Natania Barron: Pilgrim of the Sky

Book review November 4, 2012 Comments: 2

This book is an interesting mish-mash of everything and it works.

I still feel a bit dazed after reading it – you get hit by many different worlds, ideas, characters, gods, but for some reason all that steampunk, romance, action and fantasy somehow combine into an interesting read. And you emerge dazed from the adventure. 🙂

I’m still wondering about the final choice and the love there but I think it has more to do with the fact I’m still getting back into real life than anything else.

So we have parallel world and twains across those worlds, not always in every world but at least in several and they get reborn (some more than others). We have dragons but in the initial (completely lost to modern person) meaning of the word – that’s why I’m not going to reveal it.

Maddie lives in our world but the next one she is taken to is the steam-punk one. And a very interesting version of our Earth it is, I should add.

I really can’t go into the story because if I want to explain anything, I will have to explain a lot and that will just reveal too much.

It’s basically what I said in the beginning – something of a mix of many interesting ideas all working together to make this novel an interesting read.

I wonder if there will be a sequel? That seems a must these days although not really necessary in this case.

I mean, the story felt complete for me but I’m sure Maddie is a character who could get into many more advenures.

 

Pic taken from http://pilgrimofthesky.com/

My ebook came courtesy of NetGalley.

Finding beauty, Puredistance Opardu

World of Perfume November 1, 2012 Comments: 11

It always takes me a while before I can try and organize my thought on any of the Puredistance perfumes. I believe one of the reasons lie in the fact that their perfumes really reflect the elegance the company tries to instill in them and that is something it is hard to smell these days generally and the other is I lack words to describe them precisely because of reason number one. I haven’t smelled that many elegant perfumes that my perfume vocabulary can describe them adequately.

I will try though. 🙂

The first thing that comes to my mind when I smell it, is that it has the usual Ms. Buzantian touch – it is at the same time elegant, and mellow. Which is strange when I consider the fact that I also feel its beginning being slightly brash (in a good way to get you noticed) due to what I consider a clean nettle feeling which is at the same time sharpish, I would say thanks to carnation.

What I love about Puredistance perfumes is that they make me forget they are mostly about flowers, I am not one to usually fall for flowers, but when A. Buzantian does her thing, I don’t realize it is flowers I smell – I smell the elegance of a well-mannered lady that knows her presence will be noted when she walks into a room but she’ll ignore it as she knows that whoever comes close will be seduced by her perfume even before she does it (and she is the kind of lady who will).

I see the notes say there are powdery notes in this perfume, so I’m guessing they are responsible for the clean and mellow feeling I get from the beginning to the end of this perfume, although lessening after a while.

I would never go so far and say I smell the notes listed as the flowers I smell in this perfume lean to white but their beauty is hidden behind green foliage that tries to hide them but fails miserably. You cannot hide the beauty of these flowers as their smell leads you straight through the foliage to their place of hiding.

Notes revealed so far: carnation, tuberose absolute, purple lilac, jasmine absolute and gardenia with a background evoking the gentleness of romance through soft powdery notes.

 

What Puredistance site says on the perfume:

“OPARDU has an instant hypnotizing effect that revives memories of love, romance and seduction. Be prepared for a perfume that will bring you back to the velvety nightlife of Paris in earlier days.”

Now that I’ve been thouroughly seduced by Ms. Buzantian’s flowers, I cannot help but wonder what she would come up with when creating an oriental perfume. She would probably make me fall to my knees. 😉

 

Pic taken from http://www.puredistance.com/

My sample was sent by Puredistance for review.

Shayne Leighton: Of Light and Darkness

Book review October 30, 2012 1 Comment

OK, I can forgive this novel everything I found a bit lacking in it (there weren’t that many things either) because Shayne Leighton is 21 years old.

For anyone writing an interesting, original novel at that age, I really feel I have no argument as to the quality of the story and the dialogues.

Besides, even though several times while reading it I wanted to pick up something else, each time I went to check if I can continue reading this story, I got pulled into it. So, basically, Shayne is a very good story-teller.

The thing I wanted to read more of was the background of the society where the reader finds herself.

There is nothing on that subject which is something I really missed. But if I got it right, this is only book one so there might be an explanation in the next one.

The story revolves around vampire Valek who saved a baby girl in Prague and he raises her as her daughter even though she is no vampire but a human child (although I’m not so sure about that). The story begins with Lottie being old enough to fall in love with the eternally young looking vampire (she’s 20) and there is a fae who wants her for himself and here the plot thickens in previously unguessed ways.

There are parts of the story where reality feels as disjointed as in Alice in Wonderland, then we have the feelings of forsaken (or lost) love in the manner of the young, and some rather romantically pathetic feelings. Coupled with dialogue. 😀

But generally speaking, it was an interesting and unconventional read.

