The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.
Thanksgiving was enjoyed by all. The Christmas tree is up and trimmed, and the children have begun counting down the days until Christmas. We had a pleasant weekend despite this lingering congestion. I’ve been streaming TV shows and reading for the Ho-Ho-Ho readathon. You can still hop the Thankful for Books Giveaway Hop. Stay Caffeinated.
Last Week on the Blog
Thankful For Books Giveaway Hop (event, giveaway)
Raven Unveiled By Grace Draven (audio review)
Honor ‘N’ Duty By Tee O’Fallon (audio review)
To The Gates Of Hell By David Nix (guest post, book review)
All The Blood We Share By Camilla Bruce (book review)
Investigation, Mediation, Vindication By Chris Tullbane (audio review)
This Week on the Blog
The Haunting Of Maddy Clare By Simone St. James (book review)
You Can Hide By Rebecca Zanetti (book review)
#NewRelease: The Red Slippers By Ruth A. Casie (spotlight, giveaway)
A Very Merry Bromance By Lyssa Kay Adams (book review)
All The Blood We Share By Camilla Bruce (book review)
The Case Of The Disappearing Beaune By J. Lawrence Matthews (audio review)
New Arrivals at the Caffeinated Cafe
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No new arrivals this week
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Cyber Monday Deal Kindle Paperwhite Bundle with cover & wireless charger 37% off. This is the bundle deal I got last month during a Prime Members sale. I love the wireless charger and despite reading every day, I only need to charge it once or twice a month.
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Ramayana Through Ikebana uses a Japanese art form to tell India’s Ramayan and explains how Ikebana has been used to depict various sequential scenes from Ramayana. Why was this an important book for you to create?
Our exposure to the Japanese culture during our stays in Tokyo along with pursuing multiple masters in the field of Ikebana and our own cultural Indian heritage as a part of our upbringing, always made us wonder whether there was an opportunity of bringing these two rich cultures together.
The calling of building a unique concept which intertwined the art of Ikebana with Indian roots sparked from a simple idea of attempting to make one ikebana arrangement symbolic of a scene of Ramayana that transcended into hosting an exhibition in one of the art galleries in India where we took hundreds of people through a live display of different ikebana arrangements demonstrating different scenes of Ramayana with Ikebana in 2019.
Seeing the response of the audience, we felt the impact of this powerful concept needed a wider audience and greater depth. This led to the creation of this book with the core focus of embarking every reader into a journey of the two oldest cultures in the world where one could appreciate the richness of the Japanese traditional flower arrangement art, while reading a brief narration of the oldest Indian epic.
What was the collaboration process like between the two of you to bring this book to life?
We decided to break up the design of the book into multiple phases. Our first phase was to ensure that we were fully aware of the entire tale of Ramayana. We read the entire Valmiki Ramayana, the original version of this tale, constituting of 24,000 verses to identify how do we want to break this story and which crucial scenes could be designed using an Ikebana arrangement.
The second phase was to identify all the various scenes we wanted to narrow down and ideate on what natural materials, design styles we could possibly use to represent each of the scenes. Over a span of a few weeks, we did multiple sessions of playing with different materials to arrive at each of the scenes. Quietly we browsed through our material, walked through different landscapes, browsed various styles to take inspirations. Little did we realize that our own arrangements were surprising us on what we were creating.
In the third phase, we deeply thought over the narration style of this book. After brainstorming on our target audience and different field experts, we decided to break the story into different chapters where we narrated Valmiki’s Ramayana and then ended each chapter with one of our arrangements. We also decided to explain in detail the thought behind the design of the display and symbolism of each element. Our core objective being, the reader should cohesively understand and absorb the depth of the artistic displays.
With different iterations over a span of months, the final product brought a soft smile of sheer joy to see the story and the art come together.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun creating?
We had the most fun representing the scene of the burning Lanka where an angry Hanuman used his tail to burn down the entire city of Lanka, Ravan’s kingdom. We were attempting to build a large arrangement where we wanted to show a city burnt down to ashes with rakshasas, the residents of Lanka, running for their lives and the fire scorching the city.
To build such a large arrangement, it was exciting and inspiring as we used various materials such as large palm sheaths, dried tulsi, branches of arjuna pods, red berry sticks and chrysanthemums.
