Five Books To Read This Year

            Hey y’all! I hope your year is off to a great start. 

            I know I’ve been MIA for over two weeks and I wish I could say “oh I’ve been SO busy and have not had one day off!” but that would be a lie. I’ve actually just not been in the mindset to write lately and that’s about all.

            I do plan to discuss this issue in my post about living with anxiety. A huge issue I face is that I lose motivation really quickly when I’m anxious (which is, you know, always), so lately finding the energy to write this simple blog post has been hard. 

            Anyways, today’s post is about books! I’m sure there is a number of people who made a New Year’s Resolution to start reading more this year so consider me your source for a few good books to get you into the groove (even though I’m two weeks late). 

            I absolutely love reading, it is one of my favourite hobbies. And I really encourage reading a book as not only a way to escape your phone/TV/computer but it’s a really effective way to escape your negative/frazzled/worrisome thoughts. And if you read this post then you’d know how much I recommend reading to anyone with anxiety or just an overwhelming mind/thoughts/worries in general. 

            I am going to list these in order of my least to most favourite, with 1 being worst and 5 being best. Enjoy!

1. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark- Michelle McNamara

            This was actually the book I read during winter break and I just finished it so it’s fresh in my mind. This is also one of the few non-fiction books I’ve read in my life and I really enjoyed it. 

            This non-fiction book was published in February 2018 and was written by Michelle McNamara. It is about the Golden State Killer—a man who commit 13 murders, over 50 rapes, and 100 burglaries over a 12-year span. McNamara was intrigued and was intent on being part of the team that found the suspect and had him locked away. Unfortunately, she died in her sleep before the book could be published and was still in the midst of writing it. But a team of writers put the book together and published it two years after her death and only two months before the Golden State Killer was found!!

            This book was recommended by quite a few writers and journalists in April 2018 when the Golden State Killer was arrested. I decided to venture into a genre I don’t usually read and give it a go. And I’m really glad I did. The book was captivating and you can tell that McNamara was so passionate about doing investigative research on this man. She worked so hard on not only writing the book but finding out as much information as she could get and it shows. The research, interviews, and DNA sampling was really really interesting.

            The only downside is that the book didn’t really have a conclusion, mostly because McNamara never prepared one before her death. There was no ending with “and the killer is this man!” because at the time of publication, they didn’t know who he was! I knew that going into it but it was a little frustrating that it was just “who could do this?” with little answers. Also, if you’re a woman who lives alone, I probably wouldn’t recommend this just because it was about a lot of rape and murder that occurred in the middle of the night and this could scare you. I personally wasn’t scared, but that’s just because I’m more scared of ghosts and centipedes than I am of intruders. 

            If you’re interested in venturing into true crime or non-fiction books, I recommend giving this one a try, especially now that you know who the suspect is!!

2. Divergent- Veronica Roth

            I don’t really remember how this book ended up in my possession but I must say it was one of the better books I read last year. So good that I had to watch the movie right after to see how the book got adapted into a film. 

            This book reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games, in that it’s set in a futuristic world with different factions that people are separated into. It is a fiction book, written by Veronica Roth and is the first book in a trilogy. The novel revolves around the main character, Beatrice “Tris” Prior. She grew up from a family that comes from one specific faction “Abnegation” but doesn’t feel she identifies as it anymore once she reaches adulthood. She ventures off into another faction “Dauntless”, which of course disappoints her parents. Eventually, she realizes she has extra abilities and identifies as “Divergent”, hence the title. 

            I enjoyed this book because it was very fast paced and intriguing and constantly kept my attention. I had no issues with following along and I really enjoy action books, which makes no sense because I do not like action movies. The only negative was the fact that there was a lot of relationship drama involved, which for me doesn’t really attract me. If I wanted to read a love novel, I would, you know? But of course, incorporating love and relationships is what attracts a lot of people and creates drama, so I respect it. The movie was equally as good as the book and if I do ever run out of books to read one day, I will definitely finish the rest of the series!

