Bookish Lifestyle – Page 4

The Sweetness of Tears

April 24, 2018 RaeAnna

Difficulty: II
Length: III
Quick Review: When a conservative Christian family’s secret is revealed by science, Jo’s path changed drastically opening her mind as she navigates life in a Muslim country.

I’ve read a bunch of not great books lately… So I approached this hesitantly because I was temporarily, literarily jaded. Thank goodness, this lifted my spirits considerably. I loved it!

In The Sweetness of Tears, Nafisa Haji weaves complicated stories to create a beautiful novel full of truly human experiences. In today’s society, Christians and Muslims are viewed as opposites and even enemies. Haji contradicts these assumptions through parallels, by placing the two in the other’s worlds, by creating situations calling for openness and understanding instead of hostility and animosity.

Jo March is a twin raised by a conservative Christian family with a legacy in the evangelist circles. When she studied genetics in high school, she learned the impossibility of her brown eyes by her blue eyed parents. When she found the answer she was looking for, her life changed. She studied Arabic and Urdu in college before embarking on a career as a translator in the Middle East during the beginning of war. Her time there lead her to seek out the answers to questions she had been to scared to ask before. I won’t tell you more because you should read the book, and I don’t want to spoil anything.

I found it addicting from the first page, which rarely happens. I shy away from books with conservative Christians at the center because well, it’s just not my cup of tea. Haji confronts those stereotypes of intolerance, close-mindedness, and more the way she confronts similar to those that plague Muslims.

Haji writes for a largely American audience with the assumption they have a Christian upbringing. She explains Pakistani and Islamic customs for those who are not familiar, but she does not condescend or dumb down her culture. There are so many themes, ideas, customs, and cultures running through the book, I would be a fool to try and talk about them all. She is truly a wonderful storyteller. She is able to put questions in the reader’s mind while waiting to answer them until the time is right.

One of the most overarching themes in the book connects to the way Haji wrote the book. The present is hard to define without first knowing the past, the choices, the situations, the people which created the present. Whether we like it or not, we are products of our parents and grandparents choices and experiences.

Other things I really appreciated: the character of Grandma Faith. She is what a good Christian should be: loving, accepting, and kind. I loved everything she said and stood for, though I am not a Christian myself. None of the characters in the book were dislikable, except for maybe Uncle Ron – the stereotypical evangelist.

I truly can’t recommend this novel enough. In today’s America, there is an overwhelming amount of mistrust, fear, and hostility when it comes to unfamiliar cultures. Haji writes a beautiful story about opening oneself to new and different, to accepting culpability, to being an intersectional world. It’s amazing.

Memorable Quotes:
“family values- only thing I ever saw being values when I’ve heard those two words getting thrown around is the act of not minding your own business.”
“Belief is about closing yourself off – a lie you tell yourself to make the world fit in with how you’ve decided it should be.”
“Real change in the world, real justice, cannot happen without the participation of women.”

Title: The Sweetness of Tears
Author: Nafisa Haji
Publisher: William Morrow (HarperCollins Publishers)
Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 9780061780103

Experiences, Travel

The National Arboretum

April 22, 2018September 8, 2019 RaeAnna

So it’s been a week and a half since I was in DC… I meant to do more writing while I was in Arkansas, so that I wouldn’t be so behind. BUT I was having too much fun living. Better late than never I guess.

My best friend, Kelsey, and I decided to visit some beautiful sites during my visit to Washington DC. You’ve already read… Or at least, I’ve already written about seeing the cherry blossoms along Tidal Basin. Next on the list of gorgeous places in DC that are incredibly Instagrammable: The National Columns at The National Arboretum. Bonkers, it was pretty.

We found out the National Columns and the Arboretum itself is a beautiful secret kept from the tourists and maybe even DC itself. While the cherry blossoms at Tidal Basin and the National Mall were packed with people, the arboretum was all but empty. A few cars and a few people with their dogs dotted the landscape. Trees were in bloom everywhere.

I was a little disappointed because the columns were under construction or something. Whatever it was, there was an orange plastic fence around them. When it came to taking pictures, we had to get a little creative with the camera angles. Voila, no ugly fence in the background… Although, I have some cute scrapes on my legs still to prove I’ll work for the pictures I take! I can’t wait to go back and see the columns when they’re up and running with the water and everything.

A little history lesson…. Because I, personally, enjoy knowing the whens, whos, whats, and hows of a place. I’m weird like that. In 1926, the National Arboretum came to be through an act of Congress after a campaign by botanist Frederick Vernon Coville. It is a part of the U.S.’s Department of Agriculture and their Agricultural Research Service. It is home to gardens, public art, walking trails, and more. Today, it functions as a hub for botany research as well as a beautiful place to walk around and take pictures for Instagram.

