Literary Wish-List

I have started compiling a Literary Wish List. It includes all of the books I currently wish I could own and read. With about 11 weeks until Christmas, I would have lots of time for Amazon to get its deliveries in on time.

If only I had the money...

1. After Theory - Terry Eagleton
2. The Silmarilion - J.R.R. Tolkien
3. The Monsters and the Critics (and other essays) - ed. Christopher Tolkien
4. Imaginary Homelands - Salman Rushdie
5. The Strategic Smorgasbord of Postmodernity - Deborah Bowen
6. The Portrait of an Artist as an Old Man - Joseph Heller
7. Joseph Anton: A memoir - Salman Rushdie
8. Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace

I'm especially interested in getting my hands on as much Eagleton as I can find. I find his theories (as sympathetic to literary marxism as he may be) absolutely lovely. 

Book Review: Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker

Ted Dekker is known for intense good versus evil confrontation thrillers that usually lend readers toward a male hero who seeks to defend the virtue of a young, beautiful woman. His heroes are strong, they are quick, they are torn between the metaphysical realities of God and love and physical restraints of humanity and sin. And honestly, the plots become sorely repetative.

I had to take a break from reading Ted Dekker. It isn't that he is a bad author. On the contrary. I think is Circle "Trilogy" is one of the better novel packs I have read in the last 10 years (man, I just dated myself...), but he has typecasted his characters, writing what he knows - strong hero, blushing bride, good vs evil for the epic battle of the heart, and there is usually a redemption story. It just got to the point where I felt Dekker had fallen into a more riveting and slightly less obnoxious [male] version of Christian romance novels. Yes, that is a dangerous claim to make.

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I knew what I was getting into when I opened this book. But only to an extent. 

See, Immanuel's Veins did not, in any way at all, keep me interested. I read it for one reason, and one reason only: Dekker played with Russian history and folklore, and as a history and fairy story nutcase, I bit. The characters were not interesting to me. They were typical caricatures for a Dekker novel, and I was disappointed because I had hoped for more. Disappointment number one.

The characters all ended up in this creepy gothic castle where this beastly vampire-esque Vlad posed as the super lover, revealing himself to be the evil foil to our hero, Toma. But it got really weird when Dekker started weaving in Biblical mythology of Nephilim (Genesis 6) with his gothic Russian set plot. For his fictional purposes, Dekker suggested that the Nephilim were wicked creatures who came to be known in modern literature and story as ...wait for it...vampires. Disappointment number two.

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[If you need to know more about who the Nephilim are, click here. It will take you to a really helpful Wikipedia page outlining the two scholarly views on who the Nephilim are...and you'll notice that 'vampire' isn't on the list.]

I can understand why Dekker did it, though. Immanuel's Veins was published during the final stretch of the Twilight mania. It was released in the USA in 2010, the same year Summit Entertainment put out Eclipse, the third installment of the Twilight movie saga. Further, interlacing Nephilim mythology with Vampire folklore opened up the 'paid in blood, cleansed in baptismal water' theme that Dekker likes so much. After all, how else was he going to get away with seduction scenes and true love at the point of a savior (without it sounding too much like a Bella/Edward/Jacob situation)?

I have to give Dekker credit where credit is due. He wrote the story he is good at. Repetative and anti-climactic as it is becoming at this point in his literary career, it does sell. What worries me, though, is that Dekker won't ever take chances on something new. He is no Kurt Vonnegut, David Foster Wallace, or Julian Barnes. He knows this. But he has the potential to be. I'm tired of reading books by Dekker and reading the same story over and over and over again. His peak was the Circle series. I hope he finds something to redeem his writers career, because I believe he shows promise. 

Was Immanuel's Veins the best piece of English Literature that I've read? No. But that's okay. I'm just glad his vampires didn't sparkle in the sunlight.

Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy

One of the things I hope to do with the blog this year is post some book reviews. I have only done this once before, as far as I can remember, and it was on Kevin Roose's 'The Unlikely Disciple.' But, as my undergrad years have come to a close, I finally I have the time I have always desired to do the reading I have always wished that I had the the time to do. It's sad, really. One does so much reading in a four year undergrad, but doesn't often have the time to read for fun (what's that, right?). Sidenote: No where on this blog will you find endorsements or reviews of Fifty Shades of Grey. I graduated with an English Honours degree, I read literature, not erotic novels for middle aged women.

Now, on to the good stuff.

This summer I put aside some time to blitz my way through the most popular trilogy of the past year: The Hunger Games.

I have mixed feelings about this series. On the one hand, I enjoyed the storyline and the post-apocalyptic North America of Panem. I enjoyed cyphering through philosophies and old poetry and deciding whether or not this trilogy could put itself on the list of books rivalling George Orwell's '1984', or Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451.' My decision? No.

See, despite a fast moving story filled with interesting characters, I had some pretty big literary bones to pick with this work. 

1) I couldn't take Katniss's interior monologue. The sentence fragments were overwhelming to the point where they were distracting (something an editor should have picked up on). These sentence fragments meant that I had to pay extra attention to what Collins was trying to say, often rereading a sentence 3 or 4 times to weed through comma splices and other punctuation crimes. 

2) Katniss had ZERO character development. By the end of the books, I felt that she hadn't grown up at all, she had just vocalized the problems every teenage girl has; which boy should I love? That being said, I liked that it took me a while to respect Peeta's character. I really did end up liking Peeta in the end, and felt genuinely sorry for his misfortune with the Capitol. 

3) SPOILER ALERT. Now this is a big one. I'm all for state reform in fiction. It makes for a good story. Orwellian type dramas make me happy; but even Orwell didn't render his texts obsolete by stripping the hero's motivation for change from the storyline. It may not be fair to compare Suzanne Collins to George Orwell (he is a literary genius to compete with, after all), but killing the character who, in essence, motivated Katniss's rebellion was foolish. Katniss became involved with the Hunger Games because of her younger sister Prim. Call me old fashioned, but it wasn't the mark of a great writer to kill off her hero's inspiration (nor did it make Prim a martyr). It was just cruel. 

Well, that's it. Hunger Games gets a 3 stars out of 5 rating from me. It isn't bad for a debut series. Perhaps when it is released in another edition, they will have a go at the comma splices and sentence fragments. 

The Monsters and the Critics

"Fantasy is a natural human activity. It certainly does not destroy or even insult Reason; and it does not either blunt the appetite for, nor obscure the perception of, scientific verity. On the contrary. The keener and the clearer is the reason, the better the fantasy will it make. If men were ever in a state in which they did not want to know or could not perceive truth (facts or evidence), then Fantasy would languish until they were cured. If they were ever to get into that state (it would not seem at all impossible), Fantasy will perish, and become Morbid Delusion.

For creative Fantasy is founded upon the hard recognition that things are so in the world as it appears under the sun; on a recognition of fact, but not a slavery to it. So upon logic was founded the nonsense that displays itself in the tales and rhymes of Lewis Carroll. If men really could not distinguish between frogs and men, fairy stories about frog-kings would not have arisen. 

Fantasy can, of course, be carried to excess. It can be ill done. It can be put to evil uses. It may even delude the minds out of which it came. But of what human thing in this fallen world is that not true? Men have conceived not only of elves (which, it is important to note here, Tolkien references as being the same as part of Faerie. In fact, the words apparently are derivatives of the same Latin base), but they have imagined gods, and worshipped them, even worshipped those most deformed by their authors' own evil. But they have made false gods out of other materials: their notions, their banners, their monies; even their sciences and their social and economic theories have demanded human sacrifice. Abusus non tollit usum. Fantasy remains a human right: we make in out measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker."

