tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82068601684552974642024-02-19T09:31:08.622-06:00Reading, Writing, & RapturesBooks, Writing, and Christian
SpiritualityBethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-61862998147932544502020-01-31T10:00:00.000-06:002020-02-02T03:15:16.294-06:00The Most Important Writing Question: What Are Your Priorities?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
January’s almost over. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point, most writers are either still in that early
state of hopefulness (“I will finish my novel this year!”) or they’ve
hit their Slough of Despond (“3,000 words a day was a horrible goal.”) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is not a blog post about writing goals. This is a blog post
about priorities.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not your priorities as a writer but as a person.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If your priorities are off, your goals—and your success or
failure with them—will be pointless.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Repeat after me: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Your
writing life is not more important than your life-life. Your writing life is
not separate from your life-life.</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s be clear. I believe that writing can be a moral act. And
writing takes time. A ridiculous amount of time. Time that I could be spending
with people I love. Or catching up on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor
Who</i>. (I’m three doctors behind at this point.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But because it is so difficult to be a “successful” writer,
there’s a tendency to treat Writing as a goddess before whom the “serious
writer” must pour out everything—friends, family, health, sanity—to gain . . .
what exactly?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Money? Fame? Self-respect? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At some point, you have to ask yourself, in a blunt, unpretentious way: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why do I write? </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My answer is
not going to be the same as your answer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I can guarantee that somewhere in your answer will be a mixture
of fear, ego, questionable ideas about human worth and art, and just possibly,
underneath all the psychic muck, a love for something—language; lonely children, seeking comfort in books; a people you call home but rarely read true stories about—that is honest enough to sustain you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You don’t have to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">start</i>
at the grand philosophical level. Sometimes,
figuring out what is important to you on a practical level helps you work out
your internal philosophy (or at least, helps you figure out where the holes and
contradictions are).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year, I asked myself what was absolutely vital in my
life. And then
I wrote out a simple list of priorities: physical health, mental health,
spiritual growth, family, etc. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then I numbered them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That might feel a little harsh. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Did I really put </i>health<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> over </i>family<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">? What kind of monster am I?</i>) But it forced me to acknowledge two personal truths: If I don’t take care
of myself, I can’t write and I can’t care for the people I love. And if I don’t
help the people I care about, everything I write about is a lie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then I broke down each priority into smaller priorities
and goals (e.g., exercise, schedule regular doctor’s appointments, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SLEEP</i>, etc.)—which makes the priorities
more practical. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This list of priorities pulls me back in
areas where I am likely run past the edge of the cliff. It forces me to reject certain inner critics (“If
your eyes aren’t bleeding and your family doesn’t hate you yet, then you aren’t
writing enough”) and take control of my own choices.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I know that not
getting enough sleep makes me sick, and health is a higher priority than
financial success, so I shouldn’t take on more work than I can reasonably
complete this month. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spending time with
friends is one of my priorities, but I haven’t done much of that lately. Maybe
I </i>should<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> go to that movie on
Saturday?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not perfect. Right now, my life is full of
“which family emergency is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">most</i> emergency-ish” situations. Figuring out the line between needs and wants and triaging the wants/needs of multiple people is always going to be complex.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the list pushes me to create goals that reflect what’s
actually important to me. Not the things I merely think I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> be doing, but things that help me become the person I most want
to be. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It takes a long time to create my New Year’s goals now. But
I’m a lot happier with the goals I create. I feel like they’re actually about
bettering myself—in gradual, genuine ways—and acknowledging what truly makes me happy and fulfilled. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And slowly, my priorities list has forced me to examine my writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hold no scorn for writers who work with their eyes on the
market. (People who think that artists shouldn’t create for money tend to already
have their money.) But I have to ask myself if the things I’m giving my readers
match my priorities for myself. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I’m writing fiction, do I only care if my characters
succeed in their goals (whatever that looks like)? Or do I care about how they
learn (or don’t learn) to treat themselves and others? What, by the end of the
story, I am suggesting is important?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If reading fiction engenders empathy, who am I encouraging
readers to extend that empathy to? And if I am learning to treat myself with kindness,
how I am helping readers extend this same kindness to themselves? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I’m writing nonfiction, what sort of priorities am I
encouraging in the reader? Do these contradict my own, stated priorities? (And
if so, why?)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If writing makes me happy (and it definitely does), then do
I understand why it makes me happy? And can I open a door into that happiness
for my reader?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I only write to fulfill my unexamined picture of writing success,
I may still manage some decent work. But I also will risk that strange
disconnect that creeps into ego-based writing.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You know the sort of writing I’m talking about: it pays lip service
to high ideals but comes across as a bit flat and removed from the messy
realities of trying to live a principled life. (“We solved all our problems
through the power of love . . . and that money we got from our abruptly dead rich
uncle. No, we are not going to explain what we mean by ‘the power of
love.’”) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Honest writing about difficult issues requires a life that
is honestly lived.<br />
<br />
Maybe this is already obvious to you. And you don’t need a rambling blog post to tell you <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“</span>your goals should match your values.<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“</span>tyranny of the urgent<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">”</span> is a kudzu vine that’s constantly hiding what matters most. <br />
<br />
So if you’re looking at the beginning of February and feeling a
bit overwhelmed (or underwhelmed) and directionless, maybe it’s time to look
beyond your goals for the year. Maybe it’s time to dig down to what’s really
important to you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s okay if this takes a while. Deciding what is meaningful
isn’t a single project but a continual, life-long work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t pick priorities for you. But if I could, they might
be for you to get to the end of the year and not simply say “I finished
[number] of my goals” but “the things I did this year, and the stuff I wrote, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mattered</i> to me and I am proud of
them—even if no else is.”</div>
Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-14590562207222297142016-10-01T23:04:00.003-05:002016-10-01T23:05:43.781-05:00The Trouble with Short StoriesSometimes, you read just the right thing at just the right
time. But more on that in a minute. . . .<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of reading, I am not doing very well with a lot of <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2016/02/reading-goals-for-2016.html">my reading challenges</a> for the year (especially "reading books that are already on my
shelf"). But I have been plugging away at the Short Story a Week Challenge. I’ve
read fifty-eight short stories so far (which, yes, would equal more than one a
week, if I spread them out). And I’ve learned something about myself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t like short stories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqdPHW3wHRwN49dguLk1El0D2xZO80vh0aCA5hDm6ZnnMaitLfGT6mrVTfdYG-22cL6t7xOwRizwV9stx9XjNQhjCRTnHVfKImMCeMAmHVpUO2n5a6NwrssBJr_0wWzs7g4a2YlFqp5Z8/s1600/New+Yorkers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqdPHW3wHRwN49dguLk1El0D2xZO80vh0aCA5hDm6ZnnMaitLfGT6mrVTfdYG-22cL6t7xOwRizwV9stx9XjNQhjCRTnHVfKImMCeMAmHVpUO2n5a6NwrssBJr_0wWzs7g4a2YlFqp5Z8/s320/New+Yorkers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I felt my unread backlog of <i>New Yorker</i>s stare accusingly at me every time I picked up <i>The Cursed Child </i>instead.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So far this year, I’ve read short stories from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Yorker</i>, from published collections,
from literary magazines, from slightly-less-literary magazines, and from
sci-fi magazines; I’ve read stories for children, stories for adults, and
stories that ride that line between YA and fully grown up; I’ve read painfully
realistic stories and confusingly absurd stories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And while there were a handful I liked, or at least,
appreciated, most of them left me cold. In fact, out of all them, the only two I
had truly enjoyed were “The Jesters” by Joyce Carol Oates and a story called <a href="http://ursulav.livejournal.com/1590177.html">“Toad Words”</a> by Ursula
Vernon that I stumbled across on Tumblr.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I always feel a little sad when people tell me that they are
“not into poetry.” Because that’s a little like saying, “I’m not into music” or
“I’m not into food.” I suppose it’s possible. However, it seems more likely to
me that they just haven’t found the right sound/flavor of poem yet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I was beginning to feel like I wasn’t “into short
stories.” Like I was missing some essential part of the reading brain that
allows you to enjoy short fiction. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the midst of this, I found myself circling the “Quick
Pick” section of my local library. (Not that I needed another book to read—I definitely
did not.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I picked up a book with an introduction that said just
what I needed to hear:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;">I recently spent a
long weekend in Key West at a literary festival where the organizing theme was
short stories. How delightful for me! There was much discussion on panels of
the challenges that short stories present to their readers. The general feeling
was that short stories could be difficult because their subject matter was so
often grim; tragic. A novel you had time to settle into—novels wanted you to
like them, it was agreed, whereas short stories were like Tuesday’s child, full
of woe, and required a certain moral fortitude to properly digest. And yet it
has always seemed to me that short stories have a kind of wild delight to them
even when their subject is grim. They come at you in a rush and spin you about
in an unsettling way and then go rushing off again. There is a kind of joy in
the speed and compression necessary to make something very large happen in a
small space. In contemporary short fiction, sometimes it’s the language of the
story that transmits the live-wire shock. Sometimes the structure of the story
itself—the container—the way it unfolds—is the thing that startles or energizes
or joyfully dislodges the reader. But: it does sometimes seem to me that for
maybe the last quarter of the previous century, the subject matter of literary
short fiction was somewhat sedate: marriage, affairs, the loss of love,
personal tragedies, moments of self-realization. The weird and the gothic and
the fanciful mostly existed in pockets of genre (science fiction, fantasy,
horror, mystery, children’s literature) as if literature were a series of
walled gardens and not all the same forest</span> (Kelly Link).</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was what was bothering me. Everything I had been
reading, whether high or low-brow had seemed predictable. (“Gosh, I wonder if
this bird—a symbol for your relationship—will die. Yes, yes, he will.” “Gee, I
wonder if this child protagonist will learn a terrible truth about life—and
handle it badly.” “Golly, I wonder if these stick-figure characters will act
out the obvious moral of this story.”) And what’s worse, they largely lacked
any delight for (this) reader. I don’t need my fiction to be “delightful.” But
I need to find some sort of delight in it—whether of discovery or language or
character. I need to be surprised.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smallbeerpress.com/images/9781618731128_med.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://smallbeerpress.com/images/9781618731128_med.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The book I had picked up was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The People in the Castle</i>, a new compilation of Joan Aiken’s work. I
picked it up because, seeing Aiken’s name, I was immediately flooded with
memories of other collections (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last
Slice of Rainbow</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Harp of
Fishbones</i>) I’d read in high school. And while I didn’t necessarily remember
(or even like) every single short story, I distinctly recalled their vibrant strangeness. (I believe there was one about a man or woman who had a sort of “face
blindless” and then fell in love, but something happened to the person this
character loved—I think maybe they got trapped in a tea kettle?—and without
seeing their love interest for a while, this face-blind character couldn’t recognize them later.
I don’t know if that’s exactly correct. But it has all the <i>feel</i> of an Aiken
short story.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think of a novel as a house (I’m certain I’m stealing this
metaphor from someone, is it Henry James?)—a full structure, carefully built,
worthy of exploration. And I think of a poem as a window (looking in or looking
out). A poem only gives you a glimpse, but sometimes the glimpse is more
perfect, more satisfying than a tour through the mansion could be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But then what is a short story? A room?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe that’s the problem. So many of the short stories I’ve
read lately have felt like hotel rooms: slightly different in their details but
generic and unremarkable. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aiken’s stories are like the front room of a questionable
apothecary shop or a hidden room in the center of a manor house with a unexplained
tree growing through the floor (the actual setting of “A Room Full of Leaves”).
They aren’t all quite what I would call “literary.” And if you read enough in
one sitting, you start to guess where some of her stories are going. But my
word! did they delight me, did they surprise me, did they reawaken a pleasure I
had forgotten I could receive from short fiction.<br />
<br />
I know a work has really sunk into my bones when it makes me view the world a little differently for the rest of the week. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m curious to know: what was the last short story you read
that gave you a sense of delight? <br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Image from <a href="http://smallbeerpress.com/books/2016/04/12/the-people-in-the-castle/">Small Beer Press</a>.)</span> </div>
Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-8472270214340177042016-09-24T23:18:00.000-05:002016-09-25T09:26:42.596-05:00 Strange Book Saturday: The Super Dictionary<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's time to explore another strange book from my shelves. Even before I fell down <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dick-Grayson-Boy-Wonder-Nightwing/dp/0786497882/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437703427&sr=8-1&keywords=Dick+Grayson%2C+Boy+WOnder">the deep, dark hole </a>that is comic book fandom, I was fascinated
by this volume.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Super Dictionary </i>is
best known for the following meme (and it’s variations):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpAwL8TZW3DxL26ittXX-DFI8yMvYEzREJfzfV3As3_Cid5puDdgQWsZW5fcbsXG2_FiTUU4tmzqxlSN39cnlf9dp401sZvuXPqTdtqZRxjYWez3oTU29kZvbUgR1xVuV6QJA5vSdfBoi/s1600/Super+Dictionary--forty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpAwL8TZW3DxL26ittXX-DFI8yMvYEzREJfzfV3As3_Cid5puDdgQWsZW5fcbsXG2_FiTUU4tmzqxlSN39cnlf9dp401sZvuXPqTdtqZRxjYWez3oTU29kZvbUgR1xVuV6QJA5vSdfBoi/s320/Super+Dictionary--forty.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lex Luthor: criminal mastermind, sugar addict. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Intentional or not, there's a sort of comedic genius in this phrasing. (Please, someone, direct me to the comic this panel was borrowed from. What was Lex originally stealing? Cakes of uranium?) But even beyond this entry, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Super Dictionary </i>is
much loved by the internet. You can find <a href="http://superdictionary.tumblr.com/page/4">blogs</a> and articles dedicated to its strangeness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Super Dictionary </i>was published by Warner Educational Consultants in 1978, and it is now, sadly, out of print. Several of the characters in <i>The Super Dictionary</i> appear to have been created just for the dictionary. These characters also appeared in <a href="http://www.cosmicteams.com/obscure/dcsuperdictionary.htm">a series of elementary readers known as <i>Super A</i></a><i> </i>(and possibly <a href="http://marvelmasterworksfansite.yuku.com/topic/27675/The-DC-Megaverse-books-and-newspaper-strips?page=#.V-b_sq1tEWI"><i>AA, B, </i>and <i>BB</i></a>). According to some internet sources, the art in <i>Super Dictionary</i> was repurposed from earlier comics, which would explain its sometimes unsettling disconnect from what's being defined. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think what makes the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Super
Dictionary</i> so fascinating is that A) it offers such weird, out-of-context
images of our favorite superheroes, and B) it fails, so beautifully, as a dictionary for young
readers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Consider this entry:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_68357616"></span><span id="goog_68357617"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDGSVSQyJ8CpiDy0dVv1PbJOjgrt-GSf1NEr7LryfgO4K2YItl118RXHChPK_Wagz_UWJyli8FgJAYQku7NDbbZBJvTPvYOKLYJnvC7oeIeVLTiXIvmltamMZ8vOWHhi6VISHQO1ns3EM/s1600/Super+Dictionary--balloon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDGSVSQyJ8CpiDy0dVv1PbJOjgrt-GSf1NEr7LryfgO4K2YItl118RXHChPK_Wagz_UWJyli8FgJAYQku7NDbbZBJvTPvYOKLYJnvC7oeIeVLTiXIvmltamMZ8vOWHhi6VISHQO1ns3EM/s320/Super+Dictionary--balloon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A Slow News Day"<br />
or "Instilling Globophobia in Children Everywhere"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
What exactly is this image supposed to represent to children? Why is the balloon shaped like a pterodactyl? I suspect this panel
was taken from a story in which Wonder Woman fought dinosaurs and they just doodled in some strings. In case you are wondering, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pterodactyl</i> is never defined by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Super
Dictionary</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even when the entries have no images, they are
headscratchers:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HtQXx-94EgCqy1SxqTo5-BwJtFGSxAL1umhgi-vE0-qYMgN6yFaIUwsixOnHjWNl8VglWrzUFsgJ2TM7_wpQgOnd5fKcvnhNjo2MYZIgXT7BpD5zlik5yGSFTEaME5eLMkpdmL6SADZs/s1600/Super+Dictionary--breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="58" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HtQXx-94EgCqy1SxqTo5-BwJtFGSxAL1umhgi-vE0-qYMgN6yFaIUwsixOnHjWNl8VglWrzUFsgJ2TM7_wpQgOnd5fKcvnhNjo2MYZIgXT7BpD5zlik5yGSFTEaME5eLMkpdmL6SADZs/s320/Super+Dictionary--breakfast.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ted and Teri Trapper are married detectives created for <i>The Super Dictionary</i>. They spend many of their scenes being ant-sized for no clear reason. They also have the sanest <i>Super Dictionary </i>experience.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, yes, breakfast defined as the first meal of the day works. And I can understand dividing the concept of breakfast into categories
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cold/hot</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">healthy/children’s cereal</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">late/early</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">homemade/on the run</i>), but
indoor/outdoor never seemed like a important part of the meal’s definition.
