Finally,

How depressing! The final official blog post of the year (I may continue blogging depending on time constraints in interest; we'll see).
I think, as a reader, I was a pretty average, but snooty, reader. While I wouldn't spend my days romping around reading Shakespeare and Dickens, I thought that I was above that mainstream, teen romance stuff (what a hipster). I would read primarily fiction (typically fantasy or slice-of-life) and a little bit of nonfiction. A lot of the books I read were either books I'd read before or books that were assigned for class. I would read on my own maybe twice a week for a total of two to three hours, and I would read on the couch in my living room.
This semester, I definitely expanded my horizons. A lot more nonfiction. A lot. I actually really like nonfiction now. There's been some Japanese literature (Battle Royale and Norwegian Wood, both of which lay nearly completed beside my bed). I like to think of myself as a hummingbird reader (a metaphor that I found in a really great writing inspiration book, but am now claiming as my own). I sip a little bit of nectar from every flower and then rinse and repeat until I'm full. Which is a fancy way of saying yes, I have problems with sticking with and finishing books. I changed the things I read on a weekly basis. I told myself I wouldn't take any new books with me until I'd finished the old, but then I'd look at the chalkboard, and I heard the siren call of a fresh book. And then I caved. I choose books based on recommendations and pretty covers. I occasionally have problems meeting the page quota, but that's usually because I forgot to read during the week and saved it all for Thursday night.
I tend to read right after I get home. I sit on the couch and have at it. I do it in silence because I can't concentrate if there's good music playing, and I don't want to have bad music playing, so might as well just read in silence. I don't check my phone, but I don't think I necessarily lose myself in reading either. There are, perhaps, snippets that completely absorb me, but those tiny moments are quickly over, and I am once again grounded in reality. I don't really talk about what I'm reading on a frequent basis, but if it comes up, then I'm more than happy to do so.

My reading habits are pretty similar; however, I think I've widened my scope of interest. While my perennial favorites remain my perennial favorites, a lot of nonfiction works have begun to emerge as top contenders. I always read independently in the summer, so I can't say that this necessarily spurred my onwards. I think I'm going to finish reading all the books I have piled by the couch, the bed, the kitchen table, and wherever else they're hiding. After that, I really want to read The Night Circus out of courtesy to the nice lady who shot me a NaNoMail (for the curious and for the sake of my swelling pride, I just broke 10,000 words yesterday--oh yeah).

every single day - John Straley

I found this while searching for poems. It doesn't quite fit in my anthology, but I like it nonetheless. I think it captures the essence of what I, personally, think love is. It's not so much dewy roses and starry-eyed glances; rather, it's more about the triggers in our minds that connect emotion to memory and memory to person. 

Suppose I said the word “springtime”

and I wrote the words “king salmon”

on a piece of paper

and mailed it to you.

When you opened it

would you remember that afternoon we spent

together in the yellow boat

when the early whales were feeding

and we caught our first fish of the year?

 

Or would you remember that time off Cape Flattery

when you were a little girl:

your father smoking, telling stories as he ran the boat,

then the tug and zing of that very first fish

spooling off into the gray-green world;

you laughing and brushing back your hair

before setting the hook?

 

I know I am hard to understand sometimes

particularly when you are standing

at the post office with only a piece of paper

saying “king salmon” on it

but just think of it as a promissary note

and that electric tug, that thrill

pulling your mind into deep water

is how I feel about you every,

single day.

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

I recently signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, an event that happens every November in which writers try to write a novel of 50,000 words in one month), and I received NaNoMail (a clever way of saying a message from someone associated with NaNoWriMo) from one Erin Morgenstern. Morgenstern was a past NaNoWriMo participant and recently released her debut novel, The Night Circus. The Night Circus has been described by critics as Harry Potter and Twilight given its magic and star-crossed romance. Apparently, it's supposed to be the next big thing.