The Capitol Columns are one of the most recognizable features of the Arboretum, and the place I spent the most time. Partially because by the time I was done… I was so itchy from kneeling in the grass, it was time to go. Yay allergies! There are 22 columns in the Corinthian style placed in the Ellipse Meadow. The columns were originally meant to support the East Portico of the Capitol Building when they were built in 1822 before the dome, in existence now, was finished. The columns were unable to hold the mass of the dome and were removed in 1958. Ethel Garrett was an Arboretum benefactor in the 1980’s, and she wanted to find a permanent place for the columns. In 1984 with the consultation of Russell Page, the two decided where to place the columns and a reflecting pond to capitalize on the beauty of the area. Suffice to say, everything worked out and the Capitol Columns are happily situated in one of the most serene spots I have ever seen.

Basically, if you like the outdoors or are a blogger looking for something beautiful and not so DC-cliché, you should definitely visit the National Arboretum. It’s beautiful to walk around, and if you’re not fond of walking around, you can drive through the park. It’s amazing and worth the visit.

Experiences, Travel

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms

April 18, 2018September 8, 2019 RaeAnna

In the middle of February, my best friend, Kelsey, texted me: You need to come visit the beginning of April! We need to take cherry blossom pictures. You HAVE TO COME! It so happens, I was putting plans into action that I would be on the East coast then… coincidentally.

Kelsey lives just outside of DC, so we woke up early – for us, put on our pretty faces, packed a bag of books, hopped in the car, and drove the twenty minutes to a parking garage close to the Mall. Basically, she is a great friend to have for the touristing!!! And her photography skills… And her friendship, I just like her. She’s stuck with me for always because I have too many ugly photos for her to ever ditch me! *insert evil witch laugh here*

The famous DC cherry blossoms are planted along Tidal Basin, which is adjacent to the Mall and features the Jefferson Memorial. Suffice to say, it’s down right gorgeous. I was there the last weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Holy Bajeezus, there were bunches of people. Absolutely a ton of people dressed in varying shades of pink, white, and other cherry blossom complementing pastels. (I would be a bold faced liar if I told you I accidentally picked out a white dress with light pink flowers to wear. Because I too wore cherry blossom complementing clothes.) Old, young, tourists, bloggers, families, solos everyone was out with their cameras to take pictures of the beautifully, short lived blooms.

The amount of blossoms is breathtaking. I was there at the end of the season, so petals fell from the trees with a light breeze in what can only be described as “made for the climax of a romantic comedy.” Definitely cliche. Definitely gorgeous. Definitely worth a trip.

The blossoms are white on the edges with pink centers giving the illusion they’re pale pink. Their season is short and highly dependent on the weather. It was surprising they were still there by the time I made it to DC because there had been a big freeze the weekend prior. This year, they lasted from March 17 – April 15. It’s an amazing site to see. Tidal Basin is surrounded by cherry blossoms. At one point in your walk, you’ll look one way to see the Jefferson Memorial across the water, and looking the other way, you’ll see the Washington Memorial over the tops of the cherry trees. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is nestled into the cherry trees and is quite stunning all by itself.

You could spend all day walking around looking at the cherry blossoms, and I think it would be worth it. If that’s not for you, the Mall with all the Memorials and museums is quite literally across the street. So if you’re bored… I don’t know what to tell you. There’s tons of options for pretty much anything anyone could possibly enjoy.

If you ever have the chance to see the cherry blossoms in Washington DC, I highly suggest you do. It’s not quite like anything else I’ve ever seen.

Of course, as the blogger I am, I had to do more than just walk around and enjoy the blossoms. I also had to create content. Honestly, it was not a burden. I would have made Kelsey take pictures of me with the flowers any ways! I just had to take a little extra time to make sure I enjoyed being there on top of working. So this is me not complaining.

I was there on April 13, and the trees were gorgeous. The blossoms quite literally fell off two days later… I guess my timing could not have been better. This year, Washington DC cherry blossoms. Next year, cherry blossoms in Japan! (Just kidding, unless someone wants to sponsor me! I would totally trade posts for a trip to Japan next spring. Please email me!)

Books

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

April 12, 2018 RaeAnna

Difficulty: II
Length: II
Quick Review: Mindy Kaling is sweet, hilarious, honest, and absolutely fabulous in her memoir about being a successfully awkward human being.

I love Mindy Kaling. Not just because she’s a woman of color succeeding in a white, male dominated field. She’s hilarious! She’s smart! She’s confidant! She’s stylish! She’s true to herself. She is everything a young woman should aspire to be. I’ve been following her career for a good while now, but I never picked up her book. Why? No idea.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is great title. A mouthful, but I think that’s kinda Kaling’s style. If you’ve ever heard her speak, you’ll hear her voice coming through from word one.

Kaling grew up with a brother. Her parents set her up to be funny as they dressed their children as genderless as possible. I think it worked out for her. She grew up, went to Dartmouth, moved to NYC, wrote a play with her best friend, moved to LA, wrote for the Office, and that’s where her book ends, but it’s nowhere near the end of her success. Since the publication of her book in 2011, she has found even more awesomeness. She talks about all of these experiences for the good, the bad, the weird, and the memorable.

Honestly, all of her candid awkwardness gives me hope for my future.

