our eagerly-awaited summer read: The Silkworm by JK Rowling

Okay, technically The Silkworm is written under JK Rowling's pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. Rowling published her first crime novel, The Cuckoo's Calling, in 2013 under this pen name. The Cuckoo's Calling received rave reviews when it was first published; critics claimed it was 'hard to believe this is a debut novel' and named Galbraith as an 'author to watch'. When news finally got out that The Cuckoo's Calling was actually Rowling's work, the novel immediately became the number 1 bestseller in the UK.

Now, Rowling is releasing The Silkworm, sequel to the wildly successful The Cuckoo's Calling. This novel will continue to follow the story of Cormoran Strike, a rough and disgruntled (but very loveable) private detective. Strike is called in to investigate the disappearance of a novelist who has just completed a manuscript detailing the life-ruining secrets of everyone he knows. When the novelist is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, Strike must hunt down a unique and ruthless killer.    

This sequel to The Cuckoo's Calling will simply be a must-read summer novel. I was never a huge crime/thriller/mystery reader, but anyone who has read the Harry Potter series will know that JK Rowling is a tremendous storyteller. She has an incredible ability to give life to the most unusual but believable characters, and craft make-believe worlds that seem only just beyond our reach. As a Rowling fan, The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm are a must-read. I loved The Cuckoo's Calling because it delved deeply into human character and psychology, focusing equally on the murder mystery at hand and on the lives of those involved. Rowling is also able to command a large cast of unique characters with ease, and the most appealing of these is certainly Cormoran Strike. An Afghanistan veteran and the forgotten illegitimate son of a 70's rock star, Strike is gruff, intimidating, and awkward but as loveable as a teddy bear.  

The Silkworm will be released on June 19 in the UK and on June 24 in the US, and is available for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  

The Zabelieth Job Boards List for Working Globally

My master's degree graduation is just around the corner, which means there is now less than a month until I will no longer be a student for the first time in my life.  Entering the job market and taking on the completely new role of "career woman," as many of our readers know, is one of the largest transitions we make in our lives.  Lucky for our generation, we live in an era when there are few barriers to working anywhere in the country or, really, anywhere in the world.  At the very least, we can apply for any job in the world we feel we are qualified for.  It can be kind of overwhelming, the sheer number of possibilities out there for someone fresh out of school, with few or no major tethers.  But it's also so exciting.

Anyways, as my job search continues, I just thought I would share the long list of fantastic job boards that I have encountered.  This list is particularly useful for anyone interested in working abroad in fields related to foreign affairs, international relations, conflict resolution, development, or the nonprofit/NGO sector.

Center for Human Rights and Global Justice

The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Civil Rights Career Center
CNM JobScoop

Idealist

Finca
Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN)
Foreign Affairs Job List
Global Jobs
International Development Jobs

My.jobs
Omidyar Network
Overseas Jobs
Peace & Collaborative Development Network 
Reliefweb
Riley Guide
UN Careers
Young Professionals in Foreign Policy Job Board

Eerie & Beautiful Novel by Amy Sackville: "Orkney"

As the spring weather starts to wane, and the summer sun gradually breaks through those moody days of cold rain, I have a fantastic novel recommendation.

The novel Orkney by Amy Sackville will whisk you away to a barren island in the farthest northern reaches of Scotland, where an old university professor and his white-haired, pelagic young wife (once his student) hole up in a wind-battered cabin for their honeymoon.  While the girl spends her days on the shore, staring out to see, her doting husband watches her more and more frantically, trying to maintain an already-fragile hold on this mysterious woman whom he loves to obsession.

The author's saturated imagery makes the novel seem like poetry in disguise.  You will find yourself getting lost in the sound of wind, waves, and water.  The voice of the narrator will suck you into his mental web of unquenchable-fixation; and the young woman he has claimed as his own will quickly become just as spellbinding to you as she is to him.

Just to get a sense of Amy Sackville's gorgeous, vivid writing style, here are a couple choice quotes that really lingered with me while I was reading this book:

"She falls asleep instantly; these few nights I have spent with her, she has swum deep before I have even steadied my breath.  And as she dreams  her submarine dreams I lie beside her, a whale's carcass, a wrecked ship, a vast ribcage in the dark blue deep; and she is a tiny luminescent silver fish, picking me clean, in and out of all that's left of me, bare bones long since freed of flesh or rigging." (61)

"Out at the sea's edge, the water churns over, a static rolling like horses pawing the ground; it comes to her feet in a wash of foam and fret.  She is a kind of orphan, a ragged orphan, out there on the beach, as if abandoned.  Wilfully abandoned.  The forsaken mermen remain in their chariots, observing their daughter, withholding, squinting into the strange glare." (159)

Free event in Chicago - see the documentary "Beneath the Blindfold"

Beneath the Blindfold Trailer from Ines Sommer on Vimeo.

