Dream Magic: Awakenings by Dawn Harshaw Didn't Put Me In A Dream-Like State

Title: Dream Magic: Awakenings

Author: Dawn Harshaw

Publisher: Self Published 

Published: February 3, 2012

Format: Kindle

Pages: 160 

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: October 6-8 2012

In A Few Words: Too stiff and serious to be dreamy

My Rating:  2 Stars

Goodreads:Add to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Eric, a young boy, has enough of nightmares ruining his dreams. Determined to grow stronger, he tackles magical disciplines one at a time - be it flying, blade magic, or telepathy - and stares down his fears. But, will he survive the battles and the trial of nightmare mastery? And at what cost?

"Dream Magic: Awakenings" reaches for deep metaphysical concepts and uses introspective experiences to offer an immersive feeling of MAGIC

Melissa's Musings:

The concept of this book is really excellent. The thought of kids going into a dream land and learning how to work through their dreams is a great idea. Unfortunately, the execution of the concept didn't quite work out for me. The reason that I was drawn toward reading this book and accepted the review request was because the author described it as "Harry Potter-esque" so of course I was intrigued.

And believe me, there is a lot of magic in this book. And it's explained in a great amount of detail. This was another awesome point of the book for me, because I love lots of detail and as much information as possible. But, this is also one of the book's drawbacks in that it feels bogged down in all of this magical information and it makes the story seem stiff. It feels like Eric and the other characters are simply going through the motions and slowly working their way through all of the kinds of magic. While it tries to be fun, with anecdotes etc, it just feels forced. The story didn't flow in a natural way.

The metaphysical components are deeply embedded in all aspects of this book. Each chapter explores different metaphysical concepts in great detail. These concepts are so intertwined within the book that they stifle some of the creativity, which is why I think there was a problem with the flow. As a reader I got bogged down in the metaphysical concepts and so it felt to me like the adventure with the kids was just sort of thrown in as an afterthought to help buffer the heaviness of the philosophical parts. It's due to this heaviness that I don't really feel that this fits categorically as a YA book. Yes, the main characters are of ages that classify them as adults, but the concepts that are explored in this book, in the depth that they are explained do not fit within YA literature.

Plus, as a reader you don't really get too much of a chance to connect with the characters on a more personal level. You start out in the dream world and don't learn anything about their outside lives, or what causes them to be having and fighting their nightmares in the first place. So, right off the bat you go into the story feeling somewhat detached from them. I felt that I couldn't ever really form a bond with any of them. Their personalities seem stiff at times too, so it seems as if they are even somewhat detached from their own story, or at least too prim and proper to be taken seriously as real kids. There are a few curse words thrown in to try and lighten this up. It works a little bit, but not quite enough.

As a warning for those who are particularly sensitive, the last 20 pages or so are a bit gruesome.

In terms of the climax, it felt like there wasn't one. The main characters have now gone through all the types of magic. Then they go through a test and fight off their own personal demons. I did like this part because it ties in well with the concept of working through your subconscious issues within your dreams.  But then they go off to fight the monsters. And then it just ends. It feels like this story isn't properly wrapped up.

Even though this book didn't quite appeal to me, it may work for you. Especially if you're looking for something highly philosophical.

Guest Post: A Look At Past Lives with Dr. Lesley Phillips

Hello fellow readers!

Today I'm thrilled to be bringing you a guest post on a subject I find fascinating: past lives.

Here to share their thoughts on this intriguing topic is Dr. Lesley Phillips, author of The Midas Tree. Here's what she has to say on the subject:


Have You Been Here Before?

When I was in my early twenties I had a couple of remarkable experiences that were triggered by emotionally traumatic events. They opened my eyes to the possibility that this was not my only lifetime.

Wild West Showgirl

The first man I ever “fell in love with” dumped me and I was very upset. According to my friends more so than I needed to be; yet I felt as though my whole world was ending.
At the time I kept a dream diary. I had a lucid dream that I was a travelling show girl in the Wild West. I fell in love with a man and got pregnant. As I thought we were in love, I expected him to care for me. Instead I was rejected and shunned by him and his family. An older lady in my troop “helped me” get rid of the baby. In the process I lost my life.

The current boyfriend and the Wild West boyfriend, looked different, but I knew it was the same soul in both bodies.

Medieval Wheelwright

I had a good friend at University, whom I shared a flat with. We were very close and shared everything with one another. After our third flat mate moved out, we acquired a new one. I soon began to feel that my friend was “seeing him.”

Yet when I asked her she denied it, so it did not make sense. I couldn’t see why she would have a reason to lie. One night, determined to find out the truth, I stayed awake and listened. At about 1:00 am I heard my friend tip toe into his bedroom and my suspicions were confirmed.
I was overcome by anger and grief. Yet my emotions did not make sense, given our platonic relationship. In my anguish I became beset with visions of another time. I was in a male body and married to my friend. She had been unfaithful to me with a man, who lived in a nearby castle. I had stormed over and stabbed him and killed him in my anger.

