Book Photo Challenge: Part 3

During the month of August, I've been (poorly) trying to keep up with this photo challenge through Tumblr and Instagram.  I'm cheating a little bit with this round of photos because not all the information is being presented in photos--I don't have a picture of the book I wanted to include for my Book Recommendation, and I felt my Favorite Blogs would be most easily presented just as text.  Anyway, I hope my numbering system isn't too confusing and I'm looking forward to collecting another week of pictures!

17 // A Book Set in Your State or Town - I'm proud to call the setting of Diablo Cody's memoir Candy Girl, Minneapolis, Minnesota, my hometown.
18 // Favorite Ending - Life of Pi author Yann Martel's novel Beatrice and Virgil is crazy.  Most of the book moves pretty slowly, and while I was reading I almost put it down a dozen times because the lack of action just seemed so pointless.  But that's because it's just all building up toward the most insane, shocking, and powerful ending I've ever read.
19 // Funniest Character - Georgia Nicholson from The Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series!  This series by Louise Rennison is told through diary entries by a teenage girl living in England, and begins with the book Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.
20 // Book Recommendation - Okay, one of my favorite books to recommend is Zeitoun by Dave Eggers.  This is a true story of what happened to a Muslim-American family living in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and it really introduced me to the terrifying results prejudice can lead to in the United States.
21 // Longest Book - I've read some pretty long children's and young adult books, such as the Deathly Hallows, but because those books are such easy reads they hardly seem to count.  The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates was 582 pages long and took over a month to read, but I love Oates' writing style which made it all worth it.
22 // Bookstack - A few days ago, a secondhand store down the street from me was having a 50% off sale with paperbacks for only 25 cents, and I was excited to actually find some books I've been meaning to read for a while.  I love digging through used books and trying to find the best deals--in fact, I hardly ever buy books full price anymore.
23 // Fictional BF/GF - I've always had a tiny crush on the husband from The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.  He works at a library, has great taste in music and art, and has the perfect amount of tutored soul.  Need I say more?
24 // Favorite Blogs - I read blogs in every category, but a few of my favorite writing/book blogs include Dead White Guys, Hazel & Wren, and Wise, Ink.

Parts 1 and 2 of my Book Photo Challenge can be found here and here.

Happy end-of-summer!
Elizabeth

Bloglovin?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

This is just a quick post to mention that I'm on Bloglovin.  Check it out, but also be sure to spend some time outside on this beautiful, end-of-summer day.

Happy reading,
Elizabeth

Book Photo Challenge: Part 1

Toward the beginning of the month, I stumbled upon this August Book Photo Challenge by the Tumblr blog Books & Cupcakes.  It's hard to stay motivated to do anything more than sleep in, lay out in the sun and eat cheap food during the last month of the summer, so I love that this challenge has kept me motivated to keep thinking about books over the next few weeks.  A daily update of this challenge can be found on my Tumblr, but below is a recap of the first eight days.

1 // Whatcha reading? - The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
2 // TBR Pile - Mine is made up mostly of books I bought discounted or borrowed from friends.
3 // Your Bookshelf - Mine is currently the underside of my desk, as most of my books are at my parents' house in Minnesota.
4 // Bookmarker - Favorite bookmarks include ticket stubs, bookmarks from my writing center, and free bookmarks from Unabridged Bookstore.
5 // Where You Read - I can't fall asleep without reading before bed.
6 // Favorite Book Cover - I love the design of Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog and the back cover of Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
7 // Words On A Page - This super short story by a third grader, which reads, "If I had a sidekick he would watch TV.  He would watch TV and eat chips and Nutella." resonated with me for obvious reasons.  Who doesn't want to be this sidekick?
8 // Most Reread Book - Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I've had a lot of fun coming up with what to snap a picture of for these first eight days.  Hopefully I can keep up with this challenge for all of August!

Read on,
Elizabeth

My Summer According to Instagram

It's almost the end of July and I haven't had the chance to post here nearly as much as I had hoped.  But this behavior wasn't born out of laziness; it's been a busy summer of concerts, shopping, parties, and, of course, reading.  Here are a few of my favorite moments so far, in all their filtered glory.

1 // Wayyy back in June, I took home seven books for under $30 from Printer's Row Lit Fest.  I've only had a chance to start The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, and even though at 100ish pages in I'm having trouble keeping myself invested in the characters, I'm determined to finish it and as many other books from my Printer's Row loot as I can before the end of the summer.
2 // Even though I'm not a sports fan, it was exciting taking part in the Chicago madness following the Blackhawks' victory, and I could not get over the adorable helmets on the Chicago Art Institute lions.
3 // In a fit of artistic inspiration, and craving a fresh look for my bulletin board to start off the summer, I decided to collage an ode to Chicago out of cut-up city maps.
4 // I've seen few things more picturesque than the view from the high-rise apartment where I spent the 4th of July, watching countless firework shows take place all across the skyline as soon as the sun began to set.
5 // With most people away from school for the summer, I've found dozens of cozy outdoor reading nooks around my quiet campus.
6 // My favorite Creative Writing buddy Izzy and I had to buy these matching word nerd rings, if only just to use them as an excuse to model our attempts at nail art.
7 // I was hanging out at a friend's apartment when I noticed her copy of Breathless, one of my all-time favorite French films.  When she offered me a second copy of the DVD that she had received as a gift, I freaked out.  I'm sensing a Godard movie marathon in my future.
8 // Finally, this past weekend I had the chance to volunteer at Pitchfork on behalf of the organization I intern for.  The whole festival was a blast, but MIA was easily my favorite performance.

Summer in Chicago is seriously the best.  Follow more of my adventures on Instagram @elizabethshere.

Happy summer,
Elizabeth

Introductions

Reading and writing are often seen as solitary acts, in constant clash with the energy and excitement of city life.  But when I chose to move from my comfortable Minnesota suburb to pursue creative writing in Chicago a year and a half ago, it was with the hope that the city itself would serve as my inspiration.  I have not been disappointed.   Every new person I meet, or event I attend, confirm my belief that it is possible to infuse the grit and energy of city living with a passion for literature.

As I shed layer after layer of clothing with every rising degree of the thermometer, I'm just beginning my first summer in Chicago, where I plan on taking on the calendar full of projects and activities that my break from schoolwork, fantastic new internship, and cozy city apartment are bound to help me accomplish.  I don't pretend to be an expert on the literary world, but that won't stop me from documenting my thoughts on my favorite books as well as the industry as a whole, alongside some notes on my everyday life.  Buzzed on caffeine and blinded by the city lights, I can't wait to get started.