Hello everyone. Uh... A long, ramble-y post about books. Worth a read I think, but bear with me and it might be useful? I don't know. You might find humor, a new read, or something useful out of this. Just a warning before hand.
So, after an extensive time reading, I just finished reading A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. A large, mammoth of a book sporting over 800 pages and words printed small enough to make me squint even with reading glasses on. To be frank though, it was really good. The main characters that the story was focused around had me very engaged and attached, the plot was dynamic and filled with some good twists and surprises, and the overall story was well composed and the continuity was spectacular for a novel of such length.
The whole time I read it, I had felt attached to almost every character, and it was almost impossible for me to point at a House and claim "They are the bad guys!" because it felt like they all had perfectly good reasons for their actions, at least most of the time.
Except this smug jerk. This guy, and most of the House Lannister can go find a nice deep dark hole to die in.
Moving on...
I overall extremely liked the book, and I can't wait to read the next one. I have to watch the series too, at least the first season, seeing how much of it won't exactly be spoiled as I already finished the first book. With all the characters in the book (I'm telling you, there were at least fifty) it was really hard to try to imagine what most of them would look like. The show should really help put a face to the names. One problem arises before I move on to the next novel though...
I have a book problem. Some people are addicted to drugs, others to hugs, others to mugs and glugs, some weirdos like slugs. But me? I can't stop reading. I have visited the library several times in the past few weeks and every time I've gone, I have picked up two or three books that interest me. How can I even start new books when they keep piling up?! Oh well, I'll get to everything eventually!
So far I got some easy books as well as a couple of harder books lined up. Two children novels; one from one of my favorite author(s) Chris Riddell and Paul Stewart. It's a short thing, illustrated and fun. Nothing too serious.
Then I've got another kid's novel; it's a small science-fiction novel that I read many many moons ago. It's called When the Tripods Came. The concept was really interesting to me when I read it (basically these Tripod rulers come, brainwash the world, and enslaves the whole human race) who knows how many years ago, and I want to read it just to refresh what the book is about. You know, to figure out what the whole idea actually means, and since my brain has matured far more than it did when I was younger, it should be more interesting.
Then I got another Ray Bradbury book, The Illustrated Man. One of my posts recently discussed how I felt about him as an author, and I have been meaning to read more of his works. I eventually want to get to re-reading The Martian Chronicles, which I read as a freshman. I want to tackle it again now that I have a better understanding of how Bradbury succeeds as a writer.
Finally, I got a collection of short horror stories, just in time for Halloween. The collection is a bunch of writing that H.P. Lovecraft did in his years. If you aren't familiar with this author, he wrote a ton of horror/scary/terrifying things; but scary in a sort of psychosis, mind-numbing, "you're going insane because the ancient distorted beings from the furthest ring willed it" way. One example is his fictional universe in which he created The Elder Gods (such as Cthulhu) which gained notoriety for it's uniqueness, and blossomed to a large following, especially on the internet. The non-voters of 2012 even ran this Cthulhu guy as a satirical presidential candidate. The thing that sort of got me interested is a novel I read around two years ago? I was a sophomore I believe. It's called House of Leaves and it is written by Mark Z. Danielewski, which I think was inspired by Lovecraftian horror (this Lovecraft guy was so popular he even inspired an entire genre). There's even a pretty interesting podcast which is inspired by Lovecraft horror.
Past that, I am reading the Book Thief for the Book Club at our school (which I guess is not about a magical world in which a mysterious wizard is stealing books and causing some sort of destruction by doing so... Oops.), and past that, I think I am going to try to read the next A Song of Ice and Fire book (aka Game of Thrones). Further down the line, I plan another re-read of The Martian Chronicles, as I said earlier; a re-read of the Edge Chronicles series, which I have a deep love for due to it's hardcore fantasy/steampunk setting; and possibly another re-read of A House of Leaves, which is one of my favorite "weird" novels. Antique. Whatever you wanna call it. And this is just the planned stuff, who knows what kind of treasures I will find down the road at my subsequent visits to the library. I'm not even going to start counting all the awesome stuff I manage to find at Grassroots and various thrift shops. I walked out last week with ten new books... You should really take a look at my now-overflowing bookshelf.
Well, for those of you who stuck through my rambling about books, good job. I think I threw out a ton of good suggestions for anyone who is looking to read a new book, which is something I have been asked to do by several of my friends. Guess I can direct them here now! But if you have any other suggestions as well, let me know. I'm pretty open to just about everything.
Thanks for sticking through with my ramblings.
Good night viewers. Good night.
(Word Count: 1068 words)
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Taking a Break
You know, for the
past few days I have been trying and trying to figure out what I want to do for
this blog post. I had a couple of different approaches too. Do I write about
how many scholarships I did or didn’t do? Do I write about where I went to
prepare? Do I write about what homework I did?
I finally settled
for this approach. What did I do over this short one-week break to prepare for
college? Well, I gave myself a break. Sure, I tried one or two scholarships and
I went to some UNR Fall Preview thing, but I really didn’t even feel like doing
those. School has been rough for me these past few weeks, and this quarter. I
don’t feel like I am ready to tackle being a real adult, with a job and college
and everything else that goes with it. If it was up to me, I would be a high
school student forever…
But that really can’t
be the case. By the end of the week before we went off, I was so overwhelmed
that I nearly gave up everything in frustration. The break we had? It soothed
my nerves. It settled my anxiety. It made me calm enough to focus on what I
needed, and what my responsibilities were.
