Category Archives: Literature

Bloggin’ Recap: October 20th-26th

Posted in Bloggin' Recap, Books, Entertainment, Freshly Pressed, Literature, Novels, Reading, Reviews, Uncategorized by

bloggin'recap

It’s Sunday, the beginning of a new week so that means it’s time for a Bloggin’ Recap. A feature inspired by A Bookish Heart. Every Sunday I’ll get the chance to tell you what’s going on in my life, what I’ve posted for the week, what to expect in the upcoming week and posts I enjoyed from other bloggers.

In the Real World

It’s been pretty busy in the real world, as you probably guessed from my silence over the last couple of weeks. Work, school and my play have been keeping me running around to the point where I literally fall into my bed and am instantaneously asleep.

In case you don’t know already, I am directing a play called Bus Stop at my local community theater. It is my directing debut and my oh my have I had to jump through hoops. I’ve had to recast two characters, two LEADING characters but I’m still hanging in there. Actually, I’m really enjoying myself and know that the show is going to be great. It’s just so mentally tiring being the director and knowing the weight of the play is on your shoulders. (In my case, sunburned shoulders).

You may ask if I’ve abandoned my beloved hobby that is reading, but I have not! I may not get to read as often as I like but I am still reading and in fact am almost finished with The Stand by Stephen King. So expect a review soon!

How did your week turn out?

What I’ve Posted this Week:

Posts to Look Forward to this Week:

  • You Might Be a Bookworm if you…
  • “New Adult” Book Genre and other Book Marketing Ploys
  • The Reading Outside Fantasy compared to the Reading Outside Reality

Posts from Blogging Buddies I Enjoyed:

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Dreaming Novel Things: The Should Be Punishments for Misusing a Book

Posted in Books, Dreaming Novel Things, Entertainment, Freshly Pressed, Literature, Novels, Reading, Reviews, Uncategorized by

dreamingnovelthingsDreaming Novel Things is a feature in which I discuss book related subjects, but in a creative way. I’ll use interviews, narratives and lists to talk about book trends, book opinion and bookish matters. If you have any book related subjects you’d like to see me discuss just leave me a comment below!

Don’t tell me this thought has never crossed your mind, because as a fellow reader I know it has– many times. We’ve all seen the abuse of books in the course of our lives; that person on the subway who had the nerve to dog-ear a page, a student in the library that broke the spine of their book so that it will never stand tall and proud again and of course the little sister who couldn’t find a better place to put her COLD, CONDESCENDING DRINK then the front cover of your book! This abuse goes on daily, hourly in fact but the government refuses to recognize the importance of this issue.

So I started thinking, daydreaming really about the punishments I would hand out as a law enforcer and protector of all books; and you know what? It was very satisfying.

***Serious Note: Please note that this blog post was just for fun and I do not wish anybody physical or emotional harm. The outcry over Lauren Conrad’s book project was ridiculous and I respect book art in all its forms.– Serious Note Ended***

First I made a list of all the ways to abuse a book that I’ve witnessed in my twenty-one years on this planet.

  • Dog-earing a page
  • Breaking the spine of a book
  • Cold drinks set on the covers of books
  • Staining pages with dirty fingertips
  • Ripping out pages in a book
  • Neglect

Of course, I’ve seen much more than this but we would be here all day handing out justified punishments and presuming we all have lives, I’ve limited the list to just six.

Next I arranged the list in an order of least offending to most offending. This was actually very difficult as the thought of harming a book in ANY way gets a strong reaction but as a pretend law enforcer I have to at least pretend to be fair. So the list with the new order now looks like this:

  • Staining pages with dirty fingertips
  • Dog-earing a page
  • Breaking the spine of a book
  • Cold drinks set on the covers of books
  • Ripping out pages in a book
  • Neglect

Staining Pages with Dirty Fingertips

Charge: Carelessness     

Punishment: Has to wear their clothes inside out

Listen, I like to eat too, so I understand wanting a snack while digging into your favorite book but you owe it to your novel to CHOOSE WISELY. In fact I did a whole blog post on what snacks are best for reading so there are no excuses. For every smudge left on a page means another year with your clothes inside out to show the world your carelessness.

Dog-Earing a Page

Charge: Recklessness

Punishment: Will encounter no sympathy when they stub their toes

Unlike accidentally staining a page of a book, dog-earing a page is a purposeful, malicious attack. The offender is all to aware of their actions but does not give it a second thought. That now dog-eared page will never be completely smooth again all because the offender can’t be bothered with an actual book mark. Next time the offender stubs their toe, chuckle (like you’ve always wanted too).

Breaking the Spine

Charge: Carelessness

Punishment: Break a treasured item of the offender

It always makes me very sad to see a crippled book on a bookshelf where it once stood tall and proud. The thin white creases that now dominate the spine don’t lie, you mistreated your book! Books are treasured items and should be handled as such so if you are willing to break its proudest attribute its only fair we break something treasured of yours.

Cold Drinks on Books

Charge: Manslaughter

Punishment: You have to watch the ten movies you hate the most over and over

This tortuous act happens much more often than you might think. People would much rather sacrifice their innocent book than their $400 antique coffee table. The coffee table is WOOD people and your book is PAPER!!! Who cares about rings on your precious table and who gets a $400 antique table anyway when there are books without homes???

Ripping Out Pages of a Book

Charge: Murder

Punishment: You have to encounter the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard hourly

Ripping out pages of a book is like ripping out its essence– its soul. Those pages hold a unique story that’s only purpose it to be told. If you rip out the pages, its story ceases to be shared and will only know silence. It is too cruel a fate.

