Pendulum: Tips for the Frustrated Beginners

Posted on 09/27/2019 by n2n

The most frustrating phase for a pendulum newbie is the “accuracy uncertain” period. It’s worse than getting it wrong all the time. Lucky for me, I received excellent tips from friends skilled in the art of pendulum.

If you are a super fresh newbie, first search online for basic instructions. These tips are more for people who have started trying but just can’t be accurate and consistent.

Carry the Pendulum with You

The first day I did it, though only for 3-4 hours, I started getting better results and it was not a from something like “I live on the Earth”. These answers were for Bengston charged cotton (in %) and other items that required number values.

Tried? Nap and Try Again Later

Writing from experience, using the pendulum while your energy is low results in even more inconsistent and inaccurate outcomes than your actual skill might produce. This can only lead to more frustration.

Ground Yourself Before Practice

You can use any energy grounding method you know, I use the white light meditation from Dougall Fraser.

I happened to have just gotten his 10 Color Meditations as a bonus when I bought Your Life in Color. Now I have the 9-minute version on my mp3 player. The deal is still good as of today, 9/27/2019, not sure when it will end so check here if the book is already on your wish list.

Ask for Divine Help

It could be from any higher power of your choosing. I just go with my spirit guides. So far, I’ve only asked for accuracy and precision since what I need is usually a number. And depending on your purpose, add things like “for the healing of” or “for the highest good of”. Remember to thank your spirit guides and the pendulum for their assistance.

Use a Statement Instead of a Question

It’s easier for the pendulum to react to a statement. Try asking yourself “Am I feeling well?” and then say to youself “I am feeling well.” see how different they feel. The statement leave less leeway in your reponse which reflects the same effect in the pendulum’s movement.

Feel the Swing

Tune into the pendulum‘s movements as you practice. Eventually, you will be able to sense the energy in the movements and the knowing that it’s not directed by your conscious intent but by the shared universal intelligence.

Still Stuck?

Get more help from David and Erina Cowan!

In their video, Dowsing with David and Erina Cowan, they explain the background and basics of dowsing then they go through and debug many issues that might be preventing you from getting quality results.

In their book, Dowsing Beyond Duality: Access Your Power to Create Positive Change, you can get more details about clearing using a pendulum. The book also show you how to use your pendulums to solve many problems.

I also use the 0-10 chart in the book vs. narrowing the range statements to see if the numbers from both are the same. And the results are at most 1 point off when they are not way off from each other. So the chart is also a helpful validation tool.

Trust You Can + Practice, Practice, Practice!

Confidence and training are the two things both of my friends mentioned. I am definitely doing better as I practice a little everyday. So, stop saying you are bad at this and keep trying!

Bengston Workshop Experience + Tips

Posted on 06/30/2019 by n2n

Bengston Energy Healing Method® is the most interesting healing method I’ve experienced so far. I learned it from a practitioner who has been treating me for allergic skin reaction to household detergents and chronic respiratory congestion.

My skin has been clear for a long while now except for the occasional encounters with allergens. And the congestion is so mild now it doesn’t bother me much anymore.

Workshop Experience

Dr. Bill Bengston is a serious scientist with a serious sense of humor. As tired was I was through the entire 4 days of workshop, I only dozed off in the last 15 minutes of the last day and it wasn’t because I was bored.

What I Love About The Bengston Method

Bill developed and tested the method in the lab and he has the photos and data to back it up. Watch Bill explain what he does.
Bill always thank the receivers (even animals) because by them accepting the healing, they are giving him what he wants–healing of themselves.
We (anyone using the Bengston method) do not heal, our job is to deliver the healing energy from the Universe to the recipients. Healing while keeping your ego in check, I LOVE it!
He thinks our body is smart, it takes what it needs from the healing energy, and it knows what needs to be fixed first, so the symptom you want to heal might not happen for a while. If there is nothing in the way of clearing the symptom, it will go away sooner than later.
Once you mastered the method, it’s almost effortless.

Signing up

If you only want to get an idea of the method and what it can do, go for the first evening research lecture at a very reasonable price. If you want to learn the method, sign up for the Two Day Workshop.

And if it’s possible, attend the Advanced Practice Day, too. On the Advanced Practice Day, you get more time to ask all types of questions, learn more ways to apply healing, and practice some more.

You can see Bill’s video on the workshop for more information.

Advanced Practice Day is Special

When I arrived at the workshop that last day, I noticed a very clear mood shift from the two previous days. People were excited to start the day. It was like someone had turned on an energy motor that morning, not only there was a smooth flow of energy in the room, there were happy vibes.

