Oh, books, I do so love you. And one of the reasons I love you is all the crazy and/or enriching things you inspire me to do! The week's Top Ten Tuesday topic (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) is about just that.
1. Travel.
One of the best things about reading is getting to travel the world vicariously through our protagonists, and I have added so many places to my bucket list because of books: Antarctica, Santorini, the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia, Bali, the list goes on and on.
After reading "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson, a non-fiction book about a serial killer striking Chicago at the same time the 1893 World's Fair took over the city, I dragged my husband to the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina, so we could see the gardens at designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (he also designed the landscaping in Central Park), and I would love to visit The Rookery in Chicago, designed by the architects from the book, Burnham and Root.
And when we were stationed in Hawaii last time around, I read the novel "Molokai" by Alan Brennert, and my husband and I actually flew to the island of Molokai and did a mule ride tour down the cliffs to Kalaupapa, the real-life leper exile colony from the book.
A couple photos from our mule ride to Kalaupapa. I won't lie, there were a few white-knuckle moments when I was gripping the saddle horn for dear life!
2. Eat.
Chocolat chaud, clotted cream, a full English breakfast, butterbeer and so very much more. Books have inspired me to try or made me hope to one day sample so many different foods. After reading Julia Child's autobiography "My Life in France," I was inspired to bake her Queen of Sheba cake for my birthday that year. (Her book also inspired me to finally buy a mortar and pestle.)
Holy shit, I can't believe this was almost 5 years ago!?
3. Become fluent in another language.
I've always loved languages, and I did really well in my high school French and college German classes, though I've forgotten a lot over the years. There are many reasons I'd love to become fluent in another language, and the reading-inspired reasons are three-fold:
1. I just really, really love words. And the root of so many of our words and phrases is in Latin. Plus, I'd love to know the exact meaning of all those Latin phrases I come across reading!
2. Every time I read a book set in another country (especially one I'd love to visit) I think about how nice it would be to actually be able to converse with the locals in their language when I travel there.
3. When I read books that have been translated from their original language, I always wonder what nuances and subtleties got lost in the switch to English that would make for such a richer reading experience in the author's native language.
4. Buy Carlton Ware egg cups.
Several years ago (maybe way back in college?) I read the Jennifer Crusie novel "Fast Women," and the main character collects Carlton Ware egg cups. As is typical when I encounter something unfamiliar in a book, I just had to Google them -- and they turned out to be so delightfully quirky and kitschy that I decided I just had to have one, or many. For months I cruised Ebay in search of the perfect one to buy but I never took the plunge.
(source)
5. Have a natural burial.
Caitlin Doughty's fascinating memoir of working at a crematory, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory," really got me thinking about what I'd want to happen to my body when I die -- something I hadn't given all that much consideration. Caitlin's book answers all your morbid-curiosity questions about the funeral industry, but it also asks why we feel all those practices are so necessary now when they weren't 100 years ago; how has our society become so distanced from death? I really didn't know what went into preparing a body for a traditional funeral and quite honestly, I was horrified. I don't want to be pumped full of chemicals or have my mouth wired shut to keep from offending anyone with my dead tongue. I'm not religious, and I like the idea of giving back to nature -- a part of this world that has given me so much joy. I'd prefer a natural burial, maybe in one of those new pods that uses your remains to nurture a tree, or just directly into the earth. And it's thanks to "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" that I started thinking about these (rather important) issues in the first place.
6. Have an apiary.
Thanks to the semi-retired Sherlock Holmes in Laurie R. King's mystery series (plus getting the best honey I've ever had at a small apiary in Tennessee and following a knitter/farmer on Instagram who keeps bees), I have decided I would love to take up beekeeping one day!
7. Train guide dogs.
I've read two wonderful memoirs about the life-changing marvels that are guide dogs, "Until Tuesday" by Luis Carlos Montalvan, about a dog saving a former Army captain from debilitating PTSD, and "Thunder Dog" by Michael Hingson, about a seeing-eye dog who helped his owner escape the World Trade Center on 9/11. My husband I adore dogs and are constantly commenting about what remarkable creatures they are, and training guide dogs seems like such a fabulous way to make a difference in the world -- while getting our canine fix.
8. Download a dictionary app for my phone.
I'm obsessed with looking up everything I see or read that I don't know. What kind of flower is that? Where have I seen that actor before? What the heck is furikake? And I loooove words, so reading inspired me to download a dictionary app on my phone so I always have the ability to look up new-to-me words I encounter reading. Most recently I looked up polymath: someone who knows a lot about many different things.
9. Watch '80s movies.
"Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline is a delightfully immersive dive into '80s pop culture seen through the lens of a dystopian future. Since I was born in the mid-'80s, I missed out on a lot of movies made during that decade, and after reading "RPO" I added some of the movies from the book to my to-watch list. So far, I've only seen "Ladyhawke," which was, admittedly, kinda weird.
10. Be more conscious about my social media postings, check my privacy settings and make stronger passwords.
One of the most memorable books I've read this year is "You" by Caroline Kepnes, about America's favorite sociopath stalker/bookstore employee, Joe Goldberg. And the ease with which Joe does his spying -- by reading text messages on a copied phone and tracking social media posts -- is downright terrifying.
