Books Are A Form Of Resistance

Stealing Rachel's Twitter quote - is that plagiarism?

"I, myself, am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions."

I had to google this to find out who said it. I knew it was not Rachel's original words because she used quotation marks. An English teacher who loves grammar rules would not not take the credit!

Augusten Burroughs (of "Running with Scissors") must have said this somewhere.  This fits me so well. Often I say critical things about myself, and others say, "Oh, you shouldn't say that about yourself!" But I think of it as honesty and not letting people think that I think I'm so awesome. Oh, and that phrase about the the road to hell being paved with good intentions does not apply here. I'm not going to hell, my intentions are that good.

When it comes to writing blog posts, it mostly it seems like I have no original thoughts. I "share" what others write on Facebook or in magazines. And I do it again now with "Teddy Roosevelt's Ten Rules for Reading."

My rules are simpler.

1. Acquire a drink. This might be Dr. Pepper, hot tea, iced tea, passion tea, coffee, or wine. Beer is not recommended because the tipping back of the head and guzzling will interfere with keeping your eyes on the page. Drinks with straws are especially read-worthy.
2. Sit in something comfortable, if possible. Suggestions are a bed, a sofa, a chair that reclines or has a footstool, a hammock (on my list of things to install in my back yard), a saucer chair, or a poolside chaise longue (my exercise plan keeps me from going to a pool, so this option is limited). Acceptable when necessary are car seats, waiting room chairs, restaurants, porch steps, your desk at work (don't let people catch you "wasting time reading" at work even if you are the librarian), and other less plush places to perch.
3. Into your hands place a personally owned book, a library book, a Kindle, an iPad with a Kindle app, a newspaper, a magazine recently acquired at Barnes and Noble or Walmart (whichever is closer to your home), a laptop with Facebook or Twitter and Internet access, or similar.
4. Begin reading. Your entire world will become what you are reading and therefore will allow you to forget the dishes in the sink, the paperwork to finish, the garage to purge, the grass to mow...you get my drift. 
5. Enjoy becoming more brilliant through the amazing gift of Reading!

Author Maggie Stiefvater speaks on The Raven Cycle

I first met (not in person - as a reader, duh!) when I read The Forest of Hands and Teeth. That might have been my first zombie book. I was not aware of zombie culture in YA, so I was just oblivious to whatever it was that was causing those people to turn into hungry killers. Since there was a nunnery  and religious control at the beginning of the novel, I was a little bit confused. Did the characters think that God had brought this as a punishment? Well, at some point, I realized that an unknown cause created the zombies. Hooked! I had to read the sequels and then some of her other books. "The Shiver Trilogy" presents a whole new take on werewolves. If you were fascinated with the transformation of humans into werewolves in old black and white movies, or any movie or book with a werewolf in it (Harry Potter), you will love the werewolves living in the woods near a small American town. The Raven Boys, another Stiefvater book exploring life and death and teens, is the first of "The Raven Cycle." Upon completion of the series, she says

Finishing a series like this is like eating a really delicious meal. You can’t tell if you want to go back for seconds because you’re still hungry, or just because you enjoyed the flavor so much.

While zombies, psychics, and love, characterize these three series, my favorite Stiefvater book is The Scorpio Races. When I reached the last word on the last page, I immediately had to know when the sequel was going to be released. Aaaahhhahhahahahahaaaa! Maggie's website said the story was complete and wouldn't have a sequel. Yes, it was complete and wonderful and completely lovely, but I had to have more. Stiefvater's description of the Celtic water horses that come from the sea, the eich uisce, made these animals move from fantasy to reality. This book was the delicious meal and I want her to want seconds. Please, Maggie Stiefvater! Write a sequel to The Scorpio Races!