I don't know if I believe that, but it certainly sounds like an interesting read, and this is the first time a(n almost) famous novelist has sent me an email (albeit, a mass-produced one). So here's a note to myself and anyone else who's interested to pick up this book once it trickles down to libraries across America. I'm looking forward to it.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris

So, I don't know about you, anonymous reader, but I have seen the cover of this book before. The striking skull painting, the nearly invisible title, and the intriguing lower-case author name. Yes. This strikes me as a book of substance.

Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect from When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. As it turns out, When You Are Engulfed in Flames is a series of essays. Thusfar, I can see no common theme. Nothing ties these essays together, in my opinion, except quality. Also, just to clarify, when I say "essay," I don't mean that five-paragraph nonsense (foolishness, tomfoolery, claptrap, absurdity). It's more like a chapter's worth of description and reflection over a brief period of time.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames examines Sedaris's childhood, his close friends and family, his sexuality, his innate quirkiness, and other things in his life. It is humorous and engaging. Thusfar, I have read eight of his twenty-two essays in When You Are Engulfed in Flames (I wish there was a way to shorten this title, but it appreciates being completely said/read). My favorites of these essays have to be "The Understudy," "Roadtrips," and "That's Amore."

In "The Understudy," Sedaris describes a time in which he and his siblings are babysat (that just sounds morbid) by the cantankerous, unhygienic Mrs. Peacock, a woman so heinous that she forces the children to scratch her back, can only make sloppy joes, and punishes by using the children to pick up dog poo (which sounds more dignified than "turds," as Sedaris says). Sedaris's description of Mrs. Peacock and the ensuing antics that follow when he and his siblings are under her care are hilarious and, at times, reflective. Between complaining about the woman with both the imagination of a child and the sophistication of a writer, there are some genuinely reflective moments where Sedaris considers the possibility that Mrs. Peacock has some redeeming qualities. However, these moments are quickly eclipsed by Sedaris's admission that he'd rather think of the old woman as a total hag.

"Roadtrips" is a little bit more mature than "The Understudy," focusing on how Sedaris realized he was gay. Though he'd always had an inkling, it wasn't until he was picked up off the road by a couple in a Cadillac that he voices this. For those with more sensitive sensibilities, I'll spare you the gritty details, but Sedaris is confronting with a situation in which only the words "I'm a homosexual" can suffice. The essay then veers off into another story, this one about a male trucker that comes onto a rather shaken Sedaris. He declines the trucker's advances and chooses to walk instead.

"That's Amore" describes a spunky (by which I mean offensive) old lady named Helen who lives next to Dave and his partner Hugh. She is absolutely shameless. She hates minorities and the privileged. She attacks a deaf-mute at some point. Just a whole lot of old lady fun. Helen teeters on the line of crude and lovable, embodying the spirit of some disenchanted, streetwise hooker in the compact body that Sedaris says is as small as a ten-year-old girl's.

I really enjoyed When You Are Engulfed in Flames, or, at least, I've enjoyed it thusfar. There are some parts that are a little PG-13 or R, so if you're easily offended by some sexuality and crude language, then you might fare better reading something else. But if you're not, then this is a fantastic read. Sedaris is straightforward and clever. He speaks with what I think is the true voice of a writer. His writing tells a story. It's not an author showing off his writing skills; it's not a comedian telling a series of one-liners. But that doesn't mean there aren't any well-written, funny parts. Sedaris knows his book's identity and wastes no time beating around the bush, and his audience benefits from his expertise.

Pardon my French but...

...dangnabit can Miyazaki draw food.

And for some reason my etymology blog has become dominated by movie-related posts? Oh well, there'll be a return to literature after this weekend, since I only go on movie binges on long weekends.

Chihiro and Lilo are one

The voice actress for Chihiro from Spirited Away also did Lilo for Lilo and Stitch.

I was re-watching Spirited Away and just discovered this. Mind-blowing, man.

Misery - Stephen King

Unlike a lot of avid readers, I have no qualms with seeing a movie before I read the book. In fact, I find that doing this helps me enjoy both works more than if I read the book and then see the movie. I mean, the book and the movie are two different things. They're the same (basic) story as interpreted by two different people (the author and the movie director respectively).

