Alex Writes

8 Stories About Shapeshifters

Shapeshifting is one of the popular themes and tropes in many different stories, particularly legends and contemporary movies. Wikipedia defines shapeshifting as “the ability to physically transform through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ability.” Who wouldn’t want to have this kind of ability, along with the powers that come with it?

Other than werewolves and vampires, what other shapeshifters you should know about?

The Hunter in the Shadows

This pulp adventure fiction which is the first book of The Thule Trilogy by Stieglitz, Joab takes place in Depression-era Boston. The antagonist is a shapeshifting alien who kidnaps the (alter-dimensional) sister of the protagonist, Anna Rykov, and whose plans could bring about the extinction of all life on earth.

Surviving Evil

Released in 2009, Surviving Evil (also known as Evil Island) is a horror film about a group of documentary filmmakers who stumble upon a group of aswang in one of the Philippines’ 7,000-plus islands. In Filipino folklore, the aswang refers to various mythical shapeshifting evil spirits such as vampires, witches, viscera suckers, ghouls, and werebeasts, usually dogs, cats, and pigs.

The Legend of the White Snake

Also known as Madame White Snake, the legend of the white snake is a Chinese legend about a snake spirit that falls in love with a man. The story was first printed in Feng Menglong’s Stories to Caution the World, published in 1624. The legend has it that a boy named Xu Xian vomited some immortality pills into a lake, where the white snake spirit dwelt. She ate the pills, which granted her enormous magic powers. She, therefore, felt grateful to Xu Xian. Years later, the white snake spirit transformed into a young woman named Bai Suzhen and met and later married Xu Xian. The legend recounts the trials Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian faced in their married life. The legend has been adapted into operas, films, and TV series, including the 2011 movie The Sorcerer and the White Snake, starring Jet Li.

Various Indian films about the Nāgas

The Nāga or Nagi, in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, are divine or semi-divine deities, or a semi-divine race of half-human half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld and can occasionally take human form. The Nāga are usually depicted in three forms: wholly human with snakes on the heads and necks, common serpents, or as half-human half-snake beings. They have been a subject of a number of movies, such as the blockbusters Nagin (released in 1976) and Nagina (released in 1986).

The Terror: Infamy

Premiered in 2019, the second season of AMC’s television series, The Terror, centers on the bakemono, a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. According to SamuraiWiki, the word itself means “changing things”. A bakemono’s true form may be an animal, such as a fox (kitsune), a raccoon dog (bake-danuki), a badger (mujina), or a transforming cat (bakeneko), and usually either disguises itself as a human and any monstrous form.

Various Korean dramas about the Kumiho

A kumiho (also called gumiho) literally means “nine-tailed fox” and is a creature that appears in various legends of Korea. The kumiho is similar to its Japanese (kitsune) and Chinese (huli jing) counterparts but is the only one that kills and eats humans. They have the ability to transform into a human being, usually a beautiful woman who often sets out to seduce boys and eat their hearts or livers. In some legends, however, they could sometimes be helpful to humans. The kumiho has been the subject of a number of K-dramas and films, such as The Fox with Nine Tails (released in 1994), Forbidden Love (premiered in 2004), Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox (released in 2007), My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho (premiered in 2010), and Gu Family Book (premiered in 2013).

Hyenas

Werehynas are the African counterpart of the werewolves of European folklore. They appear in the folklore of North Africa and the Horn of Africa. In Somalia, legend has it that a man named Qori Ismaris (“One who rubs himself with a stick”) could transform himself into a “hyena-man” by rubbing himself with a magic stick at nightfall. By repeating this process, he could return to his human state before dawn. In Ethiopia, it is traditionally believed that every blacksmith, whose trade is hereditary, is really a wizard or witch who has the power to change into a hyena. Werehynas were the inspiration for Hyenas, a 2011 supernatural horror movie, released in 2011, about a widower who hunts a roving clan of predatory cryptohuman hyenas to avenge his dead wife and baby.

Various X-Men stories

Perhaps one of the most famous shapeshifter in popular culture is Mystique, a comic book character in Marvel Comics’ X-Men. A mutant, Mystique can mimic the appearance and voice of any person by psionically shifting the formation of her biological cells at will. As a shapeshifter, she can alter and rejuvenate her body’s cells and thereby retain her youthful appearance. Mystique has appeared in many X-Men comics, as well as movies such as X-Men (released in 2000), X-Men: First Class (released in 2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (released in 2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (released in 2016) and Dark Phoenix (released in 2019).

