THE FINAL POST

Sigh....here we are at last. We find ourselves at the end of an epic saga of summer reading, the closing of another chapter of summer. Sad, isn't it? We were just beginning to enjoy each other's company. Such a pity, although I drew it out as long as I possibly could, so I can't really complain about that...but anyways. On to relevant information!

I recently finished the second book in Ally Condie's Matched trilogy, Crossed, and I must say, I'm not any more impressed by Cassia's decision making skills. Her choices are completely ruled by her foolish emotions, rather than logic and reason. There is nothing, in my mind, that excuses the risks she's taking. The more she discovers about the Society, the more she should realize she's risking: her entire family could be relocated to die for her actions, should they prove nasty enough. They won't be reclassified, no no no no no, but there are many worse things. She should know by now that that's how the Society works, but she seems to have forgotten all about it.

In fact, it seems to me she's completely forgotten about her family as a whole. If I'm not horribly mistaken, they haven't been mentioned once in the entirety of this book, which I find deeply troublesome. Were it me, I would be a tad more concerned with the fates of innocent lives that are almost entirely dependent on my decisions (since I already screwed them over once) and spend a little less time fawning over a guy.  But that's just my opinion, of course, hers is clearly different. This is why I can't stand most romance stories: they turn girls into romantically-obsessed brainless bimbos and boys into unrealistic stud muffins. E. L. James, Sarah Dessen, Stephanie Meyer.....nobody acts like that, okay? Please, do a little research next time, it's getting rather depressing.

NOW. The one absolutely positive thing I've derived from this book is MORE SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT MY SHIP. For those of you who don't know what "shipping" is, it is a term derived from "relationship" that is used to refer to a couple one wishes to see together. As this is a love triangle story, ships are essential to the plot and a driving force behind a majority of the plot. Really, you don't give a red rat's behind about how the revolution turns our, you just want to see which boy she chooses. Me, personally, I support Cassia/Xander, for a plethora of reasons, the foremost of which is that he's completely amazing. He loves her, really loves her, and always has. I'd rather not spoil the surprise as to the more solid reason why I feel my ship is ideal, because it was a wonderful surprise, although I had speculated about a similar development, but nonetheless it's even more proof that they ought to end up together. It's just like Max and Fang, they're meant to be. Yet another reason romance isn't good for me: I become completely and totally emotionally invested in it and will despise the story if it doesn't turn out like I wanted it to. Really, give me Steven Moffat and Joss Whedon: I don't have to worry about shipping, because if two people are in love, one of them dies. Easy enough.

I'm terribly sorry to say it, but, really....I have no more to say, other than that I'm completely ecstatic about the final book of the trilogy, Reached, which is due out in a couple months. I swear, if things don't go as planned....I will cry. I really will. Or if they start pulling a Deathly Hallows and killing everyone I love. That would not be cool. I'm really hoping, though, that everything will turn out all nice and flowery and I won't have to worry about people dying because everyone OD's on red tablets, this whole 'rebellion' idea magically disappears, and everything goes back to normal. Likely? No. But such is the way of the dreamer. I know it won't resolve that easily, that would be the worst conclusion ever, but I can't help myself but hope. That's the problem with eggheads; we're often far too prone to dreaming to actually be useful when we're anxious about a book. Because, you know, eggheads will rule the world someday.

Right after we finish this chapter.

The Final Book!

Hooray! WE'RE FINALLY TO THE END! I have finally managed to blabber on for four posts, and I'm about to blabber on for one more, and then we'll officially have ONE POST LEFT!! For those who don't already know, I seriously whack-o'd my ankle on Saturday and am currently cripping around on crutches, which sucks. NEVER FEAR: it isn't broken. Merely reeeeeally sprained (and I may have torn something. Depends on if the swelling goes down by Thursday if I need an MRI or not.) So, I've gotten a lot of time to read.

My FINAL BOOK (which was chosen completely by me, not off a list) is Matched by Ally Condie. I must admit, it is yet ANOTHER science fiction selection (Cheezus Crust, Taylor, explore some more genres) but they're just so awesome! This is one of those books you see everywhere, hear about people reading, and think, "Huh, I should read that," and then completely move on with your life and forget all about it for the summer. Does that make it a bad book? How could it? I hadn't even begun to read it when I noticed it. There are just some books, I suppose, with less memorable titles than others. The thing is, I did remember this book, and I remembered it well enough to seek it out the first day of school and be the first person to check out a book in the new school year (which is probably the coolest thing that's happened to me in ages.) So I start reading.

