Mini Book Haul

A mini book haul for mid-March.

This book haul features two books that I have been eyeing for quite some time and only recently decided to fork out the cash for. So, I'm hoping that both books deliver some high-quality material.



Title: Fool's Assassin
Author: Robin Hobb
Series: The Fitz and The Fool Trilogy #1
Genre: Fantasy; Fiction; Epic Fantasy; High Fantasy
Goodreads Rating: 4.34/ 5 stars
Pages: 689 (Paperback)
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Published: August 28, 2015 (Original publication: August 12, 2014)

Summary: FitzChivalry Farseer—royal bastard and former king’s assassin—has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire.

Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside in the business of daily life, at least until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz’s past . . . and his future.

Now, to protect his new life, the former assassin must once again take up his old one. . . .

I was first introduced to Robin Hobb through her Rain Wild Chronicles, which fell completely flat for me. But, her style of writing and her creativity made me want to explore more of her work. The Fitz and The Fool Trilogy came highly recommended and has fantastic ratings on Goodreads. Hopefully, Fool's Assassin will be the novel that makes me love Robin Hobb.

Title: We Should All Be Feminists
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Genre: Nonfiction; Essays; Feminism
Goodreads Rating: 4.48/ 5 stars
Pages: 52 (Paperback)
Publisher: Anchor Books
Published: February 3, 2015 (Original publication: 2014)

Summary: In this personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-admired TEDx talk of the same name—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, award-winning author of Americanah, offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century, one rooted in inclusion and awareness. Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her deep understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, here is one remarkable author’s exploration of what it means to be a woman now—and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists.

Feminism is a topic/movement that seems to be highlighted in the news just about daily, now. Considering the current political climate that shouldn't come as a surprise. However, while much of what feminism advocates for is crucial to creating a foundation for equality for all, there are also just as many feminists who have strayed from the core of the movement and are morphing feminism into something it is not. Feminism shouldn't be stuffed down anyone's throat and feminism shouldn't be regarded as a set of guidelines that life needs to adhere to. Feminism should be regarded as liberating and unifying. In Adichie's writing I hope to find a connection back to feminism's roots and its Classical era.

Until next time...thank you for stopping by! And if you have yet to do so, follow me here on my blog via email subscription to be able to stay informed on when new posts are uploaded.

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- Anisa

The Colossus and Other Poems - Sylvia Plath Review

Title: The Colossus and Other Poems
Author: Sylvia Plath
Genre: Poetry; Classics; Fiction
Goodreads Rating: 4.2/ 5 stars
My Rating: 4/ 5 stars
Pages: 84
Publisher: Vintage Books
Published: May 19, 1998 (Original Publication: 1960)

Summary: With this startling, exhilarating book of poems, which was first published in 1960, Sylvia Plath burst into literature with spectacular force. In such classics as "The Beekeeper's Daughter," "The Disquieting Muses," "I Want, I Want," and "Full Fathom Five," she writes about sows and skeletons, fathers and suicides, about the noisy imperatives of life and the chilly hunger for death. Graceful in their craftsmanship, wonderfully original in their imagery, and presenting layer after layer of meaning, the forty poems in The Colossus are early artifacts of genius that still possess the power to move, delight, and shock.

"Blind to what will be and what was
I dream that I am Oedipus.
What I want back is what I was
Before the brooch-pin and the salve
Fixed me in this parenthesis;
Horses fluent in the wind,
A place a time gone out of mind."

Sylvia Plath became a beloved author of mine after I read her novel, The Bell Jar; a book that still haunts me after three years. Plath also managed to instill in me, a love and hunger for poetry. What makes Plath unforgettable, for me, is how raw her writing is. She wrote from her heart, her soul, and the deepest recesses of her mind without any regard for how people would receive her work. When an individual is as authentic and unfiltered as Plath was, that individual has a story to tell that isn’t triggered by money or fame. Plath could even be regarded as a twentieth century “tortured artist”; to grasp her work in its entirety the reader must be able to see Sylvia Plath for who she was, outside of the spotlight. Plath was the physical embodiment of all that her work represented and continues to represent.