The next morning I spoke with my friend and she told me the truth. I shared my vision and she looked shocked. Her lover was awake all night, with visions of being stabbed.

These two experiences triggered a fascination with reincarnation.

Becoming and Experienced Past Life Reader

Since then I have remembered many hundreds of my own past lives. So many, I no longer record them. I have been male, female, rich poor, lived in every continent on earth and belonged to every racial group and religion. I have lived high profile lives and insignificant lives, been a spiritual teacher than helped many people 
and a battle worn knight, who took away many lives.

At first I was able to recall these other existences through my dreams, but this soon led me to explore further. At first I focused on my own personal development and spiritual evolvement (i.e. I cleared my karma). Then I learned how to access past life information at will through meditation and other spiritual techniques. Now I focus on using my spiritual abilities to help and heal others and have done thousands of past life readings.

This is some of what I have learned:-

How Many Past Lives do People Have?

This is different for everyone. Every soul has a unique path and so a unique number and variety of lifetimes are required to fulfill that path. I read that Buddha had between 500-2000 lives before he reached enlightenment and (according to Edgar Cayce) Jesus had about 30. Looking at my own clients; I have seen old souls who have been incarnating on earth since the beginning and who have accumulated many experiences in many different bodies; I have also seen young souls: from new arrivals to those who joined in the game on Earth part way through.

Are You Wiser if You Have Had More Lives?

Not necessarily. I have met wise people who are in their first earthly life. They have come here from another reality (yes there are other worlds in our universe, but that’s for another article); in this instance they are an old soul, but new to Planet Earth. I have also met people who have been stuck on the same problem for many, many lifetimes. It just depends on the individual soul and the growth experience that is right for them.

How to Know If You Were Here Before?

There are some common experiences that could indicate that you are tuning into a past life:-

Have you ever met somebody for the first time and felt as though you know them already? Well they probably are a dear old friend from another lifetime?  

Have you ever visited a city or place, perhaps while on vacation, and felt that you had been there before? Well you most likely have.

Did you take up a new hobby and find you already knew exactly what you to do? You may well be drawing from expertise developed in a past life.

Did you ever dream that you were someone else (i.e.  taller, shorter, fatter, thinner, in the opposite gender, different colored skin) living in surroundings from another era?

Do you have fears of things that don’t make sense to you? Like being burnt alive, falling from a high building, or even being eaten by a tiger? These fears may relate to a past life experience.

Another good indicator is that if you are fairly well able to look after yourself; you can create a job, an income, supporting relationships and so on. If you are not living at a basic survival level, then it’s likely you have learnt a few tricks about being in a body and probably were here before.

In fact if you are reading an article about past lives, then it’s a clear message that you are at a stage in your spiritual development where you are ready to learn who you really are and why you really are here.

There is so much more I would like to tell you, but unfortunately this article can only fit so much information. You can visit my website to read more about past lives. Or perhaps you’d even like to embark on your own journey of discovery, by starting your own dream diary, meditating on current life situations and relationships or even visiting a past life reader or regression therapist.

Dr. Lesley Phillips is a speaker, author, workshop leader, spiritual and meditation teacher based in Vancouver BC, Canada. She gives past life readings in person and on Skype (drlesleyphillips).
Her book “The Midas Tree” will be published on November 11^th 2012. The book can be pre-ordered from the website and if you write the words “golden acorn” after your name, you will also receive a free limited edition print signed by the author.
She can be reached at:-

www.themidastree.com

Lesley@themidastree.com

http://www.facebook.com/themidastree

Twitter: @DrLesleyP

www.drlesleyphillips.com

http://www.facebook.com/drlesleyphillips

Ambition's Not An Awful Word by Zack Zage, Illustrated by Adam Watkins

Title: Ambition's Not An Awful Word

Author:  Zack Zage

Illustrator: Adam Watkins

Publisher:  Ivy Court Press

Published: March 1, 2012

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Source: Won From a Goodreads
Giveaway
Read: August 3 2012
In A Few Words:  Ambitious, Colorful, Realistic
My Rating: 5  Stars
Goodreads: Add this book to your to-read shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Mrs. Grundy asks her fourth grade class what they want to be when they grow up, Zack Zage goes all out. To his dismay, his precocious dreams are not met with great enthusiasm. Children will love this story about an ambitious little kid with big dreams. Ambition’s Not An Awful Word will have you and your kids laughing out loud. 

The illustrations by Adam Watkins are fabulous. And, the glossary is unforgettably funny. It is a gift to all the parents who have struggled to stay awake while reading a bedtime story to the kids.(less)

Melissa's Musings:

Ambition's Not An Awful Word is funny, educational, realistic, and hopeful all rolled into one. 

