Invitatie la lectura - cartile lui Laurentiu Badea

Laurentiu Badea tocmai si-a lansat ultima carte - Embers of Atlanta (Scanteile Atlantei). Mai are inca 3 povesti scurte:

1. Cel mai mic spiridus (The Tiniest Elf) - o poveste de Craciun
2. Ramasite (Remains) - o poveste despre pierdere, o poveste cu substrat psihologic
3. Nu ma pacalesti (You don't fool me) - o poveste emotionanta, cu accente romantice

Daca sunteti interesati de vreuna dintre ele, v-o pot trimite gratuit (in romana sau engleza) in pdf, e-pub sau mobi, in schimbul unei recenzii oneste pe Amazon, Goodreads si Google Books.

Cartile se pot gasi pe Google Play Books, Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Scribd.

Platforma cititorului dependent - Goodreads

Daca iti place sa citesti, sunt sigura ca ai un cont de Goodreads, iar daca nu ai, trebuie sa iti faci. Imi place foarte mult aceasta platforma, deoarece ai posibilitatea sa iti faci prieteni din toata lumea, care au aceeasi pasiune ca tine, poti sa ai un profil de autor, tii socoteala cartilor citite, poti sa iti setezi un obiectiv al numarului de carti citite, sa faci recenzii la carti si multe alte optiuni. 

Daca vrei sa ma gasesti pe Goodreads, profilul meu este aici. 

Prietenul meu, Laurentiu, are chiar un cont de autor, ceea ce mi se pare foarte cool. Are 4 carti in engleza, dintre care 3 sunt si in romana. 

1. Ramasite  

2. Nu ma pacalesti 

3. Cel mai mic spiridus (poveste ce Craciun, dedicata mie)

Daca va plac sau aveti critici, Laurentiu s-ar bucura de orice review. Multumim!

Ultima lansata este pe Amazon - Embers of Atlanta. Puteti vedea daca va place, accesand look inside. Orice review ajuta. Multumim!

Embers of Atlanta by Laurentiu Badea - FREE

I have just finished reading this amazing short story written by Laurentiu M. Badea who is a writer, blogger and also a graphic designer. 

Cover created by Laurentiu M.Badea

You can find Laurentiu on his official Facebook page, on Twitter, on Youtube or on his blog Alien Tower where he mostly writes about games and movies in English.

He is also known for The Tiniest Elf (Cel mai mic spiridus), Remains (Ramasite), You don't fool me (Nu ma pacalesti). 

The other day he published on Amazon a new short story - Embers of Atlanta. I had the honour to read his book on my Kindle Touch and it was a great experience. This story has three chapters that escaladate from a dreamy atmosphere in the former to a noir atmosphere in the last one. A story of crime, mystery and lost souls. 

You cand read it for free if you have Kindle Unlimited. 

I mostly appreciated his style, the lack of cliches and that the evolution of the story surprised me. The characters were strong and I definetely believe the story should have a spin-of because I really want to read more about them. I want all details even if sometimes it is better to just dive into the mystery. 

So, I recommend you this book or the other short stories of the author. His style improved a lot recently and the images created in this book are very powerful. 

The words used by the author give life to images and sounds and when you read, you can picture the story and the characters like they were in a movie. You can see that girl walking through the park, you can feel the wind in your veins and the metaphorical embers burning your skin. 

If you like mystery and crime short stories with a dreamy atmosphere, if you like strong characters, this book is for you.

#embersofatlanta #laurentiumbadea
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E-book reader-ul - cadoul ideal pentru cititori

In 2015, ma aflam cu bursa in Milano si pana in ultima zi, am stat pe ganduri daca sa imi iau un e-book reader sau nu. In cele din urma, mi-am luat un Kindle (brand Amazon) cu e-ink, adica fara lumina, imitand foarte bine foaia de hartie.

La inceput, mi se parea aiurea, deoarece sunt o cititoare inraita si nu intelegeam cu ce e mai bun e-readerul fata de o tableta sau un laptop. Si, mai mult, de ce as citi digital si nu fizic?

Surprinzator pentru mine a fost ca am inceput sa citesc si mai mult. 