"Though a mist-wraith wound
Up from the fissured valley and hung
shoulder high
Ahead, it fattened
To no family-featured ghost,
Nor did any word body with a name
The blank mood she walked in. Once past
The dream -peopled village, her eyes entertained
no dream,
And the sandman's dust
Lost luster under her footsoles."

This collection of poems is an excellent dose of the writing fans have come to associate with Plath: despair over a father's absence; an individual's tango with suicide or suicidal thoughts; ugly truths of life; the simultaneous desire for and fear of love; and the human obsession with death. While I loved the beauty of Plath's flow and the aesthetic her work creates, I was slightly underwhelmed by and left wanting more from the poetry collection. But, there a few poems that I did fall in love with:

• "The Eye - mote"
• "Hardcastle Crags"
• "Lorelei"
• "The Ghost's Leavetaking"
• "The Beekeeper's Daughter"

This would be an excellent introduction to Plath's work for anyone who is unfamiliar with her writing. The Colossus and Other Poems would also make for a wonderful addition to any of Plath's fans' collections of her work. Whether you choose to down this book in one sitting or to read it over a larger span of time, these poems will be worth every second your time and will leave you with a sense of enlightenment.

"The sun rises under the pillar of your tongue.
My hours are married to shadow."

Until next time! Thank you for stopping by! And if you have yet to do so, follow me here on my blog via email subscription to be able to stay informed on when new posts are uploaded.

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- Anisa

Skinny - Ibi Kaslik Review

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week came to an end as of March 6^th, so I figured why not end it with a review for the book I was reading to bring more awareness to both eating disorders and mental health. I always have my current read tucked away in whichever bag I’m toting around and taking advantage of whatever time I get to read, throughout my day, and I can’t tell you how many times a conversation has been started because someone saw the cover of what I was reading. Whether it’s one person or five people, always make the effort to spread an appreciation for literature and awareness about those heavy, important topics. You never know who you’ll end up helping or inspiring.



Title: Skinny
Author: Ibi Kaslik
Genre: Young Adult; Fiction; Mental Health; Mental Illness; Realistic Fiction; Contemporary; Psychology; Canadian
Goodreads Rating: 3.44/ 5 stars
My Rating: 5/ 5 stars
Pages: 256 ( Paperback)
Publisher: Walker Publishing
Published: January 1, 2008 ( Original Publication: April 17, 2004 HarperCollins Canada)

Summary: Do you ever get hungry?  Too hungry to eat?
Holly's older sister, Giselle, is self-destructing. Haunted by her love-deprived relationship with her late father, this once strong role model and medical student, is gripped by anorexia. Holly, a track star, struggles to keep her own life in balance while coping with the mental and physical deterioration of her beloved sister. Together, they can feel themselves slipping and are holding on for dear life.

This honest look at the special bond between sisters is told from the perspective of both girls, as they alternate narrating each chapter.  Gritty and often wryly funny, Skinny explores family relationships, love, pain, and the hunger for acceptance that drives all of us.

"Now, at my father's graveside, looking at Jesus' downturned eyes brings back those old feelings. But it's like seeing someone you used to be in love with and being with a bunch of people making fun of him. I understand his terror at being up there all alone, watching the perpetual unfolding drama - the way our lives get cut up by seasons and weakness and change without out noticing."

Skinny, is narrated by two sisters: Giselle and Holly Vasco. Giselle is the oldest of the two and the character whose battle with anorexia drives the plot. Although, as the reader will quickly come to find out, eating disorders are poorly selected coping mechanisms: not the root of an issue. As the story progresses, through the perspectives of both Holly and Giselle, it is revealed that the Vasco family has been carefully treading the waters of a long-kept family secret. Family secrets are like wounds that have been left unattended: they begin to fester and rot.

"When I heard it was a sickness, I went to the library to do some research. The Perfectionists' Disorder. The Girl Who Thought She Had No Stomach. I sat there, very still, with those books spread out on the clean, shiny table. I sat there in that quiet library with the tick of the clock in my ear, looking at those girls with big heads and awful long bones that looked like they hurt poking through the skin."

Through Holly's POV the reader is given a heartbreaking and brutally accurate look at the devastation of an eating disorder as well as a family's distress at having front row seats to the undoing of a loved one.

"Then I remember how Giselle is one of those people who can't wait for things to be over, even fun things, like concerts, or camping. I'm afraid she might just tear through her life without ever  enjoying anything, except this, except pain. Still, Giselle's misery is terrible and beautiful, like stained white cotton dresses."

