Little Book of Hygge

Little Book of Hygge
by Meik Wiking
HarperCollins Publishers, 2017, 221 pages
Nonfiction


The little book of hygge : Danish secrets to happy living (pronounced Hoo-ga) is a charming and informative book about the art of happiness. Wiking is a professional in this topic (he works at a think tank called the Happiness Institute in Copenhagen) and this book is backed with many studies though his work. Hygge is loosely translated as emotional coziness, comfort, togetherness, and well-being. It's manifest in your environment, activities, food, decor, and outlook on life. Hygge is a savoring of all things delicious and comforting--a way of life the Danish have mastered.

As a seeker of coziness, happiness and learning about my own Danish roots, I was intrigued by how many aspects of hygge I already partake in. I love wools socks, cozy reading nooks, warm comfort foods, snuggling in blankets, tea, smaller intimate gatherings, candles and open fireplaces. The Danish world painted by Wiking is idyllic, and seems rather unattainable in American culture, but parts can certainly be applied in daily life for all. This book is loaded with Danish-English compound words so listening to the audiobook would be my recommendation to avoid confusion. Also try to avoid getting annoyed by his more bookish technical parts, or by how often he says the word hygge. Overall, a wonderful approach to seeking simple happiness in daily life.

LP

PS Shaina wrote a blog post about the many Scandinavian books published recently. Check it out!

You are a Badass

You are a Badass
by Jen Sincero
Running Press Book, 2013, 254 pages
Nonfiction

You are a badass : how to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life is a wonderfully irreverent approach to self-help books. Sincero speaks from personal experience and gives encouragement as well as a 'slap in the face' advice. This book helps you realize through the annoying in-your-face bluntness that all the junk is your life is from YOU. Issues we all have with money, career, religion, relationships, procrastination and the self-sabotaging beliefs that go along with are debunked. There are concrete how-to's in short chapters to help you make real changes in your daily thought patterns and behaviors in order to become your best badass self.

This book is very blunt and I appreciate that forthcoming style, especially in a self-help book. I usually need a smack in the head to get myself changing and Sincero delivers this completely. It's totally in my power to change my thinking and my circumstances and this book gives some examples of how to overcome these obstacles. One of her directives is to meditate- one powerful tool that I'm familiar with, but have been severely slacking on lately. None of her approaches are revolutionary, but she has a life coach tone that helps you feel motivated. The audiobook is a good option to really feel like you're getting personal life coaching. As the title suggests, there is colorful language throughout.

LP

NRA money in Washington

One major thing that I don't understand and I really dislike about our country is the money in politics. The corruption and lies that are attached to it. I don't like that big companies can control what happens and that money is the bottom line not safety, health and prosperity. Why do so many representatives take money from the NRA? Even though these so called public servants may express sympathy for the lives lost in a mass shooting, their position of power and their livelihood is put in place by organizations that support the system of deceit and death. Why does the NRA feel like it can't just exist without shoving money on the government? Why do people take these, for lack of a better word, brides?

I'm sure my view of early America is pretty naive and idealized, however, I am confident that the founding father's are abhorred by the terrorist attacks that happen on American soil by Americans. White male Americans. I don't think it was ever intended that the right to bear arms meant you could buy as many guns as you want or use them however you choose. I don't think it meant get a permit for hunting and then go ballistic, literally, on hundreds of people at a concert. I don't think the NRA likes that people are murderous wretches with severe mental conditions but I also don't think they mind that sales of guns are up and the gun supporters have never been more sensitive about their precious weapons. I can't imagine that our founding father's thought that America's own people would become so sick that their protective measure's of certain freedoms would become the means of so much death.

I guess what I'm so confused about in my sympathetic, common sense, albeit liberal mind is why this continues. Why there is money funding the thing that needs to be stopped completely. Why there is not immediate and swift legal, judicial and executive measures taken to control guns and the gun owners. Why isn't there more action from our representatives besides a tweet about their sympathies. Why are the crazies allowed to purchase and purchase more guns? Why are assault rifles being sold at all when these are clearly weapons of mass destruction? Why do lobbyists of all sorts have so much control? Why do so many American's think that the state of America is ok, that by continuing as we are is fine? We are not fine. America needs some serious help. I think there are a lot of problems but I think the root of most of them comes back to the money in politics.

We need gun control laws

I feel numb right now. Again. Not quite as numb as when I realized Trump won the election but pretty damn numb. I can't believe the shocking level of evil that is happening in the world and in our beloved country. How many more massacres are going to happen before we have some major legal reform in gun laws?

