Thinking Out Loud

There are a couple of things I could not live without and that is firstly books (especially Harry Potter), England (I just love the country, I spent 6 months there and went to a british college and it was the best time of my live) and rhythmic gymnastics (I do it for I don't know how long now and it's great: there is always something new to try and it's just so much fun doing it). So here is where I write all the stuff which comes to my mind.

[cocothinkingoutloud]

Circe - Madeline Miller

I found this author because everywhere you hear that her other book (The song of Achilles) is amazing and a must read. So when I got that book I also bought another book from her: “Circe“ and I am so glad I did!

I first read “The song of Achilles“ and I really enjoyed it. It is a beautifully wirtten lovestory with some Greek Mythology in it. But as it follows Achilles and Patroculus it is spans over a rather short amount of time.

A little later I read Circe. It starts a bit slow and picks up the pace later. But that is also a really good representation of Circe’s life as the beginning of her immortal life was rather monoton at the beginning and her start in defying her father Helios is slow. So during this whole book Circe has such an incredible character arch while simultanously getting a good insight into a big part of greek mythology, escpecially the time of heros as she is quiet an important part in the Odessey. 

To conclude, it is a beautiful book which I enjoyed a lot and would recommend wholeheartedly to everyone who enjoys complex characters, greek mythology or simply a well wirtten book about adventures and betrayal.

[cocothinkingoutloud]

How not to honor International Women’s Day

I was horrified today while listening to a local radio station and their idea on how to honor International Women’s Day.

Their idea was, to only play songs sung by women. Which, on it’s own, doesn’t sound too bad. But they continually read out mysogynistic tweets without indicating that it wasn’t their position on the topic.

One of those listeners asked, whether they had to cut the male singer out of a duet to play the song which consequently they did. But they didn’t just cut Nick Cave out off “Where the Wild Roses Grow“ but put some weird trumpet noise whenever Nick Cave would have sung. This, obviously, made the song utterly shit and horrible to listen to. Afterwards, they proclaimed that this is how the song sounds “women friendly“ and whenever you cut out things from history they are usually changed for the worse.

There are so many things wrong with this remark. Firstly, “women friendly“ songs don’t have to be sung only by women. If a song sounds shit it’s neither men, women nor diverse friendly. Also comparing an altered song to cutting people out of history is such a weird comparission which also diminishes that exact problem: of people in history cutting out the accomplishments of minorities and women. It even makes it sound as though feminist want to rewrite history by cutting out whomever they want. However, the opposite is the case (at least in my opinion). For me feminism means that everyone gets the recognition they deserve according to their accomplishments and not their gender.

[cocothinkingoutloud]

I'm not difficult, [...] just a bit opinionated

André Aciman, Find Me

Rereading Find Me! And this really gets so much better the second time around <3

[cocothinkingoutloud]

That feeling, when you just got a new book ☺️

[geneva-pnw]

Reblog if you dont shave your legs everyday.

I just want everyone to see how unrealistic some expectations are.

[ununquadius]

One of my favourite things about Harry is that the voice of reason he hears in his mind sounds like Hermione

[cocothinkingoutloud]

When We Were Orphans

I finished this book "When We Were Orphans" recently and I really quiet enjoyed it. It took me a bit to get really caught up in the story as it's not a linear narrative and jumps between different times of the protagonist's life. It's about a guy who lost his parents when he was around ten years old and in his adult life he tries to find them again (very basic overview of the story). Quiet important to the story is probably that it is set during the early twentieth century in England and Shanghai (he lived in Shanghai with his parents but is actually english, so he has to go to England when his parents go missing).

So in the novel the tensions in Europe and the world are being addressed. I found it especially interesting to learn about the tensions between China and Japan which are mostly left out in our studies of the second world war. I, for example, did not know that the Pacific War started already in 1937 with the battle in Shanghai (quiet a big part of the novel is set during that time). So in Europe we often forget or push aside the fact that there were also other problems during that time!

