In honor of The Hunger Games' 10th anniversary in September, here are other books featuring young women, like Katniss, fed up with corrupt systems who discover what they are capable of when they decide to take a stand. Murder, corruption and manipulation are not unique to the dystopian setting as Greer MacDonald finds out while…
Teen Fiction: A Window into Judaism
It's often hard for people to understand Judaism. Judaism is more than a faith; it's also a people, a culture and a shared history. People often compare Christmas and Hanukkah, but Hanukkah is not a major holiday. It's considered a very minor holiday compared to Passover in the spring or the High Holidays in early…
Top Picks: Paul Simon Turns 75
In honor of Paul Simon's 75th birthday on October 13 and a career that spans five decades, I've put together a top picks post based on a survey of four people whose tastes in music helped to shape and influence my own. With tracks such as "Diamonds on the Sole of Her Shoes," "Boy in the…
A Little Bit of Vinyl Love
Back before MP3s, before CDs, even before cassettes, there was the record. The visual and tactile experience as well as listening to the record itself is magical. And many people make the argument that the best way to listen to music, if you are not listening to it live, is to listen to it on vinyl. That magic…
A New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Golden Age
We're living in a new golden age of sci-fi and fantasy. The new Star Trek movies are mainstream blockbusters and Star Wars is celebrated on special days throughout the year. As a sci-fi fan girl who grew up teased for my choices in TV, movies, and books, I am absolutely giddy about so many books coming out. Holly Black…
#TBT: The Birth of a New Music Genre
Singer-songwriter and future folk icon Bob Dylan took the stage at the Newport Folk Festival on July 25, 1965, but instead of using his trusty acoustic guitar, he electrified the crowd by plugging in his guitar and having a full band back him. For this Throwback Thursday, let's take a look at his influence on other musicians…
Lyrics are Poems Put to Music: Part Two
I hope you find this well worth the wait after reading part one. Although Janis Joplin's professional career did not last nearly long enough, her gravelly voice and folky sound will not be forgotten. Her songs are about love, freedom and living. Carole King started as a song writer by writing hits for other singers. She eventually became…
Lyrics Are Poems Put to Music: Part One
As Women's History Month winds down and National Poetry Month starts, I thought this would be a good time to look at some important women in music, or more like women in music whose lyrics influence and inspire me. These women paved roads, ruined hearts and broke down walls. Their lyrics and music speak of passion, anger, rage and love. They sang the…
In Honor of The Breakfast Club Turning 30
The quintessential teen movie from the 1980s is well out of its teens and nearing middle-age. The John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club is the story of five teens from different social groups (a jock, a brain, a princess, a criminal and a basket case) thrown together and eventually bonding during a Saturday morning detention. Kids…
Happy Birthday, Trees!
As I look outside at all the snow covered trees, I am thinking about one of my favorite holidays, Tu B'Shevat, or birthday for the trees, which occurs tomorrow on the 15 of Shevat. Tu B'Shevat, a holiday celebrated in the Jewish religion, started as a way to track fruit for tax purposes, but has since…
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