B*tches in Bookshops

This. describes. my. life. The video B*tches in Bookshops (based off Jay-Z and Kanye West's N*ggas in Paris) is an amazing video/song for any woman who is obsessed with books, bookstore, pages, bookmarks and everything else in between. Sorry to all you Kindle and Nook lovers but these lyrics are the truth:

You use a Kindle/I carry spines/Supporting bookstores like a bra/Calvin Kline.

#WEverb11: Read

13. Read
What article or book changed your outlook on an issue or life? 

The Awakening by Kate Chopin was the book that changed how I viewed myself as a woman and the struggles we went through and still go through. It was very empowering yet saddening at the same time. In reality I read this for a book report my senior year in high school but ended up being so moved by it and Chopin it quickly became one of my all time favorite books. Chopin is definitely my favorite author and I love all of her work. Native Son by Richard Wright and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka are right behind this book. They changed my life for the better. It's amazing to know that someone's words can have that much power of you. I only hope I can do half of that.

October

For as long as I can remember, October has always been my favorite month.

I guess it's mainly because I feel that it's the official start of autumn. I am quite aware that autumn officially started in September, but doesn't it feel more fitting to begin in October?

In elementary school every time the teacher flipped to the month of October its decorations were filled with pumpkins, rust colored leaves and naked trees. Back in Kansas, the wind got nippier and the turtlenecks and boots were brought out from storage and a slew of kids messed up their parents perfectly raked leaf piles.

Oh how I miss October in Kansas!

Kansas in October. Lovely isn't it?

Living in Florida, you really don't get the full affect of autumn except for the weather changing from deathly humidly hot to a cooler humidly hot.

However, while I may be missing the true season of autumn that so many other people get to enjoy, my favorite month is giving me plenty of perks while I sweat to death down here.

1. New Nicholas Sparks book! The Best of Me came out yesterday and I can't wait to go get my copy! 
2. New Goapele album Break of Dawn hits stores at the end of the month.
3. I move into my new apartment on Friday. 
4. Pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING. Coffee, pie, beer, cake. Heaven.

Roll all four of those things together and what do you get?

An extremely fat, well-read, satisfied and more importantly happy Naomi in her cozy decorate apartment. Doesn't sound to bad if you ask me!

Travel Challenge: Day 13--Favorite Travel Quote AND I'm In the City of Brotherly Love!

Before we get to where I am or why I'm here, I have to share with you my ULTIMATE favorite travel quote. Well, it's not really a quote but more of an excerpt from the fabulous book I'm reading (there will be a review of it soon!) A Year in the World by Frances Mayes.


"When travelling you have the delectable possibility of not understanding a word of what is said to you. Language becomes simply a musical background for watching bicycles zoom along a canal calling for nothing from you. Even better if you speak the language you catch nuances and make more contact with people. Travel releases spontaneity. You become a godlike creature full of choice free to visit the stately pleasure domes make love in the morning sketch a bell tower read a history of Byzantium stare for one hour at the face of Leonardo da Vinci’s Madonna dei fusi. You open as in childhood and – for a time – receive this world. There’s the visceral aspect too – the huntress who is free. Free to go Free to return home bringing memories to lay on the hearth." 


Beautiful.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


In other news, I'm in Philadelphia! I've liked what I've seen so far too. I'm here for a journalism convention with the National Association of Black Journalists Student Multimedia Project (what a mouthful!) and while they are keeping me busy, I'm loving every minute of it.

Lights, Camera, Bookstore!

It's no secret that I love books.

I'm obsessed with books. I could easily spend an entire day in a bookstore. They don't have to be fancy chain bookstores like Borders (slowly R.I.P.) or Barnes and Nobles. They can be a little "Mom and Pop" bookstore. As long as I'm in a place that sells books I'm absolutely content.

So imagine my surprise as I was walking home I came across Libreria Beta, a bookstore, on Calle Sierpes. I casually asked Ashley if we could stop in and then it happened.

I entered book heaven.

Sevilla has numerous locations of Libreria Beta. There's even a Libreria Beta located five minutes from my apartment, but this one was different.

This one was a former movie theater!

Libreria Beta on Calle Sierpes

Bird's eye view from the top floor

Books of every language surrounded me and I could hardly keep it together! I'm sure Ashley thought I was going a little bit overboard but I couldn't help it!


I rushed home still in a daze and immediately looked up the store and some background information on it. Unfortunately, there was no other information about it, but I did find other movie theaters (and other interesting places) turned bookstores.

image courtesy of Buenos Aires for 91 Days

Then I came across something worth putting on my bucket list.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid.

Located in Buenos Aires, Argentina it holds over 100,000 authors  in all languages.

The theatre was built in May1919 by Peró and Torres Armengol under the name Teatro Gran Splendid in May 1919. It entertained Buenos Aires for about a decade with top-tier tango concerts.

In the late 1920's it was converted into a popular cinema  and in 2000, the building was leased by a publishing house and became this wonderful monstrosity of a bookstore.

image courtesy of Buenos Aires for 91 Days

In 2008, The Guardian, named El Ateneo second in its list of the World's Ten Best Bookshops.

I personally would like to give adulation to the person who thought that leasing out a theatre would be a good idea.


Alas, until I can get  to Buenos Aires, I shall give Libreria Beta too much of my money and spend an unnecessary amount of my time sating myself in the confined comfort of their books.

P.S. Here's a video of me having a "bookgasm" after my discovery of Libreria Beta. Book nerd? Sure. Do I care? No.

Books...Books....BOOKS!

Recently, I went back to my hometown in Kansas. On the flight home, the reality of the new technological age punched me in the face. We have iPods, iPads, laptops, bluray discs and Kindles, but I don't pay attention to any of them because I don't use them.

This is coming from the girl who STILL doesn't have an iPod or even an MP3 player. I'm the girl who didn't buy a single DVD until 2004 because I thought VHS tapes were "easier" to deal with. I'm the girl who just recently retired my CD player only because it broke a few months ago. I'm an apathetic girl when it comes to the new gizmos and gadgets.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. On the flight home, I noticed that as per usual the pilot tells passengers "no electronic device may be on during take off."

However, as he named off the list of electronics we couldn't use, he also said Kindles. Wow.

Books I Think You Should Have on Your Shelf!

Okay...now these books are absolutely AMAZING. I know when people usually read lists like these it has literature that has changed America or caused great controversy, but my books have simply earned my undying respect and love and that's something each author should be proud of! :)

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings-Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is on of my favorite authors. I went through a phase one summer where all I wanted to read was African-American literature and this was the first book I started with. Angelou's story about her life is so poetically written that it brings you to tears. The trials and tribulations she endured throughout her life are horrible. From being molested by a young age and not speaking for an entire year, to being shipped away to live with her grandmother to getting pregnant...Angelou's book makes for a life-changing and awe inspiring book. She tells you everything about her life in such a raw yet exquisite form, and this is only ONE of the reasons this book should be on your shelf. Unforgettable.

Oh Nicholas Sparks....Why Do You Do This to Me?

Okay, I'm guilty.

I am a NOTORIOUSLY huge Nicholas Sparks fan.



It all started with The Notebook and I was hooked. I watched the movie first, and then bought the book....and then bought A Walk to Remember and then A Bend in the Road and it was all over from there!



I like to refer to myself as a realistic optimist. Weird right? But this applies to me especially when it comes to his books. While others might say "Oh nothing like [what happens in his books] ever happens in real life." Well, I believe it does! Maybe not directly in MY life but I'm sure it does. How's that for some realistic optimism?