Her writing style is really straight forward. It reads the way she speaks in interviews. She is realistic, funny, relatable, and truly genuine. She isn’t trying to give advice, but she does in many ways. Through the telling of her experiences, she could potentially ease the minds of so many girls who don’t peak in high school… Let’s be honest, that should never be anyone’s goal. She has this amazing honesty in her writing as she dives into her quirks, her mistakes, her friends, and her success. She tackles everything with a truly laugh out loud way with words. So much so, I think this book could have earned her a place in the looney bin with her fantasies – a nicer word for delusions – if she weren’t so awesome and successful as a writer and actress.

The book has a few grammar mistakes. They are by no means glaring, but the editor could have edited a tad better.

I personally enjoyed the section where she discussed the franchises she would develop herself, INCLUDING the girl gang ghostbusters… I hope she earned some royalties off the idea because she predicted it five years before the movie hit theaters. I’m now eagerly awaiting her other ideas.

I highly suggest this book. It’s a quick read but entertaining.

Memorable Quotes:
“When Your Boyfriend Fits into Your Jean’s and Other Atrocities”
“I went to Dartmouth to pursue my love of white people and North Face parkas.”
“If you’re a kid who was not especially a star in your high school, I recommend going to a college in the middle of nowhere.”
“Also, chubby people can never truly pull off ethereal the same way skinny people can never be jolly.”

Title: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
Author: Mindy Kaling
Publisher: Three Rivers Press (Crown Publishing Group – Random House)
Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 9780307886279

Baked Goods, In The Kitchen

Banana Bread Surprise

April 9, 2018 RaeAnna

Banana Bread Surprise

It’s not a secret I like to eat… or cook… or bake. If you follow along on Instagram, you’ll probably see the ridiculous amount of things I consume by way of my stories. I like food. Nay, I love food. It’s the perfect partner while reading.*

I have always had a soft spot for banana bread. It’s the right amount of sweet and nutty because I fill mine up with nuts. The other day, I was craving banana bread and cheesecake simultaneously. I decided to make banana bread. I wanted to add a little something extra because I’m adventurous like that. You can imagine where this is going… Banana bread with a cheesecake surprise filling!!! “How?” you ask… I’ll tell you because we’re friends!

Ingredients
Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas
⅓ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
½ cup crushed nuts *optional* (I prefer pecans but walnuts are great too)

Cheesecake Filling

8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
½ cup sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and butter a 4×8-inch loaf pan.
In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, egg, and sugar until smooth. Set aside for later.
In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Then on high speed mix butter and sugar into mashed banana until light and fluffy.
Mix in the egg. Add baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.
Fold in the nuts.
Pour half of the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the batter. Then pour the remaining batter to cover the cream cheese mixture.
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving.
When slicing there should be a layer of cheesecake between the banana bread layers.

I came up with this idea because I have weird cravings, which are absolutely not pregnancy related! I am just a weirdie. It looks like a normal loaf of banana bread until you cut into it.

I explained this recipe to several people. Several were hesitant, but they all tried it. Much to their surprise, I’m a secret genius… I ended up making a few batches because it was so popular!

*Aside from my dog, but she is a given. Assume Beau is the best pawtner in everything I do!

Lifestyle

This Feminist Wears Heels

March 2, 2018 RaeAnna

Happy Feminist Friday! I’ll write on this topic every so often because it’s important, and I read a lot of books with strong female characters and feminist undercurrents.

My feminism is intersectional and inclusive and all about equality. No one is better than anyone else. We all deserve the same rights and opportunities. I don’t care if you’re female, male, trans, gay, straight, bi, liberal, conservative, religious, non-religious, have similar beliefs, think I’m full of crap or everything in between. You all matter. You all deserve respect. You are all part of my rainbow, and you’re all beautiful. I have said it before. I will say it again. I will repeat it until I die. And I hope it’s something people remember about me.

This feminist is a hard core feminist. I believe we should all live our lives however we want to live our lives. I will never push my beliefs on you, and I hope you give me the same. I will never judge a woman or man on how they lead their lives.

This feminist LOVES heels. I love dresses. I love… well I like makeup. I love clothes. I love looking nice. I love having long hair. I love having shaved legs. I love bows and pearls and lace. I love cooking. I love baking. I hate cleaning. I love taking care of those close to me. I love to sew and knit. Actually, I’ll probably take care of anyone crossing my path who needs it. I love kids. I love men. I love ballet. I love music. I love art.

I live a life that screams conservative to those who don’t know me well because I am attracted to very stereotypical female activities. I’m very liberal, but I feel comfortable in the choices I make. They make me happy. The thing is: I have the choice to enjoy the things I enjoy. I wasn’t forced into them. I’m not pressured into them. When I don’t want to cook, I order in. When I don’t want to bake, I don’t bake. When I don’t want to wear heels or makeup or a dress or whatever, I wear sweats and flip flops.

I have the privilege and ability and education to live my life the way I want to live it. Sure, I experience pressures to be a certain way, but I have the confidence to live my life my way. My way wears heels.