Before and During the Workshop

If you are a total newbie to the Bengston Energy Healing Method®, I suggest reading his book, The Energy Cure, and/or start practicing “cycling” from his Hands On Healing training cd set before the workshop.

Because all newbies struggle at the beginning, it’s better to have something to build on before you get to the workshop. This way, you’d know better what to listen for and what to ask. You would also benefit from practicing with a large group and chatting with other participants. Often there are experienced practitioners in attendance to help you out as well.

And no worries about getting bored. Dr. Bengston is always sharing new ideas and findings.

Tips

Leave your ego, expectation, experiences at the door. Trying to impose these onto the Bengston Method might become an obstacle in mastering it.

Channel your inner mad scientist! “Can I do such and such?” Many participants would ask. Dr. Bengston would always answer “I don’t know, try it!”

Have fun with cycling. It could be having silly things on your cycling list that make you happy, or doing experiments on charging water or cotton, or testing things out on a plant, or just coming up with new ways to do any Bengston related activities all the time.

In the case of cycling, routine is the enemy.

Everyone is unique, so what and where you feel the cycling might be different than others. No need to compare or worry, just trust yourself.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Cycling on your own can be very lonely, especially when you have tons of questions and no where to ask. So, ask about the practice groups to join after the workshop. It’s a great way to find answers and all the ways people are using the Bengston Energy Healing Method®.

Cycling with a group also seem to create a resonance that amplifies the combine strength of the energy, as some might be able to feel during the workshop.

Liberated!

During a hands-on healing practice, my friend who is relatively new to the Bengston Method, felt the resistance on the top of my head and kept her hand there for a good while. Then I discovered the sensation in my front right skull whenever I cycle was gone.

“How am I to know if I am cycling???” I thought about it for a while. Instead of letting it stop me, I decided to be like an electron–take the path of least resistance. I let go!

Not having the sense of control it’s like:

Letting the rocket go free in the outer space at the top speed.
Taking the training wheels off and leaving no attachment to the process and the outcome. This is very important for the manifesting process as you may already know.

As you can see, it’s even possible for a newbie to deliver healing. So, to all who are attending the workshop, say “YES” to your Jedi Power!

First Session with Ainslie MacLeod: Getting the Most Out of It

Posted on 04/08/2019 by n2n

Read His Books

Whether you’ve just made an appointment for a past life reading with Ainslie MacLeod or considering getting one, give yourself plenty of time to read his books before the session.

The information Ainslie and his guides bring you are all based on what’s in these books. You do not want to waste your valuable session time on having Ainslie explain the basics that you could have learned from these books.

The Instruction: Living the Life Your Soul Intended

The Instruction talks about soul ages, types, missions, fears, and more. What are yours?

For your soul types, you can take the quiz on the site. The top results were spot on compared to what Ainslie told me during the session.

In the book, he provides the Open Heart meditation to help you connect with your guides in figuring out your own soul ages, types, missions, and fears. I was not really good at meditation and not sensitive enough to get messages from my guides. I tried anyway but in the end I just picked what felt right for me.

Don’t worry about getting it wrong. It’s more important that you have something to base on in case Ainslie tells you otherwise (like he did with Oprah, about 31:11 into this audio interview).

Pay extra attention to the differences, they might be important. For me, they kept taking me back to how I was as a child, my true self.

The Transformation: Healing Your Past Lives to Realize Your Soul’s Potential

The Transformation talks deeper about our past life fears and how it will change the future of humanity through The Transformation.

The Transformation is the upcoming shift to “Stage Four Consciousness”, the final level. In the shift to “Stage Three Consciousness” human gained the abilities of intellect. In stage four, we reconnect with our soul, resulting in the best balance of mind and spirit.

What we all need to do is to be our true selfies and become the Transformation. We can accomplish that using this book to:

Identify our past life fear
Take the corresponding action (motivation)
Get the result (goal) of reconnecting with the part of the soul blocked by the past life fear

Depending on your situation, he and his guides might provide a specific healing exercise along with the particular fear you are facing currently. Once you know what your past life fears are, the book is also a good DIY healing tool.

After Getting the Appointment Confirmation

Clear the schedule of the morning or the evening before your appointment
Keep one to two hours open after your session ends
Be aware of what/who drains your energy, what keeps your spirit down, take notes on the patterns that emerged.

Preparing for the Session

The morning or the evening before, find your favorite writing instrument* and a notebook (or a stack of paper), write down ALL that plague your life especially long-term issues (physical and otherwise) without obvious origin, and in the order of intensity/urgency. (* Using a pen with poor or inconsistent ink flow would interrupt the stream of thoughts, so do find one that writes smoothly.)

