As I Walked Out One Evening by W.H. Auden

I am not one for poetry, I will admit, but this poem is different I think:

As I walked out one evening,
Walking down Bristol Street,
The crowds upon the pavement
Were fields of harvest wheat.

And down by the brimming river
I heard a lover sing
Under an arch of the railway:
"Love has no ending.

"I'll love you, dear, I'll love you
Till China and Africa meet
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,

"I'll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky.

"The years shall run like rabbits,
For in my arms I hold
The Flower of the Ages,
And the first love of the world."

But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
"O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time.

"In the burrows of the Nightmare
Where Justice naked is,
Time watches from the shadow
And coughs when you would kiss.

"In headaches and in worry
Vaguely life leaks away,
And Time will have his fancy
To-morrow or to-day.

"Into many a green valley
Drifts the appalling snow;
Time breaks the threaded dances
And the diver's brilliant bow.

"O plunge your hands in water,
Plunge them in up to the wrist;
Stare, stare in the basin
And wonder what you've missed.

"The glacier knocks in the cupboard,
The desert sighs in the bed,
And the crack in the tea-cup opens
A lane to the land of the dead.

"Where the beggars raffle the banknotes
And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,
And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer,
And Jill goes down on her back.

"O look, look in the mirror,
O look in your distress:
Life remains a blessing
Although you cannot bless.

"O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbor
With your cooked heart."

It was late, late in the evening,
The lovers they were gone;
The clocks had ceased their chiming,
And the deep river ran on.

--And it has inspired parts of ARoN as well (and speaking of ARoN, I've finally uploaded Chapter 4)

- E

The 21 Minus Blog Tour

Hey guys! I know I have never mentioned this before, but weeks ago, I was nominated by someone to participate in the 21 Minus Blog Tour, hosted by Anna Waggener (author of Grim). The blog tour itself is pretty self-explanatory: writers under the age of twenty one were gathered together and interviewed. Also, along with the blog tour is a pretty amazing giveaway. The giveaway list is here (and there are some really great books on the list ^-^).

Although we were all interviewed, however, the process itself was slightly different. We were each assigned one person to interview, but the interviewee was not allowed to know the interviewer. In other words, at this very moment, I still have no idea who interviewed me. But if that person is reading this blog post right now, then thank you for your lovely questions. I really enjoyed answering them! And if whoever nominated me is also reading this post (I believe I know who it is, but I'm not entirely sure) thank you so much as well.

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And I interviewed Taryn! Not only is she a writer, but she is also a literary agent intern and she already has an agent for her novel. Which, to be put simply, is just amazing.

Q: Why, exactly, do you write? What made you decide to write or aim to be a lit agent? 

A: I love stories, and I’d rather have a job I enjoy than something that makes me miserable or is just done to make money.

Q: Is there one thing that always ends up feeding your muse whenever you write?

A: Nope.

Q: What is your current take on the Harry Potter vs. Twilight debate? And which one do you prefer?

A: The HP-vs-Twilight debate has been dead for years. The nice thing about reading is that it’s subjective so there’s no point in saying which is better, blah blah blah. I have never been a fan of love triangles, vampires, or characters who must be saved, so I prefer Harry Potter. But it’s not a debate in my mind—not since my junior year of high school (2008-2009).

Q: If there was one person you could be from your WIPs, who would that person be and why?

A: I write a lot of strong female characters. Since I’m toward the end of swim season right now, and I have a few swimmer protagonists, I’d have to choose between them. Lottie’s Olympic level, but she hates her sport. And Tessa’s not quite as fast but she lives on swimming . . . and she’s very independent. So I’d go with Tessa right now. Tessa at the end of the MS, after her journey.

Q: If you had to describe your latest WIP in one word, what would it be?

A: Motivated

Q: What is your take on love triangles and the current Young Adult books out there? Have you noticed any recent YA cliches?

