The Nerdy Nook

Thank You, Thank You!

Hello, dear reader!

I just want to thank you for reading my blog. (I’ve been blogging since college my senior year at the University of Minnesota, Morris.) I’ve loved creating this new blog, a place where I can be myself, and share my passions with others.

Thank you for reading and following Nerdshelf Life! It really means a lot to me.

Sincerely,

Meghan B.

Leben Blut (Life Blood)

Little stream,
so small,
so swollen with Gatorade-blue liquid
full to the brim of the bank
with fresh life blood.

Wasser,
you give us life
in clear cold droplets
of your blood

Little stream,
you are life blood for the scrawny brown doe,
life blood for the woman
and her tiny child only knee-high
with a ribbon of blue in her dark hair.

Wasser,
you are
life blood for the thirsty pine and birch trees
for the tawny birds, fluttering their wings in your cool bath

Wasser,
you are
richer than gold’s coveted glint,
more precious than any blood diamond
more coveted than the green dollar bills in my wallet.

Wasser fur alle:
this is my hope
flickering like a candle
in a gusting autumnal wind.

M.B.B.
10/29/19

photo credit: shutterstock images

translations

leben blut: life blood
wasser: water
wasser fur alle: water for all

Note: I’m trying my hand at using what German I’m learning from songs in poems. Let me know if my German words are incorrect! (I used the power of Google to write out my German phrases.)

Bojack Horseman

Bojack Horseman is part-horse, part-human, and all around stubborn.

#nails

Just painted my nails black with a matte finish. A bit came off the edge of my left thumb. I was whistling to Rammstein, and the whistle died in my throat. Haha!

Book Love Letters: A Swiftly Tilting Planet

Back in elementary school, this was the first book I’d read of Madeleine L’Engle’s. I still carry this book around in my mind, because of the massive impact it had on me.

Writer’s Blood

No ink on my body
but ink’s in my blood
the smudge on my left hand
is a badge
a tat of ink creased into my skin
a sign of the writer’s blood within me.

M.B.B.
10/28/19

Flight of Magpies: A Charm of Magpies Book # 3

Magician Stephan Day is under a lot of stress.

A Case of Possession: A Charm of Magpies Book # 2

Lord Crane and his lover Stephan Day are the Magpie Lord.

The Magpie Lord: A Charm of Magpies, Book # 1

Lord Crane keeps trying to kill himself.

The Wolf & the Watchman

Niklas Natt Och Dach (whose name translates to Niklas Night and Day in English) has written a gritty, intelligent first novel called The Wolf and the Watchman. Originally published as 1793 in its native Swedish, The Wolf and the Watchman tells the tale of a watchman roused from a hangover one morning by a couple of kids, telling him that there’s been a body found in the river. Reluctantly, watchman Mickel Cardell gets up from his slumber and goes to the lake to retrieve the body.

There’s one disturbing problem, though: the body is missing limbs and eyes.

Hexslayer (Hexworld # 3)

Horse shifter Nick has dedicated his life to creating a safe haven for other shifters, men and women who can shift into animals at will. His one rule? Never trust a witch. When a feral–an un-bonded shifter–is killed, Nick must work with MWP copper Jamie MacDougal to catch the killer. Nick has one problem, though: Jamie is his witch. Nick is prideful, and strong spirited, and he hates the idea of working with someone like Jamie.

Oxenfree

I just finished this game. To tell you the truth, it was amazing. It’s been in my queue for quite some time, and I purchased Oxenfree on a whim two days ago. The soundtrack is great, full of luscious electronic tracks, and really fits the feel of the game, whether you’re traveling through the woods or visiting with ghosts.

Hexmaker (Hexworld # 2)

To see my previous book reviews for Hexworld, go here!

Malachi is a thief. He’s good at it, too. But one night, as he is supposed to steal something from a house, he ends up witnessing a murder. Dr. Owen Yates is a straight-laced policeman, working for the MWP (Metropolitan Witch Police). He helps make hexes and is good at it. When Mal and Owen’s paths cross due to the murdered millionaire, they must put aside their differences and work together to figure out who killed the wealthy man. And why. As they work, their feelings for one another get in the way of the case, Owen must confront his feelings, or deny them, like he’s done so far in his adult life.

Curse My Name: A Breakdown

Blind Guardian’s “Curse My Name,” reminds me of something. It clicked in my head only just this morning.

For a song coming from 2010, it has strong resemblance to our current political climate.

“Curse My Name” is a rousing song, telling the story of a tyrannical king being brought forth for his crimes. As the crowd gathered (or that’s how it appears in my head whenever I listen) watches, he is tried guilty, and the crowd around him rejoice.

Hexbreaker (Hexworld # 1)

This is a review for the first installment of the Hexworld series. To see my other book reviews, go here.

Tom Holleran is a copper with a dangerous past: he can break hexes. If anyone were to find out, he would be in trouble, spending his time behind bars. But, as it turns out, Tom’s secret is threatened because a murder that takes place on his beat brings back memories of how his gang members were killed.

Cat shifter Cicero, who is determined to find one friend and investigate the death of another, must work together with Tom. He quickly realizes one thing: Tom is his witch. When you find your witch, that means you have a better chance of creating stronger magic.