Ireland: A Concise History by Máire and Connor Cruise O'Brien

Good morning folks!

A few days ago, I had quite a long train journey home (all of my trains were late and I missed two of them because of that), so I decided to finish my book about Irish history. I am a sucker for Ireland and, I have to admit, also for history (my parents both studied history, maybe that had an impact on me after all). I wrote a review on Goodreads and decided to put it up on here as well. 

A Concise History of Ireland by Conor Cruise O'Brien
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"This looked promising, but ended in a double catastrophe."

I enjoyed this book, I really did. I have to admit, though, that it was a bit hard to read at first. There is so much information about everything that it is hard to keep up. Of course, this is a concise history of Ireland, it was meant to be a lot. However, this "a lot" turned into too many names, places, and situations that weren't always properly explained. For example, the story of St. Patrick which is such an integral part of Irish history (it's called St. Patrick's Day for a reason) was almost completely left out and just the results of his actions were mentioned. Once it got closer to the 19th/20th century, it improved considerably. There was still a great amount of input but it was explained better, perhaps because it is closer to today. A good example of this would be the Easter Rising which the authors structured and elucidated clearly. Upon reaching the last stage of this book, the partition problems, and the ensuing Civil War (The Troubles), I did not want it to end. This was one of the most interesting and also, naturally, the most recent and topical parts. The Battle of the Bogside could have been elaborated on a bit more, but since all the events leading up to it were cleared up nicely, that was not a problem.
Two more things about the O'Brien's book are, first of all, some hilarious passages that mitigate the dire circumstances at least a little bit. Secondly, and more importantly, the edition of my book was published in 1997, meaning the Civil War hadn't been resolved yet at the time. Nowadays, the Good Friday Agreement (1998) is in action which symbolised an end to the Troubles.
In conclusion, if you want to know more about the broad history of Ireland, sprinkled in with a few amusing phrases, this is the right book for you. Nevertheless, I already had a bit of knowledge about Irish history which helped me understand a few things better.

I hope you're having a good morning, day, evening, or night and remember that you are here, you are valid, and you will be okay ♥

Goodbye

magdalena

Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney

¡Hola folks!

Today I finished yet another Seamus Heaney Poetry Collection and thought I'd share my thoughts on Goodreads. I am a huge Seamus Heaney fan, and I even have the S of his initial in his handwriting tattooed on my wrist. Generally speaking, I am a sucker for poetry, especially Irish poetry, and Heaney is at the forefront of that.

Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"I rhyme to see myself, to set the darkness echoing." (Personal Helicon)

As always, Seamus Heaney's poems blew me away. Even though Death of a Naturalist is his first poetry collection, it is already marvellous. Heaney wrote these poems before The Troubles, which is noticeable in the themes he uses. They centre more around his childhood and his early adulthood, and he is often the focaliser. Nevertheless, this does not diminish the importance and greatness of his poetry. Whether we have poems like "Digging", which is about the differences between his father and himself, or "Mid-Term Break", one of his most emotional works about his brother's death, we have a clear image in mind, even if we can't relate. Just like every other collection, this one is filled with beautiful quotes, does not disappoint, and is worth a read.
My personal favourites are Digging, Mid-Term Break, Valediction, and Scaffolding.

I hope you're having a good morning, day, evening, or night and remember that you are here, you are valid, and you will be okay ♥

Au revoir,

magdalena

how to get more into reading

Bonjour folks!

Today's post will be about  b o o k s! I am an avid reader and I always have a book with me, wherever I go. However, it's hard to get in the reading mood sometimes. Over the years, I have accumulated a few things that make me want to pick up a book again!

1. read books you like, not because you feel like you have to

Oftentimes, we read a book because it's been lying around for some time or because it's a bestselling novel or an overrated classic (hello Hemingway). In this case, reading feels like an obligation which will discourage you from keeping up with it. Luckily, there is no need to read boring books or books you're simply not interested in. Try to find your style of books. It will probably be similar to the movies and shows you enjoy. When you've found a book you're really into, you don't even want to stop reading because you're so invested in the story.

