People read for many reasons, not the least of which is escapism. Focusing on someone else’s struggles and adventures is therapeutic when real life gets overwhelming. It lets you travel to worlds never before walked by human feet as well as those just across the country. Certain places have piqued my interest through all the books I’ve read, and I’ll admit to daydreaming about them.

For me, there are two distinct types of songs: those that are just there for the vibes and the sound, then those that are pure art. Songs that tell stories and rip your heart out a little more every time you lean into the lyrics. Sometimes, I wish I could know the story better, although I don’t believe there’s enough material for a full novel.

Yesterday, May 15, marked the one hundred and thirty-six death anniversary for an American poet, Emily Dickinson. While this may be ‘basic’ in the literary world, I consider her my favorite poet. I found a collection of her poems in a thrift store last year and spent the whole summer going through them. So many lines and stanzas struck me and have continued to surface through my thoughts.

Over the last three weeks, I have discussed stories I wish crossed mediums, such as books to film and film to books. We now make it to the final installment of this loose series to look at TV shows I wish I could read as books:

As I discussed in my post last Monday (‘Books I Wish Were Adapted’), film and prose are very different mediums with unique storytelling tools. Recently, I’ve noticed a few stories currently in the film medium I believe would lend themselves well to prose.

Most book adaptations are less than ideal. Books and television are very different mediums that lend their way to different types of storytelling. Some stories transfer better across mediums than others.

Today, April 22nd is Earth day. I thought it would be fitting, then, to spotlight the most earth-conscious as well as one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read: The Overstory by Richard Powers.

Yes, I am a book lover, but I am also a musical theater lover. I was in theatre clubs in middle school, took classes in high school, and participated in multiple productions in and outside of school. There was even a time, like many young girls, when I dreamed of becoming an actress. While this ambition faded, my love for theater did not.

If I’ve done my job, my previous post, “War and Peace Quotes that Own my Soul,” has given you a burning desire to read Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece. Excellent! But, I am perfectly aware of how daunting it seems.

I have said before that War and Peace is one of my favorite novels. It’s full of rich emotion, romance, and burning questions of humanity.

According to my mom, I always have good movie recommendations. Whenever I’m home, it’s my job to pick what we watch. It’s an honor, truly, as well as nerve-wracking. There’s nothing worse than having someone hate a movie you suggested.