Hi fandomeers, and happy Christmas! I hope you've all had a great day!!!
Even with all the ish going on, the past month I've still been able to feel the Christmas hype. Christmas is great: as a musician, me and my choir are singing all over town all the time, and there's a lot of other musical things going on; it's so great. My friends are home from college, and my family all comes together and it's awesome. These all get me super hyped about Christmas.
But guys, I gotta tell you about something that totally upped my Christmas hype.
One Sunday morning I was watching this video about Christmas, and it totally changed my life. You have to watch it, Why We Need a Savior.
I had always understood that Jesus Christ was the Savior of the world, and that because of Him, we were all able to live again. But I didn't think about the depth of it. Literally nothing would be able to heal. Like, for example, I start to write something here for all of you, and then I don't like it, I wouldn't be able to go back and revise what I wrote. It would just be stuck there in imperfectness. And us, as imperfect beings that make a lot of awful mistakes, would be destined to live forever in sorrow. Every time we made a mistake, that's it.
Because I have learned from my mistakes and have been able to grow, this is very important for me. Because of Jesus Christ, I am able to be forgiven.
I have a friend who is very dear to me that I used to hate. Because of Jesus Christ, the burden of anger has been taken from me. I am able to forgive.
Because of Jesus Christ, I can make my own choices. I can be a writer, friend, sister, daughter, section leader, musician, and so much more; God made a plan for us to come to the world and live and make choices and mistakes and learn so we could live with Him again, and to pay for all our sins and to feel all our pain, He sent His Son so that everything I want to do is now possible.
So all that before-mentioned Christmas hype, it still exists, and I still believe in it, but it's a lot deeper than that. When I'm caroling at the mall, it's more than just singing; I see people's faces light up and make their day way brighter, helping make someone feel love, something Christ would want me to do. Spending time with my family, something Christ would want me to do. My choir teacher said at our winter concert, he always sees bad things happening in the world, but he sees good in the world every time he looks at us. And that's what Christmas is about too, being the light in a dark world.
Basically, all those things, and the fact that everything is just happy all the time, that's what Christmas is. They call it the Christmas spirit. The spirit of happiness. Just remember that this time of the year really is that magical, and it really is that happy, and that special, and the Christmas spirit is very real, because it is the spirit of Christ, His spirit of love and joy in the world.
I love you all very much, and here is one more awesome Christmas video because I'm obsessed with this one too.
Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
Friday, December 25, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
To Ms. Groberg
Hey fandomeers, I got something very important to share with you. Many of you know I'm in choir at my school. We recently got a student teacher; her name is Ms. Groberg. Tomorrow is Ms. Groberg's last day with us. She is seriously the coolest, and before she left I intended to write a note for her, but then I realized a lot of the things I needed to tell her I also needed to tell you guys. So I'mma print a copy of this post for her and give it to her; this post is for her.
Ms. Groberg, I am so glad you came to Basic for your student teaching! You have become a really good friend of mine; you are so fun, we both love Phantom of the Opera, and we have matching boots. I'm genuinely super heartbroken that you are leaving. For some reason I've gotten it into my head that you're going to be staying here forever. You just seem like so much a part of the choir family.
I overheard Mr. Duff (our choir director for those of you who don't know) talking to you in your earlier days with us. He told you that the feeling you get when a student finally understands a concept is indescribable. It's indescirbable for me too; when I get a concept I am so excited. I've also seen some of the girls I am section leader for finally understand something, and seeing their happiness at grasping something is so amazing. I know that is the kind of teacher you'll be. I've seen you take joy in out triumphs. You are going to be a great teacher.
I hope the biggest lesson you learned from us is to bring your students together. There's no questioning the family connection in our choir program. Ms. Groberg, when you teach at your own school, I just want you to know that building your program to be like a family can make a big difference for the music. There is nothing better than singing with the people you love. But not only that. I hope you know it makes a big difference for the kids too. Being in Mr. Duff's choir program has changed my life.
