Whoa, Too Long With No Updates...

Excuses, excuses. The truth is: I got bored with the blog. I'm terribly sorry. BUT, I'll try to make up for it by being extra enthusiastic for a while. Sooooo, what's been going on in the wonderfully interesting life of SunnyD?

Firstly: I'm with a new boyfriend ^_^ He will be referred to as "Freshman" on this blog, and yes, that really is something that people call him, lol. I'm extremely happy with him, and we've been dating for about 4 months now. Shocking, I know. I really gotta update this thing more.

School's been pretty much the same. I've been getting A's, but I'm KILLING MYSELF for an A in math this semester. It hasn't been easy. But I think I can do it *crosses fingers*

As far as movies go.... well.... okay, I haven't really been to many movies lately. I did see Avatar in 3-D, though! I loved loved LOVED it! Coolest movie ever, even if the plotline was a tad predictable. *shrug* I think the fantastically amazing new world/perfect acting makes up for it, haha.

I definitely recommend seeing this in 3-D. SO totally worth it, I'll never forget that experience. Blew me away.

One book that I read that I feel I should mention is A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray. The book is historical fiction/fantasy, and to say that I enjoyed it would be an understatement. It's about a 16 year old girl named Gemma Doyle, who attends a finishing school near London during the late 1800's. She's just lost her mother, and she's also just started to get strange visions of a little girl in a strange "realm" (the realms still confuse me a little bit, but it's basically just a different world in which your desires can be carried out through a magic-ish process. It's a bit strange, but I liked it.) Anyway, Gemma befriends a few girls at her finishing school, and together they all travel through the "realms" together. They get power-hungry, though, and that's when the real story unfolds...

The book has a lot of mystery elements in it, which I thoroughly enjoyed ^_^ Also, the level of detail in the author's writing is... incredible. Her writing style definitely impressed me, it was the type of writing that left you thirsting to know what would happen next. And everything was so interesting! Not a boring spot in the entire novel. It was even pretty funny, Gemma is a sarcastic, strong, and witty character that any girl is bound to like. Also (NOT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY) the ending is the coolest part of the book, and I guarantee you won't see this one coming. Check the book out if you're interested in historical fiction/mystery/fantasty, but don't check it out if you're looking for a good romance. There's not very much of that, unfortunately.... BUT this is the first in a trilogy, and I hear that there will be more romance to come (yay!).


So yup. That's what dear old SunnyD has been doing with her life : D I hope to keep better track of this blog from now on, haha...

~I'm on Spring Break right now, and LOVING IT!

The Fray, The Matrix, and My Phase

I didn't take these pictures, by the way. I just wanted to give you some idea of what seeing The Fray is like.


Firstly, I want to say that I am VERY sorry that it's been so long since I last made a post : ( It's not that things have been uneventful, I've just been a slacker : P Forgive me? I hope so, because I love readers!

So a few weeks ago I went to see The Fray live with one my besties, Alanna. You probably read her blog if you read this one, so I'm sorry for a repeat of the experience, but I have to talk about it!!
x D It was amazing. Words can't even describe how glad I am that I went. It was like I'd never REALLY heard them before, they were so awesome live. The lights and effects and stuff was pretty sick, too. Overall it made for a really epic night. Only problem: It was on a Tuesday night (FML, much?) so I was exhausted because I stayed up later than I'm going to admit the night before studying for a Physics test and Alanna was feeling a little out of it, too. The Fray totally made up for it, though. Neither of us felt bad at all during the concert, it was a very interesting feeling. It almost felt like it wasn't even happening to us, like it was too good to be true or something. But it was real : ) and to say that we had a blast is a giant understatement. If you are a fan of The Fray and they're coming to your town for a concert I highly recommend that you go see them, you will not be disappointed.

I know that it must be hard to believe that I'd never seen The Matrix before last month, but it's true. I'm not really sure why, I think it's mostly because nobody ever sat me down and made me watch it. Here's my general opinion: I personally loved the movie because I love science fiction. I'm not really sure if every viewer out there would enjoy The Matrix because it's not exactly a one-size-fits all movie. I think it's targeted toward a specific audience but I could totally be wrong. It was also great if you like an intense, action packed movie that also makes you think. Anyway, here's the basic plot:

The main character is a man named Thomas Anderson, but for most of the movie he is known by his hacker name, Neo. Neo has been searching for answers about the mysterious "Matrix" for a long time, and finally he is taken by a group of secretive people who give him the opportunity to find out the truth. He takes it, and his life will never be the same.

I don't want to give away too much about the movie because it will ruin the experience if someone hasn't seen it before, so I will finish my brief summary with three quotes:

(Morpheus is the leader of the group of rebels who take Neo)

1) Morpheus: Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.

2) Morpheus: I imagine that right now, you're feeling a bit like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole?
Neo: You could say that.
Morpheus: I see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, that's not far from the truth. Do you believe in fate, Neo?
Neo: No.
Morpheus: Why not?
Neo: Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life.
Morpheus: I know exactly what you mean. Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Neo: The Matrix.
Morpheus: Do you want to know what it is?
Neo: Yes.
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind.