JRR Tolkien, On Faerie Stories

I'm beginning to realize that determining the "Christian post-modern" (if it could indeed exist) may be worth my academic time. I might finally have found a graduate school thesis. It is, for that matter, something which could be turned into a doctoral work. 

And I've come to realize that I revere J.R.R. Tolkien's work. He, C.S. Lewis, and J.K. Rowling stand quite distinct as writers of the Christian post-modern: reuniting meta-narrative with reality, as it were. Part of me wishes nothing more than to simply have a desk in the corner of a pub where I can write a great story (and drink great beer). I think, deep down, I always knew I would become a hobbit-esque academic storyteller. 

And that is how I feel about that. It's the academic in me finally admitting it needs to come out and stay out. 

Word of the Day: Panoply [1) Complete or impressive collection of things. 2) Splendid display. 3) Complete set of arms or suit of armour. Orig. 16th. C. = complete protection for spiritual warfare.]

Quote of the Day: "The Gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind which embraces the essence of all fairy stories." Tolkien

The Unlikely Disciple - A review

Several weeks ago a friend suggested I read "The Unlikely Disciple." I was uncertain about adding another book to my workload/reading list, but I'm glad I took her advice.

This is the true story of the teenager who did a semester at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. 

Now, for a little bit of background, before I jump into my own thoughts about the text. Kevin Roose was a sophmore at Browns University. That's right, Browns. As you find out in the first chapter, instead of doing a semester abroad like many of his friends, he chose to do a semester at Liberty, for journalistic interest's sake. 

It has taken me a few weeks to process this book. Roose paints a gracious and revealing picture of life at this fundamentalist baptist university, including his accounts of evangelism, creationism, 'The Liberty Way,' and much more. I was struck by the similarities - and the differences - between Liberty and Redeemer. 

I'm two months away from finishing my degree at Redeemer. Redeemer is a Christian liberal arts university located in Ancaster (Hamilton), Ontario, Canada. Redeemer, like Liberty, offers degrees in many academic spheres and teaches from a Christian worldview. Redeemer offers courses in apologetics, hermeneutics, and the academic study of scripture. It has faculty and staff who are devoted to both faith and scholarship. Its students joke about it being a safe haven, a Christian Bubble if you will, shielding its students from the scary outside world. But I'm afraid that is where the similarities end.

See, Redeemer was founded as a Reformed (prominently Calvinist) -based post secondary institution. It has never been affiliated with the mega-church movement, a 'mega-church' pastor, and its students certainly don't look to the president as the most influential man in the country. While Redeemer has a Code of Conduct, it encourages trust, and acknowledges that it cannot police the behaviour of its students. After all, part of being a Christian is being challenged to live differently, not simply doing so because the university you attend will make you pay fines if you break their laws (example, demerit points and a $25.00 fine if you are caught watching or in possession of an R rated film). 

While Redeemer does not have a student population of 25 000 (no, just a mere 900 students), or offer a weekly televised evangelical church service (I can hardly see the Reformed Protestants I know participating in this sort of phenomenon), or insist that all its faculty hold a '6-day creationist' view of how the world came to be, it does exist, and it is also developing some strong, intellectually apt leaders. 

Liberty has always been an enigma to me. Working at Muskoka Bible Centre last summer, a retreat/camping/conference centre born out of the same Christian tradition as Liberty, I have had some experiences with Liberty students - both within my work-sphere, and as guests on the grounds. One thing that I have never forgotten is as follows.

The first week of the summer season is what MBCers have affectionately dubbed "Liberty Week." It is an informal way of saying that the chapel is overrun with Liberty paraphernilia - speakers, worship band, and the booth with the bright red t-shirts. Following one of the chapel services, I decided to meander towards the Liberty booth, just to look at the University brochure and see the sorts of programs they offered, to compare it to Redeemer. 