Avantaje:

1. autonomia bateriei este de aproximativ o luna

2. are wireless

3. poti sa iti iei notite care se salveaza intr-un fisier distinct

4. poti da share pe retelele sociale, daca iti place ceva

5. poti stoca mii de carti

6. nu oboseste ochiul, precum un laptop/tel/tableta

7. e mic si il poti lua in geanta

8. fiind portabil, daca ai niste timpi morti (de exemplu astepti la coada la Digi :)), il poti scoate si citi. 

9. nu ai chef de o carte? nu e nimic. alegi alta. Daca ar fi o carte fizica, nu ai putea atatea carti cu tine

Iata cateva variante reduse in aceasta perioada: 

1. E-Book Reader Amazon Kindle Glare, 6", 4GB, Touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Negru

Pret 399, redus de la 499

2. E-Book Reader Kruger&Matz Library KM0199, Ecran E-Ink 6", 8GB (Negru)

Pret 299, redus de la 399

3. E-Book Reader Bookeen Cybook Odyssey FrontLight 2, Multi-touch capacitive touchscreen E Ink Pearl V220 HD 6", Procesor 1GHz, 256 MB RAM, 4GB Flash, Wi-Fi 

Pret 399, redus de la 749

Joy on Demand - a relaxed review

I received this book on December 27. It was a gift from Project Happiness, because I completed the Happy Scavenger Hunt during November. 

For those who do not know, I am a teacher at University of Craiova, Romania and I coordinate a Marketing Circle for my students. In the above pic, I am with my students, at the end of the meeting. It is mostly nonformal education, extending beyond marketing and economics topics to volunteering, No Hate Speech Movement, CSR and so on. 

So, I have to say that I follow Project Happiness for a long time and I really love what they do: May calendar, AWEgust challenge, the Happy Scavenger Hunt, the EQ calendar in January and many others. I love their newsletters that motivate me and give me a boost of energy every day. 

So, when I saw I am one of those who won the book Joy on Demand by Chade-Meng Tan, I was really very happy or joyful in order to be in equilibrium with the book :)

I finished reading the book while I was using my stationary bicycle so I realized I can listen to some music, cycling more and reading faster. I was so amazed by the book and I finished it in two days, before New Year's Eve. I also realized that I am so lucky I know English (not as a native, but still, I understand it very well and I sometimes think in English). I read it as if it were in Romanian :) 

Really love it :) It made me smile and joyful

Even if I finished it so fast, I learned lots of things and exercises meant to increase your joy and your travel here on Earth. For example, you can do some minor exercises/reflections that will improve your life:

1. Breathe and be aware of that breath. This is simple, start with just one breath. 

2. If you use to complain a lot, reflect on this: the Universe is so big and your worries compared to that are nothing. So, let them go: your worries, your envy, your hate or other negative feelings you have

3. Belive in the virtuous cycle and spread this among your friends and people you know

4. Think of mortality. You will not leave forever but now, in this moment, you are ALIVE, so live.

5. The best moment is NOW and the best place is HERE. So, enjoy it!

6. Every hour when you are at school or at work, choose two persons and think that: I want you to be happy. You do not have to say it loud, only in your mind. It does not matter if you know them or not. Just think in a loving way about those people. 

There are lots of formal and informal exercises for meditation because the book is about how to integrate meditation in our lives. It is easy, challenging and life changing. You can bring joy into your life even in suffer. 

I really recommend this book because it is easy to understand and apply, it has lots of cartoons, funny ones and Meng is Meng: He was working at Google between 2000 and 2015. His job title was Jolly Good Fellow and he even had some courses at Google helping the other employees in reducing stress and increasing their inner peace and clarity of their minds. Other books written by Meng are: Search Inside Yourself (I really want to find this book), How to Master Your Mind in 100 minutes. 

I am really grateful for this book and I want to congratulate the team behind Project Happiness for the wonderful things they are doing and also to thank Meng for singning the book for me. 

I wish you all a Happy New Year with joy on demand and this can be brought into your lives through many ways: one of them is being kind and grateful.