It took us various iterations before we could bring a structured cohesive theme, visually impressive, and at the same time symbolic of the story.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
We hope it leaves the readers with the awareness and appreciation of Ikebana coupled with visual appreciation of “Ramayana”. They can even appreciate how there is tremendous untapped opportunity in fusion across different traditional artistic styles & cultures.
Author Links: Instagram | YouTube
Ikebana, the ancient art of arranging flowers, is deeply rooted in Buddhism and Japanese traditions. Over the centuries, it has developed as an art form all its own, garnering popularity and leading to the development of schools dedicated to teaching this art form. A few things set Ikebana apart from traditional flower arranging. Those who practice this art know that it is based on minimalism, a focus on space, its unique materials, and asymmetry. Another amazing tradition is that of India’s Ramayan, a tale describing both love and honor. When the art of Ikebana meets Ramayana, something truly beautiful emerges.
Ramayana Through Ikebana, by Meena Iyer and Simran Sadana, is a unique combination of mythology and explanations of how Ikebana has been used to depict various sequential scenes from Ramayana. With attention to color, shape, position, and texture, each arrangement in the book’s photos tells the story in the most stunning fashion. The authors have taken great care to caption each photograph, listing the materials and the rationale for the arrangement for each as it relates to the storyline.
I found it amazing that I could actually picture the story’s scenes when I looked at the arrangements. Iyer and Sadana have managed to pull together for readers two exceptional art forms and present them in a way they will both appreciate and at which they will marvel. Ramayana is beautifully told throughout the book and carries with it both amazing symbolism and life lessons that readers will enjoy.
I can see Iyer and Sadana’s work as being beneficial in both literary arts and visual arts. The Indian story itself is a wonderful representation of both culture and tradition while the vivid descriptions of Ikebana throughout the book benefit those who are studying flower arranging. The authors have gifted readers with a true thing of beauty–on many levels.
I was pleasantly surprised at the way the two art forms meld seamlessly to convey a timeless tale. I highly recommend Ramayana Through Ikebana to anyone interested in exploring other cultures, those who are curious about the history and significance of Ikebana, and any fan of mythology. Iyer and Sadan’s work is a lovely presentation of two cultures united in one work of literature.
WINX: The Problem-Solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers, Employees & Your Bottom Line outlines eight steps entrepreneurs need to transform their business. Why was this an important book for you to write?
My dream is to help people at every level of organizations work and play together in a way that makes work more engaging and energizing. When every person at every level of an organization learns the powerful strategy of winning exponentially, they simply can’t move anywhere but forward.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book? Why was this an important book for you to write?
To combine a problem-solving model with company culture. Not just how to solve a problem, but how to solve a problem to help as many people as possible WIN.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
No one is on this earth alone, and we need each other. That ‘I’ can do what I can do, but ‘we’ can do so much more. I also saw a speech where someone said that if we want a friend, we need to be a friend.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
That it is a lot easier to solve problems if you can come up with creative solutions that support your customers, your employees, and your company. Why? Because if any one of those is hurt, it can’t be good for the whole.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Transform your business and discover an 8-step path to problem-solving success! Inside this ultimate business guide, you’ll join international bestselling author and sought-after leadership consultant Irma Parone as she reveals a proven action plan for levelling up your organization and applying WINX to your business challenges. With a practical and down-to-earth approach, this book helps aspiring and established business owners develop a thriving WINX-based culture and maximize their bottom line through easy-to-implement strategies.
As CEO of the Parone Group and a seasoned businesswoman with over 20 years of experience, Irma knows first-hand how challenging it can be to build and maintain a successful business. She aims to provide actionable advice that will radically reshape the way you tackle problems within your organization, so you can win more customers, empower happy employees, and scale your income.
Here’s just a little of what you’ll discover inside:
Everyone from early-career-stage to senior managers to executive leaders can benefit from this process. The revolutionary 8-Step WINX process to transform your organization. Illuminating new ways to look at problem solving (and how to tackle challenges big and small). The Art of Evaluation – How to know if your solution will just make things worse. Tips and tricks for managing your team and surrounding yourself with those who want you to succeed And Much More… With a mix of real-life stories and tons of tried-and-tested strategies, WINX: The Problem-Solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers, Employees, & Your Bottom Line offers you a framework that’s perfect for small and medium businesses all the way up to international companies. This book is a must-read for entrepreneurs, managers, business leaders, CEOs, and anybody who wants to start building a better business culture.