At first, it seems pretty typical utopia: all-controlling society (called, appropriately enough, the Society...which reminds me of Mt. Doom) that chooses everything about everyone's lives, including who they marry. Cancer and other diseases have been eradicated, leading to healthy lives for everyone who lives in the cities, and everyone lives to be exactly 80. Everything's orderly, everything's calculated, everything is pre-determined and certain: you're told who you marry when you're 17, you marry at 21, you have children at 24 and stop at 31, you do your job, and you're happy. Call me what you will; it seems perfectly fine to me. I have absolutely no problem with this idealized society.

Enter Cassia Reyes, who, in my opinion, is one of the most foolish girls I've ever met. She has a happy family, a promising future, and a perfect Match....and she throws it all away. For a guy. Which, in my opinion, is one of the stupidest decisions anyone ever can make. You can say, "OH, but TAYLOR, it's sooooo ROMANTIC!"
Bah, humbug. I don't think there's a guy out there who is really worth your future, your best friend (and perfect Match), your home, your family, and everything else you hold dear. Call me a cynic. It just seems perfectly stupid to throw it all away for a fling. WHICH, I might add, is exactly what Cassia does. Instead of pursuing Xander, she wistfully daydreams about Ky (who, really, she couldm't marry anyways) and pretty much goes around all dewey-eyed for him for the entirety of the book, foresaking law and order AND HER BEST FRIEND WHO IS TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH HER for this other guy who has far too many secrets for my liking. This is why I'm a Hufflepuff. Stick to who and what you have, and be happy: don't go gallavanting after what isn't yours and screw everyone else to Hell in a handbasket. Simple enough, Cassia?

At any rate, don't think I hate this book. No no no no no, I adore this book. It's the main character whose head I'd like to bang against the wall (see left) and scream "YOU"RE RUINING EVERYTHING!!" but I won't. HOPEFULLY she'll start making better choices in the second book of the trilogy, Crossed, which I have just begun and will make my last post about shortly.

Adieu, my egghead brothers and sisters.





"And may the Force be ever in your favor, Mr. Potter."
-Gandalf, Doctor Who

Red Scarf Girl: The Last

So here we are at last. I've come to the end of yet another book, although I'm only 2/3 of the way through this project. I start school tomorrow. In hindsight, I probably should have been doing this in June instead of indulging my denial that I actually have something to be doing. I will say, however, that thanks to this project, my novel intake has been halved at least. It's shameful, really. I've actually managed to find a way to dread reading. Well played, E/LA teachers, well played. You took something as wonderful as summer reading and soiled it for my entire break. I just hope you're all happy. At any rate, we're finally wrapping up Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang, and I must say I'm rather proud of myself for finishing a memoir this quickly. The question must, of course, be raised: why? What is the point of a person writing down their histories and selling them in the form of literature? What is it about these personal histories that fascinates so many people? What do we have to learn from them?

All excellent questions, hypothetical self. Shall we explore them?

Yes, other hypothetical self, I believe we shall.

Why are we so interested in the odd experiences of those who have come before us? I think we're born with a natural curiosity about what we don't know. Things like memoirs and historical fiction provide an opportunity to step back into a bygone era and experience the life as it once was. There is a certain allure to the past, in my opinion, particularly times that have been immortalized by pop culture or live in infamy. It certainly makes for good literature, when you can observe a tragedy from within. It gives a certain realism to the situation, I think, that can be lost in history books. Within a memoir's pages, you find the mind of someone who was truly there, their thoughts from their unique perspective that doesn't try to be all-encompassing. There's a relatable humanity to be found in giving the experiences a face rather merely reading a detached compilation of facts, and that gives memoirs an appeal that can be lacking in fiction. It's a real person's real experiences, and depending on the author and audience, that can have quite a personal impact. I know I was easily able to relate to Ji-li, because she's about my age (12-14) and is good in school. The same could be said for a fictional character, I will concede, but there's just something about the base knowledge that this is true adds more for me personally. I learned a lot about the Cultural Revolution through her eyes, more than I think I would have through other means.

