the book nest: issue one
DESCRIPTION
In this exciting first issue you'll find some amazing book photos, reviews of the latest releases as well as some old favourites, recipes and gifts based on this issues' theme: Tea Parties. Also included is an author interview with a rising star and several articles about Alice in Wonderland.TRANSCRIPT
Contents:
Contributors:
K.A. Beestone
A.E Moseley
K.A. Beestone
Grace McGowan
Chelsea M. Smith
A.E Moseley
Katja Murschel
M. Sykes
Saffyre Falkenberg
Qistina Tajuddin
Laburnum
Ejil
Grace McGowan
K.A. Beestone
Kat
Chelsea M. Smith
Angel
If you wish to submit artwork, fiction,
reviews etc. please contact:
or go to our tumblr page:
www.the-book-nest.tumblr.com
Introduction to The
Book Nest:
Here at The Book Nest, we’re firm
believers in the magic of books.
Over the last few years, we’ve seen
the booklr community grow as
quickly as our shelves, and we
wanted to use this chance to create
something we’ve never seen
before—a magazine especially for
readers.
This fanzine will showcase all the
amazing new books we discover, as
well as some old favourites. We
plan to bring you a whole host of
reviews and articles, as well as some
information on where to buy
amazing products based on the
adventures you read, coupled with
some stunning artwork by some
very talented and enthusiastic
artists.
Because enthusiasm is really at the
heart of this zine, we’d like to ask
you to join in by submitting the
things you’re proud of. Artwork,
shelfies, photography, fan doodles,
poems, fanfiction pieces—anything
you would like to see here in these
pages, so don’t hesitate to contact
us.
After all, this project wouldn’t
have been at all possible without
the imagination and passion of
some very dedicated booklrs. The
whole idea is to share the magic of
reading with others, as well as
highlighting some talents in the
booklr and writing community.
Our first issue’s theme is Tea
Parties, since it is currently
Spring, and it didn’t take us long
to start veering towards talks
about Alice in Wonderland.
There’s something about that
image of the Mad Hatter’s Tea
Party that sparked our interests.
Perhaps it was the stereotypical
obsession with tea, or maybe
there was something exciting in
the story itself; the chaos,
madness and eccentricities that
Carroll brought into the
Victorian world.
Either way, we hope you share
in our enthusiasm. Turn over the
page to fall into our own little
wonderland…
So have fun and please enjoy
this issue. – K.A. Beestone,
Editor
“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very
gravely, "and go on till you come to the end:
then stop.”
Synopsis: On an ordinary summer’s afternoon,
Alice tumbles down a hole and an
extraordinary adventure begins. In a strange
world with even stranger characters, she
meets a grinning cat and a rabbit with a
pocket-watch, joins a mad tea-party and plays
croquet with the Queen! Lost in this fantasy
land, Alice finds herself growing more and
more curious by the minute…
This is a combined review of Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland and Through the
Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll and so both
books will be discussed.
I’m a late-comer to the world of
Alice; I remember seeing the
Disney animated version when I
was small and it scared me
senseless and something about
that experience held me back
from ever picking up the books.
Then last year, during the 150th
anniversary celebrations, I
decided to find out what I was
missing out on. I got both books
as beautifully illustrated 150th
anniversary special editions and
they didn’t take long to read.
Although I can’t honestly say they
didn’t make me feel unsettled at
times, they were a world away
from the dissonant, nightmarish
memories I had of the story. The
combination of language play,
nonsense, and Alice’s vexation
with it all made them extremely
enjoyable to read.
Within the ‘classics’ of
children’s literature Alice’s
Adventures in
Wonderland holds a strong
(if not arguably prime)
position, but I honestly can’t
imagine sharing this story
through reading aloud or
recommending it to a child. I
know enough about the
reading habits and
preferences of the children
in my life at least to be able
to say with some confidence
that they would NOT enjoy
this book. Which is not to say
I don’t think it’s a very good
book, because I do, I’d give it
a solid 3/3,5 star rating-but
that’s from ME, a 21 year old
who read these books for
the first time when she was
20.
Children’s books a world away from
adult fiction written (mostly) for, by,
and about adults. Children’s fiction is a
lot less straightforward, it is usually
written by an adult, for an intended
audience of children which usually
turns into (in the case of me and Alice’s
Adventures… or Harry Potter or Brown
Girl Dreaming etc etc) an actual
audience of adults, children’s books
can be about children, but also about
animals or adults. It’s complicated. It’s
WEIRD. Not to mention that adults
usually decide on the canon and shape
the popularity of children’s books
when A) parents choose and buy
books for their children, B) a group of
adult judges decides on which
children’s books merit awards, or C) a
group of adults decide on a selection
of children’s books from which
children choose award winners. If you
think our idea of the 'canon’ for
adults is weird, the canon of
children’s literature is just as strange.
