Book of the day : "Ballada o ciotce Matyldzie" / "Ballad for aunt Matilda" by Magdalena Witkiewicz.

       Today I would like to recommend you a next book of the author of, f.e."Milaczek", "Szkoła żon" / "School of Wives" or "Opowieść niewiernej" / "The story of unfaithful woman. Ladies and Gents, here it is -"Ballada o ciotce Matyldzie" / "Ballad for aunt Matilda" [2013] by Magdalena Witkiewicz. 
I'm sure you'll like it.

Magdalena Witkiewicz is a Polish writer and graduate of, f.e. the University of Gdańsk. She wrote and published eight books for adults: Milaczek [2008; second edition 2013], Panny Roztropne [2009; second edition 2013], Opowieść niewiernej [2011], Ballada o ciotce Matyldzie [2013], Szkoła żon [2013], Zamek z piasku" / "Sand castle" [2013], "Szczęście pachnące wanilią" / "Happiness smells like vanilla"and also for children: Lilka i spółka [2013]. Her book Szkoła żon / School of Wives was published in Vietnam and the title of this book is "TRƯỜNG HỌC CHO CÁC BÀ VỢ" [2014]. You can find more information about writer on her official page or on her official page on FB.
  Also you can find more posts about her on my blog here.

About what this book is:

     This book isn't like previous - only with problems, not easy life and questions with almost every step. This book is about faith, believe, hope, love, changes, promises and "good future". And also it's about the fact that only true friends, people who really loves you and knows you, will be always  with you, no matter what.

     "Ballad for aunt Matilda" is the story about Joanna [Joan], a young girl, who got married and her husband was a man of her dreams, as she thought, and who loves more his job and being scientist and discoverer somewhere on the end of the world, than being with his wife. And of course even the fact that Joan is pregnant isn't a good argument for her husband to stay. 
    One day, when Joan came to her beloved aunt Matylda [Matilda], who was her close family, everything is changing. Her aunt said that she's sure that Joan won't have a boy, but a girl and she has to give this little cute girl the same name as she has - Matilda. And also she told her that she will die soon but she shouldn't worry about it and that she shouldn't be sad or cry, but just be happy and enjoy every moment with her child, and that she doesn't have to worry about own money, because she has a small business, and after her death two nice guys will come to her to say her everything and just to take care of her and about the little girl. 
    In the same moment when little Matilda is born, the old Matilda is dying and this is the moment when the whole story is beginning for good. And when Joan's life is changing not only because of the child or the lost of her aunt, but because of new people on her life and problems with her own marriage.
    After some weeks her husband is coming back and a few moments later is leaving again to find some "new and amazing" things somewhere where people don't have any connection. But this is not the real reason of his next "travel", but young and pretty Swede woman , with who he is having an affair and...a child.

    I won't tell you what will happen with Joan and with her life, with her marriage, because I think that this book and the story inside will surprise you. I can tell you that everything will be well in the end. But not for all, of course.

Why you should read it: 

     I think that if you like books with life's story, this one is for you. It will good also for these who likes to feel emotions, and cry a bit in the end. Also this book is about life, real life, about looking for happiness and love, about mistakes, friendship, hope and finally about positive thinking. And that miracles happen.

Things to look out for:

    The fact that we always have to fight for our happiness and love, that good things always comes to us, and that only true friends can change your life and just be with you no matter what. And we just have to believe in it.

Where / when you should read this:

    "Ballada o ciotce Matyldzie" / "Ballad for aunt Matilda", isn't a long book because it has about 304 pages, but I think it's good to read it when you have a bit of peace and you are able to think about what you're reading. But I'm sure that some of you will be able to read it in one day and one of you will do it during the weekend.

↑ A book cover of  "Ballada o ciotce Matyldzie" / "Ballad for aunt Matilda".

Book of the day : "Szczęście pachnące wanilią" by Magdalena Witkiewicz.

     Today I would like to recommend you and say a few words about the newest book by Magdalena Witkiewicz, "Szczęście pachnące wanilią" / "Happiness smells like vanilla", the third part of  "Milaczek".
One more time, I hope that my words will make that after reading my words, you will want to read this book. We will see.

