A reading resolution

I may not have yet completed my New Years resolutions or goals or what have you for the year, 

but No. 1 is definitely:

READ MORE BOOKS.

I'm going to go big this year and aim to read 20 books.

Now I'm excited to plan what these twenty books are, AND have an excuse to go to Powell's Books. Wait.  One never needs an excuse to go to Powell's Books. 

Do you have a reading resolution?  What's your goal?

Happy Weekending!

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Ray Bradbury: August 20, 1920 - June 5, 2012

This morning, my mother told me that she had read
Ray Bradbury had passed away. 

What a talent.

Now, I can't help but want to climb into bed with his books--and get out my ballpoint
and journal.

I never did pull out "Dandelion Wine," during the month of May, as it was suggested,

and I now I really wish I had.  June ought to be a good month, too.

What's your favorite Bradbury read?

"Don't talk about it; write."

"Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things."

"I've often been accused of being too emotional and sentimental, but I believe in honest sentiment, and the need to purge ourselves at certain times, which is ancient. Men would live at least five or six more years and not have ulcers if they could cry better."

"I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true – hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it."

"There is no future for e-books, because they are not books. E-books smell like burned fuel."

image via huffington post

Late Spring Reads & Book Recommendations Wanted

It has been in the high eighties here in the Northwest, for the last five days or so, and we are seriously soaking it up!  Nothing beats outdoor exercise after months and months of running on a treadmill!

Now that the weather has turned, it makes me want to throw a blanked out back and read under a tree.  I'm just about finished with The Book Thief, and craving another good book.  Something reminiscent, inspiring, uplifting.  You know--something perfect for this segue into summer!

During college, (ten years ago!) my professor recommended reading Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, during the month of May.  I think that's a recommendation that I should complete this year...

What are you reading?

Any recommendations?

3 Symptoms of Killing Our Dreams

Most of you have probably already read the book, The Alchemist or The Pilgrimage or another book by Paulo Coelho.  If you haven't, put reading one of his books on your list of to-dos now.

I first read The Alchemist (and The Pilgrimage) my senior year of college.  It was then that a small seed was sown; a seed that has since flourished; truth that we all have gifts and personal callings that we should be living toward and for, in this life.  Don't get me wrong, I knew of talents, gifts and callings before I read the work of Coelho, but it was when I read The Alchemist that the pieces came together.  Although, my own personal calling has been buried a time or two or three, and has been placed on the back burner recently, the wisdom of Paulo Coelho continues to press deep--especially since I've liked his Facebook page and receive almost daily nuggets of wisdom from his enormous bank of life lessons. 

Like Paulo Coelho on Facebook and be inspired.

Yesterday, Coelho posted on Facebook his blog post,

'3 Symptoms of Killing Our Dreams,' and once again, I'm pondering over my calling, the excuses and my priorities.  I'd say they're each worth thinking about, and with the New Year around the corner, the timing feels especially appropriate.

3 Symtoms of Killing Our Dreams

Paulo Coelho

The first symptom of the process of our killing our dreams is the lack of time. The busiest people I have known in my life always have time enough to do everything. Those who do nothing are always tired and pay no attention to the little amount of work they are required to do. They complain constantly that the day is too short. The truth is, they are afraid to fight the Good Fight.

The second symptom of the death of our dreams lies in our certainties. Because we don’t want to see life as a grand adventure, we begin to think of ourselves as wise and fair and correct in asking so little of life. We look beyond the walls of our day-to-day existence, and we hear the sound of lances breaking, we smell the dust and the sweat, and we see the great defeats and the fire in the eyes of the warriors. But we never see the delight, the immense delight in the hearts of those who are engaged in the battle. For them, neither victory nor defeat is important; what’s important is only that they are fighting the Good Fight.

