Tea Stains on Parchment

I walked into Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Cream on a mission one spring afternoon. Actually, I was there on business—I needed to taste Jay Gatsby. You see, in celebration of 100 years of Fitzgerald’s novel, Clementine’s has crafted 4 Great Gatsby inspired scoops: a rose sorbet; a chamomile and apricot ice cream in pale green; a golden turmeric and cacao nib concoction inspired by the opening epigraph; and one inspired by 1920’s cologne notes, swirled with floral ripples, butterscotch shards, and a woodsy base. This last one, called “Old Sport,” was the green light I was after. In fact, I was promised by Clementine’s Goldbelly listing that one bite “captures the essence of embracing Jay Gatsby or Nick Carraway.” Through a scoop of ice cream and a spoon, I somehow would soon know what it was like to hug Gatsby and Nick, as well as taste what such an embrace would be like. This truly was a Great Gatsby experience unlike any I’d encountered before. I’ve read The Great Gatsby many time,...

Today Toni Morrison died. Now, I have never read any of Morrison's works, but they are on my list of literary intendeds and I've heard from many about how powerful her works are. Today, this latter fact has crystalized in front of me. I have heard from so many people about how moving Morrison's works are and the impact she has had on them. That's a rather special thing. And although we usually focus on an author's works over the author themselves, we all feel something when an author we particularly cherished passes. There are a few reasons we are saddened by an author passing. Obviously, the thought of death is always a chilling one, but it goes deeper than that. Even if an author hasn't written anything new in a very long time, when they are alive, we always hold onto some little hope that perhaps they will write something new, impart some undiscovered wisdom to us. My own experience with author deaths has been most keen with Harper Lee. She only wrote one b...

There are just so many books. There are thousands upon thousands of novels, adding up to what must be a limitless number of pages. There are so many that it is impossible to read every book, even every good book, no matter how much I read. I will never be able to read every book on my ever expanding list, and sometimes coming to terms with this is difficult. There will be conversations I can't participate in, symbols I won't analyze, authors I may never meet. With so much page turning, I used to think that I had to constantly keep moving forward. That is, continually reading books I had never read before, expanding my repertoire of "have reads." But as I've grown older and read more books, including some that are really important to me, I have found that is not the case. Rereading a book can be just as important and transformative as discovering a new one. I have thought of books as friends, and I think about them often, but I hadn't been a very good frien...

I wasn't going to tell you all this. I was going to maintain my pride. But then I thought, perhaps I could save someone else from making the same, quite honestly, ridiculous mistake I made, thus saving you from this same shame. You see, I love The Great Gatsby. I know, a lot of people "love" The Great Gatsby, but I can guarantee you that a very small percentage of these people love it the same way I do. Now, as someone with an obsession with Gatsby, I also remember a lot of random quotes and moments from this book. One of which happens around page 20ish when Nick goes to the Buchanans for dinner. Daisy says, "Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it." To which Jordan says "we should plan something." Now, I'm not going to bore/beguile you with an analysis of this scene, but I will say that every year since I have watched for the longest day of the year, si...

You ever just love to read about murder? That sounds a bit, well, concerning, but most of us, if we're answering honestly, would say yes. And don't try to tell me that you don't love to read about murder and only psychopaths want to read about people dying because numbers don't lie. The most widely published works, excluding all those English class required readings of Shakespeare and, of course, the Bible, are none other than the novels of Agatha Christie. In other words, the queen of mystery. So obviously, we all have a sweet spot for murder. But despite Agatha's (yes, we're on a first name basis) inventive murder mysteries, there is so much more to this British writer than strangers on a train or chance encounters. I love Agatha Christie, and I feel a certain connection with her as a fellow INFJ. And if she could think about crazy, creative murder scenarios without being creepy, then I can, too, right? RIGHT? And with my little friendship with this fellow w...

Few people have read Gone with the Wind , but many have watched the movie, hailing it as a classic piece of American cinema. People, myself included, get swept up in a love story filled with swishing Southern belles and chivalrous gentlemen, but the story is one that isn't exactly always sweet. Scarlett O'Hara is named by many as a heroine, a strong female character that is as beautiful as she is independent. Well, there is some truth in this, but it is also filled with many, many flaws. Firstly, the opening line of the novel actually says that Scarlett was "by no means beautiful." She was charming, so let's all be honest and say she was charming and seductive because that speaks more to Scarlett's character than genetic beauty does. Scarlett uses her charm to catch husbands. Notice the plural! She marries one man to make someone else jealous, steals her sister's beaux to save her beloved Tara, and marries Rhett to live a more lavish life. This sums up t...

