Domestic Dimanche: Post-College Dreams and Everything Changes

For a movie about Moms and Daughters, her Dad is pretty freaking awesome!

First of all, Happy Father's Day! To my Dad, my brothers, my grandpas, and all the awesome Dads that I know, I love you and send you all my best wishes!

So I figured I'd give you guys an update on what's been happening with me lately. First big news is that I graduated in May! (Whooo, yeah! Go Sorcha! I knew you could do it!) I now have a degree in English (Well, I will when they mail it to me. I have no idea when that happens...) which is pretty nice. I don't have any pictures for you since I decided not to walk. Sabrael and I went to Renaissance Festival instead which was infinitely more fun than sitting through a bunch of people's names being called.

Since then I've been quasi-unemployed? My job is tied to the university so I can't work if I'm not a student. I get a grace period until August when the next semester starts up again. I was planning to work with my Dad over the summer so I told my job I wouldn't really be around. Except there's all kinds of craziness going on in Hannibal (The river's flooding which always drives away tourist though does practically nothing to us, there's intense construction going on which blocks our building, and there was a large tornado a few weeks ago which people are still trying to clean up after though thankfully none of our buildings were harmed) so he's postponed opening until July. Which means by the time I got this information, schedules had already been made at work and I wasn't on them. So I've had a nice break from working for like a month now.

It's not as nice as you might think. A lot of stuff has happened in that time. I moved for instance. "Moved" though is a word that connotes completion which has not happened. There's still a small mountain of boxes in the middle of the room which I just cannot conceive of places to set their contents. It's slightly maddening. Also, Sab and I have gotten a kitten. We rescued him from a friend of mine who was going to have to give him away. He's fluffy and adorably and occasionally cuddly but he's developed quite a bad biting habit (He's in his carrier at the moment for biting me particularly hard on the face because I was writing this article and not playing with him) which can be difficult to deal with. We've tried almost all advice we've been able to find to get him to stop but nothing works. Spray bottle is next on the list.

Everyone, meet Vashta Nerada: Count the Shadows, or just Vash for short

 So in my time period of joblessness I've had a lot of time for contemplating my future. I've gone back and forth on a lot of future careers I want to have: teacher, librarian, museum educator, etc, but I had an epiphany yesterday. I've always seen these jobs as a means to an end, a way to save up money to do what it is I *really* want to do. I've always wanted to own my own bookshop. I can hear you already (because I've heard it a thousand times before), "In this economy?" "No one buys books any more." "You'll never be able to beat out Barnes and Noble!" But hear me out! I've got some good ideas. I want it to be a bookstore so that I can drag in the type of clientele that would be interested in the other things I will offer. I want to have an auditorium type area where local bands can play, small theater groups can perform, authors can do speaking events, classes on a variety of topics could be offered, movie nights and marathons could happen, and businesses could rent the space for meetings. I'd also want to support local artists and crafters, bring in gaming groups, and establish active book clubs. I think it could work really well as a kind of community space  and a safe space for other book nerds like me to meet people (which is often hard for us) and to have a good time inside of their interests.

So this is what I've decided to start working on. Instead of making this some far off in the future plan that may or may not happen, I want to start studying up, making decisions, learning the trade, and deciding that this will happen. I don't think anything could be more fulfilling than that.

So how about you guys! What's been going on in your lives lately? What have you been working on? What's your big dream either that you're working towards or that you've kind of forgot about? I'd love to hear it!

Whining Wednesday: Why I Find Grown-Up Books Distressing

This is actually a point of contention between my mother and I. I can't tell you how many times we've had conversations about why I don't "grow up" and read "adult" books. She finds my interest in young adult literature and fantasy jeuvenile which I feel is probably a widespread opinion. It's getting better, with books like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and The Fault in Our Stars getting more main stream attention but still there is a stereotype, one which I like to call The Twilight Effect.

From this stack I heavily recommend Uglies, Hunger Games, Graceling, and The Book Thief. I greatly discourage Incarceron and Twilight.

The Twilight series symbolizes all the negative stereotypes associated with Young Adult Fiction. The characters are shallow teenagers (sort of), the fantasy aspects are cliche the only creativity is in extraneous aspects, and the plot revolves around little more than a teen love story which the average person doesn't really care about. However, good YA is so much more than this. Take Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, for example. It forces the reader to contemplate their ideas of beauty and whether it's more important to be safe or to be an individual. Looking for Alaska by John Green explores the meaning of life and how we handle grief. Graceling by Kristin Cashore teaches us to define what a monster truly is and how you should never let another's opinions define you. How could you begin to call these stories shallow?