The first thing that caught my attention of course was the color. I love the color purple, and stars, so even though I'm not the 9-10 year old audience this is directed at I liked it just for that picture alone. 

Then once you get inside the book it's even better. It starts out with Zack's teacher asking the class what they want to be when they grow up.

I remember being a kid and having tons of answers just like Zack does. If I'm honest, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up, even at 26. I may have a bit more focus now, but I still have lots of ideas. 

And just like the title says, these ideas are ambitious. They range from artist, to banker, to doctor and just about everything in between. The format of the story is that Zack has big dreams, and he wishes them wildly, putting in extravagant details of how his life as a certain professional would go. Then, on the next page, his dreams are taken down a notch with some realistic rebuttals.

My favorite of these is:

 "If I were a chef, Cordon Bleu at Versailles, I'd wear a white tuxedo, cummerbund and bow tie. I would saute like a maestro. My souffle would be premier. Julia Child would be my mentor. And I would have no peer."

 But the stove would yell out, "STOP! Don't put that oil in there. YOU still have a chance but I won't have a prayer. Tell the truth, you can't boil water, or make a piece of toast. Go outside. Light a fire. Have yourself a weenie roast." (pages 9-10)

As an adult, I see this from both sides. I appreciate Zack's hopefulness, and ability to dream big. But at the same time, I can also appreciate the other side. The side that says that no matter what your dreams are you may not always be able to achieve them, because life can get in the way. That right there is what I mean when I say this book is realistic. 

Regardless of that, there's absolutely nothing wrong with having big dreams. Like the book jacket says, this book is funny, but the true heart of it is found within the last ten words:

Oh, the moon left you this message, "It's okay to dream."

That's an important message for anyone, child or adult alike. No matter how big your dreams are, go for them.  You never know what could happen.

What are some of your dreams? 

*Sorry about the varying colors within this post, I'm having some formatting issues that I'm not sure how to solve with this post

Behind the Blog (14): What Dreams May Come

Behind The Blog is a meme to help bloggers connect their life and interests to the content showcased on their blog. The co-hosts Faye Kathe and Melissa will provide a different topic, idea, or question every week that bloggers can relate to themselves and the books, films, or media they find interesting!

This week draws the main Olympics to a close. So many hundreds of athletes have been competing for three prestigious medals: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Every single one is sure to dream of one day holding a Gold medal in their hands-one that they won themselves. Unfortunately for many, it will not happen as they dream but that doesn't mean they ever stop trying. In light of this, this week we are asking you what are some of your dream goals? What are your opinions when it comes to goals that never seem to turn into reality?

In relation to books. which characters have you loved witnessing achieve their goals, or whose dreams have you loved and cherished? Are there any goals you have acquired because of characters you've read about?Tell us all.

This is such a difficult topic for me to put into words. I have a lot of different dreams and goals for myself. And as I become older, it seems like I think up even more to add to the list. I'm not sure if that's good, because I'll never run out of goals, or bad because I'll never complete the list. I think I'll go with the former.

I have a goal of writing a book someday. I'm not sure what about, and I'm not sure where to even begin with it, but I want to do it. I don't even necessarily want to be publish it, I just want to write it.

I want to make a difference in the world. No matter how big or small. I've been tossing around a couple of ideas for going back to school (not anytime in the near future, but at some point) for a Master's degree in Psychology, or in Library Sciences. Two completely different disciplines, I know. But I feel that I can do a lot of good in either field. Depending on the specialty I chose, I could work in a hospital, or a school, or even have a psychology practice someday. And if I decided to go the way of Library Sciences, I'd be helping people discover new books, and bringing new characters, worlds and helping foster the love of reading in their lives which would be wonderful.

I have more dreams than this,  but like I said, they're so hard to put into words. And if I expanded on all of them, we'd be here all day.

As for dreams that never seem to turn in to reality, I think they can be a great motivator. They give people something to always be striving for. They give people a sense of purpose. Some people might say, "well what's the point if you're never going to achieve them?"

The point is that you could. The possibility is there. Always having something to work for is never a bad thing. And sometimes one goal can lead you to the next, accomplished or not, and these dreams, and the journey to attain them can change your life.

I know that I'll never stop dreaming. I'll always be looking forward, to see what dreams may come for me. I could accomplish them all, I could accomplish none  of them. The point will be that I did dream, and I did try.

Sometimes, the reward isn't accomplishing the dream, but the journey it took to get there.

Books/Media

There are plenty of characters whose dreams I've rooted for and cherished, it's so hard to choose just one. So I won't. I'll just say that usually, I'm a fan of the underdog characters.

What are some of your dreams? Do you think you'll accomplish them?

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