Why Read?

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

– Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

"Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times? ... As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower...both strange and familiar."

– Cornelia Funke, Inkspell  

"Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book."

– Stephane Mallarme

"A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest."

– C.S. Lewis

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."

– Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird

"Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live."

– Gustave Flaubert

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers."

– Charles William Eliot

"We read to know that we are not alone."

– C.S. Lewis

"'A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,' said Jojen. 'The man who never reads lives only one.'"

– George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons

"It is only a novel... or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humor, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language."

– Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

All of these quotes are from the phenomenal site Good Reads, where I have only skimmed the surface of 1,307 quotes about reading. These are all reasons why I love to read, as well.

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There's a theorist named Evgeny Morozov who writes about something called "net delusion." This concept is that the world's population has become naive with the invention of the Internet. People believe the Internet can fix anything, is stronger than anything, has power over anything. Morozov pities those of us who believe that sites like Twitter and Facebook can overpower government or tyranny. I, like Morozov, pity those who believe in the absolute power of the Internet.

The Internet is only as powerful as the people who use it. Those who wield the power of the Internet have the power to make change. Just as the invention of the printing press. Alone it holds no power. When a printer uses the press, only then is there power in the object. The printing press began a revolution around the world, just as the Internet has. They are mere catalysts in a human's evolutionary curiosity. "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." Well, certainly guns help in killing people. But, this is true. It is a tool we use. The printing press is a tool we use. The Internet is a tool we use.

Books are tools we need. Without them, there is too much untapped knowledge. Is it naive of me to think that books have power? Am I one of Morozov's delusional people? Can I sit here and say that one of the necessities of life is to read, and in reading one becomes powerful? I am, albeit, biased. But, when reading, a reader gains a more enlightened mind. A reader gains knowledge. If "knowledge is power," then the Internet is powerful. But, those who control it are even more so.

Excuse the tired ramblings of a weary college student. I found myself in need of an outlet of sorts. Perhaps this makes sense... Perhaps it doesn't. Perhaps I'll return to this post and edit the living day-lights out of it... Perhaps not.

"A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom." – Roald Dahl

Happy Reading!

-- Isabel

Excuse the Absence!

I've had a pretty chaotic week! After I'd gotten back from Easter shenanigans at a friend's house, the game began. Indeed. Humans vs Zombies week began. The Apocalypse came to my campus.

Humans vs Zombies originated in Goucher College where a bunch of students came up with this eccentric game. It became so popular that it is now played in hundreds of communities and colleges nationwide. More information can be found on their website http://humansvszombies.org/.

HvZ is like a giant "big-kid" game of tag! Humans wear bandanas as armbands and Zombies wear them as headbands. It starts with an OZ - Original Zombie - who tags as many Humans as they can, infecting them. Those tagged by the OZ immediately become Zombies. The OZ wears an armband for the first 24 hours of the game, or until they tag 10 Humans. A tag is quite literally a tag. A Zombie has to chase after the Human and tag them.

Tags, for Zombies, equate to kills for food. A Zombie must "feed" or be "fed" every 48 hours, or they will stave to death. That is the only way to "lose" HvZ. Sometimes some Humans equate becoming a Zombie with losing.. That's not the case. In fact, living without the paranoia of getting mobbed by Zombies is a rather nice feeling. One can only lose if they do not tag anyone.

Tags are regulated through the website hvzsource.com. Every human has an ID number, which they carry with them at all times. So, when they are tagged by a Zombie, that Zombie enters the ID number into the website. When submitting the tag, the Zombie is able to "feed" two other Zombies as well. By feeding fellow Zombies, you increase the survival time of the horde.

Humans are not defenseless! They are allowed to use Zombie repellent. Nerf Darts and balled up socks can stun Zombies for 10 minutes. Typically Humans will stock up on both and fortify themselves in no-play zones. Many Humans will create packs or squads to protect each other and attempt to survive longest. It all becomes about who you know and where they are. By building up one's social network, a person can survive for quite a long time. This is a game of networking and social capital. You don't want to protect someone who can't protect you! Ultimately, you'll get killed for it! But, as a Zombie, you contact your Zombie friends and create a horde. Your horde will go to the missions, or go out Human hunting with you. Both parties are stronger in groups than alone.

Anywho, so this was the game that was played for a week, with missions to keep up excitement. It was supposed to span from Monday to Sunday, but us Zombies took out too many Humans. On Friday, our Moderators gave 7 Zombies (chosen from a lottery) revives, and the ratio of Humans to Zombies was relatively equal: 52:48 or so. But, then came the Friday evening mission. It was a glorious last stand for the Humans, and a magnificent win for the Zombies. 20 or so Humans versus 15 Zombies, maybe fewer. Strategically, the finale was definitely in our (Zombies') favor. So, the game ended earlier than intended.

