A Bibliophile's Fictional Bucket List

“Besides the alternate universe offered by a book, the quiet space of a museum was my favorite place to go. My mom said I was an escapist at heart . . . that I preferred imaginary worlds to the real one. It’s true that I’ve always been able to yank myself out of this world and plunge myself into another.” 

― Amy Plum, Die for Me

I have spoken again and again of the magic found between the pages of a paperback. The kind of magic that happens every time you read an exceptionally brilliant novel. Inspired by Jesse the Reader's Fiction Bucket List Tag vlog, I have compiled my own fictional bucket list.

DISNEY

• Spend a fortnight in Beast's library with Bella.

Wanderlust: 5 Places To Go + Books To Read

“I'm in love with cities I've never been to and people I've never met. ”

Melody Truong

All I ever want to do in life is to travel the world, read the kind of books that enchant my heart & soul and create something amazing every once in a while. While I haven't had the opportunity to see the world yet, as a reader I have had many an adventure in beautiful and sometimes, strange places. My to-travel list is filled with so many gorgeous places to see and wonderful cultures to experience.

Today I've picked 5 destinations I want to visit and paired them with to-read books that are set in these great places.

#01: England: A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

To see: Oxford, heaven to Harry Potter enthusiasts seems to be filled with awe-inspiring architecture. There is nothing more I'd love to do than walk along the same charming cobblestone streets walked by legendary authors and great poets.
I'd love to see Cambridge, Hever Castle, Chinatown, the Big Ben, The Globe, Durham Castle, York Minster, Westminster Abbey, The British Museum, Warwick Castle, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, Natural History Museum and Jurassic Coast.

Pinterest For The Visual Lover In You

Confession: I am an unapologetic Pinterest addict. 

I easily spend more than five hours on Pinterest every week. For a social network that has very little conversation and actual engagement between readers, Pinterest is highly popular. It is perhaps the lack of chatter that actually attracts a huge number of users. Compared to Twitter and Facebook, Pinterest is super quiet and requires very little community participation. There is hardly any doubt that visuals are a better story telling tool so Pinterest is highly effective in its simplicity. 

My favorite thing about Pinterest is that it allows me to collate all my interests on one site and at the same time makes it super easy to filter the content I want.

For my fellow Pinterest addicts I have curated a list of must-follow Pinterest accounts for the visual lover in you. Most of these Pinners are focused on design but they do share some pretty amazing interest-focused boards ranging from lifestyle, food, DIY to beauty, branding and travel.

Literary tattoos for the logophile in you

I am as fascinated by a beautifully done tattoo as much as the next person. For a logophile this fascination is easily doubled when it's a literary tattoo.

“...books change lives, in big ways and small, from the simple desire to spend a few quiet hours in a comfy chair, swept away by a story, to the profound realization that the reader is not alone in the world, that there is someone else like him or her, someone who has faced the same fears, the same confusions, the same grief, the same joys.

Word lovers all over the world would agree with Roxanne J. Coady and would attest to the fact that some words and some stories are simply unforgettable. Because of this, it is hardly a surprise that some would choose to immortalize this profound feeling with a tattoo.

Discussion: The Art of List Making

Confession: I'm a list making addict.

I have always made lists. 

Daily to-do lists, resolution lists, grocery lists, lists of blog post ideas, lists of books to read, lists of books I've read, wish-lists, list of long term plans, bucket lists.....You get the idea.

We live in a fast moving world that pauses for no one. We are constantly bombarded by information and it's only natural that we sometimes get caught up in rush and forget our priorities.

We start every new year, heart singing, high on youthful energy with a bazillion plans and goals. Mid year we lose momentum, our plans and goals long forgotten. The rest of the year we go through the motions, aimlessly moving through life.

Well, not this year. This year, I am all about LIVING INTENTIONALLY.

List making is just one step that I take towards making my plans and goals a reality. You could be a self-confessed list addict like me, you could be some one who detests list making or you could be someone who tried this but found it futile. As much as I love spontaneity, I believe that list making is the key to productivity if it is done right.

Yes, there is a right way to make effective to-do lists. But before that lets look at why list making is actually good for you...

24 lessons learned + A special something for you!

Two years. That's how long I've been blogging.