3) Morpheus: Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?

Believe me, those quotes don't even scratch the surface of The Matrix : ) If they intrigue you and you like intense sci-fi then check it out!

So onto my last topic, my phase. I broke up with my steady boyfriend NHC recently and thankfully he didn't get mad so we broke up on good terms. I felt like our relationship had run its course, we just weren't as into each other as we were before. So now I am single again for the first time in over a year. I'm actually really happy, though. Strange, huh? I'm pretty much just going through my life completely crush-less and not too eager to change that fact. I feel very free and it's nice to live life without the complications of a relationship... for a little while! I'm not permanently swearing off dating like SOME people I know, but I'm not ready to throw myself back out there just yet, either. So I call it my phase : ) I'll let you know when it ends.

~Right now I'm reading Catching Fire the sequel to the fantastic book The Hunger Games! ^_^

Back to School, Shooting Stars, and Personal Expectations

Is it just me, or have I not had a good journal post in a really long time? This is pathetic, it's summer vacation! Shouldn't I be up to my ears in exciting things about my personal life to blog about? Maybe I'm just boring : ) I'll try to keep things interesting in this post.

So school is starting up again next Tuesday *grumble grumble* obviously no one's happy about that, but I am kind of looking forward to seeing some of my friends that I don't get together with outside of school. Other than that, I'm thoroughly dreading the freezing classrooms, the little sleep, the waking up early, the annoying teachers, and most of all the homework. Despite all of these negatives about school, I know that I can endure anything with my friends by my side. Call me optimistic, but I have a feeling that this year will be challenging but good somehow.

I know that I'm going to make more of an effort to get involved with more activities this year. I'm going to join a bunch of clubs, I'll try to go to more at-home games for the sports I enjoy watching, and I'll even try to make it to a school dance. I like a busy schedule : ) Speaking of schedules, I got mine recently and it doesn't look too bad. I'll have a heavy workload for sure, but it definitely looks manageable. I've also already compared my schedule with my friends, and I have at least one class with almost all of my close friends! Pretty lucky, huh? I even got a class with Bubbles, which is incredible. Ever since I've known Bubbles (preschool) we've never gotten a single class together. Until now ^_^ That's pretty cool, and I got 3 classes with GOS's current boyfriend! She's really jealous, she didn't get any classes with him, lol. I've gotten to be friends with GOS's current boyfriend, who will be called Turtle on this blog. Turtle is WAY better than Loser-boy, and GOS is doing well with him. He's a good guy, and he makes GOS happy, which makes me happy : )

Now about the shooting star. I went to the beach this week with my friend Kelpo and while we were there we saw a shooting star! I've never seen a shooting star before, so the event seemed worth mentioning. And, being a little optimist, I made a wish on the star : ) Kelpo isn't really an optimist, so she simply enjoyed the sight and didn't comment on my wishful thinking. Kelpo and I are great friends (we met in the 3rd grade and haven't gone to the same school in years, we don't see each other nearly enough), but we really do have quite opposite personalities. She's very cynical in her thinking, and doesn't have a lot of confidence in her abilities (even though she's by far one of the smartest people I know). Despite our different ways of thinking, Kelpo and I have a lot of fun together. We both enjoy being active so we boogy boarded, played catch, and goofed off in the ocean together. It was awesome : D And I didn't get badly sunburned for once! Perhaps the shooting star granted me good luck on the beach trip, and maybe it'll even grant the wish I made! If there's any magic in this world we live in then there must be a little magic in those bright streaks of light that shoot across the sky, right?

Last but not least: Do people do greater in life if they expect more from themselves? I believe that people do. Having high expectations for yourself brings about a certain can-do attitude for people, which leads to greater accomplishments than what would have been acheived had the person not believed in themselves. Certain people argue that if you expect little, then you aren't disappointed if things don't work out. I think that attitude is bull crap, and nobody should ever expect little of themselves. That's just my personal opinion, though, and anybody out there is welcome to challenge it.

~I'm still working on finishing the 5th Children of the Lamp book, and when I do I'll give it a review and talk about Catching Fire.

Owl City

Gosh, I can't get this band's songs out of my head! It's really become a problem, not only have I been listening to Owl City songs almost nonstop for the past two days but now I'm actually forcing others to listen to them so I'll have people to get addicted with me. *Sigh* Now a good chunk of my hard earned cash is going towards buying a ton of Owl City songs (I'm considering getting their CD called Ocean Eyes) but that's okay. Like a good friend once told me: it's okay to indulge once in a while : )

I missed a great chance this summer to see Owl City live : ( Not only that, but they came with Relient k (another band that I love)! I would've gone at the time, but all of my friends willing to go with me were out of town. I'm not entirely heartbroken, though, 'cause I'm currently trying to work out seeing The Fray with my friends when they come. Seeing The Fray would TOTALLY make up for missing out on seeing Relient k and Owl City : D

Here, maybe I'll try to force more people to get addicted to this band with me (WARNING: All of this band's songs are fantastic, and once you hear one you'll be a goner. Listen at your own risk.) This song is my favorite, it's called Vanilla Twilight:



Did you like that? If so, great. If not, that's okay. You're actually saving yourself much time and possibly money if you didn't like it. Or maybe I'm just insanely and hopelessly obsessed with this particular sound. . . . Anyway, here's my second favorite of their songs. It's called Hello Seattle:



You know what's really incredible about Owl City? It's just one dude! That's right, as misleading as the name Owl City is, the band is just one dude named Adam Young.