If you don’t know where to start, begin by scribbling circles. When something pops into your mind, write it down, even if it doesn’t make sense. Once you start, keep going, no judging, no crossing out, don’t stop until you know you are done. Then go back to see what jumps out at you.

Review your lists from the two books, especially if it has been months since you last read them.

Read the FAQ to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

During the Session

Get ready to take notes with your favorite pen/pencil and paper/notebook, the session is not recorded.
Ainslie is really easy to talk to, just follow his lead.
Listen well and write as much down as possible. There will be so much information coming your way, you really don’t want to miss anything.
However, if something is aching to come out, speak up. Or if you are not sure about what you heard, be sure to ask for confirmation. (He mentioned the locations of the wounds that resulted in a past life death but I did not ask him to go over that again, now I am left guessing.)

After the Session

Take an hour or two to redo your notes while the memory is fresh.
In the process, you might remember things you missed, or emotional reactions you had, put those down as well.
Don’t stop until you are done.

In The Following Days

Go through your notes with both books to help your healing or growing process.
Pay attention to the changes in your body and your emotional states, I usually write them down or talk to a friend about it. It’s like airing out your rug, though it might take a while but once the old dusts are gone with the wind, they are gone for good.

Say Hello to Your True Self

I very much enjoyed my sessions with Ainslie. He and his guides confirmed and cleared many things for me. It has been more than six months since my first session and I am still noticing patterns that he mentioned which I couldn’t recognize at the time.

I am finally moving forward with a clear purpose, work is finally like play. Some of my physical issues also improved, not to mention how much happier and more energetic I am.

Finding your true self is an adventure that is worth the challenge. Ainslie and his guides just make it easier. I hope this will help you get the most out of your time with Ainslie.

The Transformation is happening and I am glad you are coming with me.

Simple Ingredients Rice Flour Baking

Posted on 03/27/2019 by n2n

Rice for Wheat

Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods by Anthony William

Once I understood that “Small Annoyances Must Die!“, I cut wheat, dairy, and eggs (was already off corn for the Round-Up gene contamination) as suggested by Anthony William in Life-Changing Foods to stop many little health issues along with other healing methods I will be writing about in the future. That left me with rice being the main option to replace wheat.

In my search for options, I was surprise how hard it is to find vegan + gluten-free + organic options in my local natural food market.

Stop Faking My Food

Besides that, many gluten-free breads and gluten-free mixes contains ingredients that I want to avoid (corn based additives, xanthan gum, sugar, modified cellulose, certain oils, etc.), some because of the health implications, some because I just want simple, basic ingredients.

Let’s face it, rice will never taste like wheat. Just get over it and stop judging rice bake goods as the wheat ones. We have already done so much harm to our bodies faking sugar, meat, butter, and many more.

Cook or Die… A Little

To have a say in what’s in my food, I ended up spending much more time in the kitchen. Stir-fry, curry, and many Asian dishes are perfect to go with rice. But I still need some bake goods for when I am short on time. By luck, I caught Medical Frontiers Special – Search for Superfoods in Niigata on NHK World.

In the last segment, rice flour baking expert, Sakumi Tamori showed us 3 rice based baking recipes. I’ve only baked the cookies and the scones so far.

My Baking Experiments

I first tried to make my own rice flour but my little Vitamix S50 wasn’t powerful enough, and my cookies turned out a bit grainy. So I switched to Bob’s Red Mill Organic White Rice Flour.

The cookies also were too hard for me, I swapped out some potato starch with tapioca flour and added some baking powder. And to save time, I scooped my dough into little domes, rolling and cutting was too messy as well.

For the scones, my savory version uses sweet potato in place of the banana and added my grounded herb mix (also per Anthony‘s suggestions), chopped onion, garlic, green onion, and jalapeño. I then freeze them for when I don’t have time to cook.

I also use ~~local~~ ~~raw honey~~* organic brown coconut sugar instead of sugar in both recipes. As for the rice oil suggested in the video, I use refined sesame oil (445°F smoking point) since I am not sure if what we can get in the States are the same thing as the Japanese ones.

Cheating A Little Is Not A Sin

I understand that majority of people don’t have the luxury to cook all the time. Anthony mentioned just do your best to cut down on the ingredients that are not good for you.

I cheat when I am super hungry/busy/lazy but I do try to pick the best options from the deli of my local natural food store. After all, we do die sooner from hunger than from a little unhelpful food.