I was sore, I was tired, I was bloody exhausted... But, HvZ was the most fun I'd had in a while. I met some fantastic people and bonded with some I already knew. Being a Zombie was tons of fun! Sprinting after Humans while going to class made the mundane ... absolutely wicked. So, spread the word! Maybe you can get one started in your community! At home? At camp? Family gatherings? Anywhere!! Check humansvzombies.org and hvzsource.com and find a game near you!!

More books to come! =)

Happy Hunting!
-Isabel

A Children's Book is not Always for Children!

A bit of a rant!

JK Rowling Writes an Adult Novel? I know! Surprised me, too! But, then again, she's such a good author, I'd probably read anything she published. I understand her need to break away from Harry Potter and start something new; something fresh. To be completely honest, I feel kind of proud. 

But, that's not why I'm here. There was a comment left by someone on that post that said the following:

I still maintain that the last 3 books of the Harry Potter series were not children’s books. J.K herself said that a person should not be any younger than Harry is in the books when they read them. It always bugs me when I see them in the children’s section. Those and Phillip Pullman’s Dark Materials. When are people going to realize that just because the main characters are children doesn’t mean the books are for children.

And thanks to that comment, here’s a brief rant on something that irritates me. 

What makes a children’s book a children’s book? So many people classify books with children as the protagonists as children’s books. But this is not the case! Think about it!! Was Harry Potter a children’s book? No! It was a young adult book at the very least! It’s dark! So dark! Lord Voldemort murders Harry’s parents when he’s an infant, and tries to kill Harry for 7 YEARS! He’s 11 when he first battles Voldemort. Eleven! There’s something about that fact that makes me hesitant to consider that as children’s literature. He watches people he loves die and or suffer. He’s told he’s the only one who can destroy an all-powerful dark lord at a young age. Yeah, it’s fantasy-fiction, but that’s a dark world for a child to be exposed to. I’m not sure that it’s an appropriate book for a 4 year old.

I started Harry Potter just after 1^st grade, so I was about 6 or 7 at the time. And maybe that’s a decent age to start. But, there were a lot of things I didn’t understand. Granted, JK Rowling writes for all ages, and with some experience I understood everything. But, I think about things like His Dark Materials and how Lyra’s only 11 as well. That series couldn’t ever be a children’s series! When the Magesterium kidnaps children, Lyra’s best friend gets taken. When she goes to look for him she finds out <they kill children’s daemons to “save” them, which pretty much destroys the children>. Not only that, but <Mrs. Coulter is in charge of the operation and Lyra's mother>. I dunno, there’s something about these books that just doesn’t make them child friendly. It’s like when I read The Shining in 7^th or 8^th grade. Another one! Danny is only 7 or 8, if I remember correctly! Here’s a note for those who thought the movie was scary: it’s not even close to the scariness that the book is. I’m serious. I couldn’t sleep for at least a week after reading the book. When I saw the movie? Completely unfazed. Yeah, Jack Nicholson’s creepy and a great actor, but nah. Didn’t get me as much as the book did. I mean, seriously, <the entire book, you have no idea he’s going crazy>.

Would one consider Grimm’s Fairytales to be children’s literature? No! Of course not! It used to be, but at the same time, it was ageless. The original fairytales we carry so near and dear to our hearts, thanks to Disney, are so much darker and bloodier than we know them to be! I’ve read so many things that are considered to be “children’s” literature, and it’s a shame to see what fantastic work gets shunted to the sections where their demographic will never look for them. It’s rather depressing! Just because the main character of a book is a child does not mean the book is a children’s book! Pick it up! Give it a try! Take The House of the Scorpion for example! Matt is a genetic clone. He is treated like crap. He’s locked away until El Patron has a use for him. Eejits are worked like mindless zombies. It’s a terrible world and not one built for a children’s novel.

If you haven’t read my post about The House of the Scorpion, click here!

There is a theory that due to the Internet and text-messaging and all those shenanigans, that children are now unable to separate from their parents. The whole "being hounded by mum and dad" idea, I suppose. Maybe it doesn't matter anymore? Maybe we're all just really big children because of all this new technology. I somehow can't imagine that. The children in these books grow up so quickly, and we're being restricted somehow. And, yeah, a lot of us "teens" or "young adults" are just really big kids. But, that doesn't mean we can't reach that individuality that so many characters do. Would anyone's character develop if mum and dad held our hands all the way through adolescence? Probably not! I'm just thinking of Buster from Arrested Development. I think, in this society, we can't consider ourselves children. Thanks to technology, we grow up much faster than before. Yes, mum and dad are just a text or phone call away; but, you're still more-or-less on your own. But, a child is still a child. Becoming an adult, in my opinion, is not stripping oneself entirely of that childishness. I believe that you have to understand it, embrace it, and indulge it. Everyone is childlike. Everyone can identify with a child.

