Wordy Wednesday

If you're one of my privileged readers who have been with me since the beginning, you may remember that I used to have regular features on my blog. For a long time, there was Melodic Mondays, where I posted songs I love, or have loved, or will love. This went out the window because YouTube kept removing videos from their site, thus rendering my posts obsolete. After that, or maybe around the same time, I posted Wilde Wednesdays, where I paid hommage to the inspirational and treasured Oscar Wilde. I didn't keep up with this, because the man only said so much and I hated feeling limited to only posting about Oscar Wilde on Wednesdays. 

While neither of these endeavours lasted, I did enjoy the idea of know what I was going to post on those days. It made the week go a bit easier. And that was back when I was only posting once or twice a week. These days I am blogging every day, because I am doing a challenge, which you can read about here. So, now I need the help more than ever. 

Inspiration struck in the form of a post on Facebook made by a friend. A new word I'd never heard of. Here I am thinking about how much I love words, this new one in-particular, and how I would love to share the new words I find with the world, especially the readers of my blog. I imagine most of you who tune in here are readers and word lovers in your own right. That you aren't just here because you love my face or think I say witty things. 

This love of words may be our common denominator, so why not nourish it? In the end, it can only bring us closer together. Welcome to Wordy Wednesdays, where we will learn together and grow fonder of each other. Maybe. 

Today's word: Petrichor

Definition: The lovely scent that accompanies rain when it hits the parched ground. You know, when it hasn't rained in forever and the sun has baked the earth, then the sky breaks and the droplets hit the sun-kissed ground. The aroma that arises from that. 

So fresh. So clean. So invigorating. 

Crows Before Hoes

Tonight is Game of Thrones.

I know I shouldn't be a slave to the picture box, but I can't help it. I absolutely love this show. (For the information of all those who care, I also love the books and am currently reading Feast of Crows, so don't spoil anything for me, okay Jonny?)

Anyhow, last week the GOT was on some sort of hiatus, meaning there was no episode. I would love to say this didn't bother me, but I would be lying. There was much pouting involved and, when I realized it wasn't happening, I strongly considered just going to bed and ending the day. I didn't,though, because I have Mondays off and going to bed at eight on a Sunday is a little too elderly, even for me.

Needless to say, I look forward to sitting down with my dysfunctional Westeros friends and praying the ones I love the most (The Hound, Bronn and Arya) live to see another episode. But as I write this post and think about the ensemble cast and intricate stories, the families, the sigils and mottos, I am realizing Game of Throning isn't something you do alone. If not a group activity, it's at least an event which needs a partner.

And if you love Game of Thrones and your partner doesn't? It's doomed for failure. Okay, I jest, but only a bit because this is the type of show/book you need to talk about. I firmly believe it brings those who love it together and drives those who dislike it away with a torch. These plot twists and dramatic deaths need to be discussed because while the carnage is great, and the rapes far too often, it is hard not to get hooked to the point of addiction.

Because this is a safe zone, I'm going to admit something I might otherwise not. When someone tells me they don't watch or read Game of Thrones, I weigh whether or not it is worth it for me to engage in conversation. I try not to be a judgmental git, but sometimes it's so very hard. Deep down, I know Game of Thrones isn't for everyone. I do, I KNOW this, but I still question the judgement of those people who 'just don't get it' or simply aren't interested in it at all.

Yes, all this pondering makes me a nerd, and I don't mind. Not one bit. I love the idea of submerging myself in a different world I'd never be able to exist in. There was a time when I didn't read these books. A time when my old coworkers used to gather together and chat about them, and I'd sit there thinking 'what's the big deal?'. Now, I understand. Now, I wish I had the ability to go back in time to interject my two cents on Jon Snow's lineage.

So, to the ones who 'don't like fantasy', trust me when I say, just give it a go. This is different. So very different. You will like the dragons, I promise. My advice to anyone wanting to give it a go to see what it is all about. Try watching or reading it with someone who already has, they can explain any questions you might have - because the characters are many and the back story plenty.

