Ghosts, Girls and a Grandma...

For February's ARC, I decided to read and review a short book written by one of our group at ARC (Artful Readers Club)

AlmaMia Cienfuegos (a story of blood, scars and nightmares) by Magaly Guerrero

I have known Magaly since she started writing this story, and have had the privilege of watching it grow from a slippery fresh mango stone into the fabulously juicy ripened fruit that it is today :D

Not for the feint hearted, this short story is a roller-coaster ride of intense emotion wrapped in the snotty hanky of a small child.

It is a fabulous doorway into the lives of the Cienfuegos family, and I am already wanting to know much , much more about each of the characters involved. Why are they all so horrid to each other...is the family cursed for some past transgression? What is the significance of the Mango trees? How far back in the family did the "Gifts" manifest?

There are amazing moments in this story, where I went from hating a character to sympathising to despising....but who is to blame for it all?

There are many stories yet to be told about this group of characters, and I really hope Magaly goes the whole hog one day and makes them into a full blown novel ...and I'm not bullshitting because she is a friend...I truly love this storyline!!!

I was inspired to make 2 pieces for this review.

The first is a dark and deeply textured canvas, from which evolved a gnarled and spooky Mango tree. Beneath it, in the dark of night, a spirit walks and gathers fallen fruit...

Dark Mangoes

The second is a portrait of one of the characters from the story...AlmaMia's devoted Grandmother.

I don't know how close to Magaly's vision it is. I saw her before I read the brief description ...and was thrilled to have gotten her body shape and hair right :D.(I is psychic you know...mwahahahaha...:D)

(Mamabuela Cienfuegos)

I think she must have been very beautiful in her youth :) It doesn't say in the story, but i think her eyes are a soft brown, flecked with gold :D

Enjoy :D XXX

Darcy's New Challenge for 2013

Well I am really pleased with myself for completing Darcy's challenges for 2011 and 2012....so got to go for the hat-trick right?

This year Darcy wants to get back into the "reading" habit, so she came up with the idea of reading a book each month, writing a brief review(eg love it or hate it and why) and using the experience to create a piece of art. LOVE THIS IDEA!!!!!

The only snag is trying to choose 12 books to read in advance. I have many many books...so this is an opportunity for me to do right by what turns out to be some pretty respected authors.

I buy books from Carboot /jumble sales and charity shops.....because I like the cover or the smell, or because they have an inscription....and on one occasion because a child had drawn in it!!! At the end of each month, I will tell the story of each book purchase, give a brief review, and show the art I made from it's inspiration.

These are the books I shall be reading( in no particular order);

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Young Enthusiasts by Elizabeth Jenkins

Warriors Without Weapons by Marcel Junod

Religio Medici and Urn Burials by Sir Thomas Browne

Scenes of a Clerical Life by George Eliot

Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende

Winter Stock by Sally Dubat (e-book)

New Death and Others by James Hutchings (e-book)

Love Hate and The World Goes On by Katherine Rochholtz (e-book)

Some are novels, some are observational and some are collections of short stories and poems. I have 3 more books to add to my list...but am holding off as Sally Dubat's novel is the second in a series of 8 and she hasn't published the rest yet(and I will be reading them as they are released) :D Hope that's ok with you Darcy :D

Enjoy :D XXX