Anyways, Misery is supposed to be one of the greatest horror/psychological thriller movies ever as well as one of the best Stephen King novel-movie adaptations ever (trumped only by The Shawshank Redemption). So when I saw it on YouTube, I naturally had to watch it.

The basic premise of Misery is that author Paul Sheldon wrecks his car in a blizzard, and is taken into the care of Annie Wilkes, his self-proclaimed number one fan. Paul is famous for his novels about a character named Misery, the namesake of the movie and Stephen King novel. Annie loves the Misery books. However, once she finds that Paul is not only writing a new, non-Misery novel but has also killed off Misery, she flies into a rage, and insists that Paul bring Misery back to life in his next book. Paul spends the next couple of weeks (or months) in Annie's care, never quite knowing if she'll greet him with a smile or a sledgehammer. He tries to escape several times, but does he ever succeed? You'll have to read/watch and see.

I thought the movie was really good. Kathy Bates really does a fantastic Annie Wilkes, but James Caan as Paul Sheldon was also quite good. I hear that the novel is even more horrific than the movie, so I'll have to pick it up some time.

The Silver Crown - Robert C. O'Brien

So, my blog has been largely neglected for the past forever. Hence, I've decided to post something new.

I bought The Silver Crown a couple of years ago for two reasons: 1.) Robert C. O'Brien also wrote Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (which actually has a really fantastic movie adaptation, in my opinion), and 2.) the book was selling for $2.99. And since then, it's become one of those special books that I read time and time again whenever I find myself in a car hurtling through the Hoosier countryside or on a plane skimming through piles of cumulus clouds (hope you enjoyed that sudden bit poetic writing there).

Anyways, The Silver Crown sort of marks my transition from mystery novels to adventure stories. The story follows a girl, Ellen, who receives a silver crown on the day of her tenth birthday. This, she believes, proves that she is a queen. So she leaves her house and goes to a local park to hold court. Suddenly, she hears sirens in the distance. As it turns out, her house has burned to the ground, and no one made it out. Ellen resolves that she must go to her nearest relative, Aunt Sarah. But to get there, she must travel to Lexington, Kentucky. Along the way, she meets a host of villainous characters who try to take her crown, though why they would want to do that, Ellen does not know. She also meets some friends: a clever boy named Otto, the kindly old Mrs. Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Carver, a man living in the woods alone. Without giving away too much of the plot, the story circles around Ellen, the crown, and the evil forces trying to take her crown.

While The Silver Crown is aimed at 8-12 year-olds, I still find the plot pretty engaging. There's no deeper meaning. There aren't layers upon layers of symbols and extended, social metaphors. It's just the age old battle between good and evil. It's a quick read. It's an easy read. I think I picked it up recently because I've been reading a lot of pretty heavy material, and I needed something that wouldn't make me dive deeper. Just an adventure, nothing else. I mean, I guess there's some degree of character development, but it's not like I need extensive thinking to comprehend basic character development.
Anyways, if you want to read something to the tune of what you might've read ten years ago, I highly recommend The Silver Crown. It's a great break from reading really excellent, deep books. It knows what it is (an adventure), and it does a great job immersing you in its own little world.

Practice Diction Analysis

J.D. Salinger masters the voice of his protagonist, Holden Caulfield, in the first page of his novel Catcher in the Rye, using direct, colloquial, and bluntly offensive diction. Holden starts by saying that while he knows the reader would like to know about his background, he is not going to provide any information on his origins. His gruff, devil-may-care attitude exudes from the page, as he says he can’t be bothered with “all that David Copperfield kind of crap.” Holden’s trademark sense of superiority reverberates within the passage. While Holden’s language is neither profound nor particularly beautiful, it is representative of how a disenchanted teenager speaks. Holden complains that he won’t give his “whole goddam autobiography” and that his prother is far away from “this crummy place.” He has no objection to cursing, a sign of rebellion against the norm through language. Salinger breathes life into Holden by rambling and cussing, providing literature’s favorite teenage antihero with an identifiably meandering and rude voice.

[Side note: If you've never read Catcher, I highly recommend it. People tend to either love it or hate it. I love it. I think it's possibly the best thing I read last year, so if you have time for a great American classic, you should give it a read.]