Within about 30 seconds I had a Liberty student engaging me in conversation about my life story, my faith, my ambitions, and my education. I guess it was pretty obvious I was a college-aged person. Besides the fact that she seemed thoroughly unamused by the fact that I was a student at Redeemer (her expression actually shifted into a depressed sort of wail as she uttered, "oh, you go to Redeeeemer"), she began to inquire about the status of my faith. Explaining to her that I had been baptized as a child - as is the practise of my tradition - and done profession of faith in front of my church at age 18, she seemed agitated. 

"So, you mean you aren't a born again Christian?" she asked me. 

"Well, what do you mean by that?" I asked her.

"You know, born again, have you rededicated your life to Christ? Have you been re-baptized?"

Last time I checked, baptism only needed to happen once, so I said no.

"Oh," she said, looking downcast. "Do you think you're a Christian, then?"

Again, I asked her what she meant.

"Well, you should be born again if you're a true Christian. Do you know Jesus?"

I can't really remember what happened next, but I do remember walking away from that conversation a little confused. Since when does being a true Christian mean being a 'born again Christian'? Since when does the Sacrament of Baptism need to be performed more than once on a believer? Why did I feel a little put-off by this eager young girl (whose major I later-on found out to be religon) who clearly just thought I needed to be evangelized?

All good questions, and after reading Roose's book, I may have had a few of them answered. I also learned a lot about Liberty. It occurred to me while I read that some people must see Redeemer in this same way, and that is a sobering thought. 

Do take the time to read this book. You'll laugh, you'll be angry, but most of all, it will drive you to re-evaluate why you believe what you believe. And who knows, you might even find answers.

Word of the Day: Noise

Quote of the Day: "Maybe our stars are unanimously tired..." Jon Foreman, Switchfoot

Null.

February has flown by. I feel bad for not posting.

The last few weeks have simply been homework filled, including getting out the February issue of The Crown. Last week, applications went out for Editor-in-Chief. Since I will be leaving at the end of the year, someone needs to take my place. It's hard to give up something that you've poured your heart and soul into for 3 years, but I know that God will bring someone in to continue what The Crown has managed to accomplish in the last several years.

It's bittersweet really.

I've also been reading my brain out. I've nearly finished some Michael Ondaatje, which I began reading yesterday evening (I have about 60 pages left), and I need to get my game on, and finish some LOTR today.

Reading break was needed.

Word of the Day: Lego

Quote of the Day: "Recomputing.." Tim Hawkins on GPS for Marriage

Dusk

The sun is beginning to sink in the afternoon sky, and it will soon be evening. The skeleton trees out my window seem to want spring to come, and given the chance, they would bud presumptuously. But I fear winter will come with a vengence.

But none of this matters because, snow, rain, sunshine, daylight and nighttime are going to be consumed by words, and these words are not my own.

Currently, there is over 18 hours of LOTR soundtrack music quened on my Grooveshark playlist. My hope is to make literary criticism read with an epic air.

The skeletons' skin darken with the sky, and the Willow Tree Angels guarding my window sing the soft songs of the quiet, deep, clear, night.

Word of the Day: Overwhelmed

Quote of the Day: (Context: Wolverine is walking down the stairs in XMen 2). "Everyone is trying to seduce him. Rogue's trying to seduce him, Storm's trying to seduce him, the wooden floor is trying to seduce him." Kudzai

Nice one, Google.

No, I guess one doesn't, does one...

Word of the Day: Ptolemy

Quote of the Day: "The internet is composed of 80% porn, 15% cat videos, and 5% everything else." Jon Macdonald

Bartering Bills and eReaders

Nick, my dear friend who is teaching me the ways of the road, typically gets paid by beer. We go driving for an hour or more, and then we go get beer.

But recently, we have taken to arguing stupid things over said beers. The result, bets over who is right and therefore who will be paying the following week's bill.

Last week the standoff was whether or not Nick was taller than George Clooney. This week, it pertained to whether the wolf or pigs won in the original Three Little Pigs fairy tale. If the wolf won, I'm paying, if the pigs won, he's paying. However, if the story of The Three Little Pigs was not, as we presumed, to be a Grimm's Fairy Tale, we'd split the bill like nice friends and continue with a new bet next week.

