Curled up with a Good Book....

If you read this blog at all, one of the first things you soon realize is that I love to read.  I mean, I LOVE to read.  I have documented multiple reading challenges, books I have loved and books I have loathed in separate posts.  Books have had a significant profile here on my blog.  Since I didn't write much in 2017, I've missed talking about the books I have read, so I thought I would close the year out with some of my favorite books of 2017.

Just FYI, I had a record year of reading...180 books read.  Yes, 180.   I think it was my highest total ever.  Yes, I read almost everyday.  I also read fast.  I don't watch a lot of tv, so ta-da, reading time.  I will also give up sleep to read...

Without further ado, here are my favorites of 2017, 17 of them to be exact....

1.  The Emerald Mile:  The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko

This book is sooooooo much more than the speed run in a wooden dory boat, it is a love story to the Grand Canyon.  It is a non fiction book that reads like fiction.  I LOVED this book.

2.  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
     and  The Love Song of Miss Quennie Hennessy both by Rachel Joyce

These two were some of the last books I read in 2017 and I inhaled both of them.  They are books about regrets, things not said, things said, life, love, death, moving on and letting go.  They are set in England and filled with some memorable characters.

3.  Trigger Warning:  Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman

I love Neil Gaiman anyway, but this collection is just pure perfection.  Some were created for events, others in tribute to writers that influenced Neil, and others were just stories that needed to be told.  If you are already a Gaiman fan, you will love this, and if you have never read him before, this is a perfect introduction.

4.  Rising Strong by Brene Brown

Have you ever had a book come along at the exact moment you needed it?  This one whacked me upside the head, in a good way, and woke me up.  It resonated with me in how to deal with conflict, emotions and just life.  I have since chatted it up to others and some have liked it and others not so much, but this is my favorite thing about books, you never, ever know when a book will reach your soul..

5.  One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty

I love this book for a couple of reasons, the first is how it came to my attention.  I was at the Mary Chapin Carpenter concert at Red Butte Garden this summer and she mentioned it multiple times as an inspiration for writing....  The second is this line found within the book..'Ever since I was first read to, then started reading to myself, there has never been a line I didn't hear'.  It summed up something I have experienced since I started reading, I hear the characters in my head.  They have distinct voices and it's why I don't always like movie adaptations.....

6.  Antigone by Sophocles

I actually read the trilogy of The Theban Plays by Sophocles this year and liked all of them, but chose Antigone for this line...
'I cannot side with hate.  My nature sides with love.'
This is an ancient play, but it travels through time so well and applies to life now.

7.  Flowers of Evil:  A Selection by Charles Baudelaire

Do not let the title deceive you, this is a beautiful selection of poetry.  I continued with my quest of reading #51-100 books and this was on it.  My favorite poem is "Get Drunk" and trust me, it's not about drinking, it's about diving fully into life.

8.  Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

You may know the author as an actor/comedian from the tv shows 'Parks & Recreation' or 'Master of None' but this is a science  and real life based look at dating and romance today told with humor.  Texting, dating sites and all of the other new ways to find love are examined and how we are kinda missing the point of it all.  Whether you are single or in a relationship, you'll find things to apply to your life.

9.  Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

Thank you Melissa Rasmussen for telling me about this brilliant novel!  A updated take of Cupid and Psyche that is just magical.

10.  The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

I adore this book.  Two tales are told simultaneously, one set today and the other, the tale of Rumi, the Sufi mystic.  I don't buy many books anymore, because I would have no room, but this one will have a permanent home wherever I go.

11.  Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

I'm actually recommending the entire African Trilogy, but this is the first one so I will start here.  One of my favorite things about reading is how it makes you realize how we are more alike than different. This novel is set in late 19th century in Nigeria, but it resonates today.

12. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

This book took me completely by surprise!  I am not a graphic novel fan, so when I opened it I almost didn't continue.  I would of MISSED out!!!!

13.  Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

I find Jenny Lawson hilarious.  Others might find her a bit of a potty mouth, so this book comes with a disclaimer, if you don't like swearing--Stay away, stay far away.  I, however, now want a taxidermied raccoon named Rory thanks to this book.

14.  The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell

This is actually a children's book by the comic who draws 'Mutts' that is simply beautiful and now my favorite gift book.

15.  Some Writer!:  The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet

A biography of one of my favorite author.  It's actually a young adult/child's book but adults will love it too!

16.  How to Eat
       How to Sit
       How to Love
       and the entire How to series by Thich Nhat Hanh

I have purse books now and this series is why.  They are little, both in size and length.  They are exerts of the Monk's talks, teachings and other books.  Made in snippet size and sheer perfection.

17.  West with the Night by Beryl Markham

I read a slightly biographical novel about Beryl earlier in the year and then I read her autobiography 'West with the Night' and was reminded that information may be not as polished or organized when written by the source, but the truth will shine so much brighter......

I could go on and on and on about the books I read this year, but will stop now.  My Goodreads to read list still has 175 books on it and I wouldn't have it any other way......