Snaps for Etymology

Did anyone pick up on the Legally Blonde reference? I hope so because that was a little embarrassing considering that 1.) I can quote proficiently from a chick flick romcom, and 2.) this particular chick flick romcom happens to be a sequel (and not a particularly good one).

Anyways, so I went to a college interview today. Yep. I got to talk with a very nice lady from Smith College, so that was fun. And one of the questions she asked me was "Have you read any good books lately?" And honestly, given my reading record these past couple of years, I probably wouldn't have been able to give a particularly good answer had I not taken Etymology. I mean, it's not like I haven't read anything in recent years, but I had a whole pile of books I could talk about because of our 100/150 page a week assignment. Very helpful. For the record, we talked about Norwegian Wood, Battle Royale, Columbine, A Long Way Gone, and And Then There Were None. A pretty wide spread, if I do say so myself. I honestly don't get that. "If I do say so myself." Of course you say so; you just said it. But anyways. Moving on to the assignment (finally).

Buddha's Hand?

Random post before I put up my paragraph.
So I, for whatever reason, remembered something about this plant called Buddha's hand. And it's a fruit, but it's yellow and segmented into little knotted, gnarly poles that are supposedly Buddha's "fingers." I, again, have no idea why I thought of this, but I think it's a pretty cool fruit, albeit a little creepy. I really want to try one. It's number two on my "Fruits I Want To Eat" List (number one is starfruit and number three is dragon fruit).

Doesn't this look like some creature from the deep? Yeah, I thought so. 

Currently,

Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami

This week: 170 pages
Last week: 163 pages
Semester total: 1297 pages


Favorite quotes from other people's blog posts (in no particular order, of course)


"In a passage from Cherry Adair's "Out of Sight," she uses blunt vulgarity, noisy and straight-forwardness to get her point across." - Twilight

"The stylistics of Meg Cabot's Shadowland prominently feature straightforward, conversational word choice and a devil-may-care tone for the reader." - Look Up... (Now!)

"Dessen’s raw low- key language precisely augments the conflicting feelings and tragic events of her story." - The Blog of Epic Proportions

I really like the post from Twilight because the writer uses some pretty strong language. Though the ending to the paragraph is a little trite, the rest of the paragraph stands strong. I love that the writer says the author uses "blunt vulgarity," though the rest of the sentence needs some restructuring for the sake of parallelism. Overall, it's a really good post, though it could use some fine-tuning.

I just love that the writer of Look Up... (Now!) describes the author's tone as "devil-may-care." I just love it. So. Much. The rest of the paragraph is also very solid, using a fair balance of left and right analysis. But really, I was won over by the "devil-may-care" tone. What a great word.

The Blog of Epic Proportions also had a really strong style mapping paragraph. I love using the word "raw" to describe language. It's just really powerful and to-the-point. "Augments" is another great word, as is "conflicting." There's some really good language here, so I, naturally, really like it.

Style Mapping

 The introduction of a work of literature sets the standard for the rest of the work, showing if the author is eloquent and poetic or blunt and caustic. In Neil Gaiman's Stardust, Gaiman writes poetically with colloquial language, using words that are neither dissonant nor melodious, in order to describe the setting. In contrast, Cormac McCarthy's figurative-language-heavy introduction to Blood Meridian balances both an earthy grittiness and an elevated vocabulary as McCarthy describes the surroundings. By far the simplest of all, Walker Lamond's Rules for My Unborn Son has a no-nonsense and almost journalistic approach to writing. The introductions to these three works reflect the subject matter that follows; for instance, Lamond's Rules is simply a book of short, one-sentence rules for his son, whereas McCarthy's Blood Meridian is a Western epic. Each accomplishes its purpose effectively by using different types of language.

Quartlerly

So this quarter, my reading's been a bit eclectic?