Does <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Super Dictionary </i>worry that
children will stand outside, shivering, munching on pop-tarts because no one
explained that breakfast could be eaten indoors?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The individual oddities of this dictionary’s entries were
enough to make it worth owning. But I also enjoy the accidental narratives
created by reading the dictionary in order: </div>
<br />
Batman is a terrible guardian. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfviEmt1en170BE9HNLgae1SEewKES5MJBdipfapsipn8GhyphenhyphenwrLQd3SLBM_imRO0ulklrzQo_ZH-AYH33rY-nI0EnyYqfGGBBi4vs9huBzXfaDkJnCPNpVsUy5Qzg0HOTKq7FUx06GPuO/s1600/Super+Dictionary--promise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfviEmt1en170BE9HNLgae1SEewKES5MJBdipfapsipn8GhyphenhyphenwrLQd3SLBM_imRO0ulklrzQo_ZH-AYH33rY-nI0EnyYqfGGBBi4vs9huBzXfaDkJnCPNpVsUy5Qzg0HOTKq7FUx06GPuO/s320/Super+Dictionary--promise.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't tell if Robin is being sarcastic or just resigned.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcxYoCIDOerNr-H-d1HuPc-6lLkJKxnOHnU5oRygyj98MPSmkZZlsCgoMUTCrQQJ4z3hEO-HgmEUcpNWNF2qO7X8xx0NMdPuI6EH8pRHwfOjign4X5NQHoD2m8-A6tqK0c1hQwpYdqBLX/s1600/Super+Dictionary--skin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcxYoCIDOerNr-H-d1HuPc-6lLkJKxnOHnU5oRygyj98MPSmkZZlsCgoMUTCrQQJ4z3hEO-HgmEUcpNWNF2qO7X8xx0NMdPuI6EH8pRHwfOjign4X5NQHoD2m8-A6tqK0c1hQwpYdqBLX/s320/Super+Dictionary--skin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Be careful of the outside covering of your body. If you scratch the finish, I can't get my full refund."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqspuL2PXkB4LvC8Im4bIgI0NWimhuz8hiUStTxuSaz5w8GgqSf2TmYJnkrUW5Y2y_cjne_-spg17w6vRd6IZlCEfkZ1B6VTj96rb3jq1H94ejMuYZHDrKXDHGHr4TdiZsx3HGhz0ptO7/s1600/Super+Dictionary--toes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqspuL2PXkB4LvC8Im4bIgI0NWimhuz8hiUStTxuSaz5w8GgqSf2TmYJnkrUW5Y2y_cjne_-spg17w6vRd6IZlCEfkZ1B6VTj96rb3jq1H94ejMuYZHDrKXDHGHr4TdiZsx3HGhz0ptO7/s320/Super+Dictionary--toes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dictionary reminds us that Robin has nine more toes, but that still doesn't make this okay.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkcvnpggLj9HetmITfs17q9Z6zaNMWp8K9TwcnCnXf_mNSlK5GI-zTtn2hYp8xqSiMLWFjsS5CwIy-hX00t_lf7S18u96toXlKXKY7bcKvZ4ZBw5RqUzy-09vItbHBnkm79iJ804YHrUZ/s1600/Super+Dictionary--yourself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkcvnpggLj9HetmITfs17q9Z6zaNMWp8K9TwcnCnXf_mNSlK5GI-zTtn2hYp8xqSiMLWFjsS5CwIy-hX00t_lf7S18u96toXlKXKY7bcKvZ4ZBw5RqUzy-09vItbHBnkm79iJ804YHrUZ/s320/Super+Dictionary--yourself.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Can I leave you here in this alley? Can I continue to ignore my responsibilities?" </td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Robin's life is just sad. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfzspNa3zsT25BH7XalWh_z3aThhIRSYrS4jiK6ShZQeCgj-QMpFvkIynn-whBXK225C3gFf9mwfiRO3aZ1y-FMOF7njacz5iZsUJHyD5uL719t5rPtOVXgGHJGLBNBmuArV6yZzpcRPL/s1600/Super+Dictionary--basketball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfzspNa3zsT25BH7XalWh_z3aThhIRSYrS4jiK6ShZQeCgj-QMpFvkIynn-whBXK225C3gFf9mwfiRO3aZ1y-FMOF7njacz5iZsUJHyD5uL719t5rPtOVXgGHJGLBNBmuArV6yZzpcRPL/s320/Super+Dictionary--basketball.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at how wobbly Robin is, Batman. I think you really damaged his toe.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFrh9fMdKKG4cxJKOUKWky5Hxl1TwZ0GUOEMosGD1KRH-4wOMZIqekGG6DOACz8xYpXgj_4SS8RWYPiTp4ZZ_MzVTwRHNU-LBlgV3KnSXUGk3Oi5-HBPok5oWPnZwpZmL3i24ZsMo2UQf/s1600/Super+Dictionary--but.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFrh9fMdKKG4cxJKOUKWky5Hxl1TwZ0GUOEMosGD1KRH-4wOMZIqekGG6DOACz8xYpXgj_4SS8RWYPiTp4ZZ_MzVTwRHNU-LBlgV3KnSXUGk3Oi5-HBPok5oWPnZwpZmL3i24ZsMo2UQf/s320/Super+Dictionary--but.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You think my constant repetition reeks of desperation, but it doesn't!" </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8bZw_y3ADmAVcm0hRiN4bvHTSEHeT3sj0aNxk80sgyUcTvcIhiLvrRPy1D4UDrjNPOb5aL65aEr1tE7pO1Fe6YOIrR_NxjE1y6J6eadizo4_ydPQe85B2EGRtg6fOphEeR348CeVbmuJ/s1600/Super+Dictionary--dent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8bZw_y3ADmAVcm0hRiN4bvHTSEHeT3sj0aNxk80sgyUcTvcIhiLvrRPy1D4UDrjNPOb5aL65aEr1tE7pO1Fe6YOIrR_NxjE1y6J6eadizo4_ydPQe85B2EGRtg6fOphEeR348CeVbmuJ/s320/Super+Dictionary--dent.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at Robin's face. He knows that even the dictionary is mocking him now.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQYpdcLE_KHp-q3SKm1WD8ES3JiqLyS6Swc6nMJx8mAJTm3a6klcv5itEL7kXgSB_-xRbE8w7gBU6KXLDGrJ6Y9EShsODXyBCi8b5VqtS34_RrS7A87ivyLKIvh79p0ctgG59JRNe-tIx/s1600/Super+Dictionary--expect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQYpdcLE_KHp-q3SKm1WD8ES3JiqLyS6Swc6nMJx8mAJTm3a6klcv5itEL7kXgSB_-xRbE8w7gBU6KXLDGrJ6Y9EShsODXyBCi8b5VqtS34_RrS7A87ivyLKIvh79p0ctgG59JRNe-tIx/s320/Super+Dictionary--expect.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess it's never too early to introduce children to the looming horror of parental disappointment. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1Zi8FekjQK2Lb7QPoCta_i2N6kr5srRH4kyezY-fcGWFagufc-7Yv-i3dCplDKwrSgrmC9U2Rdos4ylEOP58R7lcvyEG_OMoj7H90XjUiFlyAqX5DtEiRS_dvs9e2MK4BGtaFrXb9ZDm/s1600/Super+DIctionary--robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1Zi8FekjQK2Lb7QPoCta_i2N6kr5srRH4kyezY-fcGWFagufc-7Yv-i3dCplDKwrSgrmC9U2Rdos4ylEOP58R7lcvyEG_OMoj7H90XjUiFlyAqX5DtEiRS_dvs9e2MK4BGtaFrXb9ZDm/s320/Super+DIctionary--robin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batgirl and the robin are sharing that "maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away" look.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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During the panels where Green Arrow isn't courting Black Canary, he's a ball of barely contained rage.<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkVSfEw8E4rlIAIl_jcog355WociFn-IdKC9kFQoNlq_7uj2rhs1RYgsv9589S7Jetwfbc2OPb5xW9bll9eOU43hQS4hLSEt_-oTURYY80UF4ZnmDD02W__eOcx6BSCwgB_XbkQbzixg3/s1600/Super+Dictionary--other.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkVSfEw8E4rlIAIl_jcog355WociFn-IdKC9kFQoNlq_7uj2rhs1RYgsv9589S7Jetwfbc2OPb5xW9bll9eOU43hQS4hLSEt_-oTURYY80UF4ZnmDD02W__eOcx6BSCwgB_XbkQbzixg3/s320/Super+Dictionary--other.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HULK SMASH PUNY ARROW! (The cop is trying to nod himself out of frame.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVlLE5l_TNqi0E-XUVVFrE5i5DYpYpnH1GYr5MmzZpuaX6M7Xo-t6HkS2aLKjBKhkBXElII5tQiPzv3RZU3aDKL7B2vcrvU33f2-_K51cVxWCDvgLvgZBspsoU_g0zsDNsOLYuhIhDPIg/s1600/Super+Dictionary--problem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVlLE5l_TNqi0E-XUVVFrE5i5DYpYpnH1GYr5MmzZpuaX6M7Xo-t6HkS2aLKjBKhkBXElII5tQiPzv3RZU3aDKL7B2vcrvU33f2-_K51cVxWCDvgLvgZBspsoU_g0zsDNsOLYuhIhDPIg/s320/Super+Dictionary--problem.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Canary's face says that she knows exactly what those problems are.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1j1UzrN7Codl_PSCguXU0UPE-oKmNp7GTB_Wz_aF0hCkqDGOiqbOVY71-YP9Rs43N7BALe1zyIqBVUXaoOP2MSvb8B-5fBtt46QYkL6okoK-SgsSVGXyvKBJ-sYbGwCeNNsVH4PUUGDY/s1600/Super+Dictionary--tear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1j1UzrN7Codl_PSCguXU0UPE-oKmNp7GTB_Wz_aF0hCkqDGOiqbOVY71-YP9Rs43N7BALe1zyIqBVUXaoOP2MSvb8B-5fBtt46QYkL6okoK-SgsSVGXyvKBJ-sYbGwCeNNsVH4PUUGDY/s320/Super+Dictionary--tear.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd say that it's nice to see Green Arrow express something other than anger, but he looks pretty mad about that tear.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Lex Luthor just loves him some cake.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJG49v38h2LwH7Jqnu9Yk425dTMdRM9EBbX-X15rnwFVv1jxYGnK0JvLm-0OuGO0C8I8cSxkvSNjzM52ocYyj7btp-ieDRvI1UHjLbSpOXjRma7FcWM7uKafKUraFLiYJ7V7_jHr7Jir7/s1600/Super+Dictionary--birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJG49v38h2LwH7Jqnu9Yk425dTMdRM9EBbX-X15rnwFVv1jxYGnK0JvLm-0OuGO0C8I8cSxkvSNjzM52ocYyj7btp-ieDRvI1UHjLbSpOXjRma7FcWM7uKafKUraFLiYJ7V7_jHr7Jir7/s320/Super+Dictionary--birthday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't think I've ever seen him this happy. And I've seen him kill Superman.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-59217619148194056592016-05-27T17:32:00.000-05:002016-05-28T10:49:00.107-05:00Update: New Job, Popular Culture Association Conference, Ferry Frogs, and Tea Parties<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcn0nUiR_Id13gf2oAyLt9Y5q1HIJbG3rv29J6lSlrv-5-P_1eqGF79eRuAkp1uxDZM_HROyVvexM1q4XSkwtlEFENiKIeNsNsZyb-ssb6Vz3o44NMcvKO_-9KiJH5wVvEzjuQFDp1-ydX/s1600/Ferry+frog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcn0nUiR_Id13gf2oAyLt9Y5q1HIJbG3rv29J6lSlrv-5-P_1eqGF79eRuAkp1uxDZM_HROyVvexM1q4XSkwtlEFENiKIeNsNsZyb-ssb6Vz3o44NMcvKO_-9KiJH5wVvEzjuQFDp1-ydX/s320/Ferry+frog.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pro Tip: If you don't know how to begin your blog post, try "the photo of a strange thing I saw" cold open.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been far too long since my last blog post, and even longer since my last personal update, so here's a quick recap of the past few weeks (and an effort to pretend that I've been busy enough to have an excuse for not blogging):<br />
<br />
1.) I got a new job! I am now a part-time staff writer for Children of Nations, a Christian nonprofit that works with orphans in Africa and the Caribbean. This news is so fresh that I haven't even had my first day in the office yet, but I'm too excited to wait to share it. (Generally, I don't discuss my "in-office" professional life on this blog, but I really want to you to check out <a href="https://cotni.org/">the marvelous work COTN does</a>.) <br />
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2.) I've spent a lot of time lately either writing (on things that aren't this blog), spending time with friends and family (birthdays, family visits, etc.), and dealing with mold. One of these things is not like the others.<br />
<br />
I've learned that A) my family is very sensitive to mold and B) "mold hunt" is the worst form of scavenger hunt ever invented.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Rules: </b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Replace "You're getting warmer/colder" with "You're getting damper/dryer." </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Try to guess which area or item in your house will unexpectedly become a sponge. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Find mold. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Five bonus points for each body part that either swells or turns red and itchy.</blockquote>
<br />
As I type this, I have approximately one hundred books piled on my bedroom floor; all pulled out so that I could find the single book that decided to go fuzzy on me. (So long, <i>The Book of Tea</i>.) <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztIgOsk_KipA30hTwT7zMj-9QYkIF6lGTAtoltzTVKjXMVVUvDs2-T1gfPsXINluGrl5DEvO4sWvQB9qL8LMh-12NMa-ppBBoFhDxG45wF52plIa7-PyTeJIRhY1iDI3IMkKLdYLUl-G7/s1600/P1030533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztIgOsk_KipA30hTwT7zMj-9QYkIF6lGTAtoltzTVKjXMVVUvDs2-T1gfPsXINluGrl5DEvO4sWvQB9qL8LMh-12NMa-ppBBoFhDxG45wF52plIa7-PyTeJIRhY1iDI3IMkKLdYLUl-G7/s320/P1030533.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the topics I'm "totally going to read up on one of these days."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
3.) In slightly older news, the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association conference was held in Seattle at the end of March. This was the closest McFarland Publishing (the publisher of <a href="http://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-9788-1">that book I contributed to</a>) was going to be to me all year, so I took a Thursday off and headed down to the conference.<br />
<br />
Here I am with the lovely people at the McFarland table. (Many thanks to Gary and Karl-Heinz.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoKtsntpXotWEb2hDKdbKYk0Bj2tdi0-xDwdZaJUNwDb2L08IhLMAFIlMqaK6fpPzY5cxJZnwdSXEJtJ1NWCbsTmEsthYT2D9b-8U3jGfuN9FBT699-aHKKQw0get2UamnTt5Eo7Vw-6H/s1600/IMG_20160324_145652722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoKtsntpXotWEb2hDKdbKYk0Bj2tdi0-xDwdZaJUNwDb2L08IhLMAFIlMqaK6fpPzY5cxJZnwdSXEJtJ1NWCbsTmEsthYT2D9b-8U3jGfuN9FBT699-aHKKQw0get2UamnTt5Eo7Vw-6H/s320/IMG_20160324_145652722.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The closest I will ever get to taking a photo with actual <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dick-Grayson-Boy-Wonder-Nightwing/dp/0786497882/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437703427&sr=8-1&keywords=Dick+Grayson%2C+Boy+WOnder"><i>Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder</i></a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Guys, I had a <i>wonderful </i>time at the conference. I can't even tell you. Most of the sessions I sat in on were about comic books, so I basically got to spend the day listening to academics overthink of one my favorite mediums. I was in heaven.<br />
<br />
I also wandered the city and ended up eating macarons for the first time (from Belle Epicurean and The Yellow Cupcake Bakery, both of which I recommend).<br />
<br />
And at the end of my trip, as I was waiting for my ride at the Bainbridge terminal, who should keep me company but this giant frog pictured above?<br />
<br />
4.) I celebrated National Poetry Month in my <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/04/how-i-celebrate-national-poetry-month.html">typical fashion</a> (with literary littering).<br />
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<br />
5.) I threw a small circus-themed May Day tea party with some wonderful friends. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_y7IQweth59TaXXo11EXqioRX3FTRNeNkaFuwxKRYP86_-5XSdA0AIH1BgDV_QeuseewYSWIU_AvhPnLf7i6GKrIqioTD1SNsDeOVkvo4gsl-6_-kFlEFJbqEy3kG2-SFI1wy3qJoM_8b/s1600/P1030480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_y7IQweth59TaXXo11EXqioRX3FTRNeNkaFuwxKRYP86_-5XSdA0AIH1BgDV_QeuseewYSWIU_AvhPnLf7i6GKrIqioTD1SNsDeOVkvo4gsl-6_-kFlEFJbqEy3kG2-SFI1wy3qJoM_8b/s320/P1030480.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't have any photos of us sitting at the table, but I promise I actually have friends.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkvOwQmbBTOZ5zXfAJuWhZpQVD9mQBzV1rdrvZqOkUqjLVBktifc-1NAazXdDwR2pyPDNTezxmZS0-ENvbFCZUhhpf5iJ0ou5CDqjZWeVvxraJrFfUPuzIiUg085G-oP-rAnK7waHydM7/s1600/P1030482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkvOwQmbBTOZ5zXfAJuWhZpQVD9mQBzV1rdrvZqOkUqjLVBktifc-1NAazXdDwR2pyPDNTezxmZS0-ENvbFCZUhhpf5iJ0ou5CDqjZWeVvxraJrFfUPuzIiUg085G-oP-rAnK7waHydM7/s320/P1030482.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom and brother created these little critters and their maypole, so I can't take any credit for them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now that we're caught up, I can get back to my regularly scheduled posting.<br />
<br />Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-57478056994566850512016-04-09T23:11:00.001-05:002016-04-09T23:11:26.815-05:00Strange Book Saturday: Boring Postcards USAI'm introducing a new series of posts: Strange Book Saturdays!<br />
<br />
In these posts, I invite you to gawk with me at oddball books. I won't write these posts <i>every </i>Saturday, but when they do show up it will be on a Saturday (or late Friday evening). Because I am a sucker for alliteration.<br />
<br />
The preliminary "strange book" is a long-time favorite of mine: <i>Boring Postcards USA</i> (Phaidon). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBRPUiuxLa3_ZjhZ5t8p0FHCjAd7yY6H1s8Raj6MucIu5mrjrJ-1F5QaJhCOzKKgqxlYdvmu34XQ7qWdXCSIKPbnuwSHJV0nr-8PcCJ9zXjoJNUYtwoZTAUDMY5TX00gFCxUgGa4Yr29n/s1600/Boring+Postcards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBRPUiuxLa3_ZjhZ5t8p0FHCjAd7yY6H1s8Raj6MucIu5mrjrJ-1F5QaJhCOzKKgqxlYdvmu34XQ7qWdXCSIKPbnuwSHJV0nr-8PcCJ9zXjoJNUYtwoZTAUDMY5TX00gFCxUgGa4Yr29n/s320/Boring+Postcards.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exactly what it says on the tin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A friend and I used to send each other bizarre books we had discovered, and I think this is the first one she sent me (thanks, Cara!). <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUKvPdra7YoPkHjoSWxz1xvGHZAROtOnMLAzKjTspfltGKMAtz6oTtHl11yclYDiTxu5GD36zQbuhaSkYkRg38hTGLlMG2yDCujq5BevbwfsnHc-J3R-AVWAhF-p6bsl0H8hw-MS3LR4v/s1600/P1030457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUKvPdra7YoPkHjoSWxz1xvGHZAROtOnMLAzKjTspfltGKMAtz6oTtHl11yclYDiTxu5GD36zQbuhaSkYkRg38hTGLlMG2yDCujq5BevbwfsnHc-J3R-AVWAhF-p6bsl0H8hw-MS3LR4v/s320/P1030457.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spent three and a half of my college years in northern Indiana, yet I still never managed to cross a stretch of road quite this unremarkable. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIDItSNNsKanCTZO5dMpYkqYUupCcwV4SF0hI1QB3wNTP3shGlv2qLY9cMdnYUhzKYiSlFOM6cu1V0_I7vNEaFFDjQCxxutvcRMOjJ53Nj3l1K3jntknyufa41LOgaSRa9xp6CXOX7lcX/s1600/P1030459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIDItSNNsKanCTZO5dMpYkqYUupCcwV4SF0hI1QB3wNTP3shGlv2qLY9cMdnYUhzKYiSlFOM6cu1V0_I7vNEaFFDjQCxxutvcRMOjJ53Nj3l1K3jntknyufa41LOgaSRa9xp6CXOX7lcX/s320/P1030459.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warning: You spend enough time staring at these postcards, you start to believe their claims. When I first saw this photo, I grimaced. Now, it actually makes me a little hungry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The wonder of the book lies in the fact, not that someone took a photo of each of these places and objects, but that someone turned these photos into mass-produced postcards. What's more, some of these cards have obviously gone through the mail. I like to imagine the sort of messages sent from middle-of-nowhere America:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dear Joan,</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I wish you were here. But for all I know, you are here because "here" is indistinguishable from anywhere else.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the moments between eating at diners dubbed only "Diner" and driving under the blue eye of a sky that never blinks, along a purgatory of endless interstates, I think of you.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Yours,</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jack </blockquote>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR3Y2T38LNOgx1zo2mKwDdtbpm42BfGspBnVHNOQxQa6Ln12PtySTNuAE1oH7v2JGUxYmfUv55PwM8eOqQ2uTG-ArQ_j465msbLjBqa-yRMYbLRDetXB0NFmkWIxweItiyPUN7EhXq2Ap/s1600/P1030461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR3Y2T38LNOgx1zo2mKwDdtbpm42BfGspBnVHNOQxQa6Ln12PtySTNuAE1oH7v2JGUxYmfUv55PwM8eOqQ2uTG-ArQ_j465msbLjBqa-yRMYbLRDetXB0NFmkWIxweItiyPUN7EhXq2Ap/s320/P1030461.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This looks less like a location you'd send a postcard from and more like the setting of a low-budget horror flick.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's a part of me that desperately wants to take a road trip and find all the places where these photos were taken, to create a "before" and "after" series. Which seems like a waste. It's not as though there aren't many more interesting locales in the world, enough that I will never have time to visit them all. (If you'd like to learn about little-known, non-boring sites to plan a road trip around, check out <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/places">Atlas Obscura</a>.)<br />
<br />
