Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Metro: Scenes from an Urban Stage by Stan Raucher

Summary
The metro provides an intriguing location to observe the social landscape of urban regions around the globe. For the past eight years, Stan Raucher has spent countless hours photographing on metro systems in over a dozen cities on four continents including New York, San Francisco, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Paris, London, Rome, Vienna, Shanghai, Delhi, and more!

His candid photos of ordinary people interacting with one another and their surroundings reveal an intimate glimpse into a variety of human emotions and interactions. These evocative, richly-layered images are like still photographs from a movie or play, and each of the scenes invites the viewer to evaluate the situation and then to generate a unique personal narrative.


At a time when fewer of the images that we see on a routine basis are honest representations of real life, these photographs open a window to the world that actually surrounds us here and now.



Quote

"Images are not seen but lived. They are not just vision but the cosmos itself as it expands and amplifies from the minute to the magnified." Gaston Bachelard, The Poerics of Space

Impressions
Awesome work with great shots of reality!

I like the Parisian Métro since I'm using it every day. Looking at people while you are on your journey is funny. Best way to learn about people habits, when they think nobody is watching, or to learn about a new culture when you are a tourist. I like to be lost, alone in my thoughts, while being surrounding by tonnes of humain beings at the same time. And the smell. LOL!

And Stan Raucher was able to wonderfully pictured the life in the metro through his lense. A common language in all the cities you visit. People laugh, eat, pray, read, avoid eyes contacts, listen to music, tell you their life, kiss, smile at their phone, frown while reading the map.


Marlaine Glicksman says: "For some, the metro is a temporary temple to pore over prayer books, a haven to convene with God. For others, it’s a mobile home, a place to sleep and to store a week’s worth of stuff and smells while on the way to God knows where."

And the pictures show these differents emotions. It's a touching testimony to reality, simple daily routine that speak volume.
The photographer must really like people to capture their souls so easily.

Nice photos book.



Source
*Arc provided by Edelweiss
I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

More Than Comics by Elizabeth Briggs

Summary
They're friends online - but can they be more in real life?

Writer Tara McFadden has been friends with artist and drummer Hector Fernandez for years, long before his band became famous on reality TV – yet they’ve never met in person. They finally have a chance to connect offline when they’re both sent to Comic-Con to promote the graphic novel they collaborated on.

Hector's secretly been in love with Tara for as long as he can remember, and once they meet, she sees him in a new light. All the years of longing lead to an incredible night of passion after one of his concerts, but neither is sure if their online relationship can translate into a real life romance – or if this will ruin their friendship forever.

Over four crazy days at Comic-Con, Hector and Tara must decide if they want a future together. But when their story seems to be over, it’s up to Hector’s entire band to make sure he and Tara get their happy ending.



Impressions
Sweet and easy

A nice romance super fast to read with cool characters.

What was really interesting was the description of the Comic-Con atmosphere, the fans behaviours as well as the comics world industry.

For once, you see characters, even if they are young, been dedicated to their passion and really trying to make a living from it. Like the spirit.
The author doesn't tell you it's easy. Of course, there is a happy ending but you can still see that the heros have worked to achieve their dreams. And it's done in a nice way.

As for the characters, they are cool, drama but not enough to make me roll my eyes. :-D
If Tara is a little too confused about what she wants and where her heart is for my taste, I've liked her nevertheless. I like her excitation, nervousness and humility at meeting her fans.
Hector is super cute. Ok, not the part where he is an ass but come on...he is a cool sweet one!

Honestly, it's a nice read. Perfect to chill after a long day.

Source 
Arc provided by Netgalley. I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Seven Continents: Photography of Mohan Bhasker

Summary
Join physician and landscape photographer Mohan Bhasker on a round-the-world journey to some of Earth's most exquisite sites. 

Vicariously traverse a Laos jungle, kayak among Antarctica's icebergs, trek through Nepal's Himalayan mountain range and Brazil's scorching sand dunes, and come upon impossibly blue lagoons tucked into the rugged Argentine terrain. 


