Reading Challenge

Before this year, I have never had to consciously set reading goals for myself. It was always something that I did for both education and pleasure, what I was drawn to in my spare time or, I'll admit it, sometimes as necessary escapism. Let's face it, a paperback is much cheaper than therapy, especially if it comes from your local library!

Now that I've returned to school, I am finding to my horror that I don't have time or energy to read for pleasure like I used to. Even as an undergraduate, I was always able to get some recreational reading done after my homework and as a bookseller, reading was literally my life. But when I spend the majority of your day having to sit and really focus on what I'm reading or writing, and when that material is generally of an academic nature, the last thing my body and mind want to do is sit and focus some more in whatever down time I have!

That being the case, this year I decided to participate for the first time in a group reading challenge. A few friends from across the US have teamed up with me, and we're all committed to reading the list that I posted above. Having a group to encourage my reading is really motivating me to keep broadening my literary horizons, and it reminds me that even when I'm exhausted, reading really is fun! Consciously choosing books that are (mostly) new to me, and seeing what others have selected, has gotten me excited for my 2016 reading in a way that my overworked grad student brain thought might be impossible.

If you want some extra motivation for reading this year, consider doing a reading challenge like this one. If the list I'm using doesn't suit you, consider this one from Book Riot or this one from Better World Books. See bits and pieces that you like from each? Create your own reading list! And do get a group of friends together to take on the reading challenge with you. You'll be surprised at how many of them also want to read more but don't feel they have time or motivation. Your arrangement doesn't have to be formal; you can get together every week for a book club sort of check-in while all reading the same book at once, or you can set up a group online to informally share what you've read, what you thought of it, and what's next on your list whenever you happen to check something off your list. A little bit of reading encouragement goes a long way, and the internet is a great resource for that even when your friends aren't all within book club distance. Make 2016 the year that you re-commit to reading!

The Reading of "Lot 49"

If you've looked into postmodernist literature at all, odds are good that you've run into the name of author Thomas Pynchon. And once you've done that, "The Crying of Lot 49" is bound to come up on your radar in conjunction. It was not the first Pynchon novel that I've read (that would be "Gravity's Rainbow") but it seems to be a popular postmodernist starter because it's quite short: only 152 pages in the paperback edition.

But this strange, unassuming little novel packs a whole lot of punch. The entire thing is one big metaphorical curve ball, made up entirely of intricately interwoven details that are devilishly easy to overlook, resulting more often than not in crossed eyes and a strong urge to pull out your own hair by the fistful. It's the seemingly unimportant, mundane things that the reader finds unite the entire story and pull us deeper down the paranoid rabbit hole that this book is.

While I have read this book multiple times, I wouldn't necessarily say that it's enjoyable. The only people who seem to genuinely like it most of the time are English majors and people who claim to have read it but really bought it just because it looks sophisticated on their bookshelf. Sometimes these people are one and the same. But this select (pseudo-)audience isn't a result of bad writing or pointless metatextual spiraling. On the contrary, all the possibly nonsensical layers are a part of what makes Pynchon's writing so incredibly interesting. When you make a connection, unlock a subtle little secret in the text, you feel like you as a reader have accomplished something nearly as important to the story being written and published was.

Part of why nobody "likes" this and other Pynchon titles much of the time is just that his writing isn't easy to digest. It isn't the sort of paperback that most people curl up with on a rainy afternoon and enjoy over a cup of hot tea. And so unless one is making a deliberate effort to make one's way through this novel, nobody reads "The Crying of Lot 49." I think this is a shame. And half the people with whom I've spoken about it have already decided not to read it without even picking it up, just because its reputation can be intimidating.

The big difference I see here between people who read Pynchon (overwhelmingly English majors and postmodern enthusiasts) and those who don't is that people who work in and around the field of English have been deliberately taught how to read dense and intricate writing like that in "The Crying of Lot 49." We've been painstakingly instructed on how to dissect a text, layer by layer, and it does indeed involve real work instead of just reading the text once and deciding that it "doesn't make any sense."

Perhaps if more people were taught or sought out methods for reading and understanding complex texts like Pynchon's, readers wouldn't be so intimidate of books like "The Crying of Lot 49." If you're interested in taking on a literary challenge like this but don't know where to begin trying to take it apart, here are some quick tips and approaches that I personally find helpful:

1. Keep a running list of characters' names and who they are. Leave some open space underneath your initial entry so that you can expand on their relationships to other characters, because many of the names in "The Crying of Lot 49" contain their own little jokes and ironies. They fade in and out of the larger story without reintroductions.