4 Heartwarming Books about Grandparents that You Might Want to Check Out

Grandparents play always a special place in our hearts. They are among the important pieces in our lives that make us whole. Losing either or both of them can cause a heartbreak that cannot be mended by anything other than the thought that they have already found rest amidst suffering. Do you still remember how your grandmother feeds you when you visit her or how you grandfather takes you for a walk in the park and bought you your favorite snack? They really are the best people in the world!

There are many things that honor the love, sacrifices, and wonders of your grandparents. Take literature for example, it is not only comprises of books about fantasy but also masterpieces about grandparents. Thus, here are some of the beautifully written books that feature loving grandpas and grandmas that you should never miss reading.

How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan

Knopf Books for Young Readers is the publisher of the 1^st edition of the book How to Babysit a Grandpa written by Jean Reagan. The publication took place on April of 2012. The book doesn’t only contain a story but also has illustrations that were created by Lee Wildish. It centers on the story of a kid who is currently bonding with his grandfather. Because the book is included in Reagan’s “how to” series, it contains tips on how to “babysit” a granddad. Thus, the content of the story includes what type of snack to be given to grandpa — like anything that is dipped, cookies added on top of an ice cream, or ice cream being topped in a cookie, what activity to conduct during the grandchild and grandpa walk — such as searching for lizards or puffs of dandelions or watching out for a puddle, or what method to use in playing with grandpa — like creating a cave for pirates or making a frightening play.

Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo

Lauren Castillo is the person behind the story and illustrations of the book called Nana in the City. It was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2014. The book follows the story of a little boy who went to New York City to visit his grandmother whom he calls Nana in her new apartment. His love and appreciation for his Nana is big enough to make her feel loved but his feelings towards the city are opposite. So he told his grandmother his thoughts and it turns out that they have contradicting feelings. That is why Nana took the little boy out so he could discover how beautiful New York is. She also knitted him with a wonderful cape in the color of red and let him wear it; thus, making him to feel brave and fearless. Their exploration of the city continues as well as their grandson and grandma bonding.

Grandpa Nick’s Bump by Lynda Daniele

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc. published the children’s Christian book called Grandpa Nick’s Bump by Lynda Daniele. The publication of the said book happened in August 7, 2019. The story is inspired by the late husband of the author named Nick who suffered and bravely faced a disease called meningioma, while he was battling with the disease, Nick also babysitting some kids of his neighborhood. The kids unfortunately didn’t get to see and meet their grandfather; thus, they requested Nick to be one. The children started to call Nick as grandpa and the babysitter welcomed the thought happily and faced the accepted the offer with a big smile on his face. Thus, the book tells the tale of a fun-loving, silly, and jolly grandpa Nick and the significance of being a grandpa.

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L. B. Deenihan

Jamie L.B Deenihan is the writer of the picture book called When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree. It is intended for children who are in preschool and up. It was published by Sterling Children’s Book in March 5, 2019. When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree centers on how a child was gifted by a lemon tree by her grandmother during her birthday. But instead of being feeling ecstatic, she felt surprised and disappointed all at the same time for she didn’t get it why her grandma gave her a lemon tree instead of the gadget that she requested. Grandmother indeed sticks to the saying “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The kid later on followed instructions given by the narrator. Afterward, she uncovers that the tree might absolutely be what she desired after all. This story is definitely clever and funny at the same time while showing the readers a perfect lemonade recipe and how to value patience, labor, the environment, and the society without gadgets.

4 Books that Feature the Different Kinds of Love

Love is something that is precious and fragile at the same time. It is the jewel that can either make or break a person’s life. The power that love possesses goes beyond the number of letters that it contains for it can create a big impact on the lives of people. It also has a lot of definitions and each vary depending on the person that you ask but the denotation of love is an extreme emotion pertaining to a deep affection.

The power of love can make people do the impossible and achieve greater things. Love also has a wide array of type the same as how it has various definitions. Thus, here are some of the most amazing books that will show you the different kinds of love that reign in this world:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Jenny Han is the author of the TATILB series in which the first book is called To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. It was published by Simon & Schuster in 2014 and was followed by P.S. I Still Love You in 2015 and Always and Forever, Lara Jean in 2017. The book follows a story of a half-Korean and half-American girl named Lara Jean who wrote letters to her crushes and kept it in a box. The letters left inside the box and was never sent to their respective recipients until her sister Katy secretly drop them to the post office. That’s when Lara Jean’s life started to spiral and went crazy.

Imagine the embarrassment of having to face each recipient of the letters knowing that they already read your love confession? Aside from it, the book also featured not just LJ’s love story but also the strong bond and love between her and her family. That’s what also makes this book a hit.

