July | 2019 | Ad Librum Aeternam

Monthly Archives: July 2019

Genre: Memoir, Travel, Non-Fiction

Pages: 173
ISBN: 978-0997572704
Format: Paperback, eBook (Kindle)
Publication date: May 16th, 2016
Publisher: Your Book Angel
Type: Memoir

*Thanks to BookTasters (Twitter: @BookTasters and Web site) and Miss Tirzah Libert for giving me a free ecopy of Go Ahead, You're Home in exchange for a review given on a voluntary basis. I received no compensation.*

I chose Go Ahead, You're Home because the blurb made me dream of travelling in someone else's shoes and see their life, in two vastly different countries to mine. As a polyglot and big enthusiast of cultures and travelling, this intrigued me. Also, I wanted to see what pushed her to move to the Netherlands and what she wants to accomplish.

The Positive Points:

I'll go ahead (see what I did there?) and say that the best part about this book is simply the heart she puts into telling us all about her life. It's beautiful, humbling, and inspiring, too. I rather enjoyed this side and felt somehow touched that she'd let me (and others) see her thoughts and life so closely. It was quite interesting to experience a different POV since she sounds "wilder" than I am (no offence here, I think it's fun to see) and it was amusing and eye-opening to be able to read about a different life somewhere else in the world. Here, it was in the Caribbeans. It was poignant and immersive; it was as if I could see through her very eyes. Loved it!

Moreover, the resilience and strength of this woman along with the culture and customs of her homeland are great to see! They're also admirable in their own rights.

The Negative Points:

These were very hard to order as I think they're are major points, but here goes:

The ideas and subjects are all jumbled together! It's like head-hopping (where an author switches from one character to another continuously), but with ideas! She's talking of her faith, then it brusquely switches to her aunt with no real link between the two. And it goes on and on like this. It's pretty confusing and unpleasant. There's so much to tell, I know, but a more structured approach would make this book better!

The amount of "faith" and "religion" talks in this book are annoying… I understand it's part of that part, but it's just too much for other readers who might not be like her (*GASPS*). I didn't take any points for this though since that's how she is. But there's a bit too much of it to be easily readable by others and NOT put down with a roll of our eyes or an annoyed sigh.

Lastly, the author tells us all about her actions, the events, the situations, and it's quite interesting, I must admit! I could get lost in it easily. But there is ONE major wrong point: she tells us about the actions, but not enough about her emotions. I want to know how she felt! How did finding a secretary job made her feel? How about that difficult (I assume) miscarriage? In memoirs, we're looking for the "travel" part, true, but I want the emotions, I want to feel, to connect. I don't just want to watch over her shoulder. It's a good book, but this point is severely lacking.

In Conclusion:

While it was a good insight into Miss Libert's life and allowed me to taste a different culture and experience another's life, I think it was way too topic-hopping, confusing and not detailed enough for me to really be hooked to this book. So, I give Go Ahead, You're Home a rating of 3.5 out of 5. I would recommend it to other travel memoirs and memoirs enthusiasts.

If you want to learn more about Tirzah Libert, visit her Web site, Twitter account, and Facebook page. You can also add the book to your Goodreads and LibraryThing TBR list(s).

Moving to TypePad (Let’s Regroup, Sweeties, Okay?)

chit-chatting with Cat July 27, 2019 Leave a comment

Hello, folks!

I hope you’re doing well!

I’m sorry I’ve been absent lately, but it was due to my moving my blog from WordPress.com to TypePad (here). I thought it was high time I implemented an email list and have a Web site of my own for my writing and book reviews, hence the move. TypePad allows me to do this. So I switched.

If you’re interested, please do follow me on there (you can use your email address or feed app!) It will delight me!

As usual, you’ll see posts on writing, book reviews, languages, and anything I find of interest for you and my writing journey. 🙂

I’m preparing a few new series and surprises.

Please, do follow me on Ad Librum Aeternam.com so we can continue this amazing journey together!

See you over there, lovelies!

The Move from WordPress (A New Adventure Begins! Beam Me Up, Scotty!)

chit-chatting with Cat July 26, 2019 1 Comment

Hello, folks!

I hope you're doing well!

I'm sorry I've been absent lately, but it was due to my moving my blog from WordPress.com (https://adlibrumaeternam.wordpress.com/) to TypePad (here). I thought it was high time I implemented an email list and have a Web site of my own for my writing and book reviews, hence the move. TypePad allows me to do this. So I switched.

If you're interested, please do follow me on here (you can use your email address or feed app!) It will delight me!

As usual, you'll see posts on writing, book reviews, languages, and anything I find of interest for you and my writing journey. 🙂

I'm preparing a few new series and surprises.

With that, I hope to see you around and

WELCOME TO MY NEW WEB SITE, AD LIBRUM AETERNAM.COM!