So a lot of other
kids may say “Oh yeah I like totally signed up for like fifty scholarships and
sent out like a hundred scholarships! [sic]” but I sat back, watched a little
television and chilled out in my PJs for half a week. I went to Sacramento and got some
materials for a couple projects I had been meaning to work on. I read a couple
books and dived into the depths of my imagination. I did exactly what the break
was intended for.
Took a break.
So now it’s time
to push through until Winter Break. The extended three weeks is going to be
really nice, and I have a trip to Pasadena
that I am really looking forward to. But I gotta focus on my school work and
other related responsibilities first.
Hobey ho.
Hobey ho.
(Word Count: 363 words)
Monday, October 7, 2013
A Conflict of Interests: The Battle for Who Writes Better
"WELCOME TO THE RING!" the announcer hollers. All around him, screaming fans hold signs that professes their love and admiration for their favorite competitor. Popcorn and drinks litter the floor of the stadium and the air conditioner hums loudly to cancel out the heat of the moment. The tension is like a fire.
"IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE THE RED COMPETITOR! HE LIKES TO HEAT THINGS UP, TOSSING BOOKS IN A FIRE AND SENDING PEOPLE TO MARS FOR FUN. WELCOME! RAY BRADBURY!"
A middle aged man dressed in a leotard that seems a size too small for him steps from the shadows in the red corner and into the light. He adjusts his glasses and puts his fists up in a cliché "put-em-up" manner.
"AND IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE THE BLUE COMPETITOR. WHETHER IT'S SONNETS DISCREDITING PERFECTION OR TRAGEDIES TO GET TO YOUR HEART THIS MAN HAS YOU COVERED. WELCOME! WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE!"
William runs towards the ring, dressed in some kind of silly bard's outfit and a majestic cape. A cameraman runs besides him recording the action, zooming in on the decorative knuckles he is accessorized with. On one hand, it spells "BILLY" and on the other, "SHAKE." His cape slinks off his shoulders and he hands his knuckles to an assistant. He jumps back and forth, pumped for the fight.
"Welcome gentlemen. I want a clean fight from both of you. Whoever wins will decide WHO. IS. THE. BETTER. WRIIITTTEEERRRRR." The crowd goes wild, screaming as the tension grows larger and larger. The two competitors bump their gloves and nod at each other, backing up into their corners and start the fight.
(All events appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real events, is purely coincidental)
Okay. As you can see by my large metaphorical hooplah, I am having a conflict of interests. This year, I have been more exposed to two authors whom I found I have a deep love for.
Ray Bradbury, who wrote novels such as The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451. I read TMC back in Freshman year, and I loved it (although I am beginning to think I need to reread it). Everyone I know (save for a few) despised the book, and whenever they asked me why I disliked it, I didn't have a clear answer. But I still liked it a lot. This year, I have read both F451 and another called Marionettes Inc. which is slightly less known. What I have noticed about all his books is that he has a unique way of describing what is going on with so much detail that you can physically see what is happening. When reading his short stories and books, I saw it so vividly that I almost wished to create a movie about it. To those who don't know, I am planning to get some kind of degree in Videography/Broadcasting.
William Shakespeare on the other hand, is unique in his own way. I've read his plays practically every year I have been in high school (Romeo and Juliet in Freshman year, MacBeth in Junior year, and Hamlet this year) and every time I read a play I realize how much of a genius Shakespeare really was. Despite the slight language barrier, and his clever wit which is buried in the pages of his text (things I have found many people can't stand), I still love him. Maybe it's cause I get him.
So this is where my dilemna arises (spell check told me that I spelled that word wrong, and I googled it for so long it looks really funky now...). I believe it takes an advanced mind (or a lot of SparkNotes) to get either of these authors. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting myself above any of you who may not like these authors and I am not saying you have a simple mind, I'm just stating my belief and what I have taken from the observations I have made these last few years. Usually if someone doesn't get something right away, they don't like it and they move on. Fahrenheit 451 is based around this idea. Our fast food society has watered things down so that we get the one thing so we can move on to the next idea without much thought.
The question really is, who do I feel gives me the most complex thoughts? Is the imagery in Bradbury's books exceptional enough that I would root for him? Or is the wit and tragedy that Shakespeare so brilliantly expresses the reason I might like him better?
I can't decide. I'm the referee in the middle of the fight making sure that no one hurts each other in the end. I can't decide between who I think is going to win or who I think I like better. I like them equally the same I suppose.
Two illustrious authors who I believe will always hold a place in my heart.
(Word Count: 828 words)
Okay. As you can see by my large metaphorical hooplah, I am having a conflict of interests. This year, I have been more exposed to two authors whom I found I have a deep love for.
Ray Bradbury, who wrote novels such as The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451. I read TMC back in Freshman year, and I loved it (although I am beginning to think I need to reread it). Everyone I know (save for a few) despised the book, and whenever they asked me why I disliked it, I didn't have a clear answer. But I still liked it a lot. This year, I have read both F451 and another called Marionettes Inc. which is slightly less known. What I have noticed about all his books is that he has a unique way of describing what is going on with so much detail that you can physically see what is happening. When reading his short stories and books, I saw it so vividly that I almost wished to create a movie about it. To those who don't know, I am planning to get some kind of degree in Videography/Broadcasting.