When I was in sixth grade I made the definite decision to be a writer. Looking back on it, my understanding of writing was much less. I only knew that I wanted writing to be the rest of my life, I wanted to make a career of it, and I was writing all the time. I auditioned for the Basic High School Chamber Singers at the end of my eighth grade year, to go into it my freahman year. I was one of three freshmen who made it, and the only girl freshman. I loved choir; I had done it all three years in junior high. But being in this choir, this changed my life. Why? It taught me about the two things that make writing, make stories, the center of every story ever written: love and people. Love and people are all writing is about. Everything that happens in a story, is based on a person's emotion. And almost all emotion is based on love. This is not a concept I understood. But Mr. Duff, Mr. Duff teaches people. Mr. Duff always says that the most important thing is making sure the people in our lives know how we feel about them. He says we need to make each other feel loved. That blew me away when I finally understood it. I saw everyone take care of each other. I got amazing friends, that without our choir program I would not have been able to have. I became friends with Mr. Duff and his classroom is now a home to me. I learned a lot of things from this program. One, how to become a better singer; my musicianship has improved in unbelievable ways. Two, I have learned how to be a true friend and how to love people; I am way happier because of this. I learned how to write; I've watched my writing quality, my character quality, my story quality, all vastly improve. This program has been life-changing.
Sadly, I realized not every teacher is like this. Mr. Duff is an amazing teacher who uses music to teach me about life. Some students do not get the same fantastic choir experience I am getting because they are not being taught properly. Ms. Groberg, I've seen you teach. I know you will teach amazing things. I've seen you make connections with us. So I know you will take this first piece of advice: become friends with your students. Kids love feeling connected to their teacher. You are great at this already! The only other piece of advice I can give you is to try to make your students friends with each other. Obviously not everyone is going to like each other. But do your best at teaching the kids that the people they sing with can become their family. Teach them that love is the best thing to put into their music. Make your choir a family. To be honest, I think that it is the willingness to accept people into our choir family that made me so get so close to you in such a short amount of time. You became part of our family. It makes me sad to think that you won't be a part of it anymore.
Ms. Groberg, that is the kind of teacher you will be, a teacher that teaches more than just how to sing well, a teacher that teaches how to be a great person and how to completely change your sound. You have taught me new things in your time with us and I'm so thankful for your knowledge, your personality, your style of education. I have watched you grow so much learning to become a better teacher. You will get a job! Don't doubt it for a second, because anyone would be crazy not to hire you. It breaks my heart to see you go. I can't wait for you to come back and sub for us, and to see you with your own choir in the near future. Don't get discouraged if you can't figure something out right away; it will take time to build your choir. Mr. Duff learns more every year, you will learn as you teach too. I hope that your teaching career is as beautiful and awesome as you are. We will never, ever, ever forget you. I hope I see you around and we stay friends, because you have become a very good friend of mine. I love you!!!
--Lizzo
Ms. Groberg, I am so glad you came to Basic for your student teaching! You have become a really good friend of mine; you are so fun, we both love Phantom of the Opera, and we have matching boots. I'm genuinely super heartbroken that you are leaving. For some reason I've gotten it into my head that you're going to be staying here forever. You just seem like so much a part of the choir family.
I overheard Mr. Duff (our choir director for those of you who don't know) talking to you in your earlier days with us. He told you that the feeling you get when a student finally understands a concept is indescribable. It's indescirbable for me too; when I get a concept I am so excited. I've also seen some of the girls I am section leader for finally understand something, and seeing their happiness at grasping something is so amazing. I know that is the kind of teacher you'll be. I've seen you take joy in out triumphs. You are going to be a great teacher.
I hope the biggest lesson you learned from us is to bring your students together. There's no questioning the family connection in our choir program. Ms. Groberg, when you teach at your own school, I just want you to know that building your program to be like a family can make a big difference for the music. There is nothing better than singing with the people you love. But not only that. I hope you know it makes a big difference for the kids too. Being in Mr. Duff's choir program has changed my life.
When I was in sixth grade I made the definite decision to be a writer. Looking back on it, my understanding of writing was much less. I only knew that I wanted writing to be the rest of my life, I wanted to make a career of it, and I was writing all the time. I auditioned for the Basic High School Chamber Singers at the end of my eighth grade year, to go into it my freahman year. I was one of three freshmen who made it, and the only girl freshman. I loved choir; I had done it all three years in junior high. But being in this choir, this changed my life. Why? It taught me about the two things that make writing, make stories, the center of every story ever written: love and people. Love and people are all writing is about. Everything that happens in a story, is based on a person's emotion. And almost all emotion is based on love. This is not a concept I understood. But Mr. Duff, Mr. Duff teaches people. Mr. Duff always says that the most important thing is making sure the people in our lives know how we feel about them. He says we need to make each other feel loved. That blew me away when I finally understood it. I saw everyone take care of each other. I got amazing friends, that without our choir program I would not have been able to have. I became friends with Mr. Duff and his classroom is now a home to me. I learned a lot of things from this program. One, how to become a better singer; my musicianship has improved in unbelievable ways. Two, I have learned how to be a true friend and how to love people; I am way happier because of this. I learned how to write; I've watched my writing quality, my character quality, my story quality, all vastly improve. This program has been life-changing.
