The Most Impossible Short Distance in the History of Humanity

Greetings, fellow readers! I am in the midst of a slight schoolwork slam right now: we're heading into the first round of papers and exams, and it seems like no matter how much preparation I do on the front end, I'm still behind when it comes to studying and writing. Below is a short comic from one of my favorite websites detailing exactly how I feel right now.

Speaking of comics, I'd like to take this opportunity to mention what excellent procrastination aids they are. Whenever I sit down to study or write, there comes a time when my brain reaches what I like to call "critical mass," aka the point where it's so flipping stuffed with information that it's like an engorged Christmas goose ready to spew the contents of its belly all over the feasting table.

At this point, I have to take a break (for my mental health, of course). I don't want to read a Fun Book because the amount of required reading I've completed at this point has not only shattered my concentration, but also scattered the fragments far and wide across the universe, so much so that "reading" at this juncture mostly consists of me looking at pages full of words for an hour without comprehending anything that's going on.

Enter comics. They're just short enough that my poor fractured consciousness can handle them, and just funny enough that they actually make my head hurt a teensy bit less. The beauty of comics is that by breaking up my Fun Reading into short, manageable episodes, they actually make me read a greater volume of material than I would if I sat down with a novel. I feel about comics the way the xkcd guy (sorry dude, not sure if you have a name) feels about spinny desk chairs.

As we know from the old Lay's potato chips commercials, it's impossible to read just one comic. Inevitably, I end up clicking the "random" button on xkcd, and before I know it, 45 minutes have gone by. I do not, however, believe that reading comics while studying falls under the category of Time Wasted. As someone close to me once said, time you enjoy wasting is time well spent. Well, I enjoy wasting my homework time with comics, and to all of you suffering from similar midterm pains, I offer this list of my favorites. Have fun!

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

http://xkcd.com/

http://phdcomics.com/comics.php

http://www.beatricebiologist.com/

http://harkavagrant.com/

Until next time,

Anna

Enough is Enough: A Response to the Recent Attacks Against Women on Campus

Fair warning: this is not one of my usual blog posts. Like Lemony Snicket advised, if you'd like to read about happy elves frolicking in the woods or sweet, docile children going on a picnic, then this is not the blog post for you. Put it down, walk away, and go on with your merry little life. If, however, you are looking for someone who, like you, is similarly outraged by the escalating numbers of women being sexually assaulted on campus, then stay.

Fair warning: I am a feminist, and I am angry about this situation caused by the rape culture that is rampant in America, especially on college campuses. Thus, this blog post will be something along the lines of the ANGRY FEMINIST RANTS dismissed by so many people as "hysterical women on their periods" or "bra-burning feminists who don't shave a hair on their bodies." If this kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, close your browser window and walk away from your laptop RIGHT NOW.

You're still here? Ok, here goes: just don't say I didn't warn you.

I have been back at school for less than two weeks, and already there have been three attempts of sexual battery and/or assault against women on campus. That's one every five days--think about it. At 3:41 this morning, I was rudely awakened by the University Police Department's UF Alert text messages warning that a woman had been attacked right in front of the school library. Two other women reported being grabbed and battered by a male assailant: the University Police Department believes the perpetrator is the same across all three cases.

While many well-meaning officials and friends have urged female students to stay in well lit areas, not walk alone at night, and be aware of their surroundings, this does nothing to actually solve the problem. It is unacceptable that the focus remains on what all women on campus should not do rather than on what the male attacker should not do. College women's lives should not be dictated by regulations designed to prevent them from being raped. Though I believe the people who advise women to take precautions do so with good intentions, their efforts are misguided. Until we teach men not to rape, we will never end the rape culture endemic on our college campuses.

I am tired of being told not to walk alone at night. I am tired of hearing that "she was asking for it" because "she was dressed like a slut." I am tired of feeling unsafe on this campus, which has been my home for almost three years now.

