Half Life

 Author: Jillian Cantor

ISBN: 9780062969880

Hi Everyone,

What if we could write the story of our life as reality and how it could have been if we had just taken the other path?

Have you ever thought about how things would have been if only you had taken the other path?

Said "Yes" where you said "No".

Or, not got on the train and moved to another part of the world but stayed with the one person you really loved?

Or...?

Life is full of options and we are often left analyzing the "what if's".

Jullian Cantor has written such a novel that answers the "what if" to Marya Sklodawska.  She could have stayed Poland and lived a life way different from the life she lived in Paris and in this novel she does both.  You will read chapter by chapter the parallel happenings of her life in Paris had she got on the train, and her life in Poland had she not got on the train.

I was gripped into both stories.  I had the "No!" moments, where I thought "What are thinking?" and then was enticed back into the supportive reader who agreed with her choices.  It was a roller coaster ride as I flicked from chapter to chapter and one life to the other.

It was a fantastic read like none other that I have encountered.  It was the most brilliant concept put into written word and I want more novels like this one.

I was left questioning the choices I have made in my life.  I have journeyed many options and chosen many paths that I may or may not chose now that I am older and wiser.  As I lay the book down each night I was left thinking about our parallel opportunities and the options that we take.  I came to the end of the book, and the end of my own questions, and agreed that Maria (Marya) chose the right path at the right time and so have I.  Life is a journey of possibilities and we make choices that make the journey interesting.  I wonder how many times Maria wondered about her choices? I still have many to make, but so far life's choices have put me on a journey that I am happy to have taken.

If you get the opportunity to read 'Half Life' then pick it up and take the journey with Maria.  Take the journey with yourself too.

Description:

In Poland in 1891, Marie Curie (then Marya Sklodowska) was engaged to a budding mathematician, Kazimierz Zorawski. But when his mother insisted she was too poor and not good enough, he broke off the engagement. A heartbroken Marya left Poland for Paris, where she would attend the Sorbonne to study chemistry and physics. Eventually Marie Curie would go on to change the course of science forever and be the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.But what if she had made a different choice?

What if she had stayed in Poland, married Kazimierz at the age of twenty-four, and never attended the Sorbonne or discovered radium? What if she had chosen a life of domesticity with a constant  hunger for knowledge in Russian Poland where education for women was restricted, instead of studying science in Paris and meeting Pierre Curie?

Entwining Marie Curie's real story with Marya Zorawska's fictional one, Half Life explores loves lost and destinies unfulfilled--and probes issues of loyalty and identity, gender and class, motherhood and sisterhood, fame and anonymity, scholarship and knowledge. Through parallel contrasting versions of Marya's life, Jillian Cantor's unique historical novel asks what would have happened if a great scientific mind was denied opportunity and access to education. It examines how the lives of one remarkable woman and the people she loved - as well as the world at large and course of science and history--might have been irrevocably changed in ways both great and small.

Description taken from: Book Depository

Book available from Book Depository

Happy reading

Worthy of Repeating

Hi Everyone,

Here is a little quote that I hope every one of my student do.  Believe that you can and do the best that you can.  You are only competing against yourself and becoming better than you were yesterday.

 

Happy Reading

The Gravity Inside Us

 Author: Chloe Frayne

ISBN: 978-1-5248-6324-1

Hi Everyone

Even though you are an ocean,

you could pour yourself out 

and there would still be 

some people 

who would see nothing

but a half-empty cup of sand.....

...........  

To read the rest of this poem you will need to get a copy of The Gravity Inside Us.  It will be worth the investment.  I know, I love any poetry so maybe I am not the best person to be telling you that this book is worth the investment.  The thing is.... I only review what I believe 😀 and I have enjoyed every part of the book.

The first section remains my favorite.  Most of poems captured my imagination and left me thinking, which is what all good poetry should do.

The middle selections of poems I would recommend taking your time reading.  I read them one after another one morning over breakfast and then found that I spent the rest of the day a little sad-ish.  It could have just been the day but the poems got me thinking of people and events from my past, whereas the first selection had left me pondering life.

The last third of the book perfectly wove every ounce of the book together and I was left pleased to have been given a copy of The Gravity Inside Us.

I think I will always enjoy poetry and I am thankful to my year 13 English teacher for introducing me to genre and the treasure that every word holds.  I was given gift by that teacher (unfortunately I don't remember her name, I can still see her but her name is gone).  She showed me how to take piece of literature and read between the lines.  Before being introduced to poetry I hated reading.  That particular teacher gave me one genre of literature that I could love and treasure for the rest of my life.  

Anyway..... before I go any further down my schooling years, I will give credit to Chloe Frayne for the words, metaphors and thoughts that she has connected together into beautiful pieces of poetry for the world to enjoy.

Description:

From rising Australian poet Chloë Frayne comes her newest poetry collection, The Gravity Inside Us.

Gathering inspiration from a life of travel, hope, long-distance relationships, healing, and adventure, Frayne invites readers into her world. The Gravity Inside Us is an ode to whatever it is we carry that pulls us in and out of place, and speaks so insistently of fate. Through writing about her own experiences, this book is a reach into that space.

Happy reading

This was available from: Book depository

Think Like a Monk

 Author: Jay Shetty

ISBN: 9780008386429

Hi Everyone

I came across the author of 'Think Like a Monk' one afternoon while I binge watched Youtube rather than TV.  A book was waiting for me but it was one of those nights that if I had picked up my book I would have gone to sleep - Youtube was my next option.  Jay Shetty had a voice that grabbed my attention.  He spoke with joy and passion.  I was drawn to what he had to say.

