Let's Talk

     Do you ever just buy books simply because knowing you have them makes you feel good and happy? I do. All the time. Today I bought Little White Lies by Katie Dale. A friend of mine told me it was by far one of the best books she has read, at first I was just going to borrow her copy but then I thought, if it's really as good as she says it is then I can't not have a copy of my own. So I bought the book. I still have to finish all my other books but I can't wait to start reading it. My point for this story is that I personally, cannot simply borrow books because I know I will want my own physical copy. So I must buy them myself.

     Beautiful Creatures is on my 2015 books to read list. I recently watched the movie and thought why not read the books especially because if the movie was that good, the books will most definitely be better. I can only imagine how long my 2015 list will be, especially considering I have already read 2 books so far and it's only January 23rd. 

     At the moment I am currently reading Crazed by 1djollygood on Wattpad. It's of course a fan-fiction about Harry Styles. The book is about Harry being able to hear "them" they're apparently voices and people that tell him to hurt himself and even try and kill himself. He gets sent into the hospital one night after attempting suicide. Jamie one of the counselors for the mentally ill, is still there and she gets to talk to Harry. Jamie talks to him and he opens up to her more than he has for any one of his other counselors he had in the past. Jamie then becomes his counselor. She doesn't treat him like a patient, instead she grows feelings or a certain attachment towards Harry. She knows it is very unprofessional and she could lose her job for it, but when you have feelings for someone no matter who it is, they don't just disappear over night, usually they don't at all. I have yet to finish this intriguing and unputdownable book and I certainly can not wait to see what the rest of the journey has to bring for me.

     

#7- Troublemaker (Wattpad)

Troublemaker. Wattpad. Aggressively. 2013. Web.

The novel Troublemaker by Aggressively on Wattpad, connects to the stage, Test. Enemies, Allies because Winnie the main character in the novel bumped into Brody the school bad guy, and he dropped a black book. Winnie picked it up and realized it's Brody's journal. Brody knows it's missing but doesn't know where it is, until Winnie and Brody start to interact more. Brody is rude to Winnie numerous times before Winnie decides to use the journal to blackmail Brody into being nice to her, and giving her rides. "I loved being on his motorcycle. It was so relaxing and it felt like it could take you anywhere. I felt the wind blow my hair and the trees blurring into each other." (180) She hasn't given back the journal, and she needs to because she's only getting herself into trouble by hanging out and having feelings for Brody. I have yet to finish the book but I am almost done and I have to say I don't want it to end. The way Winnie plays Brody and pulls tricks on him is hilarious, and entertaining. Winnie has learned that by having Brody's journal she has power over him and can get him to do what she wants, although she is avoiding is the fact that by having his journal she's becoming more attached to Brody, while she has a boyfriend already, Tyler. 

Five Stages of the Archetypal Journey- After By Anna Todd

Todd, Anna. After We Collided. New York: Gallery Books, 2014. Print.

     The novel After connects to several stages of the journey, but mainly it connects to refusal of the call. Tessa, the main character in the novel, is unsure of what she should be doing. She came to college to get a good education, but that's not what her college experience is all about now. She meets Hardin, He's a jerk at first but then he changes, he starts to show up at her dorm room at random times for no apparent reason. Tessa begins to develop feelings for Hardin, and Hardin begins to express his feelings towards Tessa. The bond between them seems to be unbreakable and they enjoy each others company. Hardin doesn't date, that's the downfall for Tessa. Tessa already has a boyfriend, Noah. She's unsure of what is happening, and what will happen between her and Hardin. Hardin doesn't want a relationship he just want's a girl, Tessa doesn't want to be just his girl she want's more than that. She's stuck between breaking up with her long childhood boyfriend Noah and going for Hardin, or staying with Noah and leaving Hardin. She knows what she wants, Hardin. "Wherever he is, will always feel like home to me" (Todd, After 383). She's just way too stubborn to realize that, yet. She shows a perfect example of refusal of the call because she knows what she needs to do she just doesn't feel ready for it yet. She doesn't want to take the step that might change her life forever. Either for the better, or for the worst.

     It makes sense though, refusing the call may just be easier than accepting it, but in order to finish your journey, you need to go through each stage. Tessa being stuck in the middle of what to do, and what not to do is a perfect example for refusal of the call.

Speak; Character Archetypes

     The book I recently finished reading is Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book was a 1999 National Book Award Finalist.

