OCTOBER READING EDITION: A Month of Curious Minds, Remarkable Stories, Fresh Perspectives & Halloween Discoveries
Hi, this is Âññ!
Thank you for reading my blog posts. Today I will share some curated stories with you. Here is a list of what I found as a reader and editor on ILLUMINATION and other publications on Medium. I hope you will enjoy these stories as much as I did.
1. Science, Psychology & the Curious Brain
1. Why the Brain Has an Anti-Reward Center and How Understanding It Can Help Us
Dr Mehmet Yildiz explores the anti-reward system and how it influences motivation, discomfort, and our responses to everyday experiences.
2. A Robot with Real Muscles? You’ve Got to Be Kidding!
Dr Michael Broadly, DHSc, offers a concise and engaging summary for the biohybrid robotics section that highlights how the merging of living tissue and engineering makes advanced science feel accessible and tangible to the reader.
For readers who enjoy exploring beyond one subject, Dr Broadly’s hand-picked collection from Health and Science and Curated Newsletters offers another selection worth opening.
3. The Role of Humor and Laughter in Brain Health, Cognitive Function, and Emotional Well-Being
Laughter is more than a pleasant interruption in a busy day. Dr Mehmet Yildiz looks at its connection with brain function and emotional well-being, giving readers another reason to appreciate a good laugh.
4. Writing Doesn’t Just Record Your Thoughts. It Changes Them.
A notebook can become more than a place to store passing thoughts. Gary L. Fretwell explores the psychology of writing and how putting mental noise into words can reveal concerns, clarify feelings, and change the way we understand a problem.
For readers interested in exploring a diverse range of topics, check out Gary’s Curated Vault: Edition #5
5. The Power of Solitude. Why People Who Enjoy Being Alone Are Different
S.M.ARIF explores the psychology of solitude, detailing how building emotional independence and becoming comfortable in one’s own company can transform your life and relationships. For more psychological insights, check out Arif’s Curated Reads — Edition 1
Modern companionship, professional identities, and the beauty of ordinary mornings
6. Sunday Morning Steps in Life
A Sunday morning can invite us to slow our pace and notice the details we usually pass by. In Dr. Gabriella Korosi reflective piece takes a thoughtful walk through ordinary moments and the meaning we find along the way.
7. 9 to 5 Is a Job. 8 to 8 Is Apparently a Personality
When work begins occupying every corner of the day, it can start looking less like a schedule and more like an identity. The Modern Observer brings humour to the familiar habit of treating constant busyness as a personality trait.
8. I Took Him for Better or Worse, but Not for Lunch
Marriage, retirement, and everyday companionship offer plenty of material for humour. Gary L. Fretwell promises a lighter look at the small domestic moments that can make long-term relationships entertaining.
A Different Way of Looking at Life
9. Flibbersnack, Grumplewick, Snortlepunk, and Wibblefritz
John Hansen PAL invented four wonderfully ridiculous words that invite readers into a playful corner of language. If you enjoy unusual expressions and linguistic mischief, this one deserves a place on your reading list.
10. The Courage to Hear No: A Lesson We All Need to Learn
Rejection is rarely comfortable, but learning to hear a refusal without letting it define us is an important skill. Renu Dayama explores the courage it takes to accept boundaries and keep moving forward.
11. The Winter Glow Diaries: Vitamin C, Soft Skin, and Little Self-Care Rituals
As colder days approach, skin care often calls for a little extra attention. Zahra Vibes🎀 explores seasonal routines, vitamin C, and simple ways to care for your skin in winter.
12. Across Cultures and Cuisines: Sweet Potatoes Beyond the Winter Essential
A familiar winter ingredient has a much wider culinary story. SK Sharma (earlier 8th Wonder) explores how sweet potatoes appear across cultures and cuisines, far beyond their place on a seasonal dinner table.
Halloween, Writing Challenges & Creative Voices
13. Twelve Signs, Twelve Shadows: A Zodiac Story Challenge and results Zodiac Writing Challenge Results: Celebrating the Capricorn Writers
Twelve signs, twelve creative directions, and a collection of imaginative entries. Revisit the results of The Capricorn’s zodiac writing challenge and celebrate the writers who brought their ideas to the page.
