Monday, May 26, 2014
Silver
Okay, maybe it's dumb to write a blog post about a book I'll most likely never finish. Too bad, because it's really good too. But when we were a my aunt's house, I had nothing to do so I picked up a book sitting on my cousin's pencil case and started reading it. It was pretty good- it's called Silver. There's a bunch of kids at a boarding school, and after a science experiment goes wrong a disease spreads around campus that turns people into cyborgs within hours. Then, it's like an outbreak of intelligent zombies. I got far enough into the book that the climax has already happened, and some of the main characters are being infected, but not far enough for it to end. This really bugs me! I want to read the rest of it! Maybe it's at the library...
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Crunch
I'm going to start this post out with a slightly annoyed disclaimer. Stop making fun of me for the book I'm reading, people! No, it's not a third grader book! Ever heard of 'don't judge a book by its cover'? Jeesh. I will say that it is probably more of a middle school than high school book. But that doesn't mean I can't read it! The only reason I am is because the author, Leslie Connor, wrote the only book I've been able to read four times and still enjoy. It's Waiting for Normal, by the way. I figured I'd read another one of her books. Don't eat me.
I just had to get that out. I'm really enjoying this book, Crunch, so far.
I'm only on page 28, but it's already interesting to me. There is no gas, for whatever reason, in the United States, and Lil and Dewey's parents are stuck out of state, meaning they have to care for their younger siblings. It's kind of like science fiction meets realistic fiction: I'm not quite sure how to describe the genre, actually, because even though I've been thinking about it a lot the question is still hanging in my mind. No gas in the US, or maybe, the world? Sci fi. But the intimacy of the family connections makes it sound more like realistic fiction, especially when you look at quotes like this: "We cook together tonight at your place? Pop and I took the boat out early this morning...'" (Connor 23) Life is going on as usual, just... no gas. Almost as if the shortage is a subplot, and the main thing is kids taking care of their younger siblings. It's an interesting perspective, since the gas shortage sems like such an outlandish thing you'd think it was going to be the main plot. But again, I'm not that far into it yet so maybe I really can't say.
But you know what I can say?
Not. A. Third. Grader. Book.
Give me a break, people.
I just had to get that out. I'm really enjoying this book, Crunch, so far.
I'm only on page 28, but it's already interesting to me. There is no gas, for whatever reason, in the United States, and Lil and Dewey's parents are stuck out of state, meaning they have to care for their younger siblings. It's kind of like science fiction meets realistic fiction: I'm not quite sure how to describe the genre, actually, because even though I've been thinking about it a lot the question is still hanging in my mind. No gas in the US, or maybe, the world? Sci fi. But the intimacy of the family connections makes it sound more like realistic fiction, especially when you look at quotes like this: "We cook together tonight at your place? Pop and I took the boat out early this morning...'" (Connor 23) Life is going on as usual, just... no gas. Almost as if the shortage is a subplot, and the main thing is kids taking care of their younger siblings. It's an interesting perspective, since the gas shortage sems like such an outlandish thing you'd think it was going to be the main plot. But again, I'm not that far into it yet so maybe I really can't say.
But you know what I can say?
Not. A. Third. Grader. Book.
Give me a break, people.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The world is not a wish-granting factory.
I'm putting down Shadow of the Hegemon. I just can't take anymore disappointment from Orson Scott Card! I told myself I would finish the series, and the book I was reading in my last post, but honestly, I can't anymore. The whole series went downhill after the focus was off Ender's time at Battle School. If you're going to read the Ender's Game books, read Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, A War of Gifts, and STOP. Don't fall into the commercial trap, only created to make Card money when his writing had gotten lazier and less exciting.
Anyway, I need to stop bashing poor Card (it's not his fault he needs money; honestly, this is modern day America we're talking about here), and start praising John Green. Awhile back, a friend said John Green was one of his favorite authors and so I started looking him up. Then, I started hearing all these great things about a book called The Fault in Our Stars. So I looked it up, as is my nature. I am one with Google.
It turned out John Green wrote it!
Let me just say how impressed I am with his writing style. It's new, and refreshing, after reading Card for so long. I can't even crack a joke about it; that's how much in awe I am. At one point while I was reading, I came to a realization.
All.
These.
Different,
Wonderful,
Philosophical,
Incredibly real,
Characters.
Were brought to life...
By one person.
One man.
This man.
He's... just an ordinary guy. How is it possible? I'm nearly envious. Is he real? He is.
That picture is the picture of a very real, very talented man.
Can anyone ever work to write as well as him? To make characters just float off the page and into your life? When I write, I certainly try. But my characters blend, they become too much like myself. Maybe one day, I'll be able to write like him.
But today, it is amazingly unreachable.
