 Huguenots on St. Bartholomew's Day. Both pawn and participant in this epic struggle, Margot is torn between family honor, her Huguenot lover, and her apostate husband she can no longer respect.

There it is, not strictly ballistic literature but exciting and one that conveys the brutalities of any war excellently.

Weekly Geeks - historical fiction.

I know that I'm a little late with the Weekly Geeks' post but better late than never. Do you have a favorite book that really pulled you back in time, or perhaps gave you a special interest in that period? Include a link to a review of it on another book blog if you can find one (doesn't have to be a Weekly Geek participant).

Here’s the thing: I love historical fiction, but I do not read nearly as much of it as I probably should. Reasons for that are many. However, the main one is I love other genres just as much and I want to share my time equally with all of them. Here’s another thing: every time I do read historical fiction, I acquire a special interest in the period the book I’m reading is about or set in. That’s where my belief stems from that no matter how entertaining a book is, it can always be treated as a source of new knowledge. Every time I read anything set in a certain period of time or about a historical figure, I simultaneously check the facts on the Internet (oh, the blessings of the modern age!).
The first historical fiction book had tremendous impact on me in a sense that I was instantly pulled back into that time and that I wanted to know more. So much more that I actually wrote my Master’s thesis on it. The book was Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and the period in question was the British Empire’s colonization of Nigeria. I had known very little about that period before I read the book. My knowledge had been very general and quite superficial really. Things Fall Apart made me acquainted with the Igbo tribe, their customs, their religion and beliefs. My ignorance of that period of time started glaring at me from the pages of this book until colonization period became my obsession. I probably could write another hundred pages on this book alone but I will stop here and say only that it is one of those books that absolutely have to be read, no question about it.

The next book didn’t come along until years later. I picked it up at library exclusively because of the size. I am a freak when it comes to the size of books, the more chunky the better. Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George was tremendously thick and I swear it was inviting me to open it, start reading and get lost in it (talk about weird). And so I did. And I absolutely loved it. Ms. George is a master at writing historical fiction and all of her books I read after the first one were just as good, but as it always goes with the firsts, Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles holds a special place in my heart. Mary Stuart was a truly tragic figure and I think is still one of the least understood rulers. I fell in love with her and experienced every injustice done to her and every madness she put herself through as if they were my own. Now, that is a mark of a truly great writer who creates a book that has the capability to pierce right through a reader’s heart.

Weekly Geeks - what is the name?

For this week's edition of Weekly Geeks, we're going to take a closer look at character names. What are some of your favorite character names?

What does their name mean?

Do you think the meaning fits the character? Why or why not?

If you'd like, look up your own name as well and share the meaning.

I have three names (all three of them are female names) that I absolutely adore.

1. Cosette - a name from my all time favorite Les Miserables. Cosette's given name is Euphrasie.
Cosette is a petname of uncertain origin. When I was looking for the meaning of it, I had major troubles finding it. The closest I came to explaining it was that it may be related to the French word 'causette' meaning "chat", reflecting the quality of being talkative. Cosette's real name Euphrasie, is derived from the Greek for "good talker", the preffix 'eu' suggesting abundance. The meaning, however vague it might be, does not fit the character. Cosette is a rather shy child in my opinion and grows up to be a beautiful and intriguing woman but still isn't somebody who is overly talkative. I think that Hugo meant it as an irony or what she could have grown up to be, had her childhood been different.

2. Arya - this is a name of a character from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books. I liked this name for the somewhat mystical sound of it. The original meaning of the name is derived from Indian and Sanskrit and it means "noble, great, truthful". I think that it actually is a very well chosen and appropriate name for this girl. Even though she is only 10 or 11, she is a warrior in the making, she is noble, knows and remembers who her friends and enemies are, she never gives up in her quest to find out the truth.