A: As I said earlier, I’m not a fan of love triangles, simply because of their pervasiveness. Sometimes they work, but when it’s just the typical bad guy-good guy choice, I’m not a fan because that doesn’t happen. The way your question is phrased, it sounds like love triangles and YA are hand-in-hand (it sounds condescending, actually), and they’re not. Be careful to read everything. Publishers hype what sells—it’s always ridiculous to me when Hunger Games uses the love triangle as a selling point. That’s not even close to what it’s about. There are amazing YA books out there.

Q: Quick! If a meteor were to come hurtling out of the sky right this moment heading towards you, your family, and your friends, what would you do?

A: Depends how much time there would be. For instance, if you actually mean “sky,” there would be no time to react. But if scientists realize we’ll be hit in like 24 hours, I would spend my last day with friends.

So, thank you Taryn for your answers, and Anna for this amazing tour! And once again, the link to her blog is here, where you should be able to read her very own blog post and interview questions for the 21 Minus Blog Tour. And don't forget about the giveaway on Anna's blog!

- E

Things worthy of loving.

First, we have this song:

And this song (I LOVE Titanic):
(I realize it's only part 2 of the song. The original song is actually about 20 minutes long and Youtube doesn't typically allow 20-minute long videos...but you can still find part 1 by clicking on the link in the info box ^-^)



And this movie trailer (of course):



And this movie trailer:



And that is all.
(A pretty meaningless post...but I felt like I had to share all of this amazingness with someone. So. There you go.)

- E

Tagged!

THE RULES

1. You must post the rules.
2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
4. Let them know you’ve tagged them!

Hey guys. I was tagged by the super cool Mag from Geek Chic, and here are her questions (with my answers) ^-^

1. Who is the author you own the most books by?
J.K. Rowling. I own nine books by her. But wait! you say. Harry Potter consists of only seven books! Well, yeah, that's true. But I do own nine of her books. Well, technically like 6.5. You can find out why here.

2. If you meet ANY author, who would you pick?
It's a tie between J.K. Rowling and John Green. Meeting John Green would be more realistic though, since I have absolutely no idea when I'll ever be able to go to England. And chances are, I probably won't be able to. *sulks*

3. What book have you reread the most times?
I think it's a tie between Twilight and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (How does that work out? o.o) Why yes, I did really enjoy Twilight. Why no, I am not obsessed with it.

4. What is your favorite book genre?
Young Adult. And I can't choose between its sub-categories, like urban fantasy or contemporary, or anything because they're all pretty great, and it really just depends on the books themselves ^-^

5. Do you ever listen to music while you're reading?
Nah, unless it's for homework. Like reading my AP U.S. History book. I sometimes listen to music while reading that. I do listen to music while I write though.

6. Who is your favorite character from any book?
Again, it's a tie between Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan), Isaac (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green), Dexter (This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen), and Wes (The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen).
...I really don't know why they're all guys.

7. If you could meet (and be friends with!) any character from any book in real life, who would you choose?
Ahh. This is really, really hard. But probably Isaac from The Fault in Our Stars. 


8. Five books that made you laugh?
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson, and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

9. Five books with the hottest guys?
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Cross by Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen.
I think o.o

10. How many books do you read in the average week?
Like, one. It really depends on how much time I have and when I'm allowed to go to the library (because my parents think I "Read Too Much"). It's horrible :3

11. And now for the most important question ever: if you had to pick ONE BOOK, what would you say your favorite is (at least, as of right now)?
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green ^-^

Soo...ah, right. Now I have to pick eleven amazing bloggers to answer my eleven questions below:

1. Mag (Geek Chic)
2. Hana (Love. Dream. Imagine.)
3. Brynne (Quite Ridden with Ice)
4. Riv (Riv Reads)
5. Brooke (Paper Mountain)
6. Jaclyn (Rambles From Insanity)
7. Bailey (Novel Nerd)
8. M. Nicole Cunningham (Fierce Butterfly)
9. Smiling_Ina (Smiling_Ina's Little Corner)
10. Dear Maria (Writers like Me)
11. Helen (Normal is Boring...)

