Madeline Osigian

My new favorite picture of the entire Internet      When we set about bettering our reading lives, we want to read widely. Not sure what this means? Let me break it down. Non-fiction, fiction, and poetry Genres - fantasy, self-help, YA, MG, children's, romance, mystery, adventure, action, sci-fi, classics, contemporary, thriller, etc. Flavors/feels/styles - cozy, can't-put-down, fast-paced, deeply philosophical, chilling, etc. Authors/characters - male/female, various races, various backgrounds, various styles, etc.      We need to dabble in each category occasionally, and there are thousands more that I don't have time to list.      (If you're wondering what YA is, that would be young adult, namely, teen. And MG is middle grade--not quite children's but not quite YA.)      Expect a lot from your books when you choose them with varying textures and characters and paces and plots. They won't disappoint. ...

Image      Books.      What's better than books?      Whole walls and rooms and buildings full of books, of course! Yesterday, I talked about going to places that inspire you to read as a way to get out of a reading slump.      I find renewed reading motivation every time I walk into one of these places: The library A bookstore -- any bookstore Friends' rooms/closets/wherever they keep their books      As a bookworm, you will begin to find yourself always drawn to the books in a room. Who cares about the clothes or tchotchkes at a garage sale? You came for the books! Why look at the sculptures or paintings in a museum? You came for the books! What appeal do electronic learning methods hold? School should be books! Image Image      It might be somewhere different for you. Maybe Goodreads or book blogs or Booktube videos are your inspirations. Maybe your place is a cozy ...

     Reading slumps are every bookworm's worst nightmare.      What is a reading slump, you might be asking? It is when, no matter how much you love books, you struggle with actually wanting to read. It's an identity crisis for passionate readers.      Sometimes a slump hits you suddenly, and other times, it is a gradually ensuing condition. But no bookworm wants to be stuck forever in this reading rut.      Your first reaction is to be desperately sad. Image      You know you need to get out of the slump as soon as possible.      BUT HOW?????????????????      You think, "Maybe I'll just push through. I can sit down and force myself to read."      Then, "Wait, what? Force myself to read? Did I really just say that? Just yesterday, all I wanted to do was curl up with a good book!" Image      The reading slump is definitel...

Image      As you become a bookworm, you quickly realize that there are too many books in the world. By that, I don't mean that we should have fewer books but that you will never be able to read even a fraction of the world's literature. When you realize you'll never be able to read every book in the world      The struggle is real! We have to choose which books to spend time with! Suddenly, we're trying to figure out how to read as many as we possibly can.      I am always amazed by people who can read a hundred or more books in a year. I've read hundreds in my lifetime, for sure, but usually no more than 50 a year.      This year my goal is 60, and I plan to increase my goal by 10 books every year.      Which means that in 2020, I plan to read 100 books!      This is no easy task. But I think I've figured out how people do it, and I'm going to break it down for you....

Image      If you want to have a better reading life, odds are you want to make it more of a habit .      You want it to be your lifestyle .      And as my good friend *not really, but roll with it* Lemony Snicket said, "Live the bookish life. There is nothing to lose but boredom and nothing to fear except papercuts."      When we're creating habits, repetition is key. Reminding yourself daily is also essential, so what we need to do is create reminders. Some great ones are:      Books on your bedside table, desk, by your computer, in your tv cabinet, by your phone-charging station. If you see a book, you're more likely to remember you want to return to the story. Put them in strategic places, so you will choose to read over doing something else.       More books in places where you'll remember to take them with you on the road. Put a book in your purse, backpack, and suitcase. Keep...

Image      There are legitimate excuses not to read, I suppose. But they are few and far between. You can always bring a book with you (as we saw in Where to Read ).      When should you read?      Before I say the obvious, we must note something particularly crucial: Do not read while attending a funeral, listening to a sermon, eating with your family, driving a car, sitting in class, or anywhere else that you deem it inappropriate.      There are plenty of good times to read (right now, in fact!), but don't let it consume your time or distract you from important moments in life.      Reading is for the in-between moments, the pauses, the times you would otherwise waste on tv or social media.      When should you read? When the house is quiet early in the morning While waiting for the doctor, dentist, your family, a play, a movie, etc. When you need a stress-free afternoon or ...

