Quieting the Storm

It's been quiet around here lately, and I promise things will pick up again soon. We're in the thrall of midterms, and as I write this I am staring at a stack of research articles approximately three hundred pages deep and wondering how I will manage to turn it into an essay...that's due on Friday. Who knew senior year could be so much fun??

When things get stressful during the semester, I always make sure to turn to a few matters of routine to create order within the chaos. Besides cooking healthy meals and making sure I make it to the gym (even if watching Bones while I'm on the elliptical is my biggest motivator), I always make sure to keep the same bedtime, and most importantly, to spend at least a half hour with a good book before I fall asleep. Reading is a source of comfort to me, especially during the weeks when simply looking at my planner can induce a stress headache. Free time is a rare commodity during this period in the semester, and as in real life, what you choose to do with the pockets of freedom can have a big impact on the way you face the challenges ahead. Reading helps me to refocus, reset, recharge even, and puts me right again. The task is to choose a story that you can get lost in - one that has you gasping, laughing, and feeling like you are in another world entirely. This week, it's Pride and Prejudice that I have finally fallen in love with, and every night as I go to bed I'm grateful for writers like Jane Austen who put captivating stories out into the world.

Until the storm of midterm blows over, I'll leave you with this fun little quiz that popped up in my inbox this morning. I took the quiz while waiting in line for a coffee and got "The Lionizer," and let me tell you that result was spot on. The profile was a perfect description of me and made me laugh when it predicted my love of children's lit. Take the quiz and tell me which "reading personality" you got in the comments section below!