IFP/Chicago and Amnesty International USA invite you to a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary, Beneath the Blindfold, on Monday, April 21, at 7PM at the Claudia Cassidy Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center.

Matilde de la Sierra, whose story is featured in the film, along with Chilean human rights activist and survivor Mario Venegas and Chicago-based filmmakers Ines Sommer and Kathy Berger, will be present for a post-screening Q&A. The event is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Beneath the Blindfold tells the stories of four torture survivors who are among the more than 500,000 survivors who live in the United States. The documentary was heavily lauded in its initial release, with Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader calling it "The Best Political Documentary of 2012."

Join IFP/Chicago and Amnesty International USA for this powerful documentary and the thought-provoking Q&A that will follow. For more information visit www.ifpchicago.org or emailinfo@ifpchicago.org.

Monday, April 21

Claudia Cassidy Theater at the Chicago Cultural Center

(78 E. Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602)

Doors open at 6:30 PM and screening will begin at 7:00 PM.

24 Hours in Prague

 

At noon, from Petrin Hill you can look out over the city of Prague and listen to its hundreds of bell towers clanging simultaneously.  The city of a thousand spires, it's called.  The architecture evokes provincial France or Italy, with red shingled roofs and labyrinthine streets that invite you to wander until you completely lose your bearings.  Along the river Vltava, however, the colorful, ornate buildings, trees, and hefty old bridges lined with time-blackened sculptures could fool you into thinking you're in Paris.  Prague often feels like Paris' shadow-city, a sombre and stubborn city that has remained more intact over the centuries than almost any other city in Europe.  Spared the brunt of WWII bombings, it was instead subjected to mental oppression under Communist rule from 1948 to 1989.

Today the Museum of Communism is located right behind a McDonalds.  But if you want my pick for the best museum in Prague, go check out the Alfonse Muchy (Alphonse Mucha) Museum.  This Czech artist lived an amazing life and defined the style of Art Nouveau, a style which can be spotted all around the city.  When you get hungry, if it's early in the day go to Cafe Slavia for breakfast or brunch.  In Prague you sit yourself and wait for a waiter or waitress to come to you, so pick a seat by the window.  Order their pear crepes (prepare yourself for heaps of whipped cream) and an espresso and sit contemplating the universe for a while.  For coffee or an afternoon treat, try either Grand Cafe Orient or Cafe Louvre (the latter was a favorite spot for both Kafka and Einstein).  Don't forget to say thank you - "Děkuji."

Of course the Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock are worth a look, but these places are often packed with tourists and pickpockets so don't linger too long.  Wander north from there to find yourself in what used to be the Jewish ghetto, now one of the wealthiest areas of town.  The Spanish Synagogue, with its golden Moorish interior, is one of the most beautiful synagogues in Europe and is also a museum where you can learn a great deal about the history of of the Czech Jewish community, including the Nazi occupation and the post-war decades.  The Old Jewish Cemetery is right down the road.  It contains almost 12,000 tombstones (though the number buried here is over 100,000 - Jews were not allowed to be buried outside the ghetto, so the dead had to be buried on top of one another, up to ten layers deep).

After those incredibly sobering spots, you'll likely just want to walk and be alone with your thoughts.  The Knihkupectví Franze Kafky is right across the street from the corner of the Jewish Cemetery, and here you can browse the literature that has come out of Prague over the past century.  I bought two of Milan Kundera's books and then walked to Petrin Hill.  The park is very, very steep, but the view in the orchards at the top is spectacular.  The precisely-lined trees are a bit eerie, especially for those of us who recall Teresa's dream in the book The Unbearable Lightness of Being.  But it's a beautiful, peaceful spot meant to be lingered in.

Either before or after Petrin Hill, explore the West Bank near Kampa Island.  Kampa itself is beautiful, green, and the site of an interesting art museum with a free outdoor sculpture garden.  It includes some giant bronze babies without faces, quite creepy, by the very outspoken Czech artist David Černý.  His art is scattered all over the city as urban installments.  Back on the mainland, you can walk a bit north to the Franz Kafka museum, outside of which there is another statue of his: a fountain made of two men pissing on the Czech Republic.

Due west of Kampa Island is the Lennon Wall, which should not be missed.  It's in a beautiful neighborhood, so take your time.  The Lennon Wall is constantly changing as new layers of graffiti are added to it.  If your'e lucky, you might get a live performance of "Let It Be" by a random street musician.  Prague is quite safe to wander after dark, so take your time finding a place for dinner.  Don't be afraid to deviate from your intended path at any point, because the most beautiful corners of this city are the ones you stumble accidentally upon.

