By Light of Hidden Candles by Daniella Levy | A Book Review

I have always been fascinated with historical fiction/thriller stories. Anything with a historical background or story that transports me back to the past, as far back as the age of the cavemen, is surely going to end up in my TBR. This book is one. Even more so, because it talks about faith--Jewish faith. Judaism. I am not Jewish but this story had me reeling because it hits my weakness. I love stories about conspiracies or theories or just about anything about faith, religion, and artifacts. This story just had a mix of all that.

This is my first time to read a book by this author and I am happy to admit that it was not a wasted effort. This book transported me to Spain--the modern and the old one. It brought me as far back as the time of the Spanish Inquisition. The time when Jews were exiled and persecuted by the Spanish authorities. This story also reminded me one of the books I just read last month about Christopher Columbus--The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glen Craney. The same book spoke of the Spanish Inquisition and how Jews at that time hid their faith just so they could stay alive. 

Unlike Glen Craney's book which was more of conspiracies and plots and a likely theory of the real identity of Columbus, this book is more of a romantic genre. This book centers on two strong characters of opposing religion--Alma, a devout and practicing Jew; and Manuel, a Catholic Spaniard who wants to become a priest. These two crossed paths when Manuel, out of curiosity stopped at a Jewish shop of Alma's grandma. Both were oblivious to the fact that their lives are more entwined than they ever could imagine.

The story goes back a few generations where the ancestors of these two characters met. The beginning of the story which leads up to the current time where Alma is tasked to fulfill what her grandmother and her great-grandmothers before her were unable to accomplish. Alma, out of her love for her grandmother and for curiosity of the women in their family that came before her, gladly accepted the honor and the opportunity to get to know more about her family tree. 

At the same time, here is Manuel, obviously, taken with Alma when he first saw her. As fate would have it, Manuel and Alma get to partner with each other to do the research on their family tree in Spain. These two's  differences in faith would prove to be both an advantage and a hindrance to their slowly blossoming closeness. Manuel, by some inexplicable force or reason could not temper his curiosity for the Jewish religion. It seemed like an unknown hand is guiding him to probe deeper into the intricacies and ceremonies of the Jewish culture and Judaism. And it doesn't help that he is bound by his love and loyalty to a Catholic priest who was like a second father to him.

All these doubts and confusion going on both in Alma and in Manuel, added to the air of suspense to the whole story. Not to the mention, the quest for each of the stories of each ancestors. The daunting task of both being able to unravel their families history and background has been a really addicting ride. At first, the search proved to be hitting a dead end and then, the unlikely discoveries, one after the other, were leading up to the climax of both realizing they were a product of a long history of friendship, business partnership, and more.

And the best part of the story was when Manuel met his grandmother's sister. It was what I have been waiting all along. I had a suspicion that the little things his mother does for him, like being a vegetarian and all, weren't just nuisance details but a hint into something more. It was the grandmother of all revelations. I took a really deep breath after that part. Ah...a happy ending after all.

I give this book 5/5 lit candles. This story brought light to me as to the customs and intricacies of the Jewish religion and culture. It is a good insight into the religion that was purported to be the origin of the Catholic faith. The intricately planned and written historical background of the characters and the connection between Alma and Manuel just blew me away. I admit, at the start, I had an inkling that Manuel will prove to be a big part of Alma and her quest to fulfill her grandma's last wish. As to how the story was beautifully and artfully uncovered was just so beyond me. It was so exhilarating and fulfilling. It was like I was with Alma and Manuel in Spain, digging through the archives for some document that will contain some evidence as to lives of my descendant. This book had me thinking that maybe, since the Spaniards occupied my country for 333, I too may have a drop of Spanish blood in my veins. What an adventure it would be to go and research that lost family connection? That's just a thought. I am not actually sure if we have Spanish ancestors. Just the thought of undertaking the same endeavor as Alma and Manuel and then finding actual proof is just too hard to pass. I actually have a desire to trace my family tree, especially on my mother's side since they are a really big family and relatives are scattered all over. I have started with the project but have not been really giving a lot of thought to it. Who knows, because of this story, I might continue on reconstructing that family tree and eventually find I might be related to some important hero like Lapu-lapu. Again, just a thought.