Speaking of which, what do we have to learn from memoirs? Many of the more popular ones were written by people who are long dead, so how do they apply to us? I personally believe that history speaks just as much for the future as it does for the present. By looking back, we're able to look forward. Confused? Look at it this way: by observing past mistakes and triumphs, we can prepare for similar fallacies to come. I believe it is almost inevitable that we'll make the same mistake twice; after all, to err is human. By keeping written records of our past from the minds of those who lived it, we will inevitably be confronted by our failure to learn. Call me a cynic (you  wouldn't be the first) but I don't think this will be the last time a dictator will try to remold a culture completely and be met with minimal resistance. I think one of the main points of this story is to show how easily people can be taught and believe something that, to an outsider, seems completely ridiculous. It's just like what happene with Nazis and their supporters; people are essentially brainwashed. They have almost no choice but to believe what they're constantly told, and that blind faith creates radicals.

My goodness, I just went off on another massive tangent.

The real point is, we can learn from past experiences. By looking to how a person or people overcame hardship or danced in glory, we can learn to do the same. In memoirs, you can storm the beaches of Normandy with a D-Day soldier and know just what he was thinking. You can get inside the brilliant mind of Helen Keller, and see the world through blind eyes, and learn to find beauty in everything. I believe that even fantasy has limitations because it must be convincing to be appreciated; in the realm of nonfiction, you can stretch the mind and explore the far reaches of perception, because every word is mind-blowingly true. You're not trying to solve the mystery or defeat the villan, you're sitting down with someone who has walked the world and you're seeing your life in an entirely new way. Red Scarf Girl has truly made me grateful to live in a country where I don't have to worry about persecution, or raids, or dictators for that matter. Most of all, it taught me about the endurance of the human spirit. I could ramble on and on about the strength it takes to overcome everything Ji-li went through, but I'll simply end with this: "I could not give up or withdraw, no matter how hard life became. I would hide my tears and my fears for Mom and Grandma's sake. It was my turn to take care of them." (pg. 263)

Red Scarf Girl part deux

Okay! I'm back once again with another look inside all the drama of Ji-li Jiang's epic (my goodness you cannot imagine how odd it is to use that adjective to describe a) memoir, Red Scarf Girl. When I last left off, Ji-li's family had been dreading a search of their house and so began to destroy any possessions that could be considered fourolds or bourgeois, including her grandmother's dowry clothes. The beautiful silken dresses were cut apart to make into blankets and silk ties were tied together to make mops. Thinking about it personally, I know this would have been extremely hard to do. Imagine having to destroy some of your most prized possessions and turn them into mops! It's a depressing thought. Now, I really should have talked all about that in the last post, but I didn't, because I am rather foolish. Hopefully I can remember to cover all the bases this time. Otherwise I might cry.

My feet and badly painted toenails at the pool

At any rate, I'm dreadfully sunburned from being in Florida this past week (and up at J Creek the week before) so I thought I'd take the time to actually sit down and work on this blog. The good thing about lounging around all day? I have plenty of time to think deep, methodical, symbolic thoughts. And what I came up with is another story idea, which really figures because I'm on hiatus from writing anything besides this blog. It makes me sad. So I drink chocolate milkshakes and drown my feelings in pool water, which actually tends to work. Which brings me then back around to my summer reading list, which depresses me all over again.

I'm no good at this whole "feelings" bajenga. I much prefer being a hermit.

BUT ANYWAYS, since I've already gone off on so many tangents, I really should start talking about this story SINCE that's the point of all this skulduggery. Where was I?

Oh yes; I recall now.

At the beginning of this chapter, Ji-li attends a proletarian rally to hear a Red Guard speak about her experiences in Beijing. On the surface, this seems innocent enough, right? Just a bunch of radicals gathering together to share their freakish ideas about how awesomely brainwashed they are; no harm in that at all, right? I will say, I had the ominous feeling that something very bad and/or deadly was about to happen going in to this chapter. Like some sort of torture/murder of a bourgeoisie or something else sadistic like that. Which, in hindsight, is very melodramatic, but you never know with these radical communist types. Thankfully, it was nothing that exciting. Just a teenage girl describing her train ride and short stay in Beijing. Granted, it was as part of said radical communists, but still, the idea was innocent enough. Then she got to the highlight of her stay.

