Hello, dear readers! This is Miss A.Misra signing in to recommend you yet another book: The Girl who drank the moon, written by Kelly Barnhill.
Lets delight first of all in the cover art. It’s absolutely gorgeous! The tiny dragon ( Fyrian) is looking adorable and Luna looks totally fitting in the character. I love her posture drawn so efficiently! The moon is glowing and so shiny it’s clear why Luna drank the moonlight. ( Okay, that sounds confusing now, but you will understand later. Moving on!)
Here’s a summary of the story. I have not really given anything away here. If you don’t really want to know much, feel free to skip the last paragraph.
The people of Protectorate place a baby in a ring of Sycamore trees, at the entrance of the forbidding forest where an evil witch resides, and leave, presuming that the baby would be killed by the witch. This is their baby sacrifice, and their belief is that if they don’t do it, the witch would kill everyone! However, the witch, Xan, is totally kind, and gentle. A good witch. She has no idea why the children are sacrificed to her, as she never required or wanted anything, and she never even hurt any of the children she was given. She took them lovingly and brought them to the Free Cities, where they were adopted into nice families who did not sacrifice random kids. On the way, she gathered starlight on her fingers to feed the babies with ( Look, I tried to do that too. I tried to reach my hand up and touch the stars, and gather the starlight to eat. It didn’t work. You’re free to try though, and if you succeed send me some), which makes them content and full. They grow up to be called Star-children, and they exude a faint sort of glow.
Once upon a time, Xan accidentally fed a child moonlight, instead of starlight. Once the baby girl had drunk it, she was enmagicked, ( Yes, that’s a real word, according to the book, anyways.) and was bursting to the brim with magical powers. When Xan understands what she has done, she realised that it was too dangerous to just leave the child in an unknowing family. She names her Luna, partly because she has a birthmark shaped like a crescent moon on her forehead, and partly because she had drunk moonlight. Get it? Lunar-Luna? Right? ( I don’t know if you understood but I think you must have, If you haven’t, too bad!)
Luna grows up in her grandmother’s cottage, along with the bog monster glerk, and a simply tiny dragon, called Fyrian. In her toddler years, she continues to use magic all the time, unaware of it herself. To protect her from becoming a danger to both herself and her surroundings, Xan locks away her magic inside of her for a few years till she turns 13, and then she would learn to control it and utilise it safely ( or so we think ). But the time keeps ticking, and it seems that Luna’s magic is spilling out of her now. Even worse, Xan is withered, and old. She will die once the young girl turns thirteen. Meanwhile, there is a real witch, in the town of Protectorate itself, who feeds herself on the sorrow of the people ( that’s dark, like really dark ). But who is she? Will she be stopped? Will Xan survive? Will Luna learn how to use her magic and will they survive the process?
My opinion: This book was awesomely amazing! It’s a sort of story that sticks to your mind and makes you think about it and wish the book never ended. ( Okay, but if that wish comes true we won’t be needing any more novels. One book would be enough. ) It’s got a very nicely imagined storyline, and the message given through it is ” Sorrow is a scary thing. It can make people angry, make them sad, or make them insanely depressed. Look towards hope. Think positively.” Or it might be “Don’t accidentally drink Moonlight if you want a normal life.” Or perhaps “Try not to be born in the city named Protectorate,where people sacrifice children to witches when there aren’t any.” You choose.
Also, it has a kind of deep storyline which might take some time to understand. One thing the book lacks is humour. It would have been the prize novel had it got jokes in it. There are some instances where humour is indicated ( very subtly). Like the part where the tiny dragon Fyrian tries to hug the big monster glerk, and he does not really succeed much. Or the parts where a story is told by some mother to her child, in some other part of the world. There are such typical phrases like “Wait till your father gets home.” or ” Okay, one story only, then do your chores!” it makes you smile.