2. When you start to observe recurring themes or key words and phrases, bookmark them with a sticky note or arrow. Being able to flip back and forth to compare the contexts directly will be immensely helpful!

3. Write down your own thoughts, questions, and interpretations as you encounter them. They needn't be coherent; after all, the text doesn't seem overly concerned with that most of the time. I personally find that actively wild speculation is the best way to keep my brain wide open to receive (and perceive) information from the book, especially when it's a complicated one.

When we make a conscious effort to stretch our brains with books like "The Crying of Lot 49" I honestly believe that we expand our mental horizons and broaden our ways of thinking. You don't have to enjoy a book to get something out of it. In all honesty most of the books that I read for class are not ones that I would choose to read of my own accord had I been let loose and told to pick something that I "liked." But I can honestly say that I have gained some insight, some new perspective, from each of them for which I find good use and am grateful. That's why it's important to read beyond pleasure, to read for more than entertainment. I hope that these basic tips will help to give you the encouragement you need to pick up something that has perhaps intimidated you in the past and give it a try. If you do, please let me know! I'd love to hear about your experience.

Inspiration From Haruki Murakami

For those of you not familiar with Haruki Murakami, he is a Japanese writer cherished for his lyrical, surreal writing and its insights into the human heart. He has written a large number of books, both novels and short story collections, and his latest volume is entitled "Wind/Pinball." My personal favorite of his work so far (and I have not read everything by him) is "Kafka on the Shore."

No matter which volume of Murakami's that you pick up though, you will find gorgeously worded (and painstakingly translated) insights into what it means to be a person. Not just human, but a real living, feeling person. This time of year, when the fervor of the holidays dies down and the cold grayness of a Pacific Northwest winter can get me down, I like to revisit Murakami's work. It's the perfect way to integrate the soft, cold weather into the dreamscapes of your thinking, and Murakami's work is the perfect material to send you out on that sort of introspective but ultimately positive journey.

If you're interested in seeing what Murakami's writing has to offer you, check out Bustle.com's compilation of "20 Haruki Murakami Quotes to Inspire You." If a particular quote or subject speaks to you, consider picking up the book from which it was pulled. No matter your choice, you're in for a wondrously surrealistic ride that will broaden your mind and make you question your point of view.

Best Books of 2015

It's hard to believe 2105 is drawing to a close. Of course I find myself saying that every year. Perhaps this time is especially difficult though because it saw the publication of so many fabulous books. NPR's Book Concierge, a great resource for slimming down your reading list to select the best of the best, has put together their yearly list of the Best Books of the Year. Be sure to check it out to make sure you didn't miss anything in your genre of choice! I also enjoy using it as a guide for when I feel like stepping outside my normal reading patterns, and want to make sure that I'm getting something that's already sparked interest or maybe even controversy.

Personally, I've read some pretty fabulous books this year. Among my absolute favorites though have been "The Country of Ice Cream Star" by Sandra Newman (Postapocalyptic SpecFic), "Newt's Emerald" by Garth Nix (YA SpecFic/Alternate History), "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia (YA), "The Water Knife" by Paolo Bacigalupi (Postapocalyptic SpecFic), and "When We Were Animals" by Joshua Gaylord (SpecFic/Horror). Of these, I have added "The Country of Ice Cream Star" and "When We Were Animals" to my personal library. Even having spent the year working in and studying books though, I know that there are excellent works that I just missed, due to lack of either time or knowledge of them. As always, I love receiving book recommendations so if you would like to see something reviewed here, let me know! I look forward to sharing more books here in the coming year.

Book Review: "Ms. Marvel" by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Jacob Wyatt

Of the wide variety of comics that I've read for class this past fall quarter, superhero comics have by far been my favorites. The sheer variety of modern superhero comics, and how each one of them qualifies as a superhero comic in its own right according to theory on the subject, capture my imagination in ways that Golden Age floppies of Superman and The Fantastic Four never did.

I'm not the only one getting inspired by the potential of superhero comics. Beginning in February of 2014, the superhero character of Ms. Marvel was revamped. The resulting project by Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona introduces us to Pakistani-American teenager Kamala Khan as the current reincarnation of this Marvel superhero. This series has been recognized again and again for its presentation of "otherness" in American culture, particularly for a Muslim teenage girl in a situation where she feels like she intrinsically doesn't belong.