I was in living in Centennial Colorado in the 4th grade at Willow Creek Elementary School when we heard over the PA that there had been a shooting at Columbine High School and we were to go home immediately after school. No one was supposed to walk home alone. I don't remember understanding much, but I do remember feeling the confusion and shock and dread that other people could want to harm their fellow students or teachers. I remember feeling grateful for my loving teachers and knew they would take a bullet for me if it came down to it. Each year around April my high school would have some sort of bomb or shooting threat. Sometimes real and sometimes prank. Nothing ever came of those, but I didn't like the thought of what-if? My high school was huge with an open campus and some many entries. I don't think students should have this concern in the institution where they go to learn. I don't think this should be a worry every time you go to a midnight movie premiere, or a outdoor concert, a nightclub, or anywhere for that matter.

I don't think gun control laws have as much to do with 2nd amendment rights as some would argue. If you want to hunt and you get a gun and the proper hunting permits and you can do so safely then, sure go for it. I hear there's a need to control the wildlife populations? (natural selection, circle of life can't do that I guess??) I think unless you need meat to feed you family it's a silly 'sport' but, whatever do what you want. When it comes to having a gun to protect your family and home then sure, but you better damn well know how to use it and keep it safely locked away from your children. But for heaven's sake all these mass shootings are not done in light of the right to bear arms!! Having a right to bear arms does not mean having the right to own weapons of mass destruction. Having a right to bear arms does not mean you get to shoot people if you feel like it. Having the right to bear arms does not mean you get to show up to a protest and hurt people whose belief are in opposition to your own.

These mass shootings are straight malicious evil and we need better gun protection laws. I think it's a cop out to say it's a mental illness thing that needs to be fixed. YES mental illness is a huge problem and probably a root to the problem but that is a whole other giant problem that can't be effectively helped from the national level. There needs to be major reform on mental illness at the state level. I am a big supporter of common sense gun control laws. I think there needs to be stricter background checks. There needs to be a wait period after purchase. There should be zero access to assault level weapons for any civilian, at any time. If people have them those weapons need to be confiscated immediately. Those are for military and police and not for anyone to buy. I can't understand why still after so many people have been killed why oh why are these laws not in place? Why does the NRA fund so much in our corrupt government? Why is this not a very obvious fix with strict laws? Whyyyyyyyyy? It is just so appalling that crazy deranged people can get a hold of them.  But if there is a big crack down on the public gun selling then hopefully there will be less guns around. Less access. Less death. I don't know how the black market works but shouldn't there be undercover work to rid the guns and weapons of mass destruction there too? I mean seriously let's get this under control. Let's follow our allies examples and get cracking on gun control. I want to feel safe going to a concert, a movie, or sending my children to public high school. I want some serious action but I feel like I can do very little myself.


Just a huge list of recent gun violence in the USA. Citizen shooting citizens:
Oct. 1, 2017. Las Vegas
July 7, 2016. Dallas
June 12, 2016. Orlando
Dec. 2, 2015. San Bernardino
Nov. 27, 2015. Colorado Springs
Oct. 1, 2015. Roseburg
July 16, 2015. Chattanooga
June 17, 2015. Charleston
Oct. 24, 2014. Marysville
May 23, 2014. Isla Vista
April 2, 2014. Killeen
Sept. 16, 2013. Washington, D.C.
June 7, 2013. Santa Monica
Dec. 14, 2012. Newtown
Oct. 21, 2012. Brookfield
Sept. 27, 2012. Minneapolis
Aug. 5, 2012. Oak Creek
July 20, 2012. Aurora
April 2, 2012. Oakland
Oct. 12, 2011. Seal Beach
Jan. 8, 2011. Tucson
Aug. 3, 2010. Manchester
Feb. 12, 2010. Huntsville
Nov. 5, 2009. Killeen
April 3, 2009. Binghamton
Feb. 14, 2008. DeKalb
Dec. 5, 2007. OmahaApril 16, 2007. Blacksburg

Forgotten No More: The Female Authoress Madame Germaine de Staël

Anyone heard of the great Romanticism authors Lord Byron or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? How about Romanticism painters like J.M. William Turner or Caspar David Friedrich? What about Romanticism musicians like Schubert, Liszt or Beethoven? Probably a resounding YES to all of those famous and talented men who are considered geniuses in their fields because they pushed boundaries and invented new techniques and ideas in their art. Romanticism is not about being lovey-dovey romantic at all, but more about the power and majesty of man in relation to the awe-inspiring grandeur of the natural world. To be considered a genius your artistic creations have to build off the established to produce new definitions of what is great. We should continue to give kudos to all artistic geniuses where they are due! But let’s not forget the women during the same time period who can likewise be considered and especially those who establish women characters as geniuses. 