Overall I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars, for ages above 10 years old. It’s a nicely imagined story, and the fact that someone took the childish idea of wanting to drink the moon or eat it, and created that into such a glorious novel is absolutely fantastic! I have not yet read such a lovely story as this one was. Of course, I like Agatha Christie. Her writing style is really good. But there are very few of such books that have magical instances. I especially like the word ” enmagicked.” It’s a lovely word. “Magicked” is used sometimes, for instances like ” He magicked it away” informally, but enmagicked. Ah. That’s totally different. Two letters can make all the difference in the world. Fact proven!
Well goodbye now! See you later in my next post!
This is a W post for BlogchatterA2Z
Book Review
Percy Jackson, Book 1: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Hello readers! This is Miss A.Misra signing in to tell you about yet another book I have recently read.ย
Now, the Percy Jackson series has mainly five original books, and I have read four till now. Let’s start from the first one: Percy Jackson and the lighting thief.
SYNOPSIS:
Here, the book starts with Percy explaining his identity in the typical hilarious way. He didn’t want to be half blood, that is, child of a powerful Greek god and a mortal. He concludes mainly that it’s dangerous, with you being killed( or tried to be killed) in various ways.Later on he introduces himself to us, saying he studied at Yancy academy, New York, and is currently 12. He hates his class bully who is Nancy, also studying at Yancy academy ( get what I did there? Nancy-Yancy? OH never mind.)
His best friend isย Grover, who later turns out to be his satyr protector ( satyr is a half man, half goat in ancient greek. Great) and leads him to camp half blood after he vaporises his algebra teacher with his Latin teacher’s sword, Riptide.( Yeah, his Latin teacher carried a sword around him and gave it to Percy later on.) Turns out, the algebra teacher was a monster trying to kill him!ย Percy’s mom is a normal mortal, Sally Jackson. Now see, mortals can’t see the monsters, the celestial bronze swords or the magical things that gods or half bloods can. But there are some,who can see them. Sally ‘s mom was one, and she knew all about how half bloods are dyslexic and have ADHD and don’t do well in normal schools. So when Grover randomly bursts in on their camping holiday, she takes a car, grabs Percy and runs off to Camp half blood, which is a secure camp for half bloods, which normal people don’t know about.ย
It’s protected by a magical boundary made by a tree, Thalia, daughter of Zues, had been killed by a Cyclops while protecting her friends. Zues had taken pity and turned her into a magical pine tree which protected everyone, such was her own nature. Anyways, while running to camp, they are attacked by a big Minotaur in the dark and Percy’s mother is captured and sent to the underworld, but Percy manages to kill it by taking off one of it’s horns and saving Grover. They rush to camp.ย
Percy feels sad about his mother and broods over it. His Latin teacher turns out to be a – centaur called Chiron! (Probably explains how he had a sword with him) As Percy was exhausted, he fell unconscious and was treated for almost 3 days by Annabeth ( Athena , goddess of wisdom’s daughter) and then gets put into Hermes cabin as he is unclaimed by his god parent. That does not take long , as he is quite soon claimed by none other than- Poseidon, god of sea!
Percy is alone in his cabin as there was no other child of Poseidon in camp.He soon sees that camp has alot of activities, sword fighting, archery, sword making, etc. But the major point is, Zues’s lightning bolt is stolen and Percy is suspected of it! Zuesย says that it must be returned by summer solstice, and Percy, Annabeth, and Grover set off on a quest to find it, battling monsters 24/7 all day. But will he find it or be disintegrated (gulp!) by the god of lighting and sky?
My opinion:ย
This series is extremely amazing, and makes you hang on to every word. It is very funny,sarcastic, adventurous, and creates an overall exciting experience. This book will have you on the edge with its action and adventure. I don’tย really find many flaws in the book but I do have something to say about the movie. It has changed every detail it could. Firstly, Annabeth is blonde and grey eyed. The actor has red hair with blue eyes. Like how? Okay, i get it, it’s hard to find exact specifications for everyone in the series, who can act well, but it kind of irritates the fans of the book! Then, a major event, the capture the flag, where Percy defeats Clarisse’s team and a hellhound, the movie shows how he defeats Annabeth ( which never happened) and the hellhoundย was just forgotten!ย
To sum it up, this was an awesome book!
