Book Review: Leverage

Leverage by Joshua Cohen is a teen literature sports fiction novel that I highly recommend reading. If I had the time and eye power to sit down and read a book all at once, I would have done it with Leverage. The novel focuses on two boys, a gymnast named Danny and a football player named Kurt. Kurt has an abusive past as an orphan with a severe stutter but uses his size and muscle to get him status. Danny is small but strong and like the rest of the gymnastics team, is bullied by three relentless, brutal, massive football players who try to pull Kurt into their group. They run the school, are not punished for their outrageous behavior, are adored by girls, and like that Kurt is a powerful athlete who could help lead them to a state title. However, they quickly realize Kurt is not evil like them. In my mind, these three characters are equivalent to Iago from Shakespeare's Othello - as villainous as villainy gets.

Danny and Kurt come together through Kurt's amazement at Danny's ability as a gymnast and desire to learn a back handspring for a touchdown celebration. Their friendship grows as the bullying intensifies and we get to learn about the boys' varying pasts through the honesty of their fears, memories, and motivations. When the bullying reaches its height in a disgusting act, the boys must figure out how to deal with the overwhelming outcome of the situation yet not be harmed themselves.

I will warn that there are very difficult parts of this book. If I were to recommend it to a student in high school, I would tell them in advance that the novel involves extreme cases of physical abuse, drug/alcohol use, rape, and foul language. With that said, it is very well-written and tells a gripping tale that should be read by teens and adults. 

I would never have picked up this book if it wasn't my Teen Lit Club read of the month. While I love sports, sports fiction is not my cup of tea. Yet this is captivating and real. Cohen does not sugar-coat anything and I am glad he didn't. While some parts were challenging to read without crying and other parts I experienced difficultly in refraining from yelling at the characters, I appreciate the genuine quality of this novel. There are characters you will hate and characters you will love. There is sports action and there is a deeper level which questions humanity and how much injustice should be overlooked for a "bigger cause". Put this one on your summer reading list. You will not be disappointed!

A Breath of Fresh Air

During my first few hours of Spring Break, there are a few things I have thought about: sleeping, catching up on TV shows, pleasure reading and internet surfing, drinking some wine/martinis, going outside, and shopping. Since I already dove right into the first two, I feel refreshed enough to start the third. Of course, I started at Apartment Therapy and came upon a post from Chad Schroer titled Spring Resolutions: 5 Tips to Make the Most of Season and Beyond. While I am a sucker for life improvement posts and articles, this one is short enough for those who aren't as willing as me. Tip #1 and #3 are my favorites since I work with teenagers who are constantly attached to their phones and since I am definitely a planner. Check it out and enjoy!

Cleveland Blogs

As a co-founder of The Cleveland Club, I can proudly say that I am interested in all things Cleveland. I do follow a few CLE blogs but this bracket created by Cleveland Magazine is much more comprehensive than any list, or bracket, I could provide. Check out some of the blogs!

Book Review - The Lover's Dictionary

I chose The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan for this month's Teen Literature Club Book. There are a few reasons I chose this novel. One, it was an ALA Alex Award winner for 2012 and since everyone in my book club works or has worked with literature and students, this perfectly fits into our adolescent book genre. The second reason is because of its structure. The novel is written like a dictionary, hence the title, and I was interested to see how I would like this sort of organization. Thirdly, I have yet to finish a book on time for the book club and since I chose the text, I needed to finish it. This is a short, simple read because like I said before, it is written in brief entries. Some are just a few sentences while others are a few paragraphs.

I recommend The Lover's Dictionary for mature teens and adults alike. Although the title includes "lovers", do not be misled. This is not a mushy, fairy tale ending love story. It is real. They have ups and downs, annoyances, quirky jokes, extreme happiness, and anything else a normal couple would experience. As the gender of the narrator's partner is unclear, the reader is left to imagine it as they want. And does it really matter if we know the gender of the unnamed partner? Possibly, what should matter is the idea that feelings are universal in relationships of all kinds. The idea that we all experience relationships in similar ways pleasantly shines through and it is a much needed lesson amongst a world where bullying and hate run rampant.