This novel is more than a twenty-year-old girl attempting to navigate both life and her identity; it is more than a teenage girl mourning her father, her sister, and her perceived shortcomings; it is more than a mother witnessing her eldest daughter's self-destruction; it's more than love blossoming in the face of mental health; it's more than an eating disorder. This novel is about the consequences of unrequited love; the consequences of never knowing the love of one's own father.

I cannot recommend this book, enough. It deserves far more recognition; and through giving this book the proper attention, further strides could be made towards bringing more awareness towards eating disorders and mental health.

"We're listening for ghosts at last, my double and I, with our airtight case against love, we ascend the night alley, we go up, up!

- Still, you couldn't let it go, you couldn't be sure that I - in search of stars, a place to rest.

- That I did belong to you, all along."

Until next time! Thank you for stopping by! And if you have yet to do so, follow me here on my blog via email subscription to be able to stay informed on when new posts are uploaded.

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- Anisa

Book Haul

New month, new books.

March is here to stay, even though it feels as if February just arrived. In regards to having enough time to read and have ample time to try and put a dent into my Goodreads Reading Challenge, February isn’t one of my favorite months. March will be the month of playing catch up and hopefully getting ahead with my reading. Along with knocking out a good amount of reading this month, I’d like to continue to add new reads to my TBR (To Be Read) shelves at home. My first book buys of the month consist of three books that have been patiently sitting on my TBR list.




Title: The Lost World
Author: Michael Crichton
Series: Jurassic Park #2
Genre: Fiction; Science Fiction; Thriller; Adventure
Goodreads Rating: 3.71/ 5 stars
Pages: 416 ( Paperback )
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: October 30th, 2012 (Original publication: September 17, 1995)

Summary: It is now six years since the secret disaster at Jurassic Park, six years since the extraordinary dream of science and imagination came to a crashing end—the dinosaurs destroyed, the park dismantled, and the island indefinitely closed to the public.

There are rumors that something has survived. . . .

The Jurassic Park franchise is plastered just about everywhere, nowadays, but it's still just as authentic and engrossing as it was before its fame. Crichton is the author for you if you're looking for a series of books that will challenge your reasoning skills and keep you on your toes both mentally and in anticipation. The first book, Jurassic Park, was incredibly well done and it's also necessary to read the first installment in this series in order to understand and be familiar with some of the concepts and recurring characters. I highly recommend checking out this series and the movies.



Title: White Teeth
Author: Zadie Smith
Genre: Fiction; Contemporary; European Literature; British Literature
Goodreads Rating: 3.74/ 5 stars
Pages: 448 ( Paperback)
Publisher: Vintage Books
Published: June 12, 2001 (Original publication: May 19, 1999)

Summary: On New Year's morning, 1975, Archie Jones sits in his car on a London road and waits for the exhaust fumes to fill his Cavalier Musketeer station wagon. Archie—working-class, ordinary, a failed marriage under his belt—is calling it quits, the deciding factor being the flip of a 20-pence coin. When the owner of a nearby halal butcher shop (annoyed that Archie's car is blocking his delivery area) comes out and bangs on the window, he gives Archie another chance at life and sets in motion this richly imagined, uproariously funny novel.

Epic and intimate, hilarious and poignant, White Teeth is the story of two North London families—one headed by Archie, the other by Archie's best friend, a Muslim Bengali named Samad Iqbal. Pals since they served together in World War II, Archie and Samad are a decidedly unlikely pair. Plodding Archie is typical in every way until he marries Clara, a beautiful, toothless Jamaican woman half his age, and the couple have a daughter named Irie (the Jamaican word for "no problem"). Samad —devoutly Muslim, hopelessly "foreign"— weds the feisty and always suspicious Alsana in a prearranged union. They have twin sons named Millat and Magid, one a pot-smoking punk-cum-militant Muslim and the other an insufferable science nerd. The riotous and tortured histories of the Joneses and the Iqbals are fundamentally intertwined, capturing an empire's worth of cultural identity, history, and hope.

