Sea of Clouds

Taken as yet today at 1015am. 

It is quite a mirror to everything:
The sky is the sea for the heavens
The birds are the sky people
And we are the angels for them
Just like the birds are angels to us.

The clouds are ripples of the skies
Reflecting how we move between trees
We do have one Earth
But we have infinite skies
Beyond infinite heavens
Of innumerable stars

Love the skies for being our reflection
Our reflection on our souls
Of purity
Of love
And miracle

Sky is our seas of heaven.

The Boy Who Belonged to the Sea

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A moving story of friendship and the power of imagination, from the award-winning author of The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman.

Set on the rugged north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, The Boy Who Belonged to the Sea tells the touching story of an extraordinary friendship between two young boys who have both suffered the loss of a parent. Although they have little else in common, the boys come together in their grief and take refuge in a world of their own creation, a magical undersea realm inhabited by fantastical beings. Their imaginations take them on a wild adventure, but as the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur, their search for belonging takes them on a perilous journey that threatens to end in tragedy.

Infused with his characteristic charm, Denis Thériault’s debut novel is a powerful story of grief and friendship that has touched readers’ hearts all over the world.

Review/Comment

I don't know why I've started reading out books like this one. But one thing is for sure, I have a thing about water. I believe I am its elemental devotee. I love being at the sea and at that moment I feel my mind wander off in the cosmic ocean.

This book is about a boy who believed himself coming from the sea. His life with his abusive father hurts me. I know the protagonist heart. I know why he took in the boy as his friend, his brother and family. Goodness, I thank his family for taking that boy in.

The relationship between them is beautiful, much like the story "Bridge to Terabithia", where two friends embark on a journey of fantasy and courage, this book also has its similarities, where two boys suffered from loss of family members, they join an adventure unknown to adults but hit straight into the hearts of many.

The author managed to make me believe some mythical creatures do exist in the sea and that makes me want to cry in the end, pray for forgiveness and even hope for a miracle.

How much do you need to read this? Start believing in the sea and its voices, and this book will take you off a journey of self-discovery and love.

The Silent Companions

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But with her husband dead just weeks after their marriage, her new servants resentful, and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her husband's awkward cousin for company. Or so she things. Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure -- a silent companion -- that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of The Bridge are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug off as simple superstition -- that is, until she notices the figure's eyes following her.

A Victorian ghost story that evokes a most unsettling kind of fear, this is a tale that creeps its way through consciousness in ways you least expect -- much like the silent companions themselves.

Review/Comment

Victorian horror, it claims. I don't like modern horror. I find the plots somehow cliche. Correct me if I'm wrong, or perhaps recommend some for me. Laura Purcell is capable of frighten me with this book. L

A wooden board, the silent companion, watches your every move

You see, even the first chapter caught my attention. The protagonist was admitted to an asylum and it makes me wonder what had happened. The synopsis itself already reveal something sinister regarding the "silent companion", which their eyes will follow where you go, and even drag themselves to you. Elsie, the protagonist, was terrified about them, especially when one of them bore a striking resemblance to her even though it was known that the companions were made some hundreds of years ago.

Pax

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter listens to his stern father—as he usually does—and throws Pax’s favorite toy soldier into the woods. When the fox runs to retrieve it, Peter and his dad get back in the car and leave him there—alone. But before Peter makes it through even one night under his grandfather’s roof, regret and duty spur him to action; he packs for a trek to get his best friend back and sneaks into the night. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their independent struggles to return to one another against all odds. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Peter and Pax

Review/Comment

I hate this book.

Pax is a fox, somewhat domesticated because his owner Peter picked up him when he was just a kit. But because of war, he has to abandon Pax. In just the opening, I feel sad for Pax because I've already fallen in love with Pax. The moment Pax left to fetch his owner's toy just to find the owner has gone really rips my soul.

Needless to say, the following chapters are breezed through at such fury that I really wanted to know when Pax will be meeting Peter again. Each chapter makes my heart burn. It burns because of the anger, the bravery and the honesty of the characters. Such naivety is mixed with complex responsibilities and conflicting emotions.

If you are able to read this book to your children, be sure to hug them every time a chapter closes. I have never been so emotionally attached to a book like this. The author has pointed out the beauty of nature and human hearts, especially a child's. Although at some point the story turns slow, I believe it is a time for our tiny human hearts to rest and sigh.

Nature and children are always our future.

We live on borrowed time.

It's time to return it.

Farewell.