NOW TO A MORE PRESSING
QUESTION:
“WHO ARE YOU?” SAID THE
CATERPILLAR.
One of the things I LOVED about
Alice’s Adventures… and Through the
Looking Glass was the constant
manipulation of identity undergone
by Alice. The White Rabbit mistakes
her for Mary Ann, a pigeon mistakes
her for a serpent. In the Looking Glass
world, the Red Queen takes her to be
a volcano, the flowers in the garden
see her as a fellow flower, the Sheep
doesn’t know whether she is a child
or a teetotum, a fawn forgets that
Alice is a human child, even Alice
herself questions whether she hasn’t
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll Publisher: MacMillan Children’s Books Release Date: February 5th 2015 Genre: Children’s, Classics, Fantasy Rating: 3/3.5 Stars
turned into her poorer and
less clever acquaintance Mabel.
Each new imagining of Alice’s
identity prompts us to think
whether identity lies in our name
or in nomenclature, in our
physical appearance, in what
characteristics we share with
others, in what we eat (as in the
case of the pigeon saying little
girls must be 'a kind of serpent’ if
they eat eggs), in what we can or
can’t remember, in what we
know, in what we understand,
and on and on and on until you
become sure identity must be as
much nonsense as the thoughts
the characters in the book voice
on it.
After reading them both, I can say
that I enjoyed the stories and that
they gave me a lot to think about.
I was following the hype for this book
pretty closely since the end of 2015.
I’d read both of Ruta Sepetys’s other
novels Between Shades of
Gray and Out of the Easy and really
enjoyed them (well, maybe enjoyed
isn’t the right word, but I certainly
found them engrossing and brilliant),
particularly Between Shades of
Gray. Salt to the Sea is in the same
vein as Between Shades of Gray, it is
harrowing but beautifully and
fantastically written. I found most
nights if I was reading it I had to put it
down even though I desperately
wanted to finish it and find out what
happened. I found it very distressing
to read, especially before bed, but as
with Sepetys’s first novel I found
myself repeatedly thinking ‘why
didn’t I know about this? Why did no
one ever tell me about this? Why
wasn’t this covered when I studied
Europe 1918-1990?’
Sepetys has a unique storytelling
gift that brings historical fiction to
life; her characters are fantastic
and relatable and tragic, she
manages to draw four strong
portraits of different young people
without giving their own voices
more than a few pages at a time,
her pacing is relentless, and her
plot is wonderfully wrought and
flawlessly executed. Sepetys is firm
in her acknowledgement of the
impact of WWII on children and
young people, and her decision to
make YA historical fiction and four
young people the focus of this
book is a decision I admire and
appreciate.
If you’re looking for a book to
read next that will be un-put-
downable and leave a lasting
impression, this is it. Also I think
this book is particularly relevant to
our world today when so many
“Killers aren't always assassins. Sometimes, they don't
even have blood on their hands.”
Synopsis: It’s early 1945 and a group of people trek across
Germany, bound together by their desperation to reach the
ship that can take them away from the war-ravaged land. Four
young people, each haunted by their own dark secret, narrate
their unforgettable stories. Fans of The Book Thief or Helen
Dunmore's The Siege will be totally absorbed.
This inspirational novel is based on a true story from the
Second World War. When the German ship the Wilhelm
Gustloff was sunk in port in early 1945 it had over 9000 civilian
refugees, including children, on board. Nearly all were
drowned. Ruta Sepetys, acclaimed author of Between Shades
of Grey, brilliantly imagines their story.
Salt to the Sea by Rutya Sepetys Publisher: Philomel Books Release Date: February 2nd 2016 Genre: YA, Historical Fiction Rating: 5 Stars
refugees have again taken to the
sea fleeing war and many have
perished there due to
overcrowding, bad conditions,
and unsafe boats. This book is
historical fiction, but its content is
contemporary.
But while Red London is caught up
in the pageantry and thrills of the
Games, another London is coming
back to life, and those who were
thought to be forever gone have
returned. After all, a shadow that
was gone in the night reappears in
the morning, and so it seems Black
London has risen again-and so to
keep magic's balance, another
London must fall...