Zadie Smith's dazzling first novel plays out its bounding, vibrant course in a Jamaican hair salon in North London, an Indian restaurant in Leicester Square, an Irish poolroom turned immigrant café, a liberal public school, a sleek science institute. A winning debut in every respect, White Teeth marks the arrival of a wondrously talented writer who takes on the big themes —faith, race, gender, history, and culture— and triumphs. 

Zadie Smith hadn't been on my radar until about late 2016, when her latest novel, Swing Time, was published. The more that I learned about her, the more eager I was to add her work to my TBR list.



Title: The Sympathizer
Author: Viet Thanh Nguyen
Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction; War; Asian Literature
Goodreads Rating: 4.01/ 5 stars
Pages: 384 ( Paperback )
Publisher: Grove Press
Published: April 12, 2016 (Originally published: April 2015)

Summary: Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Sympathizer is a Vietnam War novel unlike any other. The narrator, one of the most arresting of recent fiction, is a man of two minds and divided loyalties, a half-French half-Vietnamese communist sleeper agent living in America after the end of the war.

It is April 1975, and Saigon is in chaos. At his villa, a general of the South Vietnamese army is drinking whiskey and, with the help of his trusted captain, drawing up a list of those who will be given passage aboard the last flights out of the country. But, unbeknownst to the general, this captain is an undercover operative for the communists, who instruct him to add his own name to the list and accompany the general to America. As the general and his compatriots start a new life in Los Angeles, the captain continues to observe the group, sending coded letters to an old friend who is now a higher-up within the communist administration. Under suspicion, the captain is forced to contemplate terrible acts in order to remain undetected. And when he falls in love, he finds that his lofty ideals clash violently with his loyalties to the people close to him, a contradiction that may prove unresolvable.

A gripping spy novel, a moving story of love and friendship, and a layered portrayal of a young man drawn into extreme politics, The Sympathizer examines the legacy of the Vietnam War in literature, film, and the wars we fight today.

Well written, historically based novels have zero trouble finding a home on my shelves. I have high hopes for Nguyen's acclaimed novel.

Let me know if you spotted any favorites or any books that you've been looking forward to reading.

Until next time! Thank you for stopping by! And if you have yet to do so, follow me here on my blog via email subscription to be able to stay informed on when new posts are uploaded.

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- Anisa

What I Read in February...

February Wrap Up!

I'm sorry to say that February was a slow reading month for me, so slow that it put me back on my 2017 Goodreads Reading Challenge. I'm only four books behind, and I already have eight books read for the year, but I know that I'll catch back up. I'm hoping that March won't have any surprise reading slumps waiting for me.

Title: A Rogue by Any Other Name

Author: Sarah MacLean

Series: The Rules of Scoundrels #1

Genre: Romance; Historical Romance; Historical Fiction; Regency; Adult; Fiction; Women's Fiction; Chick Lit

Goodreads Rating: 3.94/ 5 stars

My Rating: 4/ 5 stars

Pages: 386 (Mass Market Paperback)

Publisher: Avon

Published: February 28, 2012

Summary: What a scoundrel wants, a scoundrel gets...

A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.

A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to such unexplored pleasures.

Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them... even her heart.

"I had a perfect life in my reach once, and it was a crashing bore. Perfect is too clean, too easy. I don't want perfect any more than I want to be perfect. I want imperfect."

The romance genre and I haven't always seen eye to eye. We rarely do. YA (Young Adult) romance (aside from the ones Sarah Dessen and Jennifer L. Armentrout are responsible for) and NA (New Adult) romance are generally going to be a "no" from me, right off the bat. Unfortunately, most contemporary romance novels now are more likely to be eye roll inducing than they are to be eye opening about what love truly is and how we know far less about how to love and how to allow ourselves to be loved, than we care to admit.

However, I've found salvation in historical romance novels and I couldn't be happier. MacLean's A Rogue by Any Other Name is lively, witty, funny, charming, frustrating, and a page turner. If ever there was a romance book to cause you to fall in love with flawed characters, it would be a Rogue by Any Other Name.