I like to believe that I'm a lot smarter and higher class than I really am. Hence, I like to read books that make me feel educated and cultured, meaning I tend to gravitate towards books of substance as opposed to teeny fiction. Not that there's anything wrong with teeny fiction, but, in general, it's not exactly a worthwhile subject of discussion ("Oh my God, that Edward guy is so freakin' hot"). However, the great thing about pretending to be better than I am by reading excellent books is that excellent books are excellent. They're really engrossing, and I thoroughly enjoy them.

This year in general, I think my reading tastes have definitely branched out. I'm kind of been bounding back and forth between fiction and nonfiction. Prior to this year, my reading was very fiction-centric, so this is a recent development. As far as where and when I read, I do the bulk of my reading after dinner in the living room of my house in front of the fireplace. It's too warm to make proper use of this fireplace, and it's not even a real fireplace, but I like to curl up there with a good book and pretend that I'm just oh-so classy.

Nothing this quarter has really challenged me, as far as my reading goes. The books I choose are pretty easy to understand. My goal for next quarter is to read the Bible. I'm gonna do it, goshdarnit! I always tell myself I will, but I never do. I mean, I'm usually trucking along pretty well until BAM! And then Isaac begot Jacob who begot Seth who begot (these are random names; I'm pretty sure that's not how it happened)... And so on. Anyways, I think it's a pretty good choice since a large chunk of the world live their lives by this book (or at least claim to).
Oh, also, I want to better divide my reading. I always find myself reading maybe 80 pages on Thursday night in order to meet the page requirement. And it's not that I dislike reading; I just always forget that reading's an option. Which sounds weird, but when I'm done with my homework, all I can think of is YouTube and sleep. Say hello to the next generation, everybody.

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami continued

So Norwegian Wood kind of reminds me of Paper Towns. A little bit. Except the protagonist is more of a recluse. The difference here is Norwegian Wood is a lot more deeply rooted in reality, and things don't just conveniently fall into place (not that I'm discrediting Paper Towns; I liked it, but some parts of the book are a little too unrealistic). However, some of the similarities are rather notable: the ho-hum protagonist, the intangible love interest, and the plodding pace of the book.
Norwegian Wood, from a plot-only perspective, is pretty nondescript. It's about a boy going through college when his life is suddenly interrupted by a girl he knew from his high school years. They're connected through a tragedy. Suddenly, the girl disappears, and he must continue his life as usual, wondering why she left and what she's doing now. Along the way, he meets another girl, but then I stopped reading.
Again, the plot's pretty normal. But what I really love about the book is the writing. There's some really fantastic writing in here. I love the style of it, I love the imagery in it, and I love that nothing's left out, but nothing's added either. Norwegian Wood strike a pretty good balance between progressing the plot and showing off the writer's skill.
Before I leave, I'd like to applaud the unsung hero of Norwegian Wood, Jay Rubin, the translator. I mean, my God, talk about first class translating. All the little nuances in the writing could have easily been lost by a less-skilled translator. A+, Jay Rubin. A+.

Currently,

And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie
Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami


This week: 163 pages
Last week: 172 pages
Semester total: 969 pages


Quotes of the Week Quarter


"Clutching these faded, fading, imperfect memories to my breast, I go on writing this book with all the desperate intensity of a starving man sucking on bones" (10). - Norwegian Wood


 "If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die" (54). - A Long Way Gone 


"...I would carry around a very specific form of physical anxiety that feels kind of like my heart shrinking up like a raisin" (201). - Bossypants


Okay, so my favorite one by far has to be the first one. I mean, hello? Talk about a brilliant quote. It's kind of a cheat (this is its first time appearing in one of my currently posts), but it's so good. I mean, I just love "the desperate intensity of a starving man sucking on bones." I can literally feel the bone in my mouth, I can see the emaciated man in the corner, and I know exactly what Murakami's talking about. Pure poetry. 


The only repeat from my other favorite quotes of ever post. The second quote appeals to me because it's such a good way to live. Forever the optimist because if today sucks, there's bound to be something good on the way. Or death. Whichever comes first. 


And even though it didn't make the cut last time, the third quote just so happened to appeal to me more today than it did a couple of weeks ago. I can totally relate to the feeling of my heart shrinking up like a raisin. It's just such a great way to explain such a distinct feeling. 

