The Watermelon Symbol Today:

how to start reading again

from someone who was a voracious reader until high school and is now getting back into it in her twenties.

start with an old favourite. even though it felt a little silly, i re-read the harry potter series one christmas and it wiped away my worry that i wasn't capable of reading anymore. they are long books, but i was still able to get completely immersed and to read just as fast as i had years and years ago.

don't be afraid of "easier" books. before high school i was reading the french existentialists, but when getting back into reading, i picked up lucinda riley and sally rooney. not my favourite authors by far, but easier to read while not being totally terrible. i needed to remind myself that only choosing classics would not make me a better or smarter person. if a book requires a slower pace of reading to be understood, it's easier to just drop it, which is exactly what i wanted to avoid at first.

go for essays and short stories. no need to explain this one: the shorter the whole, the less daunting it is. i definitely avoided all books over 350 pages at first and stuck to essay collections until i suddenly devoured donna tartt's goldfinch.

remember it's okay not to finish. i was one of those people who finished every book they started, but not anymore! if i pick up a book at the library and after a few chapters realise i'd rather not read it, i just return it. (another good reason to use your local library! no money spent on books you might end up disliking.)

analyse — or don't. some people enjoy reading more when they take notes or really stop to think about the contents. for me, at first, it was more important to build the habit of reading, and the thought of analysing what i read felt daunting. once i let go of that expectation, i realised i naturally analyse and process what i read anyway.

read when you would usually use your phone. just as i did when i was a child, i try to read when eating, in the bathroom, on public transport, right before sleeping. i even read when i walk, because that's normally a time i stare at my screen anyway. those few pages you read when you brush your teeth and wait for a friend very quickly stack up.

finish the chapter. if you have time, try to finish the part you're reading before closing the book. usually i find i actually don't want to stop reading once i get to the end of a chapter — and if i do, it feels like a good place to pick up again later.

try different languages. i was quickly approaching a reading slump towards the end of my exchange year, until i realised i had only had access to books in english and that, despite my fluency, i was tired of the language. so as soon as i got back home i started picking up books in my native tongue, which made reading feel much easier and more fun again! after some nine months, i'm starting to read in english again without it feeling like a huge task.

forget what's popular. i thought social media would be a fun way to find interesting books to read, but i quickly grew frustrated after hating every single book i picked up on some influencer's recommendation. it's certainly more time-consuming to find new books on your own, but this way i don't despise every novel i pick up.

remember it isn't about quantity. the online book community's endless posts about reading 150 books each year or 6 books in a single day easily make us feel like we're slow, bad readers, but here's the thing: it does not matter at all how many books you read or what your reading pace is. we all lead different lives, just be proud of yourself for reading at all!

stop stressing about it. we all know why reading is important, and since the pandemic reading has become an even more popular hobby than it was before (which is wonderful!). however, there's no need to force yourself to be "a reader". pick up a book every now and then and keep reading if you enjoy it, but not reading regularly doesn't make you any less of a good person. i find the pressure to become "a person who reads" or to rediscover my inner bookworm only distances me from the very act of reading.

Youtube links for the animated short films created for Link Click's overseas creator program!

The people of Gaza are asking for YOUR help today. Here are some VETTED campaigns you should donate to and share widely.

(may 23rd):

Help Almoghrabi family to evacuate Gaza strip (@amjad20011) - Amjad needs to evacuate with his wife and his son, who isn't even 3 years old.

Support Ruba's family's urgent evacuation (@rubashaban) - Ruba's family are lacking the basic necessities of life; she has an elderly father who desperately needs to be evacuated.

Save little Yusuf and his family (@ahmednabubake) - Yusuf is in an intensive care unit fighting for his life in Gaza; he needs urgent evacuation alongside his family.

Help Belal and his family to evacuate from Gaza (@alaajshaat) - Belal has lost too much to this war and needs to support himself and his family.

Help Ahmed's family evacuate (@malkzaeem) - Ahmed needs to save his wife, 4 children, and severely injured father.

Help Ezzideen Shehab and his family evacuate (@helpezzideen) - Ezzideen, a young doctor, and his parents, siblings, and young brother Mazen urgently need to evacuate.

Help Iman’s family find safety (@imaneyad) - Iman has a family of 7 who need to find safety.

Support three orphaned children and their mother (@abedbahlool) - TW Graphic image. Asmaa is a mother of three and lost her husband due to the aggression.

Help save Bassam and his family (@lailashaqoura) - Bassam has five young children and has already lost 9 members of his wife's family.

Save Firas' family (@prosolitudeeee) - Firas is a of two children, a 10-month-old boy and a two-year-old girl, who are in need of safe haven in Egypt.

Help Hani's family evacuate (@skatehani) - A Palestinian skater trying to evacuate 10 members of his family.

Help Omar evacuate (@omarsobhi) - Omar is a 20 year old Palestinian student who wants to save himself and his family from this genocide.

Help Tahseen and his family (@tahseenmush) - Tahseen and his family are from northern Gaza and need urgent help to survive this genocide.

Help Nader's family to evacuate from Gaza (@nadershoshaa) - Nader and his family, consisting of six members, are currently displaced in the south; help them evacuate and survive.