            

3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- J. K. Rowling 

            In my humble and honest opinion, no list of great books is complete without at least one Harry Potter book. I recently got into HP a few years ago after years of thinking it was overhyped and for nerds (I really don’t know why I had that misconception). I read the first book during a plane ride and I was immediately hooked. I bought the entire book set last year and have read six of the seven original books (I’m holding back on the seventh one because I don’t want it to end!). I personally love the series because these are the types of books that completely consume you and transfer you to another universe. Also, when you read thousands of pages of the same characters, they eventually start to feel like family. So I recommend getting into the series if you want something to commit to, which you will because Rowling’s writing is so captivating and amazing.

            The Half-Blood Prince is the sixth book in the series and the most recent one I read, but that is not at all why it’s my favourite one (so far). Without giving too much of the story away, it basically revolves around Harry Potter as he becomes an adult, which is different from the other books when he was younger. He spends a lot of time with Dumbledore because of his special abilities to fight Voldemort (hopefully that isn’t too much of a spoiler). Quite a lot goes on in the 650 (!!) page book, so I can’t really say a lot without spoiling it all. I will, however, say that if you know anything about the shocking plot twist in the series, it happens in this book. 

            I adored this book a lot and even though it took me forever to get through, that didn’t stop me from loving it. The only cons of all of the Harry Potter books is that there are some dry sections that probably aren’t necessary and kind of drag on, and then other times there’s a big scene that goes by too quick for you to process. Otherwise, I just love Harry Potter. You can definitely read Half-Blood Prince without having read any of the other books because Rowling does a short recap about all of the characters at the beginning of each book to catch you up. 

4. The Alibi- Sandra Brown 

            I scored this book as part of a 3 for $10 deal at Indigo in the summer and I bought it because the description said it was about murder and I was intrigued. It took me about ten pages to absolutely fall in love with Sandra Brown as an author and I now own a bunch of her books.

            This fiction novel is about a man and a woman mostly, but also has a mix of other characters involved as well. It’s definitely a suspense thriller and it was the first thriller I read and totally got me hooked on that genre. The main character, Hammond Cross, has a one night stand with a female doctor. Shortly afterwards, she is accused of murder but uses Cross as her alibi, stating that she did not commit the crime because she was with him at the time. So it is a love story but with a lot of suspense, crime, and law involved.

            This was one of the few books I’ve read that is the definition of a page turner. I normally can put down a book and finish reading it whenever I want, but I barreled through this book because I just had to know what happened and the suspense was amazing. Hence why I became an instant fan of Sandra Brown.

            I think the only con of this book was that at times it was a little redundant and dragged on. But I knew that if I got through one small section that was boring, the rest would be amazing. This book is on sale for so cheap, I mean mine was literally $3 so if you ever happen to see it, definitely pick it up. 

5. My Sister’s Keeper- Jodi Picoult

            This book changed my life. I adore absolutely everything about it and I read it nearly ten years ago and it still holds a huge place in my heart! I was introduced to My Sister’s Keeper in high school when I chose it to write a book report on it. It’s a looooong book, 432 pages to be exact, but I wanted to take on the challenge of a big book.The reason I’m an avid reader and writer today is largely because of how amazing this book was.

            My Sister’s Keeper is a fiction novel about a girl named Anna who was born to an older sister named Kate, who has cancer. Anna was created as an organ and blood donor for her older sister. She spends most of the book resentful of her sister because of the fact that she’s spent a huge part of her life in the hospital being a savior. 

            I loved absolutely everything about this book and as far as I can remember, there was nothing specific that I disliked. The biggest part that knocked my socks off was the complete twist that happened around three quarters into the book. It was so severe, I remember gasping, slowly putting down the book, and staring at a wall until I could comprehend what happened. Side note: they did NOT include the twist in the movie which to this day infuriates me. So if you’ve seen the movie and know the plot, or saw the movie and disliked it, it’s still worth reading the book because the story is vastly different. Another huge thing I loved was that it was actually written in various different voices. Usually books are narrated by either one third person voice or by the main character, but in this one each chapter was narrated by a different person with a different personality and perspective and it really made the story interesting. It also made me fall in love with Jodi Picoult’s writing and I’ve read quite a few of her books since and none have let me down (but this one is my favourite). 

            If you are up for a long, but very easy and enjoyable read, I 10000% recommend this one. It will (hopefully) change your life and make you appreciate your good health a lot, as well as just give you something to look forward to reading everyday!! 