Almost a year ago I became
fascinated with the huge amount of
posts about V.E. Schwab’s first book
in this series, A Darker Shade of
Magic on Tumblr and went and
bought a copy. While I was impressed
and intrigued by the alternative
versions of London, it wasn’t a novel
that completely enchanted me.
So although I was curious
enough to buy the second
instalment, A Gathering of
Shadows, I wasn’t expecting
much besides another four-star
book. That being said, I like to
think I am the first person who
admits when they are wrong.
Which I can now say, having
spent several sleepless nights
making a strange choking noise
that is somewhere between a
laugh and a sob while staring at
my bookshelves wondering if I
will spend the foreseeable
future in a reading slump
thanks to this book, I am most
assuredly wrong. In truth, I
found AGoS beautiful and
ominous, sparking with magic
and potential.
There are many reasons for the jittery
excitement this book left me feeling (one
of them being the crazy amount of coffee I
drank to survive those nights of ‘one more
chapter syndrome’). Top of this list is the
return of Lila Bard, aka the awesome kick-
ass anti-heroine who has transformed
from thief to lovable pirate. Okay, so that’s
not a huge development, but the opening
scenes relating to her life on the high seas
are perhaps the most breath-taking of the
whole novel. Reading them, I could almost
taste the salt and the breeze as my heart
lodged somewhere in my throat. Not only
is the description in these scenes enough
to make you want to pick up a cutlass and
set sail immediately, it also reminds you
how brilliant Schwab is at character
development. Because even though
you’ve probably spent the time between
the first and second book releases reading
a whole pile of other novels, it only takes a
single page to remind you of Lila’s
character.
‘Everyone is immortal until they are not.’
Synopsis: Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell
into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with
Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane
twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland's dying body
through the rift, and into Black London.
In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy
is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and
having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous
magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared
from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London
finalizes preparations for the Element Games-an extravagant
international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep
healthy the ties between neighboring countries-a certain pirate
ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.
Which, for the record, is the
apotheosis of strong female
characters. She’s fierce and
confident and yet infused with a
genuine undercurrent of
vulnerability that convinces you
to keep turning the page at 3am.
Sure, I love Kell too, but Lila’s
chapters are the ones I found
myself getting completely
mesmerised by. The back and
forth we see between Lila and
Kell, as well as newcomer
Alucard, is pure comedy gold.
More than once I found myself
trying to smother a pique of
giggles in my local café, while
nearby caffeine consumers
wondered if I had relinquished
my grip on my sanity. But
honestly, I will give anyone who
can resist laughing at some of the
lines in this novel a whole plate
of cookies.
Okay, fangirl rant over. Beyond
the impressive character
development and quips we see
throughout this novel there’s the
obvious imagination that has
gone into creating the four
different Londons we’ve already
seen in ADSoM. This time we
spend most of the novel in Kell’s
Red London, but there’s still the
odd shift and some very
intriguing events unfolding in
other Londons, which will play a
major role in the next book of the
series. The whole book
concentrates on the Element
Games, a kind of Olympics for
magicians to show off, so you can
expect a load of intricate
knowledge on magic in this one
that we haven’t already had
explained.
While the scenes revolving
around the games are good, I did
find the repetition of Kell and
Rhy’s bond a little tedious.
It’s easy to see why Schwab
keeps referring to it, and there’s
no doubt it is going to continue
to be a challenge for both
‘brothers’ but constantly being
reminded that Rhy is now
sharing Kell’s pain and
vice-versa gets old rather
quickly. But maybe it was just
my disappointment at seeing the
two characters and their
relationship being narrowed
down to this bond. After all, Kell
was a major selling point of the
first novel. I was keen on
learning more about his magic,
since he is now supposed to be
the only ‘traveller’ left in
Schwab’s worlds, and yet we
don’t really see much of his
character except as a moody
killjoy for most of the novel. It’s
a shame, but I’m still holding out
hope we might see some more
development of his character in
the future. Many of his scenes
are still enthralling (there were
lots of moments when I was
clapping my hands with glee like
a little kid being given cake) and
it is reeeeaaalllyyy difficult not
to pity him at times for how he’s
treated, but he does pale in
comparison against the bright
flame of Lila.
Plot-wise at times it can seem
a slow burner, more of an uphill
climb of a rollercoaster, but right
towards the last quarter of the
book we are dropped into a
whole host of events speeding
towards us. It is fair to say that
AGoS focuses more on world-
building, character development
and flawless descriptions rather
than plot though, and that
means it isn’t for everyone.
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E.