Sadly, I realized not every teacher is like this. Mr. Duff is an amazing teacher who uses music to teach me about life. Some students do not get the same fantastic choir experience I am getting because they are not being taught properly. Ms. Groberg, I've seen you teach. I know you will teach amazing things. I've seen you make connections with us. So I know you will take this first piece of advice: become friends with your students. Kids love feeling connected to their teacher. You are great at this already! The only other piece of advice I can give you is to try to make your students friends with each other. Obviously not everyone is going to like each other. But do your best at teaching the kids that the people they sing with can become their family. Teach them that love is the best thing to put into their music. Make your choir a family. To be honest, I think that it is the willingness to accept people into our choir family that made me so get so close to you in such a short amount of time. You became part of our family. It makes me sad to think that you won't be a part of it anymore.
Ms. Groberg, that is the kind of teacher you will be, a teacher that teaches more than just how to sing well, a teacher that teaches how to be a great person and how to completely change your sound. You have taught me new things in your time with us and I'm so thankful for your knowledge, your personality, your style of education. I have watched you grow so much learning to become a better teacher. You will get a job! Don't doubt it for a second, because anyone would be crazy not to hire you. It breaks my heart to see you go. I can't wait for you to come back and sub for us, and to see you with your own choir in the near future. Don't get discouraged if you can't figure something out right away; it will take time to build your choir. Mr. Duff learns more every year, you will learn as you teach too. I hope that your teaching career is as beautiful and awesome as you are. We will never, ever, ever forget you. I hope I see you around and we stay friends, because you have become a very good friend of mine. I love you!!!
--Lizzo
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Disney Princess Series: Snow White
Hey fam! I'm finally getting to the next post in our Disney Princess series! This one's about the first Disney Princess whose movie came out 1937, originally voiced by Disney Legend Adriana Caselotti, the princess I watched every day when I was a child, my princess, Snow White.
Okay, so let's start at the very beginning of Snow White, how she was the princess and her mother died. And then her father remarried and then her father died. And then after her father died her stepmother, well, I would say that her stepmother abused her. But that is not the right word for it. She treated her as less than she was. Dang, that kind of blows me away. She wasn't just forced to do chores and wear worn-out clothes and take care of everything. She was a princess being forced to do all those things. Her stepmother would have her believe that she is less than she is.
First reason Snow White is a hecka strong princess: no matter what people would have her believe, or no matter the lack of people caring about her, she still thought highly enough of herself to carry on. Too many people don't have this attitude. Everyone has natural insecurity, but dang, if you're going to have insecurities about yourself, make them based off of what you think of yourself, not what other people think of you. Carry yourself no matter what people will have you do.
And that's not all, friends. What's even better than that is the fact that she probably had an incredible life, the life of a princess no less, then is thrown into this chaos without love and still found a way to remain sweet and innocent. Beauty and innocence was a choice she made; she could've easily given in to being treated like a peasant but she remained beautiful. Choosing innocence is the strongest thing you can do. Ever.
Alright, so that happens, she meets the prince, and he's in love with her and he's cute but Snow White ain't about that life, she's too shy. The queen, her stepmother, desperately wants to be the most beautiful person in the kingdom but the Magic Mirror constantly informs her that Snow White is the most beautiful. This makes the queen crazy jealous and so she tells the huntsman to go kill Snow White. The huntsman goes to do it but he can't, because Snow White is that beautiful of a person. But get this, he tells her that it was the queen's idea. And Snow White is surprised.
