Something strange happens between 11:59 PM and 12:00 AM on the night of Thanksgiving. Immediately, every brand and store in America becomes laser-focused on Christmas. Black Friday deals, Christmas trees in every window, holiday music blaring on loudspeakers. Any store you go in is packed. Invites to holiday parties, familial and work-related, jostle for our…
This Halloween, I gave out candy to more trick-or-treaters than ever. Princesses in pink tutus, mummies in toilet paper, anime characters with lopsided wigs, and movie villains with bright orange buckets lined up at my doorstep. I commented on my favorites, admiring the thought and effort, but something bugged me. It wasn’t until the end…
TeaReads has been up for nine months. I’ve written for this blog in snowstorms, in torrential rain, on sunny spring days, and on warm summer nights. The leaves are changing now, and the nights are getting longer. My morning walks require a coat to keep the chill out. Fall isn’t my favorite time of year,…
September’s book literally fell into my lap. I started planning this blog about a year ago. I created lists of topics, themes, pictures, and, most importantly, books. The book list ebbed and flowed. Some titles stood steadfast from their initial inclusion; others fell victim to the backspace key within an hour. A few books stayed…
Last week I read an excerpt from Charles Baxter’s Wonderlands: Essays on the Life of Literature. In the excerpt, Baxter talks about building characters through lists of objective, detailed facts and material possessions. The lists he recommends do not allow for character personality judgments such as “She is determined” or “He is shy”, opting for…
Nonfiction gets a bad rap. When we think of nonfiction, we think of textbooks, flowery essays, and dry biographies of famous dead people, all requiring knowledge of field-specific jargon or a dictionary to decipher. I’m guilty of perpetuating this stereotype; for years, when people asked me what I read, I told them I was game…
All language is communication. That may sound stupidly obvious from someone who runs a blog, but it's good to remind ourselves. Every time we chat about the weather with a colleague, get into arguments with someone who watches too much Fox News, or order food at a restaurant, we’re employing different modes of communication. When…
Exercise, in any form, goes hand-in-hand with rest. No bodybuilder lifts billion-pound dumbbells seven days a week. No marathon runner runs twenty miles every day. Proper exercise involves planning days of lighter exercise between the days when your muscles get put to the test. These rest days are critical for preventing injury and building muscle…
Writing is, and always has been, entwined with visual arts. Art shown in galleries and museums display artist statements to give the piece context. Illustrations and photos dot their way through books or are displayed boldly on the cover. The two share a vocabulary- one written, one visual- that can be used to explore new…
The adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” is rarely followed. I mean, let’s be real- when you scroll through Libby or Kindle, do you pick an unknown book solely because of its blurb? I know I don’t. Covers that catch my eye get a longer look and more grace if it ends up…
Tea Reads 