Farewell till next time!
Goodbye for today, see you later in another book review!
This is part of BlogchatterA2Z an L post.
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The Parasitic Mind:How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense
The Parasitic Mind:How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense by Gad Saad is a book I read in 2021.I reviewed it on Amazon and then didn’t write about it on the blog.
That was not right.I.should have .But sometimes you are afraid of the selection bias and my husband says I need to come down from my moral high ground.But that’s his opinion,which is great.
Heres mine on a book which can shake loose a lot of “woke” mindsets and give you plenty of food for thought.You may or may not like him,but Gad Saad’s logic stands the test of time.Its 2024 and I still remember what the book talks about.Definitely not for the dinner table and only for those who won’t get emotional and willing to listen to both sides of a story.
This book clears up a lot of the psycho social problems countries are facing today.Outstandingly engaging with a logical narrative.A page turner packed with humour .Serious topics need that extra bit of humour which prevents it from weighing down your mind.
The Parasitic mind is a book by Gad Saad and its not for everyone. Definitely not for those with the Ostrich problem.Also not for those who don’t like analysing data,historical perspective and following logic and common sense.
While the author sums up many challenges issues the modern society faces ,he never lets go of laughing at his own self.
Serious topics need not be weighty.That’s what people tell us.But if you are someone who had a curious mind but don’t want the weight of the world giving you sleepless nights,but you still want to KNOW stuff which the woke keep spouting knowledgeable,then this book is for you.If you were starting to doubt your own sensible thought process and wondering if you are too old for the times,this book deserves a read.You are not alone my friend.
If the problem in UK is anything to go by,then the grooming gangs have honestly tried their best to destroy a generation of school children and if you are a believer in science,logic and the eternal power of the higher power, then Gad Saad helps you truly become Antifragile.
Pros of the book:
Extremely readable.
Tongue in cheek humour.
Highly relevant for our times but is also strangely futuristic.
Just the right length.
Cons:I can’t think of any .Maybe it’s my selection bias
Favourite Quotes from the book
Confucius was correct To know what you know and what you donot know,that is true knowledge.
Gad Saad from the book Parasitic Idea
In a free society, people should be able to analyze such data without accusations of bigotry. That is how we come to the truth.
Gad Saad from the book Parasitic Idea
The more people we have defending our core values the more likely we are to triumph against the enemies of reason.
Gad Saad from the book Parasitic Idea
Official book blurb:
Read this book, strengthen your resolve, and help us all return to reason.” โJORDAN PETERSON
The Westโs commitment to freedom, reason, and true liberalism have become endangered by a series of viral forces in our society today. Renowned host of the popular YouTube show โThe SAAD Truthโ, Dr. Gad Saad exposes how an epidemic of idea pathogens are spreading like a virus and killing common sense in the West. Serving as a powerful follow-up to Jordan Petersonโs book 12 Rules for Life Dr. Saad unpacks what is really happening in progressive safe zones, why we need to be paying more attention to these trends, and what we must do to stop the spread of dangerous thinking. A professor at Concordia University who has witnessed this troubling epidemic first-hand, Dr. Saad dissects a multitude of these concerning forces (corrupt thought patterns, belief systems, attitudes, etc.) that have given rise to a stifling political correctness in our society and how these have created serious consequences that must be remediedโbefore itโs too late.
What I learned as a writer from reading this book?
While writing nonfiction keeping a complete list of references chapter wise can be invaluable for the reader and also for further books in the series.Also don’t be afraid of using big words and writing aboutย complex topics.You just need to break them down to their A,B,C and start from there.T
This is my I blog post for BlogchatterA2Z
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Geronimo Stilton Diamond Robbery Book Review
Hello dear readers! I am Miss.A.Misra coming here to tell you about another book, Geronimo stilton, the Diamond robbery.
The Geronimo stilton series is a series with the main star, a mouse called Geronimo who lives in mouse island, and talks of his adventures. His paperback books are generally 100 pages long, more or less.