3 Dog Breeds that Look Just Like Wolves

I have always wanted a dog that looks like a wolf.  Not a wolf-hybrid (because wild animals belong in the wild and not in human homes), but a fully-domesticated breed that simply looks the part.  Wouldn't you know it, such breeds exist and are becoming more prevalent by the year!  Here are three gorgeous potentials I've discovered:

-

Saarloos Wolfhound 

Dutch breeder Leendert Saarloos invented this breed in 1935 when he crossed a German Shepherd with a female European Wolf from the Rotterdam Zoo.  They need a lot of exercise and the ability to run around on a daily basis.  Their "pack instinct" means they'll always try to stick with you, and hate being left alone.  This also means they are protective of their owners and shy around strangers.  And one last odd trait - they tend to like women more than men!

Tamaskan

This sleddog breed originated in Finland.  Though they have no recent wolf ancestry (instead it's related to Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes), they are a highly intelligent, athletic breed.  They are friendly and great with families.  They are loyal to their owners and hate being left alone.  They were bred to pull sleds, but unlike huskies it doesn't take too much training to get them to stop pulling on the leash and to return when called.


Czechoslovakian Vlcak

This is my favorite of the three.  It's a relatively new breed that goes back to a 1955 experiment where German Shepherds were bred with Carpathian wolves.  The result?  A breed that has the temperament, loyalty, and trainability of a German Shepherd, but looks like a wolf!  Originally engineered to be used in military Special Ops, they have garnered more recent attention as search and rescue, herding, tracking, and hunting dogs.  In 1982 they were officially recognized as a breed in Czechoslovakia.

My Favorite Blogs for Food, Recipes, Cooking, &c.

I love food blogs.  Especially those that are managed by individuals with epic photography and photo editing skills, and who cultivate a cozy, artsy corner emphasizing food presentation and enjoyment.  It also helps if the recipes are simple and made up of ingredients you can find in any kitchen.

SOUS STYLE
This is a food snob's version of FoodGawker - the recipes collected here are gorgeous, fancy, delectable, creative, or just plain heavenly to behold.

DELICIOUSLY ELLA
"It's all about embracing the incredible foods that your body loves and what you can do with them. It’s truly amazing to see what you can do with these simple ingredients and how you can so easily create an incredibly healthy version of a typically unhealthy dish, from brownies to cheesecake and even pizza!"

MY NEW ROOTS
Natural, healthy eating.  And what a gorgeous blog!  I love the aesthetic.  I also love how she sorts her recipes by season - so great!

THE FIRST MESS
Very laid-back recipe blog that is bursting at the seams with recipes for rainy days.

LOVE AND LEMONS
So much personality!  The best part are her graphics - photos adorned with helpful or cheeky text.  Love her smoothie recipes!  And check out some of her recipe "sets," like easy pita lunch ideas and his and hers sandwiches.

THE FOREST FEAST
"After several years in the big city, I moved to a cabin in the woods of Northern California. Inspired by local ingredients I create simple, beautiful, healthy recipes anyone can make."

TOP WITH CINNAMON
This blogger obviously puts a lot of time and effort into her posts.  The result?  GIFs that make even this recipe for croissants completely dummy-proof!

A COUPLE COOKS
These recipes will literally make you feel like a Michelin five-star chef!  Innovative combinations of everyday ingredients yield easy but impressive results!  Fool your friends into thinking you're a professional chef.

101 COOKBOOKS
Pretty much the Bible of food blogs.  It speaks for itself.

WHAT KATIE ATE
She's already got two published books of her recipes, so this one kind of speaks for itself.  Classic and creative American fare.  Great for summer recipe inspiration.

PINCH OF YUM
Cute, bright, upbeat, and also very healthy recipes that are easy and great for entertaining.  Most recipes feed a lot of people, so whether you're cooking for family or friends, if there's more than four invited, dig into this blog!

NATURALLY ELLA
Seasonal, easy vegetarian recipes and beautiful photography.  I love being able to search by season, and then by ingredient.  Beautiful layout.

HAPPYOLKS
This woman just understands me.  All of her preferred ingredients are personal favorites of mine, and the recipes area all straightforward yet mouth-watering and original!

SCANDI
Recipe indexes in both English and Finnish?  I'm sold.  Offers loads of traditional Scandanavian recipes, such as Finnish Tippaleipä.

MANGER
This is one  you're going to have to work your way up to.  Mimi's recipes, coupled with her husband's professional photography, will intimidate the heck out of you.  More likely you'll end up immersed in reading her blog posts about life in provincial France and just end up sobbing into a bag of chips.