The Color of Love by Raymond Quattlebaum

The Publishers Weekly is the publisher of the book called The Color of Love. The book was written by Raymond Quattlebaum and was published in the year 2018. Quattlebaum also has another poetry book called Poetry in Motion which was published last October 22, 2019. Moreover, The Color of Love doesn’t only centers on romantic love but also on God’s unending and immeasurable love for His people. The poems contain in the book strongly suggest that love is the strongest feeling that the universe contain. It also shows that every person on this planet is a product of the love of God towards human reality.

It is also stated the unending circulation of a beauty that cannot be given any description, the real essence of the Almighty Father, and God’s testament towards the biggest puzzle in this world called life. Thus, all people in this earthly world must do everything that they can to continue moving forward and do their best because nobody knows how far one can go.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott is the writer of the critically acclaimed book called Little Women. The book was published in the 18^th century, 1868 to be specific, by the Roberts Brothers. In the current era, Little Women has been republished for a couple of time in different languages and versions. It was even made into film and other forms of adaptations. The most recent adaptation was the movie released in 2019 starring Emma Watson, Saorise Ronan, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, and Laura Dern.

The book revolves around the March sisters and how they grow together from being little children into little women. They are named Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and they display a great love between siblings. The March sisters live in Massachusetts together with their mother. They are living in poverty and their father is away from home for he works as a chaplain in the Civil War. And their quest to womanhood and dreaming began.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Dutton Books is the publisher of the young adult novel by John Green. It was published in January 10, 2012 and was the fourth stand along book of Green, which was preceded by An Abundance of Katherines, Looking for Alaska, and Paper Towns. It also falls into the realistic fiction genre. The title of the book took its inspiration from the literary work of William Shakespeare called Julius Caesar, specifically Act 1, Scene 2 of the said literary piece.

The story focuses on two star-crossed lover named Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters. The teenagers met in a support group for Hazel Grace is currently suffering from thyroid cancer that has impacted her lungs while Augustus is a former basketball player with an amputated leg. The two fell in love for each other but unfortunately, Gus died leaving Hazel Grace devastated. Even though Gus already rested in peace, Hazel Grace continued to love her; thus, showing that love is eternal and can go beyond death.

The Benefits of Having Cats as Pets

Do you always have a big affection to felines, especially cats? Have you been longing for so long to have a pet cat to snuggle every day? Well, I don’t blame you for cats are really adorable creatures that can snatch your heart not just because of their appearances but also because of their catittudes. You can cuddle with them all day and all night without feeling the discontent. You can also tuck them in your belly or armpits whenever you feel cold and lonely. Cats may sometimes become stubborn or lazy but they never disliked the belly rubs and hugs.

People’s obsession and love for cats goes beyond the reality realm. In fact, literature has a lot of stories that features the amazing sides of this type of feline. In fact, the book William and Tibby Forever where the two cats are the best of friends but unfortunately William died, was sent to heaven, and was in dire need to cope up with the eccentricities of the other cats by Hamblen, Lynda. Moreover, it cannot be denied that these furry and purry felines can bring you a lot of benefits. So if you are a cat person who currently is a hooman of a cat or is planning to adopt one, here are some advantages of having cats as pets that you might want to know:

Cats can enhance your mental health

It cannot be avoided that there are instances or events that saddens or worries you. Sometimes the weight of the things becomes heavier; thus, it will cause a big burden in your heart and mind. The tendency is that you will be trapped in what it seems like an unending ride of sorrow, tiredness, doubts, and fears when the ugly things crawls into your skin and start to conquer your being. But all these stress, anxiety, and other monsters that suck all the positivity in you, cats will be there to eliminate the bothersome thoughts and regain that warmth that you once had. All your bad days will soon be gone for the moment you come home with a long face, your cat will welcome you with snuggles and cuddles resulting to stress reduction.

Cats can help you get a better sleep

Sleeping with your pet cat can bring a sense of relief in terms of your personal security, emotional health, and physical well-being. Sleeping alone can be a little scary especially if there are a lot of things running in your mind. Sharing a bed with your cat can help you eliminate the monsters in your head knowing that you cat-rageous and adorable kitty is sleeping by your side; thus, hitting two birds at one stone where the cat stands as the stone and the safety and emotional stability represent the birds. When it comes to the way how cats maintain your physical health, the amount of affection that you share with each other and the moment you sleep cuddles help your blood pressure and heart rate to lower down.