Ever heard of the famous and talented authoress Madame Germaine de Staël? I’m not surprised if your answer is no. Napoleon Bonaparte really hated her so she was exiled from her beloved Paris, and unfortunately she was written out of the history books and out of literary anthologies (for the most part.) Her novel CORINNE, OR ITALY is one of my all time favorites so I was saddened, but not entirely shocked, to learn that the library didn’t own a copy. We now own a copy of CORINNE, OR ITALY (by Staël, Madame de (Anne-Louise-Germaine), 1766-1817., published 1805)- find it here!

Madame de Staël should be remembered and read because she was an influential writer and thinker, who proved that opposition can be inspiration. After being exiled from Paris, Staël set up a renowned and thriving salon in her home at Coppet, Switzerland. This became a locus for the great philosophical minds and writers of the Romanticism movement. Staël wrote novels, poems, philosophical treatises and started a female authorship trend that continued throughout the 1800s with great female authors like George Sand, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, George Eliot, Louisa May Alcott, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Gaskell,  Anne Radcliffe, and Christina Rossetti, to name just a few. Staël’s bestselling novel CORINNE, OR ITALY, was a subtle critique of Napoleon’s oppressive regime as he passed civil codes restricting the freedoms women previously gained during the French revolution. This novel pushed a radical proposition that a woman could be a genius on the stage, anticipating the prima donna figure, while tying in autobiographical references. This novel should be read alongside other French literature classics as she helped establish the genre and tradition of great female authors. 

(Warning! Spoilers below!)

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been dumped by someone you were head over heels for, where you thought it was totally perfect and you’d live happily ever after? Well (spoiler alert!) Corinne was dumped by Oswald. And then he chooses to marry Corinne’s much younger half-sister who couldn’t be more different than Corinne.  Completely distraught, she settles into a depressed melancholic state because of it… and then she overcomes the melancholy and helps teach and guide another talented young girl to take her place on the stage. Corinne’s voice and fire is not stolen by a small inconsequential man, but instead her voice is channeled into a matriarchal lineage of talented women. If there was ever a “how to get over a dumb man” novel, this is the ultimate classics edition. I happened to be fully immersed in Corinne studies when a similar break up happened to me and the irony was so apparent. I needed to pick myself back up and find my voice again. Staël’s work helped me be able to do so! 

I respect and revere this female author and the way she set up future women’s writing achievements. She totally was a feminist in her day! Her novel CORINNE is a classic in my book and an overall great novel. 

10 Little Things

1. Flashlight under the pillow, always! My parents would have to take away my book so that I would do my homework. I slept with a flashlight under my pillow for years so that I could sneak in a few hours of ‘fun reading’ once everyone was asleep. Always gave me a little thrill that I was rebelling and staying awake long past my official bedtime.

2. Story time! My favorite part of elementary school was story time after lunch recess- teacher read aloud... Or was it back scratch trains that we all made? I had wonderful elementary school teachers who really instilled a love of reading. I remember fondly listening to books like the PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH, THE LITTLE PRINCE, HARRY POTTER, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and many others during that after recess reading time. It was meant to calm us down after the rambunctious recess, but I truly looked forward to the stories each day.

3. Belle was my favorite disney princess, and she was given a library as a gift!! Belle really is the most literary minded of the princesses. She escapes to books and rereads her favorites. I love doing just that. She is thrilled by the gift of a library from the Beast and it really shows what kinds of things she values.

4. Scholastic book catalog orders. Before the days of Amazon, we used to order books the old fashioned way! I loved getting the overly colorful, flimsy catalogs and pouring over them in hopes of convincing my mom that I NEEDED those books. Then the shrink wrapped books would arrive at school and it was like a mini holiday. New stories, adventures and new worlds to discover!

5. In my family we never did Christmas lists. My parents didn’t want to encourage an entitled, present-oriented holiday season so we didn’t stress too much about the gift part. But one year my mom was stumped and asked what I wanted and I answered- BOOKS! So they proceeded to add to the family collection with many, many classics. Unfortunately for my siblings, and fortunately for me and the family library, my parents went a little overboard and had to start wrapping the books for the other kids to make things look more even. I was thrilled to have so many new books to read and my siblings were disenchanted by the idea of wrapped presents as they were books... books for their big sister.

6. Preppy clothes. To say I’m obsessed with J.Crew is an understatement. I am not sure what instigated the love of preppy clothes but they are my go-to style and seem like an easy option to look classy and put together. Thankfully librarian style and business casual go hand in hand with preppy clothes.

