Simple Reviews – Books

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August – by Claire North, has 417 pages. Harry keeps living and dying, and the end of the world is coming sooner. Finding the problem becomes a needful thing. Five Stars.

The Miniaturist – by Jessie Burton, is 419 pages. I initially checked this book out from the library when it was new. I finally got around to reading it on Kindle. The story follows a household headed by a shipping magnate. Many strange and interesting incidences occur. Five Stars.

Heaven and Hell – by Bart D. Ehrman, has 346 pages. Not what I was looking for, but the research is relatively solid. The statements at the end of the book tainted the thing for me. Still, it is well-written and information-packed, so I give it Five Stars.

The Witching Hour – by Anne Rice is a hefty tome at 1043 pages. I am a big fan of Vampire Chronicles, but I have avoided the Mayfair Witches for years. I finally read them. Anne’s style with detail and character development is top tier, and the story is enthralling. Five Stars, but yeah, it should have more.

Piranesi – by Susanna Clarke, is 243 pages. This book I read in June, and recently it has won significant accolades. I read this author years ago, and she always delights. The story is between magical realism and puzzling horror. Five stars or you could give it all the gold ones in the package.

Reviews are strictly my opinion. Your experience may vary. Reading is an art, like writing, that illuminates the soul—approach books with care. What is within can be like a tsunami to your notions and your life.

Briefs

1.
We only know NOW –
The beginning is over,
The future, a wish,
But blessings, dreams, everything
Build in us courage and hope.

2.
Finding ourselves in
The arms of Jesus who loves
Us eternally,
We are free to live in joy
Knowing His blessings ours.

3.
Coming from the storm
Into Love’s still waiting arms,
Blessed assurance.

4.
Hope stagnates within
The life where choices are grown
Limited by fear.

5.
What does it mean to
Carry a human inside
Your body? Love born
Into a perilous world
Forever caring galore.

These are tanka and haiku, the forms I resort to when writing is hard, or I become distracted. Usually, brief work will prime the well.

Old Tech, New

I have used a wireless keyboard and mouse for many years, probably since they first arrived in the technoverse. Last week my son, Alex, got a new keyboard having neon colors, tactile keys, and a cord.

I was suitably impressed with the keyboard, and the price seemed doable. I went to Amazon to find my own magical tech. I found both a keyboard and mouse for less than he had paid.

Today the equipment arrived. There was some concern over USB ports on my computer, but I made it work with minimal rearranging. I had so forgotten the speed of a wired mouse. Speedy, speedy. The keyboard will take some adjustment because I have used an ergonomic one for so long.

I am so glad I did this. The speed of the keyboard is an upgrade, as is the mouse. The fun thing is the sound of the keys. I did not realize how much I had missed it. The neon glow is a plus.

Sometimes we lose when we go with the new technology. Retro can be the way to go.

Thoughts Amassed

When And Ever

The relationship with
Time is unreliable,
Past invades present
Without an invitation
Giving no hint or warning.
Although sometimes things
Crop up like pleasant hauntings,
Others much darker.
Living in the stream wavers,
Unfolds personality.
Thoughts flinch in passing –
Some neglected on arrival,
Superstitious fear,
If held, could these manifest?
Clear concentration, be blest.
Treasures run away
Appear again in vision,
Maybe now gain, claim,
The mystery retains charm
What comes, comes, as it will, still.
The search, clarity,
Love is the treasure, fullest
Measure of life lived
Whether past, present, future,
All is in sharing, caring.
Time unravels
Pieces everywhere, chasing
Forever in fog
Blindfolded except when free
Accorded chances to see.

Prompt: Expound on your relationship with time.