Five little pick me ups

            Hello! Happy Tuesday. I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for coming back for another blog post!

            Last weeks posts were pretty simple ones and I want to start off slow with my blog before I delve into personal details about myself and share my secrets with the world. 

            Today I want to tip toe into topics related to mental health. 

            I’m going to share five tips and tricks for how to pick yourself up when you feel down or anxious. These are all things I do on almost a daily basis.

            As much as I hope you don’t feel down or anxious, or even depressed, I hope you can enjoy reading these little tips and take some for yourself for when you need it.

My nightly routine.

1. Exercise 

            The first tip is to work out. This is probably hard when you’re feeling down in the dumps and the last thing you want to do is throw yourself on a treadmill. However, I really do swear by this. 

             I’m sure everyone and their mother knows this by now but exercising releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy (and happy people don’t kill their husbands. They just don’t!) (that’s a movie quote I’m not crazy). But it’s true! I’ve never gotten off of the treadmill feeling mentally worse than I did getting on. 

            I personally work out in my basement, in the privacy of my home so I can sweat and be embarrassed by how pathetic my stamina is in peace. I’m sure this also has to do with how good I feel after exercising so if you can, I would recommend working out in your own home. 

            This tip really works if you’re feeling anxious and have jittery nerves to burn off (and possibly a pint of ice cream). The best thing I can do after a bad day is put on good music and run on the treadmill for an hour. It just feels so good and the endorphins kill my negative thoughts. 

            A key point I make when I work out is to leave my phone in my room and only use my iPod for music. I think escaping from social media, my friends, and the internet for an hour or so is good because I rarely am without my phone and we all know our cell phones are making us more anxious. So if you can, ditch your phone while you work out. It’s so worth it.

            Not to mention this is kind of a killing two birds with one stone scenario. If you feel badly mentally, you should try to make yourself feel good physically to compensate. Sitting on the couch won’t help you feel better physically and all the bad feelings will just pile up until you explode. So try running on the treadmill or going for a spin on a bike! Whatever you enjoy doing.

2. A Cuppa Tea

            This is probably a really self explanatory tip but it’s not something that many people do on a daily basis. I know that drinking tea in warm weather is gross but now that the weather is getting colder, it’s a good time to get into the habit of drinking tea every night.

            I also felt the need to specify that it should be decaf tea. Two reasons: 1. If you’re hypersensitive to caffeine (like me), then drinking caffeine at night will increase your inability to sleep and after all, the best thing you can do when you feel down is to just sleep it off. And 2. Caffeine is a known trigger for anxiety and will make your mind race even more. So you’re better off with decaf tea or even decaf coffee if that’s more your cup of tea (that was a pun on a level I don’t even understand).

            Something I try to get into the habit of doing is having a cup of tea every night at 9 p.m. That sounds so random but it’s for a good reason. Creating a daily habit helps keep you grounded if you suffer from anxiety. Grounding is basically bringing your anxious brain back down to reality when your negative thoughts make you feel like you’re floating away from your body. Having a daily habit is a constant reminder that you’re still alive and okay, and when it’s at night time it’s a milestone to show you that you made it through another day. It also gives you something to look forward to everyday so that you don’t feel so hopeless. 

            I know if you’re not naturally a tea person then getting into the habit of drinking tea can be difficult. There are so many people that associate drinking tea with being sick, but I think if you feel anxious, you should incorporate decaf tea into your life. 

            Also, if you find tea gross (you’re wrong), I would recommend trying out a place like David’s Tea because they have an amazing variety of flavored teas that don’t taste like dirty leaf water. If you need a good flavor recommendation, I am your gal. I love that place. 

3. Read

            This list is starting to become things you probably already do or know you should do. But oh well. With that, I still recommend escaping into a good book. 

            Reading is another activity that only certain people really enjoy doing but it’s something that I will always recommend you try getting into because it’s worth it and is very good for you. 

            I recommend reading because it’s a good way to step away from your phone, and it really helps your brain distract itself from all of its anxious thoughts. I mean if you think about it, when you’re reading words on paper, your brain is too busy making sense of what your eyes are seeing to think about other (negative) things.

