Review: Magnolia and Lotus: Selected Poems of Hyesim (+ INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY)

Hello all!

Today I'm bringing you a little something different here on the blog. I haven't featured much poetry in the past, but today I'm bringing you my review of Magnolia and Lotus: Selected Poems of Hyesim as part of a blog tour hosted by Pump Up Your Book

Read on to find out more about this book and enter to win your own copy!

Title: Magnolia and Lotus: Selected Poems of Hyesim

Translators: Ian Haight and T'ae-Yong Ho

Publisher: White Pine Press

Published: June 4, 2013

Pages: 108

Format: Paperback

Source: Received From Translator in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4 Stars

Melissa's Musings:

This collection of poetry is diverse, but there are also some common themes and elements. I appreciated the introduction to the collection, which gives the reader a glimpse of Hyesim. It explores his beginnings as a nobleman, his path to becoming a monk, and his dedication to spiritual enlightenment. I learned some of the differences between the Korean version of Zen, called Son. It's refreshing to learn a different perspective on the concept of Zen, and to learn more about it in general.

Most of these poems are short, but they pack powerful meanings within their limited space. Nature, and the appreciation of its beauty is one of the most common themes. The moon is featured often, as are ponds. One of my favorite pieces in this book is the poem titled "Singing Moon" (pg. 47) The message makes the reader truly stop and think about the fact that our days/nights are not guaranteed, and we should't take any of them for granted.

Many of the poems that feature ponds focus on the act of self reflection, which is key for personal growth. The beautiful imagery portrayed within these poems elicits self reflection, and makes you think about the things that are truly important in life. I'm happy to have read this poetry collection and to have had the opportunity to do some self reflection.

Are you interested in reading this poetry collection? Enter below to win your own copy of Magnolia and Lotus: Selected Poems of Hyesim

Giveaway Details:

Three (3) winners will receive print copies of Magnolia and Lotus

This giveaway is open  INTERNATIONALLY

The winners will have 48 hours to respond to their notification emails before another winner is chosen.

The author NOT Melissa's Midnight Musings is responsible for sending the prize to the winner

The giveaway will run from August 7, 2013  August 21 2013 at 12:00 AM PST

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Review: Godspeed: A Love Story

Title: Godspeed: A Love Story

Series: N/A

Author: Dan Chabot

Publisher: Createspace

Published:  June 12, 2012

Genre: Romance

Format: Kindle

Pages: 306

Source: Received from author

Read: March 4-5 2013

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads: Add To Your To-Read Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Derry and Amedee fall in love, it is a collision of destinies, and they are sure it will last forever. But when it ends in tragedy, Derry, beset by remorse and guilt, sets off on an improbable, reckless crusade for redemption. When it finally ends abruptly, he has found someone to help him build a new life from the ashes of the past, and readers are left to ponder a poignant question: How can a lie be wrong when it makes so many people feel so good?

Melissa's Musings:

When I first started reading this book, I was afraid I would end up really not liking it. It just didn't make sense at first. It starts out at a funeral, and I figured "Oh no, that can't be good." But then it delves into more of the story before the funeral, so thankfully my perception changed.

There are a lot of characters with slightly ridiculous, and some very unusual, sometimes alliterative names. These include Phil Farell, Finbar O'Halloran and Hortense Hickenlooper to name a few. And there are a lot of them. At first I was thining that having so many characters would mean an onslaught of useless information, or confusion. But, in the end, each one has a distinct personality, with just the right amount of detail as to get a sense of who they are as a person but not so much as to overwhelm the reader.

There are a few inconsistencies with some of the details about the characters but  these are very minor and do not detract from the story at all.

One of the best parts about this book is that this crazy cast of characters has a list of running gags that will make you laugh so hard you cry. At one point I had tears streaming down my face, I was laughing so hard. I don't want to ruin the effect by demonstrating with quotes, you really have to read it for yourself to see what I mean, but lets just say there are some crazy names that get slipped into news stories and some very creative headlines with double meanings.

Derry and Amedee's relationship is really what glues the story together. Their relationship moves quickly, (but not insta-love quickly) It is tender, sweet, and true.  They just fit very well together. They have some extremely tender moments with each other that were enough to move me to tears.  I can't say much about what happens with them without ruining the story. But I will say that I like how everything comes full circle in the end.

This is an amazing story that will take you on a rollercoaster of a journey. You'll laugh, cry, and you may even wonder "Do I appreciate the people in my life enough?" This story reminds the reader that life is short and that people should appreciate the people in their lives, because you never know what could happen.

Blog Tour Stop: Review: The Eighth Wonder

Hello Fellow Readers!