But <i>Boring Postcards</i> appeals to a part of me that relishes innocent delight in the ordinary. Anyone can see the beauty in the Grand Canyon. It takes a vigorous imagination to appreciate the beauties of the Gaines Truck Stop in Boyle, Mississippi. At one point, each of the places depicted here meant something to someone, was worth snapping a photo of or sending a note from. Even if only to say, "This is where I was today when I remembered that I love you."Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-24697838319739663102016-03-31T17:43:00.002-05:002016-03-31T22:19:58.251-05:00Bethany Watches Movies Everyone Else Has Already Seen: Jim Henson's Labyrinth<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
(past) that time again! Time for another episode of <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/03/quick-update-and-upcoming-feature.html">Bethany Watches Movies Everyone Else Has Already Seen</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ_Kq0vtTSwTG_ERmsvg3dCWAy0AnsuD-iT64lhqrdkmPNefyTNcq2lpcz9B8SmyqYLMf7m8r0ht99StBJC8xADmkbtr4aF-mL1r3oFpi8DaQp1SQwRmPhKpMe9aYZWBcNvQCWMxOjAKE/s1600/Labyrinth2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ_Kq0vtTSwTG_ERmsvg3dCWAy0AnsuD-iT64lhqrdkmPNefyTNcq2lpcz9B8SmyqYLMf7m8r0ht99StBJC8xADmkbtr4aF-mL1r3oFpi8DaQp1SQwRmPhKpMe9aYZWBcNvQCWMxOjAKE/s320/Labyrinth2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know other rock stars were considered for the role, but can you really imagine anyone other than David Bowie playing a convincing Goblin King?<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I know
I’ve seen parts of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Labyrinth</i> before,
and I feel like I must have watched it as a child, but I have more memories of
hearing about it than I have of seeing it. There’s a lot I could say about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Labyrinth</i>, but what really strikes me is
how much it is a story about puberty—specifically, female puberty. Forgive me
if I delve briefly into “over-analyzing children’s movies” (this is my favorite game,
after “over-analyzing comic books”). </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCjrMS5TFEA-LjpRdylVyWSL6uo6p3GVv4UVTDnK_5t_IXjRLFkmaqtXW75O_DxEqWh-LU2ilnzRjsWFxsP2VFiJM9bRO2EQDTBAFE_zSMTB0jxJNI2oPRhgfzrMwnhLJLKniNl_8OWeY/s1600/Labyrinth1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCjrMS5TFEA-LjpRdylVyWSL6uo6p3GVv4UVTDnK_5t_IXjRLFkmaqtXW75O_DxEqWh-LU2ilnzRjsWFxsP2VFiJM9bRO2EQDTBAFE_zSMTB0jxJNI2oPRhgfzrMwnhLJLKniNl_8OWeY/s320/Labyrinth1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle-school me wants every single thing in Sarah's room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jareth
is a combination of symbols of male power and sexual fantasy, which explains
Sarah’s uncertain relationship with him. (Seriously, the whole Goblin Kingdom is
full of phallic imagery, never mind David Bowie’s. . .er, “magic dance.”) The
story Sarah tells at the beginning is about the Goblin King being in love with
her and offering her some of his power. Pre-journey Sarah is in love with the
romantic and fantastical, but her baby brother represents the realities of
adult responsibility (and real human relationships). Sarah wants the freedom and power she assumes are
attached to adulthood (and romance), but she rejects their responsibilities, particularly the responsibilities of family,
which she associates with her stepmother, while idolizing what she
assumes was the more romantic life of her deceased actress mother.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before
Sarah can accept the world of adult responsibilities, however, she has to go
deeper “underground,” into the world of dreams and wishes, into her own
subconscious. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTF0prGxnwj_qV2qvF28y6hTvpnIX_LxpXZxhPKQIG91LWmrjXt69N7cFoporwcL_r5ns8HFma68hXSThwxzk1T0vQR1Rskt6sXGpPUz_tUqWwnR0jVkoZoIJvaoOSsGWbcnd225V6Efz/s1600/Labyrinth--Hogwart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTF0prGxnwj_qV2qvF28y6hTvpnIX_LxpXZxhPKQIG91LWmrjXt69N7cFoporwcL_r5ns8HFma68hXSThwxzk1T0vQR1Rskt6sXGpPUz_tUqWwnR0jVkoZoIJvaoOSsGWbcnd225V6Efz/s320/Labyrinth--Hogwart.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and ever other Muggle who didn't get their Hogwarts letter.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As with
most hero’s journey’s, what the journey represents is change <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">within</i> the hero. As the story continues,
Sarah begins to befriend creatures in the labyrinth, she looks for wisdom
instead of easy answers, she becomes more generous, and she stops expecting the
labyrinth to be “fair.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I know
people have commented on how the dream ball scene seems a little creepy given
that David Bowie is obviously so much older than Jennifer Connelly. Add that to
David Bowie’s unsavory history with underage girls, and it becomes difficult to
view this scene the way I think it was intended. But if you consider that
everything in the Goblin Kingdom comes from Sarah’s fantasies, it’s a little
less disturbing. The Goblin King is the romantic “other”—intriguing and
sexually mature, dangerous and different, exciting and frightening, but also
less threatening than a real flesh-and-blood boy Sarah’s own age would be. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkzGqXmR9YXrFWUYzrZSZLOYTNcoLFT5nKUTlfuhbtt02falGEeBZTwQYq0BOCRoCh6NREAMfcU7D82f_ToZMCZn0IpqHGfrzQqm48YO1zBhH8pVY3BORScfiOGZP-EeqFVC4qpdpk2ai/s1600/Labyrinth4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkzGqXmR9YXrFWUYzrZSZLOYTNcoLFT5nKUTlfuhbtt02falGEeBZTwQYq0BOCRoCh6NREAMfcU7D82f_ToZMCZn0IpqHGfrzQqm48YO1zBhH8pVY3BORScfiOGZP-EeqFVC4qpdpk2ai/s320/Labyrinth4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>It’s
not really clear <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why</i> the Goblin King
would want a baby, but that doesn’t bother me. In puberty logic, it’s not
really clear why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anyone</i> would want a
baby; we’re just vaguely aware that is a thing people want.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
she momentarily wakes from the dream, she thinks she is looking for
“Lancelot”—her bear, but also her dream of courtly love—but what she is really
looking for is her baby brother (representing family and responsibility) and
her creature friends (representing, well, friends). Her
childhood toys represent selfishness and an unwillingness to face
adulthood, but paradoxically, her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stories</i>
from childhood give Sarah the determination she needs to break free from
the illusion that the self-centeredness of childhood can last forever.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
Jareth says that he is “exhausted from living up to your expectations of
me”—well, of course he is. He is a projection of everything Sarah <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">thought</i> she wanted. Jareth is pure
fantasy, and he promises, “Just let me rule you, and you can have everything
that you want.” In other words, “give in completely to fantasy and never have
to face the hard world of reality again.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6W42jzHEFoi6gO77w3f5vqvIS8lhIZoHGoIRzY3fhH2r9orvGxuW2q-AQUSzNj_X8qP-Pi88GO73ODuddQ6jPd4w8I-gWp81taCU3wKACShCwt_WdA50H_nJSFNLZfAJKtqpZUHHCxpEz/s1600/Labyrinth5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6W42jzHEFoi6gO77w3f5vqvIS8lhIZoHGoIRzY3fhH2r9orvGxuW2q-AQUSzNj_X8qP-Pi88GO73ODuddQ6jPd4w8I-gWp81taCU3wKACShCwt_WdA50H_nJSFNLZfAJKtqpZUHHCxpEz/s320/Labyrinth5.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know, Sarah. This is pretty much what I thought adulthood was going to be like too. (For the record, I am severely disappointed by the lack of masquerade balls in my life.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>When
Sarah remembers the line from her book, “You have no power over me,” she is
finally realizing her own power—power that has not been given to her by Jareth
or any figure of romance, but that is completely her own. And this is the point
of story: to give us tools to face our own goblins, to remind us of our power.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
dance party of rejected goblins that takes place in Sarah’s room at the end
might seem to contradict the idea of leaving the realm of fantasy behind, but
it actually shows Sarah’s ability to now incorporate her fantasies into her
real life without letting them take the place of her real life (it also hints
at Sarah now having the ability to make friends). Sarah has accepted reality.
She sees that her treasured childhood toys are “junk” when compared to the
value of her baby brother. She has traded the black-and-white childhood
definitions of “fair” and “unfair” for a view of people that is both less naïve
and more forgiving (allowing her to forgive Hoggle’s betrayal). And she is able
to see both that she needs others (like Hoggle) and has a power of her
own.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MfiI-NLdVaC_rsRtfQp6-wYa3q2JEYth31tihDDhDXU4kGdC9FToODGn72N9ZKSkV5CyEse7C_KUrk8xflkmWpkICFfPgWKI_RQmMTNzEbuWF0RljYqyCqbBIXIOiiQEb-PEqGuP-RJR/s1600/Labyrinth6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MfiI-NLdVaC_rsRtfQp6-wYa3q2JEYth31tihDDhDXU4kGdC9FToODGn72N9ZKSkV5CyEse7C_KUrk8xflkmWpkICFfPgWKI_RQmMTNzEbuWF0RljYqyCqbBIXIOiiQEb-PEqGuP-RJR/s320/Labyrinth6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why can't all movies have Escher stairs?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
that aside, while <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Labyrinth</i> is fun,
and I appreciate seeing a fantasy coming-of-age tale with a female protagonist,
it can a bit. . .tedious. I think this is partially because the movie
is trying give the viewer a sense of also being trapped in a never-ending
labyrinth, which makes the pacing much slower than the average children’s
movie (and raises the question: who exactly was this movie intended for?). This also partially because the dialogue becomes repetitive, and
at times, falls into the “if a character repeats and repeats something, with increasing freneticism, it
must eventually become funny” fallacy. Also, Sarah is not a particularly
enjoyable character for a good fourth of the movie (Jennifer Connelly plays a
fairly one-note petulant teenager).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All in
all, I enjoyed the movie, even though I frequently caught myself checking the
time. I give it three and a half plastic bracelets out of five.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDx_HX57fgxSjri3r_mOal4Qp3b7GAdtuBLbPhICCiRIcvmszhQP6Sqw7gP2TfOKV7IWMnpnRE8jurr6uE4KtswqkUM98vIZgruc2i8Wy9F0i03jDBGlyRwosdzrfrTCrIdLB7dunLFpn/s1600/Labyrinth-plastic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDx_HX57fgxSjri3r_mOal4Qp3b7GAdtuBLbPhICCiRIcvmszhQP6Sqw7gP2TfOKV7IWMnpnRE8jurr6uE4KtswqkUM98vIZgruc2i8Wy9F0i03jDBGlyRwosdzrfrTCrIdLB7dunLFpn/s200/Labyrinth-plastic.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-49754722776410347882016-03-16T23:44:00.002-05:002016-03-17T14:05:40.491-05:00Update: The Hollins Critic, Guest-Blogging, and Bad Movie IdeasWhenever I start out a week feeling especially ambitious (<i>This is it. This week I'm going to get to everything on my list!</i>), it's like the opening of the movie trailer.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
VOICEOVER GUY: It was foolproof plan.<br />
<br />
NAIVE PROTAGONIST [writing to-do list]: What could possibly go wrong?<br />
<br />
VOICEOVER GUY: Until. . . .<br />
<br />
[Music changes to a minor key. Smile on NAIVE PROTAGONIST's face slowly morphs into a confused grimace. . . .] <br />
<br />
[Trailer speeds up. Volcanoes. Poisoned darts. Fire. Man-eating kittens. Close-up of protagonist's horrified face. Explosions. A literal tornado of paper. Ninjas from the future. More fire.]</blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY5WDeEayEKRm5o8772I07HzLuVtVwEF24SFGw51BG0eWNrAwI5lUxchLCRTCwQPM8ZbAkLcvWqrIglxST_yblHyP7itl3AiMagIfHUcQjz2skxcxwlbc9yghGS8V152rrl_GYcm2dSWl/s1600/P1030450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY5WDeEayEKRm5o8772I07HzLuVtVwEF24SFGw51BG0eWNrAwI5lUxchLCRTCwQPM8ZbAkLcvWqrIglxST_yblHyP7itl3AiMagIfHUcQjz2skxcxwlbc9yghGS8V152rrl_GYcm2dSWl/s200/P1030450.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's thinking about it; you can tell.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There may or may not have been man-eating kittens, but that's pretty much how the past few weeks have felt. <br />
<br />
So there hasn't been a lot of blogging here. I have, however, been working on some new <a href="http://www.readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/03/quick-update-and-upcoming-feature.html">Bethany Watches Movies Everyone Else Has Already Seen</a> posts, and I should have one of those up soon.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, you can check out my guest blog post, <a href="http://www.chrisbrecheen.com/2016/02/your-novel-is-boring-heres-why-and-how.html">"Your Novel is Boring (Here's Why and How to Fix It)"</a> over at <a href="http://www.chrisbrecheen.com/"><i>Writing About Writing</i></a>. I'm now an official guest-blogger there (with <a href="http://www.chrisbrecheen.com/2016/03/bethany-brengan.html">a bio and everything</a>), so I guess I'm a real blogger now, in spite of my recent lack of posts here. (If you're reading this, Chris, I'm totally typing out a post for you right now, with my other hand.)<br />
<br />
In other news, what should show up in my mailbox but a copy of <a href="https://www.hollins.edu/who-we-are/news-media/hollins-critic/"><i>The Hollins Critic</i></a>?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylruJxkATxPhouDAnqtsL1NnxFYHOY-Pc7D3c770kZFxOHg_tEyELJY_Hcl7fOa24Gx0OI46TFJ8WofiimrvlZrimce-QY9qUoaWC-700cnfkXVCz47lP1wWQrCSksEQdE4PsRrz3s8Ey/s1600/P1030445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylruJxkATxPhouDAnqtsL1NnxFYHOY-Pc7D3c770kZFxOHg_tEyELJY_Hcl7fOa24Gx0OI46TFJ8WofiimrvlZrimce-QY9qUoaWC-700cnfkXVCz47lP1wWQrCSksEQdE4PsRrz3s8Ey/s320/P1030445.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
With one of my poems on the back cover.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidu_UWt6y3j4an8-qij_9xXNsR-YMfNgBbNv-PADG3TymSgyqCGy4ultDf4q3h6JGLd5BElt-ohybrZY6tDQafgnxvFRaRD9K21deL4zIcjDVCuyyaeUUnQNbtkUjIKzJPw9gMBAocYRzd/s1600/P1030448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidu_UWt6y3j4an8-qij_9xXNsR-YMfNgBbNv-PADG3TymSgyqCGy4ultDf4q3h6JGLd5BElt-ohybrZY6tDQafgnxvFRaRD9K21deL4zIcjDVCuyyaeUUnQNbtkUjIKzJPw9gMBAocYRzd/s320/P1030448.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can either order your own copy to read, or you can create a new poem out of the words visible between my fingers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-56334932066957388502016-02-27T21:43:00.002-06:002016-02-27T21:51:59.406-06:00Reading Goals for 2016<br />
Now that I've finally <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2016/02/reading-challenge-update-for-2015-part.html">finished updating my reading challenges from last year</a>, here are my goals for 2016. <br />
<br />
A few goals are repeats from last year:<br />
<ul>
<li>at least seven books that are either collections of poetry or books about poetry </li>
<li>at least one book by a Nobel-prize-winning writer whose work I'm not well-acquainted with </li>
<li>two Pulitzer-winning books, at least one of them fiction </li>
</ul>
And few are new: <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1152668&t=w" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1152668&t=w" height="200" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bed (n.):<br />
a piece of furniture that prevents bookshelves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>literature from Argentina (watching a review of <i>Evita </i>made me realize that I know nothing about Argentina)</li>
<li>literature from Nepal (based on some suggestions from a <a href="https://thetanguays.com/">missionary couple</a> I know)</li>
<li>Seventy books (I've been reading a lot of graphic novels lately, and those tend to be faster reads, so I feel like it's time to update my goals to reflect this)</li>
<li>Twenty books that were already on my shelves (digital or physical) at the beginning of 2016 (Maybe this will decrease my TBR pile and even make some space on my shelves? Unless I get rid of my bed, I don't really have wall space left for bookshelves.)</li>
<li>One short story a week (It's time to get over my dread of the short story. A friend has given me his old <i>New Yorker</i>s, and I've been reading online publications, like <i>Narrative Magazine</i>. But if you have any short story suggestions, I'd be delighted to hear them.)</li>
</ul>
What are your reading goals for 2016? Do you have any recommendations for me?Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-62766378638593790782016-02-18T00:32:00.000-06:002016-02-19T15:14:21.188-06:00Reading Challenge Update for 2015 (Part 2 of 2)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->Every year, the number of books I read, the genres I read the most, and the challenges I pursue change. But one thing remains the same. . .I always forget how freaking long it takes to organize this post. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivY2cW2QnQVlvTc39TFN6n083ynoTS6HVbiNENCLBolXOqTcBbF8cVhfIE0-cWJwPk3ilFbkLoQswvgkm3ifd6R5Z0SaAFWB95j8Y84VOpJnTqLcWnBcYkBTQ9dloz68p8L4B1Bwvme-Z/s1600/Note+to+self.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivY2cW2QnQVlvTc39TFN6n083ynoTS6HVbiNENCLBolXOqTcBbF8cVhfIE0-cWJwPk3ilFbkLoQswvgkm3ifd6R5Z0SaAFWB95j8Y84VOpJnTqLcWnBcYkBTQ9dloz68p8L4B1Bwvme-Z/s200/Note+to+self.JPG" width="194" /></a></div>
<br />
Beyond the PopSugar challenge I posted already, my other reading goals for 2015 were to read<br />
<ul>
<li>at least seven books that are either collections of poetry or books about poetry (Done!)</li>
<li>at least one book by a Nobel-prize-winning writer whose work I'm not well-acquainted with (Nadine Gordimer)</li>
<li>two Pulitzer-winning books, at least one of them fiction (This one I didn't manage. I did read two Pulitzer-winning books, but they were both poetry. I'd been trying to finish <i>All the Light We Cannot See</i> since before it won the Pulitzer, but there was a huge hold list for it at the library and I kept having to return it before I was finished.)</li>
<li>literature from South Africa (<i>Africa39</i>, which contained three short stories by South African authors, and <i>July's People</i> by Nadine Gordimer)</li>
<li>literature from Lesotho, focusing particularly (though not exclusively) on work relating to the Zulu people (<i>Chaka</i> by Thomas
Mofolo is a fictional retelling of the history of a famous Zulu king) </li>
<li>Fifty books (I'll let you scroll down and see the list for yourself) </li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Key:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: purple;">Fiction</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Poetry</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: blue;">Nonfiction</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">YA or middle-grade</span> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Memoir</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="color: red;">Play</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: #666666;"><u>Underline of any color= graphic novel/comic book</u> </span> </span></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<i> </i></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch for
the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas</i>—various authors</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Art of
Fielding</i>—Chad Harbach (reread)</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Yiddish Policemen’s Union</i>—Michael Chabon </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><u><span style="color: orange;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span><u><span style="color: orange;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish: My
Life in the Kitchen</i>—Lucy Kinsley </span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: orange;">
</span></u><u><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms.
Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal</i>—written by G. Willow Wilson, art by Adrian
Alphona </span></span></span></span></u><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batgirl,
Vol. 1: Silent Running</i>—written by Kelley Puckett and Scott Peterson, art by
Damion Scott and Robert Campanella </span></span></span></u></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u>
</u></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone: The
Great Cow Race</i>—Jeff Smith</u></u></span></span><br />
<u><span style="color: magenta;">
</span></u><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: orange;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: orange;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fun Home:
A Family Tragicomic</i>—Alison Bechdel </span></u><br />
<span style="color: orange;">
</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the
Open</i>—Beatrix Gates</span> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: blue;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Behind the
Beautiful Forevers</i>—Katherine Boo</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Return of
the Dapper Men</i>—written by Jim McCann, art by Janet K. Lee</span></u></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;">
</span></u></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Justice
League International, Vol. 2</i>—written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis,
art by Kevin Maguire and Bill Willingham<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">
</span></u></span><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone: Eyes
of the Storm</i>—Jeff Smith </span></span></u></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;">
</span></u></span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How Mirka
Got Her Sword (Hereville #1)</i>—Barry Deutsch </span></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;">
</span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gaijin:
American Prisoner of War</i>—Matt Faulkner </span></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diadem Me</i>—Bethany
Carlson</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u>17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shadow
Hero</i>—written by Gene Luen Yang, art by Sonny Liew </u></span></span><br />
<u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;">
</span></span></u><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How Mirka
Met a Meteorite (Hereville #2)</i>—Barry Deutsch</span></u></span></span></span> </span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alpha Zulu</i>—Gary
Copeland Lilley</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><u><span style="color: orange;"> </span></u></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><u><span style="color: orange;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span><u><span style="color: orange;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marbles:
Mania, Depression, Michelangelo &<u> </u>Me</i>—Ellen Forney </span></u><br />
<span style="color: orange;">
</span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: blue;"><u>21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Neurocomic</i>—Dr.
Matteo Farinella and Dr. Hana Roš</u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman and
Robin, Vol. 3: Death of the Family</i>—written by Peter Tomasi and Scott
Snyder; art by Patrick Gleason, Ardian Syaf, Greg Capullo, Mick Gray, Vicente
Cifuentes, Keith Champagne, Jonathan Glapion, John Kalisz, FCO Plascencia, etc.</span></span></u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mister
Orange</i>—Truus Matti, trans. from the Dutch by Laura Watkinson </span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New
Covenant Bound</i>—Tony Crunk (reread)</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">25.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hawkeye,
Vol. 2: Little Hits</i>—written by Matt Fraction; art by David Aja, Steve
Lieber, Jesse Hamm, Francesco Francavilla, and Matt Hollingsworth</span></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><u><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><u>26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Runaways,
Vol</i>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1: Pride & Joy</i>—written
by Brian K. Vaughan; art by Adrian Alphona, David Newbold, Craig Yeung, Brian
Reber, etc.</u></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><u><span style="color: magenta;"> </span></u> </span></span></span></span></u><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;">
</span></u></span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone, Vol</i>.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">4: The Dragonslayer</i>—Jeff Smith</u></span> </span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: blue;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At Home: A
Short History of Private Life</i>—Bill Bryson</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">29.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trillium</i>—Jeff
Lemire </span></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u>30.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zita the
Spacegirl</i>—Ben Hatke </u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u>31.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Through
the Woods</i>—Emily Carroll </u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u>32.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone, Vol.
5: Rock Jaw—Master of the Eastern Border</i>—Jeff Smith</u></span> </span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><u>33.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marvel
Super Heroes Secret Wars</i>—Jim Shooter (and many others)</u></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: #38761d;">34.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heavenly
Bodies</i>—Cynthia Huntington </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">35.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Museum
of Extraordinary Things</i>—Alice Hoffman</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: blue;">36.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On Gold
Mountain</i>—Lisa See </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><u><span style="color: purple;">37.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span><u><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the
First Computer</i>—Sydney Padua </span></u></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">38.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fangirl</i>—Rainbow
Rowell </span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: blue;">39.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Worst
Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl</i>—Timothy
Egan </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">40.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In Real
Life</i>—written by Cory Doctorow, art by Jen Wang </span></u></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><u>41.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">March,
Book 2</i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">—</span>John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, art by Nate Powell</u></span><br />
<u><span style="color: orange;">
</span></u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">42.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leaving
Megalopolis</i>—written by Gail Simone, art by J. Calafiore and Jason Wright</span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span></u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">43.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Africa39:
New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara</i>—edited by Ellah Wakatama
Allfrey (three authors from South Africa in collection)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u>44.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman
Incorporated, Vol. 2: Gotham’s Most Wanted</i>—written by Grant Morrison, Chris
Burnham, Joe Keatinge, Mike Raicht, Dan Didio, and Ethan Van Sciver; art by
Chris Burnham, Jason Masters, Nathan Fairbairn, Hi-Fi, Andrei Bressan, Jorge
Lucas, Ian Hannin, Dave McCraig, Emanuel Simeon, Brett Smith, John Stanisci,
Art Lyon, Dan Didio, and Ethan Van Sciver, etc. </u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">
</span></u></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">45.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman and
Robin, Vol. 4: Requiem for Damian</i>—written by Peter J. Tomasi; art by
Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, Cliff Richards, Mark Irwin, Marlo Alquiza, John
Kalisz, etc.</span></span></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: #38761d;">46.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Delights
and Shadows</i>—Ted Kooser</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">47.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mink River</i>—Brian
Doyle </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;">48.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diniwe in
Dreamland</i>—Desmond Dudwa Phiri </span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="color: magenta;">49.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cute
Girl Network</i>—written by Greg Means and MK Reed, art by Joe Flood</u></span> </span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u>50.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Asterios
Polyp</i>—David Mazzucchelli </u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><u>51.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stitches</i>—David
Small </u></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">52.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cold
Mountain</i>—Charles Frazier </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">53.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Sculptor</i>—Scott McCloud</span> </span></u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u>54.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grayson:
Agents of Spyral, Vol. 1</i>—written by Tim Seeley and Tom King; Stephen
Mooney, Jeromy Cox, Mikel Janín, Guillermo Ortego, Juan Castro, Carlos M.
Mangual, etc.</u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">
</span></u></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">55.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Robot
Dreams</i>—Sara Varon </span></u></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">
</span></u></span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">56.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman and
Robin, Vol. 5: The Big Burn</i>—written by Peter Tomasi<u>,</u> art by Patrick Gleason
</span></u></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u>57.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;"><u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Runaways,
Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland</i>—written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Adrian
Alphona </u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">58.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crashboomlove:
A Novel in Verse</i>—Juan Felipe Herrera</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">59.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wuthering
Heights</i>—Emily Brontë (reread)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;">
</span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">60.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wonder
Woman, Vol. 3: The Circle</i>—written by Gail Simone; art by Terry Dodson,
Bernard Chang, Ron Randall, and Rachel Dodson </span></u></span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: magenta;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;">61. <i>Cinder</i></span></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: magenta;">—Marissa Meyer</span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">62.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Compleat Terminal City</i>—Dean Motter</span></u></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: blue;">63.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lots of
Candles, Plenty of Cake</i>—Anna Quindlen </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">64.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;">Griffin and Sabine Trilogy (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Griffin & Sabine</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sabine’s
Journal</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Golden Mean</i>)—Nick
Bancock </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: blue;">65.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boundaries:
When to Say YES, When to Say NO, to Take Control of Your Life</i>—Dr. Henry
Cloud and Dr. John Townsend </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">66.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gemini</i>—Carol
Cassella </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">67.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman
Eternal, Vol. 1</i>—written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, John Layman, Ray
Fawkes, Tim Seeley, Kyle Higgins; art by Jason Fabock, Dustin Nguyen, Mikel
Janin, Guillem March, Ian Bertram, Riccardo Burchielli, Andy Clarke, Trevor
McCarthy, Emanuel Simeoni, Derek Fridolfs, Guillermo Ortego, Brad Anderson,
John Kalisz, Blond, Jeromy Cox, Tomeu Morey, Guy Major, Dave McCaig, Dave
Stewart, etc.</span></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;">
</span></u></span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">68.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hawkeye,
Vol. 3: L.A. Woman</i>—written by Matt Fraction<u>,</u> art by Annie Wu and Javier
Pulido</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span></u></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">69.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chaka</i>—Thomas
Mofolo, trans. Daniel P. Kunene </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">70.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">July’s
People</i>—Nadine Gordimer (Nobel Prize winner)</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: purple;">71.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Absalom!
Absalom!</i>—William Faulkner </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: #38761d;">72.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American
Primitive</i>—Mary Oliver (Pulitzer Prize) </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: blue;">73.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Diary
of a Young Girl</i>—Anne Frank, trans. Susan Massotty </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">74.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Winter’s Tale</i>—William Shakespeare </span><br />
<br />
Or to break it down:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
32 works of fiction, 20 of them graphic novels/trade comic collections and 12 works of adult (non-graphic-novel) fiction</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
19 works of YA or middle-grade fiction, 15 graphic novels/comic collections and 4 novels (although deciding what counted as part of this category was difficult) </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
9 works of nonfiction, 8 prose and 1 graphic nonfiction</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
8 works of poetry</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
5 memoirs (all of them graphic memoirs)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
1 play</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
41 (!) comic collections and graphic novels </blockquote>
<br />
<a href="https://i.harperapps.com/covers/9780007149827/y648.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://i.harperapps.com/covers/9780007149827/y648.png" width="135" /></a><b>Favorite adult fiction:</b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Yiddish Policemen’s Union</i>—Michael Chabon. This isn't much of a surprise to me; <i>The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay </i>is one of my favorite books. I love the playful way Chabon writes complex, verbose sentences, as though he is inviting you into a game rather than simply showing off. It's a murder mystery and a love story and a neo-noir alternative history of the 1980s. What more could you want?<br />
<br />
<b>Favorite work of nonfiction:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boundaries:
When to Say YES, When to Say NO, to Take Control of Your Life</i>—Dr. Henry
Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. A lot of the principles in the book weren't new to me (and it does have some of the flavor of a nineties self-book), but I still find myself wanting to hand it out to strangers on the street, like some kind of Oprah of good emotional/spiritual health: "You get good boundaries! And you! And you!" <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kentuckypress.com/covers/9780813125992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kentuckypress.com/covers/9780813125992.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></div>
<b>Favorite poetry:</b> It's a serious stretch to pick just one. I read a lot volumes this year that I found myself recommending to others, including one by a college classmate (<a href="http://miel.bigcartel.com/product/diadem-me-bethany-carlson-pre-order-only"><i>Diadem Me</i> by Bethany Carlson</a>). But my favorite was actually an old favorite: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New
Covenant Bound</i> by Tony Crunk. We read it in my book club, and I worried that I might find my enthusiasm for the book had dampened over time. But I loved it every bit as much as the first time. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/march_book_two_72dpi_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/march_book_two_72dpi_lg.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></div>
<b>Favorite memoir:</b> Again, I liked a lot of what I read in this category for 2015 (and I'm not a huge memoir fan—graphic or otherwise). But <i>March</i> (John Lewis, Andrew Ayden, and Nate Powell) wins. Don't avoid it just because you think you already know this story.<br />
<br />
<b>Favorite YA/middle-grade:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms.
Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal. </i>Origin stories can get repetitive, but G. Willow Wilson handles this one with expert care and humor. <span class="st">Kamala Khan is a character I feel like I've been subconsciously waiting for. A breath of fresh air.</span><br />
<br />
The contest for my <b>favorite book read in 2015</b> ended in a tie.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/cover/?source=9780307377326&width=300&alternate=images%2Fdyn%2Fcover%2Fno_cover_kdd.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/cover/?source=9780307377326&width=300&alternate=images%2Fdyn%2Fcover%2Fno_cover_kdd.gif" height="200" width="152" /></a></div>
<i>Asterios Polyp </i>(<span data-ved="0ahUKEwj-3t3TzoDLAhVXzWMKHUGJDoIQ2koIjQEoATAQ">David Mazzucchelli) </span>is book I shouldn't have liked (an egoistical architectural professor has a midlife crisis) but that I ended up loving. If you think graphic novels can't be pieces of serious literary fiction, you need to read this book. I've never seen every bit of a graphic novel's visual art (lettering, coloring, line thickness, panel-size, etc.) play into the theme and character development quite like this before. Amazing work.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/cover/?source=9780307908278&width=300&alternate=images%2Fdyn%2Fcover%2Fno_cover_kdd.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/cover/?source=9780307908278&width=300&alternate=images%2Fdyn%2Fcover%2Fno_cover_kdd.gif" height="200" width="153" /></a></div>
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st"><i>The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage</i> (Sydney Padua) is technically fiction. But it is hands-down the best researched book I read in 2015. It's half footnotes. And the footnotes are delightful. It has all the fun of a steampunk adventure, and Padua's characters leap off the page (sometimes, out of their panels), but you will leave the book remembering more history about Victorian England and the first computer than if you had read a slew of biographies. I highly recommend this graphic novel, even if, like me, you think you aren't that interested technological histories. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
Here, I usually list the "other books" I've read: things that were too short (or not "word/narrative heavy enough") to make the previous list. But given the number of individual comic book issues I read in 2015, this list is longer than usual. So I've included it below for consistency's sake, but I'm happy to leave you here. In my next post, I'll probably talk about my reading goals for 2016.<br />
<br />
But what were your favorite reads of 2015?<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Other:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Power of Shazam! The Arson Fiend, #2</i>—written by Jerry Ordway;
art by Peter Krause, Mike Manley, Glen Whitmore, and John Constanza <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Power Pack: Star Struck, #58</i>—written by Michael Higgins; art by Tom
Morgan, Nel Yomtov, and Joe Rosen</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight: Infected, Part One</i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">—</span>Warren
Ellis and John McCrea</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight: Infected, Part Two</i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">—</span>Warren
Ellis and John McCrea</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Raising Dion, #1</i>—written by Dennis Liu; art by Jason Piperberg </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Princess and the Pony</i>—Kate Beaton</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cheetah Can’t Lose</i>—Bob Shea </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Robin: Buggin’, #23</i>—written by Chuck Dixon; art by Aaron Lopresti,
Stan Woch, Adrienne Roy, and Tim Harkins</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Detective Comics: Rite of Passage: Shadow of the Sun, Part One, #618</i>—written
by Alan Grant; art by Norm Breyfogle, Dick Giordano, Adrienne Roy, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World’s Finest: Worlds Apart, #1</i>—written by Dave Gibbons; art by
Steve Rude, Karl Kesel, and Steve Oliff</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Green Lantern: Among My Souvenirs, #4</i>—written by Gerard Jones; art
by Pat Broderick, Bruce Patterson, Albert De Guzman, Anthony Tollin, and Kevin Dooley</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Showcase 94 (Benedictions—Part 3: Vengeance and Forgiveness; Sparx!:
Allure of New Orleans; The Atom: The Uncertainty Principle), #6</i>—written by
Chuck Dixon, Karl Kesel, and Len Kaminski; art by Phil Jimenez, Peter Gross,
Tom McCraw, Scott Lee, Phil Allen, Brad Vancata, Fred Reyes, Rick Burcheett,
Robbie Busch, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batgirl: Fresh Blood—Part Four, Settling Up, #59</i>—written by
Andersen Gabrych; art by Ale Garza, Jesse Delperdang, Wildstorm FX, and Rob
Leigh </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Return of Donna Troy: A Golden Age to Conquer, #1</i>—written by
Phil Jimenez; art by José Garcia-Lopez, George Pérez, Martin Breccĭa, Nestor
Preyra, Lee Loughridge, and Ken Lopez</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Power Pack: Whose Power?, #27</i>—written by Louise Simonson; art by
Jon Bogdanove, Al Gordon, Joe Rosen, and Glynis Oliver </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Step Aside, Pops: A </i>Hark! a Vagrant<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Collection</i>—Kate Beaton </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: The Cult—Book One: Ordeal</i>—written by Jim Starlin; art by
Berni Wrightson, Bill Wray, John Costanza, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: The Cult—Book Two: Capture</i>—written by Jim Starlin; art by
Berni Wrightson, Bill Wray, John Costanza, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The SheepOver</i>—John and Jennifer Churchman </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Days with Frog and Toad</i>—Arnold Lobel (reread)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frog and Toad Together</i>—Arnold Lobel (reread)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secret Remedy Book</i>—written by Karin Cates, illustrated by Wendy
Anderson Halperin (reread)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Magic of Millicent Musgrave</i>—Brinton Turkle</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Images from <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/9780007149827/the-yiddish-policemens-union#">HarperCollins</a>, <a href="http://www.kentuckypress.com/live/title_detail.php?titleid=2373#.VrG43NCb-ec">The University Press of Kentucky</a>, <a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/march-book-two/896">Top Shelf Comics</a>, <a href="http://knopfdoubleday.com/book/109984/asterios-polyp/">Knof Doubleday</a>, and <a href="http://knopfdoubleday.com/book/223672/the-thrilling-adventures-of-lovelace-and-babbage/">Knof Doubleday</a>. </span> </div>
Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-76119125292193823412016-02-07T00:26:00.000-06:002016-02-07T00:26:50.569-06:00Should I Hire an Editor? (guest post at Writing About Writing)There's no blog post this week. I have been working on my final 2015 Reading Challenge update post, but Blogger keeps eating my formatting.