I demand a safe campus. I demand that we teach men not to rape instead of cautioning women against being the victims of crime. Is a murder victim "asking for it" by "being in the wrong place at the wrong time"? Does a victim of theft "get off" on having their home invaded? We need to apply the same standards to rape as we do to any other crime.

If the streets of our campus are not safe, then where is? It's time to put a halt to this: enough it enough. It's time to take back the night and stress that whatever we do, wherever we go, yes means yes, and no means no.

Final thought: if this post provokes you to leave a comment or to share the link with others, I ask that you remain respectful and civil when leaving feedback. This is a serious issue, and I will delete/ban comments that are offensive or insensitive.

That being said, if you agree with me and would like to spread the word to end rape culture on campus, pleas like this post, share the link, and promote it in whatever way you wish.

That's all for now, dear readers.

Until next time,

Anna

Back To School

Greetings, fellow readers! Fall semester at the University of Florida is in full swing, and as I suspected, I am buried in textbook readings. It's all ok, though, because I'm taking classes I'm super excited about. To give you a quick overview, I am enrolled in:

Special Topics in Shakespeare's Tragedies

American Literature before 1865

Pompeii Archaeology Lab

The Power and Limits of Persuasive Speech

Programming Fundamentals 2 (aka C++)

Since it's the first week of class, we've mostly been covering introductory material and the necessary background to provide context for our work over the course of the semester. However, I have already read Pericles, Venus and Adonis, and the sonnets for my Shakespeare class, and some very interesting documents about the Salem Witch Trials for my American Lit class. Will keep you posted with more reading updates as time goes by.

Last week, I finally got around to doing something I've wanted to do for a while: get my Alachua County library card. I went with my friends Jordan and Alison (my scene partners from Shakespeare in the Park, if you're new to the blog), and we all got our cards, then proceeded to pillage the shelves. I restrained myself to checking out only three books, including a choose-your-own-adventure-style adaptation of Hamlet. It's been quite entertaining so far: I played as the ghost of Hamlet's father and became a posthumous oceanographer, and as Hamlet and Ophelia. Surprisingly enough, I not only survived the story both times, but also lived a long and happy life--go figure!

I have also been reading The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais, upon which the recent film starring Helen Mirren is based. I have not seen the movie yet, but if it's anything like the book, I know I am going to love it. The story follows a young chef, Hassan Haji, and his family on their journey from India to France, and their clash with Madame Mallory, a rival chef from the small French village in which they settle. The writing in this book is delightful, and the descriptions of the food are so vivid I can almost taste them (which, by the way, is an extraordinarily difficult thing to write well).

That's all I have for now. Until next time, dear readers!

Anna

Summer Reading List, Part 7

Greetings, fellow readers! In true college student fashion, I have left my last summer blog post until the last minute . . . gosh, I'm ready for finals already!! (Just kidding, profs.) In between manic bursts of madcap packing, punctuated by long periods of laziness during which I lolled about, lamenting the demise of another summer, I managed to read quite a lot of books. I'll get to those in a minute, but first, some more news from the stacks:

I have finally cleaned out my TBR! For those of you who don't know, my Amazon Wishlist does double duty as a "To Be Read" list of all the books I want/were recommended by friends/looked interesting/will probably be terrible but only cost $0.99/can't live without. As you can imagine, it's quite a long list, and before I cleared it out, I clocked in at over 600 items. After a brief purge, I found my list about 100 items lighter. Most of the books I had either read but forgot I read, bought but haven't read yet, or lost interest in (cue the probably terrible $0.99 editions.) This was a very therapeutic afternoon of fall cleaning (is that a thing?), and the best part is, my list is now free of clutter, and it's easier for me to find the books I really want to read.

And now, for the reviews:

The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan. I actually first heard of this book about a year ago from my good friend, Sasha, who bought it at the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore in Paris while we were studying abroad together last summer. I've never read anything by David Levithan, but she gave it a good review, so I decided to take the plunge.