Magdalena Witkiewicz is a Polish writer and graduate of, f.e. the University of Gdańsk. She wrote and published eight books for adults: Milaczek [2008; second edition 2013], Panny Roztropne [2009; second edition 2013], Opowieść niewiernej [2011], Ballada o ciotce Matyldzie [2013], Szkoła żon [2013], Zamek z piasku [2013], and also for children: Lilka i spółka [2013]. Her book Szkoła żon / School of Wives was published in Vietnam and the title of this book is "TRƯỜNG HỌC CHO CÁC BÀ VỢ" [2014]. You can find more information about writer on her official page or on her official page on FB.

                                                 Also you can find more posts about her on my blog here.

  About what this book is:

      If you already read "Milaczek" and/or "Panny roztropne" / "Sagacious ladies", you exactly know about what this book is, because as I already wrote "Szczęście pachnące wanilią" / "Happiness smells like vanilla" is the third part of  "Milaczek". But don't worry, if you didn't read any of this two books, you can calmly read this book without any worry "will I get about what it is?" and I think that's the first good advantage of this book.

     At first we just have to ask ourself what kind of smell has happiness. Is it full of smell of roses, grass, pure air, candies, beautiful flowers, wild forest, summer fruits, fresh rain... I could write and write a million words of wonderful things and all of them would be a good examples of smell of happiness.

     Ms Witkiewicz said that happiness smells like vanilla. Mmm, maybe that's right maybe not, but you will have a chance to chack it while reading.

     The story isn't so sweet and cute as the cover of this book. It's just like a real life: full of problems, hard choices, solitude but also full of hopes, love, plans for the future and fight. Yes, yes - fight to be happy.
We can see lives, problems, thoughts just a real life of young and old people, single mother and marriages, mothers who are feeling lonely but who think that their children are the most wonderful thing in their life. Also we can see the look at world of little girl and see the world seen by...dog - Parys Antonio.
     The story is about: Ada, mother of little boy and who opened the cake shop/cafe and who is baking amazing sweets; Milena, the girl who loves a guy with nine-year-old daughter; Zofia [Sophia], Milena's aunt who likes to help her lovely niece, especially in love and life; Natalia, the mother of two little kids and who sometimes is feeling left alone with everything - kids, home, problems; Karolina, psychologist and single woman, who's looking for love, true love; and finally Magdalena - wife, mother and working woman, not only as the dentist, but also as the mother and father, because her husband loves...his new car.
     We could think that all of these women have nothing shared, but this is not the truth. All of them need the other person to talk and to share their thought, problems, hopes, ideas. All of them need a break to feel that they are still alive, that they have something else than only home, work, kids, family and unpaid bills.
     Everything is changing one day when all of these women are meeting in Ada's cafe and when because of  things which happened in one second in their life, they are deciding to create a place of meetings for mothers, their kids, place where all of them, mothers and wifes, single, would have a time just for them, the time to talk with other woman, drink coffee, thinking about nothing and just feel that they are not alone and that they are alive. And also that they have a friends there, who will always help.

     In this book we can find something about love, friendship, looking for the dream place, changes... and that you can love and find your happiness in every age.

      This book is full of emotions, these good and these bad, and also full love. Hey, after all this is book exactly about love. Beautiful, surprising, changing for good love.

     Right, it's time to tell you why happiness smells like vanilla. Who knows why? Nobody? Ok, so I will tell you. As I wrote, Ada is baking incredible sweets, and one of these amazing things are cupcakes with vanilla. These amazing cupcakes with vanilla are medicine for all problems, because when you are eating them, you forget about problems, about everything else. Ta da! That's the whole secret.

  Anyway, a great idea is a recipe for these cupcakes with vanilla at the end of the book. Of course, I won't tell you more about it, just find it in the book.

Why you should read it:

      Two things: never say never and believe in yourself, believe in happy life. I'm sure that if you read two previous parts you will want to know what happened later. 

For who this book is:

     The same as the previous books by Ms Witkiewicz, "Szczęście pachnące wanilią" / "Happiness smells like vanilla" is for adults. If you likes novels about life, love, friendship and hopes [ok, and about happy endings], this books is for you.