[ * Honey turns toxic when heated over 40°C (104°F) ]

Lynne McTaggart’s Intention Masterclass: Experiences + Advice

Posted on 01/08/2019 by n2n

This Post Is for…

I am assuming you are here because you have read the course description for the latest “The Power of Eight Intention Masterclass” and want to know what it would be like before you sign up.

Hear from a past Intention Masterclass participant

If you have not, Lynne teaches this online course every year and she updates the contents with her growing knowledge and experiences. So instead of linking you to the class page, visit Lynne’s site, signup for the newsletter or watch for early-bird discount near the end of the year.

Before you go on, please keep in mind these are my own experiences and opinions, know that you might have a very different experience.

First, Learn The Basics with Lynne

Every week of the 6 weeks when Lynne teaches live, you will learn the science and the basics of intending and practice with randomly assigned classmates.

[Advice] Don’t get frustrated or discourage if you can’t get the results like some. Just keep practicing, you need time to learn the skills and to accept and recognize that you, too, have those amazing abilities. I thought I didn’t learn much the first time through but now that I have done it a second time, I see I was building on my efforts back then.

[Advice] If you are paired with someone you click with be sure to find a way to contact each other so you’d have a practice partner before the yearlong groups are assigned. Lynne creates a FB group for each year, usually that would be the place to search if you didn’t get a chance to exchange info during the class.

The Best Starts After The Masterclass Ends

For me, the yearlong group experiment is why the tuition is worth every penny.

The Power of Eight: Harnessing the Miraculous Energies of a Small Group to Heal Others, Your Life, and the World — Learn more about intending in small group

After the 6 lectures, Lynne and her team will do their best to assign 10-12 people into a group so there is a better chance of having 8 members making it to each meeting.

Lynne will ask for a monthly report to check your progress until about 12 months after the first lecture. So if your group starts meeting quickly, you would get about 10 months.

From Lynne’s experience, 8 works the best, you can learn more from her book The Power of Eight: Harnessing the Miraculous Energies of a Small Group to Heal Others, Your Life, and the World.

My first time through the class, we were left with 3 people at the end, though we still saw some results, this group did not meet again after the year ended.

It was a good thing though, I was not at a very good place mentally and physically. I needed a break after a year of not missing a single meeting.

Second Time Is The Charm

After making some life changes, I was slowly getting better. When Lynne’s early-bird offer came, I decided to try again. This time, I connected with a member soon after the group assignment. And before the first group meeting, two of us intended for a group with wonderful members to grow and learn with. And it worked!

We were one of the groups that started regular meeting quickly. Even with privacy and technical concerns, everyone was gamed and did what one could to learn the secured social media and online meeting platforms.

Our Group of Love And Light

Our members are supportive, forward moving, kind, easy to work with, highly enlightened, intelligent, and humorous, I can go on for a while here. Every week, together, by intending and problem solving (adjusting the intention statements to be more effective), we bonded as a circle of love and light. I am proud to say we have pretty good results in helping ourselves and others this year.

Thanks to my group mates, I am happier, more confident, and has regained most of the energy and health I used to have. And after years of asking for an answer, I figured out a firm new direction to go as a writer but without the stress and pressure I felt. Not all the results came directly from specific intentions but 100% brought to me by my group mates!

With them, I can speak freely and not worry about sounding crazy or silly. It’s a great feeling to find this many like minded people and be with them every week. At the end of the year and there were still 7-8 participants every week. There were people who dropped off or switched earlier on but new members just fit right in. It is not a coincident who came to be in our group.

[Advice] To get most out of the class, prepare to commit to attend the group meetings for the whole year. If you can’t do that and still want to try, perhaps Lynne’s live, in-person Intention Workshops would be a better choice.

Have Goals, Not Expectations

Having solid reasons for taking this class would keep you on track as you intend during the year. They are also a good way to track your progress.

Not having any expectation about the class might bring you many unexpected gifts by not setting limits to what may come your way.

Be Kind & Have Patience

You may experience technical/admin issues during the year, remember that Lynne and her team are dealing with a large group of people, know that they always try to provide us as best as they are able.

Giving by Receiving

Like me, most people find it hard to receive, through both of my groups, I leaned that receiving is also an important part of intending.

Being a good receiver in general, it could be as simple as accepting a compliment with grace, allows you to sync up better with the receivers of your intentions which helps you deliver your gifts with better results. At the same time, there is a better chance for your own intention to manifest since you are better prepared to receive.

My Intention for You

Whether you end up taking the course or not, be like a Jedi, as I feel sometimes when practicing the art of intending, May The Force Be with You!

