Tag Archives: psychology

Wellness Wednesday #5: Deferred

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Thistle

To be honest with you all, I am not well. Not by any stretch of the imagination. For months now, I’ve been sleeping poorly, attacking myself with food/wine binges, and having complete emotional breakdowns that seem to come out of nowhere. … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal, Wellness, Writing | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Wellness Wednesday #4: Invisible

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Thistle

With this whole KonMari project going on, I’ve been thinking a lot about happiness lately. Happiness and decision-making, happiness vs functionality, happiness in body image, etc. Today I want to discuss happiness, clothes, shame, invisibility, and PTSD. True Confessions Choosing and … Continue reading →

Posted in Wellness | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Gentlemen and Players, by Joanne Harris

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Thistle

St. Oswald’s Grammar School for Boys has withstood so much, from curriculum modernization to the dwindling of funds to a series of scandals buried as deep as the Board of Governors can dig. Roy Straitly has been teaching Latin there … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Wellness Wednesday #3: Choosing Happiness

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Thistle

In the spring of 1999, a professor came to my French course to advertise that summer’s abroad program in Bourges. I loved the idea, but my boyfriend objected, and I discovered I could only get financial aid in the form … Continue reading →

Posted in Wellness | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Emmy & Oliver, by Robin Benway

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Thistle

Emmy and Oliver are next door neighbors and best friends, until the day in second grade when Oliver’s father kidnaps him. Ten years later, Oliver is back at home and his father is on the run. No one quite knows … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Writer vs Author

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Thistle

This week, I quit the paralegal course I’ve been taking this year. I had no desire to continue in this field, and while the decision was difficult, I feel much lighter now that I’ve let it go. Of course, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged | 13 Comments

Pretending to be Erica, by Michelle Painchaud

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Thistle

Kidnapped thirteen years ago, at the age of four, Erica Silverman is the holy grail of cons. Her parents are filthy rich, and built somewhere into their library is a safe containing a painting worth millions. More than one “Erica” … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Underground Girls of Kabul, by Jenny Nordberg (audio)

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Thistle

Subtitled: In Search of Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan [some versions are subtitled: The Hidden Lives of Afghan Girls Disguised as Boys] When Jenny Nordberg was reporting in Afghanistan, she came across a phenomenon she hadn’t heard of before: bacha posh, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Nekropolis, by Maureen McHugh

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Thistle

Hariba has voluntarily entered a life of forced servitude to escape the death-homes of Nekropolis, the section of a large Moroccan city where she was raised. She’s working for a rich couple who buy the contract of many such forced-servants, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Brand New Journey

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Thistle

Most of you know my health backstory already: After eleven years of illness that caused a myriad of symptoms, including gigantic weight fluctuations, I was finally healed and ready to embark on a weight loss journey to lose 100+ lbs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Wellness | Tagged , , | 18 Comments