December 22, 2020 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Things I Hope Santa Brings

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

wrapped gifts sitting beneath a christmas treeThis week’s topic was Books I Hope Santa Brings, but my TBR list is already so huge that with a few exceptions I’ll make note of below that I’d rather not receive more books from Santa or anyone else this holiday season!

With that being said, there are some bookish items I wouldn’t mind receiving this holiday season.

Uninterrupted Reading Time 

What could be better than curling into a quiet corner of the house and reading for as long as your heart desires?

Dairy-Free Chocolate/Sweets

Grocery stores and coffee shops are filled with scrumptious holiday sweets at this time of the year.

I always get excited when I read the ingredient list for a new potential treat and realize that it’s safe for my milk allergy!

Caffeine-Free Hot Drinks

I don’t generally eat or drink while reading, but when I do these are the types of things I like to rummage around for in my cupboards. Some stories simply work better when you have something to sip or nibble on while reading them.

If Santa also wants to make my sweets and beverages low-calorie, I’d promise not to give away his secret for accomplishing that.

A Waterproof Case for My iPhone

So I can safely read ebooks while taking a bath, of course!

Warm Reading Socks

My feet grow cold in the winter. They need all of the coziness they can get.

Happy Endings for Protagonists 

Okay, and maybe some of the antagonists, too, if they truly regret their mistakes.

Audiobooks 

These are the one sort of book I wouldn’t mind receiving over the holidays because I can “read” them while exercising or cleaning my house.

I’ve found that the fantasy and young adult genres works particularly well for me in these scenarios, but I wouldn’t say no to science fiction, biographies, or many other genres as well.

Sequels to Unfinished/Disappointing Series 

I don’t want to hurt any author’s feelings by naming specific series here, but there are certain series that really should have been given better (or, in some cases, any) endings. I’d sure love if it they could all be wrapped up properly and respectfully.

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December 21, 2020 · 1:00 am

Creepy Christmas Poems

Christmas wreath with a Santa placard saying "Merry Christmas" hung from it. The wreath is hung on a slightly ominious black door.

The spookiest Christmas stock photo I could find.

Someone, or possibly more than one person, keeps finding this blog by searching for creepy Christmas poems.

If they ever read this post, I hope they know it was written in direct response to the multiple queries that have popped up in my analytics.

I more or less stopped celebrating Christmas years ago when I moved far away from home, deconverted from my childhood religion, accepted a job in an industry that was always busy and stressful in December, and found myself overwhelmed by the sentimentality and consumerism of secular Christmas.

Now I sound like a grumpy character at the beginning of a Christmas movie who is about to learn a valuable life lesson, but that’s honestly not how I think about this holiday at all.

I enjoy the lights, food, and music that is traditionally shared now, and I cheer for everyone who finds meaning in the other aspects of Christmas (and/or any other winter holiday) as well.

I simply know what my limits are. Luckily, those limits include creepy Christmas poems when new readers show up here looking for them. Here are some poems that celebrate Christmas without a single ounce of sentimentality.

A Christmas Ghost Story by Thomas Hardy

Yule Horror by H.P. Lovecraft

Scary Christmas by Donald R. Wolff JR

Christmas Ghost by Andrew Green

Christmas Poems (That Won’t Make You Throw Up) by various authors

Holiday Horror: A True Story by Lucy Giardino Cortese

Merry Christmas from the Void (an analysis of three H.P. Lovecraft poems)

Merry Christmas by Langston Hughes (scroll down to read it).

 

Which creepy Christmas poems would you add to this list?

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December 17, 2020 · 1:00 am

Completing the Set: A Review of The Crown Derby Plate

Book cover for Marjorie Bowen's "The Crown Derby Plate- A Ghost Story for Christmas." Image on cover is of a ghost, tombstone, and house.The telling or reading of ghost stories during the Christmas season was once a tradition in Victorian England. This series of books seeks to revive this tradition. Beginning this year, I hope to review all of them during the month of December for as many years as it takes to finish this project. 

Title: The Crown Derby Plate – A Ghost Story for Christmas (Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories)

Author: Marjorie Bowen

Publisher: Biblioasis

Publication Date: 1931 and 2016

Genres: Paranormal, Holiday, Historical

Length: 56 pages

Source: I borrowed it from the library

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Blurb: An antique collector hears of an ancient woman with a large collection of china. Hoping to complete a particular set, the collector pays a visit to the woman’s ramshackle house, where she makes a terrifying, ghostly discovery.