Yeah, we definitely signed that. It was on a Crabby Joe's napkin.

Also, stopped at Chapters yesterday to pick up a gift for a friend. They had their new Kobo Colour Touch eReader. Happy. I might have found love in books. (Christmas, perhaps?) I can even get a pretty leather cover that is magnetic and makes it look like a real book. I might have crossed over to the darkside of reading's future...



Still, my bookshelf will never be neglected. I like turning pages. eBooks don't have smells and feels, just words.

In potential future endeavors, it might be a useful thing to have. And it's pretty.

Word of the Day: Spaghetti Squash

Quote of the Day: "There is copulation everywhere!" Papa-Fabes.

2 Books in 2 Days

I realized this week that I have been working my way through several books since [probably] January, and I decided it was about time I should finish them.

Also, for those avid followers of mine, namely Suggernuggets, who have wondered in silence where the Marineland Commercial Count went, do not worry for it remains. In fact, my surprise is simply that I actually managed some Marineland commercials this summer - all the way up in the Muskokas.

MCC: 3 (includes Radio and TV)

Word of the Day: Pink

Quote of the Day: "Remember spring crew..."

Am I a Bookworm?

I don't really need an answer to this question, because I already know that the answer is yes. The question is, to what extent am I a bookworm?

Let's examine the situation, shall we?

1) When I moved into my dorm this September, my bookcase was bulging at the seams. I had accumulated so many books over the course of my first two years that tupperware containers and Redeemer bookshelves just weren't doing the job anymore. So, I asked Mom to donate the downstairs bookshelf (a 6 shelf wall length synthetic wood shelf) to my cause. She did. It is now a vital part of my dorm, housing both my books and about 15 pairs of shoes.

2) I carry anywhere between 2-8 books with me at all times. I usually have a book in my purse. If I am going to be away from my bookshelf for longer that 2 days, I tend to bring half of it with me. This Christmas, I brought home 7 books. (Lost in a Good Book and The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde. Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinback. The Portrait of the Artist by James Joyce. Mere Disciple by Jeff Strong.) I've finished one, and nearly finished another. Two of them I have been working on for quite sometime. One of them I was going to read, as my roommate and I use it as a devotional...

3) I have a very difficult time parting with textbooks. Even those pesky little (and overpriced) coursepacks...those stay on my shelf. With those, my logic is simple... the information might come in handy someday! (I've yet to reopen a coursepack).

4) I have never left a bookstore without purchasing a book. My favourite are the used bookstores with books that have that old and musty smell to them. It is actually the best place to pick up Classics - especially Classics with pretty covers and interesting insciptions. I really enjoy opening a book's cover and seeing all the people who have previously owned it - kind of like, when I was in elementary and high school, the first thing I did when I recieved my textbooks (my goodness do we ever take FREE textbooks for granted) was look at who used the textbook the year before. It was always a fun surprise...all the better if the person who used it previously was a cute boy!

I suppose I could go on, but I think I have made my point.

Word of the Day: placid

Quote of the Day: "Cork in the hole. That'd be a good drinking game, I should patent that!" Uncle Ken

Last Book of 2010

Well, as this year draws to a close, I have decided that I need to finish at least one more book before 2011 rings in.

That book is 'Lost in a Good Book' by Jasper Fforde.

I really enjoy Jasper Fforde, though I'm finding he has a way of including references to more Charles Dickens novels than anything else. This particular novel also has a few references to Alice in Wonderland, Franz Kafka and Thomas Hardy (and that's nice to see).

So far, I give this book my approval. Though, if you are going to read it, I suggest reading 'The Eyre Affair', 'Jane Eyre', and a few Dickens novels (Mystery of Edwin Drood, Great Expectations, etc). Give yourself a good foundation. I don't know how you could understand these books without a solid knowledge of Classical literature.