I have mostly one main part which I did not enjoy as much in this book and that is: I found the protagonist at times a bit unlikeable. He acted quiet entitled (i.e. is of the opinion the search for is parents trump the safety of people during a street war) .

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book, especially as it shines a light on a conflict which I always thought I knew quiet a bit about (in German schools the second world war is really thoroughly addressed).

[cocothinkingoutloud]

What you two had had everything and nothing to do with intelligence. He was good, and you were both lucky to have found each other, because you too are good.

André Aciman, Call Me By Your Name

I love the book and the movie, but the talk between Elio and his father might be the most inspiring and amazing part of this incredible love story!

[hpdailyquoty]

[cocothinkingoutloud]

I read this and it made me incredibly sad. For one because I remembered what Harry has gone through to feel this way and for another the realisation that at some point we all feel this way! Thinking of the past and finding how different and carefree we once were. That we were happier with less and enjoyed so much more…

[cocothinkingoutloud]

Anyone who is capeable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job

Douglas Adams “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe”

Even though this quote is not especially for the presidency of the United States, it probably never fitted better!!

[cocothinkingoutloud]

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

I have recenty read this amazing book by Douglas Adams.

It is about the human Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect who hitchhike through the univers after the earth is demolished for a hyperspatial express route and consequently find themselves in the most unlikly and ridiculously inprobable situations.

Which makes this book so intersting is that everything that happens is always so unexpected and unlikly, however you can perfectly relate to these situations as they are mostly exaggerated from actual occurances on earth.

So, I can hightly recommend this book, even for people who usualy do not read science fiction, as it is not realy my genre either. But I can promise that it will put a smile on your face.

[cocothinkingoutloud]

If human beings don’t keep exercising their lips, their brains start working

Douglas Adams “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe”

This sentence is just too true! How many times does ist happen that someone just needed to hold on and think before saying anything!

[hpdailyquoty]

[cocothinkingoutloud]

My absolute favourite Hermione quote 😍

[ewatsondaily]

“Feminism is not here to dictate to you. It’s not prescriptive, it’s not dogmatic. All we are here to do is give you a choice. If you want to run for Prime Minister, you can. If you don’t, that’s wonderful, too. Shave your armpits, don’t shave them, wear flats one day, heels the next. These things are so irrelevant and surface to what it is all really about, and I wish people wouldn’t get caught up in that. We want to empower women to do exactly what they want, to be true to themselves, to have the opportunities to develop. Women should feel free. There is no typical feminist, there is nothing anywhere that says you have to meet a certain set of criteria.” —Emma Watson

[cocothinkingoutloud]

#Emma Watson #feminism #heforshe #sotrue #imafeminist

[cocothinkingoutloud]

"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have."

Joanne K. Rowling “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”

Hermoine’s retorts are always the best, however you’ve got to admit this is one of the best!!!

[cocothinkingoutloud]

If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.

Joanne K. Rowling “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”

[cocothinkingoutloud]

My Grandmother sends her Regards & apologises

I just finished reading this amazing novel written by Fredrik Backman. He is also the other of “A Man called Ove” (which I haven’t read yet but is supposed to be really good).

But this book, I just fell in love with. It’s about the almost-eight-year-old Elsa and the stories her grandmother told her which come to life after Granny has sent her on a treasur hunt to apologise to all the people she wronged. The main reason why I love this book is because of the main character Elsa. She is in many ways more mature than usual seven-year-olds. In other ways however, just the same. This makes always for funny conversations and awkward situations. For example, she asks just what comes to her mind, but her questions are more personal (”Did you and Granny have an affair?”) or deeper (”Do you belive in life after death?”) than you would expect. Also, there are so many details and a great deal imagination put into this story.

So, all I can say is, that you should really read this book. Especially if you are in the mood for really crying your eyes out (needed quiet a while to recover myself after I finished!!).