Hi, I am ivinela, a reader and a writer from Bulgaria

[ivinela]

Hi, lovely people from a lovely community. My name is Ivinela Samuilova and I am a (female) writer from Bulgaria. I have found BookTalk.org while searching the best places to contact readers outside Bulgaria.
My interests and creative searches are focused on the inner world of man and his relationship with God, the Universe and other people. I believe that life is a miraculous experience with endless opportunities for us, if we approach it from within, with open heart and enthusiasm.
I adore reading and I am always interested in challenging fresh readings that would help me expand as a personality and open new horizons as a writer.
Besides presenting myself as a writer to this community, I hope to find inspiring books that I do not have access to in Bulgaria (and in Bulgarian language).
Thank you for this opportunity!
xx

[VictoriaClapton]

Welcome, Ivinela. Booktalk is a great place to meet others with common interests. What sort of books do you find inspirational?

[ivinela]

Hi Victoria, thank you for your welcoming and question
They are many and different the books that have inspired me. The book that has created the greatest impact to me is the novel Karamazovs' Brothers by Dostoevsky. It is a real fortune to be able to read his works in original (Russian).
At the moment I am reading the books of Carlos Castaneda and they provide me with great insights
What about you?

[VictoriaClapton]

I enjoy a wide variety of books. In fact, if a book is recommended that I haven't already read, I will almost always give it a try. I enjoy the Sufi poet Rumi, and right now I am reading a book called the The Star Borne. I don't always agree with what I read, but I love to piece together how all of the world's cultures relate through their own histories, stories, and beliefs.

You are the second person this week who has mentioned Dostoevsky to me. I need to do a little reading and learn more about him. When possible I prefer to read any book in the original language it was written. This doesn't always work out, but so much seems to be lost once books begin to be translated. Any suggestions on what you think I should put on my reading list?

[Chris OConnor]

Welcome to the community!

[ivinela]

Thank you for the welcoming Chris!
Victoria, I apologize for delay answering but just 2 days ago was the launch of my third book here in Bulgaria and it gives me a lot of work with book signings etc But this is all good.
I enjoy Rumi too, very much! Actually his thought: “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” is the motto of my new book. His poems are not only inspiring but a great incentive for looking deeper inside ourselves, aren't they?
The fact you like Rumi suggest to me that you will probably enjoy the great Russian literature classics, that dig deep into human soul. I believe Karamazov's Brothers is a good start and you will not only enjoy one of the masterpieces of world's literature but also explore a different culture and mentality that is so rich and profound.
I have this habit to read several books at the same time and today I am in a mood for the "Confessions" of St. Augustine

[Rajesh]

Hi Ivenela.

Welcome to BT!!..

In which language do you write ?

[VictoriaClapton]

Ivinela, I wrote down both Castaneda and Dostoevsky and immediately went home to check my collection. It turns out I have works by both, so I have moved them to my "begin reading" collection. Thanks for the recommendations. I am looking forward to broadening my mind!

[Brooks127]

Nice to meet you and welcome to the site.

[KevinMcCabe]

Thank you for the welcoming Chris!
Victoria, I apologize for delay answering but just 2 days ago was the launch of my third book here in Bulgaria and it gives me a lot of work with book signings etc But this is all good.
I enjoy Rumi too, very much! Actually his thought: “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” is the motto of my new book. His poems are not only inspiring but a great incentive for looking deeper inside ourselves, aren't they?
The fact you like Rumi suggest to me that you will probably enjoy the great Russian literature classics, that dig deep into human soul. I believe Karamazov's Brothers is a good start and you will not only enjoy one of the masterpieces of world's literature but also explore a different culture and mentality that is so rich and profound.
I have this habit to read several books at the same time and today I am in a mood for the "Confessions" of St. Augustine

That's fantastic. I have a kind of mixed background of both Persian and Russian. So I really love Rumi. He was located in Turkey and was really influenced a lot by Christian monks back then. So you can see a strong line of Christianity (in the way he describes God, as he sees God as Love).

Also, I am in love with so many Russian classics. One of my favourites in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I even wrote a blog post on it. The way he approaches alienation of the people from the society is fascinating.