【推荐1】I used to think my little corner of urban England was somewhere I could get away from the stress and strain of modern-day life — until they moved in next door. There are two of them. They are white, woolly and probably have sharp teeth as well as loud bark. But every time their constant barking interrupts my sleep, I remind myself that, in many respects, I am lucky. The neighbors don’t hold all-night parties, nor do they shout or throw crockery at each other, and though their dogs may bark, they don’t bite.

According to a recent consumer magazine report on “nightmare neighbors”, dogs are the fifth most common source of bad relations between neighbors. Noise of any description heads the list of complaints, followed by DIY enthusiasts, parking quarrelling, and arguments over house extensions.

So what alternatives are there? One is to take legal action. But this can be time-consuming and expensive and does nothing to improve already difficult relationships. The other alternatives are to sell up and go, or to try to reach a solution with the help of someone neutral. Mediation UK— the United Nations equivalent of garden fence conflicts — was set in 1984 to help resolve community disagreements.

In most cases, the lack of communication is found the main cause of conflict. David Nation of Plymouth Mediation points to poor public housing and widespread unemployment as additional factors. He also reports more cases of complaints from people who live in flats. Large houses built in the nineteenth century and designed as single-occupation family homes have, he says, been changed into flats with little or no attention to sound insulation. Dividing walls are paper thin and hardly block out sound at all.

Buyers can also be put off by the external appearance of neighboring houses. Anything from wild, uncared for gardens to unusual external color schemes can put off buyers — even though the offending property is next door. But it could be worse. John Gladden, of Norbury in Surrey upset his neighbors in St Oswald’s Road by mounting a huge fish in fiberglass (玻璃纤维) and putting it on the roof of his house. The local council argued that he should have got planning permission; residents thought the fish did nothing to improve the appearance of the neighborhood, and war broke out. Sightseers poured in and homes near the suburban property can now be hard to sell.

【推荐2】Book fairs can give a book lover an exciting rush. Here's a list of book fairs taking place in 2022.

F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival

FLORIDA, US Jan 6-8, 2022

It's a weekend of entertainment in the form of films, books, author presentations, focus groups, and good music. Writers visit F.R.E.S.H to network with fellow authors, meet with readers and fans, and sell books. There's something every reader is addicted to.

Havana Book Fair

HAVANA, CUBA Feb 4-11, 2022

Havana's 10-day International Book Fair features book sellers，poetry readings, children's activities, art exhibitions, and parties in the evenings.

Leipzig Book Fair

Leipzig, LITHUANIA Mar 17-20, 2022

Leipzig Book Fair is the most important get-together in the spring for the book and media industry, connecting readers with authors, publishers and media companies from Germany and around the world. They all visit Leipzig to experience a diversity of literature, discover innovations and gain new angles. It presents the spring's new releases, current themes, and trends. Also, it exhibits new German-language literature.

Brussels Book Fair

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM Mar 10-13, 2022

It's a non-profit event promoting books and reading to all audience since 2016. Each year it presents 255 exhibitors and 500 publishing houses, and 1,200 authors in meetings and dedications (题词). The event is visited by 72,000 visitors every year.

【推荐3】I was always a reader.

As a kid, I walked to the library several times a week and checked out so many books and returned them so quickly that the librarian once snapped,“Don’t take home so many books if you’re not going to read them all!”

“But I did read them all,” I said.

But I had stopped reading gradually. I joined book clubs that I never attended. I requested a library book everyone was reading, only to return it a week late, unread, with fines.

Then I met David. When I asked him about his last book, his face lit up and his fingers danced.

David read much more than I did, about a book or two a week. He preferred history and nonfiction, while I loved fiction writers.

On our seventh date, David and I visited the library.

“I have a game,” he said, pulling two pens and Post-its out of his bag. “Let’s find books we’ve read and leave reviews in them for the next person.”

“We wandered in the library for an hour. In the end, we sat on the floor among the poetry, and I read him some. He listened, then asked,“What is it you like about that one?”

That summer, as we picnicked outside, I said, “If I tell you something, will you not judge me?” David paused and raised his eyebrows.

“I’ve only read one book this year,” I said.

“But it’s June,” he said.

“I know.”

“Well, read a book!”

The next time I visited a bookstore, his charge to “read a book” echoed in my head. I picked up a book solely for its poetic title.

I had a hard time getting into it. The narrator was an old man. Whenever I was tempted to give up on it, I thought of David. I pushed through the first two chapters and discovered a new narrator in the third. I loved the alternating points of view. I carried the book to work. I read at lunch and on my walk home.

“How’s your day?” David texted.

“Good. A little tired,” I replied. “I stayed up late and finished my book.”

I tried to make it sound casual, but I was proud of myself. It was not a competition, but I felt him pushing me to be more of the person I used to be and more of who I wanted to be.

I asked David once what he liked about me.

He paused, then said. “I see the world as a more wonder-filled place with you.”

By the end of that year, David suggested we visit the library again. He asked if I remembered the game we played on our first visit.

“I remember,” I said.

He pulled a book from the shelf, dropped to one knee, and opened it. Inside, his   Post-it read: “Karla, it has always been you. Will you marry me?”

His proposal had rested between the pages of The Rebel Princess for over a year.

“Yes,” I said.

【推荐2】Magazines make great reading materials for kids. Libraries often have a large selection of periodicals (期刊) for every age group and reading level, and for many areas of interest. And some magazines may even have issues going back years and even decades! Below is a list of some of them!

It is about finding the bright side of life as a military kid! Inside each quarterly issue, your child will encounter inspiring stories, articles, and photographs! (8 to 16 years)

With articles, folk tales, and hands-on projects, Faces magazine takes young readers around the world for an honest and objective view of how children in other regions live. (9 to 14 years)

Make magazine publishes tested projects, skill-building tutorials, in-depth reviews and inspirational stories, accessible by all ages and skill ranges. (9 to 18 years)

Brio magazine for teen girls has a fresh new look that includes more pages filled with inspiring profiles, cultural insights, health & beauty tips, faith-filled features and added fun! (13 to 18 years)

Please note: Though all the magazines on this list are written for children, some issues may contain content that you may feel inappropriate for your child. As always, please review all reading materials before giving them to your child to read.