And, finally, the third symptom of the passing of our dreams is peace. Life becomes a Sunday afternoon; we ask for nothing grand, and we cease to demand anything more than we are willing to give. In that state, we think of ourselves as being mature; we put aside the fantasies of our youth, and we seek personal and professional achievement. We are surprised when people our age say that they still want this or that out of life. But really, deep in our hearts, we know that what has happened is that we have renounced the battle for our dreams – we have refused to fight the Good Fight.

When we renounce our dreams and find peace, we go through a short period of tranquility. But the dead dreams begin to rot within us and to infect our entire being.

We become cruel to those around us, and then we begin to direct this cruelty against ourselves. That’s when illnesses and psychoses arise. What we sought to avoid in combat – disappointment and defeat – come upon us because of our cowardice.

And one day, the dead, spoiled dreams make it difficult to breathe, and we actually seek death. It’s death that frees us from our certainties, from our work, and from that terrible peace of our Sunday afternoons
in The pilgrimage

What's your dream?
And are you seeking your dream?
Just curious.

One of my dreams is to be published one day,
and with the effort I've been giving it,
I'm a long ways off.

xx

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Kelly Corrigan: Words on Women and Strength

Currently, I'm reading 'The Middle Place' by Kelly Corrigan.  It has been an enjoyable, provoking read, a balance between heartache and cheerleading.  I relate to her story as a daughter and mother, and wait on her words to learn how cancer has changed her innermost and to see what I can take and apply to my own story.

I find myself wanting to stand applaud the women whose work I've read, who are sharing their stories, and who have unearthed the lessons within their living. 

Life is all about our stories. 

The cause and affect; the lessons.

While searching for a 'Middle Place' book cover photo to put on my blog, I came across some essay reading by Kelly Corrigan.  And all over again, I am touched by her candidness; her stories. 

I'm so happy to have found one more female writer to inspire me in my own story-telling.

You can hear her tell about 'The Middle Place' here.

I love this essay, Transcending: Words on Women and Strength.

Enjoy your Friday!
Cassie

I snuck away

I knew it was a bookstore sort of day.

I knew it was so, that I planned my entire morning around being free in the afternoon to roam rooms of books and rooms that spilled into other rooms of more books.  I swear to you Powell's Books  seeps euphoria.

Do you ever have those kind of days?  When the only thing you want to do is smell, touch and read books?

Many read to escape reality and maybe I'm just the same.  I can't say there was anything to avoid this otherwise regular Tuesday, but nothing was clearer than the fact that my heart wanted to leap between pages and lie there for a while.  The possibility to happen upon a work that could change my life might also have some weight in this matter. 

Do you ever turn pages hoping that within might lie a gem of wisdom that you will remember forever?

This might be the exact reason that I last-minutely walked past the writing section, landed eyes on Natalie Goldberg's, "The Great Failure," picked it up, skimmed over the back, and called her a keeper.
Maybe, in some sort of serendipitous-sort-of-way, Goldberg's gold covered memoir was the only real reason I went downtown today?  Perhaps between the hard covers is a story that might interweave with mine, and/or spill open a truth that I didn't know I was searching for and will sing prelude into my life's next chapter?

Such is the mysterious adventure in books and in reading.  Maybe I'm romanticizing a bit?

With the tick of freezing rain bouncing off the window pane, steeping mint tea and a stack of beautifully unread books on my nightstand, I have finalized my decision on my first read for the year 2011.  Instead of Vladimir Nabokov's, "Lolita" or Virginia Woolf's, "A Room of One's Own," I begin with "The Great Failure: A Bartender, a Monk, and My Unlikely Path to Truth." It came about when I had other things in mind, but so goes life--

many, many unlikely paths leading to truth.

Now, I hope it's a good one.

{UPDATE: I'm two pages in and already marking this book up!  This is a very good sign.}

What are you reading this New Year?

Another Giveaway!

Yep, another giveaway. 

This is the second giveaway of three

in celebration of my

3 year Blogoversary!!

About three years ago,

I came across the lovely

Christine Mason Miller.

Her art, writing and wisdom

truly inspires.

