Welcome to the Reading Over a Year

 Last year I joined Goodreads to help me keep track of the books I've been reading. I really like the platform and am enjoying writing reviews for everything I've been reading. 

Now, I'm normally a slow reader. When I saw that there was a challenge to read a certain number of books, I opted to give myself an arbitrary number that seemed reasonable for me to achieve. That number was 20.

As time progressed, I found that I was reading a lot more than I thought I would (thanks to the pandemic and all). I kept upping the number of books I pledged to read until I settled on 30. As the end of the year approached, I wasn't sure I'd accomplish my reading goal (especially when the counter kept reminding me how many books I was behind). Good thing audiobooks count!

I managed to hit my 30 book goal plus one.

The books I read over 2020 were varied and didn't have any common themes what so ever. The majority of the books I read were poetry and manga - quick reads that I can finish in about a week. However, there were a few books that took me months to get through.

I'd like to share with you guys some of my favorite books that I read last year. I promise there won't be too many spoilers. 

1) Finding Your Harpy Place by D.H. Willison - This was the final book I finished in 2020 and put me at 31 books read. It's a fun fantasy adventure with Darin, the poor modern guy who ended up in a fantasy world where everything wants to kill him, and Rinloh, a harpy who really doesn't want to kill and eat a human to become a full fledged member of her flock. It's an unlikely friendship and an even more fun adventure.

2) The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom by Nikita Gill - I have so far loved everything Nikita Gill has written and this is by far my favorite of her work. This poetry collection is unique in that it tells a full narrative about a young girl growing up in India and then studying in the UK. I highly recommend it if you're a fan of mythology and poetry.

3) The Daphne and Velma books by Josephine Ruby and by Morgan Baden - This is the start of a not so average Scooby Doo series that heavily focuses on Daphne and Velma. Shaggy and Scooby do show up in both books (and have a somewhat larger role in the 2nd), but poor Fred gets barely any attention. That's okay because the books aren't just about the mysteries the girls are solving, but their relationships and personal growth. Both The Vanished Girl and The Dark Deception are worth a read if you're a fan of any version of the Scooby gang (and there are tons of references in the books). I can't wait for the third book to come out in February.

4) Princess Holy Aura by Ryk E. Spoor - I've been meaning to read this book for a while and 2020 was the perfect year to do so. If you loved Sailor Moon or any other magical girl manga or anime than this book is for you. All of the tropes are there, pointed out, and subverted all to save the world from Lovecraftian monsters. There's also a lot of reflection on identity (particularly gender as the main character was originally male and then became female), ethics, and what it means to be a hero.

5) Twain & Stanley Enter Paradise by Oscar Hijuelos - I was gifted this book from a friend. It was the longest to read (both in page number and time). It is historical fiction based on the actual friendship between two of the most famous people from the turn of the 20th century, Mark Twain and Henry Stanley. It was a fascinating take on speculated events. It prompted me to learn more about the two men and the events that shaped them. I have a lot of mixed feelings on Henry Stanley. He was a deeply flawed person and this book doesn't shy away from that.

6) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - My sister gifted me this book last Christmas and it was one of the first I read in 2020. Evidently she read it in school, though I never did. It's delightful and fun mystery to figure out. I can't wait to pass this book along to my younger cousin (when he's just a little bit older).

7) War / Torn by Hasan Namir - this is a tough poetry collection about a man facing homophobia in his home country. It's raw, depressing in place, and beautifully written. If you enjoy poetry on tough subjects (especially for the LGBTQ+ community) I recommend picking up this collection.

For 2021 I'd like to read at least one more book than 2020. I've already started my challenge with a poetry book and a longer Young Adult novel set in Jamaica. 

There are a lot of things I'd like to achieve in 2021. Many of those things depend on the pandemic going away or at least the risk of COVID greatly diminishing. Other goals require a lot more creativity to achieve. Reading 32 books feels doable in the current crazy climate. 

If y'all are on Goodreads let me know and I'll be happy to see about adding you as a friend. If you've got goals you'd like to meet in 2021, feel free to leave a comment on those as well. We may all be separated by necessity, but little things can bring us together without physically being close.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Welcome to Nature's Fury

 So if you guys haven't noticed, the western coast of America is on fire. 

