My Enemy, My Friend – Lauren Vaknine

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My Enemy, My Friend is an account of a life lived with juvenile arthritis, from the very young age of two.  Lauren Vaknine explains how this disease influenced her (mind, body, and spirit) and her family, right into her adult years.

When I started this autobiography I was moved to tears a few pages in. I must’ve sensed the pain and discouragement the author experienced because of chronic illness, and I fell into the story quite naturally. Despite being a true story, it flowed like a novel and kept my interest.

Lauren is an advocate for The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, homeopathy, natural medicine, and she mentions throughout the novel the different alternative therapies she used to heal. She explains how these therapies did not solve all of her problems, but how they helped set her ahead of others with juvenile arthritis who did not use healing modalities other than conventional, and how these therapies helped prevent her disease from worsening.

One of the most interesting of the therapies she mentioned is one offered in Israel and North America, IPEC Therapy, which aims to eliminate sensitivities (or overreaction) to everyday substances by the patient, like food.  I guess you could call these allergies or autoimmunity.

With this therapy, from what I understood, an underlying (or subconscious/unconscious) emotion, thought, or experience - the likely cause - is worked on to dissolve the weakness or block causing dysfunction and sensitivities in the body.  It also aims to balance Chi (energy) to various organs, tissues, and cells, and changes programming or function if it’s not healthy.

Regardless of the support offered to the body by various therapies, conventional and otherwise, an underlying destructive force, such as an emotional or psychological block, causes regression and disease if it’s not dealt with.  It makes sense, then, why healing is often a lifetime event for many, regardless of the external corrections. Working on these patterns is how many complementary, alternative, or natural therapies work, including homeopathy, but the novel piqued my interest to learn more about IPEC Therapy in particular, which I’d never heard of.

The novel is called My Enemy, My Friend because Lauren hated her disease growing up (naturally) but learned, later in life, to take on a positive attitude about the lessons arthritis could offer her.  It encouraged her to learn more about herself and reach for her dreams in a way she may not have done without the strong incentive of disease.

I have to mention now how I personally related to the author, especially her childhood. We both:  had eye surgery (and both received made cards from our classmates – I still have mine), had a German Sheppard puppy we had to give away (mine I found in an alley during snowfall, brought him home, but could not keep him forever. I too found a farm home for him), wanted to be a vet (but couldn’t dissect), swam in the ocean and natural sulphur springs, loved swimming, were terrible at math, and were rebellious teenagers! It was all very coincidental and strange.

I would recommend this novel regardless if you have an interest in natural medicine or juvenile arthritis, because it was interesting and heartfelt all the way through.

Below is a short video from YouTube of Lauren talking about homeopathy.

666 Park Avenue – Garbriella Pierce

Sometimes books are therapeutic. Even if they are horrific tales (like the last few I’ve read) vs. positive overload. And sometimes they offer comfort in the sense that they often ring true (or ring back) what’s similar in us, letting us know we are not alone, and healing trauma through similar trauma. 

This is my theory for continuing with my ghost story binge.

666 Park Avenue was not as scary as the two previous novels I recently read, but in a way I related more to the main character, Jane, and her world, transformed from normal, happy, engaged and living in Paris, to haunted and dangerous because of her fiancé’s controlling and freakish family in New York, and a mother-in-law who’s a real witch (literally).  However, before arriving to New York, Jane discovers a secret about herself, from her Grandmother, and realises she’s not one to be pushed around by anyone, regardless of how powerful or rich, and that she is endowed with some magic of her own which others may try to steal.