Another area of discussion at our TLC was the emotion behind the word choices. Levithan did not define the words but created examples of the words. Figuring out the connection was enjoyable and added depth to the storyline. Numerous time I found myself chuckling because I absolutely understood the emotion he was trying to convey in such a small amount of words. It would be interesting to find out whether Levithan wrote the stories and then found words to fit them or thought of words and created stories that way. Whichever it was, this is a book which should be part of your home library (or at least borrowed from the public library).

Self-Esteem Booster

I enjoy reading short articles or blog posts which provide advice on living a better life. Gretchen Rubin's post "Want to Boost Your Self-Esteem? Throw Away Someone Else's Trash" did just that for me today. Often we look for confidence and justification in others and while we can find happiness there, we can also be let down. So what is a sure way to boost feelings about yourself? Doing something small for someone else. I agree with Gretchen - it really does make you feel better.

Spring Fashion

The Early Spring 2012 looks are starting to hit stores and for the most part, I like what I see. Nautical, black and white, pops of color - these are totally me. I also read the article "Tights and other legwear are more fashion forward than ever" by Laura DeMarco and am pleased to see that someone else thinks opaque tights and fun patterns will be sticking around for a while. Here are some of the pieces or full outfits for the upcoming season:

Patterned Skirts:

Banana Republic

Banana Repbulic

New York & Company

JC Penney

Yellows:

The Limited

The Loft - I bought these already!

The Limited

H & M

 

The Loft

Polka Dots and Stripes:

H & M

New York & Company

JC Penney

H & M

Shoes / Accessories

Gap

Old Navy

 

Old Navy

Banyan Tree - Tremont

Banyan Tree - Tremont

JC Penney

Color Blocking:

The Loft

New York & Company

Gap

The Loft

Organization Must-Reads

I can't resist articles on organization. The first one, posted on Apartment Therapy by Julienne Lin, is about desk organization, something many of us need to read-up on. It's short but useful and has some pictures, too!

The second one to check out is also from Apartment Therapy and is written by Alysha Findley. This post focuses on organizing your life and time management. There are 10 really great tips. Number one is definitely true - when I get everything ready to go (clothes, lunch, bag) the night before, my morning is much smoother and happier. I would love to start doing suggestion number six - keeping an box with index cards of household chores or tasks that need to be completed. You pick out a card or two each day to complete and leave the rest for later. This is a short article as well but could make a big difference in your day.

Blogs and Websites to Check Out

Image from Andrew Chen

It is about time I get back to blogging. And what better way than to list some of the blogs and websites I have been enjoying during my blogging absence. Check these out!

Apartment Therapy: I recently stumbled across this name while reading an article. It has quickly become my most visited website. Don't let the name fool you though; it isn't just home ideas for apartment dwellers. This site has a blog appearance and contains a variety of house/studio/apartment tours from people all over the United States, how-to projects, simple living tips, questions posed by readers (with answers too), and much, much more.

Pinterest: This is a virtual bulletin board that is shared with other users. You can create different boards to organize your photos into any categories you desire. You can follow boards. 'Like' pins, and repin from boards of other users. Not only has this aided me in brainstorming some ideas for my upcoming wedding, it has also given me the opportunity to see ideas of others, from workout tips, to recipes, to fashion, to do-it-yourself crafts, to honestly, anything someone thinks is cool.

Cleveland Foodie: Obviously for Clevelanders (or those visiting). I have been following this blog for a while and when I need to find a new place to eat, want to see some thoughts on restaurants I have been to, or want to see what is happening with chefs in the area, I consult the fantastic Cleveland Foodie.