Right now, my family out there is relatively safe. Though one of the major evacuation routes has been cut off by the fires, air quality is beyond poor, and every picture I see looks apocalyptic. Things, of course, could be worse. There could be a major Earthquake or storm to also hit that coast and really mess things up for the people living there. 

I mean it's not like the pandemic is making things any easier. 

To add insult to injury, it has been confirmed that at least one of these fires was started because someone needed explosives to announce their child's genitalia. I honestly feel that the judge for this case needs to throw the book at them. Though it probably won't do much to help stop this stupidity.

I get that climate change and protecting the environment are touchy subjects for some people. Sure, climate change is a natural occurrence that has been recorded throughout history. However, humans are definitely not helping the situation (see my earlier note about the fire). One could argue that since humans are a part of nature that this is still a natural thing to happen to the Earth.

Heck, this isn't even really the end of the world, just everything living on it.

Am I sounding bitter or annoyed? 

That's because I am. Since the I've been around, environmentalism and taking care of the Earth have been major messages in the media. I grew up watching shows like Captain Planet and Bill Neigh the Science Guy. Movies like Buffy: The Vampire Slayer even reference the issue un-ironically. 

We're just now starting to really see the consequences of not doing enough. I mean there are four major storm systems currently hanging out in the North Atlantic with another three on deck. Oh and the west coast of the United States is on FIRE.

Wait...wasn't Australia also on fire earlier this year?

The pandemic's cause my sense of time to warp so badly, it feels like the past nine months have actually been a full decade. Yes, Australia was also on FIRE at the beginning of 2020 and might go up in flames again in 2021.

To quote one of my favorite Broadway musicals: "it ain't right and it ain't natural."*

It's great that we're teaching kids about climate change because the kids really are the ones leading the charge for change. Greta Thunberg might be the most well known climate rights activist child, but also Jamie Margolin, Mari Copeny (also known as Little Miss Flint), and Xiye Bastida (to name a very few). 

We'll listen to these kids, maybe give them a high-five for a job well done, but are the adults in the room doing anything productive?

Not really.

Because it's all about the money y'all and a lot of very wealthy people have their money tied to how things are right now. 

Again, I'm a little annoyed that there is still a debate about what to do about the environment. I mean it's not like we're facing crisis after crisis that has ties to climate change. 

Oh wait we are.

Fires, flooding, massive storms, A PANDEMIC, crop failures, murder hornets (whatever happened to that plot point anyway), and messed up seasons all have ties to environmental factors. We're seeing what happens when you ignore scientists for 50 years.

And for the people who think that God will keep the Earth as it is for another couple of millennia, I would like to point you back to the book of Genesis where it clearly states that the big guy told Adam and Eve to take care of the Earth.

But what do I know?

It's not like I've been on social media and seen pictures of a post-apocalyptic sky hanging over California, Oregon, and Washington. It's not like every couple of days another 1000 people pass away from a disease we barely understand. It's not like Louisiana isn't partially destroyed or anything with another hurricane on the way.

Also, there was an Earthquake in Jersey recently...weird right?

We only have 3 and a half more months to get through this year. Things can still get worse and the only thing we can do is prepare the best we can. Have a "go" bag ready with essential items like bottled water and a first aide kit. Make sure you have an emergency route planned out. Don't forget your pets!

2020 ain't over yet.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me. 

*The musical in question is: Hadestown. I can't recommend it enough.

Welcome to...2020 Sucks

I've heard it said that there are some decades where nothing happens and no history is made, and sometimes the history of a decade occurs in a single year. I'm convinced that I am living through one of those times.

I think this street art from Iceland somewhat reflects what I'm feeling.

I mean, I've lived through a number of major historical events, but the year of our existence 2020 seems to take the cake. I think the tone of the year (and maybe the whole decade) was set when I woke up on the first day of the year to #worldwar3 trending on Twitter. Also Australia was on fire.