Setting aside the fact that I love YA so much, here's why I don't like "adult" books a majority of the time. I'm not interested in sex. Yes, I realize that when you are an adult, it's something that you do and that's fine, that's normal. However there's some weird, unvoiced definition that adult fiction is all stories with sex in them, if they're no sex it's YA. More than once I have been reading through a book, enjoying it just fine, and then a sex scene is inserted out of nowhere just for titillation factor. Maybe sex sells but I'm not buying it. When it's plot relevant for your characters to jump each other's bones, go for it. But when you just throw it in there hoping that more housewives will read your story, that's just sad and frankly distracting.

So I just prefer my YA, all the same meaning and all the same impact but with none of the unnecessary, uncomfortable genitalia related euphemisms. So here's my questions for the week. What do you think about sex in novels? Do you appreciate it or are you distracted like me? Also, what are your thoughts on YA as a genre? Are you one of those that thinks it's only a medium for children or are you a die hard fan? Bonus question: what is your favorite ridiculous sex scene euphamism. Mine is where a man part was referenced as a "quivering mutton." If that just doesn't set the mood, I don't know what does! :)

Chapter 10: I Dream of Djinni

The premise of this book didn't really excite me. It's about a young magician who wants to get back at those who have wronged him, this is pretty standard fantasy fare. What really got me to pick up the book was the fact that the story is not told by the boy (though he does get ample time to whine and make himself look immature and dumb). It's told by the Djinni he summons, Bartimaeus.

I like this picture because Nathaniel is pretty beat up, just like I wanted him to be through the whole story.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud is the first book of a trilogy. It takes place in a modern London where magicians hold all the power. They hold all the government positions, retain a majority of the wealth, and generally feel superior to the common folk. However, their greatest secret from the outside is that the power is not technically their own. All of their abilities come from the summoning of other creatures like imps, afrits, and djinni. The higher powered the entity, the more difficult they are to summon.

Bartimaeus is dismayed when he discovers that he has been summoned by a 12 year-old boy, one who has not even come close to completing his magical training yet the Djinni is quite high up on the totem pole (at least, that's what he tells us). As he guides us through the story his expertise on matters, knowledge of history, and excess of snark provide a great voice and narrative. My favorite stylistic element is the use of footnotes. Most of Bartimaeus's asides appear in this form and can be anything from a paragraph on his own relevant experiences to a one word warning on the feasibility of kissing dolphins. It makes for a very enjoyable read. I would recommend it for any fantasy fans who are looking for something a little different and a great, creative setting to explore. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (462 pages)

Judgement: Spectacular Snark (7 out of 10)

Chapter 9: The Wilds of Oregon

I bought Wildwood by Colin Meloy almost immediately after it was released because I'm a huuuuuuge Decemberist's fan. They are hands down my favorite band. I was excited for this book not just because the lead singer was the author but the premise of it is great.

It's about a young girl named Prue who lives in Portland just on the edge of the Impassable Wilderness, an untouched area across the river which seems strangely aloof from the bustling city next to it. One day her baby brother is kidnapped by a flock of strange birds so she and her friend Curtis set out on a quest to get him back. Armed with her bicycle and her quick wits she is a formidable opponent to this strange land filled with Bandits, coyote soldiers, Avian Monarchs, and a mysterious but obviously evil ruler.

I will start out by saying that I loved this book. I thought a lot of the elements used in it were creative, original, and intriguing. The writing style was fantastic and the beautiful illustrations by Carson Ellis worked well with the text to give a really vivid picture of the world. I loved Prue as a main character, I thought she was smart and sassy and strong (exactly who I wanted to be when I was 12). But the criticism I will give it is that the plot and it's tropes are very conventional. It felt a lot of the time like a more modern retelling of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I don't want to give away too many details but let's just say that the story follows a similar arc with different characters and settings. It was enjoyable but a bit too familiar and predictable.

Wildwood by Colin Meloy (576 pages)

Judgement: Aesthetically Pleasing (7 out of 10)

{Sorcha Fails at Writing Articles but She Still Loves You}

I feel like I've really stepped up the game this time with my apology picture. It's not a cute animal in boots but I feel like it's somehow better. Look how casual the rabbits are. I'm pretty sure this is just a typical Tuesday for them.

So, bad news is I've been gone forever and only managed to write you one article before I disapeared. The good news is that I've graduated! *insert fanfare* I have my degree in English so I'm totally qualified to... keep writing this blog! Yay! Post college is scarier than I thought it would be even though it hasn't been a whole month yet. I'm freaking out a little bit but I have a lot of time on my hands so I'm hoping to get in some more reading and write up some more articles for this. I really do feel bad about being gone for so long. Also, one of my friends just opened up University of Geek Stuff so I'll probably be working on some articles for that like how I've just finished watching through Star Trek: The Original Series, maybe some anime reviews, and some stuff on books that I've read prior to starting this project so I can rant about some things I haven't been able to touch on here.