Guys, that is so fantastic! This woman that never loved her, that forced her to have less than she was worth, that mistreated her as soon as no one was in her way anymore, wanted to kill her. And she is surprised about this. No matter how horribly that person treated her, she still chose to believe the best about them. I wonder if she was even so pure and beautiful that she was oblivious to the queen's evil personality, but when I think on it there is no way you can be blind to someone mistreating you like that. She just decided that she was going to think good things about her stepmother no matter how bad she was. Holding grudges isn't the stuff, guys. You feel so much better when you don't do that. And to be honest, the strong decision is to choose to forgive and let yourself heal, because if you think that there are some people that have never had a hard time forgiving someone, you are dead wrong. They just know it's the better choice.
The huntsman tells Snow White to run, so she runs. This is where things start to get real. Snow White shows us that strong people are human.
We thought Snow White's life fell apart when her parents died. Now, she can't go back home, or she will surely die, as well as the huntsman. She has nowhere to go. She runs into the woods, and when people get upset, everything seems a million times worse. Snow White was terrified, and so being alone in the woods was terrifying. Snow White completely breaks down.
But this is why I love this. Because Snow White breaks down and all the animals in the woods gather around and are like "Oh my gosh, what's going on?" And Snow White realizes all these animals are watching her sob her face off and what does she say? "I'm sorry. I'm so ashamed."
Call me crazy, but I think that is the strongest thing in the world. Everyone has moments of weakness, needs them even, but when you completely lose control of life and realize it later, it's okay to realize you were weak. And the strong thing is realizing it and being ashamed about it and deciding to be better. Strength is not being perfect all the time. It is knowing who you are and acknowledging that you are a human being that is weak and being sorry about that and choosing to move on from that and forgive yourself and make it better.
Because Snow White does make it better. She picks herself up and makes herself happy and she and the animals go into the woods and they find a house. Snow White is choosing to be strong yet again by taking control of her own life and deciding that she is going to rebuild her life and take shelter in this cottage! I guess she didn't figure that someone probably lived in a cottage that was just chilling there, but that's okay.
She uses her skills to clean the house that's a total mess. Judging by the things around her in the house she figures the house belongs to children. Which she finds very nice, but she then wonders where their mother is. She realizes, they probably don't have one. That saddens her terribly.
Most people feel bad for orphans. Considering Snow White has lost both of her parents and her stepmother turned out to be evil, naturally she would feel this way even more. But with no thought of herself, or her situation, or anything at all that has been going on in her life, Snow White laments about that then decides to help them with their housework. Is that not the sweetest thing?!
So Snow White is tired so she goes to sleep and the dwarves, the residents of the cottage, come home. They can clearly see that someone has cleaned their house. They go upstairs and Snow White is sleeping in their beds. She wakes up and is surprised. She begs them to let her stay, and they do once they find out she'll cook and clean for them. Guys, self-reliance is just the coolest thing to me. Working to get what you need and taking care of yourself. Dang, that's awesome.
Snow White took joy in her new life. Meanwhile, the queen was still trying to ruin it, because she found out Snow White was still alive. She made a poisoned apple that would kill Snow White.
As anyone would, the dwarves grow to love Snow White and after all the time she is living with them, they finally find out why she's there. They say she's not allowed to talk to anyone while the dwarves are at work. Well, one day while the dwarves are at work, an old woman comes to the door and is let into the cottage because Snow White is willing to help anyone who is hurting; the old woman was attacked by the animals who knew she was the evil queen. Once she is inside, the queen convinces Snow White that if she takes a bite of the apple any wish she has will come true. So Snow White takes the apple and dies.
After all of that, the dwarves chase the queen off a cliff, they mourn the loss of Snow White, but her true love the prince wakes her with true love's kiss and they live happily ever after.
Taylor Swift once said, "To me, fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death." I feel like that perfectly represents Snow White's story. No matter what hardship she was facing, she just continued to be her beautiful self. That is real strength. It is doing you and not letting anyone break you. Not letting anyone break YOU. Not letting anyone take who you are.
I'll have the next one for you all soon! Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
Okay, so let's start at the very beginning of Snow White, how she was the princess and her mother died. And then her father remarried and then her father died. And then after her father died her stepmother, well, I would say that her stepmother abused her. But that is not the right word for it. She treated her as less than she was. Dang, that kind of blows me away. She wasn't just forced to do chores and wear worn-out clothes and take care of everything. She was a princess being forced to do all those things. Her stepmother would have her believe that she is less than she is.
First reason Snow White is a hecka strong princess: no matter what people would have her believe, or no matter the lack of people caring about her, she still thought highly enough of herself to carry on. Too many people don't have this attitude. Everyone has natural insecurity, but dang, if you're going to have insecurities about yourself, make them based off of what you think of yourself, not what other people think of you. Carry yourself no matter what people will have you do.