Schwab
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: 23rd February 2016
Genre: Fantasy, Adult, YA
Rating: 5 stars
However, if you loved the first
novel, I strongly suggest you
stick with it because chances
are the third will be action-
packed and jaw-droppingly
good. The last quarter of this
book had me not only on the
edge of my seat but falling off
it, so I do hope readers will stick
with it. If only so I have some
people to share my pain.
Because, dear reader, there is a
whole torrent of mixed feelings
in those last one hundred pages
or so.
At this moment, I have no
words to describe how I am
feeling about this book.
Someone really needs to send
help, because there is a
possibility that I am dying.
Schwab has pretty much
reached into my chest and
crushed my heart with all the
feels. My only consolation is
that I have tricked a poor
innocent friend of mine into
reading this series, meaning
that she too will soon be curled
up in a foetal position making
those laugh-sob noises and
counting down the days to the
next instalment.
“But I don’t know where to start!” Ever hear that one? For aspiring comic readers, finding the perfect starting point is about as hard as finding actual music on MTV. It’s exponentially more difficult if you want to jump into a Marvel or DC.
Luckily, there are regular starting places for even the most novice of readers. One of the best places for a beginner is one of Marvel’s hottest current titles, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.
Squirrel Girl was created in 1991 by writer Will Murray and legendary comic artist Steve Ditko. In her original appearance (Marvel Superheroes, Vol. 2, #8, Winter Special), Squirrel Girl (aka Doreen Green) is like many teenaged girls: full of passion and fashion choices she may or may not regret later in life. In short time, she manages to save her hero, Iron Man, from Doctor Doom using the power of—you guessed it—squirrels. Since that fateful appearance, Doreen’s victories have included other big bads such as MODOK and Thanos, sometimes as part of the Great Lakes Avengers, sometimes alone. Unlike the victories of many other heroes, not one of Squirrel Girl’s triumphs was retconned, making her the most powerful hero in the Marvel universe.
After years of being one of Marvel’s beloved but obscure heroes, Squirrel Girl finally got her own series in 2015, written by Ryan North and illustrated by Erica Henderson.
After fight off the baddies and, for a brief stint, nannying superbabies, Doreen decides it’s time to go to college to earn her degree in computer science. Of course, nothing’s ever as simple as it seems, and Doreen must learn how to balance her heroism and a secret identity with her rigorous school schedule. But, armed with a set of meta playing cards provided by Deadpool and her squirrely sidekick, Doreen has everything under control. Ryan North’s snappy writing paired
with Erica Henderson’s simple, Archie-
like art style create a charming, easy-
to-read monthly adventure for all
ages. You want a strong female
protagonist? Doreen literally saves
the world with the combined powers
of squirrels, friendship, and protein-
packed nuts. Diversity?
Take one look at her crew: The cat-loving, yarn-happy Nancy, Koi boy and (oh so hunky) Chipmunk Hunk. Got a thing for humor? You’re reading a comic about a rodent-themed super hero set against a backdrop with puns and meta call-outs on every page. Hard to find more humor anywhere. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is so popular with audiences, it received two #1 issues in 2015: one in January, one in October. Either one is a great starting point, so what are you waiting for? In the words of Squirrel Girl, it’s time to “eat nuts and kick butts!”
Alice in Wonderland and her
continuing adventures in Through the
Looking Glass are classic books thick
with hidden politics and genuine
bizarreness. Alice’s adventures have
been made into multiple movies
(some safe for kids and some very
much not), musicals, puzzles and
games, and has launched a variety of
spin-off books, quite a few of which
have become bestsellers.
It’s a story that simply doesn’t
die, despite being 151 years old (2015
marked the 150th anniversary of the
book). A new Alice movie is coming
out this year in May and recently the
Splintered series, which is a modern
take on Wonderland released a follow
up book of novellas. Love it or hate it,
Alice in Wonderland grabs on to you
and doesn’t let go.
Why is that?
The history lover in me is
quick to point out that if you’re
familiar with British history, especially
history during the time the book was
first written, the books become
something so much more than just a
far out tale. They give you a slice of
history from a very unusual
perspective. By now most of us know
the Mad Hatter was actually not so far
off of real hatters. Due to the high
doses of mercury they worked with,
over time many hatters became
unhinged. By making an iconic
character, Carroll slips in commentary
on the dangerous working conditions
of the working class.
It can be argued that the
Queen of Hearts, one of the most
iconic figures of all, is a portrayal
of the brutal monarchies that ate
away at England from time to
time. In each case it took a person
(or many people) like Alice,
idealistic and curious, to challenge
the monarchies and sometimes to
bloody ends.