I'll try to update my Goodreads today with what I'm reading through now and some hints on articles you can expect soon. I do have a question for you guys and if you could leave me your opinions in the comments I would appreciate it. I recently read a graphic novel that I really enjoyed and I'm wondering if you think it should count towards my word goal. Obviously graphic novels read much faster and can be quite large without as much to read as a novel of the same size. What do you think? Can I count it? Should I count it for half pages? Should I just write an article anyways even if I don't count the pages? Let me know what you think and I'll let you know what I decide later. Have a good one all and keep reading (even if I'm not the greatest role model :)

Chapter 8: Space and the Illusion of Childhood

I have been working on reading Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card for months now. Though in all honesty it has probably been more of a process of years. This has been, by far, the book I've received the most recommendations for. I'm not typically one to read a book slowly. If I don't finish it within the first week or so of picking it up, it remains unfinished for years if not permanently. I have a horrid memory and typically after a few days I forget the importance of characters or what exactly is happening or sometimes even the main goal of it all (serious memory problems, I'm telling you...). However, there was something different about this book. This was one of the craziest autumns of my life so there's a plethora of reasons why it kept being put down but every time I picked it back up again, I was drawn back in and I had no problems following what was happening. I wonder now if that made me enjoy the book more because just as Ender felt things around him moving at odd pace with sudden starts and stops, so was my reading experience.

It took me a while to be really absorbed into the story (possibly contributing to my slow reading of it). There are so many strange aspects to this world that are introduced but unexplained, leaving the reader to interpret it themselves (only to have their conclusions approved or voided later in the book). So it takes a little time to get used to your surroundings. Also at the beginning the characters are so defined by specific characteristics that they become almost caricatures. This follows Ender's own thoughts, understandable ones for children, but keeps you distant from the rest of the characters, perhaps accentuating how alone he feels even surrounded by others.

I couldn't resist! Saw this and could not stop laughing!

 The plots follows Ender Wiggin, a child of seven, who has been chosen by the government to join their military training academy in space where they prepare to fight the second invasion of an alien race called Buggers who came far too close to annihilating the human species the last time they came around. Once there he realizes he is not just another soldier there for training. The government has been watching him and has picked him to act as the commander over the invading forces. The book follows his years through battle school as they push him to the very edge of his abilities in their attempt to make him the perfect tactical machine.

And yes! A movie is finally on the way! IMDB says November 1, 2013

One of my favorite parts was actually the subplot where Ender's older siblings Peter and Valentine, who are also young children as well, take on alias's and invade the nets, spreading incendiary political theories, commentaries, and ideas. Peter, the more violent one, takes on the aspect of the more rational while Valentine, the empathetic one, takes on the more radical. These segments focus on her perspective as she tries to understand and condone what they're doing regardless of Peter's less than pure intentions.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (324 pages)

Judgement: Psychologically Stimulating (8 out of 10)

{Post-Holiday Ponderings (accompanied by excuses)}

So another huge gap... I'm sure none of you were surprised by this. I wasn't either. Just for the record, it's not that I haven't been writing because I haven't been reading. It's because I haven't *finished* reading anything other than the bazillion plays and essays and blah-de-blah I had to read for school. Luckily, I'm almost finished with that chapter of my own life, only one more semester left. What I'll do after that, I honestly have no idea right now. It's all a little scary and chest pain inducing at the moment. But anywho, I've been sloooooooooowly working my way through a couple of books. Now that I'm on vacation for a few more weeks, perhaps I'll be able to finally finish and get some nice posts up for you. In the mean time, here is yet another farm animal in boots! Because I know you liked it so much last time...

If you don't forgive Sorcha for her absence, I'll nom all your books!

It was a very busy holiday season this year. My grandmother moved to town, my parents moved apartments, and my fiance is moving this week. I had weird work hours so money was nowhere near as plentiful as I would have liked (perhaps I should have tried to get in on the whole seasonal retail thing again but after the literal physical torment I suffered last year I decided not even try...) and that was quite hard in getting presents for everyone. But this year was the first that I tried to host Christmas for my family and it was a crazy awesome success!

Sab cooked some delicious quiches, potatoes, and gingerbread pancakes for brunch while I played barrista. The food was phenomenal and everyone loved it. For presents I made everyone a personalized mug and a stocking that was mostly candy but had at least one big gift for everyone. I got some great stuff, apparently my family really gets me because they seem to always know just what I want. It was so much fun but now I feel a little exhausted and quite honestly, a bit lost. I have a couple weeks left with nothing to really do and that's such a daunting idea! What am I going to do with myself other than sit around eating the rest of the Christmas sweets, growing rounder by the minute, continuing my Star Trek Marathon?

I need projects, I need something to think about, I need something to keep my brain from rattling around my head going "WhatcanIdo? WhatcanIdo? Gimmesomethingtodo!" So maybe it's time to try for some new resolutions? This wasn't a bad year but I definitely wasn't at my best either. What can I try this year to make it even better?

I guess I'll just have to ponder that for a few days and get back to you. Anyways, as a Holiday bonus, here's a picture of me in my new bacon and egg scarf!

Happy Holidays and a Merry New Year!