(I'm so close and yet somehow eternally unable to get my changes saved.) In the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> meantime, if you haven't seen it already, you can check out my guest post, <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.chrisbrecheen.com/2016/02/should-i-hire-editor-by-bethany-brengan.html">Should I Hire an Editor <span id="docs-internal-guid-87465c78-b338-a108-b8ad-0ee2955b1ce8"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>(What to Look for and How to Decide If You Need One)</span></span></span></a>, over at <a href="http://www.chrisbrecheen.com/">Writing About Writing</a>.</span></span>Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-40061904997730247962016-01-16T00:22:00.000-06:002016-01-16T00:24:13.176-06:00Reading Challenge Update for 2015 (part 1 of 2)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->I really didn't think I was going to finish the <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/11/reading-challenge-update-help-needed.html">PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge</a>, but by the end of December, I was so close that I couldn't stand the thought of giving up. So here are the final books I read to complete this challenge (previously read books are in <span style="color: #3d85c6;">blue <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666;">and newly listed books are</span> <span style="color: magenta;">pink<span style="color: #666666;">).</span></span></span></span><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book with more
than 500 pages</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Art of
Fielding</i>—Chad Harbach, 512 p.)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A classic romance</span>
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wuthering Heights</i>—Emily Brontë)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book that became a
movie</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cold Mountain</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4. </span></span>A book published
this year</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Sculptor</i>—Scott
McCloud)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book with a number
in the title</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1:
No Normal)</i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book written by
someone under 30</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book with nonhuman
characters</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone: The Great Cow
Race</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A funny book</span>
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hyperbole and a Half</i>—Allie Brosh) </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book by a female
author</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No
Normal</i>—G. Willow Wilson)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A mystery or
thriller</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Yiddish Policemen’s
Union</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book with a
one-word title</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trillium</i>—Jeff Lemire)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book of short
stories</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Africa39</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book set in a
different country</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Behind the
Beautiful Forevers</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A nonfiction book</span>
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent
and Christmas</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A popular author’s
first book</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cinder</i>—Marissa
Meyer)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book from an
author you love that you haven’t read yet</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shadow Hero</i>—Gene Luen Yang)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book a friend
recommended</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the Open</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">18.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;">A Pulitzer-Prize
winning book</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Delights and Shadows</i>—Ted
Kooser)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.coppercanyonpress.org/graphics/books/1/1206_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.coppercanyonpress.org/graphics/books/1/1206_md.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I actually read this earlier in the year, but I forgot it had won the 2004 Pulitzer for Poetry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book based on a
true story</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gaijin: American
Prisoner of War</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book at the bottom
of your to-read list</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At Home</i>—Bill Bryson)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">21.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #ff33cc;">A book your mom
loves</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boundaries</i>—Henry
Cloud and John Townsend)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.boundariesbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Boundaries-Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.boundariesbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Boundaries-Book.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A long-time favorite. She also recommended <i>A Snicker of Magic </i>by Natalie Lloyd, but I haven't gotten around to that one yet.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book that scares
you</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Through the Woods</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book more than 100
years old</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wuthering Heights</i>—first
published in <span class="st">1847)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book based
entirely on its cover</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mister
Orange</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">25.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;">A book you were
supposed to read in school but didn’t</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Diary of a Young Girl</i>—Anne Frank)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780385473781" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780385473781" height="320" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It sat on a shelf in my parents' house for years. And I always intended to read it, but I never got to it until now. Waiting didn't make it any less heart-shattering. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A memoir</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book you can
finish in a day</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Return of the
Dapper Men</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book with antonyms
in the title</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alpha Zulu</i>—Gary
Copeland Lilley)<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">29.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #ff33cc;">A book set somewhere
you’ve always wanted to visit</span> (Griffin and Sabine Trilogy)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511dKR4aZCL._SX491_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511dKR4aZCL._SX491_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portions of the trilogy take place in Dublin, as well as other locations I'd like to visit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">30.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;">A book that came out
the year you were born</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American
Primitive</i>—Mary Oliver)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_b2c/media/cache/75/d2/75d27f75c4c5cf0fefead8d956ae3648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_b2c/media/cache/75/d2/75d27f75c4c5cf0fefead8d956ae3648.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It feels like an accomplishment to share a year with this book.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book with bad
reviews</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wuthering Heights</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">32.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #ff33cc;">A trilogy</span>
(Griffin and Sabine Trilogy: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Griffin
& Sabine</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sabine’s Journal</i>,
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Golden Mean</i>—Nick Bancock)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511dKR4aZCL._SX491_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511dKR4aZCL._SX491_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's almost like I did Google search for "really short trilogies. . . ."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">33.</span> </span></span><span style="color: magenta;">A book from your
childhood</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frog and Toad Together</i>—Arnold Lobel)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/content5/media/products/88/9780590061988_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.scholastic.com/content5/media/products/88/9780590061988_xlg.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frog and Toad friendship = life goals.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">34.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book with a love
triangle</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wuthering Heights</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">35.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book set in the
future </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trillium</i>—Jeff
Lemire)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">36.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book set in high
school</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No
Normal</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">37.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book with a color
in the title</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Little White Duck</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">38.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;">A book that made you
cry</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secret Remedy Book</i>—Karin Cates and Wendy Anderson Halperin)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/content5/media/products/60/9780439352260_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.scholastic.com/content5/media/products/60/9780439352260_xlg.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only solution I could think of to the whole "Bethany doesn't normally cry when she reads" problem was to re-read a book that had made me tear up in the past. And yes, I was an adult when I first read this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">39.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book with magic </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How Mirka Met a Meteorite</i>—magic not
explicitly mentioned, but a witch turns a meteorite into a person)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">40.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A graphic novel</span>
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">41.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book by an author
you’ve never read before</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms.
Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal</i>—G. Willow Wilson)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">42.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book you own but
have never read</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Yiddish
Policemen’s Union</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">43.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #ff33cc;">A book that takes
place in your hometown</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gemini</i>—Carol Cassella)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781451627947/gemini-9781451627947_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781451627947/gemini-9781451627947_lg.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Parts of this book take place on the Olympic Peninsula and include familiar locations like Port Townsend.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">44.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A book that was originally
written in a different language</span> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mister
Orange</i>—Dutch)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">45.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A book set during
Christmas</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch for the Light:
Readings for Advent and Christmas</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">46.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #ff33cc;">A book written by an
author with your same initials</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At
Home</i>—Bill Bryson)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.billbryson.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/at-home-us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.billbryson.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/at-home-us.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since I gave up on finding an author with same middle initial, it's been much easier to meet this challenge. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">47.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;">A play</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Winter’s Tale</i>—William Shakespeare)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/covers/catalog/9780141013893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://www.penguin.com.au/covers/catalog/9780141013893.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famous for the stage direction "exit, pursued by bear."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">48.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;">A banned book</span>
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">July’s People</i>—Nadine Gordimer)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/f/9780747578383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/f/9780747578383.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Banned in South Africa during apartheid.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">49.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;">A book based on or
turned into a TV show</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frog and
Toad Together</i>) <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/content5/media/products/88/9780590061988_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.scholastic.com/content5/media/products/88/9780590061988_xlg.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does anyone else remember the <i>Long Ago and Far Away</i> television series? It was hosted by James Earl Jones. The Frog and Toad stories were claymation. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: magenta;">50.</span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: magenta;">A book you started
but never finished</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Absalom, Absalom!</i>
by William Faulkner)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.modernlib.com/authors/fAuthors/Faulkner%20images/271.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.modernlib.com/authors/fAuthors/Faulkner%20images/271.1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It had been unfinished for at least a year and a half. Most books are bit confusing if you wait that long to pick them up again, but I almost think Faulkner made <i>more</i> sense this way.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br />
In my next post, I'll list all the books I read for 2015 and my new reading goals for 2016. But what are your goals (reading or otherwise) for 2016?<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Images from <a href="https://www.coppercanyonpress.org/pages/browse/book.asp?bg={5DB744E9-E4AB-4314-A21F-C4C84A317273}">Copper Canyon Press</a>, <a href="http://www.boundariesbooks.com/boundaries-books/boundaries/">Boundaries Books</a>, <a href="http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/55694/the-diary-of-a-young-girl-by-anne-frank-translator-susan-massotty-and-editors-otto-h-frank-and-mirjam-pressler/9780385473781/">Penguin Random House</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Griffin-Sabine-Trilogy-Boxed/dp/0811806960">Amazon.com</a>, <a href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/mary-oliver/american-primitive/9780316650045/">Hatchette Book Group</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Griffin-Sabine-Trilogy-Boxed/dp/0811806960">Amazon.com</a>, <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/frog-and-toad-together#cart/cleanup">Scholastic,</a> <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/secret-remedy-book#cart/cleanup">Scholastic</a>, <a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/Gemini/Carol-Cassella/9781451627947">Simon and Schuster</a>, <a href="http://billbryson.co/">BillBryson.co</a></span>, <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/products/9780141013893/winter-s-tale-penguin-shakespeare">Penguin Books Australia</a>, <a href="http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/julys-people-9780747578383/">Bloomsbury</a>, </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/frog-and-toad-together#cart/cleanup">Scholastic</a>, and <a href="http://www.modernlib.com/authors/fAuthors/faulknerJackets.html">Collecting the Modern Library</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-2142158606960214842015-12-30T17:42:00.001-06:002015-12-31T01:44:10.643-06:00Poetry and Edible Houses: Christmas 2015Someday, I will write a holiday-themed post <i>before</i> the holiday in question. But today is obviously not that day.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
One of the houses came out cleanly:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rRSZmnbbJOdGXr9l2oSCQmy1tEE6o9zra6wF-mmPNZAiMM7j_qw9MJgLxEzhQiWrlsfE1hUuNjEVXOZtCMOHykWamGTa4Q2JReiZuAF1gYIkL6WtgJ-XVvvDSL_tBHOkenzO3badt3ZG/s1600/P1030421+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rRSZmnbbJOdGXr9l2oSCQmy1tEE6o9zra6wF-mmPNZAiMM7j_qw9MJgLxEzhQiWrlsfE1hUuNjEVXOZtCMOHykWamGTa4Q2JReiZuAF1gYIkL6WtgJ-XVvvDSL_tBHOkenzO3badt3ZG/s320/P1030421+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gluten-free gingerbread cake with chopped candied ginger and powdered sugar snow.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Remember how I said that <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/12/csi-turkey-division.html">I don't bake much</a>? 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. <i>Sure, let's go with that.</i>) But this time, it actually became frosting, so I'm marking that as a success.<br />
<br />
I knew the second house wasn't remotely <i>pretty</i>, but I was still a little shocked when Mom said, "Oh, what a cute chimney."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GFh2GYG3daB1njv-kWKUDUmyBUV6R6cqs1KMpbvifIwSELvRlM05ZJrHmEVtiNVT7-Y4_lmjEctB-ri5h-H8zBkerZxaLk7_-DToJeqHoGLznQxiL5PQSegJWVfAWzUMKY8RM1_Bf7qO/s1600/P1030423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GFh2GYG3daB1njv-kWKUDUmyBUV6R6cqs1KMpbvifIwSELvRlM05ZJrHmEVtiNVT7-Y4_lmjEctB-ri5h-H8zBkerZxaLk7_-DToJeqHoGLznQxiL5PQSegJWVfAWzUMKY8RM1_Bf7qO/s320/P1030423.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a tree, Mom. Obviously.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well, at least it tasted good.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1g-nt-Y0eJVsGuFKoU_m420yRUXE11jOZUnLh5zJsyTXefNWr5Ryh7T586bjPbam8soPYtwlwE4Com9FbMfds6bkjx4IFXLhZS_6EakXhdJowuVE6Vg4_v0y9H86DD1QqVKJNcNGWwT6z/s1600/P1030429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1g-nt-Y0eJVsGuFKoU_m420yRUXE11jOZUnLh5zJsyTXefNWr5Ryh7T586bjPbam8soPYtwlwE4Com9FbMfds6bkjx4IFXLhZS_6EakXhdJowuVE6Vg4_v0y9H86DD1QqVKJNcNGWwT6z/s320/P1030429.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small Christmas gift to the other members of Gateway Fellowship.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Simply Christmas</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Don’t
misunderstand, I love</div>
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the
ridiculous ritual </div>
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of it all:
the maudlin movies, the bell-song,</div>
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the scent of
cinnamon and cloves, the way everything</div>
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is red and
green and glitter</div>
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until your
eyes water. The trouble </div>
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lies under
the glitz and the gilt,</div>
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<br /></div>
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near the
core of Christmas: a human poverty, the empty ache</div>
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that called
the riches of Heaven</div>
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down to
earth. The trouble is I know </div>
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there will
never be enough</div>
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in my
checkbook to give</div>
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the people I
love the gifts they need most.</div>
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So the ache
in me prays for the ache you:</div>
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<br /></div>
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May you
receive a spark of courage</div>
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to light the
woods ahead of you </div>
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in dark
months. May you find a peace</div>
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to wrap
around your head like an oversized</div>
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scarf,
blocking out the cold and anxious wind. </div>
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May you
maintain that stubborn flame of joy</div>
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we find in
the Beatitudes: “happy are. . .</div>
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the poor in
spirit, the ones who mourn, the meek,</div>
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the
merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers,</div>
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and the
persecuted.” May all your God-given hungers—</div>
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for food,
for safety and shelter, for love, for justice, and for family—</div>
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be filled.
May you find your people this year,</div>
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your place
of belonging, and may you discover</div>
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forgiveness
for those who once ignored your worth.</div>
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<br /></div>
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May your
heart not just be a cup</div>
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waiting to
be filled, but a channel</div>
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that spills
into the thirsty world. May you give</div>
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as you have
received. And may the gift</div>
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that stays
the closest to your</div>
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heart be the
one that first arrived</div>
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without
receipt or ribbon, tagged </div>
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for the
world God so loved </div>
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with
Heaven’s brightest beam and wrapped,</div>
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by human
hands, in simple</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
swaddling
cloth.</div>
Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-13676882074015102912015-12-15T14:15:00.000-06:002015-12-15T21:49:33.705-06:0030 Last-Minute Bookish Gifts<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">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.</span> </span><br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
You'll notice that at times I've stretched the term "bookish" to mean "things Bethany likes."<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: purple;">Gifts Over $25 (with some exceptions)</span> </h3>
<b>Digital Subscription Services.</b> When you just don't know what to get a reader, but you know you want to give them <i>reading</i>, this may be your best bet. At this point, most people know about <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/ku/gift_landing/">Amazon's Kindle Unlimited service</a> (at $9.99 a month, or $59.99 for six months, and $119.88 for a year). But there are many other options.</span><br />
<br />
1. <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/">Scribd</a> 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.</span><br />
<br />
2. I don't know much about it yet, but there's also the recent <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.playster.com/">Playster</a>, 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).</span><br />
<br />
3. For the comic book fan, <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://marvel.com/comics/unlimited">Marvel Unlimited</a> 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!)</span><br />
<br />
<b>Non-digital Subscriptions.</b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
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<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<b>Home Decor</b> <br />
<br />
5. Customized Penguin Book Pillow from <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/204172854/penguins-book-custom-title-decor-pillow?ref=market">DecorByEdna</a> on Etsy ($22.00, plus $7.50 shipping).</span><br />
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<br />
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 <i>look</i> at this miniature filing cabinet from <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/products/mini-filing-cabinet-+-black/">Kikkerland</a> and tell me couldn't use one ($30.00 w/ free shipping).<b> </b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/OR21-BK_520x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/OR21-BK_520x400.jpg" height="244" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<b>Clothing and Accessories</b> <br />
<br />
7. I'd be lying if I said that I knew why anyone would need this $44.00 <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Umbrella-quote-Hamlet-William-Shakespeare/dp/B0174DM814/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449985502&sr=8-3&keywords=literary+umbrella">Literati Club Hamlet umbrella</a>, but I'd also be lying if I said wouldn't use it <i>all the time</i> if I had one.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/615H9vxwZ2L._SL500_SR160,160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/615H9vxwZ2L._SL500_SR160,160_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: purple;">Gifts Between $25 and $10</span></h3>
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 <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://bookishgifts.com/collections/edgar-allan-poe/products/library-candle-edgar-allan-poe?variant=3117441409">Bookish Gifts</a> ($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.)</span><br />
<br />
