The Craziest Idea Ever

Well, I think I've gone insane. My family agrees. Because (wait for it, wait for it): I'm going to try to write a novel in 30 days. Yes, 30 days. The entire month of November. Here I go, the girl who can't write a 5 paragraph essay in a week, trying to write a whole book in a month!

You can blame my friend Dana for getting me into this crazy scheme. http://evergreendr.blogspot.com/ This is her blog, Elf, where she first advertised the crazy scheme: The NaNoWriMo contest. Write a novel in 30 days, since November is National Novel Month. And me, being the gullible writing-crazy girl that I am, went right to the website (http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/) and signed right up. So, we'll see where this goes. Maybe it will turn out something good...maybe it will be a complete disaster. We'll see!

Forced Flow and Apologies

You know the feeling when you have something to say but you just can't seem to find the words to say it? It seems like I'm living in that state permanently right now.

I'm sorry I haven't posted in such a long time...school started and wham! Homework hit me over the head like my AP US History textbook. And it was not comfortable.

But about that feeling. That is one of the reasons I write, because I feel like, if I can force the words out onto paper and throw them into something that can say what I wanted to or not, then maybe, someday, it will be easier to get them to come out of my mouth. So far this hasn't happened yet, but I'm still hoping it will.

And I guess the reason I said that is that I have been writing a lot of poetry and songs in the last couple weeks, and it all seems to be trying to make sense of what's inside my head. It doesn't make much sense (neither does what's inside my head, for that matter), but I feel like it says something important. So, because I have been horribly neglectful to my blog and because I need to show it to someone, no matter who that might be, I'm going to post a couple of the poems on here. If you like them, then that's great...if you don't understand them, than your brain probably works in a normal fashion, unlike mine. Here goes.

The raindrops
pound drumbeats on my window
blur the outside
into torrents of gray mist
and I sit
waiting for someone
anyone
to break the loud
silence
with nothing but the raindrops
for company


It's the same old story
prove your glory
friend then enemy
what have you done to me
feeble reality
touch my lips to yours
one last time
I can claim you
even when you're forced to be mine
freezing
burning
the girl on fire
perect eleven
please aspire
to kill me
sparks fly upward
catch my dress
burning
transformed
fly away
before you too
catch fire


Turn up the music

it blocks out

your thoughts

thinking is too routine to be painless

lacking orignality

you mind is like a playlist on repeat

the ferris wheel

circling over the suburbs

carrying the weight of everyone

but yourself

you trip over everyone else's burdens

in your haste to turn off the light

everything looks better

when all you can see

is the dark

Bittersweet chocolate chips
Ripped paper
Thousands of never finished sentences
Millions of words never formed by my shaking lips
Salty cheeks
Belated news
Caps lock is on
And everything is a love song
She said it was dangerous
And forbidden
So we rushed out
To prove ourselves reckless
And to prove that love
Conquers everything
We swung our legs
Over the edge of the bridge
Laughed at the height
Heady in the danger
And your perfume
Popping multi-colored bubbles
With our bare feet
Glittering highlights
Of sunlight
In your caramel colored hair
You said you’d be here forever
I said that I knew that
Already
And we sat in our isolated moment
Until
I woke up

Disclaimer: The second poem, entitled Game Piece, was written right after I finished the book Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins, which was about 20 minutes ago, actually. It's the sequel to the Hunger Games, and I won't give you a summary, because it is impossible to do without giving something away. But if you like twisted love stories, rebellion, action, moral decisions, and cliffhangers, you should read this book. After the Hunger Games, of course. If you have a hard time with sadness or some bloody action though, it is definetly not the book for you. But it's a nonstop adrenaline rush, with an amazing complicated plot and characters. Here's the cover: And, hopefully, that makes up for my absence in the cyber-world of late. Hope you enjoyed reading, and I shall see you (well, not exactly, but you know what I mean) next time I happen to be in the cyber-world.

Possible Employee of The Best Bookstore Ever

So, as I was buying Running Shoes today for Cross Country, I decided to go over to Village Books, my favorite local bookstore in the entire world, since it's right across the street. I walked in with a pair of shoes, and I walked out with a pair of shoes, Cathy's Book (which will probably be reviewed here soon), and...a job application.

Some background information: I love Village Books, and it's been a running joke in my family that they should just hire me, since I spend so much time there anyway. It's my dream job: working in a bookstore, helping people buy books, and reading books ALL DAY. What could be better? And my mom had talked to the owners at a function she went too, and they said they could give me a job if I applied. They can't pay me until I turn 16, but I would still get to work there, and I could count it for volunteer hours.