William Shakespeare on the other hand, is unique in his own way. I've read his plays practically every year I have been in high school (Romeo and Juliet in Freshman year, MacBeth in Junior year, and Hamlet this year) and every time I read a play I realize how much of a genius Shakespeare really was. Despite the slight language barrier, and his clever wit which is buried in the pages of his text (things I have found many people can't stand), I still love him. Maybe it's cause I get him.
So this is where my dilemna arises (spell check told me that I spelled that word wrong, and I googled it for so long it looks really funky now...). I believe it takes an advanced mind (or a lot of SparkNotes) to get either of these authors. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting myself above any of you who may not like these authors and I am not saying you have a simple mind, I'm just stating my belief and what I have taken from the observations I have made these last few years. Usually if someone doesn't get something right away, they don't like it and they move on. Fahrenheit 451 is based around this idea. Our fast food society has watered things down so that we get the one thing so we can move on to the next idea without much thought.
The question really is, who do I feel gives me the most complex thoughts? Is the imagery in Bradbury's books exceptional enough that I would root for him? Or is the wit and tragedy that Shakespeare so brilliantly expresses the reason I might like him better?
I can't decide. I'm the referee in the middle of the fight making sure that no one hurts each other in the end. I can't decide between who I think is going to win or who I think I like better. I like them equally the same I suppose.
Two illustrious authors who I believe will always hold a place in my heart.
(Word Count: 828 words)
The Future Freaks Me Out (Oops. There's Life.)
Hello friends, it's been a while.
To Mr. Burge, who by the creeper page views bar I can tell has been checking my blog, I know I haven't updated in a while. Oops. There's life.
To those who actually take time to read my blog because you feel an obligation to/enjoy my writing/whatever other insane reason you might have for being here, welcome back. I'm getting back into the flow hopefully and will keep writing.
So this week has been busy, if you'd like to put it that way. My homework schedule was light. I didn't have any plans or obligations. I didn't contract swine flu and start the apocalypse. So... "How was my week busy?" you might ask me.
In all honesty, it wasn't. I was apathetic all week. I didn't have to actually do anything, so what little work I did get (see: Blog, Calculus Homework, English Homework) I did not have the drive to do. I literally felt like sitting on the couch all day and watching TV (did I mention Season 3 of The Walking Dead came out on Netflix last week? And that Season 4 starts next Sunday?).
I'm not going to lie to you, senior year has in a way (north by northwest) sucked. Don't get me wrong, I am trying to live it to the fullest; I've overhauled my wardrobe, I've made new friends, I've participated in as many opportunities as I possibly could. But The Future Freaks Me Out. If I could stay at this point infinitely as a senior in high school... trust me, I would.
That's not the case though. This place that has been my home for four years will be torn down and tossed away. I will move on to other places, forming new connections and evolving as a person. It will never be the same. The carelessness I've had as a teenager will forever be lost. I will need to work hard to get what I want and even harder to actually get there.
Burge told us in class today almost this same thing (I might have used it slightly as the basis of this post). He's right. I can't keep feeling apathetic like I did last week (I think the term is senioritis). These past four years I have been pushing a boulder up a hill, struggling to get it to the top of that mountain. When January rolls around, the ball is gonna drop (pardon the cliché). I'm gonna have to juggle scholarships and applications and a job and school and everything else that is thrown in there.
I'm not ready.
But I'm gonna have to be.
So here goes. No more apathy. No more skipping homework cause it is more convenient at the time. No more playing video games until three in the morning on a school night cause I felt like it (no this only happened to a friend of mine, don't worry). I am gonna take the bull by the horns and make this year the best it can be, to make my life the best it can be.
I'm on fire, and now I think I'm ready to bust a move.
(Word Count: 532 words)
To Mr. Burge, who by the creeper page views bar I can tell has been checking my blog, I know I haven't updated in a while. Oops. There's life.
To those who actually take time to read my blog because you feel an obligation to/enjoy my writing/whatever other insane reason you might have for being here, welcome back. I'm getting back into the flow hopefully and will keep writing.
So this week has been busy, if you'd like to put it that way. My homework schedule was light. I didn't have any plans or obligations. I didn't contract swine flu and start the apocalypse. So... "How was my week busy?" you might ask me.
In all honesty, it wasn't. I was apathetic all week. I didn't have to actually do anything, so what little work I did get (see: Blog, Calculus Homework, English Homework) I did not have the drive to do. I literally felt like sitting on the couch all day and watching TV (did I mention Season 3 of The Walking Dead came out on Netflix last week? And that Season 4 starts next Sunday?).
I'm not going to lie to you, senior year has in a way (north by northwest) sucked. Don't get me wrong, I am trying to live it to the fullest; I've overhauled my wardrobe, I've made new friends, I've participated in as many opportunities as I possibly could. But The Future Freaks Me Out. If I could stay at this point infinitely as a senior in high school... trust me, I would.
That's not the case though. This place that has been my home for four years will be torn down and tossed away. I will move on to other places, forming new connections and evolving as a person. It will never be the same. The carelessness I've had as a teenager will forever be lost. I will need to work hard to get what I want and even harder to actually get there.
Burge told us in class today almost this same thing (I might have used it slightly as the basis of this post). He's right. I can't keep feeling apathetic like I did last week (I think the term is senioritis). These past four years I have been pushing a boulder up a hill, struggling to get it to the top of that mountain. When January rolls around, the ball is gonna drop (pardon the cliché). I'm gonna have to juggle scholarships and applications and a job and school and everything else that is thrown in there.
