Poetry and Edible Houses: Christmas 2015

Someday, I will write a holiday-themed post before the holiday in question. But today is obviously not that day.

We had a simple, stripped down Christmas this year. (Thank goodness.) But I did attempt some baking. Last year, a friend gave me some house-shaped cake molds.

One of the houses came out cleanly:

Gluten-free gingerbread cake with chopped candied ginger and powdered sugar snow.

The other one. . .less so. At which point, it was 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and I decided that the only logical thing was to attempt to glue it together with cream cheese frosting.

Remember how I said that I don't bake much? The last time I had tried to make frosting, it went flat as a lake and turned into glaze. ("How can you mess up frosting? There must have been something wrong with the sugar," my mother said. Sure, let's go with that.) But this time, it actually became frosting, so I'm marking that as a success.

I knew the second house wasn't remotely pretty, but I was still a little shocked when Mom said, "Oh, what a cute chimney."

That's a tree, Mom. Obviously.

Well, at least it tasted good.

This year, my church's Advent sermon series was titled "Simply Jesus." I wrote a poem for the series that was handed out at our five o'clock service. 

A small Christmas gift to the other members of Gateway Fellowship.

I realize that (unless you are Orthodox) we are well into the post-Christmas season now, but I've included the poem below for those who are curious.

Simply Christmas

Don’t misunderstand, I love

the ridiculous ritual

of it all: the maudlin movies, the bell-song,

the scent of cinnamon and cloves, the way everything

is red and green and glitter

until your eyes water. The trouble

lies under the glitz and the gilt,

near the core of Christmas: a human poverty, the empty ache

that called the riches of Heaven

down to earth. The trouble is I know

there will never be enough

in my checkbook to give

the people I love the gifts they need most.

So the ache in me prays for the ache you:

May you receive a spark of courage

to light the woods ahead of you

in dark months. May you find a peace

to wrap around your head like an oversized

scarf, blocking out the cold and anxious wind.

May you maintain that stubborn flame of joy

we find in the Beatitudes: “happy are. . .

the poor in spirit, the ones who mourn, the meek,

the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers,

and the persecuted.” May all your God-given hungers—

for food, for safety and shelter, for love, for justice, and for family—

be filled. May you find your people this year,

your place of belonging, and may you discover

forgiveness for those who once ignored your worth.

May your heart not just be a cup

waiting to be filled, but a channel

that spills into the thirsty world. May you give

as you have received. And may the gift

that stays the closest to your

heart be the one that first arrived

without receipt or ribbon, tagged

for the world God so loved

with Heaven’s brightest beam and wrapped,

by human hands, in simple

swaddling cloth.

30 Last-Minute Bookish Gifts

Let's be honest: I rarely need lists like "Top Ten Great Gifts for Readers" because it's generally the non-readers in my life that I have the hardest time shopping for. ("You don't enjoy reading? I know a great book about that you might like!") But I love looking at those lists anyway. It's a like a catalog of all the things I didn't know I wanted. So here, in an attempt to be useful, but with the understanding that I am probably just tempting you, is my last-minute gift guide for 2015.

Shipping and tax are included, but the cost estimates are based my location in the U.S. Items should arrive in time for Christmas (particularly if you have Amazon Prime), but do double-check with the seller (particularly on Etsy). Some of these sellers only guarantee a Christmas delivery through their standard shipping method if you order by Dec. 16th.

You'll notice that at times I've stretched the term "bookish" to mean "things Bethany likes."

Gifts Over $25 (with some exceptions)

Digital Subscription Services. When you just don't know what to get a reader, but you know you want to give them reading, this may be your best bet. At this point, most people know about Amazon's Kindle Unlimited service (at $9.99 a month, or $59.99 for six months, and $119.88 for a year). But there are many other options.

1. Scribd has a wide range of books available, including comics and graphic novels. It's $25 for three months, $50 for six months, and $100 for a year.

2. I don't know much about it yet, but there's also the recent Playster, which allows you to choose between movies, music, books, video games, or a combination of your favorite services (runs between $3.95 a month for movies to $9.95 a month for books or music, with deals on bundles).

3. For the comic book fan, Marvel Unlimited is available for $9.99 a month. (The fact that there is no similar service for DC keeps me up at night. Just take my money already, DC!)

Non-digital Subscriptions.
 
4.  In spite of how often I hear that print is a "dying medium," I'm constantly surprised by the number of small journals and literary magazines I run across. These publications vary widely in price and theme—sci-fi, YA and children's lit., poetry, religion, and much more—and chances are pretty good that you can find something for any reader. I find that small literary journals produced by colleges are sometimes a little cheaper (but it really depends), and many print journals also offer a digital version of the publication for a reduced rate. This could run anywhere from $50 to $10 a year, depending on the publication and how frequently it's printed.