I am aware that especially students often have to read books they don't care about at all. This is something that most people just have to go through and there's no way around it.

2. find your genre 

As I have already mentioned, your preferred genre is most likely going to be similar to the movies and shows you watch or simply the kind of stories you enjoy. If you like romantic comedies, you might consider reading romantic books. If you want to escape reality, fantasy or even young adult novels could be your thing. The real world is good enough for you? Try non-fictional books or perhaps even biographies. There is no end to all the stories people have to tell, you just have to find the right ones for you!

3. maybe start with audiobooks?

You love the stories but you simply lack the time to read? Start with audiobooks! You can listen to them while doing chores, on the bus, or even whilst driving. Moreover, a lot of audiobooks are read by voice-actors who try their hardest to convey the emotions behind every line. It is easy to immerse yourself in the world of the book. Audible is a great app for audiobooks and Spotify has a few very good ones, too!

4. read a short book first, and then read longer ones

Books that have more than 400 pages scare you? No need to read those then! There is a myriad of books on the market that have 200 pages or even less and they're still marvellous. You do not have to force yourself to read 1000-page-long book just so you've read it (see 1). Once you've managed to read a few shorter books, you can venture out into the realm of longer books. It won't be as hard and upon a finding a story you love, no one will be able to get you away from your book.

5. take it with you and read when you have to wait

If you're going out and you know you'll have to wait for some time, why not take a book with you? It's an alternative to the endless scrolling through Instagram and Twitter and it's more rewarding, too. Once you've taken it with you, you don't want the weight to have been in vain. Furthermore, you will be so proud of yourself when you've been reading while out in the world. 

6. set aside some time for reading every day and read before bed

Setting aside a fixed time for reading every day will motivate you to sit down and do it. It can also be your time to calm down and relax for the day. 10 to 15 minutes are enough to get you hooked and maybe you will want to read even longer than this one day. This can be at any time of the day, whenever you like. Perhaps you can make it a ritual to read before you go to bed to detox and let go of the day. Reading poetry before bed has benefitted me a lot because, after a stressful day, it helped reshift my focus onto something completely different.

7. wanna watch a show/movie? check if there's a book! impress your pals with insider information and stay motivated because you want to watch the show!!!

Most movies/shows are based on a book or a real story that has been written down and turned into a book. Take for example Game of Thrones, Orange is the new Black or The Hunger Games, all of which books that have been turned into movies or shows. The majority of books contain more information than their counter-screen part and are a lot more detailed. You can also stay motivated because the show or the movie series you're currently into hasn't finished yet but you desperately want to know what happens. Well, the books are there for you!

8. you don't necessarily have to buy a book if you don't have the money, get a library card or borrow books from your friends

Sometimes, money is tight and books are the last thing on your mind when you'd rather get food on the table. Fortunately, there is a way around always paying the full price for a piece of literature. Most towns have public libraries where you can easily access a plethora of different books without paying a dime. Ask your friends if they can lend you their books. If you do have a bit of spare money, consider buying used books.

9. books can be written into and used!!!

A book is not something sacred. It can be used, written into, highlighted, annotated, bent, heck, even broken. If there's a passage you adore, go ahead and highlight or take notes and put a sticky note on the page. Whatever you wanna do, please do so! Preferably only when the book belongs to you, of course. Your book can be as much a piece of art as any painting.

10. RECOMMENDATIONS

Oh my, I have so many recommendations. I'll categorize them.