This is the story of a love story, as told through a series of dictionary words and their definitions. It's a very personal account of a specific relationship, but anyone who has ever been in love will find something in this novel which resonates with them. I liked that this story was honest and did not rely on cliches to get its point across. It did a good job of illustrating that love is messy, and sometimes it's not easily resolved. Though I know Levithan writes for teenagers, this is really a book for adults. I recommend it for someone looking for a fresh take on the tried-and-true love story.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This was a re-read for me, and as has been the case for the past several times I've read it, I actually like the parts where Jane is a child more than when she is an adult. For me, the book really fell down in terms of the relationship between Jane and Rochester (I know, that makes me a terrible person, but I really can't stand Byronic heroes.) He's not really a nice guy, and he takes advantage of her youth and inexperience on more than one occasion. I found this realization of baffling because I always enjoyed their romance as a younger reader. I also noticed Jane's conflicted relationship with religion, meaning both the organized church and her own private faith. She seems very confused about what she believes in the doctrinal sense, although she does have a strong sense of morality. I won't say I enjoyed this re-read as much as I've enjoyed them in the past, but of course it's still a good book.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. Oh. My. God. This book was laugh out loud, wet your pants funny! Culled from Brosh's award-winning blog, Hyperbole and a Half is the story of one woman and her outrageously millennial first-world problems. Between the crazy antics of the simple dog and the helper dog and her depressed cackling over a piece of corn, I fell in love with this book. I'm going to be lending this one out to many friends. I promise you if you need a laugh, this book will deliver.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman. This book was just . . . weird. I expected to like it, I really did. What fan of Harry Potter and Narnia doesn't wish for the magical worlds of childhood favorites to be real for adults? This book, however, had no focus, and long passages which felt like the author was describing a strange drug trip. I don't even know what to say about this book, except that it had so much potential but no authorial skill to sustain its vision. Thumbs down on this one.

The Girl who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente. This is the third book in the Fairyland series, and I did not like it as much as I did the other two. Most of it consists of September taking a road trip across the moon, and I feel like Valente was just marking time. The magical elements seemed forced somehow. Plus, the end of the book was just bizarre: it turns out that the moon is both alive and pregnant, and what's more, the moon's midwife is a yeti, who up until now was the villain of the story. The ending of this book made no sense to me, and I wish Valente had tried harder.

Breakfast with Socrates by Robert Roland Smith. This book was ok: nothing special, but a good introductory primer to philosophy and its application to daily life.

The Queen of the Tearling by Erica Johansen. Finally, redemption! This book was recommended to me by two friends at work, both of whom have completely different tastes in science fiction and fantasy novels. This book was so good--I think I read it in less than three days, and I'm already dying for the next one to come out.

Kelsea (the Queen of the Tearling) has been raised in the woods by foster parents, unaware of her true identity. When she comes of age, she is thrust into the role of queen of an impoverished kingdom lacking in modern medicine and technology, with a government largely based on the annual tribute of slaves to a nearby kingdom. I liked how Kelsea has to balance her own values and sense of right and wrong with the politics of her kingdom. There are also some really great battle scenes, and did I mention the magical sapphires? If you're looking for a seriously good read, pick up this book. You won't regret it. (Sidenote: lest my review fool you, this is definitely adult fantasy fiction, not YA. Strong language and thematic material make it inappropriate for young readers.)

That's it for now; when we next meet, I'll probably be drowning in a sea of required reading!

Until next time,

Anna

Summer Reading List, Part 6

Greetings, fellow readers! With the end of summer rapidly approaching, I thought I'd try and squeeze in one last Summer Reading blog post. This one's kind of short--I've been working full-time hours at the bookstore, so most of my reading lately has been squeezed into my lunch break. I have managed to keep up with my ever-growing TBR, however; I feel like I need to do as much as I can before school starts again and I don't have time to breathe. Here goes:

NW by Zadie Smith. Pronounced "northwest," this novel about an ordinary corner of London is one I've anticipated greatly, given how much I've enjoyed Smith's other work. That being said, I'm finding this novel a disappointment. I'm about halfway through it, and it seems like it was written by a totally different person. Neither the story line nor the characters move with any purpose, and the narrative seems fractured and unfocused. More than once I've found myself thinking, where did the real Zadie Smith go? I've put this one aside for now in the hope of finding a better book.