Things to look out for:

    I know, I will write the same as always all the time, but this is the best what can I do. So what we have here? Reality, problems, hopes, changes, emotions life which isn't always so nice and cute, and the fact that if you really want something you can do it, you can have it.... or, if we are talking about love and couple, that you can be with person with who you want to be. You just have to believe in it and in yourself. And also that nobody is alone, you know that for real, but everyone always can help somebody who has the same or similar problems.

Where / when you should read this:

    When and where you want to do it. This book has 274 pages, so is perfect for the weekend or when you want to read something but you don't have too much of free time. The best is the fact that you read it very quickly and you don't feel the boredom with every next page or chapter.

I hope I did it, I made that after everything what I wrote here about this book, you will want to read this one or something else by Magdalena Witkiewicz. I think that everything what I wrote is enough to show you that "Szczęście pachnące wanilią" / "Happiness smells like vanilla" is really good and funny book and mybe one day you will want to read it. I really hope so.

Of course this is not the last book by Magdalena Witkiewicz, so I will write about another one soon. I promise. 

↑ Cover of  this book, "Szczęście pachnące wanilią" / "Happiness smells like vanilla".

Book of the day : "The Woman in Black" by Susan Hill.

     Today I would like to recommend you and say a few words about this so great book by Susan Hill, "The Woman in Black". I'm sure that many of you heard about this book yet or heard/watched the movie based on the book. In the end, "The Woman in Black" is one of the most well-known books of this author.
   Hand up who from you know any book by Susan Hill and/or "The Woman in Black".

  Susan Hill is an English author of fiction and non-fiction works, who was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire [UK]. Her novels are written in a descriptive gothic style, especially her ghost story "The Woman in Black" [1983]. In her bibliography we can find encompassed acclaimed literary novels, ghost stories, children's books, detective novels and memoirs.

You can find more info about Susan Hill oh her official page, official FB, twitter, Goodreads.


     Why did I choose this book as book of the day? Because of the story inside this book - for sure. Because of movie - not really. Because this is one of the most well-known books - yes. And finally, because this is Susan Hill - oh yes!

encompassed acclaimed literary novels, ghost stories, children's books, detective novels and memoirs. - See more at: http://www.susanhill.org.uk/susan_hill_autobiography#sthash.MkgEfkaT.dpuf

   
     "The Woman in Black" a horror novel from 1983, written in the style of a traditional Gothic novel. There's a few movie / TV / radio adaptations, but  but a stage play got the most success back.
   A stage play, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt had a premiere in 1987 at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. In 1989 the production opened in London's West End and is still being performed there, becoming the second longest-running non-musical play in the history of the West End.
   The play has had an enormous success not only on the London stage, but also in many other countries around the world.

↑ cover of the first edition of the book.

About what it is? 

    As I wrote earlier, "The Woman in Black" a horror novel, a chilling, traditional ghost story, with a strong Victorian feel. 

     The story is simple from the first sight, but then, everything is changing and our thoughts about the story too. During the whole book, we aren't sure what is real and what is only a dream, what is good and what is an evil.

   

     The story of the book begins when Arthur Kipps, the main character, leaves the room because of after asking to tell some ghost story by his wife Esme and four stepchildren. After this strange situation, he is deciding to write his memories about staying in the cursed place and about all these things which happened in his life later. He is starting writing  to forget, to kill his fear and demons living in him since these a few days in the desolate and secluded Eel Marsh House, situated on Nine Lives Causeway.

     Many years earlier before the incident with ghost stories, when Arthur Kipps was a young man from London and a junior solicitor for Bentley, had to go to Crythin Gifford, a small town on the north east coast of the United Kingdom, to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow and then sort out her affairs and check all important documents in her house.

    Most of the people in the town were reluctant to reveal information about Mrs Drablow and the mysterious Woman in Black, Woman who Arthur saw at a funeral. Later, after some time in the Mrs Drablow's house with screams, visions and other scary feelings, Arthur is discovering the identity of this woman... 