I'm obsessed with looking up everything I see or read that I don't know. What kind of flower is that? Where have I seen that actor before? What the heck is furikake? And I loooove words, so reading inspired me to download a dictionary app on my phone so I always have the ability to look up new-to-me words I encounter reading. Most recently I looked up polymath: someone who knows a lot about many different things.
9. Watch '80s movies.
"Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline is a delightfully immersive dive into '80s pop culture seen through the lens of a dystopian future. Since I was born in the mid-'80s, I missed out on a lot of movies made during that decade, and after reading "RPO" I added some of the movies from the book to my to-watch list. So far, I've only seen "Ladyhawke," which was, admittedly, kinda weird.
10. Be more conscious about my social media postings, check my privacy settings and make stronger passwords.
One of the most memorable books I've read this year is "You" by Caroline Kepnes, about America's favorite sociopath stalker/bookstore employee, Joe Goldberg. And the ease with which Joe does his spying -- by reading text messages on a copied phone and tracking social media posts -- is downright terrifying.
I have traveling and learning another language on my list this week too! I really want to go to Italy!
ReplyDeleteThose egg cups are adorable, I just sent a picture of them to my sister who is just about to move house and told her she should get herself some!
It would be cool to be able to make your own honey from your own apiary. I've always wanted to have chickens for the exact same reason (but for the eggs and not honey obvs!)
Great list! :)
I would love to have chickens too, and an alpaca or two for making yarn (I'm a knitter)! My husband and I dream of one day having a mini farm. :)
DeleteI'm right there with you on training dogs. I have always thought it would be nice to have some sort of job where you could spend all day with our 4-legged friends. I've never seen an egg cup before - how adorable.
ReplyDeleteAren't the egg cups fun? Some of them look like they're running, which is possibly even quirkier. One of my co-workers at the job I just left in Ohio trains golden retrievers to be service dogs and her stories are another part of the reason I'd like to do it. Plus you get to bring your dog everywhere with you, which would be awesome!
DeleteHaven't heard of most of these books, but I will be checking them out! :D
ReplyDeleteMy Top Ten Tuesday!
There are some great reads on the list -- I gave both "Molokai" and Julia Child's book 5 stars. But probably the most fun read is "Ready Player One"!
DeleteI frequently use Google when reading too. And, while I find lots of places I want to visit, I rarely take the plunge! Nice job planning trips around books.
ReplyDeleteI think I've just gotten lucky with the bookish travel; we were already on a trip in eastern Tennessee when we visited the Biltmore, and Asheville is just across the border. And not many people have the chance to visit one of the smaller Hawaiian islands like Molokai (where there is virtually no touristy stuff to do) but since we were already living here, it worked out perfectly for us to do a weekend getaway!
DeleteI'd be too scared for bees...I'm allergic. One of the Kindle-reading advantages (I prefer paper copies but use my e-reader a lot) is the dictionary function! Just highlight the word and there's the definition!
ReplyDeleteI was terrified of bees when I was younger but now I really just get freaked out about hornets and wasps. I actually wouldn't be surprised if I'm allergic to bees -- I have lots of outdoor-related allergies -- but I've never been stung (perhaps due to my childhood propensity to run away screaming). ;)
DeleteI think my wanderlust is definitely at least partially caused by books! I want to go to all the places!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/26/top-ten-tuesday-67/
Oh, I'm right with you there! There aren't too many places I'd turn down the chance to visit.
DeleteThis! This whole blog entry. So me! As far as the travel part, I usually pull up Google Earth and take a look around the city or the area.
ReplyDeleteCould you message me your new address? If you've sent anything from your new address, I haven't received it yet. No pressure if you haven't written. You've been busy settling in!
This is Penny in Kentucky. No idea why I show up as 'Whee'...I find it incredibly hilarous!
ReplyDeleteHahaha! That just cracked me right up! Perhaps I'll address my next letter to "Whee"!
DeleteGreat post! I am especially intrigued by the books on guide dogs.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stephanie! I definitely recommend "Until Tuesday." The writing was great and the story was informative, interesting and heartwarming. The man and the dog really saved each other.
DeleteOh my goodness, I can't believe I didn't think of all the food that I've wanted to try because of books!
ReplyDeleteThe natural burial thing is fascinating. I haven't read Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, but Mary Roach's Stiff talks about some alternate methods and it definitely made me think!
I'm hoping to read "Stiff" sooner than later. I definitely enjoyed "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." It was really interesting (and morbid, of course) and I learned a lot about the history of death and how other cultures treat it. I actually saw somewhere that it's being turned into a TV show!
DeleteThis is a great list, Lindsay. Travel made my list too. :-) I like the idea of natural burial as well. Like Lindsey, I've only read Mary Roach's Stiff and it got me thinking about options other than the traditional ones.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to either do foster care for dogs and cats, but my lifestyle doesn't make that realistic. Maybe when I retire.
Jarrod and I were just talking about the possibility of doing foster care for dogs. Our sweet Conan passed away about 2 1/2 years ago now and we finally feel like we're ready for another dog, but fostering would give us a lot more flexibility for traveling while we're here in Hawaii. And we really want another boxer, but they're not too common here. Plus we'd be doing a good thing while also getting out dog fix! We'll see if anything comes of it...
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