August 2021 Reading Wrap Up

It's that time of the month: my reading wrap up! This is a separate little series that you won't see over on my bookstagram, so stay tuned here for the wrap up of each month!

Sisters in Arms, Kaia Alderson

Did I read this? Yes    DNF-ed     No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

Red Queen, Victoria Aveyard

Did I read this? Yes    DNF-ed     No

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: N/a

A Promised Land, Barack Obama

Did I read this? Yes    DNF-ed     No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

Becoming, Michelle Obama

Did I read this? Yes    DNF-ed     No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys

Did I read this? Yes    DNF-ed     No

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: 4.25 stars

The Answer Is..., Alex Trebek

Did I read this? Yes    DNF-ed     No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: N/a

Books I read that weren't on my TBR

The Renaissance (The Story of Civilization #5), Will Durant

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

The Oregon Trail, Francis Parkman

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: 3.5 stars 

The Lost City of the Monkey God, Douglas Preston

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

Books I started but haven't finished

The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory

How I read it: Physical book

Into Thin Air, John Krakauer

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Special Book Review (No. 5)

Special Book Review Number 5

Title: The Masks of God (4-book series)

Author: Joseph Campbell

Summary: The four-volume magnum opus was Campbell's most comprehensive attempt to lay out his theories of the history of myth and religion. Published between 1959 and 1968, Campbell's The Masks of God covers mythology from around the world, from ancient to modern. Where The Hero with a Thousand Faces focused on the commonality of mythology (the "elementary ideas"), the Masks of God series focuses upon historical and cultural variations the monomyth takes on (the "folk ideas"). Where The Hero with a Thousand Faces draws perhaps more from psychology, the Masks of God series draws more from archaeology and history.

Breakdown of Info: 4/5 stars

Diversity of Opinion: 4/5 stars

Minimum Bias: 4/5 stars

Use of Research: 5/5 stars

Overall: 17/20 stars

Goodreads Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Joseph Campbell's The Masks of God series was a fantastic series. It really balances out his work The Hero with a Thousand Faces. I had a couple of issues with the series, mostly with how slow certain parts of each book felt. Additionally, there were also a couple of parts and phrases where it felt like Campbell was judging Eastern mythology from a Western perspective, which bothered me a bit. However, this only happened a couple of times throughout all 4 books, so it wasn't a major issue for me. (And considering the time when Campbell wrote this, although I don't agree with Campbell's analyses, it's understandable.) While you don't need to read each book in the order they were written and are in the series, I do recommend giving these books a read.

For the specific reviews of each book, refer to the following Instagram posts:

1. Primitive Mythology review
2. Oriental Mythology review
3. Occidental Mythology review
4. Creative Mythology review

My Thoughts on Dark Topics in Middle-Grade Books

Honestly, I don't read a lot of middle-grade books. That's just my personal preference, though.  I'm going to keep this post on the shorter side, mainly because I don't have much to say about this specific topic. The subject of dark topics in middle-grade books - i.e. drugs, death, etc. - is something I've seen floating around a bit in the bookish community. So I thought I'd give my two cents on the topic. 

I think that dark topics - drugs, sex (or, more correctly, rape), death, etc. - can work in middle-grade books, as long as it's done with the audience in mind. The author really has to keep the age group of their audience in mind, because middle grade means 8 years old to 12 years old. I feel like situations like these within middle-grade fiction.

Again, I don't read a lot of middle-grade books. As a result, I don't feel like I have enough information on the genre to really give a comment and full opinion on whether or not dark topics should be incorporated into it, Comment on this post with your thoughts on this subject!

I Haven't Always Been an Avid Reader

This is, similar to a couple of other topics, something I've debated posting about. However, as with those other posts, I decided it is something I should post about.

Something I've gotten some people tell me quite often: "I feel like, either way, I'm surrounded by readers who've been avidly reading for years upon years." And this, they tell me, is why they're a bit intimidated to get into the reader/bookish community.

I'm here to tell you this: don't be intimidated by the readers who've been avidly reading for years. Even if we're avidly reading at the particular point in time you meet and talk with us, we may not have been avidly reading for 1 or more years. There are always lulls in our reading careers. Even if we've been "avidly" reading for quite a few years, it may not be a constant stream of avid reading.

Here's an example:

You meet someone who's been avidly reading for 2 years. However, their reading career spans 15 years. They may not have avidly read for all of those 15 years. These 2 years may be the first time they're avidly reading, or it may be the second or third time, out of fifteen years.