And yes, this is the best/most flattering picture of Adam Young that I could find. If anyone wants to help a girl out and hunt up a better one for me, then good luck to you : P There was one really awesome pic... but it was on photobucket and got removed so I couldn't use it. Darn. Apparently Adam claims that his musical talent comes from his insomnia. I'm glad that someone could finally find a good use for insomnia : )

~Check out Owl City, but try not to get obsessed like poor SunnyD!

Time for a Change!

Hello everybody! I have decided that as much as I love my current template, it's gotten its fair share of use. I'm getting tired of looking at the same old green again and again (even though it's a really awesome green ^_^). I've narrowed down my decision to 5 different templates, and I'd really appreciate some comments and opinions to help me pick one. I'm leaning towards a sun themed background (after all, I am SunnyD) but I'm open to alternatives. So please, check these out and comment on which is your favorite! Thanks a ton!

http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/shhh-listen

http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/optimistic-sunshine-

http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/in-my-hands

http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/starry-sunrise

http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/sunset-beach

Knowing, The Silence of the Lambs, Julie and Julia, The Great Tree of Avalon: Book One, and Do Women Usually Make Better Romance Authors Than Men?

I guess I'm taking procrastination to a whole new level (don't even get me started on all the summer homework that I'm still putting off) because I have several things that I'd like to discuss in this post that I probably should've split up but I'm too lazy to do so : ) Sorry, this post will definitely be a biggie. *Cracks Knuckles* Where should I start? How about with the movie Knowing?

About a week or so ago I had a great sleepover with Maddie (who now has a blog! If you're interested, it's www.maquiqui.blogspot.com) and we picked Knowing as our movie for the night. I will start with this to be absolutely clear: I personally enjoyed this movie, but I'd recommend it to very few people because it was a specific type of movie that wouldn't fit everyone. It had a message and purpose that I can't see your general audience being particularly fascinated with. If you're considering watching this movie, then I advise you to choose it carefully.

Now I'll get onto what it was about and why I liked it. John Koestler (Nicholas Cage) is a single father raising a son named Caleb. Koestler is a professor who teaches astrophysics at MIT, so he's clearly an intelligent man who bases many of his beliefs on scientific principles. When his son Caleb brings home a sheet of numbers from a school time capsul, Koestler thinks nothing of it. Until he really looks at the numbers and sees a pattern. 911012996 among a stream of numbers. If you separate it into 9/11/01 it's the date of the 9/11 terrorist attack. The 2996 is the exact death toll after the attack, and these numbers were written 50 years ago (remember his son got the numbers from a school time capsul) by an elementary aged girl. Koestler spends a sleepless night going through all of the numbers and making similar connections (date and death toll) to countless more catastrophes that happened over the past 50 years. The next date on the list of numbers (with a predicted death toll of 81) is supposedly going to happen the next day. That's when Koestler discovers that the other numbers on the sheet are latitudes and longitudes that give the exact location of the disasters predicted. He discovers this bit of information because he is present at the next predicted disaster.

You might be thinking that this movie seems very philosophical, or that there is little action. Trust me, there's action. Even a little suspense during some parts, I really enjoyed it. There are major "end of the world" and apocalyptic themes, they mixed a bit of religious views with all the science (which is best explained on a feature of the DVD that Maddie and I watched after we finished the movie, it cleared up a lot of confusion for us). Anywho, it was a great science fiction movie that made me think- which I loved : D I could go on talking about Knowing for a long time, but I'll move along to The Silence of the Lambs.

I did not like The Silence of the Lambs. At all. Some of my friends are outraged, they consider The Silence of the Lambs a classic movie and they think I'm insane for not liking it. Perhaps it is a fantastic movie loved by many, but it just plain wasn't my type of movie. In comparison to Knowing (the type of movie that I can really get sucked in to) this movie was the exact kind of movie that I have no chance whatsoever of truly liking. I suppose I found it interesting, but I didn't get any enjoyment out of the movie.

FBI Agent in training, Clarice Starling, is assigned a tricky task. She has to question and attempt to obtain information from a man named Hannibal Lecter. He is a brilliant psychiatrist who also happens to be a cannibalistic serial killer. He's been in prison for a long time, and Clarice is sent to question him because her superiors think that her sweet face and interesting manner (not to mention her sharp and clever mind) will intrigue Lecter and maybe soften him up enough to relinquish some useful information for a current case that the FBI are dealing with (and Lecter happens to know a lot about). The movie follows Agent Starling as she deals with Hannibal Lecter and attempts to solve the Buffalo Bill case that the FBI are so preoccupied with. However, to solve the Buffalo Bill case Agent Starling must tell Hannibal Lecter personal information about her and her past. She has to uncode the many messages that Hannibal Lecter gives her, and she has to keep a level head while she reveals dangerous information about herself to a cannibal and serious killer.