I will certainly say this did give me the willies (which is a word that now makes me giggle for reasons I cannot explain.) Apparently whilst in Beijing, the Red Guards from all across China met up and camped out together in this Plaza-type place. Chairman Mao actually came and was at the gate and waved to them. The girl then tearfully described how the Chairman had looked at her, and how touching it was, and how inspired she was to fight for the libertarian cause because of it. To me, this really just shows how people can turn into zealots and not even realize how ridiculous they're acting. It's actually rather frightening, if you think about it. People, even teenagers, have the capacity to be absolutely insane for a cause that's dangerous and cruel, and not care at all who it hurts. Unfortunately, that's not the creepiest thing that happened in this little chunko of book. It got much, much worse. People died in this section. And really, things just began to go to hell in a handbasket. The scary part? This is all real. It all really happened. It makes me grateful to live in this country, where democracy has prevailed. I have the feeling, however, that it is about to get much, much worse.


Unfortunately for you, dear peoples, we're nearing the end of this book. I cannot profess myself to be an egghead and spoil the ending of a book for you, on moral grounds, It personally goes against everything I believe in. Therefore, this will be the last post I actually make on the plot of this story. I plan to make one last post on the subject soon, examining the theme and possible moral of this story, but I will go no further into the course of events in the story. You'll have to find that out on your own. Until then, I must confess I've been a bit of a ham. APPARENTLY, if you read the assignment paper, each post only has to be three paragraphs long.
Three.
I've been wasting my time AGONIZING over length, and it only had to be three paragraphs.
Just...........wow.
This is why we can't have nice things. I skim read and everything turns out so much more complicated than it was intended.
Adieu, for now.

I am a Horrible Person

Okay, so it's July and I have made ONE of SIX necessary posts to this blog. So, the question is obvious, what have I been doing instead? Let's look at the list.
-Watching YouTube videos. I am obsessed by this group called "Improv Everywhere." They're hilarious.
-Writing. Not even on my stories either, just random bits and bobbles.
-Becoming hopelessly obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera. Like, unhealthily so.
-Reading other books not on my list. Shameful.
-Packing. I'm leaving for camp the 8th and for vacation the 14th.
SO
I'm going to have to squeeze a lot of posts into a little time.


Thankfully for me, I started on my second book, Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang, yesterday. I was hesitant on this book, and when I say hesitant, I mean I was really dragging my feet. When I first bought the book at Barnes & Noble, I didn't even read the blurb, which was really a first for me. I had hi-lighted it on my list of potential books based on Mrs. Ryan's summary without much thought on the overall content. You can imagine my surprise, then, when I looked closer at the cover to find that it's a memoir. (Cue dramatic doom music) DUH DUH DUHHH. I HATE nonfiction books. Hate them. Despise them. Always have for some reason. So here I am with a MEMOIR in one hand, and a science fiction book in the other (which, I might add, is less than half as long.) HMMM. Not a hard choice. I breezed through Clone Codes in one afternoon (on field day, as a matter of fact) and then piddled around to make even one post about it. Which is why it's July and I'm only 1/6 of the way done with my summer homework.

When I did finally sit down with this book, I realized, hey. Not all nonfiction is boring garbage. In order to motivate myself to read, and to make the necessary three posts about this book in one week to put me back on track, I have devised a BRILLIANT PLAN! The book, counting one page of the glossary, is 273 pages long. So what does that mean? I have to make a post every 91 pages! Yay!
It's motivation because I really need to get this done and also because this is a REALLY GOOD BOOK. I'm genuinely surprised by how much I'm enjoying it.

Okay. As I've said before, this book is a memoir of a girl growing up during the reign of Chairman Mao in China. I knew very little of the Chairman before even starting this book, only that he attempted to obliterate traditional Chinese culture, and that as a result, many ancient cultural arts were lost forever.

Not the prettiest picture of a man, that's for sure.