Cats can provide you with love and fun at the same time

The love and enjoyment brought by pets are different from the same feelings and emotions that are given off by humans. Your pet cat will never betray you, forsake you, and abandon you. Instead, it will stick with you no matter how hard you are to deal with and how low have you fallen in life. They are unlike your so called friends that can turn their backs on you anytime and leave you hanging. Hanging out with your cat on your couch, patio, bed, or at any place in your house is the best thing that you will look forward to every day. You can also tell your kitty with stories and burdens that you have been longing to let out. It will not judge you or criticize you; rather it will lend its cute little ears and keep you company while you are pouring your heart out.

Cats can make your healing faster

Healing is among the things that are essential in living. It is a scientific fact that cats can help you heal some parts of your body. The purring of your cat can make vibrations at around 20 to 140 Hertz. That is a lot of frequency comparing to the frequency needed to have a good effect on the mobility of your joint after you suffer an injury, which ranges from 18 HZ to 35 HZ. With that being said, healing your bones, joints, or muscles can become faster with your adorable pet purring at you and even asking you to rub its belly — in other words, a happy cat means a healthy hooman. Just don’t make it angry because you won’t be healed, instead you’ll get hurt!

4 Popular Versions of the Bible that You Should Know

The bible is a sacred book that doesn’t only chronicles the greatness of the Lord but also helps people understand how they deal with all the edges of life. It has been present for a long time now but there are still no concrete evidences and findings on who authored this holy book. Regardless of the mystery that the book holds, it is still considered as one of the most popular and old piece of literature. People referred to it as either the Holy Bible or the Holy Scripture. This book is equivalent to the Koran of the Muslims and other holy books of other religions in the world.

Because of its content, which is the word of the Lord, it has moved thousands of lives from all across the globe. There are also a lot of people who writes Christian books about the Holy Scripture, such as the book by David Murdoch called The Bible Was Not Written in English: How Church Traditions Have Kept Us in the Dark — easy to understand Bible guide for the undecided to the senior pastor. Moreover, as the years go by, there have been a lot of versions of the Bible that were produced. Thus, here are some of the popular bible versions that you might want to check out:

King James Version

The King James Version of the Bible has taken its name after king James I of England give his authorization to translate the Bible in the year 1603. It is known by many names, such as King James Version (KJV), King James Bible (KJB), and Authorized Version (AV). It contains the Old Testament’s 39 books, the Apocrypha’s inter-testamental part consisting of 14 books, and the New Testament’s 27 books.

This version was hailed as among the most significant books in the English culture and an inspiring force that contribute to the molding of the English-speaking world. John Norton and Robert Barker are known to be the first publishers of the KJV. It was also the third, preceded by the Great Bible and the Bishop’s Bible, English translation of the Holy Scripture that was approved by the officials of the English Church.

American Standard Version

The American Standard Version is also known as the Revised Version and the Standard American Edition of the Holy Scripture. The translation of it into English was done on 1901 along with the publishing of the Old Testament’s revision but the publication of the revised New Testament happened a year before the OT was completed. The American Standard Version name was the most widely used from the time its copyright was renewed in 1929 until today.

This revision of this version started in 1870, where they aim to produce a revised type of the King James Bible. The quest into creating this version thereafter formed the Revised Version or RV; thus, it was called as the RV project. There were a total of 30 scholars that were selected to partake in the project in 1871, including Philip Schaff. The groups that are being represented on the committee of America include the Baptist, Dutch Reformed, Methodist, and more.

Twentieth Century New Testament

The Twentieth Century New Testament is also referred by its abbreviation, which is TCNT. It is the version that contains the English translation of the Holy Scripture’s New Testament. The publication of its three sections happened between the year 1898 and 1901; hence, it was considered as the pioneer translation of the Holy Scripture into the modern English language. However, it was republished in 1904 after thorough revisions in accordance to the recommendations of its readers.

This version was released in Britain for more than 15 years by a bunch consists of about 20 individuals. Even though the group was definitely fluent in the New Testament’s Greek version, they were absolutely not considered as professional scholars — unlike those who produced the ASV. This group is composed of diverse people of a cross portion of the community, such as ministers, mothers, educators, railroad workers, and etc. However, they shared a common interest, which is to conduct in the English country what has been already accomplished for the citizens of approximately all nations — to make Englishmen to read the most crucial section of their Holy Scripture in that form of their native language that they utilize.

The Bible: An American Translation

The Bible: An American Translation or abbreviated as AAT is almost the opposite of The Twentieth Century New Testament. It is because the An American Translation is made up of the Holy Scripture’s Old Testament that was translated by a couple of scholars with John Merlin and Powis Smith as their editors. Moreover, Edgar J. Goodspeed is the translator of the Apocrypha and the New Testament. It was completely published in the year 1939 by The University of Chicago Press.