Anyway, I need to stop bashing poor Card (it's not his fault he needs money; honestly, this is modern day America we're talking about here), and start praising John Green. Awhile back, a friend said John Green was one of his favorite authors and so I started looking him up. Then, I started hearing all these great things about a book called The Fault in Our Stars. So I looked it up, as is my nature. I am one with Google.
It turned out John Green wrote it!
Let me just say how impressed I am with his writing style. It's new, and refreshing, after reading Card for so long. I can't even crack a joke about it; that's how much in awe I am. At one point while I was reading, I came to a realization.
All.
These.
Different,
Wonderful,
Philosophical,
Incredibly real,
Characters.
Were brought to life...
By one person.
One man.
This man.
He's... just an ordinary guy. How is it possible? I'm nearly envious. Is he real? He is.
That picture is the picture of a very real, very talented man.
Can anyone ever work to write as well as him? To make characters just float off the page and into your life? When I write, I certainly try. But my characters blend, they become too much like myself. Maybe one day, I'll be able to write like him.
But today, it is amazingly unreachable.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Ender's Toilet
Yup, back to Ender's Game books, with The Shadow of the Hegemon. Well, I'm glad that I'm reading this book at least, because although it was mentioned in every single Ender's Game book, I never actually knew what the Hegemon was.
The Hegemon, it turns out, is a world government that is just barely keeping different nations in the world from killing each other. Lovely.
"So what does the setting really look like?" is the question I've been asking myself over and over. Especially since most of the books took place in outer space and only mentioned Earth, my curiosity was piqued. What does Earth really look like if people are living out here in space?
It's a little sad that after fifteen minutes of searching, this picture is the best thing I could find to describe the state Earth is in in this book series:
One quote on page 51 says, "There wasn't a thing he could say to change this situation. If Greece were fighting a war, they'd set Bean and Nikolai to work, making plans, charting strategies" (Card 51). Bean and Nikolai are kids, not even teenagers yet. The world has to be in a really awful situation to send kids to war. Wow. That just isn't something you do! Can you imagine our society doing that? I'm amazed. I picture a broken planet, nations just barely holding onto a shred of peace before it all goes down the figurative drain. And the fact that the war with aliens has ended only makes things worse, since the same kids who fought in the war are back on Earth. To summarize, the planet has no more reason for international cooperation, and each country is now armed with children that are military geniuses.
FLLUUSSH.
The Hegemon, it turns out, is a world government that is just barely keeping different nations in the world from killing each other. Lovely.
"So what does the setting really look like?" is the question I've been asking myself over and over. Especially since most of the books took place in outer space and only mentioned Earth, my curiosity was piqued. What does Earth really look like if people are living out here in space?
It's a little sad that after fifteen minutes of searching, this picture is the best thing I could find to describe the state Earth is in in this book series:
One quote on page 51 says, "There wasn't a thing he could say to change this situation. If Greece were fighting a war, they'd set Bean and Nikolai to work, making plans, charting strategies" (Card 51). Bean and Nikolai are kids, not even teenagers yet. The world has to be in a really awful situation to send kids to war. Wow. That just isn't something you do! Can you imagine our society doing that? I'm amazed. I picture a broken planet, nations just barely holding onto a shred of peace before it all goes down the figurative drain. And the fact that the war with aliens has ended only makes things worse, since the same kids who fought in the war are back on Earth. To summarize, the planet has no more reason for international cooperation, and each country is now armed with children that are military geniuses.
FLLUUSSH.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Takahiro
One of the characters in Shadows, which I'm still reading and really enjoying, is a werewolf.
"Really?" You groan and sigh, "Another werewolf story? Just when the last post was starting to draw me in to read it. Megan really does write fantastic blog posts."
Well, read it anyway. Takahiro, or Taks, is no... what's his name? Oh, yeah. Jacob. Jacob Whatever-his-last-name-is.
Takahiro is silent, and intelligent. He can be closed off at times, but he will always honor a committment even if he isn't up to it, and is open when he's ready. He respects people's boundaries, and knows his own. Also, he is not a stereotypical werewolf. The full moon doesn't bother him. It's stress that causes him to change, when it becomes too difficult for him to manage. Before you tell me he should just handle is better, let me tell you that his mother is dead, he had a difficult transition from Japan to, inferrably, the U.S. or Canada, his father has disowned him, and evil magic is on the rampage in their town. And he's a werewolf! If that isn't stressful I don't know what is.
He does not kiss immpressionable teenage girls on whim, instead letting them decide when the time is right. He does not run around killing vampires and showing extreme anger issues when he turns, instead lying on the floor and not wanting to hurt anyone. He is civil -imagine that- around other boys who may like the main character, Maggie.
Above all, he is not Jacob Whatever-his-last-name-is.
If you want proof, here it is, on page 173, "He pulled out a fresh piece of origami paper... then he started showing me what to do. After I made a mess... he gave me another piece of origami paper to mangle. Then he gave me a second one." He's patient and helpful.
