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Thursday, October 27, 2016

Best snacks and drinks for the busy reader

If you're like me, there are times you need a little snack while reading. If I can make my reading experience closer to a cinema experience, I'll do it. Here are ten healthy (or healthyish) snacks I'm currently obsessed with that pair perfectly with your latest read.

1. Hot apple cider

2. Anna's Swedish Thins

3. Boom Chicka Pop Kettle Corn

4. Primal Vegan Jerky

5. Yogi tea

6. Iced tea from Sonic

7. Fruit Salad

8. Pumpkin Muffins

9. Apples dipped in peanut butter

10. Kale Chips

REVIEW: The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft

Hey, everyone! Glad you stopped by today to smell the books.

Halloween will be here before we know it, and it's time to set aside some cozy time with a scary book, blankets, and a cup of tea. I picked up The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories expecting the story to be freaky and get me in the mood for the autumn season.

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(Photograph Credit: goodreads.com)

Cthulhu is a collection of short stories by the well-known H.P. Lovecraft. This was my first taste of Lovecraft, and the first story in the collection, Dagon, is a great example of his style. Lovecraft uses a lot of first-person POV, something I did not expect. Another defining factor (of these stories at least) is the lack of dialogue in the stories. The dialogue adds to the lack of plot drive in a few of the stories, and sometimes it was hard for me to keep track of the stories because of rambling narration.

Although I didn't particularly care for Lovecraft's style, I do think he is an important author of his time. Lovecraft was one of the first notable horror writers; his works have influenced many other authors.

If you want to get in the Halloween mood, you may turn The Call of Cthulhu. I think next year, though, I'll stick to Neil Gaiman.

Rating 5/10

Thursday, October 20, 2016

JUST READ THE POETRY

Hi all, why don't you stop by for a while and smell the books?

In my last post, I asked every reader to get out of their comfort zone and try a little bit of poetry. I can understand, though, why many of you may still be adverse to trying it. A lot of us experienced crappy English classes in high school and teachers forcing us to read pieces that don't mean anything to us. The great thing about modern poetry, however, is the astounding diversity of style. I am convinced that each of us would be able to find poetry we enjoy, if we did a bit of work. Here are some poetry books I've read, each with a completely different tone of voice, message, structure, and style. I highly encourage you poetry slackers to check one of these out, if they peak your interest.

1. Come Here by Victor Clevenger


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(Photo credit: goodreads.com)

Come Here is an assortment of excerpts taken from Clevenger's longer works. I have the honor of knowing Victor Clevenger personally and it is a real treat to hear him read out loud, as well. I'd recommend this book to those who like a bit of tragedy and heartbreak in their poetry, and to people who enjoy very small passages with many layers of meaning.

2. Captivity by Laurie Sheck

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(Photo credit: goodreads.com)

Laurie Sheck's collection is something I'm still trying to figure out. Her poetry is extremely obscure and the cover of it fits perfectly: Figuring out her words are like a complicated maze. I'm not sure if Sheck intended to be this obscure or I'm just crappy at interpreting poetry, but all in all, she writes some incredible words. I would recommend Captivity to patient people that enjoy thinking and analyzing.

3. Thank You, Fog by W.H. Auden

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(Photo credit: goodreads.com)

Auden is a modern classic. I picked this book up on a whim and ended up enjoying it much more than I expected. Auden's poetry deserves to be constantly reread, at least once a year. I try to come back to this book every once in a while to see if I learn anything new, and I do. You'd enjoy this book if you tend to reread and enjoy a bit of longer poetry. Auden has many poetic voices and styles and his work is often very versatile. I couldn't imagine someone not enjoying Auden.

4. Ten Poems About Tea compiled by Sophie Dahl

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(Photo credit: goodreads.com)

This isn't a book just about tea. This is a book about tea and how it affects love, relationships, beauty, and longing. Ten Poems About Tea is a new favorite of mine because I not only love tea, but I seriously appreciate the beauty of each word in this compilation. This book is a great example of how someone can write a poem about anything and make that thing more beautiful than it really is. If you often see beauty in common things and like to ponder romantic notions, give this book a try.

I hope this list will broaden your view of poetry and that you'll perhaps check one or two or all of them out!

Keep reading.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

The Importance of Poetry

A friend of mine once said that poetry is the most pure form of truth.


I agree with him, in a way. As someone who reads and writes poetry on a daily basis, I can appreciate the importance of poetry. But some of you (even you who are avid readers) may have an aversion to reading or analyzing poetry.


Why is this? I suspect you may not enjoy poetry because you read for plot instead of style. I often fall prey to this too, that reading is for enjoyment and we shouldn't expect any deeper meanings to affect us. But what really is the point of reading?


Since I began critically reading stories as an English major, I have found that the plot of the story shouldn't be the only interesting part. As readers, we should be looking for something of deeper meaning. Just imagine how many new doors we could open if we decided to judge a book by something other than plot!


And that's where poetry comes in.


Imagine coming back to a small block of text, like a haiku. Read one of my favorites by Jack Kerouac:


Missing a kick
At the icebox door
It closed anyway.


It is pretty easy to imaging the scene of Kerouac kicking his icebox door. You may move on from it as if nothing had happened. But if you read it and continue to ask yourself questions to increase the details of the scene, what could the poem become?


What was in the icebox? Was it alcohol? Nothing?
Why was he kicking the icebox in the first place? What happened before and after the act of kicking?
How could the door have closed on his own?