4 Promising Family Saga Fiction Books that You Should Check Out

Well, you probably have heard of fiction, which is the genre that is purely the product of the author’s imagination; hence, the tale and all bits of are not found in real life. If you compare it to humans, fiction is like a mother that has a lot of children and among her kids is family saga. Furthermore, family saga refers to the stories that record the lives of families for a particular time.

The term “saga” came from the North Germanic language called Old Scandinavian that means what is stated, narrative, or a tale about someone. Family saga has already reigned not just in the area of literature but also in film. There have been a lot of films and shows that center on the said genre, such as Star Wars, Sunshine, Heimat, In a Land of Plenty, The Best of Youth, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and more. But if you are more into books and want to dig deeper into the family saga fiction genre, then worry not! Listed below are some of the remarkable family saga fiction books that you must never miss reading.

Middlesex

The American publishing company called Farrar, Straus and Giroux is the publisher of the book Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. The publishing happened in September 4, 2002. Because of how amazing Eugenides’ wrote the book, it won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Award and the board of judges put in their report that the tale was broadly realized, intergenerational book as zestful as it is clever.

The novel central message revolves around renaissance, nature versus nurture, and the contradicting experiences of what the society creates as diametric. It also tackles the quest to achieve the American Dream and probes gender identity. Middlesex also records the impact of a gene mutation on three generations on a Greek family, creating significant changes in the life of the main character named Cal Stephanides, who is also the narrator of the story.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

The famous Columbian author Gabriel García Márquez is the person behind the family saga and magical realism masterpiece One Hundred Years of Solitude or Cien años de soledad. It was originally written in Spanish but was translated by Gregory Rabassa into English. The book was published in 1967 while the translated version was in 1970. Its publishers were Editorial Sudamericana, Har & Row, and Jonathan Cape.

It follows the story of seven generations of a family in Macondo called the Buendía Family. The founding fathers of the town were José Arcadio Buendía and his wife and at the same time first cousin Úrsula Iguarán. The couple left Riohacha, Colombia after the horrendous event, the killing of Prudencio Aguilar by José Arcadio after the victim stated that the suspect was impotent. José Arcadio came into a decision to shape up the town of Macondo at the side of a river, and that’s when the story started.

Table of Hearts

In October 1, 2010, the Mill City Press, Inc. published the romance and family saga fiction novel by Gerald James Avila called Table of Hearts. The book centers on the tale of a certain family and their customary values as they pass through time. But it wouldn’t also fall in the romance genre if a love affair is not included in its tale, wouldn’t it? Thus, the story also revolves around a love story that took place during the Vietnam War and the family’s business in Sonoma, California.

The character named Wallis Goginski followed the footsteps of his forefathers and has instilled the thoughts and ideas of his father and grandfather to work for him. He has made their stock brokerage as among the most profitable firm in the history. In other words, Wallis did a good job on running their family business. But with all the profits coming in and the times of learning and doing business have benefited the brokerage, are they all the things that Wallis truly desire in life or are there still things, such as love, that mean more than those?

The Wedding Dress

The notable author Danielle Steele is the woman behind the amazing story called The Wedding Dress. It was published by the Delacorte Press in April 28, 2020 and has fallen under the subcategories family life fiction and women’s domestic life fiction. It centers on the themes motherhood, loss, and successes. The story is set from the 1920s San Francisco that has been through a battle and has undergone through a social change to the year 1960s — which is the rise of the Silicon Valley.

It focuses on the story of four generations of women in a family that has been through a lot, including the 1928 rise of the Parisian design houses, 1929 crash, etc. The novel will bring you to a family saga that is inspiring and painful at the same time as every generation of it faces the struggles of their time. From their inheriting good amount of fortune until growing into good men and women, the wedding dress continue to be a revered piece of clothing that is being used by women of the family as they venture into their own fates.

4 Books to Read in Honor of the Upcoming 4th of July

You probably have heard about the 4^th of July. Some may have invited you already to their party while others may have greeted you with “Happy 4^th of July.” For people who are not from the US and those that have no idea on what’s so special about that date, July 4 is when all countries of America annually celebrate the US independence after the 13 colonies of the land were freed.

People honor this federal holiday by parading on the streets, organizing parties on their houses, inviting people to celebrate the Independence Day with them, watching magnificent fireworks, and enjoying the day where freedom came to the US 243 years ago. Since the world is still fighting a pandemic and any gathering is a risk of catching the virus, there are a lot of other alternatives on how commemorate this wonderful occasion.