Reminder to me, reminder to me~

That's the Reminder Song. Sung to the tune of "Happy Birthday." I'll give you a singing demonstrate of it if you ask me about it. Maybe.

Books I need to finish:
- Columbine
- A Long Way Gone
- Battle Royale
- Norwegian Wood
- The Princess Bride


Needed to get that listed. Now I know. I think I'm gonna finish A Long Way Gone, then Columbine, then Norwegian Wood, then Battle Royale, and then Princess Bride. Okay. Now that that's settled. All is well.

And Then There Were None - The Finale

So I finished reading And Then There Were None. I really love Agatha Christie. So much. Just so much love for Agatha Christie.
Without giving away too much about the ending, the book closes with a note from the real murderer. So if you're like me and you like to take a peak at the ending before you finish a book--don't. At least not for this book. Because you'll quickly notice whodunnit.
Anyways, I think the most intriguing thing about the murderer is the reasoning behind why he/she set up this elaborate scheme on Indian Island. Once you read the ending, you realize how everything was constructed, and you go, "Oooh!" every time you draw connections between what the murderer admits and the events in the book.
Also, while I would never make the argument that Agatha Christie is a literary genius (she's a fantastic author, but the language she uses is pretty colloquial, nothing much to say about it, to be honest), she does have her moments. In And Then There Were None, this moment occurs when the murderer confesses that he/she has "a pitiful human wish that some one should know just how clever [he's/she's] been," referring to the well-tuned plot the murderer had come up with (274).

Overall, And Then There Were None is an awesome book. It represents a period of time in my book-reading life when I was obsessed with mystery novels, it brings back fond memories of my 6th grade field trip, and it just engrosses the reader. Although, I do admit that reading it the second or third time through is not nearly as thrilling as reading it the first time through. And understandably so. But anyways, I would recommend And Then There Were None to anyone. The language is simple enough so that even some well-read elementary students could understand it fairly well, but the plot is engaging enough so that people of all ages should enjoy the book. And Then There Were None really gets down to business. There's no dillydallying, so the plot races along at a really satisfying pace. My only criticism for the book, I guess, would be there are some situations that are a little too implausible or a little too convenient in my opinion. The murderer's plan could have gone wrong in ten different ways, but it just so happened to work. Iunno. It's not a big deal. Just go into the book open-minded. Read a chapter a day so you can kind of prolong the experience and mull over whodunnit. And I think you (dear reader) will find it to be a pretty quick and enjoyable read.

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami

I was reading Norwegian Wood today (shout out to Elana). Didn't get too far. I read it at the end of the day after my psych test. While I haven't gotten fully engrossed in the plot, I really do love the language. It's just so good! It's hard to choose my favorite quotes because I try to not choose more than one quote per page. But look forward to my quotes this week. They'll be extremely koala tea. Extremely. Thanks to Haruki Murakami and whoever translated Norwegian Wood. It's a really good translation, and there's a lot more attention to detail as far as getting those lovely little phrases that make my little literary heart sing than there is in Battle Royale, though Battle Royale definitely dives into the plot a lot more quickly, but I digress.

So here's the main point of this post. Sorry it took so long. I found something online that pertained to my current reading. Thought it was pretty cool. And here it is. How to write like Haruki Murakami. You're welcome.

Also, I'll probably be writing an expanded version of a Norwegian Wood post after I read more of it tomorrow. I know the anticipation's just killing you, but calm yourselves.

Currently,

And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie

This week: 172 pages
Last week: 160 pages
Semester total: 806 pages
 
"Prisoners at the bar, have you anything to say in your defence?" (41). - And Then There Were None
"Seven people looked at each other and could find no words to say" (132). - And Then There Were None
"No more Indian trick to-night. I've seen to that..." (163). - And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None offers very little in terms of inventive and beautiful language. However, it does have a bit of foreshadowing and a spot of irony in there, so that's why I chose these particular quotes. I like the last one the most because it's said by one of my favorite characters in the book promptly before (s)he is murdered (slight spoiler). A bit of foreshadowing, a bit of irony. Can't go wrong with that.