With all this being said, you all know what I am doing tonight.

Changed My Life

While cleaning my humble abode, I've been thinking about books. There are so many out there. Too many for me to ever read them all. Heck, I really wouldn't want to read them all. Because even though there are good books, there are bad ones too. 

This isn't about the terrible novels. This is about the books that changed my life. 

A little dramatic, right? How can books change someone's life? Well, I'm going to tell you, because that's generally what I do on this here bloggy thing. I talk about stuff. All sorts of stuff. 

Here they are, in a very specific and thought out order, the five books that changed my life. 

1. The beginning is the beginning. When I was young, I had trouble reading, which I now find humorous, mostly because I love words so much. I know I was definitely put into a special ed. because of my inability to make words from letters on pages, but I don't actually remember going more than once. Interesting how the brain works, right? Anyhow, there were a couple books my parents used to sit down and read in order to help me get better. One of them was the Berenstain Bears book - The Bike Lesson. 

Why is this book so important? 

Because I memorized it front to back and tricked my parents into thinking I could read. This might not seem like such a big deal, but it turned out to be a spectacular thing for my developing brain. As I recited 'first come the lessons, then the fun' to my dad, I learned how powerful the brain was. Sure, I couldn't read it, but I remembered it all, and I came to the realization that I would one day be able to read. Sure, it was going to take a bit, but one day it would click and I catch up in school.

This book taught me I could do amazing things.  

 

2. Up next is a book that instilled in me the wonder of imagination. As far back as I can remember, I have always loved creating worlds, characters, plots - but it started somewhere. I don't actually know who first read me The Secret World of Og, or if it was something I read on my own in school, but I fell in love with the world over run with mushrooms beyond the trapdoor where the green creatures who live there know only one word. Og. 

Also, this might have been the book that stoked my love for alliteration. After all, the characters in the book are Penny, Pamela, Peter, Patsy and Paul. Enough said. 

This book taught me that if you have an imagination you will always have an escape. 

3. Okay, so I had to do some math in order to get the why of this one accurate and it seems a bit off. Prancer (the Christmas movie) came out in 1989 and I distinctly remember leaving my sister's copy of The Witching Hour by Anne Rice in the bathroom of the Guildford theatre. Why do I remember this? Because I honestly thought she was going to be enraged over it. Turns out, she never knew. Actually, I don't even know if she is aware of this fact now. I never told her and she never asked where her book was. But if this is correct, then I actually started reading horror at a very young age, at least age seven. The Witching Hour isn't my number three book, though. 

It's Carrie. Without Stephen King I doubt I'd have such a love for horror, books and movies. King also taught me some very important lessons when it comes to less is more. A lot of the terror in his writing comes from allowing the reader to conjure up the scariness on their own. This is why a lot of his novels don't translate well to the big screen, or at least that's what I think. As for Misery, it made me want to become a writer. That was a little joke. 

This book taught me never to pour pig blood on anyone. 

4. The Outiders by S.E Hinton. Don't laugh. It was eighth grade and the whole class was assigned the book. I took it home and devoured it. Probably didn't help that I was obsessed with the fifties and sixties and kind of thought I belonged in those eras. There is a sadness in this book that is only outshone by hope. It's really about love and friendships. And how there are some mistakes you'll mkae that will change you.  

Did you know S.E was actually a girl and that she actually wrote the book while she was still in high school? Crazy and inspirational.  

This book taught me the importance of captivating characters with flaws. 

5. This last one might actually be a bit surprising as it also comes from my high school days. The book is Of Mice and Men and the author is John Steinbeck. Now, let me make it clear, this isn't my favourite Steinbeck novel. So, why is it here? 

Because it introduced me to Steinbeck, who has, over the years, become one of the most cherished authors of my life. His writing is both inspirational and humbling. All his novels have similar themes about human nature and have a tenancy to revolve around greed, love, trust, and immorality. Still, he can craft a very beautiful sentence. 

This book taught me not all classics are boring. 

 

What about you? What are some books that changed you life?