A propaganda poster of the Chairman

As it turns out, however, Chairman Mao wasn't all that bad of a leader at first. Many of his initiatives, including pushing China to industrialize, were beneficial to the country. Mao was hailed as a hero, as illustrated by the adoration the citizens showed him. He was practically worshipped by the public, and did genuinely help the country in the beginning. It was in the later years of his rule, where the book picks up, that he went sour.

The book begins at the start of his "Destroy the Four Olds" campaign. In order to move China forward, he sought to destroy all old customs, cultures, habits, and ideas and replacing them with the Four News; anything that could be seen as "rightist" and "anti-communist" was strongly opposed. Things like old store signs that were considered "fourolds" were taken down and destroyed by the zealous public to much acclaim. Ji-li witnessed one such mob while walking with her grandmother, a large wooden sign with gold lettering; so large, in fact, the people needed an axe to break it. Student patrollers known as the Red Guards had also taken to tracking down people whose clothing is considered Western, such as having pant legs that are tight. In such an instance, which Ji-li also witnessed, the man's pants were cut open to his knees and his shoes were destroyed. At the same time as this reformation, many changes were being made to the schools as well. Instead of taken exams to get into junior high school, the students were first assigned by their teachers, then reassigned by districts, which devastated Ji-li as she had been hoping for one particular school and knew she could earn her place there. Students were encouraged to make posters called da-zi-bao criticizing the schools, the teachers, and even each other. Ji-li experienced this personally when a da-zi-bao was made attacking her for having such good grades in math and was accusing her of having a special relationship with the teacher.

It began to amaze me, as the book has gone on, how cruel the children were to her. She was not allowed to join a group known as the Red Succession because her grandfather had been a landlord and her father was accused of being a rightist. Not only this, but the other children who had been allowed to attacked her verbally, calling her a bourgeoisie ("a member of the middle class; used as a derogatory term during the Cultural Revolution to mean someone who enjoys and admires a luxurious "capitalist" lifestyle," pg. 273) as well as humiliating a woman for the same reason, pasting da-zi-bao posters all over her front door and forcing her too read a confession of guilt. All of this, and they're only 12 years old. I shudder to think what they'll do as they mature. Well, that's as far as I am for now.

At this point in the story, I'm getting an ominous feeling that the worst is yet to come. Ji-li's family is already afraid of their house being raided to search for fourolds belongings, and that's usually a sign that it will be. I'll be sure to let you know if and when it does, because I'm getting very anxious about this whole business. It's like reading a story about WWII where the main characters are Jews in hiding; you know what's going to happen, it's just a matter of waiting until it does. The two situations are very much the same: both families fear for their lives, under the rule of a radical government that seeks to eliminate their way of life. True, Ji-li's family is still in their home and lives a fairly normal life, but the anxiety is still ther. Ji-li obviously survives, but I can't help but worry about her parents, grandmother, and siblings. Maybe I'm just a worried reader, who knows. That's all for now, folks, I'll be back soon with another update. Thank you for your time and don't forget to tip your waitresses.

Confession 1: Actuality

Okay, I do have a confession to make.  Unfortunately, this blog is not intended to be just about educating the uninformed about eggheads.  It's actually meant to be a summer reading assignment in which I read three books and comment about them in a non-satirical, non-sarcastic way.  So I pretty much have to sit down whilst watching a Disney movie and try to not sound bored out of my mind.  Good luck.

At any rate, I recently began the first book of my choosing, The Clone Codes by Patricia C. McKissack, Frederick L. McKissack, and John McKissack. The story, which is clearly science fiction,  is set in the year 2170.  I believe I found myself drawn to this book based on my recent fondness for sci fi, which is partially fueled by my own writing of a science fiction story, but we'll get to that later.  At any rate, the basic premise is that the world has sort of reverted to the old ways before the Civil War, treating clones and cyborgs the same way they treated slaves.  There's also an abolitionist group that's active during the story known as the Liberty Bell Movement.  In fact, one of my favorite things about this story is its subtle adages to the Civil War and slavery, my very favorite history topic. 


So what about this book makes it a good science fiction story?
Good question!

Ms. Bal will be proud to know that I have kept my Language Arts binder handy throughout this assignment and have compiled, based on extensive criteria, a set of reasons why The Clone Codes is an exceptional example of the science fiction genre.

