C.S. Hand's Blog: Fantasy Author C. S. Hand

Best Blankets

Settling in for a night on the couch with your favorite shows and movies (or hey, a book is great too!) is the perfect fall and winter activity. Key to making every moment of this experience as cozy and enjoyable as possible is having a plush blanket to snuggle up in.

Whether you need a blanket to help warm up your bed, relieve stress, or take camping in the wilderness, we’ve selected the best blankets with an eye towards utility, style, and of course plush-y-ness.

In a Hurry? Here Are The Best ...

Best Dystopian Novels

Dystopian novels help us to critically evaluate our world all while creating a rich fable—doing these two things at once is no easy task and over time has created some of the most exhilarating and challenging fiction to date.

From individuals who are the (un)lucky sole survivors of an apocalypse to a small group of humans banding together to do the right thing these books have become part of our national psyche and excellent meditations on both the future and the present state of humanity.

After...

Reading Statistics: How We Read Now

Many reading studies have investigated how much money readers spend a year on books, where they buy them, the format of the selected tomes, and how much time we are—or are not—dedicating to the important activity of reading.

All of these have been interesting in their own right, but what I’m quite interested in is the place in time as well as the time in which we read, which, in reviewing the data, time and time again was surprising—even for these times.

The Cozy Scholar surveyed 1,873 people a...

Reading Statistics

Many reading studies have investigated how much money readers spend a year on books, where they buy them, the format of the selected tomes, and how much time we are—or are not—dedicating to the important activity of reading.

All of these have been interesting in their own right, but what I’m quite interested in is the place in time as well as the time in which we read, which, in reviewing the data, time and time again was surprising—even for these times.

The Cozy Scholar surveyed 1,873 people a...

Pumpkin Candles

One of the best things about this time of year is fall candles, which of course must include pumpkin candles. Especially great about these candles are all the perfect wax hues: most come in a spectrum of rich apple reds or burnt saffron that really celebrates all that is wonderful and earthy about the Fall season in general but also makes you feel like you are casually walking through a pumpkin patch.

When it comes to these pumpkin scented candles people seem to have a maddening lust for them – ...

Fall Candles

If you are looking for Fall candles this time of year, you are not alone. The crisp air, sweaters, and abundance of flannel basically demands it. And wouldn’t it be great if you could find all of those things in a candle? Well dear reader, that is exactly the adventure we set out on.

It was an epic journey full of crisp early morning walks, pumpkin pecan waffle breakfasts, leafy mountain sojourns, and evenings spent by a warm crackling fire, all with a pumpkin spice latte in hand of course. Here...

Fall Activities

Fall is easily my absolute favorite time of the year (it was even eulogized by the great poet John Keats). It brings with it many wonderful things to do from having a quiet cozy day inside to getting out and exploring the seasonal attractions that you can only do during this time of the year.

So, from staying in and reading cozy mysteries under blankets by the fireplace to cool strolls through pumpkin patches with warm apple cider, I’ve rounded up all the fun fall activities to do this year!

1. ...

Man Candles

With so many different brands making candles these days, I’m always shocked at how difficult it is to find anything good. It’s actually nearly overwhelming. Everyone has a scent you want to try.

This is doubly true when looking for man candles.

So in order to find the best we’ll go on a tour of masculine scents ranging from earthy to woody to the kind of worn in leather that goes perfect with a motorcycle or a tuxedo and cocktail after midnight. No matter what personal style you have, you can be...

Best Poetry Books

Since its Poetry Month I thought it would be an apt time to share some of the best poetry books Ive ever read. If you are looking for indelible imagery, clever word play, and pathos all delivered in a musical compactness that novels never seem to achieve, then poetry is your genre. Ive gathered here some of the most revered works of poetry from the classical world, the romantics, and surrealists, all the way up through some of the most present times.

 

Works and Days by Hesiod

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Fun Things to Do at Home

If there is one thing on planet Earth Im good at, its being at home.

While you are in your favorite abode, you arent necessarily locked inside, but if you are, there are still a lot of great things to do. While there are plenty of perfunctory things to do like clean your room, do the dishes, or load up the laundry, well look to more of the exciting and fun things you can do at home!

 

1. Cook and Incredible Breakfast

This doesnt have to take a long time. In fact, one of my favorite breakfasts...