It led me to the fact that he had book.

Light bulb moment ~ and I was listening to his audio book.

I will start by noting that I am pleased that I took the audio book option for this book because having Jay read it to me felt like it was a conversation.  I needed the conversation to come from someone and not myself.  I highly recommend listening to this one rather than reading it.  The benefit of obtaining a hard copy book of this title would be the ability to highlight content.  I have thought about that one... I think I would like to have the book and highlight in a different colour each time I re-read any chapter because each time I re-read I believe it would be for a different reason and outcome.

Okay, what did I take from this reading? 

Now that I go to write, I realize that there is so much!  The best idea is to take what Jay Shetty notes we will learn and make notes of my 'take homes' from each idea.

Train your mind for peace every day ~ This was a good one.  When I get up in the morning, I like to get up earlier than everyone else and get my breakfast. I did like to read the news headlines on my phone, check out any subscriptions to ensure I wasn't missing anything, and the other normal morning things that we all tend to do.  Now, I get up and have my breakfast (I love breakfast it is the best meal of the day), I take time to sit in the quiet, reflect what the day may hold and how I can present the best me to the world for the day. Then I read until it is time to face the day.

Learn to stop living based on people's opinions and start living on your terms ~ Okay, this is going to take a while to prefect but I am willing to start.  It is not something that I have major issues with but I know that I can do better.

Remove negativity and overcome toxic relationships and habits ~ This is a process that has been happening all by itself over the last couple of years.  I have to agree with Jay Shetty on this one. It is so easy to keep people in your life that are just... toxic. The thing that hit me most is that sometimes you don't even realize that the relationship is based on time rather than growth and encouragement, friendship and understanding. Not an easy thing and don't be ruthless but... worth thinking about, especially if the person has already distanced and you can't let go.

Heal your anxiety, fear and pain from the past ~ When I searched this one, I came back to the idea that there was a lot to be happy about with my past and I choose to continue to remember those times.  I am one of the lucky ones that had a Mum that talked to me; a lot.  I love her for that.  Maybe I have already dealt with more than I know or maybe I have faith that everything is for a reason.  Whatever my maybe's I am happy to remember the good, especially the talks with my mother (all you mum's out there, talk to your children they will remember).

Uncover your true passion and purpose ~ I believe I have, at least for this time of my life.  For any of you reading this, uncover your true passion and run with it... you owe it to the world.

Create effective morning and evening routines that transform your daily habits ~ I am a routine person and if you aren't then find a routine! It is much easier on your mind to have a few routines in your life, it is just one less thing to have to think about 😉

Stop overthinking and procrastinating and train your mind to focus ~ I am a work progress on this one.  I don't tend to procrastinate but I do think about everything and not only for myself but for everyone else as well.  I am a fixer! Well, at least I use to be - as my kids get older I am realizing that I don't have to think for them any more - phew!!

Put aside your ego to clear the path to success ~ Something we can all work on.

Develop an impactful gratitude practice that goes deeper than a list ~ The more that I think about what I have to be thankful for the less I think of anything as an issue.  There is something good in most things if we look.  Sometimes it is after the events that we can see what there is to be thankful for but there is more than we see when our mind is shut.

Find and develop true compatibility in relationships ~ When you delve into this idea remember that all relationships are about both people not just you 😀  

There we go! That was a lot.  As you can see there is plenty to sink your mind into with this book and I am sure you will find something worthy of putting this on your reading list.

Description:

Jay Shetty, social media superstar and host of the #1 podcast On Purpose, distills the timeless wisdom he learned as a monk into practical steps anyone can take every day to live a less anxious, more meaningful life.

When you think like a monk, you’ll understand:
- How to overcome negativity
- How to stop overthinking
- Why comparison kills love
- How to use your fear
- Why you can’t find happiness by looking for it
- How to learn from everyone you meet
- Why you are not your thoughts
- How to find your purpose
- Why kindness is crucial to success
- And much more...

Shetty grew up in a family where you could become one of three things—a doctor, a lawyer, or a failure. His family was convinced he had chosen option three: instead of attending his college graduation ceremony, he headed to India to become a monk, to meditate every day for four to eight hours, and devote his life to helping others. After three years, one of his teachers told him that he would have more impact on the world if he left the monk’s path to share his experience and wisdom with others. Heavily in debt, and with no recognizable skills on his résumé, he moved back home in north London with his parents.

Shetty reconnected with old school friends—many working for some of the world’s largest corporations—who were experiencing tremendous stress, pressure, and unhappiness, and they invited Shetty to coach them on well-being, purpose, and mindfulness. Since then, Shetty has become one of the world’s most popular influencers. In 2017, he was named in the Forbes magazine 30-under-30 for being a game-changer in the world of media. In 2018, he had the #1 video on Facebook with over 360 million views. His social media following totals over 38 million, he has produced over 400 viral videos which have amassed more than 8 billion views, and his podcast, On Purpose, is consistently ranked the world’s #1 Health and Wellness podcast.

In this inspiring, empowering book, Shetty draws on his time as a monk to show us how we can clear the roadblocks to our potential and power. Combining ancient wisdom and his own rich experiences in the ashram, Think Like a Monk reveals how to overcome negative thoughts and habits, and access the calm and purpose that lie within all of us. He transforms abstract lessons into advice and exercises we can all apply to reduce stress, improve relationships, and give the gifts we find in ourselves to the world. Shetty proves that everyone can—and should—think like a monk.

Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/

Happy reading

This was available from: Book depository and Whitcoulls