College, Longings, and Bilbo Baggins

Yes, yes, it has been a while, but once again I meet you here.

Wherever here is.

Currently I am finding myself nearing my senior year of college and I am suddenly struck with this agonizing fear.

I should be studying. Yes, but more importantly, what am I doing?

As an English major with a history minor I find myself asking all of the questions I should have asked a year ago. Should I have not minored in Communications and history? Should I have minored in Business? Why can't I just like Science?

 I hear people talking about their journalism dreams and publishing plans and I'm here saying, "Well... I have a better understanding of literary texts!"

I want to work as a journalist or in publishing... or just doing anything that surrounds me with the written word.

Graduate school is in my future. I feel it.

Books have always been my solace, which is why here I am... on my book review website. Speaking of my college woes, but really, I miss the written word more than I can explain.

With school and work, I find myself never having time to sit and write anymore. I couldn't tell you the last time I was able to lose myself in a book for hours.

I think this might be my problem. I've allowed me to lose myself.

I found myself working so hard towards getting a future job that I would love that I forgot how to be happy now.

Who does that?

Life caught up with me and here I am, between an English major and a longing to feel a real book in my hands again.

As Bilbo Baggins would say, "I want to see mountains again, mountains Gandalf!"

So, mountains are what I'm looking for.

I'm going to write, and read, and maybe look up job opportunities for the English major and history/comm minor combo for the millionth time.

I'm telling you, nothing is scarier than the future.

Blog world - it feels nice to be back.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White: Review

 Date Released: 1952, December 14, 2004
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: 5 keys
Source: Bought & 60th Anniversary
ISBN-13: 978-0064400558


 Charlotte's Web is a book that formed my childhood. I remember being seven and eight years old, seeing it on my grandfather's shelf, and thinking,"That's a girls book... why does my grandfather have a little girls book?" I didn't understand then. Charlotte's Web is not a book about talking animals, a spiderweb, and a pig that was lucky, Charlotte's web is a book about what it means to be human, but at the age of eight all I saw was the little girl on the cover, and the animals that surrounded her.

So, two years of seeing this book propped on my grandfather's shelf led to me finally having it in my possession. I'm not sure how it happened, how they knew that was the only thing I thought about every time I glanced at the book shelf... but one day, I was granted permission to read it.

I remember the nights I spent then, curled up on a camping trip, my parents asleep feet away from me, but I was in another world, my head under the covers, a flashlight and Charlotte's Web the only thing I paid any attention to. 

For those of you who have read Charlotte's Web, you understand what I'm talking about. The world is so different, but yet everything feels as if you have felt it before as soon as you open to the first page.

You feel for Wilbur, you love Charlotte, you feel like Fern is someone you have always known... that doesn't happen often when reading a book. Charlotte's Web is a classic because it is important and it shapes you. I felt different after I read it.

For sixty years this book has been read, loved and shared. For Sixty years this book has shaped those around it and influenced not only my generation, but also my grandfather's generation, my mother's generation, and it will be given to my own child.

 It is terrific in a way other stories can't be. It captures something within each of us, and it hasn't failed yet. It is wonderful, it is fantastic, but most of all, it is important.

 “Why did you do all this for me?” he asked. “I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.  ’You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”  - E.B. White Charlotte's Web

Doctor Who - A Love Story

I can't be the only one who has a physical obsession with The Doctor.

I began watching Doctor Who a few months ago, and have since completed the new series - and it is simply amazing, so this post is dedicated to my love of Doctor Who, because who doesn't want to talk about the Time Lord?

Doctor Who is a series that has been running since the early 1960's and since it has been a show that is popular, but undercover popular. I don't know how to describe that feeling exactly, but a love of Doctor Who seems to be a thing that resides primarily on the internet. I have not found many people in my day to day life who know of The Doctor, but that can change. :)

David Tennant is my favorite doctor, because how could you not love this adorable face?

His use of emotion is incredible, and this show more than any other has made me feel something. It's not often when I watch movies or TV shows that I feel what the characters are feeling, but you have no choice in Doctor Who.

