The December Read & Watch Challenge

As you might have noticed, I'm a little behind on posting about this month's theme for the Read & Watch Challenge. I'm in book deadline armageddon mode, so I haven't had much time to dedicate to much else between writing sessions beyond showering and feeding the people who live here. Can you believe they expect to eat multiple times a day?? ; ) 

But I do have a book pick and movie pick for the Magical theme!

Book

Garden Spells (Bantam Discovery)

By Sarah Addison Allen

So many people have recommended Sarah Addison Allen to me, but I didn't get a chance to read her until recently. This book was just flat out delightful and such a feel good read. I went out immediately and bought First Frost after finishing this one. I believe this falls into the category of magical realism because it's a contemporary setting but magic is threaded throughout it. I highly recommend it.

Movie

Y'all, I can't even with this movie. I had heard wonderful things about the book and bought it but hadn't gotten to it yet. We saw this movie with my kiddo and omg, I think I cried through half the damn movie. But it was SO SO SO good. Everyone should see this, especially kids. I loved it. It was truly a magical movie.

---

Of course I do plan to work in some magical holiday movies before Christmas. It's a requirement to watch National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and Home Alone. I also need a big dose of Sleepless in Seattle. I haven't read any holiday books this season, though, so I'm not sure I'm going to sneak any of those in before Christmas.

I'd love to hear your favorite magical books or movies and to hear what you are reading and watching this month. Let me know in the comments. : )

November's Read & Watch Challenge Theme: COZY

It's that time again--the beginning of a new a month and a new theme for the Read and Watch challenge. You don't have to use it like a literal challenge, but hopefully it inspires you to pick up something new to read and watch this month. I, for one, can't resist a good what to read/what to watch recommendation list. 

This month's theme is COZY. Fall is finally here! Down in Texas that is a huge reason to celebrate because it means an end to the oppressive summer heat. We've finally gotten a snap of cooler weather this week and I am so here for it. I hate when we have hot Halloweens. This week I was even able to light the first fire of the season. Hurrah!

So, I'll give you some of my picks and then tell you what I hope to read and watch this month.

---

What to Read:

The Men at Work trilogy by Tiffany Reisz

Tiffany Reisz's Men at Work books are such a great seasonal treat. Each one tackles a holiday, all are sexy, and they're super fun. Plus, they take place in the Pacific Northwest, so perfect cozy up weather as a setting. You can read any of them as standalones but they are a great trio to grab.

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

The concept of Hygge is kind of a trend right now so you may have seen it around, but I really enjoyed this brief little book on how to Danes do things. Hygge is ALL about the cozy. I read this in the summer and it made me YEARN for cold weather. Fireplaces and comfort food and candles and blankets and friends. Bring it on.

This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick

I'm about two-thirds of the way through this one, but I've really enjoyed it so far. I may write a full post on it when I'm done, but I think it plays well to the theme of cozy. The premise is learning to love where you live. I really like the idea of this. No matter where you live, there are always going to be things you don't like or places you might think are better. But each city has its own charms and unique features. This is a book about digging into those and embracing them. I love the idea of being happy right where you are.

Off the Ice by Julie Cross

A super adorable YA story about family, falling in love, small towns, and hockey. I read this book in its early stages because Julie and I are friends, but it stuck with me. It's the perfect winter read to cozy up with (and I know nothing about hockey, so that's not a requirement.) 

---

What to Watch:

via GIPHY

When Harry Met Sally

Do I really have to explain this one? A must watch.

Wanted It GIF from Wanted GIFs

You've Got Mail

Meg Ryan gets all the best cozy fall movies. New York and fall and bookstores. What's not to love? This one is due for a rewatch by me.

College movies with Robin Williams in them...

Still breaks my heart knowing we've lost such a great talent. Prepare the box of tissues for both of these.

Dead Poet's Society

Poetry, Beauty, Romance, Love GIF from Deadpoetssociety GIFs

Good Will Hunting

It's Not Your Fault GIF from Goodwillhunting GIFs

Gilmore Girls

I overloaded on the movie suggestions this time, but if you want a cozy watch for TV, you can't go wrong with the GIlmore Girls. Small town, much coffee drinking, lots of scarves. 

