Banned Books Week

Once again, it's Banned Books Week! This issue is super important to me, as evidenced by my post last year. Lest you think this is a silly topic that has no relevance in today's world, check out this completely tone-deaf (and poorly timed) move from Highland Park, just down the road from my hometown. Yes people, we are still banning books in 2014.

So, in honor of Banned Books Week, check out the list of frequently challenged books (Harry Potter! Captain Underpants! The Catcher in the Rye! Of Mice and Men! You're killing me, people!), and GO READ ONE!

Hooray for books! Hooray for freedom! And hooray for Banned Books Week, which has been fighting censorship since 1982.

Novel Goes to Spain

As I briefly mentioned before, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Jonathan in Spain for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. I'm still getting over the jet lag (ugh), but I'm so excited to share some of my bookish and not-so-bookish travel essentials. First, let me say that Spain is amazing. I would endure any amount of jet lag to go back, even tomorrow. It was that great. We did a whirlwind trip with stops in Madrid, Seville, Málaga, Granada and Barcelona. Each city had its own merits, but I was captivated by Seville most of all, and the Gaudí sights in Barcelona.

 

Seville, Spain

 

Because this was my first European vacation (hopefully of many!), I did a lot of research about not only our travel destinations, but also on how to survive international flights. I'd love to share some of my travel learnings with you.

  • If you can afford it, spring for business class tickets. For someone like me who has trouble sleeping on planes, having a fully reclining seat made all of the difference in me not only getting sleep, but starting my vacation off on the right foot.
  • Even if business class isn't in your budget, small things like a sleep mask, ear plugs and compression socks will make your life much easier. Also, even if you don't like to wear pajamas or workout clothes in public like me, I highly recommend changing into something more comfortable on the plane before going to sleep.
  • Don't skip your other nighttime rituals on an overnight flight. Taking the time to remove makeup, take out contacts and brush my teeth before settling down made me feel ready for sleep and also more refreshed upon waking.
  • Bring snacks. While airlines will provide snacks, they're not always healthy or appetizing. Packing a few key snacks like trail mix, peanut butter, crackers and granola bars will keep you full and happy on a long flight, and they're also great to have on hand between meals on the entire trip.
  • Charge your Kindle or bring a book. (You knew there had to be a bookish twist.) My international flights did not have wifi, so I made sure to download several books before leaving. Check with your local library to see if they have ebook lending. It's been a huge bonus for me to be able to "check out" free Kindle books. I'm a big fan of paper books too, but as a quick reader, the number of paper books needed to sustain a ten day vacation would have taken up all of the space in my bag.
  • Find a travel guide you like, and bring it along. My phone didn't have service in Spain, so we relied heavily on our travel guide and the included maps. I looked at a lot of different books before going to Spain, but the one I brought with me was from PBS legend Rick Steves. His books rank sights in order of priority, provide sample itineraries, and give practical advice about crowd-beating and cultural norms. While there were one or two misses (no one's perfect), overall we found this book to be a lifesaver. When we go back to Europe, we'll be bringing Rick with us again.
  • If you're not a native speaker of the destination's language, make an effort and look into language apps. We found everyone to be very gracious and helpful, especially when we made an effort to communicate in the native language. I also downloaded SpanishDict before our trip. Their in-app dictionary doesn't require wifi, so it was great for looking up random words in the moment.
  • Just go with it! We were lucky to have minimal travel delays, but as with any vacation, there are always surprises or things that don't exactly go your way, especially if there's a language barrier. Having a positive attitude and not sweating the small stuff allowed us to make the most of this incredible vacation.

What are your international travel tips? I feel like we learned so much on this vacation, and I can't wait to do it again!

 

What I Read 2013

I'm finally updating what I've read for 2014, so I decided to move 2013 over to a post instead. I'm sure I'm missing a few, but this will at least give me a good idea of my literary journey for the last year. Any standouts? I have to say, for sheer joy of reading it, I loved The Night Circus. Other favorites include The Name of the Star and the Ruby Red trilogy. Any recommendations for this year?