Books I Read 2018

Posted on 01/25/2018 by n2n

I have not been keeping up with this list and might be switching to list more non-fiction titles starting in 2019 because I am taking my life and this blog in a new direction. I do hope I will still keep listing but we will see.

This year, I decided to stop comparing book counts from previous years. After all, reading is for fun and learning, not for torturing myself.

Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal (Non-Fiction) by Anthony William
[ Though I was not ill per se but many little long-term issues plus my latest allergic reaction to a new laundry detergent sent me looking. Two different people metioned Anthony during one weekend, I figured I better take the hint. He explained what’s behind strange symptoms and illnesses as told by his spirit guide. ]
Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods: Save Yourself and the Ones You Love with the Hidden Healing Powers of Fruits & Vegetables (Non-Fiction) by Anthony William
[ This beautiful books comes with easy to do recipes, I selected the fruits and plants I need according to my symptoms and my nose no longer runs like it used to, I’m still working up the courage to take in straight celery juice though. ]
The Bags of Tricks Affair (Book 6 of Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery) by Bill Pronzini
[ This affair involves series of cases that create the continuous tension via the timing. Though the first 5 books were co-written with his wife Marcia Muller, he had written this one on his own. I did not feel inconsistancy in Carpenter’s (the female partner) character. The couple must know each other very well. ]
Spy School (Spy School Series 1) by Stuart Gibbs
[ A nerdy 12-year-old boy got tricked into attending a “special” school and finding out he has what it take to become a good spy. Though I would prefer not to be in mortal danger everyday, it’s fun to imagine how amazing it would have been to experience that as a teenager. Funny and fast paced! ]
The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place (A Flavia de Luce Novel 9) by Alan Bradley
[ Flavia tries to heal from her father’s sudden passing while on a boat trip and ended up investigating a murder. There are very noticeable growth in both Flavia and Dugger (their family servant). Book 9 but still intersting to read. ]
Her Beautiful Monster (The Ravi PI Series 1) by Adi Tantimedh
[ Very interesting mystery/thriller novel with serious Indian infusion. Not knowing too much about the Indian Gods, I was not able to enjoy this as I would like you. If you are familiar with Indian culture, I thing it would be a great fun trip for you. ]
Last Stop in Brooklyn (A Mary Handley Mystery 3) by Lawrence H. Levy
[ Mary’s investigation leads her to the dark and dirty world of the NYC’s police department. She partnered with reporter to get to the bottom of these cases. ]
The Burning Page (The Invisible Library Novel 4) by Genevieve Cogman
[ Librarian Irene and her dragon prince intern Kai was sent to find a rare book in another word but ended up in the middle of a complicated and delicate dragon political world. It’s as good as the previous 3 books. ]
Mayhem & Mass (A Sister Lou Mystery 1) by Olivia Matthews
[ Sister Lou is a wise and observant sister who while finding the murderer, also played a matchmaker for the two young people in her life. Great to cozy mystery readers. ]
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
[ The Swedish author Bivald must love small town USA a bunch, the warmth she has for her characters in the Broken Wheel really took me to that little town and wondered if she’d pick out a perfect book for me, too. I am not a general fiction person but I love this book. I will bring you the charm and peace from this little town. ]
Toured to Death (An Amy’s Travel Mystery 1) by Hy Conrad
[ Amy leads a murder mystery tour through Europe, only to end up a real murder that is linked to the real case the tour is based on. It took me a while to guess the real murderer. If you are into mystery and travel, this is written for you. ]
The Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein
[ It was a fun ride, unlike the teleportation practice, I was safe. Klein, being a musician, has the main character, Joel, loving 80’s music while living in the 2140’s. Though I long suspected the underlying secret, it was still fun to go with Joel on this advanture. ]

Scientific Qi Gong (科學氣功)

Posted on 10/15/2017 by n2n

Qi, even to most Chinese is a mysterious force that only kung-fu masters possess, much like the powers comic book superheroes have.

In 2016, Prof. Si-Chen Lee (李嗣涔), published Scientific Qi Gong (科學氣功), explaining the science behind Qi Gong through his experiments, research, and personal journey.

Is Qi Real?

In kung-fu novels, Qi is often used to heal or to hurt people. With the help of Qi Gong Master Lee (李鳳山), showed that healing Qi increased DNA replication, harmful Qi slowed replication and even damaged some DNA chains in chromosomes.

From his experiments, Prof. Lee thought that since Qi can affect other objects, Qi must be a fundamental force that exists everywhere like the gravity.

What Is Qi?

By chance, Prof. Lee learned about the Torsion Field, the twisting of space-time.