I'm not ready.
But I'm gonna have to be.
So here goes. No more apathy. No more skipping homework cause it is more convenient at the time. No more playing video games until three in the morning on a school night cause I felt like it (no this only happened to a friend of mine, don't worry). I am gonna take the bull by the horns and make this year the best it can be, to make my life the best it can be.
I'm on fire, and now I think I'm ready to bust a move.
(Word Count: 532 words)
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Circuits and Wires
Circuits and Wires
A journey through my brain
To connect the dots and to understand
The ways in which a mind works.
Spirit's up gotta look good
Gotta support for what I love
To be the image of a crowd
Practicin' what you preach son.
A dance a dance a
wonderful dance. A
time to be free and enjoy
the little things in life.
But what to wear?
Oh my what to do?
Formal it seems hmm hmm...
A Doctor's voice calls
an idea emerges; but
when shall he arrive again?
The sad man in a box?
Or not so sad anymore
For he passed his sad
endings and is arriving
at a happy beginning.
It seems we all do this
In the lives we live
We are the writers of
our sad endings, just
to find ourselves the composers
of happy beginnings.
(Word Count: 147 Words)
A journey through my brain
To connect the dots and to understand
The ways in which a mind works.
Spirit's up gotta look good
Gotta support for what I love
To be the image of a crowd
Practicin' what you preach son.
A dance a dance a
wonderful dance. A
time to be free and enjoy
the little things in life.
But what to wear?
Oh my what to do?
Formal it seems hmm hmm...
A Doctor's voice calls
an idea emerges; but
when shall he arrive again?
The sad man in a box?
Or not so sad anymore
For he passed his sad
endings and is arriving
at a happy beginning.
It seems we all do this
In the lives we live
We are the writers of
our sad endings, just
to find ourselves the composers
of happy beginnings.
(Word Count: 147 Words)
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Shakespeare, the guy everyone loves to hate.
Oh Billy. Wherever I turn, it seems people get frustrated with Shakespeare, the friendly, arrogant poet slash playwright from the good ole fifteenth century. What's there to hate? Okay, I guess granted the language is a huge barrier. It's like trying to talk to someone with a thick accent, you just keep looking at them and thinking "Huh?" I guess Shakespeare can be the same way. Still, that's what makes it fun to read.
For my English class this week, we are starting to delve into Hamlet. We were told this is the most difficult of Shakespeare's plays, so I went in with a bit of reluctance. My expectations were too low. For those having trouble, try reading it all out loud. Trust me, hearing it all in my voice and being dramatic about reading the play helped me follow through with what was going on, rather than just glazing my eyes over it and pretending I got it.
I got it all first try, I think. In just the first three scenes, I succeeded in laughing my butt off a total of three times (3). I just find it completely hilarious the way the language is used to express humor. Lets go to Act 1, Scene 3. Laertes is about to take his leave back to France, and he says goodbye to his sister. Being her brother, he has to give some kind of brotherly advice before he leaves her in the big bad world...
Shakespeare had two choices here. He could have said something blunt and obvious, like "'Ey gurl keep it in ur pantz and stay away frum tha' Hamlet punk", but instead, he said this. "Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain if with too credent ear you list his songs or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open to his unmastered importunity."
Ouch. That one hurt. And throughout the entire play these people are harassing Hamlet. I mean, look at Cladius. He is the uncle of Hamlet's late father, whom also married his sister-in-law not even a month after her husband had died. She don't care. She do what she wants. But when Hamlet laments his father, all Cladius does is say "Maybe we should chug on over to mamby pamby land where MAYBE we can find some self-confidence for you, you jackwagon!". Even later on, Polonius questions Ophelia about what Laertes had told her, and when she told him, he just reinforces the statement.
It seems that Hamlet is a depressed little teenager. How? Well ask Horatio and he'll tell you. He comes in saying he is but a poor servant and Hamlet says "I'll (ex)change that name with you." Seems Hamlet wants nothing to do with the royal blood he was born with. Personally, he should be a little more grateful. I bet all the peasants in Dunsinane would kill a king to get an opportunity like that (cough cough Macbeth.)
So wrapping this up, I am excited to continue reading this. Shakespeare, even after 600 years, is still a great writer who never fails to amaze me. I'll certainly be looking forward to finishing this play.
(Bonus)
I always imagined Shakespeare in his teenage years. He would sit out on street corners, dressed all fancy, and he would walk up behind women and declare, "Your eyes are nothing like the sun." Curious, she turns around and looks at him imploringly. He continues his sonnet, sniggering sometimes in-between lines. "And in perfumes there is more delight, than in the breath that from you reek." SLAP. The woman backhands him in disgust and trots away. Shakespeare has this impish grin plastered across his face, and he rubs his cheek where he was hit and looks to find another woman to "woo." Sometimes he uses "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" and sometimes he uses other sonnets. He never gets to the end of them, because usually he gets slapped or the woman leaves before he can get to the turn. He spends his nights crashing at a buddy's house, where he and his friends help him write some of his more arrogant sonnets, and they usually end up falling asleep exhausted from all their laughing.
(Word Count: 710 words)
For my English class this week, we are starting to delve into Hamlet. We were told this is the most difficult of Shakespeare's plays, so I went in with a bit of reluctance. My expectations were too low. For those having trouble, try reading it all out loud. Trust me, hearing it all in my voice and being dramatic about reading the play helped me follow through with what was going on, rather than just glazing my eyes over it and pretending I got it.