7. Organizing. I have always had a knack for having a lot of stuff but also the gift of organizing that stuff into manageable, even beautifully arranged spaces. As a kid I would love to have a full overhaul of my room, completely tearing it apart and organizing everything from my junk box, re-organizing and folding my clothes, my bookshelves, to under my bed. I started from a young age keeping my clothes in rainbow order. On numerous occasions I would actually rearrange the all the furniture in my room too. My mom would always be surprised that I could move my heavy wooden furniture but I had it down to a science and revelled in the fresh feng shui of my room. As librarians we don’t do these things per se but weeding and collection development is a great source of accomplished and focused organizing.

8. Glasses. This goes along with the preppy clothes idea. I always wanted glasses growing up. I would try on everyone’s and always try on tons whenever I was at a store with frames. My parents eyes started to change for the worse in college, and sure enough mine took a turn for the worse too. And I was thrilled! :) Glasses are not my everyday look but I love that I can have my own real ones when I want to.

9. Arthur says having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card. If you’ve seen this musical episode, you have experienced the instant stuck-in-your-head ability of this song. It’s cheesy and great, and marks a generation of kids who watched arthur, wanted to read and wanted their own library card. I was definitely a part of this group!

10. Bringing books when I travel. I am notorious for overpacking in general but I always manage to bring too many books. I anticipate that I will read or study on the plane or in the car and it never quite happens. On my study abroad to France I brought the big thick unabridged version of LES MISERABLES. I just had to finish it while living in Paris!

The Singles Game

The Singles Game
by Lauren Weisberger
Simon & Schuster, 2016. 341 pages. Fiction.

Charlie is a consistent tennis star until she suffers a horrible injury at Wimbledon, with all the world watching. Miraculously she makes a fast and complete recovery, and she really changes things to reshape herself to be a champion. She hires a new coach, typically a men's only coach, who ruthlessly trains her to be the best. This coach insists on changes on and off the court that ultimately question Charlie's desire to continue life as a pro tennis player.

As a tennis fan, and a chick-lit fiction fan, this book was a good choice. It was easy to get into and I liked the personable and relatable Charlie character. I started to really feel for her when her choices on and off the court started to negatively effect her self esteem and her family. It was a quick, yet satisfying ending as she straightens her life out again. Weisberger writes with a witty, fast paced and engaging style but her inclusion of bad language seems gratuitous. I liked this book enough that I wanted to read some of her other books too!

Bless Me, Ultima

Bless Me, Ultima
By Rudolfo A. Anaya
Warner Books, (1973) 1994. 250 pages. Fiction.

This widely acclaimed and award winning novel for Chicano literature, tells of a young boy in New Mexico in the 1940s as he experiences the ups and downs of growing up. Antonio bonds with Ultima, a curandera (native traditional healer) as she lives with his struggling family. Ultima takes Antonio on a spiritual journey as he learns about the grittier aspects of life.  Antonio must negotiate his parents differing backgrounds, religion. life and death, healing powers, post WWII realities, and good and evil, ultimately arriving at who he wants to become. Antonio credits the shaping of life to this kind old woman who taught him and cared for him when his world was a turbulent and confusing mess.

This book is a classic that sinks into your soul and changes you- I highly recommend it for all mature teens and adults. Anaya writes with imaginative description and visceral clarity about the realities of life so this novel is not a thematically easy or relaxing read. I enjoyed the insights into New Mexican life during this time period and how the different worlds colliding must have been hard for a young person to grow up in. Coming of age stories always resonate with me and since Antonio must grapple with so many big issues, I found myself going on the same spiritual journey with him as I realized my own feelings on the issues.

The Danish Girl

The Danish Girl
by David Ebershoff
Penguin Books, 2000, ebook 494 pages, Fiction

This novel is an unusual, emotional, and deeply moving love story inspired by the lives of the Danish painters Einar and Greta Wegener at the turn of the twentieth century. This tender portrait of marriage and change starts with a simple favor asked by a wife of her husband in the paint studio, which sets off a course of transformation and realization that neither could have predicted. The Danish Girl tells the poignant story of Lili Elbe, a pioneer in transgender history, and those she was close with as they each navigate their loyalties, ambitions, and desires.

