Summer & Good books

Life at the shop has been very hectic! Tourism is finally picking up even though everyone swears that numbers are going down every year...some blame it on the prices, the excess of cement, lack of entertainment, economical crisis in Europe, etc...Personally I think it's a bit of everything and it's a shame that the Algarve is still relying on the golden sandy beaches alone to attract tourism!

I certainly would like to see more green spaces, large sidewalks (or any sidewalks at all in some places) and above everything else a REAL sustainable tourism policy!

As far as books are concerned unsurprisingly sales have shot up with the new J. K. Rowling's book- Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince! I confess I haven't read any of these books but I promised a friend of mine that I'd catch up on Harry Potter and so I will...

For now I'm still hooked on Dan Brown's books... and reading slower than usual as the Algarve wakes up for the tourism season. So please do write to me and let me know what you've been reading and what you recommend.

The work of a genious!

Every day I'm surprised at the increasing interest in Dan Brown's books - well over year after the "Da Vinci Code" release curiosity on his books' controversial contents has not diminished. I loved the "Da Vinci Code" but the Holy Grail "theory" wasn't new to me. No surprises there; so despite finding the book incredibly entertaining, and perhaps accurate in many points, I have a strong preference for "Angels & Demons".
Against "Da Vinci Code" it introduced new facts to me, had incredible dialogues about the eternal conflict "religion vs science" and had enough twists to keep me awake at night wondering what would happen next...and things did keep happening at every page's turn.
I find it fascinating how Dan Brown puts all these stories together and I never found any other thriller as gripping as his books.
When the moon is out, the mosquitoes buzz in your ear and the heat prevents you from sleep this is the book to read throughout the night... (not recommended if you are easily scared as some scenes described in this book are extremely violent).

New website & Journal

Our web site has just been re-designed. I wasn't feeling very well today so I had to stay home while hubby took charge of the shop. Unfortunately as much as my body was begging for some rest my mind was still racing...Ideas for a new web site kept popping into my mind and without offering too much resistance I sat at the computer and I've been here for the past 10 hours or so!
I'm pleased with the results even though there is still a lot I can improve and even more things that I can add (and will do in the future). I sincerely hope you like the new looks of Magna Carta.
Meanwhile, the heat seems to be here to stay. Many people ask how can a Portuguese woman not "stand" the hot weather...Well, many of us don't! Ask me if I'd prefer a golden sandy beach on a hot July afternoon or being in Alaska and I'd choose the latter without a second thought!
As for books, I'm currently reading "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown.
Now that I have hundreds of books to choose from I'm finding it incredibly hard to choose what to read next, so I decided to work my way down the best sellers lists.
Having read "Da Vinci Code" some time ago, the next one on the list was "Angels & Demons". My expectations on it were low as some people said 'you know, it's just like "Da Vinci Code"', but the truth is that this book is just as entertaining (if not more so) than Dan Brown's most known bestseller!
I'm not going to tell you about the book itself tonight in this journal but if anyone has read the book I'd like to invite you to share your opinion on what you read (please avoid spoilers). You can post your comments on this blog.
And this is it for today. I must go back to my book now...Goodnight!