Dramatic GIF from Lorelaigilmore GIFs

---

What I'll Be Reading

I have a few possibilities in mind. I haven't chosen yet, but these are the candidates.

Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams

I realized the other day when I saw the preview for Murder on the Orient Express that I used to love Agatha Christie books. Well, the modern day version of that style is called the cozy mystery. So it's perfect for this month's theme. And this cozy mystery is based at a book retreat--so mystery and books! I'm in. Plus, after two many grim thrillers, it's sometimes nice to read a mystery that's fun and free of gore.

The Cottage on Pumpkin and Vine by Kate Angell, Jennifer Dawson, and Sharla Lovelace

This cover totally got me. I mean, that just screams cozy fall read.

Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence

A librarian writes love letters and break up letters to books. I love this concept and plan to put this one on my bedside table to read in little bites.

My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl

What's cozier than a food memoir? This is the story of what happened to head editor Ruth Reichl after Gourmet magazine was suddenly shut down and she found herself without a job. She turned to food and cooking to process everything and heal. There are recipes in here but I've been told it reads more like a memoir, not a cookbook.

---

What I'll Be Watching

Stranger Things

I loved the first season of Stranger Things, so I can't wait to dive into season 2. Nothing like a good, spooky TV show for the fall.

Murder on the Orient Express

I read the book in high school (because I had awesome English teachers who assigned cool books) and I'm so excited about the movie. Also, it's been so long since I've read it, I don't remember who the murderer is, lol. So I'll be surprised!

---

That's my list for the month. What will you be reading and watching?

October Read and Watch Challenge: STRANGE

It's that time of the month again--time for a new monthly theme for the Read & Watch Challenge! This month I wanted to nod to Halloween and the change of seasons (if we ever GET a change of season here in Dallas. So. Hot. Still.) But I also didn't want to make it all about scary books and horror because not everyone reads that. So I thought the word STRANGE could cover a lot of bases. 

*If you're not familiar with the challenge, you can find out the details here. Feel free to join in anytime.

So, I have a few recommendations for you and then I'll give you some of my plans for what I'm going to read and watch this month.

What to Read:

First, I'm going to recommend (with caveats) a horror writer that I discovered last year: Grady Hendrix. So his books are like if horror movies from the 80s got mixed up with a Southpark episode. They are gory but also darkly funny and snarky. Having said that, don't read these if you don't like horror or are easily grossed out. They are still horror, even if they have that dark comic edge. But I've enjoyed both of these, and I love the quirky concepts.

I read My Best Friend's Exorcism last week and it was a page-turner. Plus, the presentation of the book itself adds to the experience. The hardcover I have looks like a high school yearbook complete with signatures and cheesy pages with dedications and school clubs and such. Also, each chapter is the name of an 80s song. I'm not sure if all the humor will land if you didn't grow up in the 80s. Like I can remember how there was this rampant fear back then that satanists were stealing kids and doing rituals in the woods near my house. It's weird to think about it now, but people legitimately were worried that kid-stealing satanists were a widespread problem. So there are nods to that time in this book. Also, there's a scene at the end where she invokes a view things during an exorcism (I won't spoil it) that made me laugh out loud and made the whole book worth it. But it is GORY. I was grossed out a number of times. So this isn't going to be for everyone.

This photo is of the hardcover that I have, but the paperback version has one that looks like a crazy VHS tape. Also, it looks like the kindle version has enhanced content.

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

An unholy hybrid of Beaches and The Exorcist that blends teen angst, adolescent drama, unspeakable horrors, and a mix of ’80s pop songs into a pulse-pounding supernatural thriller

The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act…different. She’s moody. She’s irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she’s nearby. Abby’s investigation leads her to some startling discoveries—and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

---

Also, if that one appeals to you, I'll do a shout out for another by Grady Hendrix that I read a few years ago. I did a full review on this one here and have already recommended it. But in case you missed it, it's a horror story set in an IKEA-like store. Who wouldn't think that getting lost in an IKEA at night would be scary? I highly recommend the print copy of this one because it's made to look like an IKEA catalog and has drawings of different furniture that becomes increasingly sinister as the story goes on. :) 

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör comes packaged in the form of a glossy mail order catalog, complete with product illustrations, a home delivery order form, and a map of Orsk’s labyrinthine showroom. It’s “a treat for fans of The Evil Dead or Zombieland, complete with affordable solutions for better living.”—Kirkus Reviews. 