9. What goes together better than books and tea? This <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/kate-spade-new-york-Thermal/dp/B00O859NNI/ref=pd_sim_325_29?ie=UTF8&dpID=41oJ8G-3XkL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=194V8P3CKS2PTPGRNJEA">Kate Spade thermal travel mug </a>lets you celebrate both ($22.95 w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime). </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61IbBa5SiaL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61IbBa5SiaL._SL1500_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
10. Dictionary<i> </i>is one of my favorite group games, so <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002TOEASI/ref=dp_olp_collectible?ie=UTF8&condition=collectible">Discovery Bay's Liebrary</a> game sounds amazing. It's basically a similar bluffing game, but with the first lines of books.<b> </b>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).</span><br />
<br />
11. These tea-scented erasers available through <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://poets.myshopify.com/collections/stocking-stuffers/products/tea-scented-erasers-set-of-5">The Academy of American Poets</a> 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 <a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/products/scented-tea-erasers/">Kikkerland</a>).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0377/1697/products/teaeraser_grande.png?v=1418857084" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0377/1697/products/teaeraser_grande.png?v=1418857084" height="200" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<b>Clothing and Accessories </b><br />
<br />
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 <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.outofprintclothing.com/products/library-card-natural-tote">Out of Print Clothing</a> for $16.00 (plus $5.95 for USPS shipping). It also comes in a variety of colors.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0380/6785/products/TOTE-1016_library-card-natural_Totes_1_150x150_cropped.jpg?12291669659595398869" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0380/6785/products/TOTE-1016_library-card-natural_Totes_1_150x150_cropped.jpg?12291669659595398869" /></a></span></div>
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13. I didn't even know this existed until I received one for my birthday this week, but <i>oh. my. word.</i> I love this! <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://yesandyesdesigns.storenvy.com/collections/1229151-comic-collection">Yes & Yes Designs</a> 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.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://d310a9hpolx59w.cloudfront.net/product_photos/18704268/Ladies_20Page8_20w_20names_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d310a9hpolx59w.cloudfront.net/product_photos/18704268/Ladies_20Page8_20w_20names_original.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></span></div>
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<br />
14. The only thing wrong with this <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Eric-Carle-Umbrella-Preferred/dp/B00435RJDY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449985869&sr=8-2&keywords=book+umbrella">Eric Carlye, Hungry Caterpillar umbrella</a> 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 <i>anyone</i>'s rainy day.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Wsl4tVuqL._AC_UL115_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Wsl4tVuqL._AC_UL115_.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="color: purple;">Gifts $10 and Under</span></h3>
<b>Bookmarks</b>. When in doubt, readers always need bookmarks<b>. </b>Sure, any piece of paper will do in a pinch, but why not have a little fun?<br />
<br />
15. Zipper bookmark ($7.00 or less w/ free shipping through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Design-Zipmark-ZIPPER-Bookmark-Holder/dp/B008XQF0YE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1450152172&sr=8-2&keywords=zipper+bookmark">Amazon Prime</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31aP1qmKY5L._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31aP1qmKY5L._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg" /></a></div>
16. Hippo bookmark ($9.90 w/ free shipping through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hippomark-Hippo-Bookmark-Peleg-Design/dp/B00SRGPGT4/ref=pd_sim_229_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=41F6u8DsA9L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=19575C645T3RG9508GSK">Amazon Prime</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F6u8DsA9L._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F6u8DsA9L._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg" /></a></div>
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17. Cassette tape bookmark ($8.09 w/ free shipping through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fred-Friends-PAUSE-Cassette-Bookmarks/dp/B00UL6PQYS/ref=pd_sim_229_9?ie=UTF8&dpID=41rXhpZN8sL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1PXNPTJMDCHHV6WPKMKA">Amazon Prime</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41rXhpZN8sL._AC_UL115_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41rXhpZN8sL._AC_UL115_.jpg" /></a></div>
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18. Woodland Friends magnetic bookmarks (eight for $3.95 w/ free shipping through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Woodland-Friends-Magnetic-Markers-Bookmarks/dp/1441319174/ref=pd_sim_14_6?ie=UTF8&dpID=41eEZUpEc3L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0FTTDZFCBHFQ6QJ2V9VH">Amazon Prime</a>).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41eEZUpEc3L._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41eEZUpEc3L._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Stationery</b> <br />
15. I have a weakness for cute notepads. And cupcakes. (From <a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/products/Memo-Pad-Cupcake/">Kikkerland</a> for $4.00 w/ free shipping.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/ST11CA_520x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/ST11CA_520x400.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
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16. Or if you prefer something a little more natural looking. . . . ($3.00 w/ free shipping from <a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/products/Sticky-Notes-Tree/">Kikkerland</a>.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/ST36_520x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/ST36_520x400.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
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17. This ninja pen makes its own "SHHINNG" sound ($6.00 w/ free shipping from <a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/products/ninja-pen-+-shhinng-sound/">Kikkerland</a>).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/4401_520x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/4401_520x400.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
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18. "I shot a pencil through the air. . .good thing I had three others" (4 for $5.00 w/ free shipping from <a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/products/arrow-pencil-set-of-4/">Kikkerland</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/4349_520x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/4349_520x400.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></div>
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19. And if you're buying pencils, you'll probably need a pencil sharpener. So why not get a fun one? (From <a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/products/pencil-sharpener-wind-up-key/">Kikkerland</a> for $5.00 w/ free shipping.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/SC29_520x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kikkerland.com/images/winsol/SC29_520x400.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
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20. Book labels are always a good stocking stuffer, and here some from one of my favorite Esty shops, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/62219557/octopus-book-labels-set-of-6-book?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=book%20stickers&ref=sr_gallery_6">boygirlparty</a> (six for $4.50, plus $2.30 shipping). Other designs are available (but I thought the reading octopus was unusual).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5117032/il_570xN.194213269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5117032/il_570xN.194213269.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>Food and Drink</b> <br />
21. Jane Austen cookie cutter, enough said. From <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/176657127/jane-austen-silhouette-cookie-cutter?ref=sr_gallery_10&ga_search_query=book+cookie+cutters&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery">regencyaustenation</a> at Etsy ($7.50, plus $2.25 shipping). <br />
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/034/0/6562665/il_570xN.561337314_j045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/034/0/6562665/il_570xN.561337314_j045.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
22. Or you could get a regular <a href="http://www.cheapcookiecutters.com/products/book-cookie-cutter">book-shaped cookie cutter</a> from Cheap Cookie Cutters (a three-inch cutter for $3.49, shipping runs between $2.90 and $5.99).<br />
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23. I am always looking for an excuse to combine books with good tea, and this Book Lover's Tea from <a href="http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=10470">Adagio</a> sounds like the perfect stocking stuffer. (Sample tins start at $4, plus $3.75 for ground shipping.) <br />
<br />
24. "Tea + Books = Bliss." This tea ball knows what's up. It's available from <a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/048/0/6188694/il_570xN.718359847_np0k.jpg">TillaHomestead</a> through Etsy ($6.50, plus about $2.90 for shipping). <br />
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/048/0/6188694/il_570xN.718359847_np0k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/048/0/6188694/il_570xN.718359847_np0k.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Clothing and Accessories</b><br />
25. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q7PCJZQ?psc=1">Ashi Dashi Pencil socks</a>! ($9.99 w/ free shipping through Amazon Prime).<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41M0y+RK6SL._AC_SR160,150_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41M0y+RK6SL._AC_SR160,150_.jpg" height="187" width="200" /></a></div>
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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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Socksmith-Womens-Socks-Typewriters-Peacock/dp/B00MX3RS4I/ref=sr_1_6?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1450172088&sr=1-6&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=typewriter">Amazon Prime</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Ss9E1zXOL._SL285_CR0,0,285,369_QL65_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Ss9E1zXOL._SL285_CR0,0,285,369_QL65_.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></div>
27. Typewriter key jewelry. Typewriter key buttons are available from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/189375372/typewriter-key-buttons-made-to-order?ga_order=price_asc&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=typewriter&ref=sr_gallery_3">TursiArt</a> through Etsy for $1.50 each ($2.99 for shipping). Typewriter key charms can be purchased for $2.00 each from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/218897239/typewriter-alphabet-charm?ga_order=price_asc&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=typewriter&ref=sr_gallery_8">Gvioletshop</a> through Etsy ($1.00 shipping).<br />
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/058/0/5651230/il_570xN.739055259_dqtf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/058/0/5651230/il_570xN.739055259_dqtf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/059/0/6656351/il_570xN.713106556_9x7t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/059/0/6656351/il_570xN.713106556_9x7t.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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28. If you're looking for something similar but a little fancier, I suggest <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/167392822/new-monogram-initial-necklace-black-and?ga_order=price_asc&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=typewriter&ref=sr_gallery_35">SugarLaneShoppe</a>'s necklaces ($6.95, plus $2.50 for shipping through Etsy).<br />
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/044/0/5972945/il_570xN.518932118_eibd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/044/0/5972945/il_570xN.518932118_eibd.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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29. Speaking of typewriters, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/210740397/retro-typewriter-lapel-pin-tie-tack?ga_order=price_asc&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=typewriter&ref=sr_gallery_17">SkullAndHawk</a> has a silver typewriter pin/tie tack ($5.99, plus $3.00 shipping through Etsy).<br />
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/120/1/9743708/il_570xN.873211958_fzuv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/120/1/9743708/il_570xN.873211958_fzuv.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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30. Or there's this lovely wooden typewriter pendant, from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/92991417/vintage-typewriter-bluegreen-a-jewelry?ga_order=price_asc&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=typewriter&ref=sr_gallery_39">FrillyChili</a> ($6.95, plus $2.50 shipping through Etsy).<br />
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6238177/il_570xN.312076290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6238177/il_570xN.312076290.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-60496078342587863862015-12-02T00:23:00.000-06:002015-12-15T21:25:58.659-06:00CSI: Turkey DivisionLast 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.<br />
<br />
But I did manage to accomplish other things. Exhibit A: <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFoBpCdAByudOMXI_tKnLE8JgsE9E1C4S_z62Vcx-T_lFVRmWttf7TsSh5haRsoXgC1nqZQ8I4B0fpLXalC4Vu-rCcvMM-WsRhke9NoIgfcgFb0I3p_FMzOg2x27aYQvx7RVQHK2k0_ix/s1600/P1030408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFoBpCdAByudOMXI_tKnLE8JgsE9E1C4S_z62Vcx-T_lFVRmWttf7TsSh5haRsoXgC1nqZQ8I4B0fpLXalC4Vu-rCcvMM-WsRhke9NoIgfcgFb0I3p_FMzOg2x27aYQvx7RVQHK2k0_ix/s320/P1030408.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Exhibit B:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPedSsXGpeSs75V78xCOi-_DOX7oTekAZiocaQCSFrrsKX6VS8LkSCC98dLGcd7ytUsmWAFAcfKilj89YC7c9Wov1iDUQPtgvFTU10WlIlbPU6IgD90t3AdR0nNxbA4VyIA-nBNY8hNYcz/s1600/P1030405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPedSsXGpeSs75V78xCOi-_DOX7oTekAZiocaQCSFrrsKX6VS8LkSCC98dLGcd7ytUsmWAFAcfKilj89YC7c9Wov1iDUQPtgvFTU10WlIlbPU6IgD90t3AdR0nNxbA4VyIA-nBNY8hNYcz/s320/P1030405.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the only photo I have of the table. Behold! a bunch of covered dishes and some foil lumps. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnox_Cqqurw8zmz9pIuzfYPbErJDXOye5PIbivP5jqsAdUhwqYgJTp-FexmQv2wfosy7hLNufK_B4zBcXRfgRTb4GD4xfFd7E_oiE6dl6tch7sxgyLqYQq56uMMJ_ADbyTDKUBeqFofir/s1600/P1030410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnox_Cqqurw8zmz9pIuzfYPbErJDXOye5PIbivP5jqsAdUhwqYgJTp-FexmQv2wfosy7hLNufK_B4zBcXRfgRTb4GD4xfFd7E_oiE6dl6tch7sxgyLqYQq56uMMJ_ADbyTDKUBeqFofir/s320/P1030410.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.)<br />
<br />
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."<br />
<br />
Later, they visited the scene of the crime.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqhpUPGowjSSH9s5Si6Rp4EImmEqVmryQ61nfzuEkdP7Eax13TtzV2K0RGrOOYAjnra9LwUI4K3A7yHxBxOTX-sESA1lbU2DvtKgeGh4KfuL5nGISZybZgZYLchet7u_If9HOGR44WuDP/s1600/P1030418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqhpUPGowjSSH9s5Si6Rp4EImmEqVmryQ61nfzuEkdP7Eax13TtzV2K0RGrOOYAjnra9LwUI4K3A7yHxBxOTX-sESA1lbU2DvtKgeGh4KfuL5nGISZybZgZYLchet7u_If9HOGR44WuDP/s320/P1030418.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You know and I know what happened here, Becky, but no judge is going to convict on butter splatters alone."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4M0dKgYLUMJZUW8VcbqNdvBCQzdwFoDTMTYIycG2_niC5OmZ74r9lPasuMc2EMa08ZNVRsEJ2XK6PiDp5CvxVBfCgk91ywA5Hp66RNdJ7TUGnZfzbNk0aQovB_iG_V9tzYrVKMuUoAk0/s1600/P1030416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4M0dKgYLUMJZUW8VcbqNdvBCQzdwFoDTMTYIycG2_niC5OmZ74r9lPasuMc2EMa08ZNVRsEJ2XK6PiDp5CvxVBfCgk91ywA5Hp66RNdJ7TUGnZfzbNk0aQovB_iG_V9tzYrVKMuUoAk0/s320/P1030416.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I can't <i>prove</i> you did it, but I can defecate on your deck."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I can't end a post without giving you something to read, but I really just want to suggest <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1990-11-15/food/fo-6490_1_food-sleuth">every article</a> <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1985-11-24/magazine/tm-1328_1_thanksgiving-dinner">I've read</a> about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/22/garden/how-you-stuff-is-what-you-are.html">Ian Dengler, food sleuth</a>. 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 <a href="http://www.ijreview.com/2014/11/207943-8-tantalizing-map-shows-50-demanded-thanksgiving-recipes-state/">most googled Thanksgiving side dishes by state</a> (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.<br />
<br />
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?<br />
<br />Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-89008448613486480172015-11-20T00:56:00.004-06:002015-11-20T15:30:07.764-06:00Reading Challenge Update: Help Needed!It's been a while since I updated my progress on my <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/02/reading-goals-for-2015.html" target="_blank">reading goals</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Here's how I'm doing on the PopSugar Reading Challenge. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">Books read </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">previously are in shades of </span><span style="color: #93c47d;">green</span> <span style="color: #444444;">(<span style="font-family: inherit;">and </span>mentioned</span> <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/03/reading-challenge-2015-update-march.html" target="_blank">here</a> <span style="color: #444444;">and</span> <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/05/reading-challenge-2015-update-may.html" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: #444444;">). New reads are in </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">blue</span> (with pictures)</span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;">. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #00b050;">1. A book
with more than 500 pages</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Art
of Fielding</i> by Chad Harbach, 512 p.)<br />
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">2. A
classic romance</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wuthering Heights</i>
by Emily Brontë) </blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publicbookshelf.com/images/wuthering-heights423x630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.publicbookshelf.com/images/wuthering-heights423x630.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">3. A book
that became a movie</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cold Mountain</i>)</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.groveatlantic.com/covers/medium/0802142842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.groveatlantic.com/covers/medium/0802142842.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Still haven't seen the movie, but now I can.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">4. A book
published this year</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Sculptor</i>—Scott
McCloud)</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.scottmccloud.com/2-print/5-sculpt/sculpt-book.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.scottmccloud.com/2-print/5-sculpt/sculpt-book.png" height="304" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #00b050;">5. A book
with a number in the title </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms.
Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal)</i><span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">6. A book
written by someone under 30</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">7. A book
with nonhuman characters </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone:
The Great Cow Race</i>)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">8. A
funny book</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hyperbole and a Half</i>—Allie
Brosh) <br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">9. A book
by a female author</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel,
Vol. 1: No Normal</i>—G. Willow Wilson)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">10. A
mystery or thriller </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Yiddish
Policemen’s Union</i>)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">11. A book
with a one-word title</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trillium</i>
by Jeff Lemire)<br />
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">12. A book
of short stories</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Africa39</i>)</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/f/9781408854679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/f/9781408854679.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #00b050;">13. A book
set in a different country </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Behind
the Beautiful Forevers</i>)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">14. A
nonfiction book</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch for the
Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">15. A
popular author’s first book</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cinder</i>
by Marissa Meyer)</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/covers/catalog/9780141340135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://www.penguin.com.au/covers/catalog/9780141340135.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #00b050;">16. A book
from an author you love that you haven’t read yet </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shadow Hero</i> by Gene Luen Yang)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">17. A book
a friend recommended </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the Open</i>)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
18. A Pulitzer-Prize winning book<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">19. A book
based on a true story </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gaijin:
American Prisoner of War</i>)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">20. A book
at the bottom of your to-read list</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At
Home</i> by Bill Bryson)<br />
21. A book your mom loves<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">22. A book
that scares you</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Through the Woods</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">23. A book
more than 100 years old</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wuthering
Heights</i><span class="st">)</span></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publicbookshelf.com/images/wuthering-heights423x630.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.publicbookshelf.com/images/wuthering-heights423x630.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First published in 1847.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">24. A book
based entirely on its cover </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mister
Orange</i>)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
25. A book you were supposed to read in
school but didn’t<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">26. A
memoir</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">27. A book
you can finish in a day</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Return of
the Dapper Men</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">28. A book
with antonyms in the title</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alpha
Zulu</i>—Gary Copeland Lilley)</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V79-uAP8L._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V79-uAP8L._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
29. A book set somewhere you’ve always
wanted to visit<br />
30. A book that came out the year you
were born<br />
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">31. A book
with bad reviews</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wuthering
Heights</i>)</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publicbookshelf.com/images/wuthering-heights423x630.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.publicbookshelf.com/images/wuthering-heights423x630.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wuthering Heights</i> received famously mixed critical reviews when it came out. A pattern which was repeated by my book club.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
32. A trilogy<br />
33. A book from your childhood<br />
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">34. A book
with a love triangle</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wuthering
Heights</i>)</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publicbookshelf.com/images/wuthering-heights423x630.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.publicbookshelf.com/images/wuthering-heights423x630.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why anyone would seek out a book with a love triangle is beyond me. But <i>Wuthering Heights</i> to the rescue again! (Now there's a phrase I never imagined saying.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #00b0f0;">35. A book
set in the future</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trillium</i> by
Jeff Lemire)</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.dcentertainment.com/sites/default/files/styles/covers192x291/public/gn-covers/2014/04/TRILL_Cv1A_534f1ee89cc334.27647759.jpg?itok=h1zDousJ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media.dcentertainment.com/sites/default/files/styles/covers192x291/public/gn-covers/2014/04/TRILL_Cv1A_534f1ee89cc334.27647759.jpg?itok=h1zDousJ" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Trillum</i> 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.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #00b050;">36. A book
set in high school</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel,
Vol. 1: No Normal</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">37. A book
with a color in the title </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Little
White Duck</i>)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
38. A book that made you cry<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">39. A book
with magic </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How Mirka Met a
Meteorite</i>—magic not explicitly mentioned, but a witch turns a meteorite
into a person)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">40. A
graphic novel</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">41. A book
by an author you’ve never read before</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal</i>—G. Willow Wilson)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">42. A book
you own but have never read </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Yiddish Policemen’s Union</i>)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
43. A book that takes place in your
hometown<br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">44. A book
