Getting Back On the Summer Reading Addiction Wagon

I can't believe it's June already. The past month was spent half in the US, half in the UK, but all deep in edits. It hasn't been anything like my childhood summers, where I'd check out a stack of library books and read them one after the other. FOR FUN. I miss those days. *sigh*

Heck, when I had the time to read for pleasure (which I hope to do again soon. Maybe? LOL), every single one of Buzzfeed's fun "25 Signs You're Addicted to Books" were true for me.

This summer's goal? Read. Write. Blog. For fun. (And, of course, edit. For a living.)

25 Signs You're Addicted to Books

1. When you were little, books were your best friends in the world.

Source: prettybooks.tumblr.com

2. When you’re reading a good book, you forget to eat or sleep.

Source: tomgauld.com  /  via: spiffing-books.tumblr.com

3. Your ups and downs are completely dictated by the book you’re reading.

Source: teacoffeebooks.tumblr.com

Sometimes there is yelling.

Source: teacoffeebooks.tumblr.com

Sometimes it’s more subtle.

Source: neilslorance.tumblr.com

4. You’ve been traumatized by things that “only” happened in books you read.

Source: bookish-thoughts.tumblr.com

5. The picture window in your wallet displays your library card instead of your driver’s license.

Source: teacoffeebooks.tumblr.com

6. You think of colors in terms of Penguin classics.

Source: prettybooks.tumblr.com

7. Rainy days > sunny days.

Source: catversushuman.com  /  via: prettybooks.tumblr.com

Although you do manage to get outside on a pretty day…

Source: prettybooks.tumblr.com

8. This is all you think about when you picture your “dream home.”

Source: bookshelfporn.com

And your idea of a fun weekend is rearranging your library for the 100th time.

Source: santos  /  via: prettybooks.tumblr.com

9. Walking by a closed bookstore is torture.

Source: audreyhepburnfacts.tumblr.com

When they’re open, you’re incapable of going in without buying something.

Source: reddit.com

You’ve even developed a crush on a bookstore employee based solely on their staff picks.

Source: thegirlandherbooks.tumblr.com

10. Anytime you undertake any idea or project, the first step is to read a lot of books about it.

Source: teacoffeebooks.tumblr.com

You assume that a book can teach you anything.

Source: powells.tumblr.com

11. You would never shame someone for reading.

Source: reddit.com

But you’re happy to shame them for not reading.

Source: a-bibliophiles-blog.tumblr.com

12. When others come to you for advice, you just give them books to read.

Source: spiffing-books.tumblr.com

13. When you go on vacation, your suitcase looks like this.

Source: futuregirl

You’re not sure what people who go to the beach without a book even do there, to be honest.

Source: prettybooks.tumblr.com

14. TV is OK…sometimes.

Source: drzank.tumblr.com

15. The stack of books by your bed resembles the beginning of a Jenga game.

Source: prettybooks.tumblr.com

It’s a pressing concern in your life.

Source: bookstorecouture.tumblr.com

16. The sexiest someone can look is when they’re holding a good book.

Source: books-et-writing.tumblr.com

The bigger the book, the better.

Source: omfgbooks.tumblr.com

17. You make decisions about people based on the number of books they have.

Source: spiffing-books.tumblr.com

But books are better than having to deal with people, anyway.

Source: a-bibliophiles-blog.tumblr.com

Yeah, you have your priorities straight.

Source: thegirlandherbooks.tumblr.com

18. But when someone reads a book you recommend to them, your faith in humanity is completely restored.

Source: books-et-writing.tumblr.com

19. The book is always, always, always better.

Source: 12maraud.tumblr.com

20. One of your life’s greatest pleasures is the smell of old books.

Source: a-bibliophiles-blog.tumblr.com

21. Book violence concerns you greatly.

Source: brainlesstales.com  /  via: prettybooks.tumblr.com

You’re angry this picture didn’t come with a NSFLIFEwarning.

Source: prettybooks.tumblr.com

22. Sure, you work out!

ource: epicreads.tumblr.com

You know that even reading itself can be exhausting.