 

Title: How to Be Interesting: An Instruction Manual

Author: Jessica Hagy

Genre: Nonfiction; Self-help; Psychology; Humor; Personal Development

Goodreads Rating: 3.75/ 5 stars

My Rating: 5/ 5 stars

Pages: 272 (paperback)

Publisher: Workman Publishing

Published: March 19, 2013

Summary: You want to leave a mark, not a blemish. Be a hero, not a spectator. You want to be interesting. (Who doesn't?) But sometimes it takes a nudge, a wake-up call, an intervention! and a little help. This is where Jessica Hagy comes in. A writer and illustrator of great economy, charm, and insight, she s created How to Be Interesting, a uniquely inspirational how-to that combines fresh and pithy lessons with deceptively simple diagrams and charts.

It s a book about exploring: Talk to strangers. About taking chances: Expose yourself to ridicule, to risk, to wild ideas. About being childlike, not childish: Remember how amazing the world was before you learned to be cynical. About being open: Never take in the welcome mat. About breaking routine: Take daily vacations . . . if only for a few minutes. About taking ownership: Whatever you re doing, enjoy it, embrace it, master it as well as you can. And about growing a pair: If you re not courageous, you re going to be hanging around the water cooler, talking about the guy that actually is.

"Investigate the obscure. Revive forgotten stories. Read old books. Dust off forgotten trends. Listen to rare music. You might find your favorite thing hiding in the woodwork."

Hagy words herself brilliantly, and has presented a wide array of readers with fresh, quick-witted, authentic advice on how to love life; how to embrace oneself, completely; and how to not take oneself too seriously to the point of not being able to stop and enjoy the scenery. But most importantly, Jessica Hagy urges the reader to tackle each day with a "carpe diem" mindset.

My review for How to Be Interesting: (An Instruction Manual)

What were some of your favorite February reads?

Until next time! Thank you for stopping by! And if you have yet to do so, follow me here on my blog via email subscription to be able to stay informed on when new posts are uploaded.

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- Anisa

How to Be Interesting (In 10 Simple Steps): An Instruction Manual - Jessica Hagy

Title: How to Be Interesting: An Instruction Manual

Author: Jessica Hagy

Genre: Nonfiction; Self-help; Psychology; Humor; Personal Development

Goodreads Rating: 3.75/ 5 stars

My Rating: 5/5 stars

Pages: 272 (Paperback)

Publisher: Workman Publishing

Published: March 19, 2013

Summary: You want to leave a mark, not a blemish. Be a hero, not a spectator. You want to be interesting. (Who doesn't?) But sometimes it takes a nudge, a wake-up call, an intervention! And a little help. This is where Jessica Hagy comes in. A writer and illustrator of great economy, charm, and insight, she s created How to Be Interesting, a uniquely inspirational how-to that combines fresh and pithy lessons with deceptively simple diagrams and charts.

It s a book about exploring: Talk to strangers. About taking chances: Expose yourself to ridicule, to risk, to wild ideas. About being childlike, not childish: Remember how amazing the world was before you learned to be cynical. About being open: Never take in the welcome mat. About breaking routine: Take daily vacations . . . if only for a few minutes. About taking ownership: Whatever you re doing, enjoy it, embrace it, master it as well as you can. And about growing a pair: If you re not courageous, you re going to be hanging around the water cooler, talking about the guy that actually is.

“Bring others into your world.”

How to Be Interesting: An Instruction Novel, is one of those books that plopped into my life and waited patiently for me to finally be receptive enough to comprehend and fully take to heart Jessica Hagy’s message. I would say that I’m slightly embarrassed that it took me about three years to finally get around to reading this book, but I truly am a firm believer in situations and people gravitating towards us only when we are in the proper mindset to receive those situations and people, or when we need another learning lesson. Hagy’s novel is both a moving situation and a necessary learning lesson. Hagy’s words serve as a catalyst for change; embarking on the intimate journey of positive self – growth. I truly don’t regret that I waited to read this book because I can honestly say that if I had decided to read this book about three years ago, when I was fresh out of high school and my grandmother had just handed me this book, I wouldn’t have taken any of it to heart. Better to be late to the party and aware of what’s going on than to be at the party and not know why you’re there.

“You’ll need help. You’ll need advice. You’ll need allies. So you have to tell someone how you feel and what you’re up to. Let people in on what you’re doing. They will champion and support you more than you ever imagined, and mock you less than you fear.”