Oh, Outline, Outline… (OLD POST)

chit-chatting with Cat, My Projects July 24, 2019 Leave a comment

As you probably have guessed from the title, I’m currently outlining my new novel in the NaNoWriMo Prep, titled The Stranger: The Rise of a Heroine. I have the beginning and the middle, but the ending has yet to be found… I’ll update you when it’s complete! For now, I’ll need a

P.S.: Dylan O’Brien is my faceclaim for my deranged Thomas Lance, one of my two main characters. I think he has his potential and energy, along with his sense of humor, which clearly show in his roles. Thank you, Dylan, for being my Thomas’ appearance and source of inspiration along with my imagination.

A Review at Starboard: Aegir ‘ s Curse

Book Reviews July 15, 2019 Leave a comment

One day, a kind and impressive woman (look at all her qualifications!), Leah Devlin, sent me a message with a proposition: I was to review her book in exchange of a paperback copy of it. Needless to say, I was thrilled!

Here is the summary:

A thousand years ago, the Viking colony of Vinland was ravaged by a swift-moving plague … a curse inflicted by the sea god Ægir. The last surviving Norseman set the encampment and his longboat ablaze to ensure that the disease would die with him and his brethren. In present-day Norway, a distinguished professor is found murdered, his priceless map of Vinland missing. The ensuing investigation leads to the reclusive world of Lindsey Nolan, a scientist and recovering alcoholic who has been sober for five years. Lindsey reluctantly agrees to help the detective who’s hunting the murderer, but she has a bigger problem on her hands: a mysterious disease that’s spreading like wildfire through the population of Woods Hole. As she races against a rising body count to discover the source of the plague, disturbing events threaten her hard-won sobriety—and her life. Will Lindsey be the next victim of Ægir’s curse?

This sounds like a good book, doesn’t it ? Well, it’s because it IS.

Let’s start with the good sides. I think her most impressive skill is the quality of her writing. It is clear and precise, her terms chosen with precision. I have never read a book with such an extensive vocabulary! It is very refreshing. Sometimes (more than thrice), I had to look up a work in a dictionary, which is incredibly rare for me to do as I possess a notable vocabulary too. I cannot stress this enough: the quality of her writing is gold! Then, Devlin makes show of a vast knowledge on diverse topics and uses it to create varied scenes in her book, such as diving, science, microbial science, etc. I must say the introduction of her main character, Lindsey Nolan, was interesting and different from what I have read in other novels.

Her intrigue is well-woven, with changing point of views and the suspense being kept at every chapter. Miss Devlin even has a surprising (yet groan-provoking, haha) technique: she explains what, may it be the reason why it happened or what happened, in the next chapter or the following ones. But never in the same chapter! I found it both frustrating and page-turning. I got caught, I have to admit. She uses this tactic every time, and trust me, it works; it’s beautiful! I have found that Devlin is also very descriptive of humans, showing the sad reality of how people can be and at other times the best side of them too. I am guilty about one thing, though. I was certain there would be no big surprises and such: I was wrong. So wrong. Miss Delvin has written twists and turns when you least expect them; they are both found throughout the novel and at the end. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with all of them.

As for the bad sides, I only have two. Three if you count the fact that I would have loved for more of the story to be centered on the vikings, but that’s just my taste, haha. What I noticed first is that there is a blatant lack of emotions. It is mostly based on actions and descriptions of the environment, which are good for mystery and thrillers, it’s true. However, it had me less immersed into the story than it should have.

Devlin uses too many thoughts and questions; they are good, but should be accompanied by a description of the character’s emotions. It is her novel’s biggest flaw. The other one is the fact that there are typos and missing words here and there. Of course, there are not that many, and not that annoying, but enough to be noticeable. I wouldn’t say they ruin the book, though; they’re just there and few, you know?

Overall, the novel Aegir’s Curse by Leah Devlin is, in terms of quality of writing and varied scenes, a masterpiece. I enjoyed it greatly! I only wished to be more immersed into the story. It lacked emotions, and I encourage the author to write with a bit more emotion next time. For all these reasons, I give it a rating of 4 out of 5. I simply cannot wait to read the rest of the Woods Hole trilogy and Devlin’s new series, The Chesapeak Tugboat Murders. I wish her well in her amazing writing endeavour!

The Woe of Self-Esteem and Confidence (And How to Beat It!)

Tips July 11, 2019 Leave a comment

Hello, everyone!

This week's writing tip is all about self-esteem and confidence… two hard concepts to keep when they grace you with their magic. However, I have a tip and a real story to share with you about how to get confident and raise your level of self-esteem. Ready?

Let's get started!

The hardest thing to do when one wishes to write is actually sitting down and writing something. But let me tell you that

a) you will NEVER grow your confidence if you don't write. At all.

b) in order for your self-esteem to rise, you need to stop making excuses and find the time to write – you shall feel much better afterwards. You'll see. It's a step in the right direction.

I know, I know. Life is crazy fast. So how does one sit down to write when we have to wash the dishes, etc.? The answer is as simple as it's hard to apply: Make writing your priority. I kid you not. I've been reading how-to books on writing and they all say the same thing. Guess what? They're right. I've been trying it the past few days and my NaNo Prep improved. 🙂 I am now into world-building. It's quite impressive being at that point taking into consideration that I only had a concept for the story two weeks ago. If you don't make it your priority, you'll feel bad and guilty for not writing, which is the exact opposite of how you should feel for your self-esteem to rise!

