Eyes and Ears / March 2018
Welcome to my FIRST EVER Eyes and Ears post. I've had this idea since last summer, and it's taken me the better part of a year to summon the courage and find the time.
Here's the idea- once a month, I'll gift you with a list of books, songs, and maybe one day, podcasts, that I've been really enjoying. I first thought of this as a monthly book recommendation post, since you all know what a book nerd I am, and you're always asking me for my suggestions anyway. But then, I realized how much I've been enjoying making playlists lately, so I thought... why not throw in some music, too? My hope is that these recommendations will make your eyes and ears very happy.
Let me preface this by saying that I am in no way claiming to be an expect on books or music. I am feeling the most confident about the book recommendations, and particularly less confident about the music recommendations. My music tastes are all over the place, and we have yet to discover if this is a good thing or bad thing. Your feedback is appreciated (but please be nice)!
So, without further adieu...
Eyes
I thought I'd start with a few of my favorite books OF ALL TIME. These are just two books, of many, that have changed me.
My favorite books are the one that leave you a different person after they end.
The Bell Jar
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.” -Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
It is my steadfast belief that every woman in their 20s should read this book. It is a dark, deep, and gorgeous novel, the only novel ever written by Sylvia Plath, who committed suicide a month after it was first published. Connecting to this book doesn't necessarily mean understanding life with depression, although it can. For me, the connection lies in the uncertainty. Esther's journey is dark but important, and tells the common story of a woman who can't quite figure out what she wants. Esther feels disconnected and disoriented throughout the preliminary events in the novel, as she navigates a summer internship in New York City. She finds herself identifying with many different types of women, which demonstrates the impressionable nature of someone who doesn't know who they are. When she returns home, the pressure to choose a life becomes paramount, yet her indecision remains.
This book tells the story of so many of us as we ask ourselves, "What does it mean to choose a life?" I think about this question all the time. Some days, I wake up wanting a husband and kids. Some days, I wake up with the idea that being with one person for the rest of your life is unimaginable. Other days, I want to quit my job, move to Europe, and write poetry for the rest of my life.
Most days, I wake up and sign into Instagram, and I see the engagement announcements, the weddings, the sonograms. Confusion follows, as I try to decipher what I should want with what I do want. Much like Esther, I feel like an outsider. I feel like I want everything I see and nothing that I see at the same time.
This book was written in a vastly different time, but still holds true in a world where technology has made the possibilities of life endless and prompted the never-ending comparison of your life to the lives of others. Our world is one where we only need to sign into social media to see the life we did not pick, the person we did not love, and the choices we did not make.
However, The Bell Jar is especially powerful for women, who historically have had less choices and more guilt over these choices than men. If you're a woman who's ever second-guessed yourself, even for a moment, you need to devour this book.
Fahrenheit 451
“We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?” -Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
If you know me well, you know my love for dystopian novels. I am enthralled with any warning that is hundreds of pages long. Fahrenheit 451 ignites this passion like few other books do.
It's also important to note that my years as a teacher have inspired my fervent belief that censorship is wrong. A little part of my soul dies whenever I hear of books being banned. Children need to read books. They need to read books that make you cry, books that make you uncomfortable, and books that make you think. I wrote more about this here.
But let me get into why Fahrenheit 451 is such an important book. In this dystopian time, Guy Montag is a fireman- but not in the way you might expect. His job is to burn down the homes and possessions of anyone caught reading a book, as books are outlawed. In this world, books were banned when people began to favor TV and other face-paced media over reading. The government took this as a perfect opportunity to seize control over the minds of its people (as we know from the history of our world, censorship and denying education is the best way to repress a group of people).
While walking home from work one day, Guy meets Clarisse, a girl who's liberal beliefs cause him to begin questioning his life. From this point on, Guy's intense curiosity for books brings him on a journey where he'll do anything to escape a vapid, depressing life where they're are not allowed. It's a thrilling book where a man risks his life multiple times, just for the opportunity to read.