After comparing Torsion Field’s properties with a passage from an ancient document, “Qi can be interrupted by water and scattered by wind” (氣，界水則止，遇風則散。)

He also proved this statment from his experiment by projecting a massy source energy through a crystal.

He then concluded Qi is a torsion field.

How Does Qi Gong Work?

Prof. Lee suggests that Qi Gong activates Qi to adjust the body’s muscular system, smoothing out the body’s communication networks to allow the collagen protein to pass on the repair commands from the master gene to every cell before the next round of regeneration.

Qi Gong ensures the commands are delivered without blockage thus promotes the body’s own self-healing ability.

Prof. Si-Chen Lee’s Scientific Qi Gong

In his book, he showed us some simple Qi Gong exercises to keep us healthy. (If you like to try them out, be sure to find a Chinese speaking friend to translate the details of the video for you.)

We don’t all have to become Qi Gong masters to benefit from Qi Gong. If you read Chinese and are interested in science and alternative healing, you would love this book.

Books I Read 2017

Posted on 01/11/2017 by n2n

In 2016, I read 3 more books than I did in 2015. Since I’ve complete my Konmari cleaning process, I hope I will have read even more than in 2016. Wish me luck!

Strange Practice (A Dr. Greta Helsing Novel 1) by Vivian Shaw
[ Dr. Greta Helsing (yes, as in Van Helsing) specializes in treating monsters, vampires, demons and such. The monsters in London are being murdered, Greta works with her friends, human and otherwise, to get to the bottom of the killings. Unique idea and great writing! ]
Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions (Kopp Sisters Series 3) by Amy Stewart
[ Constance Amelie Kopps is now an official, budge bearring deputy sheriff. She tries to girls that might fall into the unfair treatment under the law of the time while worrying about her own sisters. I love that I learned how the women were treated back then and gain even more application with all the privileges I have today. ]
The Question of the Absentee Father (An Asperger’s Mystery 4) by E. J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen
[ Samuel accepts his mother’s case and go on to look for a stranger, his own father. He also makes a few breakthroughs in the proces, reminds me to be more brave in my daily life. ]
Life of Lies by Sharon Sala
[ If there wasn’t as much romance parts in this (This IS a romance novel), it would be one of the better thrillers I’ve read. Fun read! ]
The Color of Fear (A Sharon McCone Mystery) by Marcia Muller
[ This McCone Mystery is a bit thin though the social issue and investigation process are still intriguing. If you read most of this series, you might be a bit bored reading about how relevant characters came into Sharon’s life (or a quick refresher) ]
Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners 3) by Libba Bray
[ The 3rd Diviners book takes you deeper into the characters and their histories while finguring out how they can best use their powers and fighting against an evil entity. Once you get started you couldn’t stop. For people who can’t handle waiting years to know what’s next, I recommand waiting for the whole series are done. If you can wait that long, that is… ]
Scientific Qi Gong (科學氣功) (in Chinese) by Prof. Si-Chen Lee (李嗣涔) [ I only wanted to understand more about Qi Gong but ended up totally facinated with the science. And by serendipity, many things I was learning about Nicola Tesla’s technologies are connected to Prof. Lee’s finding. ]
The Book of Truth (The Mastery Trilogy 2) channeled by Paul Selig (non-fiction) [ I don’t feel the frequency that some readers seemed to have felt but the teaching is stil very helpful. ]
The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack 2017 #1 Pick!
[ A seer from thousands of years ago writing to Semele, warning her with precise timing while she translate it. Time travel in a different way, that is. I’d read it in one go if I had nothing else going on. Great read! ]
Too Lucky to Live (A Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead Mystery 1) by Annie Hogsett
[ Allie rescues a blind professer who ends up winning the Lotto jackpot for an underprivilaged child, then working together against money hungry bad guys. I love how the voice is a perfect reflection of Allie and the how Hogsett gives us an admirable well-rounded blind character. ]
The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn 2017 #2 Pick!
[ Jane Austen + Time Travel?!!! Too fantastic I had to read it. Though not a fan of Austen, I love how this book reminds me so much of Austen’s stories. And her solutions to the usual time travel issues are also unique to other time travel stories I’ve read. ]
The Book of Mastery (The Mastery Trilogy 1) channeled by Paul Selig (non-fiction)
[ The language of the channeled being took some getting use to, but I read the whole thing. Since it’s explaining how the universe works relating to human, it often read like Buddhism made simple. I might go read all of Paul’s channeled books. ]
Brooklyn on Fire (A Mary Handley Mystery 2) by Lawrence H. Levy
[ Mary now runs her own PI office from the bookstore she works at. Her lastest client’s request brings her more danger, advantures, and romance. ]
Second Street Station (A Mary Handley Mystery 1) by Lawrence H. Levy
[ Mary Handley was a real person (reminds me of the Constance Amelie Kopps books, also a cop.) I like that Levy weaves in historic figures and events while the story shows twists, it also shows the social conditions. Good read! ]
Zodiac: A Novel by Sam Wilson
[ Coming from film/TV, Wilson presents his story as movie scenes. This murder mystery is based on a society where the star signs are treated as races. People live with this “star” caste system and what happens in the book is the result of this social condition. Unique and exciting read. ]
The Secret Language of Stones (The Daughters of La Lune) by M. J. Rose
[ I’m sure it’s a good read for people who have deep love fine and literary arts. I like the progression of the story well enough though. ]
The Burning Page (The Invisible Library Novel 3) by Genevieve Cogman
[ This series just gets better! ]
The Masked City (The Invisible Library Novel 2) by Genevieve Cogman
[ Genevieve is great at keeping the pace up, it’s hard to find a break to take a breath. ]
The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library Novel 1) by Genevieve Cogman
[ This is the first fantasy book that was easy enough for me to read at normal speed. I love the writing style that fits both the story, the worlds, and the characters. There are a lot more to explore than just the plot, reading the 2nd book already. ]
Dead, Bath, and Beyond (Victoria Square Mystery) by Lorraine Bartlett and Laurie Cass
[ Katie, the owner of an arts and crafts collective shop, tried to solve the murder of her much hated ex-boss. Many suspects, interesting interpersonal interactions and dynamics. ]
The Dangerous Ladies Affair (Book 5 of Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery) by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini
[ Two detectives, two indivisual cases. One is a mystery of threat and murder. The other is the chase of the devious criminal. ]
The Question of the Unfamiliar Husband (An Asperger’s Mystery 2) by E. J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen
[ This is the better than book 1 and 3. I had a feeling who were involved in the murder but I didn’t expect the how and the mastermind. Fun read! ]
The Question of the Missing Head (An Asperger’s Mystery 1) by E. J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen
[ Samuel who turns his Asperger’s personality into a business of answering questions. Also highly recommand The Rosie Project for understanding more about Asperger’s. This book kept me guessing while enjoy the quarks and growth of Samuel. ]