For every creative spirit,

she has something.

Credits

credit

The giveaway is

your very own copy of her book--

Ordinary Sparkling Moments

Through the month of October, Christine Mason Miller is donating $10 of each book sale to the  HIV/AIDS projects in South Africa.  You can contribute to this cause by ordering copies of this inspiring book here. 

3 ways to enter the giveaway:

*This giveaway has closed.*

1) Leave a comment below.

2) Follow this blog and leave me a comment saying that you've done so.
3) Re-blog this giveaway and tell me about it!

Giveaway entry closes

Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010

12pm

Winner will be announced Thursday evening!

a very good day.

Sunday, I paid a visit to one of my favorite friends. 

When I arrived with a haul of maternity clothes to cover her sweet baby bump due to arrive in November,

she surprised me with a birthday gift!

Fancy this...

the cutest to do/notes by thomaspaul.
Now I can write lists in style!
Find more awesome stationary here.
I have my eye on the chocolate-orange-marigold set.

A journal by Sabrina Ward Harrison.

Shannon and many of you know that I am a HUGE SWH fan.

This is such a great piece of her work to own.

In fact, I am such a fan that I already had this great book.

However, it is so lovely that I haven't taken a pen to its pages.

I just don't dare ruin the artwork.

I can make my own mess elsewhere...

With Shannon's blessing, I took this beautiful journal back to its home in search of another another gem.

You know where this book led me?

To none other than

Anthropologie.

I want to thank Shannon for giving me the excuse to treat myself

to eye-candy heaven!

When I arrived, I almost melted to the floor.

About eight must-have books practically jumped off their shelves and tables

trying to catch my eye and swoon me into taking them home.

Here are some in no particular order...

Inspiration selections from Paulo Cohelo the great.

Because "old" has been whispering to me...

Jane Eyre

*I just LOVE these bound books*
You probably remember them from a previous post.

Pride and Prejudice

Great Expectations

Made From Scratch.

This should be my next purchase.

She writes about beekeeping, clothes making, and hen picking.

All necessary things for our country move on the horizon.

More on this soon. :)

While overcome with the huge decision,

Shannon's magic gift buying reasoning ran through my head:

buy something that you wouldn't buy yourself.

And the choice was made:

I've always wanted to splurge and buy

an

entire book on cupcakes.

Can you imagine...

there are

Coffee Cupcakes,

Coconut Cupcakes,

Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes,

Ginger Cupcakes,

Chocolate-Orange Cupcakes

 and even

Lemon Cupcakes!!!

Delish.

a lovely friend. presents. eye candy. books. a book of treats, nonetheless.

it was a good day.

relieved.

I am feeling a bit better today.  Waking up before the children always helps me ease into the day.

Today I am looking forward to breaking away from the last five worrisome days, and settling into the woods.  We are off to camp through another weekend with another set of friends.  They have two sweet-ones, so ours will have double-fun.

I'm also looking forward to sitting in the sun and reading my new book, "Lit," a memoir by Mary Karr.  Have you read her work? I'm hoping that this read will get me back in the saddle for my own writing work, and I'll gleam some inspiration  from the woman who says, that the book, in portion, is about "learning to write by learning to live." 

Enjoy the sunshine!

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The Big Question

If book is in the title, I definitely stop to read the post. I just made a jaunt over to the English Muse, and read her latest post, Which Books Changed Your World. The subject alone makes me swoon, because as you know, I love books. In fact, I love them so much, that last night as I added two more to my bed-side table, I wondered if I have a book-hoarding problem? Hmm...who really knows. Can one really have too many books? I think not. So there went that issue.

While I was over at the English Muse, I was excited about two things. First, have you heard about the Twitter stream #booksthatchangedmyworld? It is fun to scroll through to see what books have changed people, and which ones have significantly impacted people over and over again. Because, you see, I am always after a book that could do a number on me. You, too? The second thing that I was excited about is that I got to add the book that changed my world, that hadn't yet been listed, to the English Muse's growing comments.