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.
 
To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

---

If you like your strange with a little more science fiction and less horror, you might want to try Dark Matter by Black Crouch. This is a thriller with a science fiction twist. It puts the characters in a lot of strange situations, so this fits the theme perfectly. I did a full review here, but here are the details about the book:

Dark Matter by Black Crouch

A mindbending, relentlessly surprising thriller from the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy.

“Are you happy with your life?” 
 
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. 
 
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. 
 
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”  
 
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
 
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
 
Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.

---

What to Watch:

It

Okay, y'all, confession: the original IT was one of my favorite movies/mini-series (even though the ending always pissed me off.) I saw it high school and read the book and loved that brand of horror. So I was both excited and nervous when the new one came out because remakes are usually a big disappointment. But I got a chance to see it this week and I have to say, I was impressed. They did a really great job with it and benefitted from the technology advances since the first one. Plus, the child actors did a great job portraying the characters. I also liked that this one just focused on the half of the story that took place when they were kids (they moved it from set in the 60s to the 80s). There will be a second movie I'm guessing to cover the adult portion, but it made it feel less rushed. So if you like a scary movie that's more about psychological horror than jump scares, this is a good choice. For me, this one is all about characterization and caring about the characters, which is often rare in modern horror movies.

---

What I'll Be Reading:

Sourdough by Robin Sloane

This is one of my Book of the Month picks and I love the sound of this one. Magical bread? Sign me up. :) (Also, if you're interested in checking out Book of the Month, you can get the new John Green book or the new Stephen King and Owen King book for free. My referral link will get you 3 months for 10 dollars a month, which is way cheaper than the new release hardbacks are sold anywhere else.)

About the book:

In his much-anticipated new novel, Robin Sloan does for the world of food what he did for the world of books in Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore

Lois Clary is a software engineer at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with world-changing ambitions. She codes all day and collapses at night, her human contact limited to the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall from which she orders dinner every evening. Then, disaster! Visa issues. The brothers close up shop, and fast. But they have one last delivery for Lois: their culture, the sourdough starter used to bake their bread. She must keep it alive, they tell her—feed it daily, play it music, and learn to bake with it.

Lois is no baker, but she could use a roommate, even if it is a needy colony of microorganisms. Soon, not only is she eating her own homemade bread, she’s providing loaves daily to the General Dexterity cafeteria. The company chef urges her to take her product to the farmer’s market, and a whole new world opens up.

When Lois comes before the jury that decides who sells what at Bay Area markets, she encounters a close-knit club with no appetite for new members. But then, an alternative emerges: a secret market that aims to fuse food and technology. But who are these people, exactly? 

Leavened by the same infectious intelligence that made Robin Sloan’s Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore such a sensation, while taking on even more satisfying challenges, Sourdough marks the triumphant return of a unique and beloved young writer.

---

Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix

Yes, this one is the very definition of strange and it's another pick by Grady Hendrix, but I'm fascinated by the evolution of book genres and this is all about the rise of horror in the 80s and the history of it. Oddly enough, it's tied to romance (picture those gothic book covers with the woman running in her nightgown away from a big scary house.) So yes, this is a weird pick but I'm looking forward to it. Plus, it has all kinds of photographs of the creepy and weird horror covers of the past.

About the book:

Take a tour through the horror paperback novels of the 1970s and ’80s . . . if you dare. Page through dozens and dozens of amazing book covers featuring well-dressed skeletons, evil dolls, and knife-wielding killer crabs! Read shocking plot summaries that invoke devil worship, satanic children, and haunted real estate! Horror author and vintage paperback book collector Grady Hendrix offers killer commentary and witty insight on these trashy thrillers that tried so hard to be the next Exorcist or Rosemary’s Baby. It’s an affectionate, nostalgic, and unflinchingly funny celebration of the horror fiction boom of two iconic decades, complete with story summaries and artist and author profiles. You’ll find familiar authors, like V. C. Andrews and R. L. Stine, and many more who’ve faded into obscurity. Plus recommendations for which of these forgotten treasures are well worth your reading time and which should stay buried.