It's a captivating plot, I'll admit. To me it's the definition of an on-the-edge-of-your-seat movie. It has several things to keep you interested..... and several things to make you run away from the screen screaming. I didn't get nightmares after watching this movie, but you won't catch me watching another horror-ish movie until 2010.

I saw this movie with my friend Alanna, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! It kept me interested and left me feeling properly entertained and inspired. The story follows two women: Julie Powell and Julia Child. Julie Powell is a woman living an ordinary life, she feels put down by her job and jealous of the success of her friends. How does plain jane Julie escape the ups and downs of her plain jane life? She cooks. Her husband encourages her to set up a blog about her cooking, and she accepts the blog with a challenge. She's going to cook every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook in one year! That's 520 something recipes in 365 days, and Julie feels like Julia Child is with her every step of the way.

Meanwhile, the story also follows Julia Child while she was living in Paris. It shows how her interest in cooking started, and follows Julia's life while going through cooking school and while writing a cookbook of her own. While Julia Child's struggles are different than Julie Powell's, you see connections and similarities in what they're both going through and how they're dealing with their separate obstacles.

The fact that the movie is based on two true stories makes it even more cool in my opinion, and my only complaint was that it was a bit long (over 2 hours!). It didn't drag at all, though. In fact, I was sad to see it end : ) A good movie to see with friends and family; I highly recommend Julie and Julia to almost anyone.

I tried to pace myself, I really did : ) Unfortunately I failed, and finished this book way more quickly than I had planned. This book is great for people who love a good fantasy- it's full of mythical creatures, magic, quests, and a dark prophecy! The land of Avalon is a great tree, born of Merlin's magic seed that beats like a heart. The various creatures of Avalon live on different roots of the tree (Mudroot, Fireroot, Woodroot, etc.) and things are going well after the Age of Storms.... until the Year of Darkness. One child born during this year is prophesied to bring the end of Avalon, and one child born during this year is prophesied to save it. The book follows the journeys of Scree (an eagleman), Tamwyn (who is half flamelon and half unknown), and Elli (a human slave to gnomes who escaped and became a priestess). Together, they can stop the dark sorcerer who is plotting to ruin Avalon on his own terms. But which of the children is the one who will save them all? And which child is the one who will doom them?

I definitely liked this book, and I will most certainly read the rest of the series. If you aren't majorly into fantasy books then I wouldn't pick this one up, but if you are a fantasy lover it's a great read!

Okay, my last topic isn't exactly a journal one, it's just a question. Do women usually make better romance authors than men? If so, why is that?

I love to read, I'm sure anyone who follows my blog knows that. I've noticed often with books written by men there can be a situation with an obvious love interest... and they describe absolutely nothing between the two people involved. The two involved in the love interest won't have a moment, kiss, or even acknowledge their feelings for each other and yet we're all supposed to know that they're in love! Or sometimes the author will attempt to describe a romantic moment and he will completely and utterly fail. I'm not trying to be sexist, but I've noticed this tendency more often in books written by men than books written by women.

And I'm not saying that men can't write good romance! They're out there, those sensitive male authors. And on the flip side I'm not saying that certain female authors don't suck at writing romance just as bad as some of the men. I'm just saying that in general it seems that male authors really wimp out when it comes to describing romance between two characters with a love interest. If you're going to have a love interest in a novel, there should be something (even just one tiny little part) between the characters so that it at least seems like they are actually in love. This is just my opinion, though, anyone out there reading this is perfectly justified in disagreeing with me.

Here's my theory about why men in general avoid writing any romance in books even if there's a love interest: men define romance differently than women. I think most women feel that romance is two people expressing their love for each other whether that be through words, kind gestures, a kiss, etc. I'm not sure how men define romance, but I think they define romance as certain things that aren't appropriate to write about in young adult novels. Maybe that's why there's sometimes a complete lack of romance in books written by men where there very well should be romantic parts. Or maybe I'm totally wrong : P Whatever the case, I hope you have an opinion about this question or that it at least made you think.

So, what is SunnyD reading now? I'm reading the fifth Children of the Lamp book, and it's okay so far... As for what I'm up to these days... nothing too exciting. I spent a fun day yesterday at the mall with Grip of Steel, her boyfriend, and her little brother. Tomorrow I'm having breakfast with NHC at a bookshop/trying to stay out of the heat as much as possible. Basically, I'm doing all the normal summer activities : D

~Sorry that this post was so long, I'll try to split things up more from now on!

Chick Flick Splurge

Sometimes even the best of us break down and watch a few chick flicks now and then, right? : ) Don't get me wrong- I don't have anything against chick flicks. They can be entertaining and interesting like other movies. It's just. . . . . chick flicks have never exactly been the type of movie that I go out of my way to watch. So I surprised myself when upon arriving at Blockbuster I immediately picked up 2 chick flicks and 1 suspense movie.