Review:

One of the first things that intrigued me about this short story was that was written about a single woman who was a senior citizen. The speculative fiction genre is sadly pretty short on protagonists who fit that demographic, so I’m always in the market for writers who buck that trend.

Martha, the antique collector, was the character who greedily went off in search of a Crown Derby Plate that was the only piece missing from her prized collection. She struck me as the sort of person who has memorized all of the etiquette rules and social niceties while also having a deep understanding of how to use them to quietly get exactly what she wants. While I’d never want to befriend her, I did find the combination of her impeccable manners and selfish motives to be fascinating.

The paranormal elements of the plot were ridiculously easy to figure out in advance. I’d suspect that anyone who has read more than one ghost story in their life would know where this piece was going as soon as Martha set off to visit her neighbour’s dilapidated estate.  It would have been nice to have fewer clues about what was happening there.

With that being said, I loved the spooky atmosphere of the Hartley’s house. This is one of those things that can quickly make or break a ghost story, and it was done well in this case. Miss Lefain, the frail old woman who lived there, was not well enough to do even simple tasks like dusting, so Martha was in for quite a surprise when she saw how run-down the property was.

While it wasn’t specifically written for these groups, this is something that could be a fun story to read to kids or people learning English as a second language who are in the market for something short, simple, and scary.

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December 16, 2020 · 1:00 am

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books That Would Make Great Gifts

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

This final topic of the year was a little tricky for me because of how many different types of books and readers are out there. Some people love romance, while others think of themselves as the world’s biggest fans of the horror, mystery, or science fiction genres (among many others). There are also readers who joyfully jump around from one genre to the next!

My answers to this prompt are an attempt to recommend books that will appeal to as many sorts of people as possible.

Close-up image of pen resting on a sudoku puzzle

Sudoku, Crossword, Word Search and Other Puzzle Books

Puzzle books are such a broad category that the right selection of them can be found for nearly age group or ability level.

Blank Books

They can be used as diaries, bullet journals, sketchbooks, places to collect favourite poems, quotes, or cheerful messages from friends, and so much more.

Some are so small they can fit into the palm of your hand, while others are large enough to use as a sketchbook.

close-up photo of a colouring book for adults with coloured pencing resting on one of its opened pagesAdult Colouring Books

Colouring isn’t only for kids!

This is a wonderful, calming activity for winter or at other times when staying at home is your best bet.

The subject matter of them varies from floral garden patterns to Lord of the Rings pictures and everything inbetween.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Christmas presents wrapped in red, green, and brown paper and tied with twineIf you enjoyed the film version of this story, definitely do check out the book.

It’s written to appeal to everyone: kids, teens, adults, and senior citizens. Not many stories can say that!

A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver

Mary Oliver was one of those poets who know how to speak both to poetry fanatics as well as to those of us who generally aren’t interested in that genre.

Her work spoke about things that all humans experience, from grief to enjoying a quiet moment in nature to the relief of seeing the sun after a long, dark night.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

No one is ever too old or too young for a story filled with puns, other types of wordplay, and literary jokes in general.

 

On one final note, it’s been a lot of fun participating in the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge in 2020. Thank you all for reading my responses to it and writing your own!

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December 15, 2020 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Nonfiction Books on My Winter 2020-2021 TBR

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

distressed yellow page from a scrapbookAs I’ve mentioned in previous posts, winter is a time when I read much more nonfiction than usual. Here are some of the nonfiction books I’m hoping to check out before spring arrives.

 

Even Better Brownies: 50 Standout Bar Recipes for Every Occasion by Mike Johnson

Release Date: Already released

Why I Want to Read It: 90% of my diet is based on whole foods and quite healthy. The other 10% is decadent by design.

 

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Release Date: Already released

Why I Want to Read It: I’ve enjoyed all of the previous books President Obama has written and look forward to reading about his memories from the White House.

 

It’s Never Too Late: Make the Next Act of Your Life the Best Act of Your Life by Kathie Lee Gifford and Dolly Parton

Release Date: Already released

Why I Want to Read It: The subject matter is relevant to my life (and to the lives of many other people this year!)