I, personally, have been avidly reading for the past 7 years. However, I've been reading for almost my entire life. Even in my early childhood, I'd pick up mainly children's picture books and look mainly at the photos. It was a start, at least. I didn't start avidly reading until my sophomore year (second of four years) of high school. Even now, I consider myself an avid reader, but not as avid a reader as some others.

I want you to know something. It is okay to not be an "avid reader." Just read at your pace, on your own time, and don't compare yourself to your other readers.

How I Think Interactive Features Should Be Incorporated into Books

This post was an idea I had while drafting up yesterday's post. I gave the 7 interactive features I'd like to incorporate into a reading experience. However, this did get me thinking about how the interactive features should be incorporated.

I personally think that incorporating the interactive feature(s) should be up to the author. I do think that the publishing company should have some say as well, but the final decision should be up to the author.

I say that the author should have the final say about the interactive feature(s) incorporated in their books because they know the features that will best relay their story alongside actually reading it. Whether that's video clips, enable audiobook feature directly in the book while reading, or something else, the author knows what will best help the readers understand the book.

I do think that multiple interactive features can be incorporated into a single book. However, I do think that these need to work in tandem with each other and that one can't overpower the other. I also think that if audiobook or video clips are incorporated into a book, there should be a pause feature to these as well. Even if the book is still open, the pause feature would be helpful in those scenarios.

This was very interesting and fun to think about. If you have any other ideas, please feel free to comment on this post!

7 Interactive Features I'd Add to Books

This was an interesting prompt I saw while doing some research for possible blog posts: "If you could add one interactive feature to reading books, what would it be?" (52 Discussion Post Prompts for Your Book Blog in 2018, Pages Unbound Reviews.) I decided to put my own spin on this post and add a few extras that I'd like to see. (This is mainly due to the fact that I couldn't decide on just one feature.)

I love the idea of having interactive features while reading books. They can be so helpful in understanding an author's message in their book. They can also help in visualizing the story in a way that just reading may not always be able to do.

So here are 7 interactive features I'd add to books.

Interactive Feature 1: Glow-in-the-dark ink.

Glow-in-the-dark ink would be so useful in reading at night. This is something I absolutely love doing because it helps me settle down. Not having to use a nightlight or book light would be so useful. Glow-in-the-dark ink in books can be so useful in many situations. (Just imagine it: You brought a book to a sleepover, and you don't want to disrupt your friends by having a little light on. Glow-in-the-dark ink is your savior.)

Interactive Feature 2: In-book audiobook feature.

I love audiobooks. It would be so useful if there was an audiobook feature in your physical books. That way, you can read along, hear how certain words, names, and places are pronounced, and so much more. Additionally, if the author narrates the book, then that'll help the reader best understand the book.

Interactive Feature 3: Gifs and/or video clips.

Gifs and/or video clips can also enhance your understanding of the book. Whether it's something simple like a dramatic gif or a video of a little walk through the woods, they can help understand the book's setting, emotions, and so much more.

Interactive Feature 4: Pause feature for audio and video aids.

This would be so useful, especially if you're still reading a book but need to get up for a drink top off or a snack. Being able to pause an audio or video aid can really help you out in the long run.

Interactive Feature 5: Sensory aids.

Other sensory aids, like smell and touch, can really help out with a reader's understanding as well. Being able to smell what the characters smell, and touch what they touch (i.e. specific words feel the way the actual object feels) can incorporate the reader into the story even more.

Interactive Feature 6: Audio aid memory if you set the book for a while.

Similarly to the pause feature, it would be useful to have a way for the audio aid to remember where you are in the book. Even if you set the book down for a longer period of time, the audio memory can really help in you picking the book back up again after a couple of hours of not reading.

Interactive Feature 7: A way to remember the page without a bookmark.

Similarly with the audio aid memory, this is another very useful feature. Let's say you don't have a bookmark (or something similar) on hand, and you hate dog-earing your books, this is a fantastic feature.

For most of these features,  I'm not sure how exactly they'd be incorporated. And I do apply these to physical books more than ebooks (because ebooks have a couple of these features, depending). However, these would be so useful for many of us readers.

6 Books I Couldn't Get Into (And DNF-ed)

I've debated drafting up and publishing this post. Mainly because, when I do book lists like this, I want to focus on the books that I actually enjoyed so that others may enjoy them as well. However, then I realized that a list like this could do exactly that: even if I didn't enjoy a book, someone else can still enjoy it.