ALEXANDRA'S KITCHEN
There is so much color to her recipes!  If you want something simple but with incredible aesthetic appeal that will impress your friends, look no further!  Excellent meat dishes, great for entertaining!

WHAT SHOULD I EAT FOR BREAKFAST
It's my favorite meal of the day too, Marta. :)  Also a great guide to eating in Berlin and Barcelona.

THE KITCHN
Single-handedly the most organized in terms of finding a recipe.  Some very creative recipes as well - Chilean papaya soup, anyone?

PASTRY AFFAIR
This blog is the bane of my existence.  The aesthetic, the straightforward ingredients, the photography mixed with inspiring quotes...  This is the place I discovered the recipe to end all recipes: this Chocolate Pomegranate Tart.

Time for the OSCARS!

The 2014 Oscar nominations are live, and we are so excited!  There has seriously been an obscene number of fantastic film this year - not that we're complaining!  I'm going to try to watch the Oscars from Sweden, which is going to be a pretty ridiculous process as the time difference means they begin at 1am and end at 4:30am on a Monday.  HA!  Challenge accepted!  Here's our shortlist of the awards to pay attention to!  I didn't see enough of this year's films to take a swing at guessing the winners.  All I can say is this: if "Let It Go" wins the Oscar for Original Song, I will consider the night a success.  It would be great as well if the new Hobbit film took the Oscar for visual effects, because I absolutely loved how they created Smaug.  Also so so incredibly stoked to see Ellen D. host again!

FILM

12 Years A Slave

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Gravity

Dallas Buyers Club

Her

Nebraska

Philomena

The Wolf Of Wall Street

DIRECTOR

Steve McQueen - 12 Years A Slave

David O. Russell - American Hustle

Alfonso Cuarón - Gravity

Alexander Payne - Nebraska

Martin Scorsese - The Wolf Of Wall Street 

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell - American Hustle

Woody Allen - Blue Jasmine

Bob Nelson - Nebraska

Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack - Dallas Buyers Club

Spike Jonze - Her 

ACTOR

Bruce Dern - Nebraska

Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave

Christian Bale - American Hustle

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street

Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club

ACTRESS

Amy Adams - American Hustle

Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

Meryl Streep - August: Osage County

Judi Dench - Philomena

Sandra Bullock - Gravity 

SUPPORTING ACTOR 

Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips

Bradley Cooper - American Hustle

Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave

Jonah Hill - The Wolf Of Wall Street

Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle

Julia Roberts - August: Osage County

Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave

Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine

June Squibb - Nebraska 

ANIMATED FILM 

The Croods

Despicable Me 2

Ernest & Celestine

Frozen

The Wind Rises 

ORIGINAL SCORE

Philomena - Alexandre Desplat

The Book Thief - John Williams

Gravity - Steven Price

Saving Mr. Banks - Thomas Newman

Her - William Butler, Owen Pallett 

ORIGINAL SONG

'Alone Yet Not Alone' - Alone Yet Not Alone

'Happy' - Despicable Me 2

'Let It Go' - Frozen

'The Moon Song' - Her

'Ordinary Love' - Mandela: The Long Walk To Freedom 

COSTUME DESIGN

American Hustle - Michael Wilkinson

The Great Gatsby - Catherine Martin

The Invisible Woman - Michael O’Connor

The Grandmaster - William Chang Suk Ping

12 Years A Slave - Patricia Norris 

VISUAL EFFECTS

Gravity - Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk, Neil Corbould, Nikki Penny

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug - Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, Eric Reynolds

Iron Man 3 - Bryan Grill, Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Dan Sudick

Star Trek Into Darkness - Ben Grossmann, Burt Dalton, Patrick Tubach, Roger Guyett

The Lone Ranger - Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams, John Frazier 

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Broken Circle Breakdown - Belgium

The Great Beauty - Italy

The Hunt - Denmark

The Missing Picture - Cambodia

Omar - Palestine

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

The Act Of Killing

Cutie And The Boxer

Dirty Wars

The Square

20 Feet From Stardom

we've reached 10,000 views!

Today, Zabelieth officially reached 10,000 total views! We are elated and humbled! Thank you all so much for visiting us and reading all about our endeavours. Eli and I have so much fun writing for Zabelieth, and through this blog, we have the opportunity to explore many diverse topics and ideas. Thank you, readers, for your support, and please come back for more!!

If you haven't already, check out some of our top blog posts:

     The Best Tea Companies

     Homemade Lavender Soda

     Preparing to Study Abroad in London

     Links of the Week: Travelling the World