 

Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life
by John N. Gray

Release Date: Already released.

Why I Want to Read It: I enjoy reading light-hearted philosophy books like this on occasion.

 

The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners: Meal Plans, Expert Guidance, and 100 Recipes to Get You Started by Elena Paravantes

Release Date: December 29

Why I Want to Read It: I’m always on the lookout for new recipes for the healthy 90% of my diet I referenced earlier.

 

Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding by Daniel Lieberman

Release Date: January 5

Why I Want to Read It: For many years, I was one of those people who genuinely hated exercise due to negative experiences with it in gym class as a kid and a lifelong disinterest in  team sports. I love the idea of reframing exercise in ways that get people like me to enjoy it. That’s something that should be emphasized much more heavily for all age groups and ability levels.

 

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders

Release Date: January 12

Why I Want to Read It: Writing is one of those topics I could talk and read about all day without growing tired of it. There’s so much to say!

 

The Extraction State: A History of Natural Gas in America by Charles Blanchard

Release Date: January 12

Why I Want to Read It: This is one of those ubiquitous parts of life I’d never think to write about but suddenly find myself interested in reading about.

 

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

Release Date: February 2

Why I Want to Read It: I’m always interested in reading portions of history that either weren’t covered in traditional history courses or were only given a cursory overview. There’s no such thing as having too many details about the past in my opinion.

 

Things I Learned From Falling by Claire Nelson

Release Date: March 5

Why I Want to Read It: Getting seriously hurt while camping or hiking far away from home is something that frightens me. Claire survived this scenario, so it will be interesting to read her account of how she got hurt and how she made it to safety.

 

 

 

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December 14, 2020 · 1:00 am

Why You Should Commit to Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution Today

top view of person holding a red and white striped umbrella and walking on a thick layer of snow. Only their footprints and shadow are visible, not the person themselves.I find it interesting how we are all encouraged to over-indulge during multiple holidays from October to December only to be bombarded with weight loss and fitness ads come January 1.

To me, it makes so much more sense to continue on with the same healthy habits I follow the other nine months of the year and to build new ones than to throw everything out of the window between Canadian Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.

I still have treats, and there are days when all of my exercise comes in the form of long – or even not so long – walks. With that being said, I do my best to stick to my regular habits as much as possible no matter what the date on the calendar says and to start my New Year’s Resolution a few weeks ahead of time for the following reasons.

Building Habits Takes Time

scrabble bricks that spell out the word "resolutions." Any lifestyle change takes time not only to turn into a habit but to preserve as a normal part of one’s routines.

Starting (or continuing) now will give you a head start on everyone making similar resolutions in a few weeks.

I don’t know about all of you, but I find it easier to stick to small changes in my daily habits if I begin them a few weeks before everyone starts talking about what they want to change about themselves or their lives in the new year.

Fitness isn’t a competition, but there’s something motivating about starting early to me. I like the feeling of already settling into the rhythm of a new habit before it becomes a common topic of conversation in my social circles. It’s not about winning. It’s about having the self-discipline to think about these things in advance and seeing what I can accomplish early on.

Many Different Types of Exercise to Try

black and white photo of woman dancingWill you be dancing? Lifting weights? Walking in a winter wonderland? Riding a stationary bike? Jogging? Playing sports? Something else?

What equipment will you need to purchase or borrow, if any?

What special workout clothing will you need to purchase or borrow, if any?

Which part of your home, yard, or neighbourhood will you be exercising in? If it’s property you own, does anything need to be spruced up or organized beforehand?

I prefer to keep things as simple as possible, especially when I’m trying something new out and have no idea if I’ll stick with that form of exercise in the longterm.

Whether you have a long list of things to accomplish before your first workout or you’re like me and prefer to wing it, these are considerations to start thinking about now.

It’s Great Stress Relief

woman sitting in lotus pose on a yoga mat at home

The holiday season can be a stressful time of year for many of us no matter what we’re celebrating.

One of the things I enjoy the most about sticking to a workout plan as much as possible and trying new forms of exercise when I can is the sense of relief I feel from these activities.

Working out is a chance to turn my brain off and live in the moment. Nothing else matter except that next dance move, yoga pose, kilometre walked, or set completed.