This poem is a story. Imagine reading this poem one year and then again the next year. What would have changed in your perspective about the poem? How has your reading been enhanced by a poem?


If you are a reader, I strongly encourage you to experiment with different types of poetry. I really do believe there's a poem for everyone, but it takes a bit of searching. Good luck discovering new poetry. Keep asking questions.


Happy reading!

Thursday, October 13, 2016

REVIEW: Eileen by Otessa Moshfegh

Hey, all! Glad you stopped by to smell the books.

If you've been skimming through my posts, you may have read about my excitement over the Man Booker prize this season. In an attempt to stay up-to-date with the award, I have been trying to read some of the books that have been long listed. I stumbled upon Eileen in a used bookstore and decided to read it before the winner was announced.

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Eileen is a story about a young, single woman living with her alcoholic father in "X-Ville," as she calls it. She works at the local boy's prison and lives a dreary life, almost as if a raincloud is following her everywhere she goes. But as the Christmas season rolls around, Rebecca St. John arrives to work at the prison, and the two strike up an unexpected friendship. Little does Eileen know the consequences of befriending Rebecca. Their friendship will change their lives forever.

I found Eileen to be a great story to read as the weather is getting colder and drearier. The tone of the story is very bleak and it seems as if bad luck is around every corner. If you like sad stories or very messed up main characters, this book is for you.

Eileen is narrated in first person, and we get almost too good of a look into her personal life. She suffers from a lot of trauma and mental illnesses. She is an alcoholic like her father and suffers from anorexia.

Despite Eileen's unlikeableness, I couldn't help but empathize with her. We get to see glimpses of her past and discover answers for why she turned out to be such a depressing character.

The character development of the story is by far the most powerful aspect of the novel. The plot is decent, but if you were to read this book, I would encourage you to focus on the underlying themes and images used to paint this tantalizing story.

My rating 8/10

Happy reading. :)

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Five of the Best Ted Talks for Readers

Everyone needs a bit of a Ted Talks marathon every now and again. I am subscribed to the TedX YouTube channel, and I always watch each video that is posted through that channel. Here are a few videos for my fellow readers that want to stay inspired to read and create.

1. The Power of Introverts - Susan Cain

I read Susan Cain's book Quiet, which is a book about her experience as an introvert and why any introvert should be proud of his or her quietness. Susan Cain is an empowering introvert and I applaud her for becoming the voice of introverts in our society.

2. The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers - Adam Grant

Do you consider yourself to be a procrastinator but also a creative, original thinker? Adam Grant explains everything that goes on in your brain as a creative procrastinator. As readers, we oftentimes enjoy school (or some part of it) but we also love to have our relaxing free time, sometimes with a book. This video helps me feel better about taking a few too many breaks to catch up on my "fun reading."

3. Why We Should All be Reading Aloud to Children - Rebecca Bellingham


Our love of reading had to start somewhere, right? If I'm assuming correctly, every reader has experienced a parent or teacher reading aloud to them. Rebecca Bellingham expertly reveals a child's mind when they are able to hear and connect with books. 

4. My Year Reading a Book From Every Country in the World - Ann Morgan



I think each reader has experience similar to Ann Morgan's - we look at our shelves and realize the small variety of books we own and continue to read. The speaker in this talk is truly inspiring to every reader desiring to learn new things with each read.

5. Do Schools Kill Creativity? - Sir Ken Robinson


This is one of my favorite Ted Talks that I continue to watch. Each time I am inspired to look beyond my education and know my true self. Dr. Ken Robinson is truly an independent thinker and strives to bring creativity back into schools. As readers, I think we can appreciate Ken Robinson for his activism in schools, bringing about an atmosphere of free thought. Reading independently is one of the key ingredients to creativity.


Thursday, October 6, 2016

Careers for the Reader

Hey, fellow readers! Stay close by to get a smell of the books.

Many people in this world can be pretty content with any type of job as long as it matters. The job situation is often a bit rockier for more artistic people, like readers. If you enjoy reading and would like to get more out of job than just a paycheck, consider these few college majors and careers.

1. History; Careers for this major: Historian, researcher, museum curator, writer, teacher
https://www.historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/career-resources/careers-for-history-majors

2, Journalism: Careers for this major: Editor, copywriter, journalist, videographer, marketer
http://www.journalismdegree.com/journalism-major/

3. Advertising: Careers for this major: Marketer, event planner, PR worker, screenwriter
http://www.marquette.edu/explore/what-can-you-do-with-a-major-in-advertising.php

4. Business: Careers for this major: Non-profit business, entrepreneurship
http://www.worldwidelearn.com/online-education-guide/business/business-major.htm

5. English: Careers for this major: Writer, librarian, journalist, teacher
https://english.stanford.edu/information-for/undergraduates/careers-after-english-major

6. Law: Careers for this major: Attorney
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/reneesylvestrewilliams/2012/11/22/nine-jobs-you-can-do-with-a-law-degree/&refURL=https://www.google.com/&referrer=https://www.google.com/

Fifteen books to get you in the Halloween mood

Halloween is quickly approaching! What's better than preparing during the month with a good book and some hot apple cider? Here are fifteen books that inspire the Halloween mood.
All photos were taken from goodreads.com.

1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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2. Eileen by Otessa Moshfegh


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3. The Call of Cthulhu and other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft

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4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

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5. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

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6. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

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7. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

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9. Redwall by Brian Jacques

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10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

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11. The Secret History by Donna Tartt

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12, The Dumb House by John Burnside

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13. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

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14. Doll Bones by Holly Black

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15. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

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