On July 11, 1960 Harper Lee published her first novel. In fall 2011, I read To Kill a Mockingbird. Who knew my life would be changed for the better? It was seventh grade, and one of the assignments in my English class was to read a novel every two weeks or so and then take a little reading quiz. Early on, I decided to read To Kill a Mockingbird  because I had heard such good things (meaning I had heard somewhat meaningless blurbs like "great book" or "one of the American classics"). The first copy I found was a large print addition, which made the book slightly larger, which allowed me an extra two weeks to read it because it was a "long" book. This may have been a bit of a loophole...Anyways, I set out to read this book. I remember absolutely loving it, being captivated by the story, being drawn to every symbol. I wanted someone, some person in my grade, to be reading the book so that I could talk about it-- a good book makes you want to analyze and dis...

I'm sure we've all heard about the Laura Ingalls Wilder's Award being renamed to the Children's Literature Legacy Award, but I am here to tell you why that is a mistake. Surprisingly, books were not always my entire life.  In early middle school, I didn't really consider myself a reader. I didn't dislike reading, but I felt like I was slow, so I never really picked up books for fun. Eventually, this changed, and I think that I have Little House on the Prairie  to thank for this. I remember my mom handing my a thick, hard covered collection of the first Little House on the Prairie  books. She told me that when she was little, she loved these books, and always wanting to please, I started reading despite the daunting size that a collection of novels can pose to a young reader. Of course I loved them. They were the first books that I really loved. The first books that made me want to read more. Every trip to the library, from then on, led me to the next Little Ho...

I am a book snob. There, I said it. I don't even take that label as an insult; I wear it as a badge of honor. When someone called me a book snob three years ago, I took it as the highest of compliments. I have strong opinions of lots of things, but being nervous and introverted to a fault, I rarely share my thoughts. But I will tell anyone what I think about a book. When it comes to books, I have lots of opinions and somewhat controversial stances on everything from YA to bookstore layouts. Which I cannot mention without telling you my feelings...books, aside from children's novels, have no real age range if they are a book of quality . I hate YA, too. They are all the same. You can fight me on that one. And bookstores shouldn't be laid out by genre. The only sections should be children's, fiction, nonfiction. How can you separate by genre? For example, is Agatha Christie literature/fiction or mystery? Is To Kill a Mockingbird literature/fiction or YA (ughk). Yea...

So you don’t have someone to take you out for a free dinner this February 14? That’s ok. Just take a note from me and replace people with books! They can’t turn you down. Here are four novels about the toils of love that are not only well–written, but feature such flawed characters that it will make you feel better about yourself. So stay in your room, make a cup of tea, and swipe right on all these books. Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare Why read Romeo and Juliet when you can fill your lonely Friday nights with laughter instead of sobs? Perhaps not one of Shakespeare’s most profound works, but it is one of the funniest. Bianca can only get married once her oldest sister gets engaged, but her sister, Katherine, is a real shrew. Watch as the powerful Katherine finds *love* and a story unfolds around personalities unseen. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Nick Carraway is a young man just out of (an ivy league) college, and he has grown increasingly disillusioned...

Before I start, you should all know that I find most modern novels to be bland, over-done, a rehash of the same story, but sometimes I am pleasantly surprised. This post is about one of those surprises. I recently read The Swans of Fifth Avenue  by Melanie Benjamin, and I instantly fell in love! The story is centered around Truman Capote and his elegant swans, namely the perfect Babe Paley. The novel delves into Capote's relationship with his socialite friends and the subsequent scandal that rocked tabloids and the high society ladies that Capote betrayed. The plot is phenomenal, providing details that create a close connection between the reader and each of the characters.  I have grown so close to the story that I may have a minor obsession with Truman Capote, Babe Paley, and Slim Keith. Although the story will keep you enraptured, wanting to know more about the social life of the affluent ladies in the 50's and 60's, the novel is held back by one thing. Benjamin...