But you know, our story is not only about exile and oppression and suffering. It is the story of thriving, of triumph, and of great faith. It is the story of a people that laughs in the face of deepest despair, that stubbornly clings to life and to joy even in the face of horror and death. We take our pain and turn it into poetry. We take our misfortune and transform it into opportunity.

- Daniella Levy, By Light of Hidden Candles -

Thank you, Netgalley and Daniella Levy, for the copy of this amazing story.

One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn | A Book Review

This review should have been done in time for Halloween but I was feeling out of sorts for these past few days. My mind was all over the place and I thought that if I write my reviews, they will only reflect my state of mind and emotions and not the real feelings the stories evoked from me during the time of reading. Now, I am bit better but still trying to figure out some personal things. One step at a time. Though, all I want to do is run to some faraway place.

This story is set in 1918. The time when the outbreak of Influenza was wrecking havoc in the US. Annie, a new girl in school was claimed as a best friend by Elsie, a girl who was teased by the other girls, an outcast. Her classmates call her a tattletale, a liar and a thief. Annie was forced to befriend Elsie, even though it seems like she's the last girl she wants to be friends with. Then, Elsie got stricken with the flu and died. She then started to haunt Annie as revenge for the cruelties she had suffered while she was alive.

This is a story about bullying but in this story it was not so clear who's who--the bullies and the bullied. It seemed that Elsie, who claimed to be bullied by everyone, in a way, deserved it because she was a bully herself.  Elsie was a very lonely child, one who was unloved and in need of attention. Only, her way of getting those was forcing it out from someone. Annie was a victim and she was right not to stick with Elsie because she was just a thorn in the side and a force of negative energy no one needs. In the end, all Elsie needed was a friend and a little kindness.

I feel sorry for Annie for having the misfortune of meeting Elsie. If I was in Annie's place, I too would avoid her, but Elsie was just a force all on her own. There was no avoiding her and her wrath, even after death.  

I am not sure if I liked Annie at all. In some way, she and her friends have it coming for them because they tormented Elsie to no end. Yes, Elsie had it coming also because she was no model character at all but then, the taunts and teasing should have stopped somewhere. I think it went too much that Elsie also was pushed to the wall and her only way of getting even is to take her revenge, after death. Life was so unkind to her and she should have been kinder but out of depravity, she somehow thought that she was owed something that she must collect.

This is a scary enough ghost story which was written from the author's mom's story. A story fit for children to scare them and teach them of kindness. Whether this story is true or not, it is a good tool to teach kids how important it is to be kind to others. I would definitely pass this on to my nephews, nieces and kids to be. Not to scare them but more to do with what damage bullying can cause.

I give this 3/5 angel statues. The moral of the story is to be kind to everyone. Everyone has her own battles, more so with the bullies. Jealousy is never a good thing. The more you feed it, the more it will control you. Elsie was a deprived and jealous kid that she somehow demanded from Annie attention, friendship and kindness, which in some way, should have been given freely if she were just open to it. I pity Elsie and I hope that no child is as deprived, sad, desperate, jealous and vengeful as her. That somehow, she will find comfort and kindness in life, unlike Elsie.

One Crow for sorrow,

Two Crows for mirth;

Three Crows for a wedding,

Four Crows for a birth;

Five Crows for silver,

Six Crows for gold;

Seven Crows for a secret, not to be told;

Eight Crows for heaven,

Nine Crows for hell;

And ten Crows for the devil's own self.

- Counting Rhyme (from The Folklore of Birds, by Laura C. Martin, 1993) -

Thank you Netgalley for the copy.

The Ordeal of Samar by Joseph L. Schott | A Book Review

This book was my nephew's project. He was asked to come up with a book report or some sort of summary for this book. My smart nephew, knowing I love to read and he was crunching for time, asked me to read and come up with a summary. 