I responded:

"It was almost ten years ago that Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard changed my life. I finally began to realize that all the questions I had concerning my life and the religious upbringing I had--were valid questions (of my own). She doesn't necessarily speak to much of this subject but she does illuminate the mystery that often fills in the gray space of our lives. Also she pays high tribute to the beauty and intricacy in our lives. I think I am in need of a re-read!!

p.s. Anything by Annie Dillard is a must."

So there you have it. Annie Dillard changed my life, and is the only author that I can say is my favorite thus far, for that very reason. I've read many books, but no one moves the way Annie Dillard writes. Have you read anything by her? I definitely recommend Pilgrim at Tinker Creek for your summer reading list!

In the spirit of life-changing books, and with my summer reading list in mind, I will ask the same question as the English Muse.

Which Books Have Changed Your World?

image via weheartit.com

p.s. I failed to mention it then, but I will now. The Bible tops the charts for me. It is in a category of its own, and changes lives. every. single. day.

What's your vote?

I just found this over at The Red Thread and wanted to show all of you who haven't yet seen it. Have you read Eat, Pray, Love? It seems the masses have been debating over this book. Did you love it? Hate it? I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it--as much or more than these cupcakes I am about to devour.

xoxo

Banned Books or Banned Television?

There is something about the term "banned books" or "frequently-challenged books" that sparks an interest, and practically has me chasing the titles who have received such an attachment with their name, so I, too, can learn what all the fuss is about.

I'd like to take Ani Vrabel's advice and pick up one of the controversial reads that she mentions in her article "10 Frequently-Challenged Books Everyone Should Read." I read much of Judy Blume in elementary school, Lord of the Flies in high school, and The Giver in my Young Adult Literature class in college. But, now I sit reflecting on what controversy I may have missed or have forgotten over the years for these reads to land themselves on the frequently-challenged or banned book list?

The key words that I found while glancing over Vrabel's list are sexual immorality, social injustice, profanity and references to communism. If I am not mistaken, most of the issues that have been defined as ban-worthy material, continue in their perpetuation through books, in reality, and ALL OVER television! If MTV's Jersey Shore can land itself a prime time slot in entertainment times for teens and actually have a growing number of viewers, we are in some serious hot water.

And a serious mix-up.


But after all, at least we have rights.

"Censorship cannot eliminate evil. It can only kill freedom. We believe Americans have the right to buy, stores have the right to sell, authors have the right to write and publishers have the right to publish Constitutionally-protected material. Period." Excerpt from a letter to 28 newspapers, signed by Ed Morrow, president, American Booksellers Assn. and Harry Hoffman, president, Walden Book Co., Inc. (1990). Taken from here.

And unfortunately, reality TV stars have the right to show the world what they are idiots if they would like.


Really, what about banned TV, already?

~cbm

photo credit

Books, Books, Books!

I just finished reading Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. It is so nice to have completed a book, as I've had a few too many lingering on my night stand. This book I highly recommend. It's an invigorating and mysterious read drenched in the charm and glamor of the early circus era. Check it out.

And while I am on the subject of books, a few things...

Isn't this dreamy?

Credit-We Heart It

I'm swooning over this cozy atmosphere. Nothing appeals to me more than a wall full of books-- and to have them piled above you as you sleep?! You could actually breathe books while you dream! You know, the scent of old books, or better yet--the bookstore? You know what I mean.

Now that I have finished Water for Elephants, I am focusing on September's Book Club read, Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore. I'm also working on Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.

How about you? What are you reading? Any suggestions for me?

xoxo,

C

"Book-love, I say again, lasts throughout life, it never flags or fails, but, like Beauty itself, is a joy forever." The Anatomy of Bibliomana Vol.II - Holbrook Jackson

"Only in books has mankind known perfect truth, love and beauty." George Bernard Shaw

"For books are more than books. They are the life, the very heart and core of ages past, the reason why men lived and worked and died, the essence and quintessence of their lives." Amy Lowell

"The true university of these days is a collection of books." The Hero as Man of Letters - Thomas Carlyle

Do You Dare?