1) The story typically relates to some social issue in today's society: in the story, the subject of whether clones and cyborgs are human or not is the main conflict. This is, in many ways, applicable to today's issues of the ethicality of human cloning, stem cell research, and issues such as abortion. Where the common consensus has become, in the story's society, that  clones are non-human (and cyborgs are 3/5 human, much in the same way slaves were considered 3/5 of a person according to the Three-Fifths Compromise) the debate over these  issues is raging still in current society.

2) Often times, the author writes about the direction in which he or she sees the world going: the world of bioengineering has just recently opened up to us as a whole, and currently remains one of the most controversial fields of science. Animals have been cloned (the first being a sheep named Dolly) but not in a widespread manner. Replacement organs and joints, however, are very common in countries like the US, such as hip, knee, and heart replacements, which is the bare essence of a cyborg (inorganic enhancements to a human body.) By taking these current ideas and expanding upon them progressively, the authors create situations that are both relatable and imaginative

3)Setting is IMPORTANT to the story and very believable. This means the story takes place on Earth or somewhere scientists think may possibly exist: The Clone Codes is set in futuristic Earth, specifically the United States, which provides both the historical background to the story and the basis for the conflict. Several figures from American history, such as Ben Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, are featured in the story, which would not have made sense had it been set in someplace like England or France. This is a very basic example, but it is one of the most clear and easily explained.

Okay, so I may not have been totally honest about this book. In some places, it blurs the lines between science fiction and fantasy (as many tend to do) by dealing in- you guessed it- aliens.

Ahh, the little green men, so often seen in the great works of science fiction. From War of the Worlds to E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, we have become fascinated with the idea of intelligent life existing outside our world. However, one thing is not clear: are they science fiction or fantasy?

This is one of the great literary debates. Where we cannot yet prove the existence of such creatures, we cannot fully disprove it either. There have been planets discovered revolving around distant stars at just the right place, much like Earth, that life is considered possible. There could be intelligent life out there. We just haven't been able to make contact.

Then again, we have pictures of Bigfoot and most people agree it's not real.

But I do digress. The point, my little Eggheads, is that some stories do not strictly conform to a specific genre. Many go hand-in-hand, like sci fi/fantasy, rom/com, historical fiction/mystery. Just as the piano is both percussion and string, so does The Clone Codes transcend the bounds of science fiction to dabble in fantasy.

I end this post, quite simply, with my preachy message of the month. The main theme of this book is equality and respect for human life. Can not we too learn from this message? It doesn't matter if you're old as the hills or a tiny embryo, black or white; it doesn't matter where you were born, where and if you go to church, or where you plan to go in life. We are all human, all alive, and all created equally.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

-Psalm 139:14

Eggheads: What they are and how they will rule the world

I think we've all come across that one person in our lives who can't keep their noses out of a book, be it good or bad, to save their own lives.  This person may be a teacher, a student, a friend or family member, or it could be you. Yes, I think we're all familiar with these types of people who are more interested in intelligence than looks.  You, in your ignorance, may have  labelled them "nerds" or "geeks."  My friend, I am here to enlighten you: these wonderful people are eggheads.

The wonderful thing about eggheads is that they can be anyone and anywhere.  They don't have to be socially awkward or annoying, although some people can interpret their behavior as being both, and you may not even know that those around you are secret eggheads. Some signs to look for:

-Incessent chatter about a specific book series
-Identification as a Shadowhunter/Potterhead/Narnian/etc.
-Hiding a book in their lap under the table during meals
-Rattling off random facts that no one needs
-Extensive knowledge of Latin
-Randomly laughing or crying in the middle of D.E.A.R. time
-Increased patience from waiting on release of the next book in a series
-Glasses from reading in poor light too often

Among other signs, these are some of the most common.  Do not despair if your compatriot turns out to be an egghead!  They have the patience to wait and the intelligence to plan; in truth, eggheads will certainly take over the world before zombies or the Kardashians.  You may have a valuable ally in the upcoming utopia.  So rest well in your knowledge of this powerful breed of human being; it's the eggheads who write bestsellers, invent iPhones, and figure out how to get rich quick.  In fact, they're some of the best people around.  Be proud of your eggheads, people, and look up to them.  It takes dedication and intelligence to be an egghead, and so they truly are the role models of our society.