Books are great instruments to honor the Independence Day for they are rich with stories that showcase the beauty of all corners of America. Organizing a gathering in your home with your relatives and close friends but instead of drinking booze and eating barbecues, coffee, books, and pastries will be your means of entertainment. Thus, here are some of the most amazing books that feature the wonderful land of America that you might want to check out!

The Bald Eagle Who Wanted to Fly the American Flag

Atillio Guardo wrote the book The Bald Eagle Who Wanted to Fly the American Flag. It is intended for children but those who are kids at heart are welcome to read this amazing book. It was published by Eloquent Books last November 26, 2010. The story revolves around a little bald eagle who dreams of flying the flag of America all around the capital of the country. His yearning sprouted after he got to know about his heritage. Thus, the young eagle Elgae embarks on a journey to Washington D.C. from California. But like all other journeys, Elgae encounters a lot struggles and threats to his life. Regardless of it all, he is still determined to achieve his dream and to fly all over America with a head held high and a proud heart.

A Law from Eden: Solving the Mystery of Original Sin

Archway Publishing published the book A Law from Eden: Solving the Mystery of Original Sin by Marilyn Tapilin last December 7, 2017. It is a Christian book that centers on the statement of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, which is “behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” But everybody is aware of the fact that heaven will only appear when the world is cleansed and is free of sin. That is why people must primarily know the type of sin that eliminated us from the paradise that God created, which is Eden. Moreover, false Christianity will be made in the remaining days of the evil. Also, the mending of America will never emerge from the land’s political system, but instead from the false Christianity when all people of the church perceive the light, turn their back from sins, come back to the arms of God, and are molded to be holy.

Strong Boy, Weak Man

Earl Robert Key is the author of Strong Boy, Weak Man, which was published in July 20, 2019 by Readersmagnet LLC. It falls under the category fiction and comparative literature. Although this book is a work of fiction, it is evident that the story is based on the boyhood of the author. It follows the story of a guy named Michael DeAngelo Nicholas who expressed his emotions, thoughts, experiences, and ideas when he was on his last year of being a teenager through writing them on paper. Nicholas’ tale didn’t just revolve around his teenage years but also around his childhood. He tries to uncover the poverty-powered culture of his moments in the countryside of Mississippi while dashing to hug a more remarkable way of living in the advanced Memphis, Tennessee. It truly is a beautiful tale that will touch your hearts by the will and determination of the protagonist.

Apostasy Can Lead a Nation to Self-Destruct: Will America Mend its Ways and Return to God?

Readersmagnet LLC published the book of author Philip Wittig called Apostasy Can Lead a Nation to Self-Destruct: Will America Mend its Ways and Return to God? last July 17, 2019. It is a Christian book that tackles the history of Christianity and of the Christian churches. The book centers on the tale of two countries that are being divided by more than 3 millennia, which are the old Israel and the United States of America. The two mentioned lands were devoted and dedicated to the Almighty Father. Both of them swore to worship and praise Him, as well as give Him honor and obey His commands. Because of their oath, the Father bestowed them with blessings, riches, power, and order. But it seems like the two countries didn’t stand up to their promise for they have started to loosen their grip on their commitment as time passed by. So the question is: Will America mend its ways and return to God?

7 Benefits of Family Storytelling

With the prevalence of smartphones and Internet connectivity, storytelling has become a neglected part of family life. We are now overwhelmed with more passive forms of entertainment, such as Netflix, video games, mobile games, Facebook, and web browsing. While the Internet is a good thing, it has intruded on what is supposed to be family time.

In her book Prediction Stories, the author Jacquelyn Hester Colleton-Akins recalls how she and her family would look forward to their father’s stories every Friday evening. Her mother would turn the TV off at noon and send the children out to play while she prepared lunch and dinner. Her father would be home from work at 7 p.m. Story time would begin after the family had dinner. The family looked forward to being entertained with a good story from him.

Bet you also have such fond memories of storytelling in your family. Do you still remember the stories that were told to you by your parents or grandparents? It is such a good feeling to recollect such good times – and good stories, isn’t it?

If you’re a parent, when was the last time you told stories to your children? Or do you ever have time to tell stories to your family?

Should we bring storytelling back into the family culture? We should. We know how important it is to tell stories to children of all ages, both made-up stories (such as fairy tales, legends, and fables) and real stories from your experience. We tell stories because:

Storytelling builds language skills

Telling stories to your children will make them appreciate the beauty and power of language. It is a great way to help them learn and love a language, understand the relationship between words and their meaning, and expand their vocabulary, as they will pick up new words as they hear them. In the process, storytelling could encourage reading too.