     Book release days are a bookworm's Christmas, Easter, and 4th of July! It's so exciting when a favorite author's newest book is available. The more you research books, the more "coming soon" books you'll be anticipating.      Today Jennifer Rothschild's new book is released into the world. 66 Ways God Loves You shows how every book of the Bible reveals God's love in a specific way. We often hear that the Bible is God's love letter to us. 66 Ways shows exactly how each book proves God's unfailing love. "From Genesis to Revelation, you'll see how much you matter to God. As you read through the history and poetry in the Old Testament books, you'll be reminded that God knows you and sees you and loves you no matter what. As you experience the Gospels and letters in the New Testament, you'll feel how His love challenges and changes you." ~Jennifer Rothschild, 66 Ways God Loves You      This book spoke so...

Image      If you want to have a better reading life, one of the first things you should do is get your environment ready for reading. Reading in Public      If you're reading in public, you're going to want to find a semi-quiet spot preferably with few people around. Hopefully, you can find a comfy chair and focus in on your book.      Sometimes screaming babies and loud conversations will interfere with your reading. In these situations, take a deep breath, look up, and smile around at the people in the room until things calm down.      Even if you can only finish a few pages while you're waiting for something, you've spent your time well. And remember: If a book could bring you to tears (based on your research), avoid reading that one in public. Reading at Home      When you're reading at home, be sure you cozy up a lot more than when you're in public. Coffee or tea or snacks (that won't g...

Image      When people set about to better themselves by extensive reading, they often start with their childhood. Whether you read a lot as a child or not is scarcely the point. The point is that everyone has a handful (or more) of stories that shaped them into the person they are today.       Because that's what stories do. They shape us.      The power of story is tremendous, and every story you remember from your childhood is important to consider as you begin this journey. Image      What genres did you return to again and again? Which literary character was your hero? How did you see the world differently because of the stories that stole your young heart?       For, you see, you must remember how you began to see where you can go. “I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”  ―  Markus Zusak ,  The Book Thief      Challeng...

     I'm so glad you're here! I'm dedicating my October to helping you get to a better place in your reading life.      You've heard all the reasons you should read - to be smarter, to decrease stress, to keep your imagination alive, to learn important skills, to go on adventures, to see things from others' perspectives, to expand your vocabulary, and, of course, to keep your brain from atrophying.       Now it's time to do something about it!      I love the Write 31 Days category I fall under this year: personal endeavors. Seeking to improve your reading life is certainly a worthy personal endeavor.      Make sure you subscribe here , so you never miss a post! I'm @MadelineOsigian on Twitter. :) Day 1 ~ Welcome! (you're here) Day 2 ~ Remember Your Childhood Day 3 ~ Where to Read Day 4 ~ Treat Book Releases Like Holidays (with Giveaway!) Day 5 ~ When to Read Day 6 ~ How to Make Reading a Habit...

Image      No one wants to have to tread lightly around their décor. No delicate pillows or wispy curtains here. We need to be practical and embrace décor that works for us, especially in the durability department.      There's nothing cozy about worrying your glass of iced tea will leave a ring on your host's (or mom's!) coffee table. There's nothing cozy about having to "be careful" not to track a speck of mud into the house.      All we want to do is be cozy and have conversation and food with loved ones, right? So let's make our stuff work for us once again by making sure everything is durable, replaceable, or both.      Because something will get broken. Someone will forget to use a coaster. Someone will knock their drink onto the carpet. Books will get ripped *gasp*, and walls will get scratched.      It's ok. It's real life and real people. Image   ...

Image       Have you ever seen Pride & Prejudice ? I love the BBC one, but at the moment, I'm actually talking about the Kiera Knightley version.      You know how the camera pans in and around their house a few times, showing what their typical days look like? There's this lovely piano music in the background. (If you're reading in email, you will need to click over to the blog or click here to see the video .)     I wish a soundtrack like that would play in the background of my life automatically, but it won't unless I make it happen.      It's time to brush up on your fourth-grade level skills on the piano like I did (if they're second-grade level, that's ok too.) :) It's time to break out the dusty ukulele and learn to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb." It's time to turn on Pandora, Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, the radio, or whatever you use for music.      Musi...

Image      Curtains have power. They can close off the light or let it in. They can make your ceiling look higher or lower. (Make sure you hang them high and wide like The Nester says to do.)      I like how, in the picture above, the curtains aren't even on a window. They are curtaining off the sleeping area from the vanity in a bedroom.      Curtains are a fabulous décor piece to be sure, but what makes them cozy? Well, they add some flowy fabric to your otherwise blank or stark walls. It softens the room and makes it feel homey.      I'm not going to ask you to hang curtains for the action point. But I would like you to consider what this piece can do for your home.      Action point: If you have curtains, make sure they're hung properly. If you've been considering buying curtains from Joss & Main , maybe hit "Submit my order" today. If you never thought you'd have cu...