Author, Paulo Coelho, believes in dreamers...

"It is the pleasure of searching and the pleasure of the adventure. You are nourishing something that's very important-your dreams. We must never stop dreaming. Dreams provide nourishment for the soul, just as a meal does for the body. Many times in our lives we see our dreams shattered and our desires frustrated, but we have to continue dreaming. If we don't, our soul dies......The Good fight is the one we fight because our heart asks it of us...

...The Good fight is the one that's fought in the name of our dreams. When we're young our dreams first explode inside us with all of their force, we are very courageous, but we haven't yet learned how to fight. With great effort, we learn how to fight, but by then we no longer have the courage to go into combat. So we turn against ourselves and do battle within. We become our own worst enemy. We say that our dreams were childish, or too difficult to realize, or the result or our not having known enough about life. We kill our dreams because we are afraid to fight the good fight.

The first symptom of the process of killing our dreams is lack of time... The Busiest people I have known in my life always have time enough to do everything. Those who do nothing are always tired and pay no attention to the little amount of work they are required to do. They complain constantly that the day is too short. The Truth is, they are afraid to fight the good fight...

The second symptom of the death of our dreams lies in our certainties. Because we don't want to see life as a grand adventure, we begin to think of ourselves as wise and fair and correct in asking so little of life. We look beyond the walls of our day-to-day existence, and we hear the sound of lances breaking, we smell the dust and the sweat, and we see the great defeats and the fire in the eyes of the warriors. But we never see the delight, the immense delight in the hearts of those engaged in the battle. For them, neither victory nor defeat is important; what's important is only that they are fighting the good fight.

Are you FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT?

And, finally, the third symptom of the passing of our dreams is peace. Life becomes a Sunday afternoon; we ask for nothing grand, and we cease to demand anything more than we are willing to give. In that state we think of ourselves as being mature; we put aside the fantasies of our youth, and we seek personal and professional achievement. We are surprised when people our age say that they still want this or that out of life. But really, deep in our hearts, we know that what has happened is that we have renounced the battle for our dreams-we have refused to fight the good fight.

When we renounce our dreams and find peace, we go through a period of tranquility. But the dead dreams begin to rot within us and to infect our entire being. We become cruel to those around us, and then we begin to direct this cruelty against ourselves...What we sought to avoid in combat-disappointment and defeat-came upon us because of our cowardice. And one day, the dead, spoiled dreams make it difficult to breath, and we actually seek death. It's death that frees us from out certainties, from our work, and from that terrible peace of Sunday afternoons."

The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho P. 58
Brought to you by http://idreamnowtravelblog.com/

Do you DARE TO DREAM?

I find this passage so important. I've come across it a few times over the years and it makes me want to forget the mundane and get back to work! It reminds me that time NEVER stops and the wishes and dreams--the ones worth fighting for, wont fight for themselves. The intrinsic happiness will not appear as a wrapped gift on the porch one morning, but waits to be created, nurtured and handled with an immense amount of patience and care. Happy dreaming and living!

photography by la petite fille de faon

Boy, Do I Love My Books!

Boy, do I love my books! I have a personal relationship with my books. I look to my favorites when I encounter different obstacles or want to refresh on certain moments when I was struck with truth. Truth for my life. Everyone's truth and perceptions vary, so I am sure that what strikes me may seem far-off or crazy to some, or ring true for others. What I do know, is that there is such power in writing. It's packed full of emotion and explanation. Best of all, we can learn from each other in this way if we listen.

And now a few excerpts from Rilke:

"Be patient toward all that is unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now."

"So you must not be frightened,... if a sadness rises up before you larger than any you have ever seen; if a restiveness, like light and cloud shadows, passes over your hands and over all you do. You must think that something is happening with you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand; it will not let you fall."