14. Ordinary Things, Extraordinary Stories challenge and results: Ordinary Things, Extraordinary Stories: The Results Are In
Ordinary objects can hold extraordinary possibilities when writers look at them from a fresh angle. This Writers Whispers announcement celebrates the voices and contributions behind the challenge.
Ordinary Things, Extraordinary Stories: The Stories Continue
The creative invitation remains open until November 9th. We look forward to seeing how you transform ordinary objects into extraordinary stories.
🎃 October’s Haunted Corner
Every October deserves a little mystery. October also pushed me into two different writing formats.
15. Why Do We Celebrate Halloween? The Strange History Behind October 31
16. Madam Midnight: The Ghost Who Haunts a Shopping Mall
17. 10 Everyday Situations That Unlock a Very Specific Kind of Terror
18. Did you know… Witches, Black Cats, and Superstitions: What People Truly Feared
19. 10 Serial Killers Whose Stories Are More Terrifying Than Any Horror Movie
20. I bought a mystery for $1 at a Witch’s Garage Sale
21. Did you know… People Who Once Used Halloween Rituals to Predict Their Future Spouses
22. 17 Halloween Party Themes That Feel Like Stepping Into Another World
23. The October Curiosity Club — Part 1: The Pumpkin Pie Alibi: A Cozy Halloween Mystery
FROM Poetry Corner to thoughtful insights
Welcome, October: Cinnamon Skies, Golden Leaves, and the Courage to Begin Again
The Neuroscience of Overthinking: Why Some Thoughts Refuse to Leave Your Mind
All the World’s a Stage — But Who Are You When the Curtain Falls?
The Golden-Haired Princess and the Hidden Garden
The Quiet Theft of Your Identity Begins When You Try to Please Everyone
Doctor, Is There a Cure for People Who Give Advice Nobody Asked For?
Chocolate Global Events Desk to Goodbye October
For readers interested in exploring global events, this provides an excellent, handpicked collection that is well worth your time.
It’s time to say goodbye to October: A Spell Called October
As November Unfolds: A New Chapter Begins
A good collection does not need a single subject to hold it together. Its charm lies in the unexpected connections: science beside humour, personal growth beside everyday observations, seasonal traditions beside creative adventures. That is the charm of a miscellany: the next page is never quite what we expect.
October is closing its book, but the pages we have discovered deserve another look. Choose a story that catches your attention, visit the writers, leave a thoughtful response, and share a favourite with someone who would enjoy it.
After all, the best part of a miscellany is never knowing which page will surprise you. Until the next edition, keep your curiosity alive, your reading list open, and your Halloween candle burning.🎃
Curated Collections by Our Other Editors
Health and Science Publication Monthly Roundup Dr Michael Broadly, DHSc
Curated Favorite Life and Health-Related Stories by Dr. Gabriella Korosi
Mental Health Curations: Personal Collection #02 by Dr Amy Gunter, Ed.D., MSW (Editor)
Stories I Would Return To: Personal Collection #05 Liauw Pauw Phing
Stories That Made Me Stop and Think This Week #2 by Lawson Wallace
About the Author & Editor
I’m Ann, a professional content writer and editor whose writing journey began in 2019. I’ve created more than 6,000 pieces of content across online platforms and published four books through Gumroad and other digital platforms.
I serve as an editor for ILLUMINATION, Technology Hits, ILLUMINATION Mirror, Illumination Scholar, and COLUMNS STORY. I’m the owner of three Medium publications: Writers Whispers, The Capricorn, and Little Lantern Tales. My interests are broad and eclectic: literature, history, culture, psychology, education, science, astrology, health, and philosophy. I also enjoy exploring AI, fiction, horror, lifestyle, travel, and the art of creative storytelling. I am passionate about uncovering the extraordinary in the ordinary and delving into a wide range of diverse topics.
Through Pen & Page, I invite readers to pause, imagine, and discover new perspectives through curious ideas and deep questions. I hope my work gives readers a reason to pause, imagine, discover, and see familiar things differently.
Let’s connect on Medium: Pen & Page. You can email me at info.penpage@gmail.com
Thanks for reading!
— Âññ
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