Book Review and other ramblings....

So, yesterday, I went to Barnes and Noble with a friend and picked up a couple books. It was grand fun! One of the books I picked up was The Tale of Despereaux. I finished it this evening and decided I would write a book review of it.

It was a very intriguing children's fairy tale. The premise of the story (actually, there are three-four main characters) is about the littlest mouse named Despereaux, with abnormally large ears, and he doesn't know how to behave as a mouse. There are other characters, such as Princess Pea, the rat Roscuro, the maid Mig. The story is about how their stories all weave in and out. A big theme of the story is consequences and how actions will always lead to consequences, which I found intriguing in a children's story, a fairy tale, no less. It's not something that is talked about much, especially in children's stories, and the way the author wove it into the story was very well-done.

The way she wrote the story was also intriguing. She frequently (almost every other chapter) stopped the story to "talk" to the reader. An example would be something like this (simply an example, not an actual quotation from the book):

And then Despereaux looked down the stairs into the darkness of the dungeon.

Reader, let us pause and think about what would be goign through his heart right now.

It gave the story a very...personable feel. It was slightly confusing for me because this is one of the first books I have read that has literally used it as a huge plot-device for the story.

Overall, it was a very good, well-written children's story that I will probably read aloud to my kids someday. I enjoyed it tremendously.

*~*~*

So, the more and more I get to know people and start solidifying (as much as I can right now) my views of life, how to interact with people and such things, I'm realizing that there is a very strong pull towards indviduality. (Well, duh. Yay Enlightenment!) It's been coming up in odd ways, though. Just talking with people about certain ideals and ideas, and realizing that while in some ways I am very much an individualist, there are very specific things where I am most definitely am not and cannot be one. It's essentially a type of loyalty that people seem to not understand or have as much anymore.

It's an odd thing I've been noticing and will post more once I have finalized some of my thoughts a bit more. I will mention this, though. It seems when dealing with hard situations, individualism is not always the best way to deal with said situation. It depends on the person and the situation...but it's not something you can easily just say, "By not doing x, you're not healing properly."

Though, I will be the first to admit everyone heals and deals with things differently, with different approaches. Yay for the beauty and messiness of human beings.

And with that, I am going to go curl up with some tea (feeling a bit sick) and work on some story plots.

'Night all.

Hi

Goodness...long time, no write, isn't it? Not since Memorial Day. Sheesh. Well, life's been busy but not at the same time. And I really haven't had much to blog about lately.

Life's been going. School's out (hooray!!). Allison's been here visiting, which has been an absolute blast. I really miss her, so I'm glad to have gotten some time to visit with her before she heads so far North don't know if I'll ever get up to visit her...unless I'm going to Ashland or something (sorry friend!). We (her, me, and hubby) went to see UP! last night. It was really good. I enjoyed it a lot. Though...I do have to admit, the first five minutes are shocking, kind of. I certainly wasn't expecting the tone it created. All in all, amazing fun adventure story you should go see and take someone you love to go watch it too. It made me cry several times, which is saying a lot.

Other than that, just getting ready for the mass weekends of weddings (wwweeelll...not mass, really. more like swarm or parade or..no no, swarm of weddings). I don't mind, weddings are happy events and all that. Just time consuming, but very glad to be there with the ones we love to support and congratulate (and very sorry to any of the ones we're going to have to miss). I'll probably be making some nice homemade gifts for them, which I hope they shall like.

I've also been watching Dr. Who, which is a new favorite show. Though I'm a bit behind on watching it (considering there's four seasons already). It's been grand fun, and it's very well-written. The banter and dialogue of all the characters together. That and the fact they're practically all British is fun. Though it makes for some odd accent picking up. I pick up accents very easily if I'm in the environment or watching something that's heavily one accent, so I get funny eye-rolling looks from my hubby. I don't mind, though. I'm a nerd in my own way, just as he's a nerd in his own way. We really balance each other out. It's amazing. Hard to believe it'll be one year in August. Or that I'll be 22. Geez, I feel old. (Older friends, don't mind me.) There's just something to be said of passing over 21...like, when you're 18, it's a deal. Then it's looking foward to being 21....what's after 21? 24 finishes it, I suppose, but it's nothing exciting. Weird sensation. 30, maybe? Well, can't wait to see what adventures start coming our way. Or, rather, keep coming our way.

(Disclaimer: this next part I'm writing on is about feeling and noticing patterns, not singling anyone out. So don't feel like I'm talking directly about you. Ok? Good? Ok.)

I've been extremely lonely lately. Not in a "Gee, I wish people would hang out with me" kind of way. More of a realizing this time in my life is ending, rather soon. In about six months, Hubby will be graduated, and we'll be starting a new step in our married life together. That's not much time, and it's starting to hit me as the calendar starts filling up with stuff that we need/have to do, and plan for things we know are coming up. Six months sounds like a long time, until people ask you what's going on for the next few months, you list it out, and then realize, "Holy crap...then it's November/December, and Hubby's graduated and we're moving on. Whoa." When you look at it like that, it's a bit mindblowing. Also makes me realize things I hope to get done between now and then, and also things I wish I could have gotten done or done. Not in a resentful way, but in a "during this time of my life, I kinda wish I had done this...ah well."

It also makes watching other people's lives who still have a year or more left interesting. Because you watch them be so busy or so stressed about little things, and you want ot just reach out and go, "It won't matter in a few months or a year!" or "Look, prioritize! What's more important?" ..but it's not my place in the slightest to do that. If asked, sure. But I won't try to make people do things. It's just not who I am. I just hope that they don't look back with any kind of regrets for missed opportunities.

Looking back, sure, there are things I can think of I wish I could have done. But...I'm satisifed-no, not quite the word...-content-there it is!-with where I am at, and what I've gotten done. Sure, things go on, and change. They always do. Life doesn't stand still just because you want it to, and you shouldn't want it to...

Overall, I am ready for this next chapter to begin. It's that odd feeling of knowing you're almost there, but not quite yet--so it's bugging you and making you antsy and wanting something to happen. Time can't move fast enough or slow enough.

Going to end with a new poem I wrote. I hope you enjoy. It was just something I had been thinking about lately

Sisters

Hope is fair
And dear,
Her sister is dark
And cold,
Despair is
Her name.

Together they walk
Hand in hand,
Stride for stride,

Without both,
No true
Hope.
Separate the two
And
Life becomes
A farce,
A misery.

Because twain
Are they,
And balancing
Life,
They are.