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. A. LaFevre. This book was so good; I got it free through my Kindle Unlimited trial, and I finished it in a couple of days. The protagonist is an eleven year old girl who lives in an Egyptology museum in Victorian England. She can sense which artifacts possess magical qualities and knows how to thwart the ancient curses they contain. When her archaeologist mother brings home a trove which inflicts plagues on London, Theodosia takes matters into her own hands to avert chaos and restore peace and order to the world.

I found Theodosia witty and acerbic, and I relished the descriptions of Egyptian artifacts--I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a kid, and reading this book was like revisiting my childhood. I'm glad this is the first in a series because now I have a whole new set of adventures awaiting me!

The Giver by Lois Lowry. Somehow I missed having to read this one for school, but what with the movie coming out soon and all the kids coming to the bookstore to buy it for summer reading, I felt I had to. This book does not disappoint; it lives up to the name "classic." I don't want to give away too much and spoil the story, but I will say this: this book is about a young boy named Jonas who lives in a society where individual free will is all but eradicated. Each stage of life is planned by those in power, from the occupations citizens practice to the clothes they wear.

When the time comes for the children to be assigned jobs, Jonas is singled out for the job of Receiver, which is both a great honor and a burden. He gets the chance to see life as it would be if people had free will and shared their memories, and this experience changes him forever. I'll say no more, except that if you haven't read this yet, get thee to a library and read it posthaste!

I am also rereading Jane Eyre, my old favorite, which never fails to cheer me up. And now I will say farewell, and happy reading!

Until next time,

Anna

Things I'm Excited About!

Greetings, fellow readers! I thought I'd take a short break from my summer reading log posts to share with you some of the other bookish things (besides books, of course) I'm excited about this summer.

1. Free stuff. You would not believe how much free stuff I get working in a bookstore. Free limited edition Batman comics? No problem. Free samples of a new fantasy series from Tor.com? We've got a whole box of 'em to give away. Free magazines? You had me at Entertainment Weekly's special coverage of San Diego ComiCon! Which, by the way, I am crushed I was not able to attend this year--I was in California a week too early. Ah well, I'm still young! And I did score a pretty sweet vintage Doctor Who t-shirt online brought back special for the event.

2. Indie bookstores. While I realize that in some ways my working for a chain bookstore could be considered selling out to The Man, I spend quite a few of my hard-earned dollars at The Bookmark, Neptune Beach's independent bookstore-by-the-sea. Seriously, if you live in the Jax Beaches area or are here for a visit (please come!), you HAVE to check this place out. It's small and sunny and full of signed copies from their weekly author events. They're even bringing Tomie DePaola of children's book fame to speak in October! That's one I can't miss.

I was there yesterday with my dad, intending to buy one book (the third book in Cathrynne M. Valente's Fairyland series) but I ended up coming away with four--I should really know better by now that books are like Lay's potato chips: you can't have just one. In addition to the Fairyland book, I found the most beautiful illuminated copy of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself that I absolutely couldn't live without (Thank you, Brain Pickings, for breaking my checkbook with your covet-inducing reviews!), a centennial Penguin Deluxe edition of James Joyce's Dubliniers with a drool-worthy cover, and the Penguin Great Ideas edition of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince. This is a neat little series that I discovered at Foyles while I was in England last summer. Penguin has collected the most world-changing essays and works of nonfiction into a lovely series with minimalist covers that capture the ethos of the ideas themselves. I already have two, which I bought in London, and I think Signor Machiavelli will feel quite at home with his compatriots on my shelves.

How I feel at the end of each new haul.