that was originally written in a different language </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mister Orange</i>—Dutch)<span style="color: #00b050;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #00b050;">45. A book
set during Christmas</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch for
the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas</i>)<br />
46. A book written by an author with
your same initials <br />
47. A play<br />
48. A banned book<br />
49. A book based on or turned into a
TV show<br />
50. A book you started but never
finished</blockquote>
But guys, it's November and I have fourteen things left on this list. Never mind my intention to read<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A) books from South Africa and Lesotho, focusing particularly (though not exclusively) on work relating to the Zulu people (<i>Africa39</i> contained three stories by authors from South Africa, so I haven't decided whether or not that counts towards my South African literature);</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
B) two Pulitzer-winning books, at least one of them fiction;</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
C) at least one book by a Nobel-prize-winning writer whose work I'm not well-acquainted with; and </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
D) seven poetry-related books (I'm currently at six, so this might happen).</blockquote>
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 <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i>. Apparently, I am some kind of book-processing robot.)<br />
<br />
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, <i>please </i>let me know. I'm at a loss.) Any suggestions for other challenges on this list?<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Images from <a href="http://www.publicbookshelf.com/romance/wuther-heights/" target="_blank">PublicBookshelf </a>[Oxford World Classics cover of <i>Wuthering Heights</i>], <a href="http://www.groveatlantic.com/#page=isbn9780802142849" target="_blank">GroveAtlantic</a>, <a href="http://scottmccloud.com/">ScottMcCloud.com</a>, <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/products/9780141340135/lunar-chronicles-cinder" target="_blank">Penguin Book Australia</a>, <a href="http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/africa39-9781408854679/">Bloomsbury Publishing</a>, <a href="http://amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/trillium">Vertigo</a>.)</span> Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-49137599670902735082015-11-13T00:34:00.002-06:002015-11-13T13:55:29.471-06:00Fall Update: The Penn Cove Award, Dick Grayson, and Summer's EndThe 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. <br />
<br />
At one point this summer, I even managed to clean off my desk.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvktslQmnR3sYkQWjOh98vRjw5Pg8WDHMeD4v5BytBhWNlOYZjIPTxMSziXGmivA9O9RjW25KnJKd1mqcRHy8FN7GEyKP-06aep-5lYuPZ6cs-1Dt0HULKYjsPR7X8byw_2xWCnnPn4ygu/s1600/P1030311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvktslQmnR3sYkQWjOh98vRjw5Pg8WDHMeD4v5BytBhWNlOYZjIPTxMSziXGmivA9O9RjW25KnJKd1mqcRHy8FN7GEyKP-06aep-5lYuPZ6cs-1Dt0HULKYjsPR7X8byw_2xWCnnPn4ygu/s320/P1030311.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Clean," you'll notice, is not quite the same as "uncluttered."</td></tr>
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But what's that on the left? Why look it's. . .<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiNYUs7zTdcF9Gcwcqp4VPK_MJegQ1u6H3YVhx6I2OON_xamKS82f1t2_p5xXyCtHi7RZGKBUetWVkLDjcmozBDPfaz-GiHITKTRZHKG27WrXnyPseJj_F_FpQodcH1RPpU2ZzYYf0N5C/s1600/P1030299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiNYUs7zTdcF9Gcwcqp4VPK_MJegQ1u6H3YVhx6I2OON_xamKS82f1t2_p5xXyCtHi7RZGKBUetWVkLDjcmozBDPfaz-GiHITKTRZHKG27WrXnyPseJj_F_FpQodcH1RPpU2ZzYYf0N5C/s320/P1030299.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's all pretend that's a normal amount of chocolate for a single person to possess.</td></tr>
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. . .an Underwood Noiseless 77 "portable" typewriter! (This was my grandfather's, and when my aunts and grandmother visited this summer, they brought it along.)<br />
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But what's that next to the Underwood? Why it's only. . .Barton College's <i>Crucible</i>, containing one my poems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRwnbN1SUNteRSH47Tx1ggkU1wSL7iyfx1s3CaD3_fgfN1S-S3HTQlBLVyCqg-Jlvj9aJCBdhYjjubClI8zbgVgKhHzqdOUAd2zOlKG_C5bZn6BW6RhsRvhktYvYCEkPTeJR1AjnMq4Cn/s1600/P1030301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRwnbN1SUNteRSH47Tx1ggkU1wSL7iyfx1s3CaD3_fgfN1S-S3HTQlBLVyCqg-Jlvj9aJCBdhYjjubClI8zbgVgKhHzqdOUAd2zOlKG_C5bZn6BW6RhsRvhktYvYCEkPTeJR1AjnMq4Cn/s200/P1030301.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib32qAIjjvR-KDp_GvBMHEbQH42sFIcvYuCCpk98dfaigzV0Iq7a-bkx1GRRR3x0PcdhvoURqAlcqCLPi6pOhuG9xpvqGaIirG8_e8BtGbmXJBSRnXSwex6GymRz2WEItxdyThWXbOKjjy/s1600/P1030302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib32qAIjjvR-KDp_GvBMHEbQH42sFIcvYuCCpk98dfaigzV0Iq7a-bkx1GRRR3x0PcdhvoURqAlcqCLPi6pOhuG9xpvqGaIirG8_e8BtGbmXJBSRnXSwex6GymRz2WEItxdyThWXbOKjjy/s200/P1030302.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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.</td></tr>
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And under that. . .a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dick-Grayson-Boy-Wonder-Nightwing/dp/0786497882/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437703427&sr=8-1&keywords=Dick+Grayson%2C+Boy+WOnder" target="_blank"><i>Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder: Scholars and Creators on 75 Years of Robin, Nightwing, and Batman</i> </a>(<a href="http://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-9788-1" target="_blank">McFarland</a>), containing one of my essays.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9-uWQA9VY0W-JEhQgmn7mQuIQES277UAbvri121S0oNyi_iarQoCUV4416lq4gyck90jZUt5T7VvOdrJhc8X_NJz1y2eI1ugXt6c7zj36I2kLbI2832FWD8Nqpj6w6VqznBQburgyjcs/s1600/P1030303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9-uWQA9VY0W-JEhQgmn7mQuIQES277UAbvri121S0oNyi_iarQoCUV4416lq4gyck90jZUt5T7VvOdrJhc8X_NJz1y2eI1ugXt6c7zj36I2kLbI2832FWD8Nqpj6w6VqznBQburgyjcs/s200/P1030303.JPG" width="145" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5F4npjyFnY7bJBKharpm3QvX8UN2mVHVY_jLQPFXxrX7UTufDU4-c0U9TME_kwayH3YJHvCmPvWONueI-H-OdXR52_CkNUfievfHuZKHIQNLxj3M6YCkHdFfw3LwZKduTIqz6Cm5ciS25/s1600/P1030304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5F4npjyFnY7bJBKharpm3QvX8UN2mVHVY_jLQPFXxrX7UTufDU4-c0U9TME_kwayH3YJHvCmPvWONueI-H-OdXR52_CkNUfievfHuZKHIQNLxj3M6YCkHdFfw3LwZKduTIqz6Cm5ciS25/s200/P1030304.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"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.</td></tr>
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In other writing news, I won the September 2015 <a href="http://whidbeystudents.com/penn-cove-award/" target="_blank">Penn Cove Award</a> 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 <a href="http://whidbeystudents.com/2015/09/30/late-september-news-penn-cove-award-goes-to-bethany-f-brengan/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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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. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOri5DoneK_Ty-nj1vZieb8sMXLeUSc4fBF90u9zMjGnSatXBL_aDQ4dvd5FhZHGuvfcwg9bBntoYXgKwIkz15nHpCPaUEcCOXJcu2ZbTwG3zvwCOiGf5cg_5gM6INmM9FDIDKMnwLy7i/s1600/P1030314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOri5DoneK_Ty-nj1vZieb8sMXLeUSc4fBF90u9zMjGnSatXBL_aDQ4dvd5FhZHGuvfcwg9bBntoYXgKwIkz15nHpCPaUEcCOXJcu2ZbTwG3zvwCOiGf5cg_5gM6INmM9FDIDKMnwLy7i/s320/P1030314.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather's blue-ribbon-winning Ferris wheel photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5e5Jqesm01K6ghlO20bLG6yAncwSal6eBnrzszpyI3txBU79ztLLcmcWI4qK0iJBwLvEhTPwGK0HYv5lH0iBACkmRDdgPLFErpQxz8XemBF_AAEpFA490lZVNey9_7S1lMl4PibbD-OMR/s1600/P1030320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5e5Jqesm01K6ghlO20bLG6yAncwSal6eBnrzszpyI3txBU79ztLLcmcWI4qK0iJBwLvEhTPwGK0HYv5lH0iBACkmRDdgPLFErpQxz8XemBF_AAEpFA490lZVNey9_7S1lMl4PibbD-OMR/s320/P1030320.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</i> themed box.</td></tr>
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We also attended <a href="http://www.keycitypublictheatre.org/plays-and-events/a-midsummer-nights-dream/" target="_blank">Key City Public Theatre</a>'s Shakespeare in the Park production, <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>.<i> </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeBuepwfM5Mzi1IaRhfuaOleWh_mJ8w-Ia2k37B3EyP_Uy0x3bhxQ8qI35MkRt4VG5nWNnhyphenhyphenByCopo7FOfFLSnWCg7g5i2Yks3Vg2m60lfh9sSRl-LekvYwFT_carJqk5Jgxu4gjZQIAV/s1600/P1030342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeBuepwfM5Mzi1IaRhfuaOleWh_mJ8w-Ia2k37B3EyP_Uy0x3bhxQ8qI35MkRt4VG5nWNnhyphenhyphenByCopo7FOfFLSnWCg7g5i2Yks3Vg2m60lfh9sSRl-LekvYwFT_carJqk5Jgxu4gjZQIAV/s320/P1030342.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do not ask how many photos I had to take before the two of us and the stage were in frame.</td></tr>
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</i><br />
At the end of the summer, we walked down to the beach, where someone else had sent up a farewell to the season.<br />
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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.Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-50960671902716761832015-05-18T01:29:00.000-05:002015-05-18T01:29:14.071-05:00Impromptu PoetryPoetry has a way of cropping up in unexpected places. Yesterday, in celebration of a dear friend's birthday, I went into Port Townsend. We saw the Rhody Parade. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jEHjJKXLuVWen1XztN-e2WUibkJQBmpsmTh0_lKN25xnvEAIWV0TW5QuMjsu09Mr46Ad1wCjtKhZ4jht_hzCWXoZGAwKRr5eavVEf1gIolxGl12xYNSgsFFqmubCjb5EZEeihgnIjoTy/s1600/P1030270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jEHjJKXLuVWen1XztN-e2WUibkJQBmpsmTh0_lKN25xnvEAIWV0TW5QuMjsu09Mr46Ad1wCjtKhZ4jht_hzCWXoZGAwKRr5eavVEf1gIolxGl12xYNSgsFFqmubCjb5EZEeihgnIjoTy/s320/P1030270.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We attended a cake picnic (and community dance party).<br />
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We went to a carnival.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc52s3gzWt11t63yEi1OOtC6Jcaqx3u32gizG5baSVzjImD9KFHYR5sPKsQcMO9oWJzQ0mG-IzQdYzXoS9CY8Q6QLd-Jk-CKK40JQnzapAhd0uEhKm5kNhZwdBEc4aJeTwntNeCxZgv2Vy/s1600/P1030289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc52s3gzWt11t63yEi1OOtC6Jcaqx3u32gizG5baSVzjImD9KFHYR5sPKsQcMO9oWJzQ0mG-IzQdYzXoS9CY8Q6QLd-Jk-CKK40JQnzapAhd0uEhKm5kNhZwdBEc4aJeTwntNeCxZgv2Vy/s320/P1030289.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Ferris wheel.</td></tr>
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And when wandering through the Farmers Market, I met this woman: Afrose Fatima Ahmed.<br />
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She was typing out name-your-price poems on a portable typewriter. I was impressed both by her ability to focus in the midst of the market noise and by the quality of her lightning-speed work. Her <a href="http://afrosefatimaahmed.com/" target="_blank">website</a> contains some brief information about what she refers to as her "impromptu poetry."<br />
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I find this idea of a poem written instantly and then cast out<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span>bread upon the waters, no copies saved, no revisions made<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-51531440242414870012015-05-04T03:09:00.002-05:002015-05-04T03:12:48.890-05:00Reading Challenge 2015 Update (May)<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;">It's been. . .that kind of week. So instead of focusing on things that I<span style="font-family: inherit;">'m behind on</span>,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> let's look at my progress on unnecessary goals. (Can I get a <span style="font-family: inherit;">self-delusional "Woo<span style="font-family: inherit;">o!"?)</span></span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's an update on<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">my</span></span></span> <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/02/reading-goals-for-2015.html" target="_blank">PopSugar Reading Challenge</a>. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Books read <span style="font-family: inherit;">previously are in <span style="color: #93c47d;">green</span> (<span style="font-family: inherit;">and </span>mentioned <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/03/reading-challenge-2015-update-march.html" target="_blank">here</a>). New reads are in purple (with pictures)</span></span>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book with more
than 500 pages</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Art of
Fielding</i> by Chad Harbach, 512 p.)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A classic romance<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book that became a movie<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book published this year<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book with a number
in the title </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1:
No Normal)</i><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book written by
someone under 30</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book with nonhuman
characters </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone: The Great Cow
Race</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #7030a0;">A funny book</span>
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hyperbole and a Half</i>—Allie Brosh)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/cvr9781476764597_9781476764597_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/cvr9781476764597_9781476764597_lg.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sort of cheating since I haven't quite finished it yet, but it's the first book that's made me laugh out loud several times.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book by a female
author</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No
Normal</i>—G. Willow Wilson)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A mystery or
thriller </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Yiddish Policemen’s
Union</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #7030a0;">A book with a
one-word title</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trillium</i> by
Jeff Lemire)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.dcentertainment.com/sites/default/files/styles/covers192x291/public/gn-covers/2014/04/TRILL_Cv1A_534f1ee89cc334.27647759.jpg?itok=h1zDousJ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media.dcentertainment.com/sites/default/files/styles/covers192x291/public/gn-covers/2014/04/TRILL_Cv1A_534f1ee89cc334.27647759.jpg?itok=h1zDousJ" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the other "one-word title" books I read had long subtitles. Posers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book of short stories<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book set in a
different country </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Behind the
Beautiful Forevers</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A nonfiction book</span>
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent
and Christmas</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A popular author’s first book<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book from an
author you love that you haven’t read yet </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shadow Hero</i> by Gene Luen Yang)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book a friend
recommended </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the Open</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A Pulitzer-Prize winning book<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book based on a
true story </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gaijin: American
Prisoner of War</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #7030a0;">A book at the bottom
of your to-read list</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At Home</i>
by Bill Bryson)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780767919395" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780767919395" height="320" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryson made the history of cement and Western sewage as interesting as possible. But this wasn't even my first pick for a Bill Bryson book. If my book club hadn't chosen this 500+ page tome, maybe I could have finally finished <i>Moby Dick</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book your mom loves<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #7030a0;">A book that scares
you</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Through the Woods</i>)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/cvr9781442465954/through-the-woods-9781442465954_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/cvr9781442465954/through-the-woods-9781442465954_lg.jpg" height="320" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not going to admit to being scared exactly. But this one didn't make my "before bed reading" list.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book more than 100 years old<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book based
entirely on its cover </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mister
Orange</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book you were supposed to read in school but
didn’t<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A memoir</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book you can
finish in a day</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Return of the
Dapper Men</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book with antonyms in the title<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to
visit<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book that came out the year you were born<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book with bad reviews<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">32.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A trilogy<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">33.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book from your childhood<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">34.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book with a love triangle<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">35.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book set in the future<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">36.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book set in high
school</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No
Normal</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">37.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book with a color
in the title </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Little White Duck</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">38.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book that made you cry<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">39.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book with magic </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How Mirka Met a Meteorite</i>—magic not
explicitly mentioned, but a witch turns a meteorite into a person)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">40.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A graphic novel</span>
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relish</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">41.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book by an author
you’ve never read before</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms.
Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal</i>—G. Willow Wilson)<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">42.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book you own but
have never read </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Yiddish
Policemen’s Union</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">43.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book that takes place in your hometown<br />
<span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">44.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book that was
originally written in a different language </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mister Orange</i>—Dutch)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">45.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book set during
Christmas</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch for the Light:
Readings for Advent and Christmas</i>)<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">46.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book written by an author with your same
initials <br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">47.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A play<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">48.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A banned book<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">49.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book based on or turned into a TV show<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">50.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A book you started but never finished<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's
twenty-<span style="font-family: inherit;">six</span> down, twenty-<span style="font-family: inherit;">fo<span style="font-family: inherit;">ur</span></span> to go. How are your reading goals for the
year going?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Images from <a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/Hyperbole-and-a-Half/Allie-Brosh/9781476764597" target="_blank">Simon & Schuster</a>, <a href="http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/trillium" target="_blank">Vertigo</a>, <a href="http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/20575/at-home-by-bill-bryson/" target="_blank">Penguin Random House</a>, and <a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/Through-the-Woods/Emily-Carroll/9781442465954" target="_blank">Simon & Schuster</a>. </span>Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-42593478303367860402015-04-27T01:20:00.001-05:002015-04-27T01:25:34.393-05:00How I Celebrate National Poetry MonthJust because April is almost over doesn't mean that I'm done celebrating.<br />
<br />
Of course, I've been celebrating by reading and writing poetry. But National Poetry Month is also about <i>sharing</i> poetry, so for the last two (going on three) years, I've also done the following:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFZW50coLBIEHqZts2ymvbTbidtd1nRF2QTB-YUpbc9RLWkG7FjHKpCdWvgAXNVd7X3VoiK7aGEBDJ8Ppnw8nuwv0BN7ZMgG5ogC50v0wc45L89RvrAR9q6tQeMusgfJDtTOw8JyZwsbX/s1600/Poetry+pieces3+2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFZW50coLBIEHqZts2ymvbTbidtd1nRF2QTB-YUpbc9RLWkG7FjHKpCdWvgAXNVd7X3VoiK7aGEBDJ8Ppnw8nuwv0BN7ZMgG5ogC50v0wc45L89RvrAR9q6tQeMusgfJDtTOw8JyZwsbX/s1600/Poetry+pieces3+2015.JPG" height="268" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the third attempt at photography, I was like "Maybe the <i>air</i> in here is just blurry."</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The other side looks like:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrnhTuwiI0-8WHVJ4F7PwrUmVr9H4NwuD-lf-BQJC8IJ2aivblPbS2U1qZ3g-2uL3Vq7sIKRySC2Y42Pd7QGCZtvPPyHpU2I7uGOSy3-Nqi6oKdv_481HWEA6mhcSjKy130k7oQHTmptx/s1600/Poetry+pieces2+2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrnhTuwiI0-8WHVJ4F7PwrUmVr9H4NwuD-lf-BQJC8IJ2aivblPbS2U1qZ3g-2uL3Vq7sIKRySC2Y42Pd7QGCZtvPPyHpU2I7uGOSy3-Nqi6oKdv_481HWEA6mhcSjKy130k7oQHTmptx/s1600/Poetry+pieces2+2015.JPG" height="207" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Throughout the year, I write down lines of poetry that capture me. And when April comes, I hide them away in various places for members of the unsuspecting public to find.<br />
<br />
Like many of my ideas, this tends to work better in theory than in practice. This year, I didn't get around to finishing all my cards until yesterday, so I've only hidden five so far. Also, even when I finish my cards in time, I tend to forget I have them with me. (I carried fifteen to church today, and I left with the exact same number.)<br />
<br />
Sometimes, I worry that the only people who will find them will be much-put-upon custodians, who will slowly grow to hate both poetry and April. ("<i>Another</i> flippin' index card?! April <i>is</i> the cruelest month.")<br />
<br />
But I do like finding small, beautiful things in unexpected places. And I doubt I'm the only one.<br />
<br />
There's still some April left. So let's see if I can dispose of fifteen more cards before May 1st. Any ideas?Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-63053198343149934922015-04-17T02:10:00.000-05:002015-04-17T02:10:51.382-05:00Quick Update and More Shameless Self-PromotionBetween a stubborn illness and editing deadlines, I haven't had much time to even think about blogging. However, since some people (i.e., almost two people) asked about places to find my poetry, I'm happy to use that as an excuse for a post.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGLkxnvqXLAdPTS__H8ygPiFF1XvQYLHEzMpyxSB9aM0PiT9qnDtF-XW9zokIVLUFDv9MnfvT_zkQJNQYv48YXsLTLn1wQTPGXvPFZQyJjh5i_FgMFEOZPTML8ume1qwjP20cQBrFxFF3/s1600/P1030248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGLkxnvqXLAdPTS__H8ygPiFF1XvQYLHEzMpyxSB9aM0PiT9qnDtF-XW9zokIVLUFDv9MnfvT_zkQJNQYv48YXsLTLn1wQTPGXvPFZQyJjh5i_FgMFEOZPTML8ume1qwjP20cQBrFxFF3/s1600/P1030248.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Easter-themed sugar cookies. Because I'm almost as proud of these.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I currently have<a href="http://www.snreview.org/0214Brengan.pdf" target="_blank"> three poems </a>in the most recent online edition of <a href="http://www.snreview.org/" target="_blank"><i>SNReview</i></a>, which can be viewed for free.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've also placed second in the 2015 Koser/Lohr Honorary Award contest sponsored by the <a href="file:///C:/Users/Bethany/Desktop/Pennsylvania%20Poetry%20Society.htm" target="_blank">Pennsylvania Poetry Society</a>. (Later, my poem will be printed in their annual publication, but I don't have any information about dates yet.)</span>
Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-43309547074945499272015-04-05T02:23:00.001-05:002015-04-05T16:08:50.353-05:00Happy National Poetry Month, Happy Easter!April is National Poetry Month.<br />
<br />
The Academy of American Poets (through<a href="http://www.poets.org/" target="_blank"> poets.org</a>) offers a list of <a href="http://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/30-ways-celebrate-national-poetry-month?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Educator+Newsletter+April+National+Poetry+Month&utm_content=Educator+Newsletter+April+National+Poetry+Month+CID_174e465e98c72f8cd5d0bc974e50f2d9&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Check%20out%20this%20list" target="_blank">30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month</a>. And Writer's Digest's "<a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides" target="_blank">Poetic Asides</a>" blog is encouraging people to write a poem every day this month through daily prompts (and contests).<br />
<br />
Later in April, I will write about what I do to celebrate this month of poetry.<br />
<br />