This year, I've been reminding myself that it is okay to DNF books. As a result, I created a "2021 DNF-ed Books" on Goodreads so I can keep track of books I did DNF. In most cases, when I mention on Goodreads that I DNF-ed a book, I also mention if I plan to pick it back up again at some point. This shelf has really helped me out, both in keeping track of what books I DNF-ed and in which ones I'd like to pick back up.

Here are 6 books I couldn't get into (and DNF-ed), in the order I read them:

1. White Rage, Carol Anderson
2. Scythe, Neal Shusterman
3. Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia
4. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab
5. The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah
6. Elizabeth I, Margaret George

How I Acquire My Books

I feel like this is a bit of a controversial topic in the bookish community, but I'm not sure if it's controversial enough for me to make a Controversial Bookish Topic post on it. However, I did want to make some sort of post on it, so here we are.

There are many ways you can acquire books for your personal library:

• bookstores (in-store or online)
• online websites, like Amazon
• second-hand bookstores
• some thrift stores, depending on what they sell

Those aren't the only ways, but they definitely are the most popular.

I personally tend to acquire my books through Barnes & Noble (either through the website or physical store) and Amazon.

However, I've been trying to not buy too many books recently. This is because I only have one bookshelf available for space, a 1/4-circle, 4-shelf bookshelf, and a couple of cubbies on my desk as spaces for my books. And, due to how many books I currently have, I don't have much (if any) space for new books.

I still want to read as many books as I can, even including ones I don't own. As a result, I use the Libby app to borrow ebooks and audiobooks. That way, I can borrow books (and do it safely), and see what books I like versus the ones I don't like. This helps me save a bit of money, too, because I'm not spending money on books I may not like, and I can spend that money on the books I do like.

When I buy books, I do still use Barnes & Noble and Amazon as the main booksellers that I acquire my books from.

My Thoughts on the "Graduate in 4 Years" Recommendation

I promise that, for now, today is the last post on the school topic. Today, I want to focus on college and university along with the "Graduate in 4 years" rhetoric that's thrown around.

This recommendation is something that's thrown around a lot in college and university communities. It isn't always directly stated along the lines of "Take [insert number] units per semester to graduate in 4 years!" (You can always rephrase this to something you've heard about the graduate in 4 years rhetoric.)

Even if this idea isn't directly stated, you can often see it around: people around you graduating in 4 years, a certain number of units you need to take per semester to be considered a "full-time student," and so many other clues.

I have a very strong opinion on the idea of having (or "needing") to graduate in 4 years. Depending on how it's relayed to students, it can be a very detrimental mindset to push across. Again, it really depends on how the college or university pushes this idea to the students, and how often it's communicated to them.

If it's something that's only occasionally mentioned by an advisor as a gentle recommendation, I think that's fine. However, once it starts getting broadcasted everywhere is where it can get detrimental - banners and/or posters on campus, images on the website, phrases like "Take [insert number] units per semester to graduate in 4 years!"

I'm currently in university, and I have one more semester to go before I graduate with my BA in history. Last semester, there were quite a few times where I began crying (and I mean really crying) because I didn't think I'd be meeting the perceived expectation of graduation in 4 years. No one I knew put this expectation on me. However, because it was so heavily transmitted to students on my campus, I thought it was an expectation that everyone had for me even though it was only a recommendation.

If you can do it and graduate in 4 years (or if that's what you did), that's amazing. But there are many people who feel pressured to try to graduate in 4 years but can't for whatever reason. It may not have a direct effect on their actual school, assignments, and grades, but it can have a very dramatic effect on someone's mental/emotional health, relationships, and personal life in general.

Once I do graduate in December, I will have taken 4.5 years of school to get to graduation with my BA. And this is okay. Taking more than 4 years in college or university is perfectly fine. And if you're thinking of going into graduate school, and even getting a Ph.D., you will be in school for more than 4 years in total.

As I said, if you can graduate from undergrad in 4 years, that is great. But this isn't something everyone can do.

6 Suggestions for Personal Reading During the Academic Semester/Year

Today is the second-to-last post on the back-to-school season. Many readers, especially those of us who are in school, know the hassle of trying to balance out our school schedule and our personal reading plans. This post was brought about by trying to figure out how I could do it and the fact that I've been publishing back-to-school posts this month.

Here are 6 suggestions for personal reading during the academic year or semester.

Suggestion 1: If you do monthly TBR lists, keep them small during the school semester/year.