Having no transgender people in my immediate circles I was very curious how Ebershoff would approach this interesting and poignant story. I was wrapped up in the lush and vivid descriptions of Denmark, California and Paris and was so impressed with the writing and structure. This book makes you think and feel things about situations that seem almost incomprehensible for a normal life. What was surprising to me is the medical advancements that were available so much earlier than I expected. The various relationships and love triangles are deeply moving and emotional. This is only loosely based on the life of Lili Elbe, so it should not be read as biography, but rather as fiction. I am glad for fiction books like this that explore transgender issues (and some of the other harder topics of modern life) that often get twisted with politics, religion, and social concerns, rather than focusing on the individuals whose lives are directly affected. This book is intended for a more mature audience both with themes and writing style.

LP

God, please bless America

I am a daughter of God, a sister, a friend, a daughter of two loving parents, a feminist, a librarian, a yoga teacher, a relief society teacher, art enthusiast, an avid learner, an American citizen and supporter of The Constitution. Here are a few things that I believe.

I believe:

• Every citizen should vote for who they think would make the best president, not casting a vote for someone because they hate the other candidate options
• God loves all his children and gave them the gift of agency to choose between right and wrong. Spiritual laws and natural laws are indisputable and we will be held accountable for how we apply them. 
• All people are created equal no matter race, gender, religion, party affiliation, economic status, or sexual orientation. No matter who they are each person should be treated with respect and dignity because they are a fellow human. 
• Racism in any form is unacceptable. Many so called Christians have dominated the world with evil and hate, Grouping people based on race and then demeaning or threatening that group is not right. I am the kind of person that will hide those who need refuge in my home, God forbid it ever comes to that. 
• Sexism is any form is completely wrong. Men and women are created equally and yet men continue to control, abuse, and manipulate women and their bodies. Any sort of violence against women is a form of sexism. Rape, domestic abuse, assault, groping, molesting or even suggesting or joking about these horrific acts is blatant sexism. Silent bystanders reinforce this misogynistic culture. Ingrained misogyny is in our culture, language and relationships and needs to be stopped via education and awareness on an individual and national level. 
• America was originally founded as a refuge for those wanting freedoms that were not granted in their previous homes. This should continue to be a place of safe gathering and acceptance. The statue of Liberty says "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" America should carefully and abundantly help refugees and those seeking immigration. 
• Abortion is morally wrong, however there are exceptions to this. If the child is a product of rape, incest, or is a life-threatening or emotionally-threatening problem to the mother then abortion is admissible. In these cases a woman should have safe, healthy and affordable access to medical professionals for the abortion procedures. 
• Each person has right to their own body. Rape and sexual assault are direct violation of this. Each woman needs to be able to choose what happens with her body. Many women choose to have abortions as a form of birth control and this is not appropriate. Birth control access and education needs to be available to every woman as to prevent abortions being used as such.  
• America should be leading the way in climate change reforms. Climate change has been an issue for decades. Only recently did the US join the squad of world leaders trying to do something about it. We are meant to be stewards of this earth and our individual bodies. 
• I believe in the right to bear arms, mostly. If someone knows how to safely operate and defend themselves and others with a gun then that's great for them. I don't want that kind of responsibility for myself. I am not comfortable shooting a gun. It's high time for universal background checks and closing loopholes that let the wrong people carry a gun. Sometime those wrong people with a gun are mentally ill. America needs to become much more aware and helpful in treating people with mental illnesses. Those people should not have access to guns, nor should anyone with terrorist ties.
• There needs to be reform and careful examination of our law enforcement officers. There have been too many shootings of black citizens to sweep this under the rug. Speaking out for civil rights is a wonderful thing; however, when those protests become violent it is not accomplishing anything, only stirring up more evil. 
• Education reform in America is needed across the board. We are undoubtedly the dumbest world power.  Kids are not given enough play and curious time, instead focusing on standardized tests. Common core is NOT the answer to fix the school system. We need to pay our teachers like we pay our celebrities and sports figures. They are shaping lives and building the future leaders of America. Take the focus away from tests and jobs and instead emphasize more on character building, exploration, analytical thought and apply it into all the subjects. Any emphasis on languages, the arts and music has been completely lost. Proper brain development needs all of it. Having a balance between school, rest and play is very important. The bulk of a child's formal learning should be in the classroom and at home, NOT in doing homework. 
• ISIS and terrorism are real and scary parts of this modern world. America needs to humble themselves to get along with other countries so that we can strategically fight against ISIS.
• There needs to be less taxes for lower and middle classes. Big corporations shouldn't have sway with laws, lobbyists or political parties. Wealthy individuals and corporations should be taxed much heavier. New jobs need to be created around building infrastructure and clean energy.
• America was established with the help of God and I believe we as a nation need to come back to trusting in God. As individuals we need to strive for this in our families and then hopefully it can trickle up to the nation as a whole. God, please bless America. We need all the help we can get right now. 