Storytelling boosts communication skills

Storytelling is one of the oldest and most powerful forms of communication known, and communication starts in the family. Storytelling, as a family routine, could motivate children to express themselves as it is the opportunity for them to communicate their thoughts and feelings while honing their language skills.

Storytelling promotes creativity and imagination

Made-up stories also encourage children to be creative and use their imagination to picture out the setting, the characters, and the plot as the story is being told to them. It allows them to become active participants in the story, rather than just being mere listeners.

Storytelling helps develop social skills

Through storytelling, children are encouraged to listen to their parents, and in the process, they learn to listen to others. As they grew up, they realize people are basically related through stories. Over time, storytelling becomes the key to maintaining family ties, as well as building relationships with other people.

Storytelling creates empathy and understanding

Family storytelling opens up a child’s world to different stories, as well as different types of people who went through different situations in their lives. Real stories from your and other people’s experiences could help them develop empathy and understanding. Especially for older children, real stories provide them with insight into strategies to cope with family issues, such as financial difficulties, unemployment, and death in the family.

Storytelling encourages sharing

In families where storytelling is a regular family activity, children learn the value of sharing stories, not just food, toys, and possessions. Both parent and children – storyteller and listener – learn to share a piece of themselves through the power of a story. This family activity will translate to them sharing good books and stories with their peers and colleagues in the future.

Storytelling promotes cultural understanding

Every culture on earth has a long, rich tradition of storytelling. What better way to promote cultural understating than through stories? Stories teach us not only about life or ourselves but also about other cultures. Storytelling helps children experience, understand, appreciate, and respect diverse cultures. Above all, it promotes a positive attitude toward people from different cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, as stories will reveal the commonalities between cultures around the world.

Storytelling brings families together

What better way to bring the family together than through stories? For many families, storytelling is a way to share and preserve the memories of family members, as well as the histories of ancestors. Any time the family gathers is a perfect occasion to tell stories, be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, summer vacation, reunion, or Friday night. It is also the best time for children to learn from the experience and wisdom of their parents, their grandparents, and other elders in the family. Children love to hear their parents or other elder family members tell stories about themselves, especially when they were young since this helps them feel closer to their elders.

Do you remember the stories that were told to you as a child? How did they impact you?

4 Things That You Can Learn by Reading Books

Reading is the simplest form of learning. There are no restrictions pertaining to it. All you have to do is grab a book, read the words, and discover the wonders of it. The only thing that will hinder your reading quest is your attention span. Many studies have proven that people have short attention span, even shorter than those of the goldfishes. There may be times that you will feel enthusiastic and excited to read while there will also be moments that you cannot even finish reading a page or open the book. Hence, reading can be both heaven and hell for you.

There are many benefits reading brings. It is not only limited to relaxing your mind but also includes learning, entertainment, and recreation. In fact, when you narrow the learning benefit down, you will realize how powerful this mere activity is. Thus, listed below are some of the benefits that you can get by reading books of different genre:

You can get to know the culture of other places

Culture refers to the traditions and beliefs of a place and its people. This is means that every place has different culture and tradition, it doesn’t necessarily pertain to a country for it can refer to towns too. Most of these beliefs have originated from the 15^th century or longer than you can imagine. They were being passed down from generations after generations; hence, some of these traditions are still being practiced today while others have been altered or, worse, forgotten. But with books, every featured place’s culture is being preserved. The ability of books to showcase the rich culture of a place and to teach its readers about it grows stronger and more effective each passing day.

You can learn about some fragments of the history

History is a very complex and vast thing to delve in. It can be compared to a tree with many branches and leaves. You may have a difficult time in learning about it for all of its parts are important. It also has several dates and events that may overwhelm your memory. Thus, history is truly a subject that people must slowly dig so that they can appreciate the fruits of their labor genuinely. Books, on the other hand, are good means of learning about the significant events from the past that helped mold the world that you live in today. For example, the science fiction book by Len Stage called The Brotherhood of the Wone where the hybrid of Mayan, Aztec, and Toltec of the brotherhood was showcase. In other words, the mentioned sci-fi book featured the old civilizations of the world. Literature is indeed a good platform that helps you learn about history one step at a time.

You can gain more knowledge about significant societal issues

What books offer is more than stories or other things that you can imagine. As an instrument for learning and communication, a novel never fails to point out the ugly sides of the society and make readers realize the importance of being aware and taking action. There are many issues in the society, some of these problems are born from the past but haven’t been given proper solutions until now. Some of the issues that sprouted before but haven’t been cured are poverty, women oppression, gender discrimination, racism, domestic abuse, rape, and among others. Most of these problems are being overlooked or neglect but the more people disregard them the more they become rampant. Thus, the way literature teach people and raising awareness about these problems are more than enough compared to doing nothing at all.