They are mainly created for children from 6 to 12 years old, and are funny and adventurous. I have many of these books, but this certain book didn’t match my expectations.
BOOK BLURB: The book starts off with Geronimo trying to watch a soccer game when his bossy grandfather Williams comes and turns on the golf one. Soon after, they have to go to the Mouse Island golf championship, with Geronimo forced to be the caddie. He is grumbling all the time as his grandfather has taken heavy luggage and he has to carry all of it. When they reach, they see Sally and her grandma, Molly, teaming up for the golf. Sally is Geronimo’s rival. Unfortunately grandpa William’s partner missed his flight and that eventually led to Geronimo being made to play instead , though he has not trained for many years.( Poor mouse.)
Geronimo has a secret agent friend who is Kornelius Von Kickpaw ( Cool name, though. ) and his code name is 00K.He warns Geronimo someone is cheating in the game to try and steal the golden trophy with a diamond on it, the prize for the golf championship. Will Geronimo find who it is and win the competition?
My OPINION: This book was silly. That’s all I have to say. The blurb is looking good. But get this, there were 18 rounds in the championship. ( Typical golf course) Each round was a chapter, named Hole#1, Hole#2, Hole#3, and so on. For 16 chapters, that is till Hole#1 to Hole#16, the same events followed. These are:
1. Geronimo fails EACH time and is stuck up a tree, cactus, drenched in mud, soil or waiter.
2. Molly giggles and smirks.
3.Geronimo thinks ” How strange”
4. Molly wins each time yet Geronimo does not suspect her of cheating AT ALL.
Exactly. 16 chapters of that.
One thing I have to give them credit for was the twist about. Molly Ratmousen
thing himself. How did Geronimo do in this book as a sleuth?
Anyways, you can guess that this book was not that good for me. I would not really recommend it but younger children like age groups 6 to 8 might enjoy the colourful pictures and funny parts. My review was simply a two and half star out of five stars only.
Normally the books have better storylines and a bit more of adventure in them. But this book did not match expectations.
Well, goodbye today readers, farewell till next time!
This is part of BlogchatterA2Z .This is a G post
Also read The Girl who Drank the Moon
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The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle #LittleReader Review
Hi! This is Miss A.Misra here again to give you a book review on-The Storm keeper’s island by Catherine Doyle.
This book was given to me by a friend on my birthday. I was saving all my new books to read later after the exam, and I started with this one yesterday, and finished it some time ago.
This certain book was totally engaging and had me hooked from the first line. It has the tongue-in-cheek ironic humour yet the deep dark secrets of Arranmore island poke through and get straight to you.ย
The Storm keeper’s island is about a magical island called Arranmore ( you must have understood that in the last line, though!) where a boy called Fionn and his sister Tara ( very annoying, might add, but gets nicer.) go to their grandfather. Fionn’s sister refuses toย tell him anything ( typical) and goes off with her friend Bartley and his younger sister, Shelby. Shelby is quite nice and obviously Fionn thinks she is better than her good for nothing, rich brother.
There is a secret about Arranmore island. It has a stormkeeper, who controls, manipulatesย and has reign over the weather, storm, sun and sea. This storm keeper is chosen by the wishing tree given by Dagda, the great conqueror. The current stormkeeper is Fionn and Tara’s grandfather!(OMG)
He controls the great area by pouring magic into a candle, and harnessing the power within him. But he is slowly fading away, losing power and memory. It is time for a new keeper. But who will get there first? Fionn or Bartley?
Meanwhile, an evil magician woman called Morrigan was confined deep into the ground by Dagda the Great, over thousands of years ago. She is still waiting for the prophecy to complete ” I shall reign whenย the boy rises”. Fionn feels her presence, ever so closely now, along with the eyes of the Secret Soulstalkers, Morrigan’s old army who have returned.ย
This book has a cliffhanger ending, and has a second part which is a bookย I don’t have yet.ย
My opinion? Well, this is an absolute must read! I have no complaints about this book, except it might need to explain some things a bit better. Its slightly confusing in some parts.
