Hey Bewitched Bookworms!
My name is cutie.
Some of you may know me from my blog
Super Secret Twilight Blog (or SSTB for short)
where I pretty much blog about everything
but Twilight. Not to mention it’s not
much of a secret, truth be told.
I like irony.
What can I say?
As for my name, which inspires thoughts of tweeners,
I must admit I’m not sure how I acquired it.
You see, of all the things I am (and there are many things)
I’m not sure cute is one of them.
Need proof:
Definitely.
Loud?
For sure.
Fashionably challenged?
A definite.
Cute?
hmmm…*shakes head no*
But I embrace the name no less
and all the misconceptions that come with it.
*winks*
Just as I embrace my scatterbrained ways…
Annnyways, you aren’t here to listen to me babble on.
And I really, really want to share with you a few of my favorite tales.
If you haven’t already notice I have a tendency to ramble and I’m
pretty freaking random. I also have a love for the number 5.
I don’t know why, it’s just the way the cookie crumbles.
Knowing this about me, Danny has agreed to let me
jabber on about five of my favorite stories
twice a month here on Bewitched!
A curse or a blessing?
Time will tell.
cookbooks, YA novels, heroes who make me go swoon, and
leading ladies who have won my heart.
I’m always open to suggestions, so just shoot me an email at
supersecrettwilightblog@gmail.com if you have an idea for a theme.
Also, I’d loved to hear what you think of my picks.
This week’s theme was inspired by the very lovely, very smexy
One Pushy Fox, who asked me about a short story I recently read.
Thus this week’s theme:
Short Stories.
(I’m ground breaking, no?)
After all that, I do so solemnly swear to make this short but sweet.
Let us begin:
Salinger’s Nine Stories savoring each one.
I’ve read Franny and Zooey and Catcher in the Rye and adore them both.
Yet, I feel Nine Stories truly shows the strength of Salinger’s writing.
So far my two favorite tales are:
The Laughing Man
&
A Perfect Day for Bananafish
Both are heart wrenching, to say the least.
If you have never read Salinger, but have always wanted to,
I suggest picking up this novel first to see if he’s your cup of tea.
2. James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues
Set sometime between the 1930’s and 40’s,
Sonny’s Blues tells the tale of two brothers,
one the nameless narrator and the other Sonny.
Beautifully written and interwoven with the sounds of jazz,
Baldwin explores the challenges of drug addictions, the toll
it takes on ones family, and the act of forgiveness.
I highly recommend this story.
3. Stephan Crane’s The Open Boat
During an era when man believed he could completely
conquer and tame the world, bending it to his will,
Crane wrote this thought provoking short story
which was based upon a real life experience he had as a reporter.
By the end of this tale I was feeling the uncertainty
and desperation Crane was aiming for.
Does this story hold up in our modern times?
I totally think so.
4. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov’s
The Lady with the Little Dog
Set in Russia, Chekhov explodes the awaking of one man’s
bitter heart as he finds love for the first time in his life,
yet cannot escape the ties the bind him to his real life.
Note to Pushy: This tale is angsty, depressing, and has no clear cut ending.
However, it was a great read and I think well worth your time.
I know you are not a fan of affairs, nor am I.
This story, however, speaks of the decisions we make
based on our desires to fit in with society.
At least that’s my take. *winks*
5. Higuchi Ichiyo’s The Thirteenth Night
Outside of Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness
(an extremely heavy read that I think is worth looking at
BUT at your own risk…)
The Thirteenth Night might be the most depressing story I have ever read.
So why rec it?
Because it just might be the most beautifully written story I have ever read.
Lacking the dryness of Western writers of her time,
Ichiyo’s story is a journey of all five senses, which brings you the tale
of a woman stuck in a loveless marriage and pondering what could have been.
Bonus Read:
Breaking from the theme and in an effort to lighten things up,
my random pick of the week is the Percy Jackson series.
My good friend marie and I just read through them together.
And let me tell you they are AWESOME!
Make sure to join us all on Goodreads.
I update there pretty much daily
and would love to check out what your reading.
Happy Reading!!!
Until next time —
Latest posts by Danny (see all)
- INTENSITY by Sherrilyn Kenyon – Excerpt & Giveaway - September 8, 2017
- Locked in Temptation – Q&A withBrenda Jackson & Giveaway - August 4, 2017
- Locked in Temptation by Brenda Jackson – Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway - July 26, 2017
Sweetness cutie style post! I myself was never a big fan of short stories, I don't know why but normally I take a book also according to the page numbers, the more the better. I LOVE huge books! But when I have time and looking for something new, I'll give it a try! Oh and I freaking love Percy Jackson!, I started in the weekend and read the first one in 1 day! I'sure we going to review sweet little Percy for sure! Lovely and sweet post cutie!
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Sweetness cutie style post! I myself was never a big fan of short stories, I don't know why but normally I take a book also according to the page numbers, the more the better. I LOVE huge books! But when I have time and looking for something new, I'll give it a try! Oh and I freaking love Percy Jackson!, I started in the weekend and read the first one in 1 day! I'sure we going to review sweet little Percy for sure! Lovely and sweet post cutie!
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Thanks so much for these recommendations! I'm definitely looking forward to checking them out. 🙂
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Thanks so much for these recommendations! I'm definitely looking forward to checking them out. 🙂
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Wow! I'm LOVING this blog! I may have found a nice cozy place to cuddle up to here. I've been stuck on here for a while, just reading old posts.I read voraciously! I'm a total Twitard, but can't stop with just the favorites. The book that has become a more recent favorite is Graceling and its companion Fire by Kristin Cashore. LOVE these books!
Reply »
Wow! I'm LOVING this blog! I may have found a nice cozy place to cuddle up to here. I've been stuck on here for a while, just reading old posts.I read voraciously! I'm a total Twitard, but can't stop with just the favorites. The book that has become a more recent favorite is Graceling and its companion Fire by Kristin Cashore. LOVE these books!
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@StarlitViolets – Welcome!!! Graceling has been recommended to me a couple of times so I'm definitely going to have to check that out!
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@StarlitViolets – Welcome!!! Graceling has been recommended to me a couple of times so I'm definitely going to have to check that out!
Reply »