Don’t let age brackets deter you! Row! Row! Fight the power, and grab yourself a good ol’ “children’s” book and see what it’s like. You decide! 

Happy Reading!

-- Isabel

P.S. Hunger Games Film Rant

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

The movie was good. A good standalone movie. I liked how it was filmed and the scenery was spot on. Every location shown, I had imagined to look pretty much like it was in the movie. I can't help but separate this from the book, because – in my opinion – the book was better. I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of the cast, but it worked. It worked for the film. It's just not how I imagined.

Granted, I am a very tough critic. But, when it comes to book-to-film adaptions, this was done well. Those who haven't read the books will enjoy it and be able to discuss it with those who have. The movie was straightforward and took the main parts of the book. I know it was a little over 2 hours long, but I felt like they moved too fast and the passage of time was skewed. 

I just wasn't moved by some of the things that I had been in the books. When Katniss volunteers for Prim, I felt that was well done. But, at the same time, I just – I dunno. It was good. My friend had to hold my hand through Rue's death, but the tears didn't really come until Katniss put flowers around her body and then saluted the cameras. That moment got me. But, I think – more than anything – it got me because I knew it was coming. I sobbed in the book. It's the one scene I was dreading most, probably because I had imagined it differently. I desperately wanted it to be so ... perfect. And, it was good. The dogs scared the crap out of me. When they jumped out! Bah, hate when things do that in movies. 

Also, I don't know if it was just me, but the people from the Capitol dressed really ... oddly. I had imagined that to be very different, too. I almost couldn't take them seriously. It was a little ... well, odd! Haha! Cinna was great – except for the gold eyeliner. Haymitch was great, too! Gale wasn't too present in the books, and so putting him in more shots of the movie was fantastic. (I'm a Gale fan!) Cato was brilliantly played! I wish Foxface had a little more in the movie. I really liked her character in the book. Thresh is the most badass dude ever. I freakin' loved him. And ... umm ...
I think that's it.

The books are so wonderful! I highly recommend reading them – or just the first – before seeing the movie. I try to separate the two, in my mind, because otherwise I don't know if I'd like it half as much. Again, I am a really harsh critic. And I almost always side with the books. Unless it's The Lord of the Rings. Now those – crikey – those are a masterpiece. It's just – the passage of a hero. Someone goes out on an adventure, learns things, and then comes back changed and ready to teach what he/she learned. Katniss is definitely the heroine here. But, with three books in total, I'm not sure if the movie glorified her a little too much, or just enough. I'll have to see what they do with Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

It's tough to please everyone. Especially in a book-to-film adaption. I was satisfied and content with what was presented to me. I will most likely see it again, later on (after this semester is over). I feel like I might've been a little too cynical, but that was my state of mind when seeing it. And, ultimately, these are my initial reactions. I do want people to go see it, though! It was a great movie!

Happy Reading!

- Isabel

There's very little I could do without it..

Heads up! It's long and rant-y!

By: Buckikah.deviantart.com

There's something so visceral about it. Something so enlightening. 

I can't stand people who say they hate reading. Disabilities, aside. Ah, well, now don't get huffy at me. My sister was unbelievably dyslexic and hated reading for a long time. But, it was because she couldn't. So, she listened. She's listened to some books (on tape/CD) so many times, she knows whole chunks of books by heart. And, once she went through tutoring, and picked up a book: there was no stopping her. She loves reading. Just as much as I do, if not more. She was the one who helped me compile a list of 50+ books for this blog, actually. Our room is a library. Our room has a wall of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The shelves are, well, full. There are bookshelves in the hallway, the living room, the dining room, the little home-office, my parent's bedroom, and there's a small one in the kitchen. 

This is the environment I grew up in. Mum read to us before bed: Little Women, The Wizard of Oz, children's stories, and so much more. It got to the point where I wanted to read on my own. But, at the same time…I didn’t. In 1^st grade, I went through an “I Hate Reading” phase. My mum whisked me off to a tutor who had me read Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl. I grudgingly began to read it. And…I loved it. That began my, all too wonderful, literary career. The summer between 1^st and 2^nd grades, I encountered the magnificent Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by the lovely JK Rowling. My parents had picked up the book and read it before passing it down to me (to make sure it was child friendly, of course). And, I suppose that was the end of my anti-reading stint. I have read…too much, since then. I don’t mean that there is a limit to how much one can read. No, I mean to say that I have read so much that it’s a miracle that I remember storylines at all. How does one manage that?