Are you ready to transform your business with WINX? Then scroll up and grab your copy today!
The Chronicles of the Virago Book Three: The Triumviratus by Michael Bialys is a middle grade fantasy that continues the story of a thirteen year old girl with a powerful destiny. Makenna Grace Gold, the Virago, is charged with protecting her infant siblings, Noah and Emilyne. The twins are fated to be the hope for the future of the world. Makenna is guided by her fairy mentors, Marigold Frith and Bree and Dee Delphine. But after her father’s soul is stolen, it is up to her friends, Sam and Stephen to rescue her father’s spirit from the Under Realms. Can they succeed before it’s too late?
I enjoyed reading this dramatic book for the creativity in its setting and plot. My favorite part was the scenes of Sam and Stephen figuring out how to get past the levels in order to try to complete their mission. I liked the way the two plot lines were woven together with the boys working to recover the soul of Makenna’s father while Makenna stayed with Noah and Emi to protect them and covered for her friends’ absence. There were some humorous moments when two of the fairies changed their appearance and took the place of Sam and Stephen, and Fluffy the talking earthworm turned in to Makenna’s dad.
While there is plenty of entertainment to be had in this book alone, to best enjoy it and appreciate the depth of the overall story, I think this book should be read after book one and two in The Chronicles of the Virago series. The beginning of the story might be a bit confusing for readers who have not read the previous books. There are certain details about various characters that are not fully explained in this book, and I think readers will pick up on all these interesting details if they already know the backstory revealed in the other books.
There is an impressive and fascinating ensemble cast within this book. The story was told from multiple points of view of more than half a dozen different characters, which was handled well overall. However, I felt that some of the changes in point of view happened frequently and there were places where I would have enjoyed staying with the character a bit longer before switching to another character.
The Chronicles of the Virago Book Three: The Triumviratus is a stimulating children’s adventure novel that fans of magical realism and adventure stories will find entertaining.
Listen for Water begins by following a young teen named Dakota Starr who is having a strange dream about a fish and a drumbeat. She then returns to the real world, but the drumbeat follows her. What she managed to forget about for a second in her dream was her poor living conditions. Sharing a government-funded apartment with her deadbeat mother Ray, who she doesn’t even call mother. All her mother does is play video games and schlep around the house, leaving Dakota to fend for herself. All while trying to find enough money to buy food and attending improvisational dance lessons at her local Indigenous dance school. The story takes a drastic turn when Ray wanders into a moving truck. Dakota follows her inside, but they are closed in before she can convince Ray to come out. This begins an epic emotional journey that will change both of them, and their relationship, forever.
This is an impassioned coming-of-age story that explores addiction and family. What I really enjoyed about this poignant novel was the way in which it reversed the mother-daughter role while still showing the force of family and how it permeates our lives. But where other novels may make light of a child caring for a family this novel handles it in a substantive way. Dakota is forced to spend time with a mother that she hates, while her mother loves her like a daughter, even though Ray never provided for her like a mother would. They have an interesting dynamic and their relationship is the highlight of the novel, and one that readers will be thinking about long after they put the book down. Through the story, the two characters get to know each other for the first time, while also making new discoveries about one another and themselves. In a way I think this story is a character study; of two characters. And a dissection of a troubled relationship. I found it all immensely compelling.
This book will resonate with anyone facing similar issues as Dakota as the story is grounded and the emotions feel authentic. The author really plants the reader in Dakota’s head, not just through the first person perspective, but also by using words a girl Dakota’s age would use, even if they’re incorrect or made up. Novels often make their young characters seem older then they are. While Dakota needs to be older, given her situation, she still seems like the child she is supposed to be. This makes her character relatable and readers are able to empathize with her more. The characters and the writing alone make Listen for Water worth the read. I highly recommend it to any book club looking for an emotionally-resonant and evocative coming-of-age tale.
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