Principles of Feminist Critique

1	Gender is historically contingent (located in time)
2	Gender is culturally specific (located in material practices and specific places
3	Gender is an interpretation of what female and male bodies mean in relation to what we believe about the world (our philosophy)
4	There is a cultural reciprocity between gender practices and perceptions of biology, and there is a tendency to forget that a fact is both observed and interpreted.
5	Frequently even though a gender practice has been discarded, the perspective it created on "nature" can be difficult to eliminate
6	Our systems of social policy and cultural practice reflect a tendency to conserve the ideological result of practices that are not longer apparent.
7	We let competing ideologies undermine healthful practices
8	Sexual inequality is the single most prevalent form of inequality in the world. the majority of those in poverty, in dire need of improved health care without access to education, without access to political rights are women
9	Open dialogue allows for the free flow of the material out of which all social policy and political practice is derived: ideas.

Developed by Brandie Siegfried, BYU English and Women's Studies Professor

from Women Studies 422: Feminist Theory

5 Biographies of Badass Women

#Whatireallyreallywant is for everyone to read about these important women! In no particular order or preference, each tells of a woman you should be aware of and knowledgeable about. #girlpower

Frida Kahlo was a famous surrealist and modern artist and should be remembered as more than just the wife of another famous Mexican artist. She is renowned for her inventive self-portraits and examining the tougher aspects of life through her paintings. This compilation is a first of it’s kind- an illustrated journal complete with Frida’s own thoughts, poems, dreams, sketches, self portraits and more. It covers the last ten years of her life from 1944-1954, in a captivating and sometimes haunting, sometimes witty way. Giving perspective on her turbulent relationship with Diego, living with a debilitating handicap and the ensuing surgeries, and insights on her creative process, this auto biography shines with Frida’s own hand.

The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait, Frida Kahlo

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Catherine the Great was the most renowned and longest-ruling female leader of Russia, reigning from 1762- 1796. She came to power after her husband was assassinated and while under her rule Russia became one of the great powers of Europe. Balancing the government, foreign policy, cultural development, domestic rebellion, wars, and welfare of the Russian people were all in her hands. This book accurately captures the life of this great women, giving details to her personal relationships, her well developed philosophical mind, and her successes and struggles in ruling the vast country of Russia.

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, Robert K. Massie

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Marie Sklodowska Curie was distinguished physicist and chemist who pioneered research on radioactivity (a term that she coined!). She was the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, the only woman to win it twice, and the only person to win twice in multiple sciences.  She discovered two elements- polonium and radium. She was the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris and became the first women to be entombed on her own merits in the Pantheon of Paris. This book is a visual journey through Marie’s life- collages, photos, clippings, drawings- giving a compelling narrative to the fascinating scientific significance of her work, while mixing in romance and intrigue.

Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout, Lauren Redniss

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Cleopatra has been imagined for centuries by poets, artists and historians alike in attempt to convey her beauty, wealth, power and importance. She was the last acting pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty founded by Alexander the Great. She was married twice to her brothers but her lovers- Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony place her as the most influential woman of the age.  This book separates fact from fiction to reveal in rich detail the dazzling life of this magnetic queen.

Cleopatra: A Life, Stacy Schiff

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Malala Yousafzai is a human rights activist known for her advocacy for education and women.  In her  province of Pakistan the local Taliban sometimes banned girls from attending school. Her family runs a chain of schools in that region and on October 9, 2012 a gunman boarded her school bus, asked for her name and shot her. After intensive recovery Malala is thriving and continues her advocacy against this kind of violence and discrimination. She was named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people in the world, she was the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace prize and she continues to speak at international conventions. This is her powerful story of a family uprooted by global terrorism, the fight for girl’s education, and her beliefs that have already changed the world.

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai

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How to raise strong girls: The Feminist Fiction Starter Guide

(how to rid the world of ingrained and internalized misogyny)

Do you want to raise strong, smart, ambitious and independent girls? Do you want to be the kind of person who makes a difference in the world? READ. Read about women! Read from the Feminist Fiction Starter Guide.

As the oldest child of a typical Mormon family, growing up in Colorado, I never grew up with the word feminist. Then in college at BYU I heard the word thrown around as an almost ‘dirty’ word. It wasn’t until years later in graduate program at BYU that I came to understand feminist to mean someone who shares a common goal: to define, establish and achieve equal political economic, personal and social rights for women. And then I realized I AM a feminist. A staunch one at that. I had been raised to be a strong, independent woman who would think and act for herself, defending human rights for all and wanting others to have the same realization- feminism is a good thing.