---

This is another Book of the Month pick. The premise seems to fit the Strange theme perfectly.

The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh

From the Edgar Award-nominated author of Shovel Ready, a blistering new thriller that Dennis Lehane calls “propulsive and meaningful”

For fans of Cormac McCarthy, Jim Thompson, the Coen Brothers, and Lost

Imagine a place populated by criminals—people plucked from their lives, with their memories altered, who’ve been granted new identities and a second chance. Welcome to The Blinds, a dusty town in rural Texas populated by misfits who don’t know if they’ve perpetrated a crime or just witnessed one. What’s clear to them is that if they leave, they will end up dead.

For eight years, Sheriff Calvin Cooper has kept an uneasy peace—but after a suicide and a murder in quick succession, the town’s residents revolt. Cooper has his own secrets to protect, so when his new deputy starts digging, he needs to keep one step ahead of her—and the mysterious outsiders who threaten to tear the whole place down. The more he learns, the more the hard truth is revealed: The Blinds is no sleepy hideaway. It’s simmering with violence and deception, aching heartbreak and dark betrayals.

---

What I'll Be Watching

Here's what's on my DVR or in my Netflix/Hulu queue that fit this theme: Channel Zero (season 2), The Handmaid's Tale, The Mist.

All right, those are my picks, I'd love to hear some of yours! Do you tend to seek out creepier books as Halloween gets closer or do you steer clear of them? What is the strangest read you've read lately?

SMART September Read & Watch Picks with Guest Don Allmon

How is it September? I'm refusing to believe it. I think August was some kind of time warp. But the calendar is telling me it's the first of the month, so that means it's time for this month's Read and Watch challenge suggestions!

This month the theme word is SMART in honor of all those kiddos going back to school. (To see previous themes or what this challenge is all about, check out this post.) This theme is fun because it can encompass so many different types of books (and movies and TV shows) that fit the challenge - a non-fiction read, a challenging literary fiction, a classic, a book about smart heroines or heroes, a book that makes you think. For movies and TV shows, the choices are just as varied. I can't wait to hear what y'all are reading and watching for the challenge.

And if you need some help choosing, today I have a wonderful guest who's here to help you with some of his own suggestions. Then I'll give you some of mine and tell you what I plan to read and watch for the challenge this month.

First, please welcome author Don Allmon to the blog! I love having guests who are writing in a different genre or subgenre than I am because we get a variety of choices and hear about books we might have otherwise missed.

So I'm going to hand it off to Don, but first a little about him...

About Don:

In his night job, Don Allmon writes science fiction, fantasy, and romance. In his day job, he’s an IT drone. He holds an MA in English literature from the University of Kansas where he wrote his thesis on medieval werewolf stories. He’s a fan of role-playing and board games. He has lived all over from New York to San Francisco, but currently lives on the prairies of Kansas. His debut novel, THE GLAMOUR THIEVES is the first in a cyberpunk/fantasy/romance trilogy and is available through all your favorite e-tailers.

Don's website

Don's Picks

My watch choice:

Leverage: Season 1

Starring Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Aldis Hodge, Beth Riesgraf

Leverage

Leverage is five seasons of smart and totally bingeable TV. The show follows a team of con artists who use their illegal talents to champion the little guy and swindle evil corporations. The characters are charming. The causes championed are often grounded in real-world issues or events, so you get that feel-good moment when the money- and power-hungry bad guys get their come-uppance. And their scams are elaborate and clever. As an added bonus, all five seasons are available on Netflix.

My reading choice:

Redshirts by John Scalzi

If you’re a Star Trek fan, then the title of Scalzi’s award-winning book probably tells you everything you need to know. If not: Redshirts refers to something fans of Star Trek noticed long ago: if a character in Star Trek wore a red shirt, chances were pretty good they’d die by the end of the episode. Redshirts starts with the crew’s paranoid awareness of their own short life expectancy, and the story becomes increasingly, brilliantly weird and meta as it progresses. There’s barely a single sci-fi trope that isn’t lovingly and mocked. It’s also hilarious.