As for confidence, I have a little story to tell you: This week, I wrote a flash fiction for a contest and posted it on Scribophile for reviews. For the second time in my life, I received a terribly negative review, which came as a shock to me (I'm not used to receiving poor feedback, my stories usually being great). I was hurt. Sincerely. My confidence in my writing took a step back… but then, something awesome happened. Three other people reviewed it afterwards. Their reviews were good and constructive. It made me feel better and more confident.

Moral of the story? Believe in what you can do and share it. If you don't share it, how can you know people will actually like it? You can't grow your confidence by keeping it a secret… Yes, sometimes it hurts like hell, but other times (and those are the important ones) it's as sweet as honey and crucial (as they give you constructive reviews).

You see, confidence isn't a straight line. It's more like a roller coaster. Aim for the climb at the summit, though be aware there will be hurtful going down. When you're at the top of the roller coaster, analyze what got you there. Then cherish it. Write it down, if necessary. This way, during rough times, you can look back at it and know how to work on your confidence.

Did you know that James Patterson, bestselling author of 76 novels, got rejected 31 times when he was starting out?! It's not because a certain someone, professional or not, dislikes your writing, that it is bad. Other people will see something good in it; thrive on this! And improve what you can. It's the only way you will grow your confidence. By sharing your work and becoming vulnerable. It's unpleasant, I know. But it's worth it in the long run.

Self-esteem and confidence are friends of your writing and sharing. It comes hand in hand with them.

I wish you all the best with your writing.

If you have questions about today's tip, ask me in the comments below!

On this: Just write!

Writing Apps on Android: A Review

App & Software Reviews July 5, 2019 Leave a comment

Hello again, folks! I promised you a review of two free writing apps available in the Google Play Store. Well, here it is! Let's start with World Scribe, my favorite of the two.

World Scribe by Averi Studios

Just like its name says, this app lets you build a world along with all the connections, concepts, characters it must have for it to be believable and great.

Positive points:

It is cute but simple and easy to navigate and create new files (or even worlds). There's a big ''+'' button for that need and it's quite hard to miss.
We can add pictures!!! (I cannot stress this enough as I am one who loves casting my characters or even add a picture that resembles the place I am creating.)
There is a space for general information, the possibility to create memberships and roles to groups YOU create, residences (worlds), various connections such as relationships to one another or with a certain item, and snippets of information that do not fit in the bio.
A fact I particularly liked: it can backup to Dropbox! So even if you lose the app or it doesn't work anymore for whatever reason, you can find all you need in Dropbox (if you backed it up once or more, of course).
There are different app themes which consist of five colors and even a night mode (the background then becomes black).
You can create as many worlds as you wish!
There is a search function in each tab (or category) if you ever have too many characters or else.
You can even create concepts about your worlds, items, characters, or whatever it is you want the concept to be about. It is fun to have this possibility because we know that there are many concepts in a world in order for it to feel real…
Last but not least, no ads!

You're probably wondering where the negative points are… I am as well for I couldn't find any! For an app, it is quite interesting and worth the downloading and installing bits. Now, you can have your worlds and basic character descriptions at your fingertips, wherever you are. Doesn't this sound magical? It is!

So, I give this cute and useful app a rating of 5 out of 5. I recommend it to everyone who writes! Even if you're not worldbuilding, you can just enter the basic information of the real place your characters are set in and then expand on the relationships, groups, concepts, etc. Thus, you'll have all you need to start writing on a whim on the subway or on the bus or anywhere, really!

Writing Prompts by Datamix Soft

This app gives you writing prompts for when your creativity fuel is running low or only to exercise your writing skills.

Negative points:

There are ads, which is annoying.
The interface is dark (bleh) and the pixels show; it doesn't have a nice and beautiful finish feel to it.
There is a tab titled ''Writing Guides'', but when I click it, it tells me to download another app from them in which there are all of their writing guides. This would have been very interesting if it were integrated in the Writing Prompts app. Otherwise, one must use more download in order to get to them…

Positive points:

The prompts are fun and diverse. However, they are not precise enough with ideas – they're more about techniques.
Easy navigation.
The ''Online Writing Communities'' tab lists the 7 most popular writing communities you can find online along with short descriptions and direct links to them. I even discovered a few! This is, by far, the best point of this writing app.
The interface's main screen is a fun space – it mimics a corkboard with the prompts written on a small piece of paper pinned to it. If only it weren't so pixelated…

Unfortunately, I don't really recommend it unless you want to explore the various online writing communities, that is. I give this app a rating of 2 out of 5 for the easy interface and the discovery of online writing communities. Next up will probably be a book review or my review of K.M. Weiland's outlining software!

P.S.: I'm so glad I re-read my last post because I had completely forgotten about my sci-fi short story… Don't worry! I'll get to it and share it with you in due time. Once the research and writing parts are done, of course.

P.S. 2: Also, if there are apps or sites you want me to review or anything you'd like to know, just comment and tell me! I'll do my best to help you.

Will you try one of these two apps? If so, what did you like and dislike about them?

As always, thanks for sticking with me and see you next post!