This book matters to me for a few reasons. First, I'm obsessed with reading. My books are the most important thing I own. I refuse to read on a Kindle or iPad because it's important to me that I can pass down my books to my children. I want them to be able to see my books on the shelf and become captivated by their covers enough that they pick them up and read them. I will not censor books for my children. I want them to grow up to be intelligent, empathetic, and confident enough to question everything. If someone tried to take away my books, I'd likely burn along with them out of principle.
Secondly, as I said before, censorship is the best way to control. Those in power want ignorance. People are easy to control when they don't understand history, or the journeys of others. Historically, censorship has been used to gain control and repress minorities. I try to inspire my students to be readers every day. I want them to grow up to think for themselves, and to change the world. They can't do this without books.
This book is important for everyone. I hope that you read it, and I hope it reminds you to appreciate the freedom you have to read. I hope it inspires you to READ MORE.
Ears
So, here goes nothing! My first ever public playlist. I wasn't really sure what direction to go with this one- so I honestly just pulled a bunch of songs from my "Top Songs of 2017" playlist that Spotify made for me. A lot of these songs actually remind me of summer because that's when I was listening to them the most. Also, number 11 is one of my favorite songs of all time!
These songs are more upbeat and are great ~chill out~ songs. I actually think I found a lot of them on the "Pop Chillout" Spodify playlist (as recommended by Britt). Let me know what you think!
I have a lot more stuff coming for you guys! I know I haven't been writing a lot, but it's been a pretty insane year filled with SO many new beginnings. I'm finally starting to feel settled and ready to devote more time to writing. I might even publish some of my poetry, which completely terrifies me! Please feel free to let me know if you liked this post, and if it's something you would read monthly! Or let me know if I wrote too much about the books (very likely), and if you would prefer MORE books recommendations with less in-depth descriptions. I often write like I talk- too much. And I think on that note, I'll end this. Hope you enjoyed!
Here's the idea- once a month, I'll gift you with a list of books, songs, and maybe one day, podcasts, that I've been really enjoying. I first thought of this as a monthly book recommendation post, since you all know what a book nerd I am, and you're always asking me for my suggestions anyway. But then, I realized how much I've been enjoying making playlists lately, so I thought... why not throw in some music, too? My hope is that these recommendations will make your eyes and ears very happy.
Let me preface this by saying that I am in no way claiming to be an expect on books or music. I am feeling the most confident about the book recommendations, and particularly less confident about the music recommendations. My music tastes are all over the place, and we have yet to discover if this is a good thing or bad thing. Your feedback is appreciated (but please be nice)!
So, without further adieu...
Eyes
I thought I'd start with a few of my favorite books OF ALL TIME. These are just two books, of many, that have changed me.
My favorite books are the one that leave you a different person after they end.
The Bell Jar
It is my steadfast belief that every woman in their 20s should read this book. It is a dark, deep, and gorgeous novel, the only novel ever written by Sylvia Plath, who committed suicide a month after it was first published. Connecting to this book doesn't necessarily mean understanding life with depression, although it can. For me, the connection lies in the uncertainty. Esther's journey is dark but important, and tells the common story of a woman who can't quite figure out what she wants. Esther feels disconnected and disoriented throughout the preliminary events in the novel, as she navigates a summer internship in New York City. She finds herself identifying with many different types of women, which demonstrates the impressionable nature of someone who doesn't know who they are. When she returns home, the pressure to choose a life becomes paramount, yet her indecision remains.
This book tells the story of so many of us as we ask ourselves, "What does it mean to choose a life?" I think about this question all the time. Some days, I wake up wanting a husband and kids. Some days, I wake up with the idea that being with one person for the rest of your life is unimaginable. Other days, I want to quit my job, move to Europe, and write poetry for the rest of my life.
Most days, I wake up and sign into Instagram, and I see the engagement announcements, the weddings, the sonograms. Confusion follows, as I try to decipher what I should want with what I do want. Much like Esther, I feel like an outsider. I feel like I want everything I see and nothing that I see at the same time.