Neglect

Charge: Neglect

Punishment: Banishment from society

Neglect is so much worse than ripping out pages in a book because when you rip out the pages you at least acknowledge its presence. To let a book stand on a bookshelf unopened and untouched without so much as a glance, is sad. A book is NOT a household decoration, it is a story– so treat is as such!

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Wishlist Wednesday

Posted in Books, Entertainment, Freshly Pressed, Literature, Novels, Reading, Reviews, Uncategorized, Wishlist Wednesday by

Wishlist WednesdayIn the famous words of Snow White, “I’m wishing (I’m wishing) for the one I love, to find me (to find me) today.” In this case (actually in most cases) the one that I love is a book.

I came about Wishlist Wednesday hosted by the ever so lovely Pen to Paper. (Please check out their blog, it’s awesome).

Wishlist Wednesday is a meme that allows you to turn the spotlight on a few books that have been sitting on your get-to-eventually list for a while. Books that you dream of claiming their rightful spots on your bookshelf.

This week while browsing the wonderful site that is Goodreads, I stumbled upon A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.

8621462The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

 

How can somebody read that synopsis and not be interested in this novel? I’ve heard so many great things about Patrick Ness, so it was the name and the cover that first drew my eye. Then I read that brilliantly worded synopsis and this book was on my wish list in a second. It sounds almost like a philosophical novel, which makes me even more excited of course. If you could make a career out of philosophy that would be my major in a heartbeat but it seems like no there’s no job markets for it out there.

Have you heard of this novel? Did you read it? What did you think about it?

What are you wishing for this Wednesday? Share it below and happy reading!

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Wishlist Wednesday

Posted in Books, Entertainment, Freshly Pressed, Literature, Novels, Reading, Reviews, Uncategorized by

Wishlist WednesdayIn the famous words of Snow White, “I’m wishing (I’m wishing) for the one I love, to find me (to find me) today.” In this case (actually in most cases) the one that I love is a book.

I came about Wishlist Wednesday hosted by the ever so lovely Pen to Paper. (Please check out their blog, it’s awesome).

Wishlist Wednesday is a meme that allows you to turn the spotlight on a few books that have been sitting on your get-to-eventually list for a while. Books that you dream of claiming their rightful spots on your bookshelf.

This week while browsing the wonderful site that is Goodreads I discovered Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.

44652For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite … Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.

If you have been reading my blog for a while now then you should be able to predict just how quickly I added this book to my wish list. I couldn’t help myself. The moment I read “among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps and jealous fairies” it was a done deal. I can’t resist a good fantasy novel and this one particularly drives my interest with the mystery that seems to be involved. I know it’s a children’s novel BUT I DON”T CARE. I’m going to wish for it regardless of any judgement I might receive! So there.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday? Share it below and happy reading!

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Dreaming Novel Things: Who Were You in English Class?

Posted in Books, Dreaming Novel Things, Entertainment, Freshly Pressed, Literature, Novels, Reading, Reviews, Uncategorized by

dreamingnovelthingsDreaming Novel Things is a feature in which I discuss book related subjects, but in a creative way. I’ll use interviews, narratives and lists to talk about book trends, book opinions and bookish matters. If you have any book related subjects you’d like to see me discuss just leave me a comment below!

So I’ve been preparing for my high school reunion which is coming up in… seven years and I was reminiscing the good old days in English class. The people in that class were definitely characters and are burned into my memory as types (I know that sounds bad); for example– the know it all type, the couldn’t care less type and the crack a joke every minute type. Then I started thinking about who I was to my class mates, did I fit into a type? So I made a handy dandy guide to figure it out, scroll down if you want to know who you were in English class. (But be prepared, you may not like what you see).

hermione grangerThe Know it All Type:  This person is often mistaken for obnoxious but this is an unfair accusation. This person CAN’T HELP THEMSELVES. The moment a book is assigned this person reads it using sticky notes on every page, types up their notes to further analyze them and has the essay done all before the class discussion day so they can answer every question the teacher asks and even ones they didn’t ask. This person can usually reference any book at the top of their head and if they can’t pull it from the top of their head they have it written down somewhere in a notebook that they carry on their person. They know about all the small irrelevant facts of their favorite authors and their hand is always the first one up when class begins. Often before the teacher has even begun talking.

ron weasleyThe Couldn’t Care Less Type: This person didn’t care why the author wrote the curtains blue. They didn’t care if there were several themes to be found in the novel. They read it and that was it. They either enjoyed it or not but they didn’t look for hidden meanings because they DIDN’T CARE. During class discussions they roll their eyes because they think it’s ridiculous to assume that because the author made the curtains blue that the author was ‘really’ trying to symbolize depression. They think the author made the curtains blue, TO MAKE THE CURTAINS BLUE. They might read for enjoyment not for any literary insight. They are often seen at their desk staring into space, lost in thoughts about lunch.

thCAOVTCU0The Make it Up as You Go Type: This here is our procrastinator. It’s not that they don’t like reading it’s just that they are always putting it off to do something else. So by the time the class room discussion rolls around they are left struggling to say something that makes sense. They usually try to repeat what someone else has said but try to rephrase it so that it sounds like a different opinion. For instance, one person could say “I thought C.S. Lewis used Aslan to represent Jesus Christ in the Christian religion.” Then our ‘make it up as you go’ type person would say, “I almost think Lewis was giving us subtle hints with that character Aslan. It almost seemed that he was referencing the Christian religion.” Then our person will nod eagerly to emphasize their point.

To be honest with you guys, I was the make it up as you go type. I’m a HUGE procrastinator and for some reason when someone said that I HAD to read a book, I didn’t want to read it. That led to a lot of awkard moments of me pulling things to say out of thin air. (I pulled it off though)! 😉

Who were you in English class?  Share it below and happy reading!