I got it all first try, I think. In just the first three scenes, I succeeded in laughing my butt off a total of three times (3). I just find it completely hilarious the way the language is used to express humor. Lets go to Act 1, Scene 3. Laertes is about to take his leave back to France, and he says goodbye to his sister. Being her brother, he has to give some kind of brotherly advice before he leaves her in the big bad world...
Shakespeare had two choices here. He could have said something blunt and obvious, like "'Ey gurl keep it in ur pantz and stay away frum tha' Hamlet punk", but instead, he said this. "Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain if with too credent ear you list his songs or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open to his unmastered importunity."
Ouch. That one hurt. And throughout the entire play these people are harassing Hamlet. I mean, look at Cladius. He is the uncle of Hamlet's late father, whom also married his sister-in-law not even a month after her husband had died. She don't care. She do what she wants. But when Hamlet laments his father, all Cladius does is say "Maybe we should chug on over to mamby pamby land where MAYBE we can find some self-confidence for you, you jackwagon!". Even later on, Polonius questions Ophelia about what Laertes had told her, and when she told him, he just reinforces the statement.
It seems that Hamlet is a depressed little teenager. How? Well ask Horatio and he'll tell you. He comes in saying he is but a poor servant and Hamlet says "I'll (ex)change that name with you." Seems Hamlet wants nothing to do with the royal blood he was born with. Personally, he should be a little more grateful. I bet all the peasants in Dunsinane would kill a king to get an opportunity like that (cough cough Macbeth.)
So wrapping this up, I am excited to continue reading this. Shakespeare, even after 600 years, is still a great writer who never fails to amaze me. I'll certainly be looking forward to finishing this play.
(Bonus)
I always imagined Shakespeare in his teenage years. He would sit out on street corners, dressed all fancy, and he would walk up behind women and declare, "Your eyes are nothing like the sun." Curious, she turns around and looks at him imploringly. He continues his sonnet, sniggering sometimes in-between lines. "And in perfumes there is more delight, than in the breath that from you reek." SLAP. The woman backhands him in disgust and trots away. Shakespeare has this impish grin plastered across his face, and he rubs his cheek where he was hit and looks to find another woman to "woo." Sometimes he uses "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" and sometimes he uses other sonnets. He never gets to the end of them, because usually he gets slapped or the woman leaves before he can get to the turn. He spends his nights crashing at a buddy's house, where he and his friends help him write some of his more arrogant sonnets, and they usually end up falling asleep exhausted from all their laughing.
(Word Count: 710 words)
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Steam-Powered Apocalypse
Hello again everyone, happy hump day. If you are not a fan of that video, happy Wednesday. If you do not enjoy Wednesdays, it has been cancelled due to a scheduling error. I am gonna review a book today. Although I haven't finished it, I think I am far enough in to review it accurately.
So these past few... two weeks? Maybe? I have been reading a novel called Romulus Buckle and the City of Founders by Richard Ellis Preston. It's a pretty good novel all and all, the concept is interesting--it's about a bunch of aliens destroying the Earth, putting the remaining human population into a steam-powered apocalypse where feuds between clan leaders ravage the frosted landscape--the characters are dynamic, the imagery is nice, and the plot is good. I can say that this is a good book, but I also kinda disliked it... But I believe that is due to the similarity to another book series.
Just last year I read a series called the Edge Chronicles, which was a steampunk/fantasy hybrid. The characters, plot, setting, backgrounds, and everything else was amazing. To top it all off, one of the authors of the book, Chris Riddell, also illustrated the novel. This led to drawings every couple of pages to give the reader a better image of what was happening. The picture on the right is just one example of what the art looked like. I really loved this idea, because although the books were more based towards kids (hence why they were pictures, I think) it really created the image in my mind of what was happening in the book, how the the characters interacted, and key locations. It also made some great drawing references.
Back to the main point, I think the Edge Chronicles book series kind of tainted my view for the Romulus Buckle book. It is almost the same in main aspects; there are giant floating skyships, the characters dress in a certain manner, the plotline of Romulus Buckle could easily be a plotline in the Edge Chronicles, and many other things. So while I am reading this, I keep reading all this great description of what the characters are dressed like and what the airship is like and the likes of such. I keep expecting a picture to go along with it, but then I remember that it's a whole other book series. It's still good, don't get me wrong. It was slow reading at first, but I am really getting into it.
So these past few... two weeks? Maybe? I have been reading a novel called Romulus Buckle and the City of Founders by Richard Ellis Preston. It's a pretty good novel all and all, the concept is interesting--it's about a bunch of aliens destroying the Earth, putting the remaining human population into a steam-powered apocalypse where feuds between clan leaders ravage the frosted landscape--the characters are dynamic, the imagery is nice, and the plot is good. I can say that this is a good book, but I also kinda disliked it... But I believe that is due to the similarity to another book series.
Back to the main point, I think the Edge Chronicles book series kind of tainted my view for the Romulus Buckle book. It is almost the same in main aspects; there are giant floating skyships, the characters dress in a certain manner, the plotline of Romulus Buckle could easily be a plotline in the Edge Chronicles, and many other things. So while I am reading this, I keep reading all this great description of what the characters are dressed like and what the airship is like and the likes of such. I keep expecting a picture to go along with it, but then I remember that it's a whole other book series. It's still good, don't get me wrong. It was slow reading at first, but I am really getting into it.