Home Decor

5. Customized Penguin Book Pillow from DecorByEdna on Etsy ($22.00, plus $7.50 shipping).

6. If you want me to fall in love with something, just tell me "It's a normal household object. . .except it's tiny." This isn't directly book-related, but I find that readers also tend to be "collectors of bits of paper." (Recently, I've been overrun with business cards.) Just look at this miniature filing cabinet from Kikkerland and tell me couldn't use one ($30.00 w/ free shipping).

Clothing and Accessories

 7. I'd be lying if I said that I knew why anyone would need this $44.00 Literati Club Hamlet umbrella, but I'd also be lying if I said wouldn't use it all the time if I had one.

Gifts Between $25 and $10

8. What does Edgar Allen Poe smell like? I'm not sure I want to know. But you can give his essence in the form of candle from Bookish Gifts ($18.00, plus approx. $4.00 shipping for the U.S.). The description simply says "Can also be used to summon ravens." (There's also a Dickens candle and an Austen, as well as smaller travel candles for $7.00.)

9. What goes together better than books and tea? This Kate Spade thermal travel mug lets you celebrate both ($22.95 w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime).


10. Dictionary is one of my favorite group games, so Discovery Bay's Liebrary game sounds amazing. It's basically a similar bluffing game, but with the first lines of books. The game doesn't seem to be in production anymore, but "collectible" editions are available at Amazon for $24.99 (after tax and w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime).

11. These tea-scented erasers available through The Academy of American Poets should make mistakes a little sweeter (five for $5.00, plus $7.15 for two-day USPS priority shipping; these can also be found at Kikkerland).

Clothing and Accessories

12. I have this tote, and I love it. The bag goes with most outfits, it's fun, and it has room for several books. It's available from the wonderful Out of Print Clothing for $16.00 (plus $5.95 for USPS shipping). It also comes in a variety of colors.

13. I didn't even know this existed until I received one for my birthday this week, but oh. my. word. I love this! Yes & Yes Designs makes pins from recycled, falling apart books, including these lovely ladies. (Pins are approx. $18.00, depending on style, w/ $4.50 for standard shipping.)

14. The only thing wrong with this Eric Carlye, Hungry Caterpillar umbrella is that it seems to only come in child-sized versions ($19.97 w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime). It seems like the sort of accessory that could brighten up anyone's rainy day.

 

Gifts $10 and Under

Bookmarks. When in doubt, readers always need bookmarks. Sure, any piece of paper will do in a pinch, but why not have a little fun?

15. Zipper bookmark ($7.00 or less w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime).

16. Hippo bookmark ($9.90 w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime).

17. Cassette tape bookmark ($8.09 w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime).

18. Woodland Friends magnetic bookmarks (eight for $3.95 w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime).

Stationery
15. I have a weakness for cute notepads. And cupcakes. (From Kikkerland for $4.00 w/ free shipping.)

16. Or if you prefer something a little more natural looking. . . . ($3.00 w/ free shipping from Kikkerland.)

17. This ninja pen makes its own "SHHINNG" sound ($6.00 w/ free shipping from Kikkerland).

18. "I shot a pencil through the air. . .good thing I had three others" (4 for $5.00 w/ free shipping from Kikkerland).

19. And if you're buying pencils, you'll probably need a pencil sharpener. So why not get a fun one? (From Kikkerland for $5.00 w/ free shipping.)

20. Book labels are always a good stocking stuffer, and here some from one of my favorite Esty shops, boygirlparty (six for $4.50, plus $2.30 shipping). Other designs are available (but I thought the reading octopus was unusual).

Food and Drink
21. Jane Austen cookie cutter, enough said. From regencyaustenation at Etsy ($7.50, plus $2.25 shipping). 

22. Or you could get a regular book-shaped cookie cutter from Cheap Cookie Cutters (a three-inch cutter for $3.49, shipping runs between $2.90 and $5.99).

23. I am always looking for an excuse to combine books with good tea, and this Book Lover's Tea from Adagio sounds like the perfect stocking stuffer. (Sample tins start at $4, plus $3.75 for ground shipping.)

24. "Tea + Books = Bliss." This tea ball knows what's up. It's available from TillaHomestead through Etsy ($6.50, plus about $2.90 for shipping).

Clothing and Accessories
25. Ashi Dashi Pencil socks! ($9.99 w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime).

26. Or if you prefer to immortalize a slightly more "modern" writing instrument on your feet, Sock Smith offers these typewriter socks ($9.95 w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime).

27. Typewriter key jewelry. Typewriter key buttons are available from TursiArt through Etsy for $1.50 each ($2.99 for shipping). Typewriter key charms can be purchased for $2.00 each from Gvioletshop through Etsy ($1.00 shipping).