I admit Redshirts works best if you’re a Star Trek fan, so just in case you’re not, here’s another SMART suggestion:

I admit Redshirts works best if you’re a Star Trek fan, so just in case you’re not, here’s another SMART suggestion:

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

In case you somehow missed them, this series of thirteen children’s books follow the Baudelaire orphans as they try to elude the wicked Count Olaf’s ridiculous and deadly schemes to steal their family inheritance. Not only are the children themselves SMART, but the books are that clever mix of wry humor and silliness that appeals to both adults and children simultaneously, like a deadpan, gothic Loony Toons. And if you’ve read the books but haven’t seen the recent Netflix adaptation, well, you just gotta. Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf and K. Todd Freeman as Mr. Poe (among many other shining performances) are simply too priceless to miss.

---

Thanks, Don! And here's another pick--Don's own book The Glamour Thieves, which just came out in August. Isn't that a cool cover? And there's a unicorn trying to play matchmaker? I'm in, lol. 

Also, it got a STARRED review from Publisher's Weekly. Congrats, Don!

"A cyberpunk sensibility, intense action, and flagrant sensuality make a potent mix in Allmon’s swoonworthy debut erotic romance, with sexual encounters that echo the heat of its fantastical near-future Arizona setting." - Publisher's Weekly

About the book:

JT is an orc on the way up. He’s got his own boutique robotics shop, high-end clientele, and deep-pocketed investors. He’s even mentoring an orc teen who reminds him a bit too much of himself back in the day. 

Then Austin shows up, and the elf’s got the same hard body and silver tongue as he did two years ago when they used to be friends and might have been more. He’s also got a stolen car to bribe JT to saying yes to one last scheme: stealing the virtual intelligence called Blue Unicorn.

Soon JT’s up to his tusks in trouble, and it ain’t just zombies and Chinese triads threatening to tear his new life apart. Austin wants a second chance with JT—this time as more than just a friend—and even the Blue Unicorn is trying to play matchmaker. 

---

Roni's Picks

To Read:

If you follow my blog at all, you know I've been on a non-fiction streak for the last few months. So almost all the books I've been reading would fit under the theme of Smart. But I thought I'd pick the one that has made me think the most and that I'm still thinking about. Warning: This book is full of history and science and is not a breezy read. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer. But there was so much great information and food for thought that I feel like everyone could get something out of it. Also, I listened to this in audiobook and really liked it in that format. It has a great narrator and listening made the dense information go down more smoothly.

The Shallows by NIcholas Carr

About the book:

Finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction: “Nicholas Carr has written a Silent Spring for the literary mind.”—Michael Agger, Slate

“Is Google making us stupid?” When Nicholas Carr posed that question, in a celebrated Atlantic Monthlycover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety about how the Internet is changing us. He also crystallized one of the most important debates of our time: As we enjoy the Net’s bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply

Now, Carr expands his argument into the most compelling exploration of the Internet’s intellectual and cultural consequences yet published. As he describes how human thought has been shaped through the centuries by “tools of the mind”—from the alphabet to maps, to the printing press, the clock, and the computer—Carr interweaves a fascinating account of recent discoveries in neuroscience by such pioneers as Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel. Our brains, the historical and scientific evidence reveals, change in response to our experiences. The technologies we use to find, store, and share information can literally reroute our neural pathways.

Building on the insights of thinkers from Plato to McLuhan, Carr makes a convincing case that every information technology carries an intellectual ethic—a set of assumptions about the nature of knowledge and intelligence. He explains how the printed book served to focus our attention, promoting deep and creative thought. In stark contrast, the Internet encourages the rapid, distracted sampling of small bits of information from many sources. Its ethic is that of the industrialist, an ethic of speed and efficiency, of optimized production and consumption—and now the Net is remaking us in its own image. We are becoming ever more adept at scanning and skimming, but what we are losing is our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection.