So what shaped me all those years leading up to this epiphany? READING. Reading wonderful fiction that had female protagonists who got real stuff done. They overcame hard things, helped others who were down, they learned about boys, dating and heartbreak, they grew into their bodies over those awkward teenage years, and they conquered and achieved.

THE RED TENT by Anita Diamant- This book gave me a love for the old testament. I like the female perspective on a story that I had read and heard only from the biblical (male) perspective. In a wonderful blend of historical and fiction Diamant gives a voice to Dinah, the one and only daughter in the famous 12 tribes of Israel family.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES LM Montgomery- Anne is one of those headstrong fiery characters (plus she has great red hair!) who lives life to the fullest. She never lets social convention or the ‘norms’ dictate her behavior. She is smart and pursues her education so intently that she competes for top of the class with the boys. She won’t let boys bully her and she is a loyal and devoted friend.

MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley- This is the King Arthur story told from the powerful and passionate women in his life. Morganne is the sister that gets a bad rap, or is forgotten in other king arthur stories, but here- she reigns as the best Camelot has to offer. The complex web of women at this time is told with their plots for power, love and magical/mystical influences.

ELLA ENCHANTED by Gale Carson Levine- I am definitely the kind of person who doesn’t like being told what to do, so I felt for Ella as she was cursed with the gift of obedience. Because of her goodness and perseverance she is able to overcome the spell and finds true love (the ideal!).

THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett- I have always had a soft spot in my heart for those suffering from civil rights injustices. I could really connect to the various women’s stories and I wanted redemption and recourse for those wrongs against black women in the south. I think young girls need to recognize the issue of race in America and how to not be narrow minded or discriminate.

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins- I love how Katniss is the protector of her family. I am also the oldest child and I would like to imagine I could begin a war all because I wanted to protect my little sister from a brutal death game. Katniss is bold and yet flawed and we get to see her grow, overcome obstacles, and accept the harder facts of life. She made me want to be a strong fighter but also someone who lived life passionately.  

ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS by Scott O'Dell- This is a survival story at it’s heart, making Karana a real inspiration to girls. She was left behind by her tribe on their island and is forced to build shelter, find food, make weapons and fight her enemies, alone. This is a coming of age story giving insight to another culture and teaching some practical survival skills.

LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott- There is such a range of women in this book that a young reader can learn from. Jo is my personal favorite, but there are so many life choices that each March sister faces that teach girls about growing up. You can be like Amy and aspire to have many wealthy beaus, or you could be like Meg and marry a good honest man, or you can be like Jo and seek a career and teaching job. This classic is a reflection on American life during the time of the Civil War and helps readers see options for the way they approach the world and relationships.

Others that I haven’t personally read but come highly recommended in this category:

• Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
• Buddha in the Attic by Julia Otsuka
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
• Harriet the Spy Louise Fitshugh
• Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
• Uglies by Scott Westfeld
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Walk two Moons by Sharon Creech

Get the Guy

Get the Guy: learn secrets of the male mind to find the man you want and the love you deserve 
By Matthew Hussey
HarperWave, 2013. 250 pages. Nonfiction.

Get the Guy is a in depth guide on how to to understand the male psyche and practical techniques to actually get a man you want and deserve. Matthew Hussey is a leading relationship expert and gives an honest male perspective to many of the typical behaviors displayed by women when dating. He’s like a real life Hitch!

The first part of the book talks about finding the guy- how it’s a number game, you need the mindset of the chooser, and the traits of a desirable woman, building conversations into dates, and online dating. Then he talks about how to get the guy- the formula for attraction, insecurities, creating a great date, intimacy, premature obligation, and why some women get stuck in the friend trap. Then the third part, which I found to be the best part- how to keep the guy. He tells about how to tell if he’s right for you, what guys really think about commitment, and how to create a love that lasts. Each section has so many seemingly obvious tips and insight that it’s silly that every single woman isn’t applying them.

If you are single this is a must read!  Rehashing and talking things out with girlfriends is never as effective as you hope in understanding the guy’s mind. This book is a treasure of sound very real advice. Every guy and relationship is unique but the perspectives found here are very practical, useful and written in a very approachable way. I have already begun applying its principles (with success!) and recommended it to several friends.

Repentance and Yoga

Yoga is the for body what repentance is the soul

I just started my yoga training class and I am ecstatic about it. It's the best therapy I've ever done, I feel more like myself than I have in months and I'm learning tons. And it's only just begun! I can't wait for the upcoming growth and changes. 