Interspersed with the images are adventure travel stories about close calls with nature, opportunities missed, serendipitous timing, and the payoff of persistence. 


The camera lens lingers on everything from pristine panoramas to quiet coves and closeups of penguin chicks. In a fifteen-year collection of more than 220 photographs, the author pays tribute to the beauty, history, and significance of some of the most remote places on Earth.

Reactions
Mixed feelings.

While seeing the cover, I was immediatelely attracted by the book.
Reading the summary, I thought I would be hooked and punched in the guts by traveling through the lense of this photographer.

Like his explanations about his journey and the stops he has decided to make in the different continents.
But I was dissapointed by the pcitures.
They are nice, some lovely but just one or two really had an impact on myself. I'm talking about the "wow" effect.
And for a photo adventure, i prefer to react and be impressed by the intensity.

The book is great. My opinion in this review is a question of sensibility. Always the case when you are talking about art and beauty. You can see the expression of the artist work and his pleasure in taking the pictures and you can have a different view and really enjoy it.

So make your own decision and see if the photos are talking to you...
Enjoy!

Source 
Arc provided by Netgalley. I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.


Saturday, November 21, 2015

Timeless: Photographs by Kamoinge


Edited by Anthony Barboza  & Herb Robinson, Coedited by Vincent Alabiso, 
Foreword by Quincy Troupe


Summary
Immerse yourself in the visual stream created over the past 50 years by Kamoinge, the pioneering photographic collective.
Over 280 stunning photos are interspersed with insights and thoughts from Kamoinge's 30 members, who include many of the nation's most acclaimed photographers.

Taken in New York City, in West Africa, in Guyana, in suburban America, the photos include abstracts; daily moments of men, women, and children, together or alone; portraits of Miles Davis, Biggie Smalls, a young Ntozake Shange, and many other visionary citizens; and landscapes.

Kamoinge, a collective of African-American photographers seeking artistic equality, was founded in 1963 at the height of the American Civil Rights Movement. As a collective, the members gained entrance into venues that were previously inaccessible to blacks.
The oldest collaborative group of photographers in the nation, Kamoinge continues to photograph, as well as to mentor others, and commemorates its 50th anniversary with this compendium.


Quotes
"Photography for me is a tool to rediscover in a more profound manner things that I thought I already knew.
It’s a vehicle through which one can reveal and meditate on the beauty of “everyday suchness.”"
C. Daniel Dawson

"A photograph is a means to remember, as well as express my feelings about, the meaningful people, things, places and events that I encounter in life. Hopefully, I can record those encounters in a way that will have meaning not only for me, but for others viewing the photograph."
Gerald Cyrus


Impressions
A wonderful Time Warp through powerful pictures!

First I was interesting by the photos. While turning the pages, I've been lead through history of the 70's to nowadays. Daily life images of Black people in New York. Intense, poignant, others that was the expressions that were incredible.
Katherina, famous people, anonymous, joyful scenes, all these pictures were taking me by the hands and making me discovering a period I didn't know in a very cool and beautiful way.

There is also the landscapes, the people outside of the U.S and all the time you feel like a witness of the time through the lens of all these photographers.

Then , I went back to read Anthony Barboza words. And I've learned about the Kamoinge members and their works.
This collection is a reflection and a spiritual reminder of the men and women who picked up the camera in order to document and reflect on the beauty, style, and struggles that make black communities across the country unique! These photographers did not just pick up the camera to make a good photograph – they spent some four decades observing, documenting, photographing and interpreting life’s experiences.”

Really cool book with powerful pictures.




Source 
Arc provided by Netgalley. I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.




Wednesday, November 18, 2015

The Way of the Five Elements by John Kirkwoo


52 weeks of powerful acupoints
for physical, emotional, and spiritual health


Summary
Framed within the context of the modern, everyday world, this book takes a refreshing, anecdotal stroll through the healing principles of Chinese medicine, looking at key acupoints for each week of the year.

