Though we might not readily associate ghost stories with Christmas Eve and winter celebrations, it was actually a very common practice to tell scary tales during the 19th century and even earlier on than that. For a number of reasons, some of which can be cited back to Puritan ancestry, this story telling tradition fell out of practice in America. I, however, am a horror story buff, and I will look for any excuse to spin a scary yarn with friends and family. Here are five ghost stories to read on Christmas Eve. 1. A Christmas Carol …
Greek mythology has a very special place in western culture. We see it in architecture, in art, and in the stories that inspire us. Terminology like a person’s “Achille’s heel” is so commonly accepted in the English vernacular that we don’t often give it a second thought. This mythos is ever present, and it acts as a creative muse (pun intended) to writers everywhere, and when there are stories that showcase Greek mythology in new and fun ways, those stories should be shared and explored. Here are five stories that resonate with Greek mythology: 1. Circe image …
A list of poems about cats to get you ready for the book-of-poems-turned-musical-turned-nightmarish-film called Cats? Oh yes. For those not in the loop, the musical Cats was originally inspired by a short book of cat poems written by T.S. Eliot. Did actors and actresses walk around the stage wearing cat costumes? Yes. Has the musical become both a theatrical classic and a joke? You bet. And now, with the film premiering in the United States in but a few days, should we be ready for an uncanny valley nightmare? Yes. Am I still going to go watch it? …Yeah. Yeah, I am. And …
For the past eleven years, Goodreads has run an annual reader award, where book lovers can vote on their favorite books based on the categories: Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir & Autobiography, History & Autobiography, Science & Technology, Food & Cookbooks, Graphic Novels & Comics, Poetry, Debut Novel, Young Adult Fiction, Middle Grade & Children’s, and Picture Books. This definitely puts into perspective how much is published every single year, and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably excited to add twenty more books to your “to be read” list. …
I know, I know. This isn’t a popular opinion. After my list of reasons why people should read The Witcher before watching the Netflix adaptation of the books, it may also be an opinion not readily associated with me. However, I do, personally, believe that it is one hundred percent acceptable for folks to watch or play an adaptation before they read the story that it was based off of. Why is that? Well, there are a number of reasons. The first reason is that individuals might not even know that the book exists in the first place. Prior to first watching Howl’s …