One thing that really worries me about my pursuit of yoga is inevitable the testimony testing. Yoga is inherently a physical and spiritual journey. It's meant to join the body and mind connecting into a greater life force. I cannot and will not ever leave the church and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it to be true down in my cells, much like I can feel the benefit and joy that comes from yoga. I know there is an incredible amount of truth built into the spiritual aspect of yoga, tasting of this part of the journey.

Repentance is like a spiral of advancement as you muddle through life. Hopefully that spiral ascends upwards but sometimes you stay at the same altitude circling instead of progressing up and forward. I have definitely been stagnant lately in this regard. And I couldn't seem to spur myself forward. I am hopeful that yoga teacher training will propel me back up to my normal happy hopeful self, the self who feels capable and determined to be a better disciple of Christ each day. 

Repentance is essentially change. Changing whatever thoughts, feelings, appetites, desires, doubts, behaviors, habits, traditions, superstitions, half-truths, and conveniences within our mortal selves that cannot fit within the home of our Heavenly Parents. This will require tremendous effort, stretching, growing, exerting and falling on our part. We cannot do it alone nor can we do it on the first try. However we are blessed with the people and the means to accomplish this seemingly impossible goal.

Repentance requires faith (obedience + hope) and diligence (faith + consistency) in order to be effective. And of course all of this has to be centered in and around the Atonement of our Savior. Much like a yoga class where steady movements and poses stretch our physical bodies, daily acts of repentance build our capacity for progression. If you take months off your yoga practice you will not be able to comfortably or quickly get into complicated inversions. Even completing the basic sun salutations will leave you sweaty and sore. But gradually coming back to the basics anyone can progress to the more advanced moves. The repetition helps build the foundation of strength and flexibility that is necessary for progression. 

Thankfully we don't have to fumble through yoga poses alone. There are gurus to guide and direct us. They can deepen our stretches simply by touching your lower back in the right place. They can spot you as you clumsily try handstands over and over again. They will be there coaching and encouraging you as you fall. Because you will fall. They can take you through sequences that will wring out toxins and trapped emotions to help you heal from the inside out. Much like our Savior, a yoga teacher will gently and firmly command you and then carefully place her hands on your body to direct the movement and flow of energy. You aren't alone in the stretching (growing, learning, changing) process. There are classmates, books and outside resources. You can ask for help. Sometimes the teacher will know what you need without asking. And sometimes you have to stay after class to get additional clarification on a certain pose. 

We are here on this fallen world to learn how to become celestial beings. Those beings have bodies and we need to learn how to care for our bodies here and now in order to receive a celestial body and live comfortably with our Heavenly Parents. I firmly believe in the connectedness between body and spirit. Yoga taps into that as you move, meditate and gain control over the outer and inner body. Your body and mind are a two part system learning to live the gospel. Healthy souls have healed their body and mind of the evils and vices of this fallen world. That can include any addiction, illness, abuse, sin, temptation, wicked desires etc. There are those people who have worked on their souls (body and spirit) disproportionately. I think yoga helps balance the two parts of the soul. By striving for depth in the physical practice strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and spacial awareness are increased. But in order to achieve this there must be introspection and conscious decisions made to move forward. Mindfulness and intentions must be set, exerting incredible mental energy in the positive direction for change. 

When someone consistently and intentionally repents they change, and they can see how much more they need to yet change. There is no complacency, only joy in the journey. It may be hard at times but the overall feeling of the bad plus the good is joy. Similar to the sweaty, stretched, sore and energized feeling after yoga. Yoga breathes this joy into the body and the mind, healing and progressing you forward. So repent and do yoga!  

Smart and Sexy

Smart and Sexy
By Jill Shalvis
Brava/Kensington, 2007. 269 pages. Fiction, Romantic suspense.

Noah Fisher is a handsome and successful pilot who owns a private airplane company with his two best friends. Bailey Sinclair is a recently widowed and attractive woman, who happens to be Noah's secret crush for the past several years. Bailey is desperate to find the money hidden by her conniving late husband and concocts a crazy plan to force Noah to help her. Jetting off to the possible hideouts, the two find dangerous men chasing them, adventure and love.

This is #1 in the Sky High Air trilogy and I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. They are fast paced and very amusing. Despite being what I like to refer to as ‘escape fiction’ (where you just get lost for a few hours in a cute, fun, interesting story), these books have relatable characters and the story isn’t too far fetched. The love story is heartwarming and the suspense is just enough to keep the pages turning but not actually be scary. Typical of Jill Shalvis contemporary romance books- this is not a clean read- there steamy scenes and language throughout. I would categorize this trilogy as good beach/pool reads, keeping you entertained and yet requiring very little brain power.