Side note: What are the 6 most boring novels in Classic literature? Apparently Spencer's 'Faerie Queene' isn't one of them...

Word of the Day: sleep

Quote of the Day: "Can I get in your snowpants?" -Me to Mom

The Point of No Return

I truly believe that one of the most interesting phenomena involved in essay season is the point of no return. It hits people in different ways.

Some people get stressed, lock themselves in their rooms, and refuse to dress themselves or shower for days. For a shower becomes the reward for every correctly placed comma, period and citation.

Some avoid the work. They dance and laugh and scream about campus because life with friends is better than life with essays. The problem with that logic is that if life is exclusively with friends, the essays come back to haunt (failing grades included).

Some work weeks ahead of time in order to perfect every word, sentence and paragraph. They spend hours with books, dictionaries, thesauruses, headphones and library cards. They note-take, highlight, sticky note, and organize every bit of information they come across.

Or some, like me, procrastinate. They don't procrastinate in the name of friendships or fun, movies or entertainment. No, they procrastinate because it is what they have learned to do. Consequently, this procrastination stems into a flower of caffiene, late nights and excellent papers. Don't ask me how, but these people (myself included) get worse marks when they have done weeks of preparation, than when they have written the paper the night before it is due.

Further, I am the type of the person who reads and takes notes during the process. So, my procrastination, paired with the strict attention to detail, causes me to, well, look depressingly at my daunting stack of books.

Sometimes I get essay topics I like (example: current paper being written on the history of literary criticism regarding Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glasss by Lewis Carroll). They stem into sub-topics (Freudian interpretation, Feminist interpretation, theory of text interpreted as political/cultural allegory), or sub-sub-topics (cultural and historical surroundings of text and how they relate to previously mentioned sub-topics). Sometimes I get essay topics I do not like (an article review on something pertaining to the History of Africa), and everything that can go wrong, will (the missing 'Pocket Guide to Writing in History' which is necessary for the article review, since it outlines how the professor would like it written and cited). Other times, the essay topics cause conflict with normal class work (reading 76 pages of 'The Ode Less Travelled' by Stephen Fry, completing a '5 senses' poem, reading Midsommer Night's Dream, 3 chapters of African History). Still other times, surprise work comes (an email from a professor, informing me that, in order to remain enrolled in a 400 level creative writing course - I am the only 3rd year registered for it - I must have a 15 page portfolio handed in by Wednesday) and complicates an already disgusting life of work even further. Other times still, extra curriculars call, and offices need to be cleaned.

This is the point of no return for me. Normally, students will hit that point back at the second essay. I may have also hit that point at the second essay, but luckily for me, insanity is a very large part of my life, off-setting the realization that I'm in over my head.

I have 4 VERY solid days of homework coming up.

I also discovered that, in order to graduate with a double honours major and a minor, I will need to stay at Redeemer for an extra year, as I have 21 courses (and 4 semesters...5 courses a semester...yes, that's the right math) that I still need to take. It is a very good thing that I LOVE school.

Word of the Day: brain-dead

Quote of the Day: "England would be merely a free-floating political aggregate held together by nothing more glorious than money or self interest, devoid of its once cherished cultural and spiritual landmarks - a godless place not unlike the chaotic underground into which Alice falls i her first adventure, or the 'backwards' world she discovers just beyond the comforting bourgeios looking-glass." - Donald Rackin

A little bit of my life

So, I promised pictures.

Remember when I said we had mice in the house? Remember when I mentioned the bit about chipmunks? Well, this little guy scared the crap out of my housemate this past week. She almost touched it, which is pretty gross.

His name is Alfred.

As you can see, the whole -caught in the mousetrap- thing worked well for it. Just in such an inconvenient spot. Jon, one of the guys who inhabited the dorm beneath ours all year, is on Security for the summer, and gladly got rid of Alfred. This involved a drastic hurling of both animal and trap into the backyard. To which he said, "See if that's still there tomorrow!"