But right now I'm the middle of celebrating something even dearer to me (though I find it impossible to separate poetry from the Gospel). Happy Easter, readers!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic54bl47bTs-u_xCddtqQz1xo8L4cCdiHdI2gFpsEblR47_QfBI5K2jlFH4ZXmHky0UK8UjmZ1V86W4RGENud_3b54065Pgu2WwR855BLM8AltgHz1YfZMRLRm1VLgJJnuVEeP6V54PlrR/s1600/P1030240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic54bl47bTs-u_xCddtqQz1xo8L4cCdiHdI2gFpsEblR47_QfBI5K2jlFH4ZXmHky0UK8UjmZ1V86W4RGENud_3b54065Pgu2WwR855BLM8AltgHz1YfZMRLRm1VLgJJnuVEeP6V54PlrR/s1600/P1030240.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exterior of "Crossroads: Where Art and Passion Meet," a yearly Stations of Cross through art in Port Townsend, WA.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQRfoiU7sslavJdjz9B6_0_UL1_xQQKfGOxOWKiauQh8wNigi2TnN7mMW_JkL6NOjHmBmlyGG4Vrc3ibrnLQwif9BjJcZxr2vLt6VaJa1OFw21pwlcKoddLN9q60mLNuxqBa_hFmbXfh0/s1600/P1030244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQRfoiU7sslavJdjz9B6_0_UL1_xQQKfGOxOWKiauQh8wNigi2TnN7mMW_JkL6NOjHmBmlyGG4Vrc3ibrnLQwif9BjJcZxr2vLt6VaJa1OFw21pwlcKoddLN9q60mLNuxqBa_hFmbXfh0/s1600/P1030244.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With friends Heather and Vicky. (Thanks so much for taking me!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-65411490918834823462015-04-01T02:25:00.001-05:002015-04-05T16:14:03.590-05:00The Storybook of Misused Words (Part Two)I forgot to blog last week.<br />
<br />
I had a deadline, and my grandma came to visit (which was wonderful), and blog posts were the last thing on my mind.<br />
<br />
Instead, I played this card game from <a href="http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG1030.php" target="_blank">Atlas Games</a>:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.atlas-games.com/images/product/1030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.atlas-games.com/images/product/1030.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rules say that winning in one round is incredibly rare and unlikely (and if you've played it before, you'll know why), so of course, that is what my grandmother does the very first time she plays.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I guess I'll just have to write two posts this week. For now, here's another tale from<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Storybook of Misused Words </span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"An Intense Story of Somber Purpose," </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>or "The Difference Between 'For All Intents and Purposes' and 'For All Intensive Purposes'"</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
"What are you doing?" the gardener said, as the pixies giggled and tore the roses to pieces.<br />
<br />
"Why are you eating that?" he demanded, as trolls gnawed on his wheelbarrow till the wheel was quite crooked.<br />
<br />
But the trolls and the pixies continued to destroy his garden and his tools.<br />
<br />
"Why won't anyone listen?" gardener moaned. "<i>For all intents and purposes</i>, I might as well be speaking to myself."<br />
<br />
Later that day, as he wandered through town looking for pixie repellent and a new wheelbarrow, he stumbled across an unusual shop. The sign read: "Dunne, Dunne, & DUNNE Modifiers:<i> For All Intensive Purposes</i>."<br />
<br />
Immediately, the gardener hurried inside and bought several <i>intensive word forms</i>, including some that were quite strange and rare.<br />
<br />
When he returned to the garden, he shouted one of his new modifiers at the pixies, "What in tarnation do you think you are doing?!"<br />
<br />
And the pixies faltered a little. <br />
<br />
So he threw out at the trolls: "How in the Sweet William am I supposed to work if you keep eating the wheelbarrow?"<br />
<br />
And then: "Why the Weeping Willow won't you leave?" Followed by "Who the Monkey Puzzle Tree do you think you are?!"<br />
<br />
And under this onslaught of strange modifiers, the pixies and trolls fled.<br />
<br />
"That was <i>intense</i>," said one fleeing troll to a pixie.<br />
<br />
"I think," replied the pixie, "that was the <i>intent</i>."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-84175701616495822442015-03-22T04:49:00.001-05:002015-04-05T16:13:43.319-05:00The Storybook of Misused WordsI have been absolutely swamped all week, and I've just emerged from the comma mines to see that I'm late with my weekly blog post.<br />
<br />
So here's my version of the handwave-y "I haven't had time to blog" blog post.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b>From <i>The Storybook of Misused Words</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i> </i><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">"A Story about the Difference Between <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Weary</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wary"</i></span></b></span></div>
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The goose-girl standing by the lake, trying to catch a glimpse of the Fish Prince, was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wary</i>
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“My, what a big ax you have,” said the goose-girl, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">warily</i>.</div>
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“All the better to. . . .” began the huntsman <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wearily</i> before stopping himself. “No. Actually, a tree sprite
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"How <i>wearisome</i>," said the goose-girl. </div>
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"Yes, I will<i> beware</i> of all such creatures in future," said the huntsmen, as he stepped into a <i>wherry</i> and rowed away.</div>
Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-5846225650128504132015-03-15T02:17:00.000-05:002015-03-15T16:53:36.793-05:00Reading Challenge 2015 Update (March)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;">A few weeks ago, I mentioned the <a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/02/reading-goals-for-2015.html" target="_blank">PopSugar Reading Challenge</a>. I thought I'd give a quick update on my progress. Note that while I count each challenge as separate, sometimes a book will meet multiple challenges.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;">A book with more
than 500 pages</span> </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_b2c/media/cache/f9/31/f93100e53c6deaa5fcb340c5f0a9a5e5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_b2c/media/cache/f9/31/f93100e53c6deaa5fcb340c5f0a9a5e5.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Art of
Fielding</i> by Chad Harbach, 512 p.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span>A classic romance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span>A book that became a movie</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>A book published this year</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;">A book with a number
in the title </span></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dcomixologyssl7.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/DIG029169_1.jpg?h=e9f5f3edaaa4f998b6a8c5793501b686&width=640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://dcomixologyssl7.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/DIG029169_1.jpg?h=e9f5f3edaaa4f998b6a8c5793501b686&width=640" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1:
No Normal</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> by </span></span><br />
G. Willow Wilson, et al<i>.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 6.</span> A book written by
someone under 30</span> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/macmillan_us_frontbookcovers_1000H/9781596436237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/macmillan_us_frontbookcovers_1000H/9781596436237.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Relish: My Life in the Kitchen</i> by Lucy Knisley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 7. </span>A book with nonhuman
characters </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dcomixologyssl8.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/MAY052789_1.jpg?h=c14ccdcfe1b9350bdcdc2c0e132364ee&width=640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://dcomixologyssl8.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/MAY052789_1.jpg?h=c14ccdcfe1b9350bdcdc2c0e132364ee&width=640" width="126" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bone: The Great Cow Race </i>by Jeff Smith</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span>8. A funny book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black;">9.</span> A book by a female
author</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dcomixologyssl7.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/DIG029169_1.jpg?h=e9f5f3edaaa4f998b6a8c5793501b686&width=640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://dcomixologyssl7.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/DIG029169_1.jpg?h=e9f5f3edaaa4f998b6a8c5793501b686&width=640" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1:
No Normal</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> by </span></span><br />
G. Willow Wilson, et al<i>.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black;">10.</span> A mystery or
thriller </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://645e533e2058e72657e9-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.r45.cf2.rackcdn.com/harpercollins_us_frontbookcovers_648H/9780007149827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://645e533e2058e72657e9-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.r45.cf2.rackcdn.com/harpercollins_us_frontbookcovers_648H/9780007149827.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Yiddish Policeman's Union</i> by Michael Chabon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span>11. A book with a one-word title</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 12. </span></span></span>A book of short stories</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 13. </span></span></span>A book set in a
different country </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780812979329?&height=281&maxwidth=190" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780812979329?&height=281&maxwidth=190" height="200" width="129" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity</i> by Katherine Boo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;">14.</span> A nonfiction book</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.indiebound.com/415/755/9781570755415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.indiebound.com/415/755/9781570755415.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent
and Christmas </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by various</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span>15. A popular author’s first book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 16. </span></span></span>A book from an
author you love that you haven’t read yet </span> </span> <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/macmillan_us_frontbookcovers_1000H/9781596436978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/macmillan_us_frontbookcovers_1000H/9781596436978.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shadow Hero</i> by Gene Luen Yang</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span>17.</span> A book a friend
recommended </span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tarpaulinsky.com/Beatrix_Gates/WebImages/InTheOpenCover-250h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tarpaulinsky.com/Beatrix_Gates/WebImages/InTheOpenCover-250h.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the Open</i> by Beatrix Gates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span>18. A Pulitzer-Prize winning book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 19. </span></span></span>A book based on a
true story </span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/books.disney.com/content/uploads/2014/03/9781423137351.jpg?fit=327%2C496" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i1.wp.com/books.disney.com/content/uploads/2014/03/9781423137351.jpg?fit=327%2C496" height="200" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gaijin: American
Prisoner of War </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by </span></span>Matt Faulkner (Since "a memoir" and "nonfiction" are both separate challenges, I'm taking "based on a true story" to mean something more like "inspired by a true story.")</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span>20. A book at the bottom of your to-read list</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span>21. A book your mom loves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 22. </span></span></span>A book that scares you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 23. </span></span></span>A book more than 100 years old</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 24. </span></span></span>A book based
entirely on its cover </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://enchantedlion.com/images//node_images2/MrOrange_Cover%20(1)_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://enchantedlion.com/images//node_images2/MrOrange_Cover%20(1)_0.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mister Orange</i> by Truus Matti (Having read the book, I love this cover even more. It perfectly combines so many elements from the story.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 25. </span></span></span>A book you were supposed to read in school but
didn’t </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 26. </span></span></span>A memoir</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/macmillan_us_frontbookcovers_1000H/9781596436237.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/macmillan_us_frontbookcovers_1000H/9781596436237.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Relish: My Life in the Kitchen</i> by Lucy Knisley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black;">27.</span> A book you can
finish in a day</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.archaia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Return-of-the-Dapper-Men-GN-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.archaia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Return-of-the-Dapper-Men-GN-Cover.jpg" height="200" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Return of the Dapper Men</i> by Jim McCann and Janet Lee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 28. </span></span></span>A book with antonyms in the title</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 29. </span></span></span>A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to
visit</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 30. </span></span></span>A book that came out the year you were born</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 31. </span></span></span>A book with bad reviews</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 32. </span></span></span>A trilogy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 33. </span></span></span>A book from your childhood</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 34. </span></span></span>A book with a love triangle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 35. </span></span></span>A book set in the future</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 36. </span></span></span>A book set in high
school</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dcomixologyssl7.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/DIG029169_1.jpg?h=e9f5f3edaaa4f998b6a8c5793501b686&width=640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://dcomixologyssl7.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/DIG029169_1.jpg?h=e9f5f3edaaa4f998b6a8c5793501b686&width=640" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1:
No Normal</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> by </span></span><br />
G. Willow Wilson, et al<i>.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 37. </span></span></span>A book with a color
in the title </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://assets.lernerbooks.com/g/p/9780761365877fc_Large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://assets.lernerbooks.com/g/p/9780761365877fc_Large.jpg" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Little White Duck: A Childhood in China</i> <span style="font-family: inherit;">by
Andrés Vera Martínez and Na Liu</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span>38. A book that made you cry</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 39. </span></span></span>A book with magic </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.abramsbooks.com/uploadedImages/Books/9781419703980_s3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.abramsbooks.com/uploadedImages/Books/9781419703980_s3.jpg" height="200" width="137" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How Mirka Met a Meteorite</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> by Barry Deutsch (</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Magic is not
explicitly mentioned, but a witch turns a meteorite into a person, so I'm saying it's close enough.)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 40. </span></span></span>A graphic novel</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dcomixologyssl8.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/MAY052789_1.jpg?h=c14ccdcfe1b9350bdcdc2c0e132364ee&width=640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://dcomixologyssl8.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/MAY052789_1.jpg?h=c14ccdcfe1b9350bdcdc2c0e132364ee&width=640" width="126" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bone: The Great Cow Race </i>by Jeff Smith</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 41. </span></span></span>A book by an author
you’ve never read before</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dcomixologyssl7.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/DIG029169_1.jpg?h=e9f5f3edaaa4f998b6a8c5793501b686&width=640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://dcomixologyssl7.sslcs.cdngc.net/c/DIG029169_1.jpg?h=e9f5f3edaaa4f998b6a8c5793501b686&width=640" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1:
No Normal</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> by </span></span><br />
G. Willow Wilson, et al<i>.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span> </span><br />
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">42. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">A book you own but have never read </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://645e533e2058e72657e9-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.r45.cf2.rackcdn.com/harpercollins_us_frontbookcovers_648H/9780007149827.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://645e533e2058e72657e9-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.r45.cf2.rackcdn.com/harpercollins_us_frontbookcovers_648H/9780007149827.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Yiddish Policeman's Union</i> by Michael Chabon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span> <span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 43. </span></span></span>A book that takes place in your hometown</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 44. </span></span></span>A book that was
originally written in a different language </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://enchantedlion.com/images//node_images2/MrOrange_Cover%20%281%29_0.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://enchantedlion.com/images//node_images2/MrOrange_Cover%20(1)_0.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mister Orange</i> by Truus Matti<span style="font-size: x-small;">,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">trans.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 45. </span></span></span>A book set during
Christmas</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.indiebound.com/415/755/9781570755415.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.indiebound.com/415/755/9781570755415.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent
and Christmas </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by various </span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 46. </span></span></span>A book written by an author with your same
initials </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 47. </span></span></span>A play</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 48. </span></span></span>A banned book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 49. </span></span></span>A book based on or turned into a TV show</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #00b050; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: black;"> 50. </span></span></span>A book you started but never finished</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's twenty-two down, twenty-eight to go. (I see that I've left a number of the difficult challenges for later.) How are your reading goals for the year going?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Images from Hachette Book Group, Comixology, MacMillan, Comixology, Comixology, HarperColllins, Random House, IndieBound, <a href="http://beatrixgates.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">beatrixgates.blogspot.com</a>, Disney Publishing Worldwide, Enchanted Lion Books, MacMillan, Archaia, Comixology, Lerner Publishing, Abrams Books, Comixology, Comixology, Enchanted Lion Books, and IndieBound (in that order).</span> </span>Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8206860168455297464.post-71484811834484110312015-03-07T16:39:00.000-06:002015-03-07T18:55:11.122-06:00The Breakfast Club: Bethany Watches Movies Everyone Else Has Already Seen<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->It's time for the first "Bethany Watches Movies Everyone Else Has Already Seen" post that I talked about last week. (<a href="http://readingwritingraptures.blogspot.com/2015/03/quick-update-and-upcoming-feature.html" target="_blank">Here are the general guidelines</a>, in case you missed them.)<br />
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Were cliques in the eighties really like the caste
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The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">minute</i> we met John Bender, my mind went “Abuse. He’s being abused
at home.” (Were we supposed to be surprised? Did the “troubled kid” trope not exist before the eighties?) </div>
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And all of the other characters fit quite neatly into various tropes:
brainy kid feels stress over grades, jock kid feel pressure from his dad,
popular princess feels like her parents are using her,
neurotic girl feels ignored. It’s
not wrong to make use of these types, but when the thesis of your movie is “each of us is a Brain, and an Athlete, and a Basket Case, a Princess, and a Criminal,”
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To be fair, I’m really not into
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I was homeschooled, so maybe I just don’t
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Even with weed introduced to the
picture, why are these characters so quick to confess all their insecurities
and family issues? I understand that putting a group of people in
a confined area and giving them a common enemy (the principal, and more
importantly, all adults) is a good way to get them to bond—but they spend most
of their time insulting each other. In real life, insults don’t usually
encourage sudden outbursts of vulnerability—and those make up so much of
the movie that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sudden Outbursts of Angry
Vulnerability </i>makes more sense as a title than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Breakfast Club</i>. </div>
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Part of the problem is that in
most other “band of misfits” stories<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span><i>coughGuardiansoftheGalaxycough</i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span>the band eventually finds a
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vulnerabilities, and mutual respect emerge. But part of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">point</i> of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Breakfast Club</i>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5M6pfmsNuU83OeogNrJvIGkFYXCNEC0GZxBZyAWvu2ILIxndS8xqYDWGxJyHEBhz8HSfaOfIPmtbpI2WsxTSrUn3eW9i97UnEsWB-H6wtu5MChJpseb3ML2hrkPw78ol5Yc3MLbTbzDH/s1600/The+Breakfast+Club--Bender.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5M6pfmsNuU83OeogNrJvIGkFYXCNEC0GZxBZyAWvu2ILIxndS8xqYDWGxJyHEBhz8HSfaOfIPmtbpI2WsxTSrUn3eW9i97UnEsWB-H6wtu5MChJpseb3ML2hrkPw78ol5Yc3MLbTbzDH/s1600/The+Breakfast+Club--Bender.JPG" height="196" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things this kid needs: a safe home environment, a responsible adult, a lunch, and a pencil. Things he gets: an earring and a girlfriend.</td></tr>
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John’s face destroyed me in the above scene—even if you didn’t feel sympathy for him when he
revealed how his father treats him, I don’t know how you couldn’t feel it when he's being threatened by the principal. But “sympathetic character” does
not equal “boyfriend material.”
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I know teen movies really like to
pair up characters, but the Claire/John romance bothered me deeply. One of his
first lines is “Let’s close the door and see if we can impregnate the
prom queen.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>There’s “ooh, angry sexual
tension,” and then there’s straight up harassment. Never mind when he tries to
stick his head up her skirt <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">while she is
lying to protect him.</i> Andrew and Allison actually seem
to care about each other’s feelings by the end, but John is an unhappy young
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John asks her why she started kissing him, and she says, “So you wouldn’t”—which comes across to me as “I figured you
were going to try to violate me, so I thought I should beat you to punch line.” Ah, young love.</div>
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<br />
Also, was there some kind of Reverse-Hays-Code going on in the eighties? High schoolers in eighties movies
swear <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more</i> than high schoolers in
movies now. They swear more than high schoolers on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tumblr</i>, and I didn’t think that was possible.<br />
<br />
Enough
negativity; let’s look at some of the things I liked:
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Molly Ringwold’s clothes,</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Brian wearing sunglasses and doing imitations
(be honest—if you were going to be friends with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">one</i> person in this movie, Brian is the best choice),</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>pointless dance break,</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 302.25pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>some really good acting, and</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 302.25pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>now knowing where Bender from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Futurama </i>gets his name.</div>
<br />
Rating: Two
nicely packed lunches out of five.
<br />
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
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Have you seen <i>The Breakfast Club</i>? Did you like it? What do you think I should watch next?<br />
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<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">*To
be even more fair, I recently finished watching <i>The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimyka </i>(the television series and the
movie), and that’s a high school story that I ended up loving in spite of
myself (and it definitely has problematic elements). So maybe if <i>The Breakfast Club</i> had spent more time
looking for aliens and time travelers I would have enjoyed it more.</span></div>
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Bethany F. Brenganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174727157257689080noreply@blogger.com10