Yes, I know: we want to read every possible book we can every month of the year. However, if you're a student, it can be tough to keep up with a larger TBR list while in school. You can always catch up with your TBR list in your off months (i.e. summer and winter breaks).

Suggestion 2: Save your longer books for your months on break/vacation.

Unless you're 100% comfortable with reading longer books during your school semester/year, it's probably the safer bet to save them for summer or winter break. What makes a book "long" is highly dependent on you and your reading habits, so keep that in mind as well.

Suggestion 3: If it's an anticipated read for you, this is another book you may want to save for when you're on break.

This may seem a bit of a weird suggestion, but hear me out. Unless you're at a point in the semester where things have settled down, your attention won't be 100% on your anticipated read. As a result, if you read it during your semester, you may not be able to enjoy it as much as if you read it while you're on summer or winter break.

Suggestion 4: Try not to choose books with heavy topics or subjects.

Books with heavy topics and subjects can be some of the most enjoyable reads. However, they can be hard to take in when you read them during your school semester/year (especially at the busier points). If you read these books outside of the school semester/year (i.e. while you're on break) or during a calm part of the semester, then you'll be able to better enjoy and understand the book.

Suggestion 5: Set times for when you'll do the reading that you want to do.

Setting a time and day of the week where you'll sit down and read books you want to read can really help you get through more books in the semester/year, even if it's not that many. If you don't do this, then you could go an entire semester without reading a book you wanted to read.

Suggestion 6: Don't rush your reading.

I always try to suggest this, no matter why I'm suggesting it. But taking your time with your personal reads can really help you out in the long run, both with your overall schedule and your mental health. You're not trying to fit 5+ chapters of a personal read in one day, but you are still reading. Not rushing your reading during your academic semester/year can also help you balance your time out.

10 Back-to-School Reading Recommendations

Okay, I know what you're thinking at this point. "HBR, you've done 7 posts for the back-to-school season already. Give it a rest." Today, tomorrow, and Monday will be the last three posts on the back-to-school season. However, these two posts have a slightly different twist.

The school season, especially the first and last weeks, can make it tough to sit down and take some time to read that book you've been meaning to pick up. Or maybe you put a book down at a good spot and haven't had the time to pick it back up again because of school.

Here are 10 back-to-school reading recommendations.

1. My Own Words, Ruth Bader Ginsburg
2. Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari
3. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuval Noah Harari
4. George Washington's Secret Six, Brian Kilmead and Don Yaeger
5. The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England, Ian Mortimer
6. Promised Land, Barack Obama
7. Becoming, Michelle Obama
8. Washington's Spies, Alexander Rose
9. The Fountains of Silence, Ruta Sepetys
10. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

5 Suggestions for Students to Tackle Any Assigned Reading

This is my last post on the topic of assigned reading for now. With all the other posts wrapped up and published, it's about time that I gave students suggestions for approaching their assigned reading.

Assigned reading can be difficult, especially if reading isn't something you're too keen on. So here are 5 suggestions for approaching and tackling any assigned reading you have for any classes.

Suggestion 1: If necessary, order your books as soon as you can.

If you're at a level in school where you need to order your books, order them as soon as possible when you get the reading list. That way, your books come near the start of the semester rather than halfway through.

Suggestion 2: Look around at other buying options.

If your books are shown through a site like eFollett or similar school books buying website, it may be useful to look around at other websites and stores that sell books. (Think Amazon and Barnes & Noble.) You may find cheaper options at other sites.

Suggestion 3: Don't leave the reading to the last minute.

This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but it's one of the most helpful suggestions. Leaving your assigned reading to the last minute will only stress you out, and it'll lend to a not-so-good grade. (It may be a passing grade, but that doesn't always mean good.) Additionally, you won't remember the key points of the book if it to the last minute.

Suggestion 4: If something confuses you, reach out to your teacher.

It's likely that a certain part of the read may confuse you. If this happens, your best is to reach out to your teacher. Your teacher knows what they want you to take from the reading and how you should interpret it in context with the class.

Suggestion 5: Take notes on the reading.

Taking notes on the reading will help you remember important points of the reading. The notes don't have to be super detailed or long, but the notes will still help you out in the long run.

4 Suggestions for Teachers Hoping to Assign Reading

At this point, you may be tired of seeing my school-related posts. However, because it's August, I want to send out help to those in school, like myself, and need tips and suggestions. I also try to include teachers and professors in posts like this because they made need some fresh insights into an upcoming semester or year.