28. If you're looking for something similar but a little fancier, I suggest SugarLaneShoppe's necklaces ($6.95, plus $2.50 for shipping through Etsy).

29. Speaking of typewriters, SkullAndHawk has a silver typewriter pin/tie tack ($5.99, plus $3.00 shipping through Etsy).

30. Or there's this lovely wooden typewriter pendant, from FrillyChili ($6.95, plus $2.50 shipping through Etsy).

CSI: Turkey Division

Last week, I managed to come down with the flu, which I'm still fighting, so between that and work deadlines, blogging just didn't happen.

But I did manage to accomplish other things. Exhibit A:

Things I made: maple-glazed roast turkey, sausage and chestnut stuffing, gravy, and green beans with maple-Dijon almonds. Things I did not make: canned cranberry sauce. (There were also mashed potatoes, but the less said about those, the better).

Exhibit B:

This is the only photo I have of the table. Behold! a bunch of covered dishes and some foil lumps.

In case you haven't figured it out yet: I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner this year. I cannot adequately express how aggrandized my sense of accomplishment is. When that turkey came out of the oven, I wished there was a cliff nearby to pose on top of.

Gluten-free sweet potato chiffon pie: Exhibit C? Beautiful thing I did not make. (I've run out evidence of "things I did instead of blogging," but I still have photos left.)

I talked Mom into making the pie, and it was delicious. (Baking frightens me a little. I feel there's some truth in the adage "Cooking is an art; baking is a science." And gluten-free baking is like replacing half the elements in your experiment with "things nearby on the periodic table" and hoping the result won't burn off your eyebrows.)

We have a mini-fridge out back where we kept the main dish (in a brown grocery sack). When I retrieved it on Thanksgiving morning, I said "hi" to the neighbor's turkeys, like usual. And suddenly, I felt like I'd been interrupted in the middle of dragging a carpet-wrapped body from my car trunk: "Heeeey, Bob. . . . How're the kids? Nah, nah, I got this, thanks."

Later, they visited the scene of the crime.

"You know and I know what happened here, Becky, but no judge is going to convict on butter splatters alone."

"I can't prove you did it, but I can defecate on your deck."

I can't end a post without giving you something to read, but I really just want to suggest every article I've read about Ian Dengler, food sleuth. He can deduce your family's history just by hearing what you eat for Thanksgiving. Also, I love breakdowns of what people eat in each state for Thanksgiving. So here's one on the most googled Thanksgiving side dishes by state (chess bars for Kentucky sounds about right). Moving across the country has driven home the truth that there's no agreed on "typical" Thanksgiving meal.

I've been asking people this all week (and loving the answers): What dishes (beyond turkey) are required in your family to make Thanksgiving feel like Thanksgiving?

Reading Challenge Update: Help Needed!

It's been a while since I updated my progress on my reading goals.

Here's how I'm doing on the PopSugar Reading Challenge. Books read previously are in shades of green (and mentioned here and here). New reads are in blue (with pictures).

1. A book with more than 500 pages (The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach, 512 p.)
2. A classic romance (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)

Does this count as a classic romance? It's certainly classic, and it definitely has elements of a Gothic romance. But I tend to think of it less as "a romance" and more as "a novel about terrible people behaving terribly, on the moors."

3. A book that became a movie (Cold Mountain)

Still haven't seen the movie, but now I can.

4. A book published this year (The Sculptor—Scott McCloud)

5. A book with a number in the title (Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal)
6. A book written by someone under 30 (Relish)
7. A book with nonhuman characters (Bone: The Great Cow Race)
8. A funny book (Hyperbole and a Half—Allie Brosh)
9. A book by a female author (Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal—G. Willow Wilson)
10. A mystery or thriller (The Yiddish Policemen’s Union)
11. A book with a one-word title (Trillium by Jeff Lemire)
12. A book of short stories (Africa39)

13. A book set in a different country (Behind the Beautiful Forevers)
14. A nonfiction book (Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas)
15. A popular author’s first book (Cinder by Marissa Meyer)

16. A book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet (Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang)
17. A book a friend recommended (In the Open)
18. A Pulitzer-Prize winning book
19. A book based on a true story (Gaijin: American Prisoner of War)
20. A book at the bottom of your to-read list (At Home by Bill Bryson)
21. A book your mom loves
22. A book that scares you (Through the Woods)
23. A book more than 100 years old (Wuthering Heights)

First published in 1847.

24. A book based entirely on its cover (Mister Orange)
25. A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t
26. A memoir (Relish)
27. A book you can finish in a day (Return of the Dapper Men)
28. A book with antonyms in the title (Alpha Zulu—Gary Copeland Lilley)

This poetry collection covers, among many other things, some of the author's experiences on a U.S. Navy sub. The title is play on the beginning and end of the military alphabet and a hint at the book's exploration of African-American manhood.