Come March, everything is on lock down, followed quickly by mass layoffs and demands to "reopen the country". Stress and anxiety have been at an all time high since. I know it's been affecting me because I've been struggling to write and paint. When I do finally sit down to focus on creating something, my mind gets stuck. I either can't finish what I start or am completely dissipated with the end result.

I still try.

In the middle of all the stupidity around people breaking quarantine and lock down procedures, a video of a woman in Central Park asserting her dominance over a black man by threatening to call the police on him...when she was the person in the wrong. She faced a lot of backlash - rightfully deserved, but some of the follow up to her actions have been disheartening (the dog rescue that took her dog after she strangled the poor boy, eventually gave the dog back).

A few days later, a video of George Floyd being murdered by police went viral. Part of me can't help noticing the timing of the two videos. The woman Central Park wasn't just threatening a black man with arrest, but possible violence from the police.

Protests have continued since and we've learned the names Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain who'd both been killed by police prior to George Floyd. Now there is a federal police presence in Portland, and more coming to cities across the country.

I've watched a lot of videos and seen pictures from the protests and the damage caused by rubber bullets and tear gas. I watched on live TV while protesters were cleared from Lafayette Square so the president could hold up a bible (upside down) in front of St. Johns Church.

Part of me feels that November can't come soon enough, part of me is worried that it won't matter.

At least the president finally said that people should wear masks. The reports of people catching COVID-19 after his rallies was worrisome. A few people have talked about being yelled at by strangers for wearing masks and being "sheep" or perpetuating a hoax.

COVID-19 is not a hoax. Wear a mask.

At least the murder hornet plot point that popped up in May has since vanished. Though I put nothing past what could happen in 2020.

When I started out this year, I was hopeful and optimistic. I wasn't in the best place in my life and thankfully some things have gotten a lot better. However the same can't be said for a lot of other people.

In the coming weeks, without a viable plan, mass evictions are likely to start. People (especially minorities and women) would end up on the streets without anywhere safe to go. This isn't just the usual amount of bad. This is the type of bad that could drastically increase their odds of catching COVID-19. More people are going to die if our government doesn't create a stimulus plan that includes renters, people who are food insecure, and anyone out of work.

There are a lot of terrible things happening in the world right now. It's tempting to delete my social media, turn off the news, and bury my head in the sand and pretend everything will be alright. I'll probably be alright, but the world doesn't revolve around me.

It's tough to know what to do when faced with everything going on. I often feel helpless in the face of so many problems. I feel I can't do a lot to help due to the virus, but I have been writing to my elected officials and donating money when I can. I try to stay informed with what is going on and educating others. These are small things, but maybe these small things will pile up until they have enough momentum to create real change.

2020 sucks.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the 20s

It’s a new decade! 

Except for the people who seem to think that 2021 starts the new decade. These people seem to forget that years are counted as integers (that’s why BC years go backwards from zero like negative numbers) and that the first ten integer years are 0-9, not 1-10. 

Ergo 2020 does indeed ring off the new decade.

In the past few weeks, most of social media has been a buzz with reflections on the previous year and decade. Facebook especially seems to like reminding me of all the things that I have ever posted in the past 11 or so years. 

But the time for reflection is over. The roaring twenties are back - hopefully without the huge wealth gap (unlikely) and economic down turn at the end of it - and I want to focus on the future.

So here are some things I want to either experience, do, accomplish, or have happen while the twenties are still around:

• Bring back jazz and blues as major music movements - technically blues and jazz have never really disappear from modern music, but the two genres have been overshadowed for long enough. The Broadway play Hadestown is an excellent example of how jazz and blues are still relevant.
• Keep getting published - I have had a short story published and I will soon have a poem published. My family thinks it’s awesome and are extremely encouraging in my writing. I love writing and hope to have a novel out sooner rather than later along with other short stories and poems.
• Help the world - whether by doing more volunteer work or working in an industry that allows me to help the environment, people, or science in some capacity, I want to be more involved with the things I’m passionate about.
• Travel more - I want to see the world, meet new people, and experience new cultures. I want to document and record my explorations and inspire others to be open to new adventures.
• Go on an adventure - this one could tie in nicely with my goal to travel more, but adventures can happen everywhere, when I least expect them to happen. I live in the shadow of one of the most exciting cities in the world, so I don’t necessarily have to go far to find an adventure.
• Read more - recently I’ve gotten into poetry and I’m always up for a good cozy mystery book, but I also want to keep reading the classics, new authors - especially from communities that haven’t had the largest representation - and the occasional non-fiction book.
• Continue learning - I am a researcher by nature. I want to know things, I want to experience things, know how something works. I’m curious and a problem solver. I’m considering furthering my education, but as I’ve learned, nothing is set in stone.
• See more plays and live performances - since I live close to New York, I’m lucky enough to see a live performance. Last year I tried to see a play a month, and, while I didn’t quite make my goal, I still saw a lot of awesome performances. I’d like to include more dance and music shows if I can.