Curled up with a good book,
Melissa

December Agreements....

It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year?

Happy Holidays?

Enjoying Holiday Lights at Luminaria

Joy?

Every couple of years, I find myself struggling to get into the Holiday Spirit.  It has nothing to do with what is going on in my life; it is completely random...

Living in Utah, I am conditioned to expect a White Christmas or at least snow during December..  Some years, it even snows on Christmas!  :).  The weather this year absolutely got to me, dreary, grey and blah, but then at last moment, and while I was driving home, it snowed on Christmas Eve.

I still struggled with Christmas Spirit throughout the entire season, however.  I even began joking that I liked my Grinchy status, so I did something kind of different.

I made  Christmas Agreements.  If you have ever read the book "The Four Agreements" by Miguel Ruiz, you'll know exactly where I am heading with this.  I do 4 Agreements every month, so this wasn't too far out of the realm of normal for me.  I agreed to 4 Christmas activities this month.

#1.  Do something for someone else...

I wish I had taken a photo of the 70 plus stuffed animals that my mom and I knitted throughout 2017 and donated to the Utah Highway Patrol for their Teddy Bear program, but I didn't.  :(. Trust me when I say that they were cute and it felt really good dropping them off!  We also donated to the Road Home Shelter about 40 scarves, hats and gloves.  We enjoy knitting and this was a fun and easy way to give back...and plan to repeat this in 2018.

#2.  Do some sort of Christmas Activity...

There was massive debate and decision making to be done.  How much money to spend, if any at all?  Inside or Outside Activity?  Play, concert, or other art type event?  Decisions, decisions....

The winner.... Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point.  I will admit as I purchased the tickets, I was questioning my choice, but it won because I had never done it and the reviews from people who had gone were positive.

It was cold and a bit windy the night I went, but this was a beautiful thing to do.  You walk the gardens of Thanksgiving Point that have been transformed into a enchanting light display.  There are different sections and even fires throughout to warm your hands.  The craziest part, as you were walking in different sections, they had added scents!  In the Peppermint Alley area, it smelled like peppermint; in the Woodland Forest, pine; Candy Cane Lane, sweet candy (not my favorite...but still cute). You can even meet Reindeer.

A real live REINDEER!

I'm not sure I'll go every year, it is about $20 per person, but I'm going to keep it in my Christmas rotation.  

#3.  Have a Holiday Movie and Christmas Tradition Night

Charlie Brown's Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty, White Christmas, and yes even the Nightmare Before Christmas and Die Hard.....all shows that just say Holiday Spirit.  Over the past couple of years, I have found them all on DVD on sale, because I forget to record them or I'm not home when they are on.  Full proof watching, right?  Well.......last year, I think I only watched White Christmas....  Hence, the Agreement....

Now for the Tradition, every year as a kid, we would make Pomander balls...Oranges with whole cloves pushed into the peel.  Smells amazing, yet I vaguely remember very sore fingers from the cloves.  I had clementines on hand and will never go back.  Same smell, thinner peel!!!  

See the pomander balls? and guess what, I made that wreath!

#4.  Go Downtown.....

Christmas Lights in the Relective Pool

Salt Lake City is known for its Christmas decorations with Temple Square being the crown jewel.  I have a tendency to avoid large mobs of strolling people, so I haven't been downtown to see the lights, window displays, and decorations in YEARS.  The really sad part, I can be downtown, even with traffic in under 10 minutes from my house.......oops.  It is incredibly beautiful and yes, it can be crowded, but it is so worth it.  I parked in City Creek Center's lot and because it was under two hours-free parking.  I need to do this every year....

Busy but not Crazy....and absolutely Beautiful.

I completed my Agreements for Christmas and you know what, it ended up being a Merry Little Christmas after all......
Melissa

Unintended Consequences

So, how have you been?  I hope well and wonderful!!

It's been a while since I've written and checked in with you......
and the reason why is a bit complicated and at the same time unintended.

As you may remember from my post about my 2017 Resolutions, which was just about my last post!!,  I resolved to spend less time on social media and screen time and I have but in doing so I stayed away from here as well.

I have taken a long look at why I am on social media and my blog.  It took just a second to figure out how I wanted to proceed on Facebook and Instagram, but this took me a while to figure out.

For the first 6 months or so, I didn't even think about writing, I was journaling and doing some writing that needed to be private.  However, around August, I started to think, "I should do a blog entry" but it never went past that.  In October, I thought "Write Melissa" but then that little obnoxious voice said "It's been 10 months since you wrote, it's been too long"......and I listened to the second voice.

As you can tell, the voice that said "Write Melissa!" got more insistent and louder, so here I am, but it took me figuring out why before I could get this going again.  Writing for a audience is different for me than my private journaling and I enjoy doing it, regardless of whether anyone reads this or not.  It's the process, the creativity, and the joy of it, not the responses (although I do appreciate them tremendously!!!).  So with this cleared up in my mind, I was able to write again.

I have no idea how often I will write here, but I know that I will write.

So until next time,
Melissa