Part intellectual history, part popular science, and part cultural criticism, The Shallows sparkles with memorable vignettes—Friedrich Nietzsche wrestling with a typewriter, Sigmund Freud dissecting the brains of sea creatures, Nathaniel Hawthorne contemplating the thunderous approach of a steam locomotive—even as it plumbs profound questions about the state of our modern psyche. This is a book that will forever alter the way we think about media and our minds.

If you don't want quite as dense of a read but want to get similar information, I'm giving a secondary pick. Hamlet's Blackberry comes at the same issue as The Shallows but from a more philosophical perspective, pulling on a lot of history of media and then giving suggestions on finding balance. A super fast read and still very relevant even though it was written a number of years ago.

About the book:

A crisp, passionately argued answer to the question that everyone who’s grown dependent on digital devices is asking: Where’s the rest of my life? Hamlet’s BlackBerry challenges the widely held assumption that the more we connect through technology, the better. It’s time to strike a new balance, William Powers argues, and discover why it's also important to disconnect. Part memoir, part intellectual journey, the book draws on the technological past and great thinkers such as Shakespeare and Thoreau. “Connectedness” has been considered from an organizational and economic standpoint—from Here Comes Everybody to Wikinomics—but Powers examines it on a deep interpersonal, psychological, and emotional level. Readers of Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point and Outliers will relish Hamlet’s BlackBerry.

To watch:

CNN does some great documentary series, and the ones I've found consistently compelling are the ones they do on the decades. We're still working out way through The Nineties but we've watched The Seventies and The Eighties and really liked both. I've also really been enjoying The History of Comedy, which has been surprisingly educational about how comedy plays a role in the bigger society. 

What I'll Be Reading and Watching

Tinker Dabble Doodle Try by Srini Pillay

I just started listening to this one in audiobook. After reading Rest: Why You Get More Work Done When You Do Less, which I raved about on the blog last week, I found this book, which is discussing the importance of "unfocus" for creativity.

About the book:

To finish tasks and achieve goals, most people believe that more focus is the solution. We rely on to-do lists, calendar reminders, noise-blocking headphones, and sometimes medication to help us concentrate—even though these tactics often fail to substantially improve productivity. Drawing on the latest brain research, compelling stories from his psychological practice, and colorful examples of counterintuitive success from sports, business, education, and the arts, neuroscientist Srini Pillay, M.D., challenges traditional ideas about productivity, revealing the lasting, positive benefits of adding deliberate and regular unfocus to your repertoire. A fascinating tour through brain wavelengths and rhythm, mindsets, and mental relaxation, Tinker Dabble Doodle Try demonstrates how specific kinds of planned unfocus stimulate cognitive calmness, jumpstart productivity, enhance innovation, inspire creativity, improve long-term memory, and, of course, help you stay on target. 

Tinkering with ideas and with things releases your mind to wander from a state of stuckness into a possibility frame of mind, triggering neural connections and new insights.

Dabbling in a new endeavor—whether a hobby or fantasy—disrupts your habitual and reactive thinking, helping you find new solutions to old problems.

Doodling can help you tap into another brain frequency to remove obstacles and create opportunities and inspiration.

With techniques for training the brain to unfocus, concepts for scheduling busy lives, and ideas for controlling this new cognitive-toggling capability, Tinker Dabble Doodle Try will change how you think about daydreaming, relaxing, leaving work unfinished, and even multitasking. What you’ll discover is a greater freedom, a deeper intelligence, and a more profound joy in your life.

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

I also just bought this because I've heard it's extremely relevant to current times even though it was written in the 80s. 

About the book:

What happens when media and politics become forms of entertainment? As our world begins to look more and more like Orwell's 1984, Neil's Postman's essential guide to the modern media is more relevant than ever.

Originally published in 1985, Neil Postman’s groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on our politics and public discourse has been hailed as a twenty-first-century book published in the twentieth century. Now, with television joined by more sophisticated electronic media—from the Internet to cell phones to DVDs—it has taken on even greater significance. Amusing Ourselves to Deathis a prophetic look at what happens when politics, journalism, education, and even religion become subject to the demands ofentertainment. It is also a blueprint for regaining control of our media, so that they can serve our highest goals.
 