My goal is to get at least thirty minutes of exercise a day, but sometimes I extend a session or go out for another walk simply for the chance to focus on the way my body feels in those moments.

It’s often exhilarating.

If you make fitness-based New Year’s Resolutions, what goals will you be setting for this winter?

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December 10, 2020 · 1:00 am

An Alluring Trap: A Review of One Who Saw

Book cover for A.M. Burrage's One Who Saw. Image on cover is of a pair of green eyes with long eyelashes. The telling or reading of ghost stories during the Christmas season was once a tradition in Victorian England. This series of books seeks to revive this tradition. Beginning this year, I hope to review all of them during the month of December for as many years as it takes to finish this project. 

Title: One Who Saw – A Ghost Story for Christmas (Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories)

Author: A.M. Burrage

Publisher: Biblioasis

Publication Date: 1931 and 2016

Genres: Paranormal, Historical

Length: 64 pages

Source: I borrowed it from the library

Rating: 5 Stars

Blurb:

A sensitive writer flees the clatter of London for a sleepy French city. After settling in at quiet hotel, he spies a ghostly, solitary young woman weeping in a walled garden, her features hidden from view. Compelled to see the woman’s face, he ventures forward…. Originally published on Christmas in 1931, “One Who Saw” is regarded as A.M. Burrage’s masterpiece.

Review:

Secondhand stories aren’t always correct, but in this case they just might be!

I was expecting Simon Crutchley to tell his tale to the audience directly. The fact that we learned about it through a group of his neighbours gossiping at a dinner party beginning with the opening scene came as a surprise to me, but it somehow made his experiences even more harrowing than they might have already been.

Humans are good at filling in the gaps when they have some information but not necessarily all of it. Simon’s reaction to his paranormal experience was so life-changing that it made sense his neighbours would speculate about it. While I would have loved to read this from his perspective, it did make sense that he wasn’t up for that given what his neighbours described happening to him.

Gardens aren’t supposed to be scary places, so I was intrigued by how much effort the author put into showing how a lack of sunlight can make what should be a cheerful place to sit and write into a spot that anyone looking for some peace and quiet would best avoid.

By far my favourite part of this story had to do with what happened to people who attempted to see the face of the ghost who was sitting in the sunless garden. This wasn’t something that hauntings typically include, and it added a twist to the plot that I appreciated.

One Who Saw was deliciously chilling. I’d recommend it to everyone who loves ghost stories.

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December 9, 2020 · 1:00 am

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: A Profession From a Book I’d Love to Try

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

Old, worn out books sitting on a wooden shelf I can’t count the number of books I’ve read about libraries and the librarians who work there.

Being a librarian seems like an amazing job to me, especially if I could work behind the scenes repairing and preserving books and other manuscripts for future generations to enjoy.

I was once fortunate enough to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the book repair offices at a Toronto library. it’s amazing to see what the folks there are capable of doing for books whose bindings are coming loose or whose pages have grown fragile with age. They have so many tricks up their sleeves not only to repair current damage but to help prevent it in the future.

If the job market for this profession were better, I’d be quite interested in going back to school for it.

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December 8, 2020 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Winter Holiday Songs That Should Be Books

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

christmas bells hanging from a christmas tree over a sheet of music. Oh, how I wish that all of these songs could be turned into books.

I added the genre each song seems like it would be best with. Click on their titles to hear any songs you might not be familiar with.

Feel free to add to this list in the comment section below if you think of other suggestions! I had so much fun with this post.

 

1. All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

 

2. Eight Candles by Malvina Reynolds

Genre: Historical Drama

 

3. Wizards in Winter by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Genre: Contemporary/Urban Fantasy

 

4. Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano

Genre: Sentimental Christmas Drama (for all ages)

 

5. Coldest Winter by Pentatonix

Genre: Romantic Contemporary/Urban Fantasy

 

6.Festivals of Light by Lauren Mayer

Genre: Nonfiction

 

7. Candy Cane Lane by Sia

Genre: Science Fiction and Fantasy

 

8. Baby, It’s Cold Outside by John Legend and Kelly Clarkson

Genre: Satirical Romantic Comedy (adult audiences only)

 

9. Soma Loba by Manu Dibango

Genre: Nonfiction

 

10. I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Frank Sinatra

Genre: Historical Drama

 

Happy holidays to everyone in the Top Ten Tuesday community!