The next few photos are of my room. I have a lot of clothing laying everywhere. Let's face it, I am moving out of Blue Castle in a week, and the necessity to clean up my floor isn't high on my priority list...especially since I spend all day cleaning.

And this was the day Kaitlin decided to climb out of her window and on to the roof of Blue Castle. It took a pretty sweet picture though!

And that is my life. It's been really hot working the last couple of days. Blue Castle is stiffling hot at night. We're working at 7am again this week. I don't mind it, surprisingly. My body is getting used to the early rise thing, and is less and less tired in the evening.

Kait and I biked to Chapters tonight. There were some lovely sales, and I finally invested in an iRewards card. I bought several wonderful books. I'll let you all know what I think of them when I finish reading them.

Wednesdays have also been instituted as Whopper Wednesdays. Pretty much the entire cleaning crew gets together for lunch and goes to the BK Lounge on Upper James. Today was really funny, because instead of asking the cashier questions about what to order, and how much things would cost, and what comes on the burgers, I got to answer all the questions. I loved it. Burger King is my namesake.

Off to bed now.

Word of the Day: whopper

Quote of the Day: Me: "I have a package on one side that's really heavy." Kait: "Uh, that's really awkward."

Life in Blue Castle

I am getting horrible at this. Rest assured, in one week's time when I have internet access in the place I live, I will be updating more regularly. I have a ton of pictures to put up.

Let's run this down, shall we? Saturday night was movie night at Joel's. Maria, Emily, Joel and I watched 'the Devil Wears Prada' (Em had never seen it before - and she calls herself a Meryl Streep fan) and had dinner. It was entertaining...as it always is when we English nerds get together.

Sunday night was movie night with Kailtin and Jon. We watched Fanboys and Zombieland, ate about $40 worth of pizza and wings, had a full bottle of sprite, sweet chili heat doritos and twinkies (because you have to eat twinkies when you watch Zombieland. It's just the way it works!). Felt completely disgusing afterwards, but it was so worth it.

Monday was a chill day. I liked having May 2-4 weekend off for the first time in 5 years. I forgot what that feeling was like. I mostly read. I have 2 more(ish) books to read in the Hitchhiker's series. And since I have read one of them already, it shouldn't take me too much longer. There is a waiting list of people who want to borrow the book(s) from me.

Then today, it was back to work. Cheers to making beds and vaccuuming. Life is good.

Word of the Day: keys

Quote of the Day: "Someday Brittany is going to host her own children's show!" -Deanna

Literary Embarassment

Thank-you to my mother, who bought me stickers of the Peanuts characters. Lucy (my laptop) is now decorated.

My embarassment for the weekend:

I watched New Moon with my dormies and Perry. (Perry should be more embarassed...he was the only boy watching the film, and kept trying to come up with ways he could kill a vampire)

Not to say I enjoyed the movie, because in all honesty, I think the Twilight series is one of the lamest items of fiction I have ever come across. It was designed to satisfy teenage girls who are trying to reassure themselves that there is such a thing as the perfect boy. Lucky for Bella, she has two (excuse my sarcasm, please).

So, what did I learn from the experience? Well, since this trailer pretty much included a run down of all the exciting scenes, you can imagine how silly it was.

This is Twilight: a vampire who has fallen in love with an accident-prone teenager, fights his vampire instincts to be with her. Yes, thank you, every girl's dream. She is also guarded by a werewolf (just in case), and has all the perfect lines said to her. Garlic doesn't work.

I think the best part of the night was Perry's insisting that he could, in fact, kill a vampire. I figure, if all else fails, send out Chuck Norris. Edward Cullen stands no chance.

Word of the Day: vorpal

Quote of the Day: "Isabella was destined for the traditional role that fell to gender-challenged Spanish royals, to be served up as fodder for some diplomatically opportune marriage." -A Vanished World. (how lame is it that my quote for today comes from a history textbook...)