This is a blah post, because we all have those, but I have to say that Doctor Who is incredible, The Doctor is incredible, and this is a show that is so incredibly human I can almost not believe it.

So, if you love The Doctor, you might be my new best friend. If you haven't watched it yet I kind of envy you, because you get to start this amazing journey.

Yes, it is that big of a deal. 

I love The Doctor with both of my hearts.

If you disagree, I will sonic screwdriver you silly.

Just kidding. :)

Also, I have missed you all.

Waiting On Wednesday!

Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.

Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

Jennifer Castle’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment.

This one comes out next month and it sounds amazing! I'm quite excited. :)

Startdust by Neil Gaiman

Date Released: July 2007
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: 5 keys
Source: Bought
ISBN: 0380804557



Description:

In the sleepy English countryside of decades past, there is a town that has stood on a jut of granite for six hundred years. And immediately to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here in the town of Wall, Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. One crisp October night, as they watch, a star falls from the sky, and Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he'll retrieve that star and bring it back for her. It is this promise that sends Tristran through the only gap in the wall, across the meadow, and into the most unforgettable adventure of his life.In the sleepy English countryside of decades past, there is a town that has stood on a jut of granite for six hundred years. And immediately to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named.

Here in the town of Wall, Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. One crisp October night, as they watch, a star falls from the sky, and Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he'll retrieve that star and bring it back for her. It is this promise that sends Tristran through the only gap in the wall, across the meadow, and into the most unforgettable adventure of his life.

Review:

This book was my first reading of Neil Gaiman and oh, did it start a beautiful friendship. Since this book I have scrounged up nearly every book ever written by him and keep trying to fit them into my schedule around every turn because this man is one amazing writer.

This book is one that was surprisingly great, I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I had seen the first ten or so minutes of the movie, but when one of my friends read American Gods and couldn't stop going on about it I decided I had to read some Gaiman myself.

And we all know, I'm a YA girl.

So, Stardust was what I picked up and it was amazing. The book doesn't center around any one character, of course it focus' on Tristran but it jumps around to give a more well rounded view of all of those who live beyond Wall and this was a world I wanted to get to know more about. It was interesting, the characters, the setting, the situations, all of it kept my interest and had me reading until late in the night.

What I really loved though about Stardust was just Neil Gaiman's way of writing. The way he phrases simple things astounds me and it makes me realize just how powerful words can be. After reading this book I am on a quest to read all of his others and that doesn't happen all the time.

If you haven't read Gaiman yet, or if you just want to, Stardust is the perfect starter book to one of the greatest writers out there. I highly recommend it - so you should go read it.

Harry Potter, the Fun Stuff

I'm still not over the end of Harry Potter.

I'm actually not sure if I will ever be completely "over" Harry Potter as I credit it to making me who I am. Not completely of course, Harry Potter didn't make me cheat on my math test in second grade, or cause me to get that speeding ticket when I was sixteen, but Harry Potter did do some other things in my life.

Because of Harry Potter, I became a reader. I have said it before, but I really do think Harry Potter inspired my generation to do more than just read, we believed in magic again which is something we were lacking in a world filled with The Backstreet Boys and Brittany Spears because they were the people kids were looking up to.

Until we met a little boy with a scar.

So, I take this opportunity to stop my sappiness, and move onto other things.

These are some of the best Harry Potter related images I have found on the internet so far, I have done enough talking about exactly what Harry Potter means to me to fill several posts, so this one I just want to make fun.

Here they are. Enjoy.

Lolz!

Lol, Spidey...


I don't think this was a waste of five dollars...

No offense Twilight, I loved you as well... it's just not the same thing. lol

And finally...

It's over guys, and I never did get my hogwarts letter...

Hey, Guess What... I'm BACK!

So, I have been MIA for the last few months, most of that was due to college and me starting work but there was a problem... I missed you guys too much!

So, without further ado, I am here to say that I am back.

Just because I wasn't blogging, doesn't mean I wasn't reading so I will have some reviews coming your way quickly.

I can't wait to see you all again!

As always, books are life and I have missed you all!


(The reason for the picture of the cast of Harry Potter, is because I like Harry Potter...)