The author journeys through the seasons of the Five Elements and within them the physical, emotional and spiritual associations of key acupoints, exploring their names, functions, and intensely practical healing use in the real world. The acupoints range from the point that can help with your sense of smell, through to the Fire points that can help with a good sense of humour. 


With clear descriptions and images that express the spirit of the season, and photographs of the point locations, this book is perfect for anyone interested in a different view of the body and its healing relation to the seasons, as well as students and practitioners of Chinese medicine looking for deep and memorable insight into their work. 



Reactions
Intriguing and very interesting!

To be honest it was out of pure curiosity that I have requested this book. Mostly because of the tittle and the summary. I was intrigued.
Maybe a little too complex for someone who was just curious and not really into the element and acupoints but I really have spent a great moment with this book.

You learn about the elements associated with seasons, colors, smells and energy in your body. It's very well written and I have learned a lot.

An interesting read if you want to see your surroundings differently!



Source
*Arc provided by Edelweiss
I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The Stone Reader by Peter Catapano and Simon Critchley


Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments

Summary
Once solely the province of ivory-tower professors and college classrooms, contemporary philosophy was finally emancipated from its academic closet in 2010, when The Stone was launched in The New York Times. First appearing as an online series, the column quickly attracted millions of readers through its accessible examination of universal topics like the nature of science, consciousness and morality, while also probing more contemporary issues such as the morality of drones, gun control and the gender divide.

Now collected for the first time in this handsomely designed volume, The Stone Reader presents 133 meaningful and influential essays from the series, placing nearly the entirety of modern philosophical discourse at a reader’s grasp. The book, divided into four broad sections—Philosophy, Science, Religion and Morals, and Society—opens with a series of questions about the scope, history and identity of philosophy: What are the practical uses of philosophy? Does the discipline, begun in the West in ancient Greece with Socrates, favor men and exclude women? Does the history and study of philosophy betray a racial bias against non-white thinkers, or geographical bias toward the West?


These questions and others form a foundation for readers as the book moves to the second section, Science, where some of our most urgent contemporary philosophical debates are taking place. Will artificial intelligence compromise our morality? Does neuroscience undermine our free will? Is there is a legitimate place for the humanities in a world where science and technology appear to rule? Should the evidence for global warming change the way we live, or die?

In the book’s third section, Religion and Morals, we find philosophy where it is often at its best, sharpest and most disturbing—working through the arguments provoked by competing moral theories in the face of real-life issues and rigorously addressing familiar ethical dilemmas in a new light. Can we have a true moral life without belief in God? What are the dangers of moral relativism?

In its final part, Society, The Stone Reader returns to its origins as a forum to encourage philosophers who are willing to engage closely, critically and analytically with the affairs of the day, including economic inequality, technology and racial discrimination. In directly confronting events like the September 11 attacks, the killing of Trayvon Martin, the Sandy Hook School massacre, the essays here reveal the power of philosophy to help shape our viewpoints on nearly every issue we face today.

With an introduction by Peter Catapano that details the column’s founding and distinct editorial process at The New York Times, and prefatory notes to each section by Simon Critchley, The Stone Reader promises to become not only an intellectual landmark but also a confirmation that philosophy is, indeed, for everyone.


Reactions
Not what I was expected!

I'm a little dissapointed. When I have read the long summary, I was excited to put my hands on these articles and to reflect about modern question in a philosophical approach.

I may be reading different genre, some even silly, to entertain myself before bed, I really appreciate to use my brain and always enjoy to see life with a new or different perspective. So I was waiting for something that will make me react and give me food for my thoughts.

Through these articles, I confess to have been bored pretty fast instead of getting excited. And since it's not a novel, hard to come back into the story. So I've browse through the pages, read diagonally and put the book down.
So maybe you will have more chance than me... 