And that's not all, friends. What's even better than that is the fact that she probably had an incredible life, the life of a princess no less, then is thrown into this chaos without love and still found a way to remain sweet and innocent. Beauty and innocence was a choice she made; she could've easily given in to being treated like a peasant but she remained beautiful. Choosing innocence is the strongest thing you can do. Ever.
Alright, so that happens, she meets the prince, and he's in love with her and he's cute but Snow White ain't about that life, she's too shy. The queen, her stepmother, desperately wants to be the most beautiful person in the kingdom but the Magic Mirror constantly informs her that Snow White is the most beautiful. This makes the queen crazy jealous and so she tells the huntsman to go kill Snow White. The huntsman goes to do it but he can't, because Snow White is that beautiful of a person. But get this, he tells her that it was the queen's idea. And Snow White is surprised.
Guys, that is so fantastic! This woman that never loved her, that forced her to have less than she was worth, that mistreated her as soon as no one was in her way anymore, wanted to kill her. And she is surprised about this. No matter how horribly that person treated her, she still chose to believe the best about them. I wonder if she was even so pure and beautiful that she was oblivious to the queen's evil personality, but when I think on it there is no way you can be blind to someone mistreating you like that. She just decided that she was going to think good things about her stepmother no matter how bad she was. Holding grudges isn't the stuff, guys. You feel so much better when you don't do that. And to be honest, the strong decision is to choose to forgive and let yourself heal, because if you think that there are some people that have never had a hard time forgiving someone, you are dead wrong. They just know it's the better choice.
The huntsman tells Snow White to run, so she runs. This is where things start to get real. Snow White shows us that strong people are human.
We thought Snow White's life fell apart when her parents died. Now, she can't go back home, or she will surely die, as well as the huntsman. She has nowhere to go. She runs into the woods, and when people get upset, everything seems a million times worse. Snow White was terrified, and so being alone in the woods was terrifying. Snow White completely breaks down.
But this is why I love this. Because Snow White breaks down and all the animals in the woods gather around and are like "Oh my gosh, what's going on?" And Snow White realizes all these animals are watching her sob her face off and what does she say? "I'm sorry. I'm so ashamed."
Call me crazy, but I think that is the strongest thing in the world. Everyone has moments of weakness, needs them even, but when you completely lose control of life and realize it later, it's okay to realize you were weak. And the strong thing is realizing it and being ashamed about it and deciding to be better. Strength is not being perfect all the time. It is knowing who you are and acknowledging that you are a human being that is weak and being sorry about that and choosing to move on from that and forgive yourself and make it better.
Because Snow White does make it better. She picks herself up and makes herself happy and she and the animals go into the woods and they find a house. Snow White is choosing to be strong yet again by taking control of her own life and deciding that she is going to rebuild her life and take shelter in this cottage! I guess she didn't figure that someone probably lived in a cottage that was just chilling there, but that's okay.
She uses her skills to clean the house that's a total mess. Judging by the things around her in the house she figures the house belongs to children. Which she finds very nice, but she then wonders where their mother is. She realizes, they probably don't have one. That saddens her terribly.
Most people feel bad for orphans. Considering Snow White has lost both of her parents and her stepmother turned out to be evil, naturally she would feel this way even more. But with no thought of herself, or her situation, or anything at all that has been going on in her life, Snow White laments about that then decides to help them with their housework. Is that not the sweetest thing?!
So Snow White is tired so she goes to sleep and the dwarves, the residents of the cottage, come home. They can clearly see that someone has cleaned their house. They go upstairs and Snow White is sleeping in their beds. She wakes up and is surprised. She begs them to let her stay, and they do once they find out she'll cook and clean for them. Guys, self-reliance is just the coolest thing to me. Working to get what you need and taking care of yourself. Dang, that's awesome.
Snow White took joy in her new life. Meanwhile, the queen was still trying to ruin it, because she found out Snow White was still alive. She made a poisoned apple that would kill Snow White.