I also got curious about what this book was about. This was written by an American and this was about the ordeal of the American soldiers trying to clean Samar of insurrectos. The story revolved around the military campaign and court-martial of Major and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Littletown Waller Tazewell Waller and his team of Marines when they were assigned to Samar, Philippines in the year 1902 during the American occupation after they defeated the Spaniards. This chronicled their violent and tragic story.

The first thing I noticed about this book was that it was taking the side of the Americans, obviously because the author was an American and I guess, the purpose of the story was to impart the experiences of the American soldiers. I wonder why my nephew's teacher chose to assign him this book. Weren't there any other book that was written by a Filipino? I mean, this is about Samar, would it perfectly make sense if a Filipino would write about it? Anyway, the book was based on the court-martial records and after reading it, it was fair and objective enough. I just wasn't comfortable with the idea that the teacher would use a reference book written by a foreigner. No offense.

As I said, this book talked more of the hardships the American soldiers had to go through in order to clear Samar of the members of the Katipunan. It also exposed the horrors, tortures and deaths of the Filipino insurrectos in the hands of the Americans. I found that the natives in Samar, according to this book were tall and muscular, unlike the negritos that were living in Luzon. What easily came to mind was Lapu-lapu. The natives were called Googoos by the Americans or negroes, just like what they call the black people in America. Well, back then, discrimination was very rampant. I don't think our ancestors were even spared. 

In a way, I felt sorry for Major Waller. The executions done under his command were due to the natives plotting against them. Of course, it was a time of war and Filipinos were fighting so hard for our independence. We were under the Spaniards for more than 300 years. I think that was enough slavery and denial of freedom. We had enough. I think the Americans underestimated the cunning and bravery of our people. Armed only with bolos and farming implements, we fought them and killed a lot of them with the element of surprise. 

In short, some of the American officers during that time did go beyond and had taken advantage of their position. They viewed Filipinos as a group of people to be subdued and they thought that all means were applicable. But in fairness to Major Waller, he only acted in line of what he was ordered or in accordance to his duty. He was not involved in any torture. He lost a few of his men in the Samar campaign. I think the failure and controversy surrounding the Samar campaign, the execution of 11 natives by firing squad, the torture and other indiscretions by the American soldiers had lead to eventually giving the Philippines its independence. The American government realized that making the Philippines part of their rule will only cause them greater problems than benefits.

I give this book 3/5 bolo knives. I guess the objectivity of the author has made this book a good reference in regard to the events relating to Major Waller and his men. But if we talk about Samar's role in the Philippine Independence, I think it would have been more logical if an account written by a Filipino of the experiences of the Filipinos would have been more accurate. In a way, I am glad to have come across this book. It is always worth knowing the other side of the story. And the American-Philippine war is over, we look at these events to learn from them. 

This has been an educational experience.

The Haunted Manor: Torn Between Love and Power by Emilia Hartley | ARC | A Book Review

I changed a few things on my blog. I added drop-down pages and a contact tab. I got this book by way of the said contact tab. One of the authors who may have visited my blog sent me a message asking if I wanted to review her book. Obviously, I said yes. I could not and would not turn down any authors asking me to review their book. It is such an honor for me to be even spared a notice.

The Haunted Manor is a very entertaining horror and romance story. This was a very good fix to my wanting to read horror stories lately. I had been thinking of reading more horror stories. I think they feel less terrifying than seeing them on the big screen. I sometimes enjoy watching them but I only watch those that I can take. I don't want to end up awake the whole night because of my super-active imagination. That's why I never watched The Conjuring and other stupefying horror movies.

The Haunted Manor as I said is a horror story but it was more of a mystery/suspense to me. I prefer it that way than ending up with my eyes open wide till morning. It was not that horrifying but I enjoyed it. The love story factor just made it more interesting. In a way, there was a bit of comedy in it. Lord Michael Baird's personality made the story a little funny. I was grinning at his antics. It is always funny to picture someone appearing to be unfazed and then turned out to be scared out of his wits, he almost pissed his pants. That was how I imagined Lord Michael in the morning after the first night of his stay at the manor.

