Some Bookish Memories

A little while ago, the Top Ten Tuesday topic, hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl, was about books with sensory memories: books that are linked to very specific memories (where you were, what time of year it was, who you were with, what you were eating, what you were feeling, what you were seeing, etc.).  Even though I've read a ton of books in my life, I didn't think I had many specific memories of individual books that really stood out, so I didn't participate that week.  However, after reading so many other bloggers' lists and memories, it sparked something in my memory and I was able to come up with a few of my own.  So, here's the list I should have had that week! 

  

Behind the Attic Wall: This is one book I distinctly remember reading as a kid, and more than once.  I loved it so much I named my pet cat after one of the characters!

Nancy Drew: My aunts read Nancy Drew when they were younger, and my grandmother kept a lot of their old books.  When we would visit, she would let my sister and I read them!

The Selection series: I brought this series on vacation with me when we went to Las Vegas last year.  I thought it would be a fun, light reread.  I didn't get much reading done on our trip, but figured I would get some reading time in on the flight home.  Our flight stopped in Denver for what was supposed to be a short time (we weren't even supposed to get off the plane), but something happened, they made us all get off the plane, and we ended up being stuck in the Denver airport for HOURS.  I ended up reading quite a lot during that layover!

  

Anna Karenina: When I went off to college, I didn't bring many books with me, assuming I wouldn't have a lot of time to read for fun, but I brought Anna Karenina, I guess thinking that because it was so long, I wouldn't need any other books.  I distinctly remember sitting on the couches in the student center on a Friday night, reading it.  Now that I think about it, I was kind of pretentious - I swear, I had friends!

The Almost Archer Sisters: I decided to switch careers in my twenties and attended my local community college at night to get my paralegal certificate.  I would often get there really early because the parking situation was so bad, and I would either sit outside or in the library, eating Pop-Tarts for dinner and reading before my class.  I didn't have many books at home, so I reread a lot, and I remember reading this book at least twice in one semester.

Playing the Game: Tom and I were in Baltimore for a long weekend, and we browsed for a bit in the Barnes & Noble at the Inner Harbor.  I ended up buying this book, but the highlight of the weekend was Tom proposing!  Even though I ended up not liking the book very much, I held onto it for years because it brought back a lot of happy memories from that weekend.

What is your favorite bookish memory?



"Sisters First": What It's Like To Be A Twin

Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life
Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush
Published October 24, 2017

Born into a political dynasty, Jenna and Barbara Bush grew up in the public eye. As small children, they watched their grandfather become president; just twelve years later they stood by their father's side when he took the same oath. They spent their college years being trailed by the Secret Service and chased by the paparazzi, with every teenage mistake making national headlines. But the tabloids didn't tell the whole story of these two young women forging their own identities under extraordinary circumstances. In this book they take readers on a revealing, thoughtful, and deeply personal tour behind the scenes of their lives, with never-before-told stories about their family, their adventures, their loves and losses, and the special sisterly bond that fulfills them. - from Goodreads

I'm not a political person, but I was really looking forward to reading this book.  In Sisters First, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush take turns writing short essays about memories from their lives.

I found there to be a distinct difference in their writing.  Barbara's essays were more thoughtful and contemplative, such as her feelings about a high school classmate's suicide and some of her college experiences.  Jenna's were more straightforward and familiar, such as when she talks about meeting her now-husband.

The book focused on more than just the relationship between Jenna and Barbara; there were many stories about their entire family.  I love the close bonds they have with their parents and grandparents, and you can really tell that family is of utmost importance to all of them.  They tell stories of summer vacations and growing up, their memories of the White House, and how they started their careers.  I feel like I got to know the whole family a lot better.

Some of the stories were intensely personal, such as when they talk about their maternal grandfather's decline due to Alzheimer's.  Jenna and Barbara don't shy away from sad or even embarrassing stories, but most of the essays were happy.  Sometimes it felt a little too saccharine, like everyone was just a little too good to be true.

I'll admit, I mostly wanted to read this book because of the fact that Jenna and Barbara are twins.  I have a twin sister, too, so I was eager to see how we could relate to these women, despite the fact that we live wildly different lives.  Twins seems to have this bond that's like no other.  I thought the book would have more focus on their sisterly relationship.  Of course, there are a lot of shared memories, but many individual ones are presented.