The Happiness Project: I have mentioned this blog by Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, before in my review of the book from the summer.  I am still following the blog and attempting to lead a lifestyle of positivity (although it is difficult at times). When I am feeling pissed off, I visit Gretchen's blog to find some jubilation inspiration and it always, always turns my frown upside-down.

Happy reading!

An Organized Space is a Happy Space

Color coding your closet makes items easier to find.

Most people could use a little help with organization. You may think you have no time to organize but if you set aside time for a major organization and then stick with it by placing items in the correct spots or cleaning up as you should, you actually save time and feel less stressed. If you really need to reorganize your entire house or apartment, one area at a time is the best way to go to avoid that overwhelmed feeling.

I happen to be a huge fan of organizing and planning. If my items are stored or displayed properly and are easy to find, not only does my place look better but I feel I can continue on my way while embracing a calm mindset. With that said, it should be obvious that an article titled "10 Habits of Highly Organized People" would catch my attention. This is from CNN Living via Oprah.com. It's a quick read and could provide a quick fix in your life. The Container Store is a great place but unfortunately is not in the Cleveland area. Online shopping is always an option but if you travel south to Easton Town Center in Columbus, stopping in to check out the store is worth your time. In the meantime, here is a link to their Expert Tips and Ideas section where they cover all areas of the home!

How do you organize? If you have a great tip, feel free to comment below! Here are some of my ideas: 

Recently, I purchased a scarf hanger from The Container Store. I was tired of my scarfs smelling of plastic from the drawer cart they were in and had enough of the wrinkles from folding. If you have a lot of scarves, or even a few, I would highly recommend this product!

This is a great organizer for tights, knee highs, and nylons!

I have yet to find a great way to organize belts. But right now, rolling or folding them in this drawer is working out well.

As the article stated, have a place to drop off items when you come in the door. This is our spot.

My mom always had a basket under her sink of bath soaps. Since I have little storage space in the apartment, I put extras in the basket too. They are out of the way and out of sight (if the cabinet is closed) but still easily accessible.

Make-up drawers are easiest to use when separated into different sections.

For the Yogi

For the past few years I have taken yoga and have realized the benefits go far beyond the exercise. After class, I feel better, sleep better, am more relaxed, want to drink more water, and usually want to eat healthier, too. Yoga physically helps with flexibility, strength, and balance. Mentally, it helps to cultivate a balanced lifestyle while emphasizing patience and acceptance for yourself and others.

Yoga Journal is a great place to start learning more about yoga.

For specific poses with pictures and step-by-step instructions:
Yoga Journal's Pose Section - benefits, tips, modifications, follow-up poses, and more!
Santosha.com - includes pose difficulty levels

Here are two blogs from Yoga Journal's Blog Section:
For the advanced - Challenge Pose. Good luck with these crazy poses!
For everyone - Top Five Tuesdays. The July 12th post, "5 Surprising Benefits of Yoga" would be good to inspire those who don't take yoga and the rest is good for any yogi.

I don't know Sanskrit! Yoga Magazine has a useful glossary.

Om Shanti 

Grammar Check

Grammar doesn't end when formal education ends. I would in no way consider myself to be a "Grammar Nazi" outside of the classroom, but I do get a little irritated when I see careless mistakes. With all the writing we do be it Facebook, text messaging, emails, or blogging, it is important to sound semi-intelligent. It is especially important when writing something for work or college. We are what we post / present to the world just as we are what we eat! I stumbled across this webpage on the College Board website and thought it was simple enough yet informative enough to share with adults.

Five Glaring Grammatical Errors - and How to Fix Them

I ♥ Shoes!

It's no secret to people who know me that I have a fond admiration and moderate (hehe) obsession with shoes. So here's a look at some Fall 2011 shoes I would buy if I had a lot of money.

Oscar de la Renta

Fendi

Camilla Skovgaard

Burak Uyan

Giambattista Valli

Alejandro Ingelmo

Nicholas Kirkwood

Diego Dolcini

Aperlaï

Jill Stuart