Falling into Place

Reading: Okay. New post style…how do I start this. Well, first of all, this week’s read is a typical “girl’s drama” with all the good book elements along with that special twist. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han is part of a trilogy series that is about a girl named Belly and what took place over her summer; the summer that is supposed to be the best, but somehow, the love triangles, backstabbing among characters, and all the vicissitudes in-between created a summer that wasn’t the best by most coming-of-age 'teenage standards'. Anyway, I thought it would be appropriate to read this book since summer has just ended and October, the month where the leaves change and hoodies are worn more often, brings us the season of fall. Summer was a great time, we all know it. If only we could go back and relive those cool summer nights with all our besties. This book, to me, wasn’t so much about what happened to Belly, but about what summer is to most teens and what that special six letter word means to us. It’s time to stop dwelling on what we did during summer, stayed out past curfew, substituted swimming for a shower, forgot sunscreen and burned, the whole kit and caboodle, it’s time for fall. These next few months are when I really get into the groove of school again, but hey, its senior year, so there IS a light at the end of the tunnel! So, let’s drop the bikinis and girl drama and have fun raking leaves and carving pumpkins. Fall is here, peeps. Time for change.

Watching: I watched the majority of the Ryder Cup this weekend. I can’t believe that the Americans let the Europeans back into it after they’d built a four point lead. But, you gotta give it to those foreigners; it was an awesome comeback on our soil. And more specifically, Chicago time soil…ya got that, McIlroy?

Eating: I went to Cebolla’s on Saturday night. It gave me a food baby, which is the universal sign of a great dinner. And for once my mom didn’t struggle communicating with the waiter because she was pretty much the whitest Hispanic I’ve ever seen work there… haha. 

The City of Ember

“The little bag was made of faded green material, gathered at the top with a black string. Lina hesitated a moment, then put her hand inside and fingered the bits of paper. Feeling as if she were stepping off a high building, she picked one. Messenger.” –The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Lina Mayfleet knew that Assignment Day was going to be the biggest day of her life; lo and behold that piece of paper would decide her fate and eventually the fate of another world in which the people of Ember were completely oblivious to. Together with Doon Harrow, Lina embarked on a journey to find the secret of their city’s past in a letter written by a previous mayor some two hundred years ago. The lights were beginning to flicker so they knew there wasn’t much time left…

This week’s read was light on the emotional side of things and heavy on the imaginative, a science fiction, which was a good change of pace for me. I found myself in a 10 year old state of mind while reading this book because there was a fantasy that involved saving people in the nick of time, the discovery of something not previously known, and sprinklings of family values as well.

I was not all that impressed with the diction of this book; however it was probably written for an audience less my age. Despite the fact that I flew through this book, it was thoroughly engaging and had my mind working right along with Lina and Doon in their adventures within the city. The style was more elementary than I had expected but there was continual suspense and curiosity that would propel me into the next chapter.

The light bulb was a very significant symbol in this story because the city of Ember relied on electricity to survive. The great lights of Ember had kept the darkness out for hundreds of years and then all of the sudden the destiny of the city was in the hands of the electricians, literally. The light bulb was their source of life, prosperity, and normalcy. But obviously the city was saved, and the discovery of a new and brighter world changed the Emberians forever. 

Dirty Liar

I decided to take a break from the feminine side of literature and delved into a book written by a male author this week. Dirty Liar by Brian James was different in the sense that the choice in words was so powerful that it made my skin crawl. The overall plot was a different experience for me as a reader. The main character, Benji, is a teenage boy in the midst of a troubled life. He has an alcoholic mom, disapproving father, only a few close friends who really understand him, and a cold view of the world, which is basically the recipe for disaster. The set up in this novel was similar to Stolen because it is first person point of view with a constant stream of thought that was by no means bowdlerized. Benji communicates his troubles with a set up like a diary in Dirty Liar with entries like Monday 2:08 pm within chapters. I enjoyed taking on a male perspective for once because I always seem to gravitate toward the popular, romantic, happy-ever-after type of books and this one was just the opposite. It gave me another perspective on the troubles that people cope with and encounter every day. James is careful in the delivery of darkness, violence, and helplessness while also creating a microcosm of paradise in Benji’s life with the aid of a female, Rianna, at the same time. Yes life is not fair, and, believe it or not, there are ways to overcome obstacles. Life isn’t all about the destination, it’s about the journey and experiences that mold us and shape us into who we are. 

Stolen

This week one thing is for sure, Lucy Christopher stole my attention with her novel, Stolen. This book is a complete 180 from The Lost Songs I read last week. It’s not that I didn’t like reading about a girl in the south and her musical heritage problems, but this type of read was ten times more interesting. So here’s the basics, Gemma was in the Bangkok airport with her family and was kidnapped by a mysterious man named Ty. He drugged her and changed her into someone else with a new outfit, passport, the whole kit and caboodle. Gemma woke up in the desert, surrounded by nothing but sand. Turns out, they are in Australia in Ty’s secret hideout/house. Gemma tried to escape, but there was no trace of society for thousands of miles. Eventually she finds a way back to her family, and there’s even some romance involved. Oh and there’s also a lot of violence, drugs, profanity… quite entertaining.

Christopher’s style is what drew me in the most. Complete perfection. This was a first person narrative which also helped me get into it quicker than I had before. The pages flew by- it was amazing. Something interesting was the fact that the whole time Gemma was narrating, she addressed Ty as “you.” “You glanced down at your glass. It looked like you wanted to wander off again to get some more. I don’t know why exactly, but suddenly I wanted to keep talking to you.” It created a person versus person conflict that was filled with hatred but also a hint of appreciation. Christopher also did not write within chapters. Sections were separated by a neat little ~*~ type figure every so often to divide Gemma’s thoughts and dialogue.  Christopher’s descriptions were concise and yet incredibly detailed I could envision myself being held captive where Gemma was.