The fact that Carroll, a
pseudonym for Charles Lutwidge
Dodgson, chose to put such heavy
politics into a children’s book
leads to a lot of questions. Those
questions become more and more
conspiracy theory like when you
take into account that Dodgson
took on the famous Lewis Carroll
moniker to publish the book. Was
his commentary so hard hitting
that he felt like he needed to
protect himself?
But not everyone is a
fan of history like me or into
book theories. And honestly it
took me years to read the
books and realize how much
history was packed in there. A
timeless tale doesn’t become
so by being appealing to only
one group.
Apparently weirdness is
a highly appealing trait. Alice’s
bizarre encounters made me
love the book and pick up the
second. You see, nothing like
Wonderland can or will ever
happen in real life. Yet, despite
how bizarre everything is, this
story is so familiar.
Everyone in life
encounters someone like the
Queen of Hearts. Sometimes it
takes a long time for us to
stand up for ourselves or others
and to say enough is enough.
Sometimes we encounter a
person like the Mad Hatter, and
we have to learn to be patient,
to listen, and to realize that the
stories others tell us are
important to them, and deserve
respect. Sometimes we meet,
or become, the White Rabbit.
Running to and fro, constantly
worried about will we be on
time because heaven forbid we
are late to a very important
thing.
Personally, I think that he just
wanted a name that everyone could
remember, and Charles Lutwidge
Dogson is a mouthful even for the
most articulate of us (or maybe that’s
just me).
For the history lover, it’s easy
to see the appeal. There’s plenty of
controversy over the politics behind
the book, and for book theorists, Alice
in Wonderland is a goldmine. The
questions range from if the political
themes are intentional to if Carroll
was on drugs while writing it, and just
about everything in between.
This makes Alice an iconic
heroine. She’s a young girl that
grows tremendously, not just
physically, but inwardly as well.
She starts off naïve, unsure of
herself and her surroundings,
fearful and willing to give up.
Challenge after bizarre challenge
she uses her curiosity to help her
overcome. Sometimes it gets her
into trouble (such as when she’s
swimming with the animals in the
pool of tears and deeply offends
the mouse). But it often times
helps her find the courage to go on
and find a solution.
By the end of the book,
Alice has made choices for herself
for the first time in her life,
accepted responsibility for said
choices, stood up to a cruel Queen,
and saved herself and various
critters. To top it all off, she gets
home safely. Although it was a
dream, she realizes that she
learned something from that
dream and decides to keep those
memories and lessons with her.
And she does as we can see from
the sequel Through the Looking
Glass.
Alice’s stories are iconic for a
number of reasons, the biggest
being that they speak to the heart.
We might never experience the
bizarreness of a disappearing
grinning cat, but we experience our
own oddities every day. We can
take a lot of strength from Alice.
No matter how overwhelming the
situation was, no matter how
bizarre her life got, she used what
she had on hand, the very things
her sister reprimanded her for, to
save herself.
I think it’s important for all of
us to have a little Alice in
ourselves. It’s good to be
curious, and curiosity can lead
to many wonderful things.
When life drops us down the
rabbit hole, it’s curiosity that
will give us courage and help
us carve our own path.
Yeah, try giving a definition for
all the words Carroll coined in
The Jabberwocky…
We don’t know, but we’re not sure
if we want to find out.
Poor Father William gets a roasting…
The Walrus and the Carpenter is perhaps Carroll’s most recognized
poem, referenced in The Beatles’
song I Am The Walrus.
When her mother’s mental health gets worse, she knows she has to save her family and goes down the rabbit hole herself. But the real Wonderland is much different from the fictional, much darker and way more twisted. She has to pass several tests, like waking the sleeping tea party. Help comes from Morpheus, her attractive but mysterious guide to Wonderland, and from her best friend and secret crush Jeb.
General: I still haven’t read the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, but after this book, I am more than determined to read it. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes their stories dark. I liked: The writing style was
really great. It underlined the
fast pace of the book very well
and I had no problems
understanding anything. The
protagonist Alyssa is a badass.
“No one knows what he or she
is capable of until things are at
their darkest.”
Synopsis: Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
Favourite quotes:
- I've been collecting bugs since I was ten; it's the only way I can stop their whispers. Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick.
- Sometimes a flame must level a forest to ash before new growth can begin.
- For that is the essence of a soul. Hopes and dreams and love.
Splintered by A.G. Howard
Publisher: Henry N. Abrams
Release Date: 18th February 2014
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4 stars
She would do anything to save her family. I also love that you’re not sure who really is the villain in this book and how the author plays with it, giving hints towards who it is and who is not, but never really stating it. And since I am a big fan of anything dark and twisted, I already fell in love with the book by the first sentence.