One thing I couldn’t really understand is why the vampires in this novel kill their victims when it becomes obvious later on they can drink without doing so? Is it that they don’t want to leave witnesses? Because it seems these vampires have no hypnotic skills so everyone would remember being bitten…

Welcome! :)

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts October 28, 2012 Comments: 22

Here it goes.

This is my first post here, on WordPress and my new site. I sincerely hope this novelty brings a  much needed writing momentum to my life as I sorely need it.

Well, I feel the need, I just don’t feel I need to fulfill it. 😉

So, a big welcome to everyone and here is some champagne for all of us.

 

Temple Mathews: The New Kid

Book review October 26, 2012 1 Comment

Honestly, this is getting worrying – I don’t seem to read anything much aside from YA. I just wish I would read a blurb that sounded interesting and it didn’t belong to a YA novel.
I wonder what does that say about me?

And is it only me who thinks blurbs are a very good way to make you not want to read a certain book?

Ok, on to the novel in question. It is the first in series and I plan on reading on. And I read it without interrupting it with something else. 🙂

I wasn’t terribly pleased with being immersed into Will’s life without any background, just having to take it all for granted but it all got explained during the story.
These days I’m reading some strange, new stories in the YA world. Not that I mind, that is probably why I can finish them without interruption.
Anyway, Will fights demons and discovers too late why that wasn’t such a great thing to do. The interesting thing though is at one point you are not sure who is doing what for what purpose and I mean that in a good way – there is just no guessing the reasoning behind some of the actions and who might turn out to be a good guy. Or who is truly evil.

So, the whole story is very action-packed, which is also why I wanted some background on the 16-year old who can do all that. And Will is a strange kind of a super-hero and a genius to boot. 😉

One thing I noticed lately, coming up often in the novels I read, is the abrupt change of voices who are telling the story, so you need to pay attention when it switches without any previous warning.

What I was left wondering after reading this book is how come the author made the people of that little town almost all lean to the evil side and choose evil? Does it really seem like such an easy choice to most people?

My ebook came courtesy of Netgalley.

Autumn sale!

World of Perfume October 20, 2012 Comments: 2

I decided it’s about time I cleared my perfume collection by letting go of some of the perfumes I keep for sentimental purposes and never wear and also the time to decrease the contents of some of my bottles as by the rate I’m going, I will never use them up and the most probable thing that would happen to those perfumes is they will become unwearable.

So here is the list:

Nikki de Saint-Phalle, edt, 50/59ml – 25$

4711 Tosca, 190/200ml, splash bottle – 60$

Guerlain Mitsouko, 70/75ml, edp, – 50$

Carolina Herrera by Carolina Herrera, 40/50ml – 20$

Thierry Mugler Angel Liqueur de Parfum, 34/35 ml, – 50$

Christian Dior Dolce Vita Deodorant Parfume, 60/100ml – 25$

Clarins Eau Dynamisante 90/100ml, without box,  45$

Dior Diorella  35/50ml, edt, without box – 30$
Bulgari Omnia, 50/65ml, – 40$

MAC, MV1, 17/20ml – 40$

Estee Lauder, Bronze Goddess, edt, 15ml – 10$

Parfum d’Empire, Wazamba, 10/50ml – 10$

Set of 4  decants of 4,5 ml :Santa Maria Novella Melograno, Maria Candida Gentile Exultat Sideris, Cinabre, – 30$

Malak, Rose, edt, 4ml decant, 5$

L’Artisan Parfumeur, Navegar, 10ml decant – 20$

Serge Lutens, Rousse, 10ml decant – 30$

Nez a Neez, Bal Musque, 10ml decant – 20$

Balmain, La Mome, 10 ml decant – 10$

L’Artisan Parfumeur, Cote d’Amour, 10ml decant – 10$

L’Artisan Parfumeur, Piment Brulant, 10ml decant – 20$

The shipping will depend on the size of the package, between 3-15$ for bigger bottles.

A place where summer still lives…

Perfume thoughts October 15, 2012 Comments: 12

This weekend I went to Split to attend a friend’s wedding.

As I went there with my girlfriends, of course I had the best of times. I was also lucky enough to enjoy a couple of days of summer as Split is located on the Adriatic coast, south enough to still enjoy warm days when the temperatures are over 20 degrees Celsius and the sea is as well (around 22).

Of course I took a swim while I was there – I can’t believe I could actually enjoy a swim in the middle of October and that the sea and air were warm enough for it to be an enjoyable experience. 🙂 (actually, it was rather hot in the sun)

Here are some of the photos I took:

Split Riva
 

View from Kaštel Stari
 

View from Kaštel Stari

From the beach

I’m back in Zagreb and even if I wasn’t aware the summer is long gone here (the cold is a good sign), my morning choices of what perfume to apply would be a good indication – vanillas are somehow on the top of the pile. 🙂

Kresley Cole: Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles,1)

World of Books October 9, 2012 Comments: 3

As you could have noticed by now, I’m a huge Kresley Cole fan and I read most of the Immortals After Dark books more than once. 🙂
I also enjoy YA novels so after reading the excerpt from the Poison Princess some months ago, I was very much looking forward to the book.