I guess what I am trying to say is that I miss the Edge Chronicles. The final book of the series was released just over three years ago, and it hasn't been the same since. I have read and reread each book to try and fill the void, but it simply won't go away. The good news is that the authors announced another book to be released next spring, even though they said they'd stop. Pretty excited for that. Book-wise, my patience is being tested this year. So here's to being able to enjoy all the books to come in my future.
Hobey ho.
Word Count: 525 words
Hobey ho.
Word Count: 525 words
Monday, September 16, 2013
Music and Poetry
Due to me feeling un-creative tonight, and that it is nine o' clock at night, I'm just gonna write a little piece of something we all know and love... Music.
As we approach the end of our poetry unit, we were asked to find a song that, to ourselves, is a poem. There's a funny thing about music that we don't quite experience in poetry, mostly the rhythm of each (bu-dum tiss). Well, what I mean by that, is one has a catchy beat in the background and the other goes through a lame pattern of tame matters that rhymes in sequence of time and secrets. Oops, you didn't just see that.
Anyways, music makes us feel inspired and emotional. When you are reading a poem, you read it in your own voice. When listening to music, you are hearing the intensity of whoever the artist is, telling their poem the way it is meant to be heard. Imagine good ole Billy Shakespeare reciting Shall I compare thee... to whichever fine (or maybe not-so-fine) mistress he wanders across. (Time machine Bucket List. It's official)
A lot of people complain about not "getting" poems. They have so much hidden meaning buried in metaphor and simile and imagery and implication and explication and literal and imaginary and concrete and abstract that it is hard to figure it out on the first go. It took me several reads to actually understand Sylvia Plath's Metaphors, and even then, I had to talk to some classmates to truly understand the different aspects of the poem that related to what it meant. If you haven't read it, click here; it really is a good beginner's poem to read if you want to get started into poetry.
So what makes music so different? Returning to my original statement, its rhythm. I doubt many people can get a song right on the first go, even if they tell you they can. Granted, these days all this lame poppy music is pretty blunt and obvious (oh hey, you just met me and want me to call you maybe. will do), but I am talking about music that isn't trying to appeal to us in that way, the stuff that makes us think. Pop music really just tries to sell us their songs, and it's not easy to do that if someone has to think about why they want to buy it.
When I get a new album, I gotta listen to it 5 or 6 times through, and even then I only get the lyrics. After days and days of singing the songs to myself, then is when I really get it. But hey, I enjoy listening to music, to sit on the bus and blast out the world in the sweet sounds of stereo and synthesizers. Put a nice beat across a poem and I bet I'd listen to it a thousand times as well.
So to wrap this up, I guess what I am trying to say is to give things a chance. Poetry isn't easy to get at first, and you're not gonna record yourself saying it just so you can listen to it a million times and understand it, and no one else is either. Music IS poetry, it's just easier to understand. So instead of throwing your [insert literary medium here] into the air, burning it to pieces, feeding it to your dog, or tossing it at your little brother, try to read a couple lines and hey, maybe you'll run into something you really like!
Since it's a calm-ish night and I am feeling slightly generous, enjoy this peaceful eight song playlist for your listening pleasures.
Modest Mouse - World At Large
Modest Mouse - Custom Concern
Motion City Soundtrack - Boxelder
Motion City Soundtrack - Hold Me Down
Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
Death Cab for Cutie - Lack of Color
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
Ben Folds Five - Brick
Word Count: 662
As we approach the end of our poetry unit, we were asked to find a song that, to ourselves, is a poem. There's a funny thing about music that we don't quite experience in poetry, mostly the rhythm of each (bu-dum tiss). Well, what I mean by that, is one has a catchy beat in the background and the other goes through a lame pattern of tame matters that rhymes in sequence of time and secrets. Oops, you didn't just see that.
Anyways, music makes us feel inspired and emotional. When you are reading a poem, you read it in your own voice. When listening to music, you are hearing the intensity of whoever the artist is, telling their poem the way it is meant to be heard. Imagine good ole Billy Shakespeare reciting Shall I compare thee... to whichever fine (or maybe not-so-fine) mistress he wanders across. (Time machine Bucket List. It's official)
A lot of people complain about not "getting" poems. They have so much hidden meaning buried in metaphor and simile and imagery and implication and explication and literal and imaginary and concrete and abstract that it is hard to figure it out on the first go. It took me several reads to actually understand Sylvia Plath's Metaphors, and even then, I had to talk to some classmates to truly understand the different aspects of the poem that related to what it meant. If you haven't read it, click here; it really is a good beginner's poem to read if you want to get started into poetry.
So what makes music so different? Returning to my original statement, its rhythm. I doubt many people can get a song right on the first go, even if they tell you they can. Granted, these days all this lame poppy music is pretty blunt and obvious (oh hey, you just met me and want me to call you maybe. will do), but I am talking about music that isn't trying to appeal to us in that way, the stuff that makes us think. Pop music really just tries to sell us their songs, and it's not easy to do that if someone has to think about why they want to buy it.
When I get a new album, I gotta listen to it 5 or 6 times through, and even then I only get the lyrics. After days and days of singing the songs to myself, then is when I really get it. But hey, I enjoy listening to music, to sit on the bus and blast out the world in the sweet sounds of stereo and synthesizers. Put a nice beat across a poem and I bet I'd listen to it a thousand times as well.