The permanent switching between two guys. Especially since I really don’t like one of the guys. I have been annoyed with him from the beginning of the book. Plus there was sometimes just too much drama. There weren’t really any breaks between the events, it was probably a bit too fast paced. I didn’t like: The love
triangle. Though I have to
admit that I’m not really a
fan of love triangles.
First gather your ingredients: 2 cups of flour (grams
1/4 teaspoon of salt (grams (about the bottom of your palm)
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of butter
1/2 cup of white sugar
Spring. A time of new beginnings and nature. A time often associated with tea and tea parties. Speaking of tea and tea parties, this month's theme is tea parties. That is why this month's recipe (er, recipes) is a Scotch Shortbread Cookie with a tea recommendation of Green Jasmine Tea. I suppose you could go to your local grocery store or market and find all the spices to make Green Jasmine Tea but you could just as soon grab a Green Jasmine Tea tea bag and make your tea that way. I'm not really a tea person but this is the one tea that even I will drink so that says something about the tastiness of the tea.
Now on to the cookie recipe. I found the recipe I'm providing on allrecipes.: thhcom, submitted by user LindaK. This is a very tasty yet surprisingly simple recipe. It should take about fifteen minutes to prepare and another ten to fifteen to cook.
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees
Celsius).
2. Next, put the flour, salt, and baking powder together in bowl
and mix together. Grab another bowl and mix the butter and
sugar together (it helps if the butter is at least room
temperature or slightly hotter. It should not be completely
melted) until it is light and fluffy. Start to add dry ingredients
to the bowl with the sugar and butter and stir in.
3. Roll out dough on counter until it's about 1/4 of an inch
thick. Take any kind of cookie cutters and cut the dough out.
When there isn't any more room to cut cookies out of but
still dough, take the leftover dough, smash together, and roll
out 1/4 of an inch thick and repeat steps. Lay the cut out
cookies on a cookie sheet and put into the now heated oven.
4. This is the part where most recipes would give you an exact
time for how long they should cook and I guess that's fine
but here's the thing: everyone's oven is different. There are
two main types of ovens, convection and gas ovens. They
both cook slightly differently. So you can risk cooking your
cookies for ten to fifteen minutes (which is about the time it
should take) or you can check on the cookies every five
minutes. Never, never leave the kitchen when something is
in the oven. Following that logic, it shouldn't be that hard to
check on the cookies every five minutes.
5. Pull out the cookies, brew some tea, and cuddle up with a
cat and this month's book recommendations.
More than that, different
characters in these stories fulfill
different jobs in the forms of
archetypes.
where does little Alice Liddel fit in
to this grand scheme? Quite simply
put, she is a child. The child
archetype is usually the innocent,
the one in need of care or
protection and, in many characters,
a resisting force to the burden and
responsibility of growing up or
letting go. In many stories, the child
archetype represents hope or
rebirth. Many people can associate
with these archetypes as
personality types. The relatability
of these archetypes can help to
explain why we find certain
characters so compelling: because
they’re like us.
So Jung’s child archetype takes
many forms, the most common of
which include:
This is the child was hurt at a young age or simply born hurting, unhappy, and unable to let go of pain, often making a point of helping those who share their pain. Think Harry Potter.
This is the child with a strong
connection to nature, plants, and animals. Think Dickon from The Secret Garden.
This is the perpetually innocent
child, often with a divine purpose or mission. This archetype can apply to significant religious figures across the world such as Jesus, Moses, Krishna, or Buddha.
This is the child who refuses to grow up. Perhaps the best example would be Peter Pan.
This child feels out of place even in their own family, and struggles to find a place to belong. Think the Ugly Duckling or Cinderella.
This is the child who seeks out the magic, hope, and beauty in all things. Think Lucy in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Stories are what make us
human. More than that, they
connect us. Why is it that we
can hear a trickster story from
Ghana and compare it to
Navajo or Scandinavian
folklore? Why does the threat
of an evil overlord or the plight
of a young orphan pervade so
many mythologies around the
world? Because, on a deep
level, they all come from the
same place.
So, Alice Liddel is a child,
but which child?
Certainly not the
wounded or orphan
child, and while Tim
Burton’s recent
adaptation of her
adventures might
suggest she is a divine
child with great purpose,
Carrol’s text very clearly
sets her adventures in
both Wonderland and
the Looking Glass as
dreams. Though Alice
does not evidently grow
up during the course of
her adventures, she
does not display any
resistance to doing so,
which makes her a poor
choice for the eternal
child.