This book was written in a vastly different time, but still holds true in a world where technology has made the possibilities of life endless and prompted the never-ending comparison of your life to the lives of others. Our world is one where we only need to sign into social media to see the life we did not pick, the person we did not love, and the choices we did not make.
However, The Bell Jar is especially powerful for women, who historically have had less choices and more guilt over these choices than men. If you're a woman who's ever second-guessed yourself, even for a moment, you need to devour this book.
Fahrenheit 451
If you know me well, you know my love for dystopian novels. I am enthralled with any warning that is hundreds of pages long. Fahrenheit 451 ignites this passion like few other books do.
It's also important to note that my years as a teacher have inspired my fervent belief that censorship is wrong. A little part of my soul dies whenever I hear of books being banned. Children need to read books. They need to read books that make you cry, books that make you uncomfortable, and books that make you think. I wrote more about this here.
But let me get into why Fahrenheit 451 is such an important book. In this dystopian time, Guy Montag is a fireman- but not in the way you might expect. His job is to burn down the homes and possessions of anyone caught reading a book, as books are outlawed. In this world, books were banned when people began to favor TV and other face-paced media over reading. The government took this as a perfect opportunity to seize control over the minds of its people (as we know from the history of our world, censorship and denying education is the best way to repress a group of people).
While walking home from work one day, Guy meets Clarisse, a girl who's liberal beliefs cause him to begin questioning his life. From this point on, Guy's intense curiosity for books brings him on a journey where he'll do anything to escape a vapid, depressing life where they're are not allowed. It's a thrilling book where a man risks his life multiple times, just for the opportunity to read.
This book matters to me for a few reasons. First, I'm obsessed with reading. My books are the most important thing I own. I refuse to read on a Kindle or iPad because it's important to me that I can pass down my books to my children. I want them to be able to see my books on the shelf and become captivated by their covers enough that they pick them up and read them. I will not censor books for my children. I want them to grow up to be intelligent, empathetic, and confident enough to question everything. If someone tried to take away my books, I'd likely burn along with them out of principle.
Secondly, as I said before, censorship is the best way to control. Those in power want ignorance. People are easy to control when they don't understand history, or the journeys of others. Historically, censorship has been used to gain control and repress minorities. I try to inspire my students to be readers every day. I want them to grow up to think for themselves, and to change the world. They can't do this without books.
This book is important for everyone. I hope that you read it, and I hope it reminds you to appreciate the freedom you have to read. I hope it inspires you to READ MORE.
Ears
So, here goes nothing! My first ever public playlist. I wasn't really sure what direction to go with this one- so I honestly just pulled a bunch of songs from my "Top Songs of 2017" playlist that Spotify made for me. A lot of these songs actually remind me of summer because that's when I was listening to them the most. Also, number 11 is one of my favorite songs of all time!
These songs are more upbeat and are great ~chill out~ songs. I actually think I found a lot of them on the "Pop Chillout" Spodify playlist (as recommended by Britt). Let me know what you think!
I have a lot more stuff coming for you guys! I know I haven't been writing a lot, but it's been a pretty insane year filled with SO many new beginnings. I'm finally starting to feel settled and ready to devote more time to writing. I might even publish some of my poetry, which completely terrifies me! Please feel free to let me know if you liked this post, and if it's something you would read monthly! Or let me know if I wrote too much about the books (very likely), and if you would prefer MORE books recommendations with less in-depth descriptions. I often write like I talk- too much. And I think on that note, I'll end this. Hope you enjoyed!
I haven't read the Bell Jar since high school, but that quote has always stuck out to me--even now. It's funny because as someone who's done the engagement/wedding/sonogram thing, I can say that I still want this and everything else all at the same time. I guess thing don't change that much! Anyway, I hope you keep writing—it's always so good.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Marisa! Any compliment to my writing that comes from someone as talented as you means so much. <3
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