Hapa Reads: Issue 002

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Alex Chester

There’s a circus that only appears at dusk till dawn. It is filled with wonders beyond your imagination. However, there is a fierce competition in the midst of le Reve du Circus. Two magicians are bound by rules they do not understand in a battle of magic and will. But what happens when they fall in love?

Probably one of my favorite books. I couldn’t put it down and it is sure to capture your heart and imagination like it did mine!

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Harvard Business Review’s On Emotional Intelligence

Alison Lea Bender

I remember impulsively purchasing this up because I was bored waiting around in the SeaTac Airport a few weeks ago. The title of the book immediately popped, grabbed my focus, and without even reading the book’s description; I brought it up to the register and bought it. I’ve already read through this book three times. You can definitely tell this book and the articles within are geared more to the business-orientated mind. However, I am really glad I picked this treasure trove of knowledge up. I view my position as an actress, not only as a job, but a position of leadership as well. There is power in having a platform and a voice; so I love reading materials that invoke and inspire questions and ways to better myself and KEEP LEARNING! The book will help you consider being smarter with your emotions and moods, making more empathetic decisions, understanding your goals/strengths/needs. This collection of pieces was a big wake up call to my cognition.

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The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell

Matt Blank

Okay, so I haven’t actually read it, nor do I even possess a copy. But I was recently introduced to the splendid menagerie that is The Room by certain nameless writers for this magazine. It is now my everything, and aspects of the film have quickly invaded all arenas of my private and professional life. I need to read this book as soon as possible, then see the much-anticipated film of the same name. James Franco, you are my all. Oh, hai Mark!

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Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Melissa Slaughter

This is actually Alex’s favorite series. She gave it to me for my birthday so I had no excuse to hold off on it. I just finished the first book, and I can’t wait for the second. YA (young adult) novels are nothing to scoff at, and Red Rising proves it. It features a mix of dystopian fiction and Roman mythology. The story follows Darrow and the rebellion he must lead in order to free his people. It’s a little hard to describe, but once you being the story it’s a gripping tale. It’s like a mix of The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson. Thanks for giving it to me, Alex! Now can I borrow the next one?

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The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

Naomi Takata Shepherd

I’m not going to try to cover up my real motive for reading Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom…A few months ago I ended up binge watching the TV show adaptation of it on Netflix because the main character, Uhtred son of Uhtred, is extremely attractive. And I love historical fiction. And medieval men. But to wait out the time till the next season comes out, I decided to read the book series. As Uhtred often likes to remind us, he was born a Christian and raised by Danes, which makes for a tale rife with conflict as he is often a player in Alfred the Great’s struggle to unite a Christian England despite his own belief in the Norse gods. Uhtred makes for an entertaining narrator; he’s arrogant and stubborn, but he thoroughly enjoys the important things in life, you know, like sword fighting, viking, and blood feuds all in the name of reclaiming his rightful place as Lord of Bebbanburg from his deceitful uncle. Though I’m not entirely sure he’ll get around to taking Bebbanburg any time soon (the series is currently ten books long) I’m sure he will eventually, because as Uhtred likes to tell his readers, he believes that it is his fate to win back his familial lands and, of course, that, “Destiny is all.”

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The Complete Guide to the Chakras by Ambika Wauters

Rebecca Lee Lerman

This book is a great tool to start familiarizing myself with the chakras of the body. From the Crown to the Third Eye, to the Throat, Heart, Stomach, Sacral and Roots, they are the key to physical, emotional and mental well-being. There is energy that is in constant motion inside us. When faced with difficult situations, sometimes our chakras can become blocked and it is difficult for our energy to move through us. This is when pain, discomfort, and in extreme cases, disease can form. This book contains different meditations, crystals, mantras, colors, visualizations and questions you can ask yourself to help balance your chakras, helping to make sure your body stays aligned and healthy. It is a very helpful self-care book that I find wonderful to go back to when feeling a bit of stress or fatigue from living on a ship or doing a two-show day.

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