According to Swiss
psychologist Carl
Jung, this may be
because we as
humans share a
collective
unconsciousness.
In the simplest
possible terms,
Jung believes it is
this shared
consciousness
that inspires our
myths and stories.
worlds of her own, which she explores
enthusiastically. While Carrol’s clever
satire and demonstration of logical
fallacy lends the fiction an undeniable
Nor does she demonstrate any particular
bond with nature. This leaves the
magical child.
draw, it is the magic that the reader
remembers; the curious little girl who
forgets her rhymes and chases after
white rabbits. Not only does she create
her own magical world, she awakes in
the reader their own innate desire to
explore one, as well. As is stated by the
unicorn she meets during her adventure:
“Well, now that we have seen each
other…if you'll believe in me, I'll believe
in you.”
Alice’s adventures are her own
dreams, so she not only seeks
fantasy but she creates vast
nonsense.
And the reader will, if only for the
moment. Alice unlocks the reader’s
inherent sense of wonder, reminding
them of their childhood fancies.
There’s a reason a young protagonist
remains well-loved and adapted
worldwide, from the recent Tim
Burton films to Japanese manga
based on the story. Alice was
inspired by a real girl, whom Lewis
knew. Beyond the stories, these
archetypes are touchstones that
people can also relate to. Readers
respond to Alice because, at some
point in their lives, they have known
an Alice. Maybe they are an Alice.
Regardless of where they’re from,
humans recognize Alice’s charm and
innocence and respond to her as
someone they have always known; a
dreamer and an innocent.
According to Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, this
Why I loved Angelfall: As soon as I was a few pages in, I couldn’t put it down again. It has become one of my favourite reads. Set in a dystopian present where angels came down from heaven, we follow Penryn Young on a quest to get her family back together. The angels, vicious and violent, have killed most of the human race and burned down cities. When Penryn’s sister is kidnapped by angels, she is left with a crazy mother and a wounded Angel named Raffe. Together they go on a hunt for Paige, Penryn’s sister, and they discover dark secrets which the angels have hidden away for so long.
The book is fast paced and the main focus lies on a girl trying to rescue her sister. Her abilities are believable and what she does comes always from within herself. She’s not a heroin who’s special through her own wits and combat abilities. She’s not special because she’s one of a kind or the only one who could save the earth. She’s one of many who can, although she gets special help. This was really refreshing, especially in a genre where most heroes have some kind of special ability. The characters in the book are so diverse and different from each other and I can’t even say how much I loved Angelfall. Angelfall is the first book in a trilogy, followed by World After and End of Days. I can recommend this book to everyone! Seriously, read this trilogy. Such great books!
This issue’s spotlight author is the amazing S.K. Sophia, who is currently working on getting her psychological thriller Finding Elyssia published. We caught up with her for a chat about psychopaths, Buffy and assassins…
What is your favorite book that you've read in the last year? This has definitely been the year of comics for me. Right now, I’m fixated on Matt Fraction and David Aja’s “Hawkeye” series. I started it for Kate Bishop (sassy badass Hawkeye), but damn, Clint Barton is growing on me. There’s also a children’s book called “Paper Bag Princess.” It’s about a prince who gets kidnapped by a dragon and the princess has to save him. When she finally does, he turns out to be a douchebag. She calls him a bum. It’s great. So I saw on your website you're a big fan of Halsey (I am too), which song do you connect with, by her, the most? I adore Halsey. “Control” is the song I connect with most, without a doubt. There are certain parts that reach into my soul and punch it in the face. Repeatedly. In a good way.
Here are two of my favourite lines: “Goddamn right, you should be scared of me.” “I’m well acquainted with villains that live in my head. They beg me to write them so they’ll never die when I’m dead."
Who was your favorite character to write about in your book, Finding Elyssia? Elyssia was a thrill to write because she’s a cross between Jessica Jones (Alias), Robin Scherbatsky (HIMYM) and April Ludgate (Parks & Rec), some of my favourite fictional characters. But I have to say, my favourite was Noah. He’s so screwed up. I love it. I explore different sides of myself through my characters, and Noah definitely represents the side I tend to keep to myself. He’s an egocentric, cunning, delightful pain in the ass. It’s like we’re the same person!
What music would Elyssia Dawn listen to? Her taste shifts from aggressive and emotional to calm and creepy. You’ll find Chelsea Wolfe, Nine Inch Nails, Esben and the Witch, and Son Lux on her playlist. Pretty much anything that pumps her up enough to make the violence easier to swallow.