I actually watched half of He's Just Not That Into You at a friend's house, and unfortunately I had to leave before I could finish it. It's taken me a while, but I've finally gotten around to finishing it : P This movie left me feeling good, almost optimistic about relationships in general. It wasn't precisely a feel-good movie, but I enjoyed it. The movie centers around different people in different stages of relationships and follows them through their varied ups and downs. The plot was intricate enough to keep me focused (sometimes my mind wanders during movies that I'm indifferent about) and with a cast like this, it would almost be impossible to go wrong. This chick flick stars Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson, Gennifer Goodwin, and Kevin Connolly to name but a few. The acting was great, I didn't have a single problem with the acting in this movie. Well. . . . . . I suppose I had a few issues with the chemistry in certain parts of the movie, but you'd have to be a really amazing actor to be able to fake chemistry.

Anyway, I'd recommend this movie to most girls looking for a fun chick flick and I bet it'd be a hit if you're looking for a good movie to watch at your next sleepover. And without further ado, here are some of the male cast members of He's Just Not That Into You and they will do part of my job for me : ) They're talking about why it's a great chick flick to watch because it doesn't have a lot of the usual clichés that you find in a typical chick flick. Oh, and even if you're not planning on watching this movie- check out the video anyway. Seriously, it's good for a laugh. Enjoy:


He's Just Not That Into You was the fist chick flick that I grabbed, but the second is a bit more embarrassing to admit to : )


I'll admit that I'm guilty of watching a couple of episodes of Sex and the City now and then. I kind of blame my mother for introducing me to the show >.< I'm not sure why they went for such extremes with this movie. . . . the beginning was all sugar and happiness (which isn't how the show is at all!) while the middle was just plain depressing. I wish that I'd watched this one before I watched He's Just Not That Into You, because this chick flick actually brought me down whereas He's Just Not That Into You left me feeling cheerful and optimistic. I can't reveal what was so depressing during a good portion of this movie, so you'll just have to take my word for it when I tell you that the Sex and the City movie is NOT a lighthearted, happy chickflick. The ending was okay, but I didn't enjoy the movie as a whole. The show is far better, so if you're interested in good, chickflicky stuff then check out the TV show and skip out on its movie.

So that's my chick flick splurge! Hopefully that'll last me for the rest of 2009, lol. Next up is my review of two more movies: Knowing and The Silence of the Lambs (which was the last movie that I picked up at Blockbuster). Very different, and a nice change, from the chick flicks : P What's SunnyD reading now? I'm reading a really good fantasy book called The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy. Maybe I'll finish it in time to include it in my next post along with those other movies *Shrug* I'm trying to take my time with this book (something that Alanna's been recommending to Nikki and I for a long time).

~As always, I appreciate comments : ) Thank you for reading!

Summer Update

Hello, readers! Summer vacation is upon us, and I've been reading/watching movies/hanging out with friends/playing volleyball/working (remember that job interview I mentioned oh-so-long ago? I kind of got it) so I have a slightly good excuse for not updating in a while, right? : P Well, I do have good news to share: My volleyball team was in first place at the end of all the regular games! : D Our team name was Blue Ice, and we seriously kicked butt, if I do say so myself. Walking into the tournament, though, we received a bit of bad news. Our coach got word that 3 of our best players (we have 8 on our team) wouldn't be coming that day. The tournament was the last and most important part of this league! Having 5 players (there are meant to be 6 on the court) meant that there was almost no way that we'd win even a single game in the tournament. I'm proud to say that through sheer determination and teamwork, we got 2nd place : ) It was incredible, I don't know if I've ever been so proud of a team that I've been on in my life! Of course, that's not saying much, since I did a nonteam sport for the majority of my life (gymnastics) but I've been on a few teams since I quit gymnastics, and Blue Ice has been the most inspiring one yet.