29. A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit
30. A book that came out the year you were born
31. A book with bad reviews (Wuthering Heights)

Wuthering Heights received famously mixed critical reviews when it came out. A pattern which was repeated by my book club.

32. A trilogy
33. A book from your childhood
34. A book with a love triangle (Wuthering Heights)

Why anyone would seek out a book with a love triangle is beyond me. But Wuthering Heights to the rescue again! (Now there's a phrase I never imagined saying.)

35. A book set in the future (Trillium by Jeff Lemire)

Trillum by Jeff Lemire. This is on an earlier list, but I forgot to include it here. Half the book takes place in the year 3797.

36. A book set in high school (Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal)
37. A book with a color in the title (Little White Duck)
38. A book that made you cry
39. A book with magic (How Mirka Met a Meteorite—magic not explicitly mentioned, but a witch turns a meteorite into a person)
40. A graphic novel (Relish)
41. A book by an author you’ve never read before (Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal—G. Willow Wilson)
42. A book you own but have never read (The Yiddish Policemen’s Union)
43. A book that takes place in your hometown
44. A book that was originally written in a different language (Mister Orange—Dutch)
45. A book set during Christmas (Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas)
46. A book written by an author with your same initials
47. A play
48. A banned book
49. A book based on or turned into a TV show
50. A book you started but never finished

 But guys, it's November and I have fourteen things left on this list. Never mind my intention to read

A) books from South Africa and Lesotho, focusing particularly (though not exclusively) on work relating to the Zulu people (Africa39 contained three stories by authors from South Africa, so I haven't decided whether or not that counts towards my South African literature);

B) two Pulitzer-winning books, at least one of them fiction;

C) at least one book by a Nobel-prize-winning writer whose work I'm not well-acquainted with; and

D) seven poetry-related books (I'm currently at six, so this might happen).

I don't want to be a pessimist, but I don't think I'm going to make it. (I have only my ridiculous ambition and Tumblr to blame.) Also, I suspect my cold-heartedness is going to ruin me even if I manage to read everything else, but I want to try. (I hate that the list says, "A book that made you cry," and not just "a tearjerker." I didn't even cry when I read The Fault in Our Stars. Apparently, I am some kind of book-processing robot.)

Here's where I need your help: What's a good book that's become a television show? Where on earth do I find an author with the initials B.F.B.? (If you can think of an author with these initials, please let me know. I'm at a loss.) Any suggestions for other challenges on this list?


(Images from PublicBookshelf [Oxford World Classics cover of Wuthering Heights], GroveAtlantic, ScottMcCloud.com, Penguin Book Australia, Bloomsbury Publishing, Amazon.com, and Vertigo.)

Fall Update: The Penn Cove Award, Dick Grayson, and Summer's End

The one nice thing about waiting so long between blog posts is that there's so much to catch up on that I appear busy and not just. . .really bad at blogging.

At one point this summer, I even managed to clean off my desk.

"Clean," you'll notice, is not quite the same as "uncluttered."

But what's that on the left? Why look it's. . .

Let's all pretend that's a normal amount of chocolate for a single person to possess.

. . .an Underwood Noiseless 77 "portable" typewriter! (This was my grandfather's, and when my aunts and grandmother visited this summer, they brought it along.)

But what's that next to the Underwood? Why it's only. . .Barton College's Crucible, containing one my poems.

And yes, that does say Fall 2014, but the issue came out this summer. Which means the editors are only 76 months ahead of me.

And under that. . .a copy of Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder: Scholars and Creators on 75 Years of Robin, Nightwing, and Batman (McFarland), containing one of my essays.

"Mother Alfred: The Influence of Dick Grayson's 'Other Parent.'" This is what you turn to when even your closest friends and family members no longer want to hear your theories on family dynamics at Wayne Manor.

In other writing news, I won the September 2015 Penn Cove Award sponsored by the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA program. The contest is monthly, and requirements are simply that the submission be no more than one thousand words and "knock the judges' socks off." My piece can be found here.

In non-writing news, last summer my friend Heather and I made a pact that we would enter the county fair this year, and we did. We both won blue and red ribbons, so I think we were pretty successful.

Heather's blue-ribbon-winning Ferris wheel photo.

My Alice's Adventures in Wonderland themed box.

We also attended Key City Public Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park production, A Midsummer Night's Dream. 
 

Do not ask how many photos I had to take before the two of us and the stage were in frame.

At the end of the summer, we walked down to the beach, where someone else had sent up a farewell to the season.

I realize that it's November and I should be talking about winter's approach instead of summer's end. But I have a hard time letting go of the sunshine. I'm snuggled deep into my denial. Maybe I'll finish a winter-themed post by the end of next spring.