 Today I'm happy to be bringing you my review of The Eighth Wonder by Kimberly S. Young

Title: The Eighth Wonder

Author: Kimberly S. Young

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: February 2, 2012

Source: Received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

Nicole Benson is a self-made woman. She put herself through school, sacrificing marriage and children for her career. In the summer of 1997, at the age of 35, she finally graduated with a Ph.D. from NYU, but her life is thrust into chaos when her father, the only person she's ever leaned on emotionally, is diagnosed with terminal cancer. After fifteen years in New York City, Nicole leaves everything and everyone she knows to teach for a year in Bradford, Pennsylvania to be close to her father in nearby Buffalo. Now, trapped in tiny Bradford, she has never felt more alone in her life. . . until she meets Tom Ryan. At 44, Tom represents what Nicole longs to be: settled, secure, and clear about his purpose and direction in life. Emotionally scarred, he and his wife of 23 years survived the death of their daughter to leukemia. Tom and Nicole's story begins as a journey of self-discovery for both of them but turns to bittersweet tragedy when their friendship becomes love. Nicole risks offering what she has never given before, her heart; and Tom has never felt happier or more conflicted when he falls in love for the second time in his life. Their lives become intertwined and changed forever when they both must face the most difficult decision of their lives.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Melissa's Musings:

I was immediately pulled in to the story from the first line, curious to know who "he"is. The relationship between Tom and Nicole is slow, gradual, and just right. 

Nicole is a bit of a drifter, afraid of committment, unsure of what she really wants to do with herself. I think part of this is due to the fact that her mother left their family when she  was a teenager. That's a blow to any child, no matter how old you are. And I can definitely see why she would be afraid of committment if one of the people who was supposed to be there for you, no matter what, up and left.

Tom is married, but he and his wife have drifted apart since their daughter Lisa, died of Leukemia. One thing that was a little grating about his character was the way he was constantly repeating things and questioning why he was cheating on his wife. It wasn't the fact that he was questioning it, that was actually nice to see, it was just the manner in which he was doing it. More the language than anything. I don't know if I was misreading the voice, or if this was done intentionally, but it felt like Tom's dialogue was a lot more stiff than Nicole's.  Nicole's had rough edges too, at times, but Tom's seemed a bit more formal than hers.

As I mentioned, the romance between Tom and Nicole is very sweet, and not rushed. It's a bit of a secret, as they live in a small town. The one thing I particularly like is that the author went in another direction with this in regards to the affair itself. Usually, there's some big blow up where the wife finds out and is extremely angry, and the lover is scorned.

In this case, that doesn't happen. You do get so involved in Tom and Nicole's relationship though that you wonder why they did it if they knew it would just cause them to hurt when it was all over. But, as I mentioned, it is just right.  I won't say what happens but I will say this story certainly doesn't have a typical fairytale ending. The ending does serve it's purpose though, even though you may be rooting for something different

I was invested enough in the book and the relationship that I even shed a few tears at the end of the story, so this may be perfect for someone who needs a little cry.

Nicole's character grows a lot throughout the book and it's nice to see her be comfortable in her own skin. There are also some great secondary characters in the story as well. Quite the mix of a New York socialit (of sorts) Carol, an eccentric professor from England, and others along the way.

There are also a lot of beautiful encounters with and descriptions of nature within the book. It really made me feel as if I were in the story with the characters.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a simple romance story that will stop and make you ponder just how each decision you make will affect your life.

Review: Citizen Scientists Be a Part of Science From Your Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns

Title:  Citizen Scientists: Be A Part of Scientific Discovery

From Your Own Backyard

Author: Loree Griffin Burns

Publisher: Henry Holt &Co. (BYR)

Published: February 14, 2012

Format:  Paperback

Pages: 80

Source: Won from Goodreads First Reads

Read: July 9-10th

My Rating:  5 Stars

In A Few Words:  Engaging and  fun

Goodreads: Add it to your To-read shelf

Goodreads Synopsis
Anyone can get involved in gathering data for ongoing, actual scientific studies such as the Audubon Bird Count and FrogWatch USA. Just get out into a field, urban park, or your own backyard. You can put your nose to a monarch pupa or listen for raucous frog calls. You can tally woodpeckers or sweep the grass for ladybugs. This book, full of engaging photos and useful tips, will show you how.



Melissas's Musings:


I have to say right off the bat that this is a great book. It's informative, well written, and most important of all,  fun.

The first thing that caught my eye was the author's definition of citizen science. It's a very basic definition but still important. Burns defines citizen science as: "The study of our world by the people who live in it."

This resonated for me in particular because having my degree in Sociology, I can really relate to that. Granted, Sociology is more narrowly defined, being that it's the scientific study of society and the way it works, but broadly, the two are very similar.

Although the book is meant for children, to help foster their love for learning and studying animals, I really think adults can learn a lot from it too.

The language is easily broken down and well illustrated by lots of pictures and examples of the activity that the author is describing. The author also really promotes getting outside, and doing these different tasks in order to help the various species and the research efforts for each one.

I really enjoyed the structure of the book. It's divided into four sections, one for each of the four seasons, with each season highlighting a different animal. Fall is dedicated to butterflies, Winter to birds, Spring to frogs, and Summer to ladybugs. There are also quizzes at the end of each section. Plus there's an extensive list of resources and an excellent glossary at the back of the book as well.

I believe that this book is geared toward ages 10-12 but I really think that any age child can enjoy it, even if it just means looking at the photos. The photos, by the way are beautiful and varied.

I'd recommend this to anyone who has a curious youngster (or who may just be curious themselves) who wants to learn about these animals.

*Please note that I won this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads Program*