I would say that a key aspect of becoming a mature young adult is being able to acknowledge that while yes, it’s important to be ambitious and to allow yourself to continue to explore the depths of who you are, you don’t always have to do it alone. In fact, you shouldn’t do it all alone. Which is why we must continue to put a heavy emphasis on developing and caring for our friendships, our familial relationships, and our romantic relationships. We need to know that we have people in our corner; people who are loyal and who will continuously push us to become the best possible version of who we are.

“Seek someone who makes you smile. Someone who lives the way you want to. Someone you admire. Someone real and imperfect.”

How to know you’ve found a romantic relationship with potential: You can freely admit that your partner is just as imperfect as any human being (including yourself), but you are still able to see them as loveable and as someone you want to grow with and experience life with.

“Do not fake it. Costumes. Poses. False smiles and forced conformity. It all gets in the way of what’s truly interesting. You are innately unique. There’s no need to hide behind an ill – fitting mask.”

Be authentic. Don’t lie to yourself and don’t lie to anyone else, about who you are and what you want out of life. Never ever settle for less. The minute you begin to fake it, is the moment when you will begin to lose sight of who you are.

“Get sidetracked. Follow your weird impulses and do all sorts of things. Getting sidetracked can lead you to exactly where you belong.”

“Leave the safety of home.”

“If you have a personal dream or a wish or a desire, know that you’re the only one who gives enough damns to see it realized.”

“Safe is often dangerous. An easy life is like quicksand. Before you know it, you’re trapped and can’t move, can’t breathe, can’t get to where you really wanted to go. Don’t coast unless you’re rolling downhill on a bicycle.”

“Forgive. Most people, even the nasty ones, are doing the best they can. They may not deserve your love and admiration, but your scorn burns the both of you.”

If you only get one take away from Hagy (which I assure you is impossible) I hope that it is the revelation of how crucial and life changing “carpe diem” truly is. At the end of it all, all that will matter is how you chose to spend what time you did have and what kind of impact or lack thereof you left on both life and others.

Reading How to Be Interesting: An Instruction Novel, felt as though I was getting a much-needed dose of reality and encouragement from a good friend, who had refused to allow life to cause her to become jaded or less of herself. This novel was an easy read, brimming with ah-ha moments and passages that made me pause because of how honest and heartfelt they were. Whether you decide to hash out this book in one sitting or to savor it in tidbits, you won’t regret it.

Hagy’s novel is one that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. The advice within these pages is indispensable and potentially a true catalyst for powerful and positive change in your life. A must-have read, particularly, for young adults and college students; the individuals who need to not lose sight of themselves throughout their journey into adulthood and through the higher education system.

“Maybe your past isn’t perfect. Maybe it was brutal. Maybe you were brutal. Maybe you’ve got more scars than you thought one skin could hold. You can’t linger on those thoughts. You will drown in them.”

Stay afloat in the good company of Jessica Hagy.

Until next time! Thank you for stopping by! And if you have yet to do so, follow me here on my blog via email subscription to be able to stay informed on when new posts are uploaded.

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- Anisa

Book Haul

February is ending and I decided to top off my February with a book haul. All four of these books have been on both my TBR list and my mind for quite some time, so I’m ecstatic to finally add them to my shelves. Let me know if you spot any favorites or any books that you’ve been considering picking up!

Title: The Colossus and Other Poems

Author: Sylvia Plath

Genre: Poetry; Classics; Fiction

Goodreads Rating: 4.2/ 5 stars

Pages: 84 (Paperback)

Publisher: Vintage Books

Published: May 19, 1998 (Original Publication: 1960)

Summary: With this startling, exhilarating book of poems, which was first published in 1960, Sylvia Plath burst into literature with spectacular force. In such classics, as "The Beekeeper's Daughter," "The Disquieting Muses," "I Want, I Want," and "Full Fathom Five," she writes about sows and skeletons, fathers and suicides, about the noisy imperatives of life and the chilly hunger for death. Graceful in their craftsmanship, wonderfully original in their imagery, and presenting layer after layer of meaning, the forty poems in The Colossus are early artifacts of genius that still possess the power to move, delight, and shock.