3. Sansa - this also is a name from A Song of Ice and Fire. I loved it from the moment I saw it in the book. It represents for me a mysterious yet of royal origins woman. However, the reality is, there is no exact meaning for it, the closest to Sansa is Sansana, which in Hebrew means "the inner structure of the palm leaf". I thought long and hard about how it reflects who Sansa is and I came up with delicate, naturally beautiful, something that can only be created by Higher Power, not humans. Sansa is Arya's older sister and a complete opposite of her. She is extremely beautiful but very, very fragile and delicate. She is naive and gullible and that's what makes her so fragile and prone to depending on others. It's also a major source of her misery.

And now it's time for my name. Since I am Polish, I have actually been called three different variations of my name: Liliana, Lila and Lilly. Most of my life I've been called Lila and this is the one I mostly identify with. Liliana is the name that sounds the nicest but that also makes me feel somehow older than I am so I usually reserve it for professional purposes. Lilly is a nickname that somehow attached itself to me when I came to the U.S. and I adopted it eagerly as well. Mainly because it is easy to pronounce and to remember.

Liliana - Italian people think it's Italian, Spanish people think it's Spanish and Polish people think it's Polish. The truth is Liliana is a Latin name. It is derived from the word "lilium", meaning "lily." It also means "white, clean and innocent", all qualities one might associate with the flower.

Lilly - means exactly the same thing as Liliana as it is a nickname deriving from it.

Lila - (Hebrew: לִילָה, Hindi: लीला, Arabic & Persian: ليلی):

Hebrew name meaning "she is mine."

Persian name meaning "lilac flower."

Variant spelling of Arabic Leila, meaning "night."

Variant spelling of Hindi Leela, meaning "play."

Lilac flower happens to be the most favorite flower of mine because it signifies spring, on the verge of summer with sunny days and warm, beautiful smelling nights. This time of the year always gives me hope and happiness.

I also enjoy night more than day. It gives me much needed calm and respite from worries and stress. I very often go outside to look at the night sky sparkly with stars. It's almost like a meditation for me.

Okay, there it is. I really enjoyed doing research for this week's installment.

The Weekly Geeks - my very first time!

It is time for my first installment of Weekly Geeks. I am a complete newbie, I have just found out about it but I think the idea is great and I hope to post often. Enjoy!

1) How do you feel about classic literature? Are you intimidated by it? Love it? Not sure because you never actually tried it? Don't get why anyone reads anything else? Which classics, if any, have you truly loved? Which would you recommend for someone who has very little experience reading older books? Go all out, sell us on it!

I absolutely love classic literature. Sometimes I feel that no one writes nowadays as they used to in the old days. I can see the obvious love for words in there, the flawlessness of writing and the magical ability of a writer to create a world, characters and atmosphere with which I, as a modern reader, can still identify and appreciate. The classic I have truly loved from the first time I read it is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. It makes me weep, like no other novel, every time I read it. Actually most of the classics I love and appreciate are French: Alexandre Dumas’ Queen Margot, Honore De Balzac’s Old Goriot. But there are others as well. Being Polish, I have my Polish writer on the list of favorites as well. His name is Henryk Sienkiewicz and Quo Vadis is very special to me. It won the Nobel prize in Literature, it was the first classic I read and the one that encouraged me to read more. So I guess I could say I have much to be grateful for to Mr. Sienkiewicz.
All the classic literature taught me more about life than all the textbooks I had to study in school put together.

2) Let's say you're vacationing with your dear cousin Myrtle, and she forgot to bring a book. The two of you venture into the hip independent bookstore around the corner, where she primly announces that she only reads classic literature. If you don't find her a book, she'll never let you get any reading done! What contemporary book/s with classic appeal would you pull off the shelf for her?

It would be a book I read last year and loved from the first pages. It’s The Religion by Tim Willocks. It has the appeal of Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas. The action is breathtaking, the many issues presented there are deep and thought-provoking, and the writing, once again, is flawless. I have a review of the book posted here so instead of cheating (copying and pasting), I invite you to read the original post.