And my questions are:

1. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
2. You are walking in a forest and you come across two different paths. As the poem by Robert Frost goes, the first path is one that appears to be worn and familiar. The other path appears new and unused. Which path do you take?
3. What is your opinion on love triangles?
4. What is your opinion on vampires, faeries, and werewolves being used in YA fiction?
5. What are some amazing books you have read this year (so far)?
6. Which is more important in a novel: the plot or the characters?
7. If you went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which of the four houses do you think you would be sorted into?
8. What is one book and one movie you are looking forward to reading/seeing in 2012?
9. One book you would most definitely read again, and one book you would never read again?
10. What is your favorite comfort food?
11. If you'd been on the Titanic, would you have been: a) one of the first people to jump into the ocean, b) a person who waited and ended up in a small lifeboat, or c) someone who sunk nobly along with the ship?

Thanks for tagging me Mag ^-^ (and yes, I had to tag you back :P)

- E

Enter: The Maximum Ride Reading Challenge

READING CHALLENGE BLOG

READING CHALLENGE GOODREADS GROUP

Hey guys! Do you like James Patterson? Do you like action packed books? Do you like YA-sci-fi-type-fast-paced-tough-characters-based stories? If your answer to any of these questions was a, "Yes, of course!" then you should read the Maximum Ride series. Better yet--participate in the Max Ride Reading Challenge, hosted by Mag at Geek Chic and yours truly. Participate in discussions, take quizzes, and vote in series-related tourneys, starting in March and lasting until August, during the release of the last book of the series, Nevermore. 


SO...WHAT'S MAX RIDE?


The Maximum Ride series by James Patterson is a series of YA science fiction and fantasy books following the adventures of six fugitive kids who are 98% human and 2% bird, who are out to "save the world". It is, I assure you, action packed and fast paced, a quick read despite the whopping 300 or so pages for some of the books. If you're participating in this challenge and you've already read the series so far, then good for you--read it again! It'll be just as great, I promise. If this is your first time reading the books--well then, yes, I definitely encourage you to participate. And don't worry; spoilers will be carefully monitored.

AND THE CHALLENGE?


The Maximum Ride Reading Challenge is to read all of the Maximum Ride books--including Nevermore--in the time span of six months and discuss them all. The challenge starts on March 1st and ends August 31st, during the release of the last book, Nevermore on August 6th. The schedule for the series is currently:

• MARCH: The Angel Experiment and School's Out--Forever
• APRIL: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports and The Final Warning
• MAY: MAX
• JUNE: FANG
• JULY: ANGEL
• AUGUST: Nevermore

During each month, there will be a place on the MRRC blog where you can post your reviews, discussions, quizzes, games, etc. for the month's current book only. You will not be able to post anything about the future books in the series for fear of spoilers--and trust me, there are many huge twists within the books. If you read at a slower pace, that's perfectly fine. We welcome slow-paced readers. It's just the fast-paced ones we're worried about. You can read as many of the books you like--I mean, feel free to read all six in one month--but please follow the schedule, and remember: no spoilers!

And if you come in late to the challenge--no worries, you can still participate!

RIGHT, SO WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO THE CHALLENGE?

Plenty, plenty. Not only will you be able to post your discussions and reviews of the books each month, you will also be able to participate in the following activities per month:

• Trivia & Assorted Quizzes
• Debates & Tourneys
• Polls & Fanart
• Games & Any other fan-related activities

SO UH...NO GIVEAWAYS?

No. No giveaways. Giveaways are not everything, my friends, especially in a Reading Challenge which the sole purpose is to read and talk about the books.

GREAT. WHERE DO I SIGN UP?

Go to the Max Ride Reading Challenge Blog and follow! That's the only thing you really have to do. However, it would be lovely if you make a participation post on your blog/web site, or tweet about this, or make a Facebook status...or whatever. Advertisement is key and will make the challenge just more enjoyable! Also, you can grab a button from the blog and post it on your own blog. There is a button for each month (therefore, there is one for each book), so feel free to change the button per month or book. 

Good luck guys! 