            Reading is one of my favourite escapes. Even if it’s just doing a textbook reading for school, I have to read on a daily basis. Might I also recommend reading my blog on a weekly basis as a way to incorporate reading??

            If you don’t enjoy reading, you probably haven’t found the right book yet. Once again, I am your girl to go to if you want a good book to read. My collection expands every month and it’s one of my favourite hobbies. Escaping my thoughts in a good book feels very very good. 

            You could also conjoin this with tip #1 to work out and do two good things for your brain and body. But don’t knock reading until you really try it.

4. Talk to someone

            For this little tip, I’d say you have two options: talk to someone face to face, or over the phone. I think the key here is to be able to hear someone’s voice instead of texting someone back and forth when you can’t read their tone and behaviour.

            When you’re in a state of anxiety, talking to someone helps because you put your focus on maintaining a conversation and responding to what they say rather than going over the same anxious, negative thoughts in your brain. 

            I often find that if I’m at work or out with my friends, I feel okay all day because being around people that make me happy distracts me from my anxiety. The moment I’m away from them and in my room alone, my anxious thoughts come full force and hit me like a brick wall. 

            Obviously it’s impossible to spend your entire life surrounded by other people (and you’d probably go crazy if you’re an introvert like me), but spending as much time as you can handle talking to people you enjoy really helps elevate your mood and distract your mind.

            Talking on the phone is low commitment because if you feel like you really just want to be alone, then you can say you have to go and hang up the phone. In the moment, having someone to talk back and forth with is comforting because they’re giving you their full attention and you can even choose to vent to them about whatever is bothering you.

            Of course physically being with someone feels a lot better because they can read your facial expressions and even be able to offer you a hug. For me, my person who always calms me down is my mom. When I’m really really anxious, I’ll just go sit in the living room with her and watch TV. Every time I do this she looks at me like a stranger who just walked into her house because I normally sit in my room and avoid human interaction at night. But we can sit in complete silence and her presence naturally calms me down. If you have someone in your life who plays this role for you, then I’d recommend you stay around them as often as possible. 

5. Light a candle, wrap yourself in a blanket, and watch a video 

            If all else fails, I support and encourage you to just admit defeat and wrap yourself into a human burrito and hibernate for as long as necessary. It’s sometimes the most effective remedy for a broken heart or an anxious mind or even just a bad day. 

            Step 1: light a candle. Or two. Or three. Four might be pushing it. I am a candle hoarder. I’ll admit it. Candles make me so happy and I think I’ve figured out why I love them so much. For starters, they make any room automatically smell delicious. But I also recently noticed that the way a candle flickers mimics a heart beat. If you stare at a flickering candle when you’re anxious and your heart is pounding, it can help (at least it does for me) regulate your heart beat by kind of mimicking the flicker. If that makes sense…

            Step 2: wrap yourself in a blanket. Any one will do. Fuzzy ones are appreciated. Ones that are twice the size of your body are even better. The goal is to become the rice and beans of a good burrito. Blankets burritos feel like human contact. When you feel anxious, sad, overwhelmed, or just down in the dumps, getting a hug from a giant tortilla wrap makes you automatically feel better. If you get sweaty, crack open a window. But do not leave the human burrito blanket until you feel ready to. If you never do, then so be it. The world can wait until you feel good and ready to go participate in it.

            Step 3: This step has various options. I personally always go for a YouTube video from a vlogger that I enjoy. The familiar face and voice is very comforting and helps me feel better. You can also go with a good Netflix TV show or even a movie. A stand up comedy act is a great way to force yourself to laugh when you can barely manage to crack a smile. The key is to watch anything with audio and visual content to temporarily distract your mind and racing thoughts. Allow yourself to get lost in the video. The best way to shut your negative thoughts is to just run from them. (That’s terrible advice, don’t run from your problems like I do).

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            I hope you enjoyed these little tips and plan to use them right now or the next time you’re feeling under the weather! (Although I hope you don’t feel that often).

            If you have any other tricks that I didn’t mention then feel free to share in the comments! I’d love to hear some different ideas. 

            I also hope that whatever you are going through that is bringing you any feelings of negativity, anxiety, or sadness is only temporary and that you are strong enough to overcome them and see the light at the end of the tunnel.

            Thanks for reading and enjoy your week!