Your Letter by Hyeon A Cho

Hello fellow bookworms! May has come and gone so quickly, but thankfully it brought some warmer weather!

(c) John-Mark Smith, courtesy of Pexels

I would like to share the cutest little story that is reminiscent of the Studio Ghibli films, but is told in web-comic and game format. Your Letter, by Hyeon A Cho, begins with a girl named Sori, who was bullied in her previous school and changed schools because of it. Hesitant to make friends in her new school environment, she finds a letter underneath her desk by chance. The letter leads her on a scavenger hunt of learning secret hangouts in her school, who her classmates are, and even a list of the teachers and staff! Who sent these letters? Where do they lead? Can the person writing the letters become Sori's friend?

I recommend starting with the mobile game, which is a shortened version of the comic's beginning. If you want the full experience, you can read the comic first and then try out the game, or just start with the game and start with the comic for extra details - whichever you prefer. The game itself seems to only work on your phone, though this may change in the future, depending on the author's preference. The computer version of the link/game will not load fully and you will miss out on the experience. To start reading the comic by playing the game, visit the chapter Secret Letter here. Otherwise, read the full, free web-comic on Web Toon here.

In all, I LOVED Your Letter, and am quite addicted to Web Toon in general. :) This web-comic is a little gem that will take you about an hour or less to read, and will be sure to brighten your day.

 Happy last day of May! Hope you have some fun summer plans and books lined up - let me know what you're up to and reading in the comments!

April Showers Bring May Flowers?

Or snow. Lots of snow. Let's hope May really does bring lots of flowers! :)

(c) Thought Catalog, Pixels.com

Hello world! What books have you been reading lately?

I've been a bit busy with work and have been going back and forth between reading fast items (i.e. graphic novels) and slowly reading actual novels. Makes me wish that one of the "Short Story Stations" that the company Short Edition created were close to me! These machines are basically vending machines that randomly print out short stories for your commute - based on the length (of your trip) you input! One of these lovely machines is now offered at London's Canary Wharf. I know where I am visiting when I go to London. I would like to try and read all the stories offered! If you are interested in more of the story, please visit the Smithsonian's article here.

In other news...

Have you heard the tea on #CopyPasteCris? The story goes that Brazilian "author" Cristiane Serruya has a tendency to take pieces of books she likes and Frankenstein them together to "create" a novel of her own. Although, if it is not your words, it is really not your own work, now is it? If you cannot get away with it in high school, why do you think you can in the real world? Many different authors and readers have been keeping tabs on Cris, have reported her, and repeatedly called her out. Cris blames the ghostwriters she states she hires to help her write the books for the copying and pasting of good writing, but if the tally is over 40 authors plagiarized and people are now using your name as a meme online, I think I would stop while I was ahead, don't you? Nope, Cris continues to borrow from works she likes, to the point where people are using the hashtag to call her out and even compare the original works to the plagiarized works! The best part of all this? Besides being caught and called out repeatedly on this, Nora Roberts (whose works have been copied multiple times by Cris) is now suing her. Other authors have praised Nora and now we are all eager to see how this plays out. It's not nice to steal, but it is nice to see some justice being served.

Since it is supposed to be spring (maybe it is by you, but I'm still being pelted with cold rain and snow!), I have been listening and reading up on cleaning tips. Marie Kondo's manga The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up is a very cutesy story that also inspires and shows you how to tidy up. It is a different mindset than what I am used to, but Marie has a cleaning style that makes you think about what is really important in your life. I do not recommend going crazy binge cleaning after watching one of her shows or reading one of her books. I heard there was a lot of regret earlier this year, when everyone was Marie Kondo-cleaning. I think the different styles of cleaning are all fun to learn about, especially minimalism (which I don't think I could ever do, my natural tendencies are not made for that lifestyle), and you should figure out a style that matches your lifestyle. I'm not sure what it is about these types of self-help and lifestyle books and videos, but they are so motivating!

Speaking of lifestyle, I am in love with the public library. Not specifically my public library, but all of them, in general. The one I really love and wish I could live close to is the New York Public Library. Not only do New Yorkers receive free access to all the cool and hip museums in New York with only their library card (why doesn't my city do this?!), but they also now have bookmobiles that will come and visit neighborhoods whose libraries are currently undergoing renovation. Considering my neighborhood library is currently under renovation, I am just a bit jealous and much more curious as to how many books can fit in the vehicle and how many books of each genre is in it. If you are interested in learning more about New York's latest library offering, you can see more information on their website here.

I shall leave you with a couple of things you can do for fun! You can see what the best-selling book was for the year you were born here, thanks to Wordery, your online bookshop. Or, in honor of Earth Day this month, you can read up on recycling tips on Recyclebank, an online resource that allows you to learn about the different recycling opportunities in your neighborhood, the processes through which different objects are recycled, upcycling crafts, how to properly recycle and compost, and more. You can even earn points while learning to receive a free magazine or two (bonus!).

Let me know what you think about this post, other book news, or books in general in the comments. Happy reading! :)