What motivated Elyssia Dawn to assault someone or was she framed? It’s complicated. I probably shouldn’t say anything. Okay, fine. Fighting was a fun thing for her, until the event that landed her in jail. I’ll speak no further. What should future readers of your books look forward to? A lighthearted but dark story. Every character is battling their own interior complexity, whether it’s a mental illness or unpleasant desire. One thing for sure -- they say what everyone else is thinking and it’s kind of liberating. Readers should prepare to be unsettled and have their minds’ blown.
What was your least favorite part to write in Finding Elyssia? I don’t recall a single part I didn’t enjoy writing. Finding Elyssia was written by request. I wrote a chapter and put it up on Figment, just to see if people would like my writing (because I didn’t) and it ended up getting a big response. People were asking for more chapters and so week-by-week I uploaded a new one. It ended up becoming a novel that way. Because of other people’s enthusiasm for it, it was hard to lose mine. There were times when writing the emotional scenes threw me off a little because of the way I write them (it’s a very strange and emotional process), but those scenes ended up getting the strongest reaction from fans.
What is your favorite writing project you've ever worked on? Evil question. Evil. Whatever I’m working on at a given time is my favourite project. I have to say though, I really liked Zedek, a series of short stories I wrote about a teenage assassin. It was brutal and so much fun to write. Zedek is kidnapped when she’s six years old and trained to be an assassin. At fourteen, she’s handed her first assignment -- to kill a man she later discovers to be the father she was stolen from. After this revelation, she runs away from her immoral life but of course, it chases her. She finds out the guy she murdered wasn’t her father. The man who kidnapped and trained her was. And he made her assassinate the real kidnapper who took her from her hospital crib. I hope that didn’t just confuse the hell out of you! Damn… Telling you about it is making me love it all over again.
One day, would you want to see Finding Elyssia turned into a movie? Yes. Hell yes. 100% YES. Visualization is a huge part of my writing process. I create stories in my head before they’re down on paper. I imagine what scenes would look like on screen and if it works, it’s getting written. When I first started writing in my teens, I wrote a lot of scripts too. I also love reading ‘em. I get bored easily, so I tend to enjoy reading comics and scripts more than actual novels, because I’m always so desperate to get to the dialogue and leave the rest to my imagination. I’m definitely going to pursue a movie-centric career at some point in the future. It’s inevitable.
If you could dye your hair any color, which color would you dye it? I’m a fan of pretty much every hair colour. I’m always doing mine with cheap red dyes, but hopefully one day I’ll do a really cool cherry colour. Or maybe I’ll get a dusty grey tint. The possibilities are endless.
What would you consider your biggest accomplishment? Starting my own business when I was 18. I ran it with my three best friends and it was the time of my life. We ran arts & crafts workshops in schools for under 11s, to build their confidence and creative skills. Second to that is printing off my first manuscript for Drastic Measures. A quirky “chick lit” I wrote about a woman who tries to change her fate after getting worrying predictions from a psychic. It’s pretty hilarious. I’ll give you an example. One of the predictions is that she’ll have an accident, so she walks around in excessive protective gear and it’s just wonderful and silly.
And finally, if you were to press a button and be transported into any fictional world, A) would you do it and B) which world would you choose? Hell yes, I’d do it. I’ve thought about this before. When I was a kid it was Pokemon. In my teenage years it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now, I realise how stressful those worlds would be so I’d choose something cute like New Girl where everything is sunshine and rainbows. I would absolutely love being a roommate in their loft! S.K. Sophia is the author of several
quirky gritty-witty books [a word
she coined herself]. Her current
novel, Finding Elyssia is an intense
psychological thriller with a quirky
overtone. It’s a story about
redemption, trust, and harsh
realities in a world where morals
are bent, lines are crossed, and
darkness is accepted.
In a world so monumentally
screwed up, how does a mentally
unhinged girl like Elyssia Dawn fit
modern society’s code? She’s an
ex-assault-convict with a sour
attitude, bitter heart, and lusty
resistance to boundaries. Her
family disowned her, her best
friend despises her, and she can’t
get a job.
Elyssia wants to prove that she’s
not the same rebel who inflicted
pain for pleasure, but finds it’s
more difficult than imagined after
befriending Noah Vaughn, a man
incapable of change. In a
desperate attempt to find herself,
Elyssia soon begins to lose herself
instead in Noah’s cozy world of
colorful madness.
You can visit her at
www.sksophia.com