I plan to do one more post for tomorrow, August 20, to give students suggestions for tackling any assigned reading they have for their classes.

Here are 4 suggestions for teachers hoping to assign reading.

Suggestion 1: Assign books that will benefit the students' understanding of the class.

If you're assigning Jane Eyre for a Middle Eastern history class, that does nothing for the students' understanding of the class. Yes, this was a dramatic example, but you get the point. Make sure that any assigned books have something to do with the course material and help the students better understand the material.

Suggestion 2: Avoid assigning books just for busywork.

Assigning books just for the sake of assigning books to read does nothing for students. And more likely than not, this will be one of many factors leading to the habit of not reading for future classes (depending on how much schooling the student has left). Even if the book helps the student understand the course better, don't assign it just to assign it. Maybe create a small quiz to see if students read it, or do a little notecard assignment asking what students thought about the book. You can even do an essay.

Just avoid assigning books just for busywork.

Suggestion 3: Don't assign much, if any, reading during the last couple of weeks during the semester.

The last couple of weeks of the semester are the most stressful for students. We're studying for exams, trying to finish up papers, and so much more. Assigning new reading during those last few weeks does not do any good for your students. If it's finishing up a book, then that's fine. But don't assign a whole new book during the last couple of weeks.

Suggestion 4: Read the book before you assign it for your class.

Yes, a book may be relevant to your class. But if you don't read it for yourself, you won't know for sure. Additionally, you may also see that, while relevant to the class, only a couple of chapters really help get the class material across. So you may want to assign only specific chapters of a book. Again, this is something you won't know unless you read the book.

4 Benefits and 4 Drawbacks of Assigned School Reading

Given yesterday's post, I thought I'd do a post like this. As with anything, there are benefits and drawbacks, as the title of this post suggests, of assigned school reading.

You may be thinking, "Yeah, sure HBR. You're just saying that there are benefits." No, I'm not just saying it. That's what this post is addressing.

Here are 4 benefits and 4 drawbacks of assigned school reading. I'm not going to go into detail about each benefit and drawback in the hopes of keeping this post short. I hope you enjoy it.

Benefit 1: You may find a new favorite book.

Benefit 2: You can learn something new.

Benefit 3: It gives your mind something to think about.

Benefit 4: It helps you understand your class better.

Drawback 1: The assigned book(s) may not have anything to do with the class.

Drawback 2: The book may have issues (outdated, no trigger warnings, etc.) that you weren't made aware of for whatever reason.

Drawback 3: If nothing comes from the assigned reading (quiz, essay, etc.), then your time reading it was wasted (i.e., it was assigned as busywork).

Drawback 4: Oftentimes, you're spending money on the books you've been assigned only to get rid of them afterward.

My Thoughts on Assigned School Reading

Assigned reading in classes is a bit of a contested topic. More often than not, you hear students, current and former, saying that they hated the books they were assigned to read during school.

There was a point in time where I thought that assigned school reading was only a drag, despite how much I love reading. I often didn't enjoy the assigned books. Consequently, it made me not want to read, even for fun.

So what are my thoughts on assigned reading? I think that there's a time and place for it.

Assigned reading is a very touchy topic for some people. Usually, the reason is the sole fact that they were forced to read to get a passing grade or higher in the class. There are some classes where assigned readings are absolutely perfect. However, there are other classes with assigned reading that make me pause and ask why there's assigned reading.

Classes that I think can make good use of assigned reading:

1. History
2. English
3. Religion/Religious Studies
4. Language (to an extent)

Classes that should not have assigned reading:

1. Math
2. Certain sciences
3. Certain arts courses

Whether or not the class should have assigned reading is, in my opinion, highly dependant on the class itself. If you're a teacher and professor reading this, it may be best to recommend books to read rather than assign them. At the very least, you can assign only the specific chapters that relate to what you're teaching rather than an entire book. 

Special Book Review (No. 5)

Special Book Review Number 5

Title: The Masks of God (4 book series)

Author: Joseph Campbell

Summary: Written between 1962 and 1968, Campbell's 4-volume work The Masks of God covers mythology from around the world, from ancient to modern. Where The Hero with a Thousand Faces focused on the commonality of mythology (the "elementary ideas"), The Masks of God series focuses upon historical and cultural variations the monomyth takes on the "folk ideas."