The First Time by Bernadette Pajer

Posted on 08/24/2016 by n2n

Time travel + Jane Austin + mystery + history, seems an impossible combination but Pajer did it in The First Time.

My #1 Pick for 2016!

I couldn’t put down. I haven’t done that since the Harry Potter days. My urge to know what the main characters will do and if there will be a happily-ever-after overrode my biological needs. If I were a faster reader, I’d finish it in one shot.

Unlike many time travel tales, all the time-related rules/issues where intertwined with the story itself, not explained by breaking the flow of the story. (The other no-questions-left unanswered time-travel novels are Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis.)

I also like that there wasn’t any graphic scenes some romance novels have, it’s healthy to leave room for the imagination. Also, the ways Ivy and Harrison act and think (i.e. not jumping into bed the first chance they got) reinforces their backgrounds, eras, and personalities well.

Besides the romance, I learned some history of South Africa and what it would’ve been like in the early 1900s.

The story resolution was surprising and satisfying, no blazing time-travel story black holes.

If you like The First Time because of the science aspect, I also recommand her earlier works, Professor Bradshaw Mystery series. Bradshow is a professer of electrial engineering at the University of Washington in the early 1900s (when common folks didn’t know much about electricity). He investages many electricity related cases.

Books I Read in 2016

Posted on 07/24/2016 by n2n

Keeping up with a record of what I read each year, here I go with a new ongoing list for 2016. The count may be even less than last year but I really need to complete my cleaning process.