You can extract valuable life lessons

Books are good life teachers. Since life is the most complex puzzle that every person encounters, books can be considered as life coaches. There are many things in this world that takes time to be understood and figured out. But with the wisdom and knowledge that books give, you can slowly untie the knots and comprehend what this particular things or events mean. There are many books in the literary realm and all of them offer wise advices. Although they have different genres — such as young adult fiction, adventure, fantasy, self-help, memoir, autobiography, and more, what matters is that you are learning about life and can start to put every piece of the puzzle together. No matter how slow or fast the progress is, the most important thing is that you never give up and you have collected substantial lessons about life. That is why reading books or reading in general is important because it doesn’t only entertain you, instead it helps you grow into the person that you want to be. Also, it makes you become wiser and stronger, making living easier and enjoyable.

4 Heartwarming Books about Strong and Amazing Women

Women should not be defined as the opposite of men and an inferior sex for they are integral parts of our society and, most especially, in our lives. They have amazing abilities that needs to be recognized and that only they can do, such as giving birth. Without females, the world will not be filled with talented and great people that bring colors to it. But their capabilities are not only limited to giving birth for they can also do anything like the other sex does. They are strong, independent, and beautiful people that do nothing but love, strive, and survive.

There may have been a lot of discriminations and sexisms that happened and are currently happening in all across the globe. The common subject of interest of these issues is females and that’s where people’s judgment went wrong. The physical appearance of women, and any person, has nothing to do on their talents, abilities, and dreams. They are also people with hopes and aspirations that they want to achieve. Oppressing and discriminating them will not do any good to the society.

Literature is a great platform that promotes women empowerment. As a matter of fact, it features a lot of books that contains women oppression and discrimination so that people will be aware how females were unequally treated and, from that, they’ll learn not to do it again. Thus, here are some of the amazing book written by women that showcase how strong and amazing females are:

Straight from My Heart

Straight from My Heart by Jacqui DeLorenzo is a book about hope, love, and peace. It was published by iUniverse in September 17, 2012. Straight from My Heart: Journeys of Hope, Love, and Peace is a self-help book that contains real-life stories and poems that were written by a lady who successfully helped her fellows to uncover their truest selves. It shares the woman’s experiences on how her life was moved by others. The collected tales and poems that are inside the book mostly revolve around hope and bravery that are meant for people who have gone through difficulties in life and/or who has lost someone dear to them. It will also raise the question: is there an afterlife? Moreover, every tale in this book aims to open the heats, move the souls, and inspire people to believe in what is within their reach and attainable.

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Sheryl Sandberg and Nell Scovell authored the amazing book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. It was published in 2013 by Alfred A. Knopf. Sandberg is known as the chief operating officer of the biggest social media platform Facebook while Scovell is an amazing television and magazine writer. Some of the chapters of the book are called The Leadership Ambition Gap: What Would You Do if You Weren’t Afraid?, Sit at the Table, Success and Likeability, It’s a Jungle Gym, Not a Ladder, Are You My Mentor?, Seek and Speak Your Truth, Don’t Leave before you Leave, and more. The book, moreover, gathered different reviews and criticisms. It was reviewed by different critics, such as The Baffler, The Guardian, journalist Susan Faludi, and even the former first lady Michelle Obama.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was written by Rebecca Skloot and was published by Crown last February 2, 2010. It falls under the genre non-fiction and was the recipient of the 2011 National Academies Communication Award for the greatest creative work that support people in comprehending topics in different fields, specifically in engineering, medicine, and/or science. The book centers on the story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman, and HeLa or the undying line of cells that emerge from her cervical cancer cells. Skloot did a thorough research about Lacks and had worked along with the subject’s family in order to produce a good book. What make The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks remarkable are all the scientific writings in it and how it handles racism and classicism in the field of medical research.

I Am Malala

Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb wrote the promising non-fiction book I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for the Education and was Shot by the Taliban. This novel fell under the subcategory of non-fiction called autobiography. It was published in the UK by Weidenfeld & Nicolson while it was published in the US by the Little, Brown and Company. It follows the early life story of the Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai. The book narrates the life of Malala before, during, and after the rise of Taliban. It stated how they lived together as a family and how her father attended Jehanzeb College to take his master’s degree in English. Her father, Ziauddin, owned a school named Khushal School and how his father adored eduction implanted in Malala’s heart and mind. Her love for education turned into activism for female education and that’s the reason why armed men tried to assassinate her when she was 15 years old.