Fiction

• Action and adventure: The Lost World (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
• Chick lit: The Last Piece Of My Heart (Paige Toon)                 
• Children's: BFG (Roald Dahl)         
• Classic: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce)             
• Coming-of-age: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
• Crime: A Caribbean Mystery (Agatha Christie)          
• Drama: Brooklyn (Colm Tóibín)  
• Fairytale: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Caroll)          
• Fantasy: The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)                 
• Graphic novel: The Walking Dead (Robert Kirkman)                      
• Horror: Carrie (Stephen King)
• LGBTQ+: Carry On (Rainbow Rowell)
• Mystery: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
• Paranormal romance: Obsidian (Jennifer L. Armentrout)                 
• Poetry: The Sun And Her Flowers (Rupi Kaur)                           
• Romance: Me Before You (JoJo Moyes)                    
• Science fiction: The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien)       
• Short story: Birthday Girl (Haruki Murakami)
• Thriller: The Final Girls (Riley Sager)
• Young adult: The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas)

Non-Fiction

• Autobiography: Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)
• Guide: The Zombie Survival Guide (Max Brooks)
• Memoir: A Streetcat Named Bob (James Bowen)
• Self-help: The Four Agreements (don Miguel Ruiz)
• Travel: Lonely Planet
• True crime: Columbine (Dave Cullen)

(source for book categories https://reference.yourdictionary.com/books-literature/different-types-of-books.html)

And that's it! Those are my tips on how to get more into reading. I hope they are of help to you. 

Last but not least, I would like to commemorate Toni Morrison who passed away today at the age of 88. She was an African-American author who dedicated her life to writing about racial problems and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. In "The Bluest Eye" she wrote:

"He does not see her, because for him there is nothing to see."

a line that has been with ever since I read it. Thank you, Toni, we will never forget what you have done for the world and the world of literature. May you rest in peace.

Bonne nuit,

magdalena

Is everybody a morning person?

Salut folks!

To answer the headline question: no, not everybody is a morning person. And you don't have to be one if you're not. Really. 

In German, we have that saying "Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm." literally translated to "The early bird catches the worm.". This might as well be true for birds but not for humans, at least not for all of them. 

Alas, it's what I've been told ever since I was a child. And like every good kid, I rebelled against this by sleeping in as often as I could. That means every weekend, every holiday and on every break. Why would I want to get up early anyway? There's nothing I can do in the morning I can't do at night or during the night. Moreover, I needed my beauty sleep.

Unfortunately, younger me did not know that she's actually an early riser and not a night owl. Well, I can't change my behaviour from back then but I have since improved my habits. I usually get up at around 5:30am but definitely always before 7am. Every day, whether I have to or not doesn't matter. I am way more productive in the morning than at night, or at least when it's still light outside. 

The important thing is that this is my way of starting the day. It is not necessarily your way. I get shit done more easily when it's seriously early. Thus, I also go to bed rather early, at around 11pm. Another bonus is that I don't require much sleep. Six hours are sufficient for my needs, as I am more tired throughout the day when I sleep a lot more than that. It is basically how I use my "prime time" to make the most of the day.

On the other hand, take my father or my brother. When my dad was a student at university, he wrote his entire dissertation in the middle of the night. He's still successful even though he is the complete opposite of a morning person. My brother, who is still in school, works on all his presentations at night and then gets up at 2pm the next day. In the end, it doesn't affect his grades. 

The salient point is that it works for them. They do well at school and excel in their profession. 

I've been talking about this with a few friends lately and they were all envious of my wont. Now, there is really no point to that. I told all of them that this is simply what works for me. 

Perhaps, it works for them, too. I think the only way to know for sure what suits you best is to try it. Try to wake up really early for a few days in a row and see how it affects your stamina, your school/college/job performance and you in general. If you do and feel better by rising sooner than usual, maybe you are an early riser. Someone who transcends in the morning. However, if you feel drained, tired and not productive at all, then you are most likely more suited to be a night owl.

Both attributes are absolutely okay and don't make you a better or worse person at the end of the day. You don't have to force one or the other on you, this will not help. Instead of trying to modify our habits, we could adjust to them and make the best out of the time we have at our dispense. I know that, unfortunately, this won't be a possibility for everyone due to school or their job. But we can still make the best out of it. 

Not everybody is a morning person and that's good. That's marvellous because it demonstrates yet again how different we all are and how there's more than one way to excel. If that's at night for you or in the morning for me, doesn't matter. Let's all enjoy the early mornings and the late nights we have as much as we can and try our best. Always.

Adieu

magdalena