Now, why have I not been updating more often if I've been reading so many books and watching so many movies? Well, it's summer vacation, and I'll admit to a bit of laziness when it comes to this blog. I'm sorry if anyone's missed reading me (haha, right). A few things that I've read this summer worth mentioning:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I'd recommend it to anyone- it's a trilogy, and it's fantastic. The characters are what really kept me reading it, but the plot itself is also fascinating. An excellent fantasy about demons; it's definitely the best book I've read this summer.
Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci. This was not something that I usually read, but I really enjoyed it! It's not a series and it's not fantasy, it's about bioterrorism. Sounds like a downer, or something teens wouldn't like? That's what I thought, but I read it for bookclub and I was pleasantly surprised by how gripping a novel it was.
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. This is a historical fiction book told from the point of view of a slave named Isabel during the Revolutionary War. I really loved it, and I hear there's going to be a sequel, which I will most definitely have to read when it comes out. This is a great historical fiction novel for those who don't usually read historical fiction. It's easy to get sucked into it, the author practically transports you into another world!
If you read and like the book Chains, I've also read Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. I'm warning you, it's not as good as Chains, but it sucks you in all the same (some authors have that power. This is one of them). Do NOT pick up this book lightly. It's no fun read (the polar opposite of My Most Excellent Year, if you've read that review), it's about a girl with severe eating disorders and how she slowly comes to terms with them because her best friend also had severe eating disorders and died because of them. I only read it because of the author and how much I enjoyed Chains.
The Notebook. Most of you have probably already watched this movie, because it's been out for a while and it's extremely popular. This was my favorite thing that I've watched this summer. This is surprising, because it's very chick flicky, and I usually don't really like chick flicks. This is a lovestory set in North Carolina during the 1940's. It's based on a book, so I should probably read the book.... Anyway, the movie is beautiful and powerful, I enjoyed every minute of it. Oh, and Ryan Gosling is extremely gorgeous : ) Just saying.
Titanic. Again, most of you reading this have probably already seen the movie, but I just watched it this summer so I'm going to talk about it a little : ) This movie is centered around two people who fall in love on the Titanic and go through monumental danger together. It's extremely interesting, because it's one thing to know the basic story of how the Titanic sunk, but it's another thing altogether to live through it happening (which is the point of the movie, to try to make you see the sinking of the Titanic in a different light). Oh, and Leonardo DiCaprio is very good looking, if that matters to anyone reading this : P
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I didn't really like this movie. It had little action, it was depressing, and Brad Pitt was old and disgusting looking for about half of the movie. He was only young and gorgeous for a few scenes >.< Yes, I watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I liked it okay, but the book was better. My biggest complaint with the movie was that it left out too many memories that Dumbledore showed Harry in the book. Because they didn't show these crucial memories, I think that anyone who hasn't read the books would have more trouble following the story. *Shrug* Then again, I HAVE read the books, so I can't experience the movie from the point of view of someone who hasn't, so maybe those memories aren't as important to understanding what's going on as I thought. Anyway, I wasn't blown away, but I liked the movie.

So there's a taste of what I've been entertaining myself with this summer : )

~I'm sorry that I don't keep up with this blog as thoroughly as I do during the school year.

Freedom Writers, Life is Beautiful, Marcelo in the Real World, and Dear Julia

Yes, my readers, it's been a long time since I last posted. To pay for this, I have several topics that I will be talking about, and my hands will most certainly feel cramped after typing this : ) I hope that gives those of you who have been waiting on a post some cruel satisfaction, lol.

My excuses for not posting are pretty valid, though. I've been so busy with after school activities like volleyball, chorus, bookclub, and work that my NHC hasn't been able to talk to me on the phone except for Sundays. I've always been a person that likes to stay busy, and I've definitely been busy because final exams are looming up ahead, and teachers have been piling on the homework to get us all prepared.

However, I like a full schedule, so me being me I signed up for another volleyball team in addition to the one I'm already on! I'm very excited, this next one starts on June 1st, and I always like to meet new coaches and teammates.

But enough about my boring life, I'm eager to talk about several books and movies that I've recently watched! In fact, there were so many that I actually had to CHOOSE what I would and wouldn't talk about this time (Two movies and a book I won't be discussing. Animal Farm got cut because I hate history and the whole thing was a giant historical metaphor, and The Great Debaters was okay but there was nothing particularly special about it that made me want to share my opinions with anyone. The book was Long Shadows, and it's part of the Warriors series, so that'd take too long to explain.)

This movie started out with a lot of violence, so I didn't have high expectations for it when I first started watching. I was surprised when it actually started to get good. I was knocked off my feet when one part hit a bit too close to home and I had to actually hold back tears. By the end I found myself wondering how I had even thought that this movie wouldn't be anything worth remembering at the beginning.

What makes this movie even better is that it's based on a true story. No lie. The acting also happened to be GREAT, it stars Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, etc.

So, about the plot. It sort of reminded me of the movie Lean on Me (with Morgan Freeman) where one teacher tries to turn a bunch of students away from their rebellious ways and actually get them to shape up into a well educated class (I liked Lean on Me, too, in case anyone's interested). In this movie, Hilary Swank plays a new teacher at a school where you're defined by your race. All white people have their own gang, all black people have their own gang, all Hispanics have their own gang, all Asians have their own gang, and NO ONE intermingles. It's really bad, they actually kill each other if you're caught on another gang's territory. Sometimes for even less than that.

Mrs. Gruwell (referred to by her students as Mrs. G) has high hopes for her first class. She prepares a well thought out lesson plan, wears her most professional clothes, and walks into a teacher's nightmare. The picture below is of the real Erin Gruwell:

The movie follows her journey through attempting to understand her class and her brilliant methods of bonding with them. Mrs. Gruwell has her students write in these journals so that she can discover each child's story and gain a better understanding of why they have these gangs so that she can put a stop to as much of the violence as she can and ultimately help the students find their place in the world. The movie (and book, if you want to read it rather than watch it) is called Freedom Writers because of the journals the students kept.

I liked this movie a lot, it was very inspiring. It makes you really FEEL like someone, not just a face in an endless crowd. You learn that each person has their own story to tell, and that no hatred is too deep to be solved.

This movie I had to watch in my history class, and it is quite sad. I can't say that I enjoyed watching it, but I do think that this is a movie worth watching if it's the kind of thing that you're into.