It has been the most extraordinary journey. Every glorious milestone, every false start, each stumble, every jump and each glorious adventure - I'm grateful for all of it.

There were a multitude of lessons learnt in both blogging and life. So today I'll be sharing a few with you...

1. Open yourself up to new possibilities and adventures.

Say yes to opportunities - Before I started blogging, I spent MONTHS procrastinating preparing for it. When I finally made the leap it was terrifying and that was how I knew that I had made the right choice. Life happens outside that comfort zone so move!

2. Know your worth.

Work on that self-love. Believe in yourself and embrace your strengths, weakness and quirks. Love yourself and others will follow.

3. Cherish your friends.

You are the company you keep. Be loyal to your your BFFs, renew old acquaintances and reach out to create new ones.

4. Let go.

Toxic relationships/habits weighing you down? You need to hit CTRL + D, girl.

5. Not everyone agrees.

Voice your opinion, don't ever stop standing up for what you believe but open your mind to other views.

6. Listen.

It's a loud world, both online and offline. Sometimes you just need to pay attention, listen and learn.

Mixology: The Banned Books Edition

Confession: When I see a book added to a banned book list, I feel this irresistible urge to add it to my TBR. What can I say, I'm a rebel. ;)

To celebrate banned books week this year I've picked out 6 banned books that I simply must read. Also a bonus, I've paired them with mocktails because nothing enhances my reading experience better than a lovely beverage. Well, except chocolates. Cheesecake. And Pizza. Oh well, you get the idea.

Enjoy the pairings!

o1) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: Sherman Alexie

“I grabbed my book and opened it up. I wanted to smell it. Heck, I wanted to kiss it. Yes, kiss it. That's right, I am a book kisser. Maybe that's kind of perverted or maybe it's just romantic and highly intelligent.” 

12 Tearjerkers That Will Bring Out The Ugly-Crier in You

Confession: A Walk To Remember, P.S. I Love You, My Sister's Keeper, The Notebook, Titanic and Marley & Me had me sobbing. And I loved them all. 

Every once in a while we need a good cry so a good ol' tearjerker is something that I adore.

So why do we love tearjerkers? I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt says it best.

“I think there is something beautiful in reveling in sadness. The proof is how beautiful sad songs can be. So I don’t think being sad is to be avoided. It’s apathy and boredom you want to avoid. But feeling anything is good, I think. Maybe that’s sadistic of me.” 

Today, I've put together a list of 12 tearjerkers that are guaranteed to move you to tears.

Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma

Cover Trends: Less is More

2011 and 2012 were the years of the cliche Young Adult covers. Here are some of my least favorite trends that grazed the covers of YA books.

• Headless, torso only shots of protagonists( usually dressed in prom-style gowns)
• Close ups of a model's face (more often than not, it is the leading lady). Sometimes they add in some windblown hair to you know, make a difference.
• More heroines in pretty dresses only this time they looking off into this distance with their backs to us.
• More closeups, this time it's the eyes/lips. 
• Kissy faces. *cringe*
• Angel/Fairy Wings.

Thankfully, we seem to have moved on from this trend. 2013/2014 has rewarded readers with some gorgeous and utterly refreshing covers. So a huge thank you to publishers for giving us more illustrated covers, more gender neutral covers, more graphic and text-based covers.

Today, I've featured some covers that take a simple image, pair it with some great typography to give readers an intriguing package. Low fuss, high impact. These covers will not only entice readers with their subtle-ness but they also welcome readers who wouldn't usually pick YA books to give it a chance.

The Unputdownable Reads of 2014

Occasionally we come across books that are so engrossing that the very idea of putting them down is blasphemous. Sometimes it is the writing that compels you to turn the pages, sometimes it is the plot that has you riveted. And sometimes it's the characters that capture your mind and ensnare your heart.

Whatever the reason is, there is no doubt that these books make it physically impossible for you to stop reading them. So today I'll be sharing seven such unputdownable books:

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by  Benjamin Alire Sáenz

“I bet you could sometimes find all the mysteries of the universe in someone's hand.” 

This YA GLBT about two Mexican teens is guaranteed to blow you away. Sáenz  combines gorgeous prose with a realistic portrayal of adolescents coming to terms with their identity and delivers a simple yet powerful story.

If I had to purchase one book with my last $20 it would be Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Yes, it is that good.