Now, even though I enjoy YA genre, I often find those books a bit lacking.  Not that they are bad and I stop reading them, it’s just they aren’t as good as they could be – the characters and the story don’t always come together seamlessly.

So, I started reading the Poison Princess and getting into the story and characters and I thought I detected some flaws in the storyline which could be explained in only one way. I knew what explanation that would be for me but I admit (and I apologize to Ms. Cole now) I had my doubts whether the story will oan out as I thought it should following the line.
I should have known better than to doubt Kresley Cole’s style of writing and forming a story. 🙂 It did end the only way I imagined it could.
OK, now I sound like I predicted the story’s end which I didn’t. I just thought that most of the story couldn’t be explained well enough unless there was a reason for that type of story-telling. And I was right.

I don’t want to into details of the story, anyone enjoying Ms. Cole’s books won’t thank me for it.
I did have some issues with Evie’s naivete and ensuing stubborness but she worked through it so I was satisified in the end.
I should add that anyone who liked Hunger Games might like this one as well as there are some touching points to the story.

But basically, it’s one of the better YA novels I read in a while (I’m not counting HP here) and Kresley Cole didn’t disappoint by trying her hand in this genre.
Luckily, there are more books in the Arcana Chronicles to come. Unluckily, not soon enough.

P.S. I have to add, my boyfriend would agree with everything said about Ducatis in the novel. 🙂

I didn’t disappear, I’m here and I smell great

Perfume thoughts September 30, 2012 Comments: 16

(at least I believe I do). 😉

It’s been a hectic few weeks and there are still some things I need to finish before I can say I finally closed several of my projects (some extremely long-term).
But the greater part of work is done and the things I have left to do are those that will bring me a feeling of strength, inner peace and fulfillment.

Before the race

Most if it will become apparent if I’m successful at it, after the next weekend when for the first time in my life I plan to run the half-marathon in Zagreb.
What worries me about that is that the last two weeks, due to many obligations I had (from the beginning sentence) stopped me from attending the trainings regularly. Out trainer told me that I shouldn’t worry, we did run 20km once already, just to take it slowly – I mean, I will not be racing anyone, I’m a complete beginner and for me the biggest success is actually finishing. But, still, I worry.

Well, you’ll know soon enough how well I did as I plan letting everyone know about the enthusiasm I will feel after running for so long (here we’re talking about more than 2 hours as I’m a really slow runner). 🙂
And I know there will be enthusiasm as that is exactly what I felt after running 20km for the first time and how I felt after finishing my first ever race of 12,4 km – the photos are from that day.

To get back to smelling great. 🙂
I attended an ISO education this whole week and as I was around new people in a relatively small room, I took more care than usual to what I was going to apply.


Just before the finish line

I can say that Cruel Gardenia always works for me as a great choice when around people in a work setting. It has a mellowness to it that makes anyone who comes close to you consider you less serious than you might appear.
As I was told by one of the attendees on the last day, I completely changed everyone’s initial thoughts about me being very strict and serious and looking like I’m going to only work and not have any fun at it.
So, in cases like that, a mellow perfume that is so easily liked seems like a good strategy.
The other perfume of my strategy was Iris Nobile by Acqua di Parma. Similar in the effect as Cruel Gardenia, only iris based.
I’m still wondering how different people perceive me from how I think of myself.

And as the nights are getting colder and colder, I’m finally again wearing Shalimar to bed. 🙂

P.S. I firmly believe the camere used for taking some of these photos adds weight. 😉

Thriving niche sub-culture in Zagreb

Perfume thoughts September 19, 2012 Comments: 8

And I wasn’t even aware of it until now! 🙂

I mean, I knew there must be people in Croatia who loved niche perfume as there are 3 perfumeries in Zagreb carrying niche perfumes but I never met those people who shop there and love those perfumes.
Until now.

As I’m not really a strong character, saving money is not something I am good at. Or at all. So, after spending way too much money on perfume in the last 3 months (I can’t even bear to count how many bottles I acquired during that time), I figured it was time to get some of it back.

Therefore, I decided to sell off some decants from my bottles as there is no way I can possibly use up all of them, and I listed them on a Croatian forum.

What can I say?! I learned there are people here who can’t wait to get their hands on some of the things I have. 🙂 Which is a sentiment I can relate to.

Not to mention that they have some things I’d love to have so I predict some swapping in the cards as well.

Perfumes forever!

P.S. We really should come up with a good catch-phrase or a slogan for our fragrant community. 😉