Image        Sunshine. I miss it already. Fall was here for .2 seconds, and then it started raining (and raining and raining and raining...and look!...wait...still raining.) What a great way to end a drought. *sarcastic eye roll*        The rain is fine, but I really crave sunshine, and fresh (not humid) air. If your weather can still be described as "sunshine and fresh air," what are you doing? Open a window before it's all gone! You saw the title of this post. It's fairly straight-forward.        Maybe the coming winter won't be the best time to do this, but it's fall. Open your windows for as long as you can, especially if you're cooped up indoors most of the day.        I love open windows! They have an old-timey, let's-call-out-to-our-neighbors-to-stay-away-from-our-cranberry-bread feel to them. Cranberry Thanksgiving , anyone? Image    ...

Image      You're probably not going to believe what I am about to tell you. You probably don't equate clean with cozy, but clean floors are a necessity for a comfortable and snuggly home. ("Comfortable and snuggly" is a pretty thorough breakdown of the word "cozy.")      If I go over to anyone's house, get comfortable, take off my shoes, but then step on a crumb, I am not going to be completely comfortable taking my shoes off in their house again. Or at least, I'll check to see if the floors are clean first. The gunk that builds up on any type of floor is just gross.      Ok. So you can't help one little crumb. But again, if someone can see how dirty your floors are without bending over, it's time to break out the vacuum.      It's crazy how this one thing really isn't that hard. Vacuuming is an amazing 2-in-1 cleaning/workout combo (with free French fries...off the floor...ew!)  ...

Image        What's cozy? It's not always sharp lines and bright whites.        More often, cozy means balancing those clean lines with natural elements. The shapes and colors that something like a simple plant introduce are incredible! The greens in a leaf or the subtle pinks in a bouquet add a loveliness nothing can touch.   Image        Action point: Bring in a plant, a branch, a rock, flowers ~ anything that is from outside.        Happy Monday! ~Madeline This post is part of my 31 Ways to Cozy Up Your Space series . 

Image      This post may seem closely related to staying organized .      But simplifying is more specific. It's eliminating excess and keeping things fresh and purposeful.      Maybe you don't need a clunky chest of drawers since you've gotten a little more organized and want a cozy reading chair now.      Simplifying means we'll have more room for the things and people that really matter. Simplifying means that our eyes can rest in our spaces instead of being overstimulated by tchotchkes and figurines and "decorations."      Let the "decorations" take a break and focus on the bare bones of your home ~ the lines of the couch, the shape of your mug on a book, or the sight of your kids making a blanket fort.      Action point: Don't do anything. Just be all there in your space today. ~Madeline This post is part of my 31 Ways to Cozy Up Your Space...

Image        Today, we're just discussing a single, simple, cozy-concept.        Everything is décor.        This means that if I can see it, it is part of your house decorations. This means that that coffee mug by the sink with a thin film of coffee in it is decorating your house whether you planned on it or not.        To solve the problem of ugly things becoming your décor, streamline your things. For example, paint the walls if you hate the color. Try to buy toys that aren't bright colors or minions or something that will mess up your living room décor. Close your laptop when you aren't using it.       Action point: What in your house is messing up your cozy vibes? Fix it. ~Madeline This post is part of my 31 Ways to Cozy Up Your Space series . 

Image        Some things that make your home cozy might not originally seem like they are cozy. Things like staying organized, ~ ok. Let's just stop there. It's enough to work with.      What do you think of when you hear the word organized? Spotless, streamlined shelves? Shoeboxes and matching hangers?      Well, I'm going to have to ask you to scratch any ideas you have about The-Container-Store-perfect "organization."      Putting your stuff in boxes does not make you organized. To stay organized means to make your stuff work for you. When your stuff has a designated home, your tidying routine will become a million times easier. With less stuff, your house will feel like it's breathing.      With this newfound freedom and intentionality, your house will have purpose and beauty.      "That's all fine and good, Madeline, but h...

Image      Tell me which is cozier: a high-backed, imposing armchair or a beanbag?      You're clever enough to figure it out. Poufs, benches, floor pillows, beanbags, and even low armchairs and hammocks are what we're talking about today. Image      In big groups, people almost always prefer the floor to even a comfy couch. Why is this? It's hard to say. But it's a fact: People (especially teenagers) love sprawling out on the floor. We can make the floor even cozier with all those things I mentioned above. My personal favorite is the pouf.      It's just such a perfect height for tying shoes, reading, chatting with a friend who is on the floor, or playing Monopoly on a coffee table. I got mine here .      Action point: Introduce some low seating into your décor today, even if it's just a pillow thrown on the cold hardwoods. ~Madeline This post is part ...