Hate is a strong word, but it does properly convey how much I detest two questions in particular, in regards to reading. Who is your favorite author? What is your favorite book? I feel as though I never have a consistent answer for either one of those questions. Which isn't all that surprising seeing as though in the moment, my favorite author, genre, and book are largely dependent upon my mood. Of course, I have an archive of all-time favorite authors and books, but the favorites that I gravitate towards daily are always subject to change. However, Plath will forever be on my mind and have a place in my heart. Both her as an individual and her writing, have moved me in ways that only great literature can. Not only has she moved me, but she has inspired me time and time again, as well as contributed to the individual and the writer that I have become and am continuing to become.

This past week I wrote up an explication on Sylvia Plath's 1962 poem, "Lady Lazarus", and then presented said explication in my Intro to Literature class. The experience of analyzing and writing about one of my favorite poems by Plath, made me nostalgic and hungry for more of her writing. The Colossus and Other Poems is without a doubt one of my top most anticipated reads to tackle this year.

Title: The Happiness Project: Or, Why I spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

Author: Gretchen Rubin

Genre: Nonfiction; Self-help; Autobiography; Memoir

Goodreads Rating: 3.57/ 5 stars

Pages: 352 (Paperback)

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: December 29, 2009

Summary: Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realized. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.

Nonfiction and I tend to not see eye to eye. Reading works of nonfiction often leaves me feeling underwhelmed, frustrated, or even bored. I’ve just never been a huge fan of the technical/mechanical style of writing that many nonfiction authors seem to gravitate towards. However, I do enjoy nonfiction works such as published essays/letters or journals from some of my favorite authors.

Lately, I’ve been intensely proactive about doing all that I can to continue to work towards becoming the best possible version of myself. This endeavor has even extended to finding self-help and self-growth books that could potentially leave me inspired, or open new doors for me, or reveal new paths to take, or supply me with a new healthier mindset. I figured that the coming springtime would be best welcomed with some new self-help and self-growth material.

Title: The Handmaid's Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood

Genre: Fiction; Classics; Science Fiction; Dystopia; Feminism

Goodreads Rating: 4.03/ 5 stars

Pages: 311 (Paperback)

Publisher: Anchor Books

Published: March 16, 1998 (Originally publication: 1986)

Summary: Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

Margaret Atwood is an author that I’ve had my eye on for quite some time, but I wasn’t sure which novel I should pick up by her. Atwood has quite a few published novels and stellar high praise for her writing and that combination can make selecting your introduction to said author, intimidating. But, after the mess of politics and social issues in 2016 and the current pitiful political climate in 2017 (all over the world), The Handmaid’s Tale began to pop up in my literary newsfeeds as THE book that everyone, particularly women, should make a point to read this year.

I can’t pass up an opportunity to experience a new author and to also continue to educate myself on social issues, and to add fuel to my hope for a better now and a better future (for all).

Title: Swamplandia!

Author: Karen Russell

Genre: Fiction; Magical Realism; Contemporary; Fantasy

Goodreads Rating: 3.21/ 5 stars

Pages: 400 (Paperback)

Publisher: Vintage Books

Published: July 26, 2011 (Originally publication: January 1, 2011)

Summary: The Bigtree alligator wrestling dynasty is in decline--think Buddenbrooks set in the Florida Everglades--and Swamplandia!, their island home and gator-wrestling theme park, is swiftly being encroached upon by a sophisticated competitor known as the "World of Darkness."

Ava, a resourceful but terrified twelve-year-old, must manage seventy gators and the vast, inscrutable landscape of her own grief. Her mother, Swamplandia!’s legendary headliner, has just died; her sister is having an affair with a ghost called the Dredgeman; her brother has secretly defected to the World of Darkness in a last-ditch effort to keep their sinking family afloat; and her father, Chief Bigtree, is AWOL. To save her family, Ava must journey on her own to a perilous part of the swamp called the "Underworld," a harrowing odyssey from which she emerges a true heroine.

Karen Russell was recommended to me by a friend and trusted fellow reader, about a year ago, and I’m just now getting around to her. I’m a sucker for well written Magical Realism novels so I’m hoping that Russell and I end up becoming fast friends. I’m excited to dive into her work, but I’m not certain on whether I’ll pick up Swamplandia! in spring or if I’ll save it for summer. As of right now, I’m leaning more towards summer but we’ll see!

Until next time! Thank you for stopping by! And if you have yet to do so, follow me here on my blog via email subscription to be able to stay informed on when new posts are uploaded.

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- Anisa