Source: teacoffeebooks.tumblr.com

23. You often have spats of, uh, “insomnia.”And sometimes it’s downright painful.

Source: teacoffeebooks.tumblr.com

Source: beaubooks.tumblr.com

And when you do fall asleep, it’s often with a book still in your hands.

Source: a-bibliophiles-blog.tumblr.com

24. Finishing a book you loved is like losing a best friend.

Source: whyamidoingit.tumblr.com

25. When you’re between books, you feel lost.

Source: comiques.tumblr.com

That is, until you open another.

Source: thepileofbooks.tumblr.com

See the original post HERE

Happy Birthday (and, errr, Death Day), William Shakespeare!

Today marks the day historians claim as the birth and death day of one of the greatest literary figures of all time--William Shakespeare. Born April 23, 1564 and said to have died on the same day in 1616, Shakespeare wrote over 150 sonnets, more than 35 plays, and other scribblings in his relatively short life.

I've always been a Shakespeare fan myself, memorizing my favorite sonnets before bed, reading play
aloud with friends (voices and all, it's true), and enjoying a live performance when I could find an affordable one. This past February, I even got the chance to visit Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, just outside of London, when in the UK with my boyfriend.

Downtown Stratford-upon-Avon

While I didn't get the opportunity to truly explore (yet), just being there and seeing the small mentions of Shakespeare throughout the town was an awesome experience. On the agenda for next time: Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried and his wife Anne Hathaway's house, among others sites.

In the meantime, I'll have to settle for what I can get from New Jersey to celebrate his birth/death day today--books, film adaptations, and even a package of Shakespeare-themed mints that I won during a study session for my Shakespeare final in college.

And, of course, these random fun facts I found on No Sweat Shakespeare:

• ‘William Shakespeare’ is an anagram of ‘I am a weakish speller’.  

• All Uranus’s satellites are named after Shakespearean characters.  

• Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway when he was 18. She was 26 and she was pregnant when they married. Their first child was born six months after the wedding. (Ooooh, scandal!)

• Shakespeare is the second most quoted writer in the English language – after the various writers of the Bible.

• Some of Shakespeare’s signatures have survived on original documents. In none of them does he spell his name in what has become the standard way. He spells it Shakespe; Shakspe; Shakspere and Shakespear. 

• Almost four hundred years after Shakespeare’s death there are 157 million pages referring to him on Google. There are 132 million for God, 2.7 million for Elvis Presley, and coming up on Shakespeare’s heels, George W Bush with 14.7 million. 

• Two of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing, have been translated into Klingon. The Klingon Language Institute plans to translate more! (If you’re into quirky Shakespeare facts check our our  list of 23 things you never knew about Shakespeare)

 See the whole list of Shakespeare facts HERE

Support a New Way of Reading

Print books. E-books. Audio Books. Books in Braille. Picture Books.

There are so many different kinds of books out there--different ways of reading--for people with strong personal preferences, or even medical or developmental requirements. Sometimes different formats are even combined to help new readers--both young and not-so-young--learn to read more effectively and efficiently...or to read at all.

Learning Ally is one such non-profit organization that focuses on the latter. As "the leading provider of audiobooks – including the world’s largest library of audio textbooks," the organization supports not only the products needed for a person with a reading or learning disability but also "a community of support" for parents, teachers, certifiers, and more Their mission? 

To promote personal achievement when access and reading are barriers to learning by advancing the use of accessible and effective educational solutions. (Learning Ally, About Us, Mission)  

And with recording studios in over ten cities in the US the organization does its best to create as many audio books as possible for distribution around the country. But they can't do it alone. In fact, in addition to their awesome volunteers--including my dear friend Rebecca--they host an annual "Record-A-Thon" to raise funds to continue their work. This year's fundraiser? Happening NOW. 

So, dig into your pocket just a little, if you so desire, and lend a hand to help keep this admirable organization afloat. You can even donate to the NYC studio where Rebecca volunteers tirelessly by clicking HERE.