To hope or not to hope...

בס"ד

 Do you believe that books and movies that we read and watch or conversations that we were "occasionally" involved in and people we have bumped into come to us by chance? Personally, I do not. There are a couple of reasons that the book I’m about to talk about has come into my hands. I have been processing the data for my seminar papers for about a couple of months, hence I have been reading relatively a lot about education, psychology and a strong connection between the two. I want you, readers, to breathe the air of excitement I had after encountering the "Psychology of Hope" by Snyder, C.R.

The Story of the New Last Name by Elene Ferante

Not long after I finished My Brilliant Friend, I gathered that its sequel, The Story of a New Name, is out in stores. I hurried to get it, not knowing than that it would be the finest novel I ever laid my hungry fingers on.

Some impressions of Thessaloniki and My Brilliant Friend

Years ago, when it was published in Israel, I read The Days of Abandonment by the anonymous Italian author who is known by her pseudonym Elene Ferrante. The novel was an international success, and when it was translated into Hebrew it was not long before it reached the best-selling book list and received praise from literature critics in Israel. But to me, a bookworm ever since I learned my Aleph Bet, the book was slightly overrated. It contained graphic language, but that was not an advantage or a disadvantage. It dealt with the subject of rage, and I found it hard to read two-hundred pages about rage, since it is not an evolving emotion. Many years have passed since I purchased that yellow cover skinny novel, and again, the newspapers and media feeds were all singing praises for Elene Ferrante, be whoever she may be, and her new novel translated to Hebrew, My Brilliant Friend.  Curios by the ongoing accolades, and the different poets and screenwriters who posted photos of the book lying on their coffee table, I decided not to go against the flow – and give 
this new novel a go myself.

Today is Tuesday!

If you want to read an inspiring book I highly recommend "Tuesdays with Morrie".

Are you interested in Improving your life and relationships

Do you want to be less disturbed by what others say?

Do you have the feeling that wrong behavior swept you to a problematic situation in relationships?

Do you often feel that you don't know what is the right way to react in a situation in your life?

Do you feel sometimes that the harder you try to convince someone that you aren't the one to blame, you succeed?

If you want anything (perfectly) done, ask a woman

Yes, I brazenly stole words spoken by the Iron Lady, and yes, I totally chose to use them out of context. Some of you hate me by now (like my husband), and some of you are probably eagerly sitting on the edges of your seats, wondering what’s coming.

An unexpected pleasure from a "must read" book

 When you get a book that you must read, you usually aproach it without much enthusiasm, especially if it is an obligatory book for the English Bagrut. Imagine my surprise when few hours after starting it I realized that I have finished it. This was my feeling when I first read the book "The Giver."

 Even though I am no fan of this genre, I fell in love with the story and was drawn to the hero's life. In few words, the story is set in a society which at first appears to be utopian but is revealed to be something totaly different as the story progresses. The novel follows a 12 year old boy named Jonas. The society has eliminated pain and strife by converting to "Sameness", a plan that has also eradicated emotional depth from their lives. Jonas is selected to inherit the position of 'Receiver of Memory', the person who stores all the past memories of the time before "Sameness", to aid the community's decision making as there may be times where one must draw upon the wisdom gained from history. 

 The way the author managed to reflect the way of life of the characters made me connect to them and think to myself 'What will I do in his place? How would I react?' and in my eyes this is one of the most powerful side effects of a good writing. Few years ago came out the movie with a lot of amazing a famous actors, like Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep, and even the singer Taylor Swift acted there a segnificant role. To my greater surprise I fell in love with the movie. It managed to show the world of the book almost the same way that I have imagined it, or even better. No wonder it won People's Choice Award for the favorite dramatic movie in 2015 and Hollywood Music In Media Award for best soundtrack album in 2014. 

Here is the trailer for the movie:

 If you want to dive into a good book and a wonderful and powerful movie, I highly recomend to read AND watch it. The beauty of books like "The Giver" is that doesn't matter when in your life you read it, your point of view and your feelings towards the character change, you unnoticeably take your life experience, thoughts and believes and give in to the beauty and coherence of the hard but wonderful story that lies between the pages of the book. If I wasn't clear before, I highly recomend to read the book and watch the movie, preferably choosing to read the book before the movie to understand better. You won't regret it, guaranteed!

Need Help?

Do you aim for social justice? Love stories where bad things happen to bad people? Do you feel we would all get along just fine if people simply helped their neighbors cook for their hubbies?

wonderment moments

" I won't describe what I look Like, whatever you're thinking it's probably worse… "

August, a ten-year-old boy, was born with a facial deformity. He is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary face. After undergoing many operations as a child, and being homeschooled by his mom, August can finally go to school for the first time. however, he has to cope with different reactions to his unusual appearance.

My Favorite Book

    

Don't even hesitate to read the book "Perfect". I have read it recently, and it has really enchanted me!