Ah, well… Put it this way… In 3^rd grade my school’s librarian caught me in the “big kid” section. That was most of the fantasy-fiction like His Dark Materials, anything by Tamora Pierce or Garth Nix. They weren’t easy books, per say. So, she made me read every single Junie B. Jones book our library owned, to prove my reading ability. For the record, I was reading already reading at a Harry Potter level. So, I forced myself to read those horrid “kid” books. And then, in 4^th grade, I was banned from the library for reading too much. I believe I got banned in 5^th grade, too. Yep. I was not allowed to take a book out of my school’s library because I was reading too much. Yes, I would read instead of doing homework, during recess, and while eating. Oi, I had friends! I had awesome friends. But, every time I got a moment to myself, I’d read. And I’d go through books in a matter of weeks, sometimes days.

 

Well, I suppose it’s time to publicly admit to a crime I have committed. 

While banned, I would sneak into the library during the librarian’s lunch break. And – here it goes – I’d sign books out under my friends’ names. And, when I finished them, I'd do the same when returning them. 

There you have it. Those were my rebellious childhood years. Hey, I’m quite proud of myself actually. Back then, that was the most risqué thing I’d even dare to do.

Bah, who am I kidding! I could barely keep a straight face while writing that! Haha! It’s all true, though!! Best part is, I left a legacy. My sister followed suit! She got banned, too! Ah, I’m so very proud. You can understand why we have built our own library, now, I’m sure. Books are the gifts that just keep on giving. I’ve learned so much from reading. Despite the chatterbox that I am, writing, for me, is the purest form of expression. I read because it’s an escape, it’s comforting, it’s enjoyable… I read because I love to.

I don't get it when people are like, "I h8 reading. It sux." One, lurn 2 spell, n00b. Two, why? Is it because so much of our lives now deals with reading? Reading a text message, reading Facebook status updates, reading the latest gossip column... How is that so different? I'm in this blogging class, at the moment, and we talked about how the Internet, and texting, has killed writing. Well, not killed it, per say. But, has diluted it.

I don't know about that! How many times have you seen a Grammar-Nazi correct someone's spelling and/or grammar online? It happens all the time! I think because everything's so easily accessible, and so "in-your-face" public, that we all get lazy. And because we see other people being lazy in writing, we think it's okay if we're lazy about it, too. And, just an f-y-i, IT'S NOT! Bah, sorry. I can't stand it. I'm such a writing freak! I think it comes from reading so much. But, I just want to be as good as the stuff I've read. I'm a really flowery, adjective-y, writer. It's so fun! Gets me into trouble with formal papers, though... I've tried toning it down, I really have! Somehow, it always sneaks back in...

But, seriously! How is lazy writing okay?

Example:
I ordered a costume February 23rd (or so) for a convention I was going to on the 2nd of March. I figured, hey, I'll use it for anything in the future, too! So, I pay, etc. etc. And I had thought it'd take 3-5 days for it to be delivered (That's what the site said!). No, such luck. So, I emailed customer support and asked if there was any possibility of getting it by this weekend. The response I got said I'd get it on the 8th or 9th of March (...awesome...). Best part of the email: the support representative said: "plz." "Plz don't worry" and "Plz wait patiently." WHAT?! I'm sorry. But, as a customer, I really don't want to see that.

How is that professional at all? Am I corresponding with LolCat? Is it that difficult to write a few extra letters and say, "Please?" How is that acceptable? I knew that people had gotten lazy, but that lazy? I know people think it's "cool," but in reality. No. Not so much. I don't mean to say that I hate Internets-y things. I don't! I love all things Internet! Well, most things. But, when it comes to something professional, or ... something that is not for the lulz, then nowai. Propur English plz..

Any who! I just can't imagine why someone could hate reading! Especially with everything on the Internet these days! The Information Era, people have called it. There's nothing but reading happening! But, does that mean it's ruining book reading for people? That's just horrid. A book is a book. READ A BOOK. Okay, reading a novel online counts, too. But, seriously! I don't understand the aversion to reading! Isn't that what texting is? You read! ... And respond. But, when reading a novel, it's just for you! There's no need for any responding! The story is all for you! And, it's just… so much fun!

I suppose maybe I don’t understand hating reading. For school, sure! But… not reading for pleasure. There's just… There's very little I could do without it.

Happy Reading!

- Isabel