Jerusalem Interlude; The Creative Act

 

Book four of the Zion Chronicles takes us (mostly) to Jerusalem, following Leah and Shimon as they arrive in the Promised Land, and introducing us to some new characters, including star crossed lovers Eli and Victoria. Eli is a Jewish boy, studying to be a rabbi, and Victoria is Muslim. Her brother is trying to marry her off to an influential businessman and Victoria is trying to stall so she can figure out how she and Eli can be together. Much like Romeo and Juliet, their ending was tragic.

Elisa, Murphy, Charles, and Louis are all in London, along with Elisa's parents. Theo makes a brave decision to go back to Berlin to try to talk Hitler into letting the Jews leave with the promise that other nations will buy German products again. He is there to witness Kristallnacht firsthand. 

I remember being impatient with this book the first time I read it, just because I was so invested in Elisa and Murphy's love story, but this time around I appreciated it so much more. 

I was mildly curious about this book by well known record producer Rick Rubin. He seems like a super interesting guy. I wasn't expecting too much, but my goodness, was it profound! This book spoke to me in a way that I don't think any other book ever has. I borrowed it from work, but I'm definitely buying a copy to own, it's something I'll want to read again, or just dip into for inspiration. 

Rick is basically giving his best advice on how to foster and develop your creativity. He is quick to point out that just because it works for him doesn't mean it will work for everyone. Pick the advice that speaks to you, he advises. Some of my main takeaways were: don't be derailed by imperfections, they often lead to greater understanding. Don't create for anyone else but yourself. Don't try to fit in--foster your own unique voice. There were so many more, I felt like every page had an "oh wow!" moment.