"Really?" You groan and sigh, "Another werewolf story? Just when the last post was starting to draw me in to read it. Megan really does write fantastic blog posts."
Well, read it anyway. Takahiro, or Taks, is no... what's his name? Oh, yeah. Jacob. Jacob Whatever-his-last-name-is.
Takahiro is silent, and intelligent. He can be closed off at times, but he will always honor a committment even if he isn't up to it, and is open when he's ready. He respects people's boundaries, and knows his own. Also, he is not a stereotypical werewolf. The full moon doesn't bother him. It's stress that causes him to change, when it becomes too difficult for him to manage. Before you tell me he should just handle is better, let me tell you that his mother is dead, he had a difficult transition from Japan to, inferrably, the U.S. or Canada, his father has disowned him, and evil magic is on the rampage in their town. And he's a werewolf! If that isn't stressful I don't know what is.
He does not kiss immpressionable teenage girls on whim, instead letting them decide when the time is right. He does not run around killing vampires and showing extreme anger issues when he turns, instead lying on the floor and not wanting to hurt anyone. He is civil -imagine that- around other boys who may like the main character, Maggie.
Above all, he is not Jacob Whatever-his-last-name-is.
If you want proof, here it is, on page 173, "He pulled out a fresh piece of origami paper... then he started showing me what to do. After I made a mess... he gave me another piece of origami paper to mangle. Then he gave me a second one." He's patient and helpful.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Shadows
I've finally decided to take a break from the Ender's Game books (I won't say series, because it really isn't- it's just a lot of books centered around the same setting and/or idea. Does that make sense? If you want a clearer explanation look here. It isn't the most recent chart, but gives a visual of what it kind of is.)
Anyway, I'm off topic. Shadows, the novel I'm reading now, is one of the best I've read since the first Ender's Game. So far, it's been absolutely packed with action and suspense. Maggie thinks she is a normal girl... but is she? Her stepdad comes from OldWorld, where magic is still used, and Maggie can see the magical shadows around him (gruuaa) that no other NewWorlder can. What can she do about it? When a cute, magical -literally- boy steps into the scene, he turns her life upside down and changes everything she thought she knew. That's as far as I've gotten right now, but I can't wait to read more!
Anyway, I'm off topic. Shadows, the novel I'm reading now, is one of the best I've read since the first Ender's Game. So far, it's been absolutely packed with action and suspense. Maggie thinks she is a normal girl... but is she? Her stepdad comes from OldWorld, where magic is still used, and Maggie can see the magical shadows around him (gruuaa) that no other NewWorlder can. What can she do about it? When a cute, magical -literally- boy steps into the scene, he turns her life upside down and changes everything she thought she knew. That's as far as I've gotten right now, but I can't wait to read more!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Earth Unaware
This is another Ender book. This isn't as good as the quality of Ender's Game or Ender's Shadow- it's more on the level of Ender in Exile. But, the story is developed so much more throughout the other books that they're worth reading, even if they aren't as good. To make myself more interested because I hate abandonig books, I'm writing about the best thing in this novel so far.
So, what is the best thing? In my opinion, it is defintiely the relationship between 17-year-old Victor and his 9-year-old apprentice, Mono. They both live on the ship El Cavador, and are a family of asteroid miners. Victor develops and improves upon tools in use for mining, and does mechanical repairs. He is very skilled, and keeps Mono's interest in what he is doing well. He is also a kind teacher, but still knows how to instruct well, despite his young age. This is shown by a quote that comes from a conversation between Victor and Mono on page 28, which says, "Mono was on an emotional high. 'You'd be rich on Earth, Vico. Stinking rich. All these ideas of yours. They'd pay you a million credits.' 'I'm seventeen, Mono. I'd be lucky to get an assembly-line job.... Besides, you and I did this together. The stabilizer was both of us.'" This exemplifies their close family relationship and the skill of both of them by mentioning the last job they worked on together and both of their faith in the skill of the other.
So, what is the best thing? In my opinion, it is defintiely the relationship between 17-year-old Victor and his 9-year-old apprentice, Mono. They both live on the ship El Cavador, and are a family of asteroid miners. Victor develops and improves upon tools in use for mining, and does mechanical repairs. He is very skilled, and keeps Mono's interest in what he is doing well. He is also a kind teacher, but still knows how to instruct well, despite his young age. This is shown by a quote that comes from a conversation between Victor and Mono on page 28, which says, "Mono was on an emotional high. 'You'd be rich on Earth, Vico. Stinking rich. All these ideas of yours. They'd pay you a million credits.' 'I'm seventeen, Mono. I'd be lucky to get an assembly-line job.... Besides, you and I did this together. The stabilizer was both of us.'" This exemplifies their close family relationship and the skill of both of them by mentioning the last job they worked on together and both of their faith in the skill of the other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)