Dates Read: March 28 to July 2, 2021

Breakdown of Info: 4/5 stars

Diversity of Opinion: 4/5 stars

Minimum Bias: 4/5 stars

Use of Research: 5/5 stars

Overall: 17/20 stars

Review: Joseph Campbell is a fantastic writer and mythologist, and these 4 books show his dedication to the craft. While there were a few parts that definitely felt dated (and are dated), The Masks of God, however, is the only book series that take such a detailed, comprehensive look at mythology as a whole and in all of its forms. I definitely recommend giving these books a read. What makes it better is that, while they do act as a series and build upon each other, it's not necessary to read them in order. Additionally, it's not necessary to read every single book.

See the individual reviews at the following links:

1. Primitive Mythology review
2. Oriental Mythology review
3. Occidental Mythology review
4. Creative Mythology review

The Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

It's time for another book tag! This time, it's the Unpopular Opinions Tag. Here's where I got the prompts from: The Unpopular Opinions Tag (Naty's Bookshelf). As always, I'll include the prompts, without my answers, at the end of this blog post.

Because I decided to be a little chaotic while writing this blog post, I decided to only give my answers with absolutely no context. I just . . . didn't really feel like explaining my answers here. So let's just get into this tag.

A popular book or book series that you didn't like

The Hunger Games

A popular book or book series that everyone else seems to hate but you love

The Iliad and The Odyssey (and I mean the actual poems and not modern retellings)

An OTP (one true pairing) that you didn't like

Julia Stratford and Ramses in The Mummy duology

A popular book genre that you hardly reach for

Science fiction

A popular/beloved character that you do not like

Professor Severus Snape (no disrespect to those of you who love him)

A popular author that you can't seem to get into

George RR Martin

A popular book trope (overused plot device) that you're tired of seeing

I actually have 3:

1. "I'm not like other girls/boys"
2. One or both parents dead
3. Forbidden love

A popular series that you have no interest in reading

As of right now, Harry Potter

The saying goes "the book is always better than the movie", but what movie or tv show adaptation do you prefer more than the book?

Hamilton: The Musical (I love Ron Chernow's book, but damn, the musical's good)

A popular book or book series that you didn't like

A popular book or book series that everyone else seems to hate but you love

An OTP (one true pairing) that you didn't like

A popular book genre that you hardly reach for

A popular/beloved character that you do not like

A popular author that you can't seem to get into

A popular book trope (overused plot device) that you're tired of seeing

A popular series that you have no interest in reading

The saying goes "the book is always better than the movie", but what movie or tv show adaptation do you prefer more than the book?

5 Tips for Dealing with Bias in History

Yesterday, on August 13, I posted a historian dilemma post on the comment "But isn't that biased?" In that post, I basically said that bias is everywhere that humans are. And this is something that most historians acknowledge. However, it is something that's difficult to understand if you're not used to the history career or historical research.

Additionally, in that post, I mentioned that there were multiple ways to deal with bias in history. That's what I'll be talking about here. Here are 5 tips for dealing with bias in history.

Tip 1: Just accept that there will be and always is bias wherever there are humans.

This is something I mentioned yesterday, but accepting that there will be and always is bias wherever there are humans will help you better analyze the history despite any biases. Bias is a part of human nature and the nature of language, so accepting it - and not dismissing it - will make it easier on you.

Tip 2: Acknowledge what history you're studying.

There are many sub-topics within the overarching umbrella of history. Acknowledge the topic of history you're studying, whether it's the history of architecture, or writing, or art. This will make it easier for you to identify any biases and to work with those biases.

Tip 3: Try to remove any 21st-century biases.

This is probably the hardest one to do for many of us. We all have our 21st-century biases, expectations, and stereotypes. Applying these onto a completely different time period, especially one before the 20th century, is very dangerous and damaging to historical study and research. Yes, it'll be difficult, but it needs to be done to better understand the history.

Tip 4: Try to remove biases influenced by your home.

Let's say you're from a Western country, either from Europe or the American continents, studying an Eastern European, Asian, or African country. You do not want to be imposing the biases, stereotypes, and expectations from your home onto the history of a completely different country in a wholly different part of the world.

Tip 5: When looking at a document, ask yourself the 4 big questions.

Those questions are: Who is the author? Who is the intended audience? When was it written? and Why was it written? These questions will help you identify and work with the bias in the document so you can understand it better.

The Historian Dilemma: “But Isn’t That Biased?”

It's time for another historian dilemma post! Today, it's on the statement "But isn't that biased?"

This actually relates very closely to a conversation I had with a neighbor when I told her I'm getting my history BA and plan to actually do something with it. We started talking about biases and how we can go about dealing with them.