   
     Speak has many characters who stand out but Melinda Sordino being the main character stands out more. I believe that the character Melinda Sordino in this story is a shapeshifter. Melinda was in grade eight and had the perfect life, she had a whole bunch of friends and was considered what we like to call, popular. Her and her friends went to a party one night, after lots of lying and convincing to their parents. The party was going well until Melinda went outside and something happened to her. She called the police because she was scared, and traumatized. Someone found out it was her. Everyone was told. She's in grade nine now, no one talks to her and she doesn't talk to them. Melinda is keeping something inside from that night, she's so traumatized, it's to the point where her parents and her communicate with notes. “When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time.” (Anderson 121) She's failing her classes, and has no friends. The safest place for her is is in her own head. She needs to find a way to tell her parents what happened that night, so she can move on with her life.

     She resembles a shapeshifter because she went from being a popular, nice, well known girl, too being a nobody with no friends.

Classic

     I would say a classic is some piece of work that was once made and in it's time period very popular to the point where it is still well know to this day. Take the book Pride & Prejudice for an example, it was first published in 1813 by Jane Austen and is still well known to the point where they have websites, that you can read the book on. 201 years later and it's still well know by people from this generation.

     The novel I am currently reading is After by Anna Todd published in 2014. After is a novel about love, struggles, school, and becoming an adult. It's a novel about making decisions and living your life in the moment. Tessa makes many decisions throughout her few years in college. She has to chose who to believe, where to work, where to live, how to pay for things, many decisions are being made. I would say this novel is a romance novel, which is also why I think it may just become a classic. Another reason is because it was first written on a website that many people know about. Wattpad a place where people can go and write books, poems, or even expressing there feelings to the world, anything they want. That's where Anna Todd first wrote the novel After, it was first discovered by directioners, fans of one direction. Mainly because it was a One Direction fanfiction, so the only people who really read it were directioners. Which brings me to another reason why it may become a classic novel, it was first written based on One Direction. As you may know there is billions of directioners out there and many more to come, it is a novel that will always be remembered. It is a romance novel and every girl loves romance novels. It is a novel about growing up and making hard decisions in life.

     In summary, I think this novel will become a classic novel, and will always be remembered.

 

   

After ~ Anna Todd

"My life before him was so simple and decided, now after him it's just... After." (Todd, After 83)

     This quote means many things, before Hardin came into Tessa's life, Tessa had everything planned out right down to the last second of the day. She was prepared for college and knew what she needed to do, and what she needed to do didn't involve meeting boys. She already had a boyfriend, they were together for many years, but she cheated on him. As soon as that happened her whole life took a turn, but not for the worst. Meeting Hardin was one of the best things that ever happened to her.

     Hardin's family loved her and did many things for her. Now that Tessa's with Hardin her life is just a play it by year kind of life. Nothing is certain anymore. No more setting alarms for twenty-minute cat naps. No more depending on her mother for things, she's on her own because her mum doesn't approve of her decisions anymore. Tessa's life has changed, a lot. The life she's living now, is After.

     I think throughout the rest of the book she's going to realize that there is no going back to what will now be called before, she now needs to live in the moment and cherish it.

     I think the song All Of Me by John Legend is a perfect song to represent this book and the quote, but the book in more ways. It's a song that John Legend wrote for his wife saying that she's beautiful no matter what and he loves her just the way she is. No one should need to change for anyone, the way you look doesn't and never will define who you are inside. This song portray's a very strong and great message, and I think it suit's this book a lot. Hardin's always telling her she's beautiful and he loves her but she tends to not listen at first but after, the words sink in and she accepts herself for the way she is, because there is no changing it.

Eleanor & Park; Review

     I have recently finished reading, Eleanor & Park. Where do I begin. This book in my mind rated as a 5 star. It's time period is back in 1986. It's an amazing book and is a perfect example of many things such as, bullying, because Eleanor gets bullied for dressing the way she does and the way she looks. It is also a good example of friendship's and love. Park was just the boy that Eleanor sat beside on the bus, but once they started to make small talk, well that is where it all pretty much began. Park would bring his comics onto the bus to read and Eleanor would sneak glances and read along. Park began to bring her comics to take home and read, but Eleanor's life at home wasn't as nice as any one else's. She had a drunken step father, and they were always in need of money. Her life at home was a struggle. They didn't own any shower products, nice clothes, or even a toothbrush. Eleanor's family was poor. Everything was smooth sailing after that, Eleanor would go to Parks house for dinner and to hang out after school, then go home. Wake up and do it again, Eleanor and Park were unbreakable, if Eleanor got bullied Park was always right there sticking up for her and picking a fight. Park fell in love and he told Eleanor, but she never said it back. Eleanor was Park's everything he didn't and couldn't live without her, but something happened. Eleanor and Park went for a drive one night and didn't come home until late that night, she then realized her step-father found her things Park gave her, and he was mad. Eleanor had to do something unexpected, and that left Park all alone. Eleanor promised to call the next day. She never called. Park went months without hearing from her, and having no way to contact her. Until one day he got a letter. It was just three words long.


{Quotes from the book}