The Question of the Felonious Friend (An Asperger’s Mystery 3) by E. J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen
[ With his Mom’s encouragement, Samuel turns his Asperger’s personality into a business of answering questions. Like The Rosie Project, I can see some of myself in him. I appriciate learning about Asperger’s while experience Samuel’s “research” process. Going to start from book 1. ]
The Darkness Knows (Viv and Charlie Mystery) by Cheryl Honigford
[ Set during the golden era of radio, 1938, Chicago. A murder at a radio station. I suspected the murderer early on but did not know the motive, that means I had to read to the end, good trick! ]
Crosstalk by Connie Willis
[ At first it read like too much “texting” but as I read on, I saw the effect was intentional and carried a lot of hints. I did skip many places near the end, didn’t need the repeated info. Love how Willis is able to fuse the mystic with technology in the plot. Her last books were about WWII and time travel, loved it! ]
Lady Cop Makes Trouble (Kopp Sisters Series 2) by Amy Stewart
[ Now Constance Amelie Kopps works as a police person, the story tells the struggle of breaking into the male only career. Miss Kopps still manages to solve the case! ]
Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d: A Flavia de Luce Novel (Book 8) by Alan Bradley
[ Flavia came home from Canada, learned that her father was in the hospital. She began to ventur out to London and we also continue to see her grow with age and events in her life. ]
Nemesis by Catherine Coulter
[ Her 19th FBI thriller, my first of hers. Love the relationship between all characters. This one invovles two cases the main FBI married couple has to work on their own, though they helped each other as well. Might try another one of her books. ]
Deep Dark (Tracers Series 10) by Laura Griffin
[ This murder mystery invovles the police, white and black head hackers. The romantic relationship plays a major role. Good choice for a romance reader who also wants read a serious mystery. ]
Girl Waits with Gun (Kopp Sisters Series 1) by Amy Stewart
[ A historic fiction, centered on Constance Amelie Kopp, a real person, who with a sherif’s help fought the local silk company boss. ]
The First Time: A Time Travel Romance (The Sunflower Series 1) by Bernadette Pajer #1 Pick!
[ Amazing flawless time travel romance! I couldn’t put it down, read my review. ]
Cinderella Six Feet Under (A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery 2) by Maia Chance
[ This was as fun to read as 1 and 3. Along the way, you grow to know the charaters and develop feelings about them as you would a real person. ]
Snow White Red-Handed (A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery 1) by Maia Chance
[ I read the 3rd book first, found this one just as fun, it kept me guessing. It’s interesting to see how Maia weaved the Snow White story into the mystery. ]
Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna (A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery 3) by Maia Chance
[ Picked this up from the “interesting read” section at the libaray and it was interesting. Though I haven’t read the first 2 books, the story still works. An important element is based on a fairy tale abut it’s a mystery not a fantasy. Fast paced, no boring parts, good read. ]
The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo
[ I’m usually not one for general fiction but the fast paced and interesting details brought me along to the end. ]
The Forgotten Soldier (Pike Logan Thriller) by Brad Taylor
Gasa-Gasa Girl (Book 2 of Mas Arai Mystery) by Naomi Hirahara
Summer of the Big Bachi (Book 1 of Mas Arai Mystery) by Naomi Hirahara
Snakeskin Shamisen (Book 3 of Mas Arai Mystery) by Naomi Hirahara
[ Hirahara is amazing, the hero in her story can be 20 something like Ellie Rush or a 70 something gardener, Mas Arai. I enjoyed the mystery while learning some history about Okinawa. ]
Seven Threadly Sins (A Threadville Mystery) by Janet Bolin
[ I think my taste may have changed. Though the story moves in a good pace, I wanted something different, something with more dimensions. Naomi Hirahara might have spoiled cozy mystery for me… ]
Grave on Grand Avenue (Book 2 of Officer Ellie Rush Mystery) by Naomi Hirahara
[ Though Ellie is 20 something, I did not feel like an old lady when I read this. Hirahara did a great job writing as a young person and still keep older people on track. ]
Murder on Bamboo Lane (Book 1 of Officer Ellie Rush Mystery) by Naomi Hirahara
[ My first book from her. Love the fast pace progress, Asian immurgrant culture/conflicts, interesting plot. ]
The Plague of Thieves Affair (Book 4 of Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery) by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini
[ The wife and husband team of mystery writers have done it again. The reason I love reading Marcia Muller is because her series don’t turn boring. This time the detectives work their own cases. I did solve the simplist one quickly but enjoyed the crime solving process all the same. ]
Harriet Wolf’s Seventh Book of Wonders by Julianna Baggott
[ Mainstream book is usually not my thing but Super Librarian Nancy Pearl suggested it, so I read it. Harriet’s own narrative was the most intriguing and the thread of the book. It calls on you to look beyond your own percecptions of people in your life. There are always more behind the other person, why each one turned out and acted in certain ways. ]
The Murdstone Trilogy by Mal Peet
[ Once again the English in this fantasy is a hard to understand for me (English is my 2nd language.) So though many said this was a funny book, my struggle only allowed me to enjoy the darker side of the plot. I do like the surprising turns of events and how he uses words (when I can understand them) ]
City of Stairs (The Divine Cities) by Robert Jackson Bennett
[ Recommended by Super Librarian Nancy Pearl. I usually don’t like fantasy but this one focuses more on human mind and spirituality. Choose to read deeper into it like the main character Shara would looking closer at the reality-miracle confused city. ]