So, I went in with my mom today, and picked up a job application! I have to write a letter about my interests for working there, and fill out the 8 pages of the application, turn it in, and we'll see how it goes!

History Mysteries and Purple Shoes

Sorry I haven't been posting in ages and ages and ages....I have been doing homework! I know, here you may gasp "Why? School doesn't start for another two weeks!" And I shall tell you why. I'm taking AP US History this year, and we have too (no, we get too!) read 5 chapters in our textbook and take notes on them. I'm halfway through Chapter 3: Settling the Northern Colonies, 1629-1700. So, a book you don't want to have to read this summer: The American Pageant. It's actually kind of interesting, if you like history, slavery, religious radicals, and tobbaco. Oh, and corn. Lots of corn. But it's also not too fun to spend a summer day inside taking notes. So, if you feel like a long book full of more than you ever wanted to know wbout the US facts, pick it up at the Sehome library today. They probably won't let you check it out if you're not taking the class, but you could always try.

Off to my last summer run...I start Cross Country practice tommorow! School is fast aprroaching! But, I will be facing it in a new pair of purple low top Converse, so like isn't all bad....

Bloody Brilliant!

I have to say, I've been dissapointed by the Harry Potter movies in the past. They all seem to be missing crucial parts, they cut out my favorite characters, and they skip really awesome lines. But, 4 hourse ago I went to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in theaters, and I am astonished. Amazed. Stupified. It was BLOODY BRILLIANT! It was the best Harry Potter movie so far, in my opinion, and this time they actually managed to stick to the story line and make it a great movie. Wow. If you have an opportunity to see it on the big screen, do it.

Part of being a die hard fan is, of course, dressing up for the movie. I went with my sister, my dad, and one of our friends. In order to dress up as Tonks (Nimphadora Tonks, Animorphmagus and punk Auror), I had to die my hair purple. This is us before we headed off to the theater. I'm in the middle, as Tonks, my sister is on the left as Luna Lovegood, and our friend Dana is on the right, as Bellatrix Lestrange. Our costumes were the best of the bunch, I must say....and the movie was as good as the book. Maybe even better...

Demon Hunting...Well, Vicariously, That Is

I know, long time, no blog. Summer swept me up, and I've been engaging myself in my "summer routine", so to speak: wake up somewhat groggily, swim team practice for an hour, running, bike home, sack out with a book, weight lift, watch a movie, interspersed with playing outside, eating cherries off our tree, and playing my guitar. Heaven. But, as trips to Village Books are a definite must in my life, I have a new series to share with you! The Mortal Instruments Series, by Cassandra Clare. It consists of The City of Bones, The City of Ashes, and The City of Glass. These books are amazing. I bought the series two weeks ago, and I'm already re-reading them.


They follow Clarissa Fray (Clary for short) and her discovery that she's not who she thought she was, and neither is the rest of her world, when she witnesses a murder only she can see, in a downtown nightclub. This is her first encounter with the Shadowhunters, teenagers who kill demons, covered in mysterious tattoos they call Marks. And the first time she meets Jace. She is suddenly thrown into the world she belongs to, but has been hidden from ever since she was born...for good reason. Secrets, battles, forbidden love, betrayal....everything in Clary's life is about to change, but for good or evil; not even she can tell. *evil laughter in the background* But, honestly, I love this series. If I could become one of the characters, I would. They're the type of books you can read, and then pick them right up again and read them over, and it's even better the second time through. They do have a lot of violence, and a little mature content, but overall, an amazing summer read. And they have really cool covers.Unfortunately, Blogger won't let me put them on, for some weird reason. Well. I will put them on later, to see if they work. Until then, I shall sign off.

More Than Just Painted Nails and Highlighted Hair

I read the most amazing nonfiction book this week. And you know it has to be good, because I usually hate nonfiction books. But this one made the real world just as amazing as a fantasy one. It's called the Kabul Beauty School, by Deborah Rodriguez, and follows Rodriguez as she travels to war-torn Afghanistan, after the fall of the Taliban, in 2001. At first, surrounded by doctors, engineers, and therapists, she feels out of place, and worries that she can't make an impact in the Afghan people's destroyed lives. But she soon discovers one thing that she, and only she, can bring to Kabul, Afghanistan: a beauty school for the many Afghan women she befriends on her trip. And soon the Kabul Beauty School becomes more than just teaching women to die hair and paint nails; it becomes an escape from prejudice, abusive husbands, and a country that doesn't appreciate women. It's a really amazing story, and everybody should read it. it will make you laugh, cry, and want to fly to Afghanistan right now, this minute, to meet the amazing women whose stories are told.