"But isn't that biased?" is actually gets under my skin every single time I hear it. Usually, I can hold back the sarcastic response that first comes to my brain. Typically, that response is something like "What isn't biased when it comes to human interpretation?"

This is something that I feel like we all need to acknowledge. Everything that revolves around the human species - art, language, literature, interpretation, communication, etc. - has some underlying bias. The bias isn't always obvious, especially if it's one you grew up with without someone identifying it and calling it out for you.

So if you're studying history, either as a class or a first-year undergrad history major, I'm about to let you in on a secret if you're asking "Isn't that biased?" Everything, as I mentioned above, is biased. We, as historians in some capacity, have to learn to work with that bias. There are multiple ways to do this, but we can't get rid of it.

The Bookish Dilemma: Being Asked “What’s Your Favorite Book?”

Hello, everyone! It's time for another bookish dilemma post!

This is a question that stumps many readers: "What's your favorite book?" There are some readers who know what their favorite book is, with no doubts and no fuss. For many of us, though, once we think of one book that's our "favorite," we think of at least 5 others that are in contention for the position of our "favorite" book.

I think that, at best, a reader can give their top 5 favorite books. Additionally, I also think that a reader can give their favorite author. However, the question of "What's your favorite book?" stumps every single one of us to some extent.

There could also be the situation where we read a book recently that became a new favorite. In many of these cases, unless it was a book that was an anticipated read for us or really struck us, we may not remember the name of the book initially. We may remember the plot, author, characters, and everything else aside from the book's title when it's not within reach.

Maybe we don't have a favorite book. We may like and love many books, but we don't have a specific favorite book or two. We simply may not have a favorite author whom we love reading books from. I think this is a situation where non-readers (and some readers) have to accept that yes, it is okay to not have a favorite book.

So I think the better question to ask is "Do you have a favorite book?" rather than "What's your favorite book?" That way, your reader friend or family member isn't stressing about their answer, and they can give you a more rounded answer.

Controversial Bookish Topic: "Ebooks Are Better Than Normal Books"

Hello, everyone! It's time for another controversial bookish topic post.

This is a hefty claim, in my opinion. And this applies to any statement that states one thing is better than another. It's a claim, and a lot of it is based on opinion rather than fact. Saying that one book format is better than the other two is, like I mentioned, a claim founded on opinion rather than fact.

You do hear statements like "Audiobooks aren't reading" or "Physical books are the best." However, the statement "Ebooks are better than normal books" is one I have heard way too often in comparison recently. And, you know, I get it. Ebooks are cheap, easily accessible anywhere and any time, on a single device, and so much more.

However, that doesn't mean that ebooks are "better" than other book formats. "Better," as I've mentioned in previous posts, is a very subjective adjective used to describe something. And while ebooks are convenient for many people, they're not convenient for everyone.

Additionally, what book format you use is highly dependent on your personal, unique situation. Not everyone can afford 100+ physical books. Not everyone can read physical or ebooks. Not everyone can listen to audiobooks.

If you prefer ebooks to physical books and audiobooks, that's great. I'm happy that ebooks are what works best for you. However, that doesn't mean that you should go around saying that "ebooks are better than normal books." This also applies to any other book formats - just because one format works better for you in comparison to the other formats, that doesn't make them "the best" format in comparison.

My Take on Romanticization of Abusive Relationships in Fiction (TW: Talk of Abuse)

Trigger Warning!!!

If abuse and abusive relationships is a triggering topic for you,

please skip over today's blog post.

This was a topic suggested to me by one of my followers on my bookstagram. And it's something that I feel needs to be discussed, given today's society and standards.

I feel like there have been so many abusive relationships in fiction, and not all of them have been obvious. For me, one title that comes to mind with an abusive relationship is Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. I can hear some of you asking me, "But HBR, how does Jane Eyre have an abusive relationship?" Jane's family life, along with her relationship with Mr. Rochester, could be described as abusive. It's not an overt, obvious abuse, but there are underlying tones of it. Although I haven't been in an abusive relationship, I've had friends and family members who were in an abusive relationship, and I always saw the little red flags in Jane Eyre, which stopped me from actually enjoying the book.

Portraying abusive relationships in fiction can be a good thing if done right with the proper precautions and research. However, there are too many instances where, in fiction, abusive relationships are romanticized. This, for me, makes my stomach churn.