Fiction:

  • Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski

  • Mao II by Don DeLillo

  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

  • The Magicians by Lev Grossman

  • The Magician King by Lev Grossman

  • The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Young Adult:

  • Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

  • Cinder by Marissa Meyer

  • Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

  • The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

  • The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

  • 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

  • The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

  • The Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

  • Fallen by Lauren Kate

  • Torment by Lauren Kate

  • Passion by Lauren Kate

  • The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

  • The Elite by Kiera Cass

  •  The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

  •  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

  • Defiance by C.J. Redwine

  • Deception by C.J. Redwine

  • The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

  • Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

  • The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

  • Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross

  • The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

  • The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

  • Ruby Red by Kerstin Geir

  • Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Geir

  • Emerald Green by Kerstin Geir

Memoirs:

  • MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche

 

An Announcement and Gifts for Tiny Readers

Things have been quiet on the blog front lately, and for very good reason. My brother and his dear wife welcomed a sweet baby girl to the world. Her name is Reagan, and she has stolen our hearts.  

As the only aunt to this precious pumpkin, it's my job to turn her into a little reader. I already told her I'd buy her all of the books she could ever want, but I rounded up a few more things I'd love to give to any future tiny reader.

A onesie with a simple message, Read To Me.

As I've mentioned before, I love these board books of classic literature for baby.

Another favorite brand, Out of Print, also makes adorable book cover onesies. Is it weird to have matching clothes with a baby?

Ian Falconer's classic Olivia in board book form.

And her very own Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Novel Links

Here's another round of novel links that have entertained me this week:  

Books and cooking! Here's a post about being inspired to cook by a great novel.

An interesting post about being an inaccessible author from Shannon Hale. They're not super heroes, people. They still have to do laundry and stuff.

Genius book marketing for John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. Thank goodness the preparedness kit includes tissues.

These introvert stories get me every time. It's like they can see inside my brain!

I recently saw the trailer for Le Week-End, and it looks like it has the potential to make me both laugh out loud and become a bit weepy. Definitely on my list to see.

I'm all about these simple wine tasting projects from The Kitchn.

And just because, baby elephants.

That's all, folks.

Bookish Finds

As a reader and a writer, I like to infuse a little bit of the bookish into my everyday life. I even had a book-themed wedding! For the new Bookish Finds series on Novel, I'll highlight items I find that are perfect for bibliophiles. First up, something bookish for the wee babes. I'm thrilled to pieces to be welcoming a niece in May, and I'm attending a baby shower this weekend in celebration. I've already purchased a precious onesie from the Paddington Bear line for Gap Baby, but my gift for the shower is my favorite bookish baby gift yet! (Briann, if you're reading this, now is the time to go to a different page.)

I can't wait for baby Reagan to get her hands on these adorable, beautifully illustrated board books from BabyLit by Gibbs Smith.

BabyLit bills itself as "a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature." And if I'm being completely honest, I've even eyed some of these prints for myself. What are your favorite bookish gifts for baby?

New Year, New Resolutions

Life is back in order after a very hectic holiday that included some very high highs (finding out I'll have a niece, Reagan, come May!) to some very low lows (a death in the family on Christmas Day). As such, there wasn't a whole lot of time for reflection or resolutions. My plate is full, as always, but as an introvert, I have to carve out time to do the things that are important to me, or run the risk of terrible burnout. Knowing that, I've created some new resolutions, and revisited some old ones.

1. Dedicate time to writing at least five days a week, whether it's a blog post or a writing project.

2. Record all of the books I read throughout the year. This was a fun one for me last year, so I'll be doing it again. You can follow my progress under "What I've Read."

3. Continue renovations on the condo. Things are moving right along, and I have even more big plans for this year.

4. Cook more often, and try new recipes. This remains on the list. I tired a few new things last year, but it's time to test out all of that fancy kitchen equipment from the registry.

5. Be open to new friendships. This is always a goal for me, but I want to be more intentional about the people I spend time with, especially since I'm so protective of my time.

6. Make healthier choices. I'm never going to be a health nut. I have too many guilty pleasures for that sort of lifestyle. But I do want to make healthier choices, even if it's just drinking more water and getting on a regular schedule with barre classes.

7. Achieve balance. Overall, this is what I'm going for. More play, less work. More quality time with the people I love. More calm, less stress.

So that's it. And my motto? Here it is, courtesy of Emily Ley.