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December 7, 2020 · 1:00 am

Star Trek as Comfort Food

This post was inspired by my friend Megan Cutler’s series on must-watch Star Trek: The Original Series episodes.

Star Trek Enterprise D Transporter. Photo credit- Konrad Summers

Star Trek Enterprise D Transporter. Photo credit- Konrad Summers

These past few weeks I’ve been rewatching old Star Trek episodes from many different eras and series even though I have plenty of other shows that I haven’t seen for the first time yet.

I don’t know about you, but I crave certainty in uncertain times.

Star Trek has filled many niches over the years. Sometimes its stories are a reflection of controversial issues we deal with in the real world that don’t have simple solutions.

Other episodes might humorous, poignant, hopeful, silly, or any combination of these and many other themes.

There have been Star Trek characters and episodes whom I loved immediately, slowly grew to have a deep appreciation for once I got to know them better, or, in a few rare cases, honestly never connected with much at all. (Not everything appeals to everyone!)

Star Trek itself is comfort food for me, and it’s been this way since my first experiences with it through reruns of The Next Generation. No matter which episode or series you pick, there are some things that almost always remain the same in this franchise.

Hope

There are many excellent science fiction books, stories, and TV shows out there that do not necessarily hold a hopeful perspective of human nature or the future. This isn’t one of them.

While Star Trek writers have occasionally strayed from this theme in the more modern versions of it, this franchise in general takes a hopeful stance on what we are capable of and what our future might hold.

Perfection doesn’t exist in this or any other universe, but human society has changed for the better in so many different ways between our era and theirs.

Every time I see characters greet living beings from other planets, order a meal from a replicator, or be treated for an illness or injury that would be fatal in the twenty-first century, I feel another pulse of hope that we’ll someday create versions of these futuristic wonders for ourselves in the real world.

Certainty

Photo of Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock from the television series Star Trek on May 2, 1967.Yes, there are plenty of obstacles along the way in just about any Star Trek story arc, and they can be difficult to resolve depending on the series and the specific conflict in question.

Sometimes these conflicts are so complex they take up multiple episodes or seasons (see also: Deep Space Nine), but viewers always know there is a solution on the way eventually if they stick with it to see what the characters do next.

That certainty is a breath of fresh air now more than ever.

Call me an idealist, but I believe there’s something to be said for losing yourself in a storyline that will be resolved satisfactorily at some point.

Humour

By far the biggest reason to think of Star Trek as comfort food is all of the humour tucked away into it. No matter which series we’re talking about, there are reasons to smile when watching all of them. Yes, even Picard and Discovery if you look closely enough!

You may have noticed that I avoided mentioning specific Star Trek episodes in this post until now. That was done on purpose in order so that I could talk about the over-arching themes of this universe. Discussing a particular episode was less important than knowing there are many options to choose from when you’re a Star Trek fan who wants something warm and reassuring to watch after a long day.

With that being said, I’ll now provide a short list of my favourite humorous Star Trek episodes and provide one reason each for watching them. If you’re also a fan of this franchise, feel free to add your own suggestions below.

Episode: The Trouble with Tribbles

Series: The Original Series

Why You Should Watch It: Not only was it the funniest TOS episode in my opinion, it’s also aged the best since first airing. The idea of Kirk being outsmarted, if only temporarily, by what are essentially extremely fertile hamster-like creatures called Tribbles makes this a must watch for anyone who hasn’t seen yet.

The benefits of owning a tribble.

 

Episode: Trials And Tribble-Ations

Series: Deep Space Nine

Why You Should Watch It: The only thing better than tribbles is revisiting them vis a vie time travel!

Trying to blend in while time traveling.

 

Episode: Qpid

Series: The Next Generation

Why You Should Watch It: After being transported to a Robin Hood storyline, Worf dryly exclaimed, “I am not a merry man.” Watch the expression on his face below. It’s comedy gold.

Worf is not a merry man.

 

Episode: Tinker, Tenor, Doctor Spy

Series: Voyager

Why You Should Watch It: The doctor singing for Tuvok is priceless regardless of how well you do or do not already know these two characters.

The doctor sings for Tuvok

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