Review of "The Eyes of the Desert Sand (Chrysalis Chronicles #1)"

The Eyes of the Desert Sand by Edwin Wolfe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think the story would make an intriguing movie or series of movies – it’s an engaging story with a blend of elements of fantasy, history, sci-fi, mythology and reality, along with an array of characters and settings that you can imagine visually as you are reading.

The book just gives you a taste of each character and their personalities. It seems to jump right into the action, but I guess that’s what you have to do in a Youth-oriented story. I would have liked to get a little more in-depth into the characters and the storyline as a whole.

As an adult, I am so used to reading longer books that really dive deep into character personalities, their psychology, main character backgrounds, locales and sometimes inner-monologues of characters that I felt a little disappointed not to have more background - it delved right into The Residence, but I still felt a little lost at the beginning because it happened so fast.

The ending was a great setup for the next book in the series. I look forward to reading more about the world in the Chrysalis Chronicles, watch the richness of the characters grow, and the story unfold. And after that, I look forward to seeing the series emerge on the big screen!

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Beware of Fleeting Wishes

I had a thought pop into my head…that when I was a teenager I was jealous of a friend who was getting braces. I didn’t like the way my teeth were growing in apparently.

At another time, I think I was upset because I didn’t need glasses – I can’t remember, but this thought came to me as I pushed my glasses that I have been wearing for years now while working on the computer (not quite sure how much they help)….… I’ll have to ask my Mom about it because it was just a fleeting thought…not sure if it’s real, but it feels real.

After that came to me, I had to laugh a little to myself (and then, of course, write it all down before the aftermath of everyday life wipes it away)…I have had so much work done on my teeth (that never had braces on- even though a dentist once thought I did because I “have the perfect bite”…not anymore) – including several crowns, root canal, a bridge, numerous fillings for cavities, and an implant.

I also now have glasses to read (although they don’t seem to work quite right either), computer glasses and the ones that work the best are those cheapo magnifying spectacles that I now keep 3 pairs of tucked in various spaces to help me see the teeny tiny print on bottles and packages.

A few fleeting wishes, made as a pre-teen, have now manifested in ways I never would have thought back then.

One statement that kept coming up when I had an entire season marathon watching “Once Upon a Time” was,”All magic comes with a price.”Apparently, some wishes do too, so be cautious of your wishes because you will never know how or when or in what form they will come in.

Don’t even get me started wishing for ample cleavage!

Responsible Energy

I mentioned a few posts ago that I had finally watched The Oprah Winfrey Show finale.

One place I had to pause was when Oprah was talking about Energy. I had a conversation with someone a month or so ago about Energy. I believe the conversation started about the belief in destiny and a belief in a higher power and God…

So I asked, “Well, do you agree that we are all energy? That everything is made of energy – the trees, a pen, a rock, clouds, animals, people, a blade of grass, everything?”

He didn’t agree 100% or disagree, and then the conversation just petered out.

On the last show, Oprah talked about energy & a quote that truly inspired her from one of her guests, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, author of My Stroke of Insight, which I got for my Nook that night, and the next day it was at Barnes & Noble in the final sale stacks. Talk about Synchronicity! I started to read it again last night and am about half-way through.

The quote that Oprah has in her dressing room, in her homes, and at her companies…

“Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.”

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

The Green Monster Strikes Again! EEK!

I’m a firm believer that envy can be both good and bad. I’m sure there is much disagreement to this statement, and I’m sure I’ll hear about it.

You can be envious of someone or a group of people because you covet what they have or envy the good things that are happening to them – especially when you feel stuck, unmoving and unchanging yourself.

I really am happy & thrilled for a person or group of people, but at the onset of hearing news sometimes I seem to say to myself, “Why him/her/them and not me?”, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I have that?” -  I’ve done it a few times recently and I’m not proud of myself.

And, it makes you feel bad when you are TRULY happy for someone – it’s usually someone close to you – a friend (or more recently, their kid), a sibling, a cousin, a co-worker – and then of course, you feel REALLY BAD and GUILTY for having these negative feelings.

Well, at least I do.

I really hate when these initial reactions happen, but they do. I acknowledge feeling this way, search to find the reason why, and then make a conscious choice to decide if I am going to stay feeling like that or if I am going to brush those initial feelings aside and embrace the feelings that are really in my heart.

Oh My! Fifty, Fifty, Fifty

So yes, SPOILER ALERT if you know close to nothing about E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy…it’s timely, it had me thinking…so I thought I’d write about it (yes, I’m linking to Barnes& Noble because I have a NookTablet).

I decided to finish this posting because earlier today I was in the midst of a Facebook exchange about who should play Christian in the movie. No decision yet…but at the top of the list is Henry Cavill because he’s both pretty AND has an amazing body AND he has semi-curly hair that you could run your fingers through AND he doesn’t mind appearing partially nude ;) .

These thoughts initially started off as a response to a request out there from a writer for mental health professionals about several of the themes and subjects that are intricately woven into the web that is the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.

I am not any sort of expert other than a 45 single woman who has read the books…and has thoughts to share.

I just finished the last book a few weekends ago...and spent money on them to get them on my Nook - mainly because it's so much easier to read books on the Nook, and also so I can lend it out when that option is available.

I think the books are so popular because they touch on so many topics and there are elements that are psychological and physiological – how we see ourselves; the danger-boy factor; fantasies; nurture vs. nature; wealth vs. poverty vs. middle class; sexuality; the correlation between pain and love; experiences in certain times of our lives that shape who we are and affect us in different phases of our lives; and many others…

My Calling?

So I FINALLY (almost a year later) watched the last few Oprah Winfrey shows. They’ve been on my DVR since last May.

I ran out of space & missed a few of my key shows…a couple season finales & semi-finals of Dancing with the Stars. I know, I can watch these online. It’s lame but this is me, it’s who I am.

So, I deleted a few shows & decided I would finally watch the last few shows of The Oprah Winfrey Show and then delete them.

I didn’t watch Oprah regularly. I caught the show if I was home sick, or saw an ad and she had someone on who I really wanted to see, or sometimes I caught the show during one of the many times I was unemployed.

Little did I know when I decided to watch them last night that The Oprah Winfrey Show finale, was exactly what I needed…at that time, in that place.

They say that things come into your life when they are supposed to. Who would’ve thought that a TV show taped a year ago would be exactly what I needed. I’m not that surprised cause it’s OPRAH!

There were so many messages in this last show that I’m probably going to be mentioning this show again in future posts because so many of the themes spoke to me now. Here’s the one I decided to write about today.

WE ALL HAVE A CALLING.

Reflection.

So, last week I had a Birthday. I turned 45.

I cannot believe I am 45. When I thought of 45 while growing up, I know I didn’t think of it as “OLD”, but I did think of it as an age where you should be grown up & mature. Most of the time I don’t feel so grown up or mature. But, I think if you asked my friend’s kids who are in there teens or 20s – they’d say I was a grown-up at least.

At 45, I figured I most likely be a parent, surely not a grandparent so young.  BUT, my grandmother was a one at 40, and I have friends who are already grandparents. I’m not even a mother.

So Birth Day = Reflection.