                “I’m sorry I broke Mum’s favorite vase.

                I’m sorry you caught me drunk that day.

                I’m sorry we were arguing in the airport.

                I’m sorry I got abducted.

                I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m  sorry. . .”

               

Plain and simple, my life would be ruined forever if I was taken from my family and put in a place where escaping was near impossible. This book made me think about how unsafe the world can be in public places, like the airport Gemma was taken from. We’d like to put trust into the idea that most people are humane and would never steal another person to keep them locked away, stored in the middle of nowhere, but sadly, we live in a world where this type of action occurs unnoticed and uncorrected. Why?

On another thought, can people force one another into love? What constitutes real love?  Gemma and Ty certainly did not have it in the first stages of their relationship. But somehow, it sort of (kind of) worked out. Christopher interludes scandalous scenes throughout the novel that keep the reader wondering, does this guy really have a thing for her or am I delusional because of all the heat and sand around here?

Long story short, try not to get abducted while in an airport by a crazy man by the name of Ty. But if you do, please be prepared for a difficult journey home through love, hate, and a plethora of Australian sand! 

The Lost Songs

The Lost Songs by Caroline B. Cooney shares the emotional story of 16 year old Lutie Painter and the difficult decision she must make- should she share her deep, musical roots with Professor Durham or stay true to MeeMaw’s commandment and keep them secret? Lutie has been given a gift, the Laundry List of gospel songs sung by her great-great-grandmother, Mabel Painter. These songs are about the labor of Mabel’s day working as a laundress, more or less a slave. Mabel did not write them down either which is an enticing element for Professor Durham as he wants Lutie to sing so he can document and display the songs in his music museum. Lutie does not want to let her family down but feels obligated to share her intricate piece of American history. The whole book was a rollercoaster of emotion that was interspersed with hope, rich in Southern community and comfort, as well as intimately touching with the power and glory of music in family.

I was drawn in as soon as I finished the first chapter. Surprisingly, I didn’t want to put it down. (And I’m not just saying that to make it sound interesting, that’s coming from a girl who despises reading.)  I connected with Lutie’s situation and formed of a relationship with friends in this novel; Kelvin, Doria, and Train. These four lives are intertwined and are forced to accept and support each other at desperate times of need. True friendship was revealed in Cooney’s immaculate choice of characters. We ALL have friends like these. I didn’t realize I had friends like this until I read the book. Oh my gosh! - reading actually applies to real life, who would have thought?

Miss Veola, Lutie’s pastor, really got me thinking about faith and the trust we put into God without even realizing it. Mabel had given everything to Him. Her world was in shambles and yet, she never gave up. The Laundry List was her way out, her connection to the One who held all of her cards.

                “Like me, O Lord.

                Where’s my place to rest?

                You holding it for me?

                There a manger for my head?

                O Lord, I need some rest.”

This book made me reflect on my faith and the ties it has within my own family, just like Lutie. Hats off to you, Cooney, this was a heartfelt read and I’m glad I found a way to relate to the story.

Lutie’s decision was a hard one, at that. She had her ups and downs; there were twists and turns, the typical checklist for an emotional novel. But of course, I can’t tell you how it ends, that’d be no fun. 

OTS- Call Me Maybe? in 2022, please.

Hey! I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number… so change the station and stop singing this song because it is extremely over played and annoying! is what the majority of us are saying when Carly Rae Jepsen blares through our speakers. More than likely, we’ve heard this song north of 100 times this summer, whether it be through a local radio station or by parody on YouTube. And yet, no one remembers the summer anthem of last summer. Or the summer before. Or the summer of 2002 when “Hot in Herre” by Nelly was the song on repeat. Both songs were chart toppers, but why is Jepsen’s 2012 claim to fame more widely known? It is because of the Internet, and more blatantly, YouTube. It is amazing at how quickly technology has changed the music industry in the past decade. Nelly gained his popularity the old fashioned way, performing at concerts and selling albums. There was no lip synching in front of a camera in his day, heck, his hit missed out on millions of views as YouTube wasn’t created until 2005. How sad is that. Someone who has worked just as hard has been overshot by a cutsie- pop- star whose tune is basically the hymn of our nation’s radio, or moreover, our nation’s social life.

Why do we give credit to the artist who has more cyber views than actual performances? Will our constant use of technology and advancement in social media keep calling us maybe in years to come? I don’t know, but, it’s getting hot in herre.

Reading, and swimming

There is one inevitable element about reading, and that is the ability to bring people together. It is the basis of human communication and inspiration for our ideas. And how inspired am I, you may ask? Quite honestly, reading seems like more of a chore than a communication element, but that is solely because I have not put much time or effort into my reading life. Sure, Facebook and text messaging counts as “reading”, but everyone reads in that sense. I am not delving into the countless pages of literature like a young mind should. I am more of a “read only when it is necessary for school” or “I’d never be caught dead in a library” type of reader. I feel bad that I haven’t put much time into becoming literate this way. Fortunately, I have the chance to change that.

This class is my window of opportunity to get my feet wet in the world of reading. My goals for this class are to set aside quality time for reading and to actually enjoy it. Not the, only 15 more pages to go and my English homework will be done, kind of time. But time where I can look beyond the words on the page and swim the seas of inspiration.