     And when he thinks, that everything what bad already ended after his leaving of the cursed place, turns out how much he was wrong. After some time when he is coming back to London, Woman in Black is finding him and is taking something precious away from him - his family - as her, Woman in Black, vengeance.

     What happened on Nine Lives Causeway? And what with all these shouts and secrets? - I won't tell you it, you have find it in the book.

For who this book is?

  If you like horrors, traditional ghost stories, Gothic stories, books with dark secrets - this book is for you. You will like it, I'm sure of it.

Why it is worthwhile to read it?

     As I said, if you like this kind of books, good ghost stories, "The Woman in Black" is for you. The story is interesting that you're reading it quickly and you're pleased with every page, every next chapter. And don't forget about dark secrets and all these emotions of the main character.

      I hope that my small opinion shows you how good this book is, and who knows maybe you will want to buy or borrow it and read.

↑ cover of my copy of  "The Woman in Black" - "Kobieta w czerni" [Polish edition].

Book of the day : "The Year of Fog" by Michelle Richmond.

Today I would like to recommend you and say a few words about this amazing book by Michelle Richmond, "The Year of Fog". I'm pretty sure in the end you will want to read it. Trust me.

Maybe some of you remember my post about her other book "No One You Know". If you missed it, you can find it here. Also you can fine there more info about Michelle Richmond.

I can tell you one thing "The Year of Fog", her third book, is the same great book as "No One You Know", and I think that everyone who read it will agree with me.

↑ cover of "The Year of Fog".

To be honest, I'm glad that  at first I read "No One You Know", not "The Year of Fog". Why? Because when I read it I didn't suggest all these great words about this book. I just read, enjoying every words of this amazing and really realistic story.

There is a girl, her name is Emma, she is walking on the beach. I look away. Seconds pass. I look back, and she is gone. I keep thinking about the seconds, the ever-expanding circle. How I set this chain of events in motion. How I must find some way to make amends...

                                                                                                  "The Year of Fog"

Book is about life, love, trust, believe, searches, anxieties, sense of guilt, hope and...memory. Yes, memory is really important thing in life and in this story, because every detail can change everything.

"The Year of Fog", the story of Abby Mason, her fiance Jake and his six-year-old daughter, Emma. Their wonderful life is changing after Emma's missing in the fog on the beach above Pacific... Everything is going worse and worse with every next day of seeking the missing girl and when everything is pointing at drowning. Abby is the one person who still believes that Emma is still alive, somewhere there, but she lives, and that's why she fights with her memory to find every little detailfrom that bad and sad day, even after almost a year after going missing. Problems are not only because of memories, feelings, sleepless nights and hope, but also because of Emma's biological mother.

Reading this book we can feel the same as Abby, her hopes, fights inside her mind, searching for the truth, sense of guilt and her reflections about relation with Jake, her parents, first boyfriend, Emma... questions [Where she is? Is she really dead? Or maybe she is alive? Maybe somebody kidnap her? What she, Abby Mason, did wrong? What will be with them, with their future?]... and that weird couple who were that day on the car park near the beach.

Yes, couple from the car park. Abby has a bad feeling that maybe they are a solution, maybe they know where Emma is...maybe she is with them. And that's she finally leave everything and going to find them, Emma and return to their old life. 

But will it come true? Will she find Emma? And what about she and Jake, will they be still a couple? I won't tell you it, you must read it alone. 

I know, I'm a bit cruel, but trust me, it's really worthwhile to read because of all these feelings, anxieties, thoughts. Because of this story.

"The Year of Fog" shows us the story which could happen everyone because it's so realistic and so true. And maybe that's why you read it and read and you just can't stop because you want to know what will happen on the next page. And that's why this book is so amazing - you just want to read it because it's a huge pleasure.

You know, when I read the last word, I was so disappointed that this book is so short. I wanted more. Especially that we don't know the end of the story, to be honest and we only can imagine what happened them, their lives. And that's really cool.

Be honest, as for me (and not only) this is one of the best books of 2007. Book with wonderful story inside.

Quotes from the book:

 

Some people have a gift for making you feel okay, just by the fact of their presence.