This is part of Bookchatter and #TBRChallenge
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The Spiritual Anatomy
The Spiritual Anatomy by Daaji is my book for review today.
A serial entrepreneur turned spiritual guide whose Happiness journey is quite interesting and can make a very good story for the big screen.But saying that it’s also inspiring and insightful.
Pros :Talks about finding the centre within and journey of spirituality within .
The book is divided in sections according to what’s the area of spiritual anatomy you want to work on.
You learn about the different Chakras and how they work and how to find the centre within.
Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you knowvthis is the experience you Need?Because this is the experience you are having at the moment. “
Eckhart Tolle
Daaji give us bits and pieces of his life and learnings throughout the book.
It’s an interesting book taking you on a journey within to find a stronger , calmer,clearer self.I like his dividing the book into different sections depending on the area of work .It’s like the Blooming of an internal flower.
If you are someone who wants to try meditation with yout spiritual anatomy as your guide ,give this a read.Its definitely a good way to become a more mindful self.
Since he started on his journey after raising kids and running a successful pharmacy business, you realize that this journey into a spiritual self started during his age (possible)of the Banprastha.That in itself is crucial.He was attracted to asceticism at a young age but was guided back to his home by the words of a wise monk.Life choices are not easy .They are not meant to be.Anyone who works on the path of self discovery realizes the journey and the destination are both highly coveted.You have to start the journey somewhere and this book is an interesting option for those who like to work inside out.
7 Lessons from Spiritual Anatomy
Our goal is to evolve our consciousness, to discover greater meaning and purpose in life and to ร cheive our highest potential.
The caterpillar grows into a butterfly, even if it doesn’t wish to.You can grow into your own potential willfully.Here willfully means obstinate determination but in a good way.That is with the full force of your will.That’s special about human life
We grow physically,mentally and spiritually and our growth across these dimensions comes from the choices we make and the actions we take.
When the heart is at peace,the mind is at ease
Self Realization is the ultimate goal.
Your journey from what you are now, to who you ought to be the truest expression of you potential.
Book name Spiritual Anatomy: Meditation, Chakras, and the Journey to the Center
Author
Daaji a.k.a Kamlesh D. Patel (born 1956) Padma Bhushan also known as Daaji among his followers, is a spiritual leader, author and the fourth in the line of Rฤja yoga masters in the Sahaj Marg system of spiritual practice. He has spent the last 4 decades training people across the globe in Heartfulness meditation. He enjoys going o nature walks with his grand children in Kanha Shanti Vanam ,India where he lives with his family.
His other Works
The Heartfulness Way (2018), Designing Destiny (2019), The Wisdom Bridge (2022), Spiritual Anatomy: Meditation, Chakras, and the Journey to the Center (2023
Official overview
From the internationally bestselling author of The Heartfulness Way comes a journey to the center of our consciousness, mapping a path for you to connect to your highest self through Heartfulness meditation and guided chakra practices.
When we think of wellbeing, we often think of our physical and mental health-tending to our bodies and minds to find peace, purpose, and connection in our lives. But as Kamlesh D. Patel (affectionately known as Daaji), spiritual leader of the Heartfulness Organization and fourth in line to the raja yoga tradition illuminates, there is a third system we too often overlook: The Spiritual Anatomy.
Cons
Not a religious text which is okay but there lies the basic confusion in the storytelling.Because the author wants to appeal to all the religion without mentioning the birth of meditation and why that works.That is something I wish he had written more about for better understanding ,even if in the addendum or in the more to read section .
If that is a deliberate choice that’s good too.But if you want to reach the centre of youur soul,you might need to know the centre of the yogic meditation where it all started.However that’s just my mindset
So will I recommend this book?Absolutely. It’s a book that will slowly guide you on your journey towards finding your deepest aspiration,highest potential and a calmer self.
Buy it on Amazon .
Yhe review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.
Disclaimer:If you have any mental health issues kindly consult your doctor before starting any meditation therapy .