Source
*Arc provided by Edelweiss

I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

An Improper Arrangement by Kasey Michaels

Synopsis
Experience the drama of the Little Season in the first of a new series by USA Today bestselling author Kasey Michaels, in which three dashing war heroes have finally met their matches… 

Gabriel Sinclair has returned from battle as reluctant heir to a dukedom. As if his new responsibilities weren't enough, Gabriel's aunt enlists him to sponsor a young heiress through London's Little Season. Yet Miss Thea Neville is hardly the tedious obligation he expected. She's exotic and enchanting—and utterly unaware of the secret poised to destroy her family's reputation. 

After ten years in America, Thea is ready to do her duty and marry well. Deportment lessons, modistes, balls—the ton is a minefield she could scarcely navigate without Gabriel's help. By rights, she should accept the first bachelor who offers for her. Instead, she's succumbing to a dangerous attraction to her wickedly handsome chaperone—one that could unhinge her plans in the most delicious way.



Reactions
Sweet with some charming moments.

The story is an easy read. The characters are pleasant and enjoyable.
Thea is funny, outspoken and she meet a open man who is not afraid of female with some temper and a mind on their own.
The fun is really coming from their repartees.
A nice story to appreciate on a cold sunday evening.

Source 
Arc provided by Netgalley. I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Heartless


Heartless

A call while walking on the streets
One word and you feel cold
Nothing to do with the weather
Nor the lack of a sweater
Tears rolling, you seem old
Your heart ended his beats

Just an tiny organ breaking 
Dropped after been dismissed  
Left unwanted, Wounded,  
Empty, messy, unworthy 
Leaving a hole in a bloody body
Now lying on the ground shaking

Universe, Sun and Stars
Should I keep it locked?
Behind walls and doors blocked?
Or can you repair my heart?
Make it stronger for a new start?
One loveable with no more fears

For the next thief to hold and keep…

Lucie

Art: Girl Without Heart by AnnMei

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

The Fool

The Fool

In the cacophony of a busy life
Lived a fool not wanting to see the signs
Believing tainted words and false smiles
Avoiding warning bells, red lights flashing
Preferring to focus on laughing and dancing
Easily brushing doubts and half-truths aside 
Not paying attention to inner voice gone mute
No action able to shield the blind from a sweet knife 

He was too far gone to listen or to be reasoned
So the voice let him swallow warm beautiful lies
Be lured by fine linen, silver cutlery and wine
Enjoying gourmet meals served with lights and sighs
Because a rude awakening was already there
A treachery revealed by the strange humor of fate
That shattered the dupe mind, soul and core
Cauz’ the murderous hand was the one of one trusted.   

Always listen to your guts even when your compass is broken.
They understand what you don’t want to.

LSF

Monday, November 2, 2015

The Sand Prince by Kim Alexander

Summary
“When the storm came, it was made of magic, not rain, and when it had passed, the life and the city Hellne knew were changed forever.” In Kim Alexander’s debut novel she weaves a witty, epic fantasy brimming with diverse characters and plenty of intrigue.

Two worlds

On the war-ravaged demon world of Eriis, Hellne, the fierce young queen, fights to keep her people alive, and to keep her son’s parentage a secret.

On the green and gentle human world of Mistra, the demons have faded into myth. Only a handful of old men and children still guard The Door between the worlds.

Bound by magic

Rhuun, the Prince of Eriis, uncovers a sultry book written by a human, sparking an obsession with the other world. When he is forced to flee Eriis, he must travel through The Door or pay the price in blood.

Divided by a door

The humans of Mistra are not what Rhuun was expecting—and one insufferable young woman in particular is about to find out that the demons of Eriis are not mythological after all . . .



Impressions

Mixed feelings about this story. Hmm...

The plot is interesting, the characters are good but the story takes too much time for the action to really begin. Frustrating as it could be, every time I was on my way to put the book down, the author was coming up with new twists that kept me interested.

Really started to get into it when Rhunn travel through the door. A bit long as it's almost the end...

I guess the sequel will have already the sceneray deployed so it will be easier to enter into the core of the story.

Promising but some length in my opinion.

Source 
Arc provided by Netgalley. I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

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