The plot is kind of divided into two halves. The first half of the movie is a charming, funny romantic plot. The second half is a chill you to the bone sad plot about the Holocaust. The movie is set in 1930's Italy and the main character, Guido Orefice, is hopelessly head over heals in love with a teacher named Dora. He gets into many hilarious situations with her, but unfortunately for him, Dora is engaged to another man. The first half of the movie is about Guido persistently trying to win the heart of the woman of his dreams.

The second half of the movie is set a few years later when Guido has a family, but they are all taken away by Nazis to a concentration camp. Guido's son is very young, and to avoid traumatizing his boy, Guido comes up with an imaginative (and very untrue) fantasy to explain to his son why they've been taken away from their home to this awful new place. He tells his son that it's all a contest, and that there's a point system for how well you obey the mean Germans. His son loved to play with toy tanks back before they were captured, so Guido tells him that the prize is a REAL tank. Here's the trailer for the movie:



It makes it seem far happier than it really is. Just warning you. The beginning is cute, though...

I liked this book, honestly, I did. The points that I make may make it seem like I didn't find it well written, but it really was and while it wasn't the best read it was still pretty good.

Marcelo is about 17 or 18 years old, and he's been sheltered his entire life because he has a mental disorder. He's autistic, and the closest thing to describing what he has is Asperger Syndrome (deficiencies in social and communication skills). He's gone to a private school called Patterson for his entire life, which a school for those with disabilities. He doesn't really need to go to this school because his disability isn't bad enough that he couldn't go to public school, he just feels safer at Patterson.

Marcelo has a gift with working with animals, and he gets a job working with the ponies at Patterson over the summer. Marcelo couldn't be more delighted. That is, until his father gives him a tough decision to make. Arturo (his dad) insists that Marcelo either go to public school for his senior year or that Marcelo work at his law firm for one summer. His dad is trying to get Marcelo to interact with people more and learn to function "in the real world." Marcelo decides to work at the law firm where he meets people and encounters tough choices that help him realize where his place really is and how he's going to get there.

My biggest complaint with this book is that it built up a lot of anticipation for something that never happened. The underlying romance of the story is between him and this girl, Jasmine, who also works at his father's law firm. Throughout the book, Marcelo tries to figure out what love really is and what makes a woman beautiful. I kept waiting for this solidifying moment between Marcelo and Jasmine to satisfy that aspect of the plot, to help Marcelo see more clearly what the difference is between friendship and love. That moment was kind of there, but it wasn't good enough for my taste. *Shrug* But this is just one small complaint! I liked the book, it held my interest, and I would recommend it if you're thinking of giving it a chance.

This is a fantastic, glowing example of a book that I highly DISLIKED. I wouldn't suggest this book to anyone, it was a serious disappointment. I can't believe this girl in my book club liked it, she usually has better taste than this.

This story is about a girl name Elaine and her friend Lucida. Elaine has no friends in school before Lucida comes along in her junior year of high school, she plays no sports, has no extracurricular activities, but she is very bright when it comes to academics. However, academics aren't what interests Elaine, despite what her mother wants for her. No, Elaine dreams of becoming a wonderful chef with her own cooking school.

Lucida has this "weakness" for a boy named Croton Harmon, who is her competition when it comes to being casted for plays and various other things. She knows that she should hate Croton (he's awful to her) but she's a sucker for his good looks. She befriends Elaine randomly, and they team up together to get revenge on Croton for a cruel thing that he did to Lucida during an audition.

Eventually, Lucida discovers Elaine's deepest secret: her obsession with French food. Elaine is a pro when it comes to French cooking, and her idol is Julia Child. Elaine writes letters to Julia Child, asking various questions about how to cook this or that/telling Mrs. Child about how her cooking skills are developing. Elaine never sends these letters, though, because she's painfully shy. Lucida helps Elaine to discover enough courage to enter a cooking competition with the tempting prize of a scholarship to a prestigious cooking school. Whether Elaine follows through or not, I shall not reveal.

It sounds like an interesting book, right? Well it's not, for one reason, and one reason only: The story is meant to be told by teenagers, but the author has NO understanding whatsoever as to how REAL teenagers live and act. It made the entire book seem fake and unbelievable, which is a shame because the plot is actually quite good. That's the only reason that I even finished the book, was because of the plot. Just don't even give this book a chance, though. It's not worth it.

I was going to include a journal post in this, but I'll have to save until the next post. My hands are screaming for a break : P

~My next post will be a journal post, I promise!

Jellicoe Road, 17 Again, and Lemurs

Here we go, readers: This'll be a book review, a movie review, and a journal post! Since my poll said that the majority of people who read this blog (which, I'll admit, is very few) enjoy a variety of topics, I'm going to try to give more variety from now on.

Jellicoe Road was recommended to me by every single member of my bookclub that had read the book. I'm just going to say this now: If you are capable of reading, then I don't care what type of books you like, you have to read this book.

No matter who you are, what you're into reading, or how old you are (actually, scratch that, any kids reading this should be warned. Maybe ages 12+ or something) you'd get pulled into this book and sucked into the plot. It's impossible not to.