I don't know if this qualifies for the theme, but the hubs and I are starting Game of Thrones. Yes, I know I'm years behind everyone else but we don't get a chance to watch much TV around here. So we'll see how this goes.

Also, I am looking forward to checking out the new show Young Sheldon, which is about Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory, so most definitely fits the theme. :)

What will you be reading and watching this month?

The August Read & Watch Challenge: Let's Get EPIC

So confession: I completely missed July's Read and Watch Challenge. Being up against a book deadline and getting ready for the RWA conference pretty much buried me. I shut down all social media and had to buckle down to get the book done. I also was reading all non-fiction since I was so focused on keeping my head in my story and didn't want to add more fiction in there. So I apologize for missing the month! But I'm back now and ready to tackle August's Read & Watch theme: EPIC

The basic premise of the challenge is that each month, you read a book and watch a TV show/movie that play to the theme. If you want more details on the Read & Watch challenge, you can still join in. Just click here to see the other themes. And even if you're not doing the challenge, stick around for some book and tv recs. : )

Okay, so "epic" can mean a lot of different things to different people. For me, when I think of epic, I think of stories that span a large amount of time or a lot of characters. When I read a story that is epic, it stays with me for a longer time than a typical book. I feel like I've lived with the characters and they are now permanent residents in my memory. Epic books stick longer. And typically, they are literally longer--page-count wise. Or, they are part of a long-running series that follows the same characters. Harry Potter, for example.

I also find that epic books are a double-edged sword because on one hand, they are the books that stick with me and often become lifelong favorites BUT they are also intimidating as hell because they're often SO big, which means I'm reluctant to pick them up in the first place. Anyone with an out of control TBR pile knows that feeling--I could read this giant book OR I could read three shorter ones. But that's why I wanted to choose this as a theme. I almost never regret having picked up one of the long books, so I need to make myself get over that intimidation factor.

So, what would I recommend if you're looking for something epic?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I know many of you have probably read this already or have watched the TV show, but this is always the one that first comes to mind when I think of epic. The book is long and has a lot of history woven in, which is fascinating in its own right, but at it's core, the love story between Jamie and Claire is what has stayed with me. Even with my faulty memory these days, this story hasn't left my brain.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

King is really the, well, king of the long ass book. I could recommend a few different ones of his for this theme. And I will have another below that I'm picking as a reread for me. But I'm choosing this one because if you're not into horror, you don't have to be scared of this one. The premise is that a guy in present day finds a wormhole back to a few years before the Kennedy assassination. He tries to stop it from happening. Along the way, he meets a woman and there is a romance thread as well--which was a nice surprise. This is also now a TV show, which I haven't watched yet, but I loved the book. It was fascinating and character driven and just so well done.

The Original Sinners series by Tiffany Reisz

If you want your epic in sexy form, grab these. I know I've talked about these books here before, but they are a fantastic example of an erotic series that is about so much more than sex. You will follow the characters through so many stages of their lives and they will feel real to you--like they are living their lives in some place you just haven't visited yet. Highly recommend.

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Another TV show (Shadowhunters). But I read the books years ago and they've stayed with me. This is YA urban fantasy/paranormal so a little outside of what I typically recommend here, but I raced through this series and loved it. Love triangles and hot warriors and kickass ladies. I'm so there for it.

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

Oh, how I devoured these books. Another YA paranormal (I was going through a phase, with the rest of the world) but these are SO good. Don't let the vampire theme scare you. It's very well done and unique. And the love story in this one does feel epic to me. I love me some Dmitry. And just writing this makes me want to reread them because I haven't read them in years. Damn. *adds back to TBR pile*

What I'll Be Reading

It by Stephen King

I read this in high school and it has always stayed with me (in my mind and on my shelf.) It's one of my favorite horror books of all time. But with the new movie coming out, I really want to reread it with adult eyes. So my goal is to take that doorstop down from the shelf and start it again.

What I'll Be Watching

Gilmore Girls

This is an ongoing project. I'm only in season 2 because I don't get a lot of alone TV time, but I've loved the journey so far.

11/22/63

Hubs and I both read the book, so I've been wanting to watch the Hulu series to see how it compares.

So those are my picks, what would be your picks for EPIC? What will you be reading and watching this month?