- E

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Genre: YA - Contemporary
How I Obtained Said Book: Bought
Series: Stand-alone novel
The Blurb: (from Goodreads)

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

The Review: (a whopping huge amount of spoilers below, all neatly organized into one paragraph in which you will be able to highlight to read)

At the age of twelve, Hazel Grace Lancaster was diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer. Two years later, after submitting herself to a new medicine, she was able to survive a desperate moment when the medicine took effect, gradually shrinking of the tumors in her lungs. Now, at age sixteen and armed with an oxygen tank, Hazel spends most of her time contemplating the side effects of cancer and death, watching America's Next Top Model, and trying to avoid going to a cancer Support Group which she believes to be absolutely ridiculous and useless. Her views of the world and everyone in it are about to be changed, however, the day she meets Augustus Waters.

Augustus is different. When he and Hazel meet for the first time at Support Group, Hazel knows he's different because he had stared at her--and what guy in his right mind would ever stare at someone like Hazel? But it's not just that. Augustus is smart. He's strong, gorgeous, and accepting. And his views of life, of sacrifice and scars, of infinity and everlasting memories, will eventually leave a mark on Hazel herself and change everything she had ever believed to be true with the world.

Let me just say, this was me after finishing the book*:



The Fault in Our Stars, to be put briefly, blew my mind. It was filled with so much mind blowingness (redundant, I know), so much awesome sauce, so much emotion and feeling that I have not ever read anything like it. Which, by the way, could be concluded in two different ways: a) I have not read many very good contemporary fiction or b) you completely and utterly agree with me/believe it to be probable.

And no one else could have put it in better words of why--why why why--this book was so amazing, other than Ana from The Book Smugglers:

'tis here

I love Hazel, present tense. I love Augustus. And Isaac, and Hazel's parents, and Gus's parents, and even the annoying Peter Van Houten. I love all of them because they were so real, so powerful, such amazing and influential characters that make me feel like utter crap sometimes. Cancer is a touchy subject. It is a very depressing subject, an extremely poignant one. It can make anyone living a perfectly normal life (such as me) to feel like utter crap. You have people like Augustus, who believe in heroic, memory-leaving sacrifices and deaths, who believe in mattering (which really reminded me of An Abundance of Katherines) and love and all of that good, pure stuff. You have people like Hazel, who believe in infinity but inevitable oblivion, who in the end will also believe in everlasting relationships and love. You have people like Peter Van Houten, scarred people, hurting people, but still people who are wise and passionate, even when these traits are hidden deeply within.

These are inspirational characters. Flawed, broken characters. And I love them all.

I suppose now it's my turn to leave an inspirational review to a very inspirational book, but honestly, I've got nothing. John Green wrote this book in classic John Green Style. He approached very sensitive subjects (the definition of infinity, the ability to leave memories behind, death, love, values, etc.) in beautiful ways, with very minimum preaching, which is frankly just very hard to do. I mean, I really don't know what to say besides all of this. I can't just list every single philosophical or meaningful aspect this book provided and try to explain them all because then that would be summarizing the book from beginning to end, which would pale in comparison to actually reading the book. Which, by the way, I strongly encourage. Because:

It's hard to bring so much into a novel and write it in a way that would make people understand, make people feel a certain way. But John Green did it. And may Hazel and Gus's epic love story live on.

Spoilers: highlight to read
And by the way, I will continue to believe that after the book, Hazel dies and joins Gus in some sort of Afterlife, just to keep me happy. And then Isaac, as John Green had presumed, will survive and end up telling their epic love story. The best parts of the book? Meeting Augustus Waters. The explanation of the book's title. Hazel's pre-funeral eulogy. Hazel at Gus's funeral. Gus's letter to Van Houten, revealed at the very last chapter--which about made me go on a rampage of tears and anger. When Augustus Waters died, when Hazel explained what a "ten" finally felt like...ohhh. The tears. Yes, THIS BOOK, this book, must be read. 

In Conclusion...!

I laughed. I cried. I cursed the world (and John Green). Perhaps the quote that describes this book the best is from the book itself:

"You have a choice in this world, I believe, about how to tell sad stories, and we made the funny choice."

Rating: 10

- E

* Actually, this might be exaggerating what I was like a little bit.