The story in this comic is nothing new: girl gains superpowers, there are villains, she is defeated but doesn't give up, and in the end good triumphs over evil. The art is incredible throughout, although appearing in two very different styles. The use of bright colors, with an incredible number of layers to achieve detail and nuance, pull the eye across the page and draw readers into a vivid world that's recognizable as our own, but also just separate enough to make us want to know more. A personal favorite feature of mine was the entertaining slogans and labels written on boxes, products, and advertisements in the background. Be sure to look closely to get a few more laughs!

What makes this comic truly incredible is the *way* in which the contributors accomplish their depiction of being "outside" of the norm. Kamala is like any teenager in that she doesn't feel she belongs. But the struggles that she faces regarding her self-identity and comfort being herself are so many that my heart aches fro her from the very beginning. This is probably most aptly displayed when she first makes her wish to be Ms Marvel, and finds herself transformed from a Middle-Eastern teenager into the leggy, blond, busty image of Captain Marvel with which she was familiar. As the story goes on though, Kamala's appearance even in the persona of Ms. Marvel shifts and changes. Instead of the traditional revealing costume that makes her feel over-exposed, Kamala adopts parts of her own personal blended culture and, as she starts looking more and more like herself, feels comfortable using her powers in her own unique way to be *her* version of Ms. Marvel.

The creators show that she's "just like us" in that she has personal struggles on many levels, which is admirable. But this recognition of Kamala as "just like us" implies an inherent sense of other-ness. It still implies that you have to look beyond some more obvious, even intrinsic traits of hers (like her ethnicity or religion, and the stereotypes and assumptions that get made because of them) to recognize her humanity and how really she has a lot of the same troubles as any teen. But truly, she does not.

I am a middle-class white female. And as a teenager I went through some rough stuff that still dogs me some days even as an adult. But I never had my peers compliment my hijab in an offhand way, or ask if my parents would "honor kill" me if I took it off. Nobody ever asked me to stand back because I smelled like curry. These are all experiences that Kamala has, being Pakistani-American and Muslim. All this is in addition to having to hide her mysterious new superpowers and try to find out what they mean for her. How should she use them? How can she best represent herself and her values, as an individual as well as as a product of her background, in her newfound position as a superhero?

I'm not sure if recognizing and celebrating her otherness is "better" or "worse" than ignoring it in an attempt to be "colorblind." Where does recognizing differences turn into discrimination, and where does lack of acknowledgement become erasure? I don't know the answers to these questions, and maybe there are no hard rules when it comes to the subject. But I do know that "Ms. Marvel" does a (yeah, I'm going to say it) marvelous job of exploring these questions and others. There's a hefty dose of humor in there as well, which helps to balance out the struggles that gnaw at Kamala both in and out of her superhero suit. If you like superhero comics or movies at all, and if you're ready for a painful, beautiful trip through the life of a person who doesn't quite belong anywhere she's found so far, pick up a copy of "Ms. Marvel" soon! You can find the "floppies" in many local comics shops or get the hardcover compilation at your favorite local, independent bookstore.

TED-Ed Vernacular Lessons

Readers, I have a confession to make: I am a TED junkie. Studying English (or any other subject, really) is a commitment to that one subject for a very extended period of time, as it should be. But what about when my brain needs a break from literature and analytical writing?

One of my favorite things to do when I reach that breaking point, which happens no matter how much I might love what I'm studying, is to listen to a TED Talk. TED-Ed has so many great series out there about everything from new groundbreaking polymers to cultural explorations to, yes, stories about literature and language. They're perfect for putting on when I go for a run or head to the gym for a little study break and some exercise. I'm still learning, but I get to do it in a different manner, with some subjects that I may not otherwise find myself exposed to.

Lately, as I enjoy a brief winter break from the rigors of my academic program, I'm listening to a great TED-Ed series called "Mysteries of Vernacular." It explores some of the most interesting or unexpected words in the English language and where they come from. My personal favorite so far? The word "odd." The next time you need a break from the holiday music or want something stimulating to listen to while wrapping those gifts, check out the "Mysteries of Vernacular" series from TED-Ed. You'll learn some fascinating bits to bring up over fruitcake and eggnog at your next holiday gathering.

Black Girls Matter: A YA Reading List

The dearth of diverse Young Adult books both featuring minority characters and written by minority authors has been especially evident lately. Organizations like We Need Diverse Books and conferences like Sirens Con have sprung up to fight for accurate representation of ALL YA experiences, including mental health and body issues, disability representation, and variety in language, race, ethnicity and culture. This heightened awareness of who we're representing in YA literature and how has led to some great resources for diverse books, including this list from Stackedbooks.org, which gives a great selection of YA books featuring main characters who are black. Take a look, read them through, and pass it along!