I admit that some of these things are a little vague. I do t even really have a set timeline for them. I just know that these are things I’m interested in. Some of these goals might take a little while longer than others. Some might not happen at all.

Writing this all down helps me visualize my goals. I feel one step closer to them being real. They’ll take time to accomplish and in a few years, I might change them around or add to this list. 

There’s a lot changing in my life and there are times when I feel a change affecting the world at large. Do you guys, my awesome readers, feel that too? What are some of your hope and goals for the twenties? I recommend writing them down or recording them somewhere. You don’t have to share them like I have, but it might help you live the life you want to in-between the parts we don’t like as much.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to a Hopeful Future

This will be my last post until 2020. The 2010s have been a whirl wind of growth and change. I’ve already written about what I’ve accomplished since the start of the decade and I know I’m definitely not the same person I was on January 1st 2010.

Though sometimes I wish I were still that young adult just trying to figure out College and what it meant to be a “grown up”. My memories and feelings of that time are happy and hopeful. I wish I could take what I know today and go back to that young version of me.

But that’s not possible. The past is the past while the future remains undefined.

I get wrapped up thinking about the past when I feel like this. I wrote a slightly different post for today, showed it to my cousin, and she said that I sounded very melancholy about everything. I admit, I have been feeling melancholic. There’s a lot going on in the world and little seems good. I’m disappointed and feel let down by things beyond my control. I’m even having a hard time feeling comfort from some of my favorite escapist fantasies.

I don’t want to be stuck in melancholy for too much longer. I know that these feelings happen to me around this time of year. The sun is at its furthest from the northern hemisphere and it’s way too cold to spend much time outside. I struggle to get into the festive mood.

 It despite the darkness, I know that the days will start getting longer again.

Yesterday was I celebrated Yule, or the winter solstice. It’s officially winter and the start of a new season. Hanukkah starts at sundown. Christmas is on Wednesday. Kwanza starts Thursday. It’s a time for endings and new beginnings.

2020 is a special year. It’s not just the start of a new year, a new decade. The Chinese zodiac resets itself this year and will be the first animal once again, The Year of The Rat. It represents a new day, a new beginning.

Despite all the signs pointing to new beginnings, I still feel like I’m being tangled up by a past I want to leave behind. Social media isn’t helping. Every day Facebook shows me a “memory” or an old post from years ago. Most of these reminders are of happy moments in my life and I start to feel nostalgic for a time that never really existed. Twitter is a cesspool of debate and anger over fandoms and franchises that are decades old. Too much fan service. Too much disappointment. Too many bitter words that taint precious memories.

Is this what it means to be an adult? Will I always feel a constant longing to relive the past, while at the same theme anxious for a better future? Will I keep having the present reality  dissolve my happy childhood memories of the things I loved?

Probably. Other people express these feelings one way or another. There are entire TV shows and movies about this subject.

I just don’t want to be consumed by the feelings.

2020 is a chance for me to take all my past experiences and apply them to something new. I know I won’t feel the way I do all the time, but these feelings won’t disappear for good either. To quote one of my favorite Christmas stories: “I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all  Three shall strive within me.”

If I want a better future, I have to build it from what I’ve learned from the past, while also acknowledging how I’m doing in the present.

Onward to 2020. May it be a wonderful year, a wonderful decade, and a wonderful new beginning.

Also let’s bring back Jazz!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you like hearing from me.

Until the new year!