A Love Letter to Reading

It has been a very long time since I have read a book that left me with a feeling of complete contentment.

I love reading. But, I find myself critical of what I read (it's that darn pending English degree). So when I find a novel that leaves me completely awestruck, I simply have to share it with all of you. This book is called 'The Thirteenth Tale' and it is by Diane Setterfield. It requires preparation.

Before you read it, I suggest getting some background knowledge of Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, Emma, and The Woman in White. Also, fill your literary hankerings with Sherlock Holmes. (As I think about it, this is probably the reason why I enjoyed the book so fully.) After you've done that, delving into some Virginia Woolf and Isak Dinesan might not be a bad idea either.

"My study throngs with characters waiting to be written. Imaginary people, anxious for life, who tug at my sleeve crying, "Me next! Go on! My turn!" I have to select. And once I have chosen, the others lie quiet for ten months or a year, until I have come to the end of the story, and the clamour starts up again."

I was amazed by this paragraph. Any writer knows that this is exactly how it goes.

This book is a love letter to reading, in its truest form. It is a celebration of life, stories, and family. Pick it up. Read it. It is not an option.

Word of the Day: Clamour

Quote of the Day: "Sometimes the system goes all kaplink." Kristen (misquoting lyrics from Bad Day by Daniel Powter

Tuesday Afternoon Thoughts

I'm sitting in the quiet of my dorm, chore done, living room cleaned. The quiet of my playlist is keeping me company while I make my way through a Margaret Atwood book. I must start the essay on it tonight.

Its quite the playlist, I realize. Subtle and reverent (Bart Millard's rendition of old hymns) to convincing and convicting (Switchfoot and Casting Crowns), I'm struck by the ageless praise that comes from the old and the new.

And then, as I pay for the semester, I hear my bank account cry a little.

Word of the Day: Attractive (thanks to Joel)

Quote of the Day: "I'm saying that Eowyn is Aragorn's female equal, not that she deserves him!" Emily, on LOTR (specifically in a debate between Arwin and Eowyn as possible mates for Aragorn)

Sanity Break

NOTICE

Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot it it will be shot.

BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR

Per G.G., Chief of Ordinance

From, 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain

*Sigh*

One essay down, two more to go. Long nights in the library are my favourite. I haven't been at home since 8:30 am.

Word of the Day: attempting

Quote of the Day: "... to call something realist is to confess that it is not the real thing." Terry Eagleton

Off Again!

Tomorrow is the day I go back to Redeemer.

I have spent much of the day so far packing up. I forgot how much stuff I have. It seems like I won't need most of it, and I am actually leaving a fair bit at home. The worst has been the decision of what books to bring, what books to leave.

As you can see, I haven't done a very good job of picking and choosing what stays and what goes. I have a sort of attachment to all of my books.

I think that's okay, considering my major is English Literature and Writing (yep, I have a focus now. It's a pretty big day). But still, I think that I bring the books along because really, one never knows when one might need a Classic to reference in a paper, or daily conversation. There's a few books I bring with me everywhere. C.S. Lewis' 'Screwtape Letters' are a favourite, as is 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and Heller's 'Catch 22'.

I think one of the books that I love best is my old red version of 'Huckleberry Finn.' That particular version was published in 1929. I think it's probably worth a bit of money. Also, notice to the right hand side, the bluish coloured book by Daniel Defoe. That one is 'Robinson Crusoe' and happens to be on my fall reading list for school. Not to mention there is about 5 more books beside it that wouldn't fit in the photo.

Yep, I'm a novel junkie.

Off to school I go again, none the less. It should be a good year. I'm hoping that my courses will be as interesting as they sounded on paper. Mostly, I have histories and englishes this semester, but I also have Biology for Dummies, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday morning at 9 oclock. What a way to start off a week... But I figured that would be alright, seeing as my last class on Friday is Writerscraft.

MCC: 97

Word of the Day: packing

Quote of the Day: "Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier." Kathleen Norris