The characters are all great in this novel. Malcolm is caring, kind, and handsome, and has every intention of doing right by Jane.  Their relationship is endearing and steamy! When Malcolm is away on various business trips, Jane finds out first-hand about his mother as she tries to take over the planning of Malcolm and Jane’s wedding without giving any regard to Jane’s wishes or ideas. When Jane stands her ground (finally, to avoid bursting at the seams – she’s not even allowed to pick out her own dress! {are you sure that doesn’t make you look fat, dear?!?}), things become spooky, and she realises she’s dealing with a dangerous force with an agenda of its own – one that doesn’t include her – one that wants to win at all costs!  Throughout it all, Jane meets a few friends and lively characters, and discovers also that love and magic can flow through her and anyone else with magic – not just Malcolm.  And Malcolm comes face to face with confronting his family and their spells or losing Jane forever.

A light, comical, little horrific and entertaining read. It will also be turned into a hit series on ABC.  For anyone who liked the movie Monster in Law, which was also very comical, this one might be good for you. 

The Restorer - Amanda Stevens - Kobo

“Listen to me, Amelia. There are entities you’ve never seen before. Forces I dare not even speak of. They are colder, stronger, hungrier than any presence you can imagine.”

I was wondering how the last story would connect with this one, despite having only a few of the same characters.  I started to get a glimpse of how a few chapters in when Oak Grove Cemetery (the cemetery in The Abandoned) is investigated because of several dead bodies found there (ones that shouldn’t be there).

Just like The Abandoned, The Restorer is beautifully written, is a great mystery and ghost story, and has intriguing, dimensional characters.  It is also a bit of an exploration of the occult/black magic and those who practice it (including vampires). And for some reason - of all the novels, movies, and thoughts I’ve given to the occult over the years - these novels seem to leak out a deeper understanding instantly and effortlessly in comparison, without really going into much laborious detail.  This was much appreciated and made for a very entertaining and enjoyable read.

This time, Graveyard Queen (and restorer), Amelia, and police investigator, John Delvin, join forces and dive deeper into a scandalous and murderous secret society and its connection to Oak Grove Cemetery. The romantic chemistry – again – is simmering below the surface and is touching and realistic as it includes real obstacles, such as being haunted ;)

The difference between The Abandoned and The Restorer is that the latter is downright CREEEPY at times and really came close to crossing my boundaries in terms of how much horror (and subsequent fright) I prefer and can handle in a novel. Somehow the author manages to do this in good taste, so all was well, but I felt I had my fix of the dark side and wanted to slow down the adrenaline at one point. Regardless, I couldn’t stop reading – I was too enthralled by the story.  

I’m hooked and look forward to the next in the Graveyard Queen Series: The Kingdom!

Great romance, horror and suspense author!  I would recommend these novels to anyone who likes this type of genre. Fall is coming, and there’s no better time for a ghost story!

The Abandoned - Amanda Stevens - Kobo

The Abandoned is a suspenseful, romantic, and a little horrific ghost tale about a psychology student who works at a psychiatric hospital.

After the death of her favorite patient, Violet, Ree Hutchins starts to sense the undead around her.  Because of her concern and suspicion of ill treatment, she is forced to investigate a secret society to uncover a centuries old secret and bring clarity to the present.

What she discovers brings her deep into the merging worlds of paranormal psychology, graveyards, the dead, the living, and a somewhat unconventional justice system. With the help of her friends, including deemed Graveyard Queen, Amelia Gray, Ree is escorted through the dangerous and sad terrain of past and present to help an elderly lady and her mother who suffered for a lifetime.

It’s no surprise to me that Amanda Stevens has written several romantic novels.  The romance between Ree and her paranormal investigator/lawyer friend, Hayden, is believable, sensual, inviting, and is a wonderful companion to the suspense of the novel. The suspense holds its own, regardless, and is unpredictable, delivering a great ghost story with lively characters. But it’s not just a ghost story; it’s also a scenic exploration of unknown energies and the motives of the living and the dead.

I have never been a lover of graveyards, but I did recently visit one a few weeks ago. I took these photos of tombstones.  They now mean more to me as I wonder about the lives of the owners.

The prequel, The Restorer, is Amelia Gray’s story.  The Graveyard Queen series continues with The Kingdom and The Prophet.

I will be reading more of this series!