However, there were a few instances where the twin bond shone through.  Early in the book, Jenna remarks that to most people, she and Barbara weren't individuals, but a constant pair.  Similarly, my sister and I are most often referred to as "the girls."  But it also meant that we all had a built-in best friend from the moment we were born.  There's nothing like having a person know exactly what you're going through in any stage of life because they're going through the same thing.  Jenna also discusses how she and Barbara are different, especially in the area of academics, with Barbara being much better at math then her - sounds just like Michele and I!  But there also comes a time when twins realize that they need to forge separate identities, no matter how similar they are.  For Barbara, it was embracing her love of travel by studying in Rome during high school; for my sister and I, it was attending different colleges.

4 stars

Because I Like to Eat When I Read

You may have noticed that my husband and I go hiking and walking quite a bit.  One reason is that we love the outdoors and seeing new places.  But secretly, part of the reason I exercise so much is because I love to eat - gotta even things out!  And snacking while I read is a common nightly occurrence, so I wanted to share some of my favorite reading snacks!

OMG, Popcorners.  Tom and I discovered these at the grocery store one day and haven't looked back since.  They're basically popcorn in the shape of chips and come in a bunch of flavors: white cheddar, kettle, jalapeno, and my personal favorite, caramel.  I love these so much that when our grocery store stopped carrying the caramel flavor, Tom ordered me a CASE for my birthday.

Mmm, Pocky.  Pocky is a Japanese creation, a cookie/biscuit stick dipped in chocolate.  They come in these cute red boxes and can be found at Asian food specialty stores or in the ethnic food aisle at the regular grocery store.  You can also find them at Costco or on Amazon.  Pocky is the perfect snack when you just want a little bit of chocolate.

Guys, this is it: healthy ice cream!  Halo Top Ice Cream is made from all-natural ingredients and is low in calories and high in protein.  The birthday cake flavor shown above?  That's 280 calories for the whole pint.  I wouldn't even feel bad about eating the whole thing at once.  It's delicious and really does taste like birthday cake!  They have a bunch of other flavors, too. 

What are your favorite snacks to eat while reading?

Gratitude Journals

Today I want to talk about something a little different and get a little personal.  Since it's the start of a new year and everyone is making their resolutions, I thought I would share a resolution that I made a couple years ago and have stuck with ever since.

I'm not proud to admit it, but a couple years ago I took a hard look at myself and realized some not-so-nice things - I wasn't a very happy person.  I was too often judgmental and jealous of others, and complaining was my number-one hobby.  Why was I acting like this when I had so much to be thankful for?  I had an incredible family; an amazing husband; a roof over my head; and a good job to go to every day.  I needed to do something to get me out of this funk.

At the beginning of 2015, I started keeping a gratitude journal.  I journaled a lot through my teen and college years, but this is different and has more focus.  In this journal, I write down things I am thankful for.  Usually I just write a sentence or two, but occasionally the entries are longer.  Sometimes they are serious, sometimes they are more mundane or even silly:

• A phone call in the middle of the day from my husband just saying "I love you"
• A good prognosis for a loved one after a health scare
• A new book by one of my favorite authors
• A sunny day after a string of rainy ones
• Pizza

I don't write in it everyday, more like a couple times a week.  I write in it when I'm really happy about something, but those times when I seem to be in a negative headspace are also a good time for me write, to focus on something positive instead.  In November, I try to log an entry for each day of the month; this past year I used a prompt from Text My Journal to guide me:

I don't see my gratitude journal as a way of ignoring or brushing off real problems I may have.  It helps me focus on the good things in my life and to stop worrying about things I don't have or can't control.  I find that keeping the journal has changed my way of thinking and improved my attitude.  It's taught me not to take little (and sometimes big!) things for granted.  I feel happier and more positive, and petty issues don't seem to bother me as much as they used to.  I think (I hope!) my family has also seen a change in me.  Reading back through the entries is a great reminder of all the amazing people, moments, and things in my life. 

Have you ever kept a gratitude journal?  What are you grateful for this new year?