I feel like the romanticization of abusive relationships gives younger generations the wrong idea. Romanticized abusive relationships can give younger people the idea that, if in an abusive relationship, they can somehow magically fix the abuser, helping them to stop and turn them onto the right path. More often than not, this doesn't happen.

Abusive relationships in fiction, even more so when they're romanticized, can be triggering for those who were victims of abuse in their relationships. As a result, the romanticization of these relationships is very harmful to anyone and everyone, victim or not. Abusive relationships can hurt both the victim of the abusive relationship and the victim's family, which is (in my experience) never addressed in fiction.

Should abusive relationships be in fiction? To an extent, yes. But it should be more about showing how damaging these relationships actually are. Abusive relationships shouldn't be romanticized in fiction.

10 Tips for Heading Back to School (Family Edition)

Hi everyone! It's that time of the year again: a new school semester and year. I thought I'd get these posts out early because this time of year can be tough. Hopefully, these 3 posts from August 7 to August 9 will help out.

Here are 10 tips for heading back to school, family edition.

Tip 1: Know the schedule of classes of the student in your life.

Knowing the student's schedule will help both you and the student out, especially if they're fully online and meeting via Zoom or a similar video call app. You don't have to know every single detail about the student's classes, but knowing the times they have class will help you differentiate between when they have class and when they don't. It may also help to ask what times and days out of the week they plan to work on assignments and study.

Tip 2: If their classes are online, try your best not to disturb them during class.

Yes, it may seem like they're just sitting at their desk and doing nothing. However, this is where Tip 1 comes into play. Knowing their schedule, and when they plan to work on assignments and study, will help you know when you can disturb them and when you shouldn't.

Tip 3: Respect the student's request to not be disturbed for a certain time period, even if they're not in class.

Is a request to not be disturbed during a certain time period, even if they're not in class, a "selfish" request? No. Why? They're in their semester, taking classes on top of any and all assignments for 4+ classes. While it may not seem like much from the outside, a lot of time and energy goes into attending class, working on assignments, studying for tests and quizzes, and anything else related to the class. And, as mentioned, the amount of work is usually multiplied by 4-5 classes, sometimes even 6. Even if they're not in class, and even if they're not working, they may need that time to rest and get their energy back up.

Tip 4: If they have set chores they do around the house, try to work it around their school schedule.

Let's say the student in your life has 2-3 classes each day from Mondays through Thursdays. And let's say they usually take care of the laundry, and over the summer, they'd do the laundry on Mondays. However, now that their semester's begun, doing the laundry on Mondays won't work well with their schedule. Be okay with the fact that they may do it sometime over the weekend, on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. It's the same with any other chores they do around the house: be okay if they need to do something at a different time, or on a different day. If it needs to be done on a specific day that doesn't work for the student, it may help to swap chores with them so that they can still help around the house. 

Tip 5: Understand that, depending on their workload, there may be days where their stress is amped up.

Stress happens to anyone and everyone. And if they have more work during one part of the semester, they may get stressed about the workload and due dates on top of their normal work and attending classes. You don't have to put up with bad behaviors from them, but you can understand why they may be reacting in a more negative/emotional way.

Tip 6: Constantly remind the student in your life that you're there to support them.

You may not be able to do much, but you can still be there to support and help them. They may know this logically, but it's nice to get the reminder every now and again.

Tip 7: Offer to help them study.

Offering to help them study can reassure the student of how much they actually know related to the course and their upcoming quiz or test. It can also help them realize what they don't know, and what they need to review a bit more.

Tip 8: Offer to read over any papers or essays they have to write.

Similarly with Tip 7, offering to read over any papers or essays the student has to write will really help them to tighten up their paper and make it stronger. As someone who probably doesn't have a lot of familiarity with the topic of their paper, you can point out sentences or ideas that are unclear, and you can point out sentences that are incomplete, since usually things that don't make sense afterward make sense in the moment.

Tip 9: During their midterms and finals week, remind them that you're there to support them.

I know that I mentioned this in Tip 6, but this is especially important during the student's midterms and finals weeks. A lot of stress is swirling around for the student as they prep for their midterms and their finals, so it's always nice for students to get extra encouragement from friends and family.

Tip 10: Once their semester (or year) is over, give them a couple of days to just do nothing.

Whether they decide to actually do nothing or if they decide to do some fun little activities for themselves, give them some time to recoup from their semester or year. Don't start piling on extra chores or activities for them to do the day after they finish up with classes. Let them do their normal chores, but don't start adding on new things for them to do in the summer.