This book is set in Australia, and it is told from the view point of Taylor Markham. Taylor is about 17 years old, and her mom abandoned her a long time ago (I think she was 9) at a 7 Eleven on Jellicoe Road. She goes to this boarding school-ish place there for kids with issues (mostly kids without parents) and is the leader of her school when it comes to the territory wars. Taylor's school, the townies, and the cadets all fight over territory with each other, and there are many rules and regulations to follow about these territory wars found in what they call the Little Purple Book.

One day, the only person in Taylor's life that she really cares about, Hannah (she's the one who found Taylor at the Seven Eleven, and is not really a mother figure to Taylor- more like an older sister), disappears. Hannah's left behind this manuscript that she's written over the years, and this manuscript contains many secrets about five people who met on the Jellicoe Road a long time ago. Their names are Narnie, Jude, Webb, Tate, and Fitz. Taylor doesn't know anything about this seemingly fictional manuscript, but soon its secrets transform her life forever.

To say that this book is well written would be an understatement. The author did a remarkable, fantastic job with weaving an intricate and mysterious story. Words cannot describe how powerful this book was. Every emotion that Taylor felt hit me as hard as if I were the one experiencing it.

What really made this book a winner for me was the story, though. Everything part of it works together marvelously to help you figure out Taylor's past, and it all comes to you in little pieces throughout the book that make you extremely curious about how it all fits in together. Please, if you're reading this, give Jellicoe Road a chance. Go check it out at your closest library and I promise that you will not be disappointed.
Me, I hate High School Musical. I complain about it almost everyday with my friends 'cause we are forced to sing a song from the 3rd movie in my chorus class (we're doing a fun end-of-the-year Disney themed concert). Having said that, my brain associated Zac Efron with Disney because of High School Musical. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when I watched 17 Again with my friends yesterday.

It was a very teen-ish movie with lots of teen humor in it. My friends and I all liked it, we were all laughing a lot (and crying a little at one part). It was a very fun movie, but not one that I'd recommend seeing with parents (GOS, I'm saying that for you're benefit).

Anyway, this story's plot is a bit done (very similar to Back To The Future in several parts) but it was still very good. Overall, I thought it was quite fun, and very appropriate for our mini Girl's Night Out : )

I don't think I really need to give much of a plot overview for it, though. Here's a short one: A man named Mike O'Donnell is getting divorced with his wife, Scarlett. He loves his children, but he doesn't really know them. When he meets a mysterious old man, he gets a second chance at being 17 years old. He tries to fix things with his family as a 17 year old that they don't know, and he gets into some hilarious situations along the way (with his friend Ned, who's played by Thomas Lennon. He's hysterical).

I thought it was great, so if you're in the mood to watch something fun with your friends, think about 17 Again. And for you boys out there: It is not a chickflick, so don't try that excuse if your girlfriend asks you to see it with her : P

Now, my Lemurs topic. I don't want to reveal where I live on this blog, so I'm just going to say that I spent the day with my family at my brother's college. I recently decided to support a lemur at this program that they run, so I sponsor a Slow Loris named Doodlebug with about $50 a year. Today I visited Doodlebug and all of his lemur friends : ) He looks something like this:

It was dark in there, though (he's nocturnal) so all I could see was a general view of him running through the branches. He's about as small as a squirrel, and very quick! The diurnal lemurs I got a better look at, and they were very interesting as well.

Here's a fun little video of a slow loris (not Doodlebug) getting tickled. My friend Alanna saw this on youtube and sent it to me after I told her about Doodlebug:


After our lemur tour, my family and I went to visit the school's gardens, which were lovely. There were many ponds, flowers, bridges, ducks, geese, etc. It was like a gorgeous park but with tons of college students studying everywhere/hanging out ^_^ It was very relaxing strolling through the gardens on such a sunny day, everything about it was picturesque. There was even a wedding going on, so there was nice music playing by one of the ponds. My brother says that there are always weddings in the gardens because they're so beautiful.

After the fun activities, we started to help my brother move some of his stuff from his dorm room back to our house. School's almost over for him, so he's not moving out of his dorm yet, but we decided that it's going to take us two trips to get all his crud out of there (it still boggles my mind that such a tiny, cramped dorm can hold two boys and all of that crap they have). I helped without complaint, but that's mostly because we had the door open as we cleaned/packed with my brother, and several hot guys tend walk through my brother's dorm halls shirtless. Also, one of his friends dropped by to help us, and he was really nice and funny so that also made the dull (and slightly disgusting, when we got to the closet) work go by faster.

So for me, this weekend has been really fun so far. I had a great time yesterday watching 17 Again with my friends (who I don't get to see nearly as much as I'd like to) and today I was outdoors enjoying the nice weather with my family. The icing on the cake would be if NHC and I get together tomorrow, but he didn't call me today to set anything up. Actually, he hasn't called me in a while. *Sigh* It takes a lot of effort to make a relationship work if you don't go to the same school as the person you're dating, maybe I'll call him tomorrow... Wish me luck.

~Comments are appreciated!