So to wrap this up, I guess what I am trying to say is to give things a chance. Poetry isn't easy to get at first, and you're not gonna record yourself saying it just so you can listen to it a million times and understand it, and no one else is either. Music IS poetry, it's just easier to understand. So instead of throwing your [insert literary medium here] into the air, burning it to pieces, feeding it to your dog, or tossing it at your little brother, try to read a couple lines and hey, maybe you'll run into something you really like!
Since it's a calm-ish night and I am feeling slightly generous, enjoy this peaceful eight song playlist for your listening pleasures.
Modest Mouse - World At Large
Modest Mouse - Custom Concern
Motion City Soundtrack - Boxelder
Motion City Soundtrack - Hold Me Down
Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
Death Cab for Cutie - Lack of Color
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
Ben Folds Five - Brick
Word Count: 662
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Time to Board the Scholar Ship
Well, it's come to that time of our lives. It's time to get ready for college; it's time to write all the essays, to submit our applications, to take a million tests that abuse acronyms (SAT, ACT, HSPE, ASVAB, WAT, MIT, CIA, FBI, LOL), and to try and get those pesky scholarships.
Scholarships. Boy aren't these fun. Our economy is built in such a way that either one, you have enough money to fund yourself through college, or two, you get a couple of scholarships, you get a job, and you work your butt off to struggle through four years. Usually at the end you are piled in student debt too, and from what I have heard, that's a joy. In my English class, we've had to start writing essays, a sorta nudge in the write direction by my teacher to hopefully give us a chance. It's time to board the Scholar Ship, and trust me, you're not gonna get those tickets by winning poker with a Full House in some shabby bar at the port. (Full House, Boys!)
Most of us will get the Millennium's Scholarship, and hey, that'd help. But past that, we're out on our own. We're out on the College Safari with our Jeep broken down, hunting for food in the middle of the night. Sometimes you'll nail a gazelle or two, and that will feed you for a short time. Most of the time, the tigers and lions (and bears, oh my) will kill you with debt.
Okay. A little too much hyperbole for you? I agree. I was over exaggerating. But that's sorta how I feel right now. My future is a train coming across the tracks at full speed; it's a game of chicken, and on one side is high school and the other is college. Gotta be fast. Gotta be ready. Can't be pommeled by that overwhelming responsibility and crumble under the pressure.
So as you can tell, I am more than a bit worried. I found a couple of scholarships here and there, and I took my shot. Who knows when I will find out if I get them though, sometimes you just need to close your eyes and pull the trigger. Sitting to my right, there is a list of about 60 or so scholarships I need to complete (shout out to my mum for getting that together), but trust me, the list does not look to appealing.
Good luck to everyone this year; I bet we're all gonna be fighting the same battles in our own way this year, and we could all use a little help from each other. It isn't worth getting mad over some of the little things someone says, they've got bigger battles to fight and can't be trying to participate in all the smaller ones. Good luck getting those scholarships, good luck writing those essays, good luck finding the college you want to get into, good luck with all the tests and grades and leadership and life and whatever else gets in the way. I'm with you all every step of the way. Hobey ho.
(Word Count: 521 words)
Scholarships. Boy aren't these fun. Our economy is built in such a way that either one, you have enough money to fund yourself through college, or two, you get a couple of scholarships, you get a job, and you work your butt off to struggle through four years. Usually at the end you are piled in student debt too, and from what I have heard, that's a joy. In my English class, we've had to start writing essays, a sorta nudge in the write direction by my teacher to hopefully give us a chance. It's time to board the Scholar Ship, and trust me, you're not gonna get those tickets by winning poker with a Full House in some shabby bar at the port. (Full House, Boys!)
Most of us will get the Millennium's Scholarship, and hey, that'd help. But past that, we're out on our own. We're out on the College Safari with our Jeep broken down, hunting for food in the middle of the night. Sometimes you'll nail a gazelle or two, and that will feed you for a short time. Most of the time, the tigers and lions (and bears, oh my) will kill you with debt.
Okay. A little too much hyperbole for you? I agree. I was over exaggerating. But that's sorta how I feel right now. My future is a train coming across the tracks at full speed; it's a game of chicken, and on one side is high school and the other is college. Gotta be fast. Gotta be ready. Can't be pommeled by that overwhelming responsibility and crumble under the pressure.
So as you can tell, I am more than a bit worried. I found a couple of scholarships here and there, and I took my shot. Who knows when I will find out if I get them though, sometimes you just need to close your eyes and pull the trigger. Sitting to my right, there is a list of about 60 or so scholarships I need to complete (shout out to my mum for getting that together), but trust me, the list does not look to appealing.
Good luck to everyone this year; I bet we're all gonna be fighting the same battles in our own way this year, and we could all use a little help from each other. It isn't worth getting mad over some of the little things someone says, they've got bigger battles to fight and can't be trying to participate in all the smaller ones. Good luck getting those scholarships, good luck writing those essays, good luck finding the college you want to get into, good luck with all the tests and grades and leadership and life and whatever else gets in the way. I'm with you all every step of the way. Hobey ho.
(Word Count: 521 words)
Sunday, September 8, 2013
How Far Can You Stray?
Good afternoon, everyone. Today, I'll be discussing the book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (1985), and more specifically, how I think (from what the trailers have shown me) how it will compare to the movie. So here we go. Possible spoilers ahead, so if you plan on reading the book (or watching the movie) enter on your own whim. I will try to keep the spoilers to a minimum. Very spoiler-y parts will be run over in gray, highlight them to read those parts.