We take pictures because we can't accept that everything passes, we can't accept that the repetition of a moment is an impossibility. We wage a monotonous war against our own impending deaths, against time that turns children into that other, lesser species: adults. We take pictures because we know we will forget. We will forget the week, the day, the hour. We will forget when we were happiest. We take pictures out of pride, a desire to have the best of ourselve preserved. We fear that we will die and others will not know we lived.

Tragedy, in its full and life-altering form, happened to other people.

I have a hunch that our obsession with photography arises from an unspoken pessimism, it is our nature to believe the good things will not last... But photos provide a false sense of security - like our flawed memory, they are guaranteed to fade... We take photographs in order to remember, but it is in the nature of a photograph to forget.

You find a way, somehow to get through the most horrible things, things you think would kill you. You find a way and you move through the days, one by one, in shock, in despair, but you move. The days pass, one after the other, and you go along with them - occasionally stunned, and not entirely relieved, to find that you are still alive.

I hope that my small opinion shows you how good this book is, and who knows maybe you will want to buy or borrow it and read.

To be honest, I can't wait to read another book by Michelle Richmond, because I'm sure it will the same great thing as this and last one. And this one, "The Year of Fog", I just love.

↑ cover of my copy of "The Year of Fog" - "Rok we mgle" [Polish edition].

P.S. Who from you read any book of Michelle Richmond? What do you think about it?

Book of the Day : 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green

today,  I would like to recommend you and say a few words about an amazing novel The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.


The Fault in Our Stars is the fourth novel, published in January 2012, wrote by young writer John Green.

as for me this book isn't only for teenagers. this book is for teenagers and for adults.many people (maybe even everyone) think, that this book is only for young people (ok, to be honest I was between them too but only is very very small precet, because I saw that young people are interested The Fault in Our Stars...). but I know this is not truth....

The Fault in Our Stars isn't nice, funny, light story. The Fault in Our Stars is a book about hard and sad moments, about death and about the cancer, about teenagers who are fighting to be, to live, to see the next day. but also this book is about love, without happy end, and about friendship, true friendship, which will never forget.

I think The Fault in Our Stars is one of most wonderful and most emotional books, which I read in the last weeks. life, love, true friendship, fight - these things are creating the magic of this history. The Fault in Our Stars is very magic and amazing book, even if it's about somehting sad. I think this story has something inside what gives you warm and tears in your heart. sometimes we're smiling reading something funny, nice in lives of characters, and we're really crying reading about their fight, sad and tragic moments...

about what it is:

book is about teenagers who have a cancer and they're fighting against 'their bad friend' to live, about their plans for the future, which will never come, about their problems and bout their 'normal' days. as I wrote earlier this book is about sad but amazing love, about true friendship, about death, about about hope. it's about hard questions also.
the end isn't good or sad, because The Fault in Our Stars ends with Hazel accepting Augustus's eulogy with a present tense, I do.

why you should read it:

I've a milion of reasons 'why' but I will tell you maybe only a few. because this is not a nice book, this book is different. because it's about life, real life. because this is not a sweet story with happy end. because reading it you are giving some thought to your life. because the end of this book isn't obvious. because you can smile and cry in the same time. because you can ask yourself, what would I do if I would be Hazel Grace, Augustus, Isaac.

things to look out for:

relation between Hazel Grace, Augustus and Isaac - their converstations, favourite things, their thoughts and plans and dreams. relation between healthy people and people with 'bad friend'.

where / when you should read this:

I think this book, isn't only the book, it's something more. and in my opinion you should read in solitude to have time to think about the story, about the life.

favourite quotes from the book:

sorry, this time, I won't put here my favourite quotes, because then I should have to write here almost whole book.

a few words from me - mmm, crap, I've so much to say about this book, and too less place... I think this story has something between the next words, between pages.
true love is eternal, even after the death. the same is with true friendship, because only true friend will be with you always, no matter what. and only true friend will remember about you, when other people (who are naming themselves 'your good or even best friends') will forget. for the real true friend you will be immortal.
and we should live that as if this day was ours last, as if we were supposed to die tomorrow.