3. Magazines. Normally, I'm not a big magazine reader (other than the occasional Mental Floss for long plane trips) but lately I've become enamored of Wired and its sleek synthesis of art, technology, and design, not to mention the thought-provoking, often hilarious, articles. Jerry Sinefeld on Google Glass--guys, you have to check this one out. I feel a certain kinship with the good folk of Wired: I'm excited about all the new developments in technology and what we can do with things like prehistoric superfoods and tablet journalism, but I also admire beautiful things and the tradition of human artistry that predates the digital age. Wired succeeds where many other observers fail to combine the two and create something new and awesome--so awesome, in fact, I might even subscribe.

4. BookTube! Readers of this blog will be well acquainted with my obsession with Ron Lit and, more recently, Words of a Reader, but lately, my YouTube channel has exploded with BookTube videos. I can't stop watching them! Or subscribing! Or fighting the urge to go out and buy all the awesome books these rockin' ladies recommend!!! (I am highly caffeinated right now, in case you couldn't tell.) If you're looking for your next great read, or just wanting to expand your literary horizons, go to BookTube. The channels I've tagged will give you a good start, and once you're down the rabbit hole, like Alice, you'll go wherever your heart takes you. 

So that's about it for today--let me know what you think of this post by commenting below! As always, I'm all about da recommendations.

Until next time,

Anna

Summer Reading List, Part 5

Greetings, fellow readers! I have returned from the west coast with my head full of space exploration and my suitcase full of completed books. While I was in California, I got to take a tour of the SpaceX factory floor (which was mind-blowingly amazing!) and visit the California ScienCenter, where the space shuttle Endeavour is kept. All of these adventures, plus spending lots of time with Jacob, made this one of the best weekends of the whole summer.

Here are some reviews of what I've been reading since my last post:

Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs. Another guilty pleasure summer mystery, this book was nothing special, but still fun to read.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I loved this book! My friend Elli recommended it, and I couldn't be happier I decided to read it. It's about a girl named Cath who writes fan fiction for a Harry Potter-esque book series. She and her twin sister have always worked on these stories together, but when they leave for college, their relationship is strained as each girl adjusts to new experiences. This is a sweet little ode to the stories we write and the books we love best. Highly recommend.

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, I am Half-Sick of Shadows, Speaking from Among the Bones, and The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, all by Alan Bradley. Now that I am all caught up on the Flavia de Luce series, I can only say I'm sad I have to wait another year until the new book comes out! These mysteries are awesome--I recommend you give them a shot if you're in the mood for something clever.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This was a really good book about two teenagers, one French and one German, growing up during World War Two. Part coming of age novel, part historical mystery, this book went by so quickly for me: I couldn't stop reading it! Definitely a keeper.

Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space by Lynn Sherr. A good biography of the US's first woman astronaut, including an intensely personal look at the woman behind the NASA portraits.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. This one was a recommendation from my youngest sister. Two girls, Sophie and Agatha, are sent to a school to train as either fairy tale heroes or villains. Upon arriving, however, each girl is convinced she has been placed in the wrong school. The story follows their adventures as they try to undo the mistake while remaining true to their natures.

Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang. This is a two-part graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion in China that I found at The Bookmark, our local independent bookstore. Being new to graphic novels, I didn't really know what to expect, but I thought the artwork was really good and the two perspectives gave an interesting interpretation of this time in history.

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle and Hope Larson. The original novel was one of my favorites as a kid--still is--so I was delighted to see that the graphic novel turned out so well. The blues and blacks of the panels evoke the space and time travel of the original novel, and the characters' personalities really shine through the drawings. This is one I will probably go out and purchase for myself.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. One of the best, most consistent books I have read in a long time. I can see why it won the Pulitzer prize. This book is about a teenage boy and a piece of stolen art, and the story follows them both on their interconnected journey through life. It is also about the trauma of loss and the power of art to heal and hurt us. I honestly can't do this book justice--you just have to read it for yourself. It's long, but I promise you, it will be worth it.

Until next time,

Anna