So first, lets discuss the author. Orson Scott Card (OSC) has written over 50 books, many in the Sci-Fi genre. You can correct me if I am wrong, but I didn't notice any extremely prevalent viewpoints in Ender's Game (although I can't say much about his other novels), and so because of his personal opinions on topics such as same-sex marriage, political stance, religion, and science he has been under fire by various people. You might find some people with VERY strong opinions about his writing. I have talked to some people who really love his books, and some who really hate them; when I asked them to provide reason for these opinions, usually it was his opinions that were the reasons for someone liking his books.
Now, the book, in my opinion, was very good. It was only until I inquired with others about why they liked or disliked the books that I looked up what his beliefs were. So I wasn't reading the book because I disagreed or agreed with him in one way or another (I read it cause it was assigned for book club). Back to that, the book was good for a couple of reasons. I like science fiction, and I pleasantly enjoyed imagining what the games he played would be like. I like how humanity was one of the "themes" of the book, which was present throughout most of it. I also like that it made me think, I read it, and I felt like I could clear my thoughts and talk to people in a way that made sense. If this post doesn't make sense, it's mostly cause I am not reading the book anymore.
I watched the trailer the other day, after finishing the book (both trailers are viewable here and here), and from what I saw, it will not even be close to the book. I know, this is typically how movies are, but hear me out. At about 1:40 in the second trailer, he is inside of his flagship, controlling the fleet, ready to destroy the planet in the distance. In the book, this wasn't the case; he spent his time after graduating from the first school playing more simulations, thinking he was only playing games and preparing for the war. It was not revealed until later that he was actually controlling a real fleet, and fighting against the Buggers in the war. He felt almost overwhelmed and defeated in the final battle, and all but gave up and, as he thought, "broke the rules." When it was revealed to him that he had just won the war, he got angry. He didn't want to kill anyone, even the Bugger enemy. In the movie, it seems like he is almost happy to be fighting against the enemy, and the whole book's conflict of being human seems to have been erased.
So that brings me to the question. How far can a movie really stray? Does the director not want to include it, because he does not agree with OSC's beliefs? Or is there something else? Or am I overanalyzing it entirely and merely taking assumption based on a couple short clips? I dunno. I still am gonna go see the movie when it comes out, and hey, maybe I'll like it as much as I liked the book. We'll see.
On a side note, I would like to brush on a connection I noticed. This book, in at least the atmosphere of it, seems very similar to Starship Troopers (1959). Space wars, "Bugger" hostile aliens, propagandic in some minute way. Stuff like that. I looked it up, and OSC said he had not even read the book until after he wrote Ender's Game. Just some food for thought. There's another book I should start reading. Maybe after I finish all the ones I got. Hmm...
(Word Count: 730 words)
So first, lets discuss the author. Orson Scott Card (OSC) has written over 50 books, many in the Sci-Fi genre. You can correct me if I am wrong, but I didn't notice any extremely prevalent viewpoints in Ender's Game (although I can't say much about his other novels), and so because of his personal opinions on topics such as same-sex marriage, political stance, religion, and science he has been under fire by various people. You might find some people with VERY strong opinions about his writing. I have talked to some people who really love his books, and some who really hate them; when I asked them to provide reason for these opinions, usually it was his opinions that were the reasons for someone liking his books.
Now, the book, in my opinion, was very good. It was only until I inquired with others about why they liked or disliked the books that I looked up what his beliefs were. So I wasn't reading the book because I disagreed or agreed with him in one way or another (I read it cause it was assigned for book club). Back to that, the book was good for a couple of reasons. I like science fiction, and I pleasantly enjoyed imagining what the games he played would be like. I like how humanity was one of the "themes" of the book, which was present throughout most of it. I also like that it made me think, I read it, and I felt like I could clear my thoughts and talk to people in a way that made sense. If this post doesn't make sense, it's mostly cause I am not reading the book anymore.
I watched the trailer the other day, after finishing the book (both trailers are viewable here and here), and from what I saw, it will not even be close to the book. I know, this is typically how movies are, but hear me out. At about 1:40 in the second trailer, he is inside of his flagship, controlling the fleet, ready to destroy the planet in the distance. In the book, this wasn't the case; he spent his time after graduating from the first school playing more simulations, thinking he was only playing games and preparing for the war. It was not revealed until later that he was actually controlling a real fleet, and fighting against the Buggers in the war. He felt almost overwhelmed and defeated in the final battle, and all but gave up and, as he thought, "broke the rules." When it was revealed to him that he had just won the war, he got angry. He didn't want to kill anyone, even the Bugger enemy. In the movie, it seems like he is almost happy to be fighting against the enemy, and the whole book's conflict of being human seems to have been erased.
So that brings me to the question. How far can a movie really stray? Does the director not want to include it, because he does not agree with OSC's beliefs? Or is there something else? Or am I overanalyzing it entirely and merely taking assumption based on a couple short clips? I dunno. I still am gonna go see the movie when it comes out, and hey, maybe I'll like it as much as I liked the book. We'll see.
On a side note, I would like to brush on a connection I noticed. This book, in at least the atmosphere of it, seems very similar to Starship Troopers (1959). Space wars, "Bugger" hostile aliens, propagandic in some minute way. Stuff like that. I looked it up, and OSC said he had not even read the book until after he wrote Ender's Game. Just some food for thought. There's another book I should start reading. Maybe after I finish all the ones I got. Hmm...
(Word Count: 730 words)
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