Book # 8: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Once again H.G. Wells let us dwell in futuristic landscapes with our feet still in the present. It is amazing how this author manages to bring actual and current topics to fiction and future and mixes them to make you think about reality, it all with the perfect touch of entertainment, good narration, incredible stories and amazing characters you can relate to.

I like the way he tells the story in this book, that first person telling us what he’s seeing and how he deals with the situation he find himself into. in my opinion a good piece of science fiction has foundations in reality and Wells is a master on that. I can’t give a proper opinion on this book without giving spoilers, so I’ll limit myself to say: this is one of the best books you could ever read if you’re in love with fantasy, science and philosophical traits that leave a seed on your brain and generate incredible and new ideas on your possible future. He was a visionary.

Book #7: The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

I like to re-read books. I always get new ideas, information and perspectives, never forgetting the fact that it brings back that spark you felt when you read them first, takes you back to those places, wether they are good or bad.
the Divine Comedy is a journey where you meet up with all kinds of beings, situations and experiences. I like to think that the book is a persona journey where you can relate with any character, at any moment of your life. Realting is not doing what they did, relating is finding yourself thinking what would you do or what you did when they tell you their story. I don’t believe in heaven and hell, but the concepts work well for any matter you may want to use them as you read the book.
This is an epic adventure too, if you don’t want to see it a s a journey, it has great visual descriptions and leads you to places you could only dream (have nightmares) of. The historical content is wonderful, lots of references and of course the religious insights. I’m not a fan of religious-related books but this one is special.

Book #6: Los Hombres Sobran by Ezequiel Tambornini

At the start this book reminded me a lot of a Paul Auster book named Travels in the Scriptorium. But it was just at the start, the narration has a good pace, the topic is interesting even when similar situations had been treated in other sci-fi books. I must say that it didn’t catch my attention fully, there was always suspense, yes, but there was some spirit lacking.

Book #5: Historia del Deseo En La Epoca Medieval by Virginia Naughton

I like books that talk about history of anything, but mostly history of the most common things we don’t care about and we live and deal every day with. This book is a trip, attempting to find the origin of “desire” as a pulsion of the human being. I think it was a little text and it leaves you with more doubts and questions that the ones you had from the start.

I’m not saying it is useless, it is a great overview and introduction to a possible investigation of desire and all its forms, but I think it could be more complete. Take into account that I got to it by mere chance, looking for some library oldies and found the title interesting. Not recommended for someone looking for great accuracy and sources, but enough to turn on a spark on curiosity about desire.

Book #4: Las Pequeñas Memorias by José Saramago

I’m not a fan of memories, I like them but they seem a little bit complicated for me in case I didn’t read big part of the work of the author I’m reading about. With this book wasn’t difficult, I love Saramago and I find his writing and literature amazing, also I’ve read big part of his work, so it was more than a pleasure for me to bump into this book in the bookshelves of my father this january.

In this book Saramago explores and gives us a select collection of childhood memories, from the games, scolds and adventures every child has, to the influences and facts that change and shape men’s lives and makes them who they are. It is a beautiful book, wonderfully written, not with many details but with enough to figure out what was like to be him. I got carried away reading it and I hope he keeps on writing his memories, probably as a mature man, would be wonderful to know more about him.

Book #3: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I really liked this book. I’m not gonna say “I relate to this woman” because I certainly not, I haven’t been through a divorce, nor had a terrible relationship, or had to find a spiritual path to be happy or find myself. On one thing I relate to her, and it is that we do anything to find what’s missing in our lives and try to get that balance she talks about in the Bali chapters.

This is not a book about touristic places, nor a self-helping guide or a yoga guide for dummies. It’s just a book of memoirs of a woman travelling three countries for a year and three stages from the most physical to the most spiritual one. The India chapter was the one I didn’t enjoy the most, probably because she talks about so much on her meditation and metaphysics that get to bore people when they don’t know too much about it. In spite of that I think she got to a good point on describing the main purpose on that part of her journey.

It is not “beautifully written” but it is readable and you get to hear the author’s voice when reading it, because she speaks to you directly, almost as a close friend. At least it doesn’t sound like an entry of those old journals of XVIII century travelers or an emo girl diary.

Elizabeth Gilbert described her personal journey throughout several states of her soul in this book, so I don’t see the point in wich many people differ and complain about this being a self-help book. Books based on journal entries, a personal journey or certain stages of life are not meant, mostly for us to follow that path and do the same unless the author states so at the beginning.

One thing I know for sure, and it is that books encourage you to find other ways in life, open your eyes and change your living, but it doesn’t mean you have what the author says.

Book #2: Travels in the Scriptorium by Paul Auster

This is the first Auster book I read. I must admit I had high expectations about it and the book didn’t fill them. I’m not saying it wasn’t good, it was but I don’t know what to think, maybe I got carried away by all the good comments i’ve heard about it. So, trying to be sensible and leaving aside all frustration, I can say that this was a good story.

Mr Blank puzzles you from the first paragraph to the last one. It is a fascinating character, the fact that he doesn’t even know who he is leaves it all open to any possibility and gives all kinds of chances to the imagination to make up a story on his past and his present. I relly liked the ending, but I think there were some things that missed, I’d like to know more about Anna or some other characters that appear.

Book # 1: Emma by Jane Austen

I must make clear that I’ve already read this book and this was the second reading I had of it.

I decided to start with it because I was sure that I missed some details in the first reading and felt drawn to it when I decided to start the book challenge. Emma is a wonderful story, it is a novel full of all the Austen aspects we all love: society, ideals, impressions, love and consequences.

Emma Woodhouse is a girl who’s only occupation in life after the marriage of her governess is to make up stories in her head about the facts and events that surround her in her life with her father and the society she’s living in. All along the story you see the evolution of Emma’s character, going from trying to be a celestine, passing through the shame of admitting she was wrong and proving that not everything is at is seems and that there’s more than meets the eye.

Along the reading, I found myself confused about Emma, I still don’t know if I like her. What I love about the book is that, the complexity of the caracters, her emotions and how quickly events change and conspire to make her grow and notice all those things one misses in a process on getting to understand human relationships. Yes, probably Emma is one of Austen’s more complex and misunderstood characters but that’s what makes her fascinating and infuriating at the same time.

reading the edition with Virginia Wolf’s prologue gives to the book and important plus and lets you understand more of Austen’s world and motivations for this wonderful book.

The journey begins

Hello!
Welcome to this humble, brand new space. As part of my new year resolutions I decided to be more disciplined and start doing things I really like in a more frequent way, instead os wasting my time in stuff that leaves nothing for my life. That’s why, one of those resolutions had to do with reading.
Reading is one fo the biggest pleasures I have. Also a simple one. I don’t know what would be of my life if I didn’t have books to keep myself oout from reality for a while. Well, I decided to start by a challenge, not an easy one, but interesting nevertheless. My challenge is to read a book per week, as long as I can. It would be great if I make it through the year.
My plan is to read what I please, I like most part of genres in literature, so I won’t be making any schedule or program, I’ll just read what appears to be interesting or what you recommend me. It is the fun part of this, I really want to dicover amazing books, I’m open to any suggestion of books you may give me, I’ll be reading them, or at least trying to read them all if I get the time.
Also, I’ll be reading books in english and in spanish, but all reviews will be made in english, so it will be easier for all of you to understand.

What I intend with the reviews is not to make a critic, I’m not a critic, I’m not even a literature student or professional. I’m just a reader, who wants to share her thoughts and impressions on the books she reads. So I gues the “reviews” will be more of an opinion on what I read more than a proper review on the book.

Thanks for passing by, reading or recommending anything.