I give the book 4/5 ghosts. It was an entertaining horror story which was just a little scary. I was not looking to be scared to death so this was just to my liking. I would like to read more of Emilia Hartley's books. I have been enjoying this and I am curious as to what other stories and genre she has up on her sleeve. This has been a good introductory story. It is nice to meet you, Emilia Hartley. Looking forward to reading the rest of your works.

Thank you again, Emilia Hartley, for the ARC.

To Move the World (Power of the Matchmaker #10) by Regina Sirois | A Book Review

E pur si muove. This is Italian for --And yet it moves. This is a quote from the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei. The sentence above plays a very important role in To Move the World by Regina Sirois.

The story is set in the year of 1939, on the brink of the 2nd World War. The heroine, Eve Brannon, is torn between her love for the gentle and quiet farm hand Alan, and the sweet, generous and rich Jonathon Doran. Whom will she choose?

I was so caught up in the delicious language of this prose. Very alluring and sweet. I wanted to devour and get drunk in it. This book contains the most melodious lines and words I have ever encountered. They were so tantalizing and mesmerizing. If it were a buffet, I would have been a glutton who never wanted to leave the table.

The story was simple enough but what made it interesting was the skillful weaving of the words. They were done beautifully that the story was made to appear more than it was. It ceased to become just simply a story between two men in love with the same girl or a love triangle but rather a colorful and amusing tapestry of Eve's life and courtship with the backdrop of an impending war.

To Move the World is a story which tackled the confusion and fear associated with loving a person who is so familiar and comfortable to the possibility of falling in love with another, who was supposedly just a friend who happens to be always there when Eve was in dire need. Of the choice between breaking someone's heart or get your heart broken by the possibility of rejection. It also mirrored the hard life of toil in a sheep farm. The heartbreak of losing one's livelihood and the promise of a better future.

I give the book 4/5 gray dresses. The gray dress represented the choice Eve has made. A choice she was willing to risk even if it will mean her heart will get broken. The gray dress also means that the heart moves. It continues to beat even if it changes its rhythm --beating in symphony to a new sound, instead of the song that it was so familiar and used to.

Our hearts move just like the Earth--circling, circling. It is as hard to change their orbit as it is to move the world.

- Regina Sirois, To Move the World - 

Thank you again, Kathy of ebooksforreview.com, for the copy.

The Gilded Cage (A Canary Club Novella) by Sherry D. Ficklin | Cover Reveal

The Gilded Cage
Sherry D. Ficklin
(A Canary Club Novella)

Publication date: December 1st 2016
Genres: Historical, Young Adult

Masie, the flaxen-haired daughter of notorious boot-legger Dutch Schultz, returns home from boarding school to find her family in crisis. Her mother is dangerously unstable, her father’s empire is on the brink of ruin, and the boy she once loved has become a ruthless killer for hire. To keep her family’s dangerous secrets Masie is forced into a lie that will change the course of her future—and leave her trapped in a gilded cage of her own making. As she watches her world fall apart, Masie must decide whether to take her place in the hierarchy, or spread her wings, leaving the people she loves, and the life she despises, far behind her.

Two worlds collide in Gatsby era New York, in a time of dazzling speakeasies and vicious shoot-outs, of gritty gangsters and iridescent ingénues, where not everything that sparkles is gold.

*This is the first of the Canary Club series and is a short story introduction into the forthcoming novels.

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Author Bio:

Sherry is a full time writer from Colorado and the author of over a dozen novels for teens and young adults including the best selling Stolen Empire series. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she's on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.

Sherry also writes New Adult fiction under the pen name Ranae Glass and is a contributing writer for fangirlish.com. You can find her at her official website, www.sherryficklin.com, or stalk her on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin.

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