Marah needs to save her family (@marahsalem) - Marah is trying to get reunited with her family, which consists of 5 members who need to urgently evacuate.

Help Mahmoud's family evacuate (@mahmoud0qassas) - Mahmoud and his family need to get to Egypt. His brother in law needs medical attention ASAP.

Yosof's family needs to evacuate (@yosofzaeem) - Yosof’s family needs to evacuate urgently; member of their family needs medical attention.

This list is supposed to call you to action. Please do not scroll past without contributing. Choose at least one fundraiser to support today. $5 can save lives. If you cannot donate, share these campaigns.

Looking for more campaigns?

Save my life.please!! 🙏🏻🍉💔

This is what we live every moment.

Our lives are in danger, as we do not know how to escape death every time,

and we do not know what awaits us. I hope for your help to save the lives of me and my family from death. Every 250kr makes a difference.

I hope you will not fail.

Donate please 🙏🏻🥺

🆘🆘

1100sek = 100$

gofundme.com

Donate to Support Aseeel Fight for Life and Family in Gaza, organized by Aseel Mohammed

I am Aseel from Gaza I am 25 years old and live under the shadow of w… Aseel Mohammed needs your support for Support Aseeel Fight for Life

🛑MAKE A GOOD MEMORY, IF YOU IGNORE MY WORDS, YOU WILL KILL MY FAMILY

I accept death in Gaza, I lost the one who made me cling to this life, but I cannot bear to lose my father, brothers and sisters. I just want to tell you that it has been six and a half months since I opened the donation campaign for my family, and during this period we have lost many new family members, from my father being arrested by the Zionists and tortured, to my brother Mohammed being shot by a sniper, to our displacement to the south. I have been appealing to you for more than six months, asking you all to get me and my family out of the war zone. I cannot imagine Lulu’s future here after she lost her father in the bombing of our house and became an orphan suffering from fractures and malnutrition. I ask you all to unite together to help me achieve the goal. I am too shy to ask, but I trust you. Please do not leave me alone. Every dollar will be used to save my family.

Please donate or reblog this post.

gofundme.com

Donate to Help Nesma and her family evacuate, organized by Mena K

Nesma Ahmed is raising funds to help her family evacuate from Gaza. Currently, Gaza has been… Mena K needs your support for Help Nesma and h

@fancysmudges @brokenbackmountain @ @just-browsing1222-deactivated20 @mothblossoms @aleciosun @serica-e @fluoresensitive @khizuo @lesbiandardevil @transmutationisms @schoolhater @timogsilangan @appsa @buttercuparry @sayruq @malcriada @palestinegenocide @sar-soor @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @visenyasdragon @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @kordeliiius @troythecatfish @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @brutaliakhoa @theropoda @tamarrud @queerstudiesnatural @northgazaupdates2 @skatezophrenic @awetistic-things @camgirlpanopticon @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @nabulsi @sygol @junglejim4322 @heritageposts @chososhairbuns @palistani @dlxxv-vetted-donations @illuminated-runas @imjustheretotrytohelp

Hey

I’m loving the new story if u can’t tell. 😔

Gaza Fights for Freedom (2019) | dir. Abby Martin

Oh my nagireo heart ☹️💔

Urgent Appeal: Support Needed to Save My Family in Gaza

Hello everyone,

I hope you and your families are all in good health and safety.

I am Dr. Tamer Al-Deeb, a dentist from Gaza, Palestine.

We have been suffering from the bitterness and harshness of war for the past nine months, and we can no longer endure it. We are exhausted and drained, with no option left but to escape with whatever remains of our mental health out of the country.

I hope you can help us preserve our lives and support our cause until the very end. You are our hope and our reliance. ❤️

Please help us by donating any amount you can. If you are unable to donate, sharing our campaign would mean a lot to us. 🙏🏻🍉

Thank you.

gofundme.com

Donate to Standing with a Family Escaping the Horrors of War in Gaza., organized by Abdallah Ghunaim

The story will be in three languages: English, German, and Ar… Abdallah Ghunaim needs your support for Standing with a Family Escaping the H

Our campaign is vetted by :

- @ibtisams 🫶🇵🇸 : click here

- @90-ghost 🫶🇵🇸 : click here

- @el-shab-hussein 🫶🇵🇸& @nabulsi 🫶🇵🇸 on Vetted Gaza Fundraiser List Number [ 191 ] : click here

@communistchilchuck 🫶🇵🇸

@sar-soor 🫶🇵🇸

@fallahifag 🫶🇵🇸

@plomegranate 🫶🇵🇸

@fairuzfan 🫶🇵🇸

@vakarians-babe 🫶🇵🇸

@palestinegenocide 🫶🇵🇸

comics as an art form make me insane. they’re so difficult to do well. there’s so many different ways to make sequential art work and most of them are deeply unintuitive. onomatopoeia that feels completely ridiculous to put down often reads seamlessly. panels on a page become a fractally nested image composition challenge that’s only possible to lose because if you do a good job no one will notice. you have to direct the readers’ eyes on a specific path across the page but also account for the fact that they won’t follow it. comic time isn’t linear. if the order of events isn’t crystal clear the story becomes incomprehensible. sometimes you need to do this on purpose. all this for a medium almost universally considered less effective than animation and less respectable than plain text. even its own name doesn’t take it seriously