As anyone would, the dwarves grow to love Snow White and after all the time she is living with them, they finally find out why she's there. They say she's not allowed to talk to anyone while the dwarves are at work. Well, one day while the dwarves are at work, an old woman comes to the door and is let into the cottage because Snow White is willing to help anyone who is hurting; the old woman was attacked by the animals who knew she was the evil queen. Once she is inside, the queen convinces Snow White that if she takes a bite of the apple any wish she has will come true. So Snow White takes the apple and dies.
After all of that, the dwarves chase the queen off a cliff, they mourn the loss of Snow White, but her true love the prince wakes her with true love's kiss and they live happily ever after.
Taylor Swift once said, "To me, fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death." I feel like that perfectly represents Snow White's story. No matter what hardship she was facing, she just continued to be her beautiful self. That is real strength. It is doing you and not letting anyone break you. Not letting anyone break YOU. Not letting anyone take who you are.
I'll have the next one for you all soon! Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
Friday, October 30, 2015
Christmas at Harrington's and Sherlock Holmes
GUYS. If you will please forgive me for not writing anything for a million years because my life has been absolutely insane. Here I am!
Alright, so I've done a lot of reading since I last talked to you. I quite awhile ago finished The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum, and thus the whole Hourglass Door trilogy. Dang, that is some good stuff! Congratulations on an excellent debut trilogy. I'll be honest, the story is so complicated and confusing sometimes that it's super hard to connect all the books together. It might take some work to keep the story straight. But it was waaaaay bomb. Here are my reviews for The Hourglass Door, The Golden Spiral, and The Forgotten Locket.
So after that, I read Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson and did a school book project on it. This book was published in 2010 and my mom bought for me when I got my Kindle a million years ago because there was some great deal on it. It's about Lena Markham, who was just released from prison and lost friends and faith (which gave me hope because that meant the book had some substance) and moves to New Haven for a new beginning, where she meets a lot of people and gets a new opportunity that reawakens hope in her. It was a book I was totally ashamed to read (I mean, really, a Christmas book?) and my friend totally mocked me for reading it (He wants me to read Fablehaven so bad) but I can tell you that it was good enough. I can tell you that it was like a Hallmark movie: cute and slow and entertaining enough and low-quality but like in a cute way. The full review for Christmas at Harrington's here.
And now that that is over, I am reading the Sherlock Holmes series! And by the series I mean whatever Sherlock Holmes books I have on hand, because it is a never-ending series a million years long. So I'm really only going to read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (the third one) because that is the one I have on my Kindle. Sadly I cannot find an original publication date because it is a classic but we all know about Sherlock because he is so popular in today's culture. Narrated by his colleague Dr. Watson, these are the stories of the observant Sherlock Holmes and how he solves everyone's problems. Bro, it's really fun to read. He is a genius. Since Sherlock is so popular a person would think they know everything about his character, but I think it's a different and super awesome experience to read about the original Sherlock. I love it!
Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
Alright, so I've done a lot of reading since I last talked to you. I quite awhile ago finished The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum, and thus the whole Hourglass Door trilogy. Dang, that is some good stuff! Congratulations on an excellent debut trilogy. I'll be honest, the story is so complicated and confusing sometimes that it's super hard to connect all the books together. It might take some work to keep the story straight. But it was waaaaay bomb. Here are my reviews for The Hourglass Door, The Golden Spiral, and The Forgotten Locket.
So after that, I read Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson and did a school book project on it. This book was published in 2010 and my mom bought for me when I got my Kindle a million years ago because there was some great deal on it. It's about Lena Markham, who was just released from prison and lost friends and faith (which gave me hope because that meant the book had some substance) and moves to New Haven for a new beginning, where she meets a lot of people and gets a new opportunity that reawakens hope in her. It was a book I was totally ashamed to read (I mean, really, a Christmas book?) and my friend totally mocked me for reading it (He wants me to read Fablehaven so bad) but I can tell you that it was good enough. I can tell you that it was like a Hallmark movie: cute and slow and entertaining enough and low-quality but like in a cute way. The full review for Christmas at Harrington's here.
And now that that is over, I am reading the Sherlock Holmes series! And by the series I mean whatever Sherlock Holmes books I have on hand, because it is a never-ending series a million years long. So I'm really only going to read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (the third one) because that is the one I have on my Kindle. Sadly I cannot find an original publication date because it is a classic but we all know about Sherlock because he is so popular in today's culture. Narrated by his colleague Dr. Watson, these are the stories of the observant Sherlock Holmes and how he solves everyone's problems. Bro, it's really fun to read. He is a genius. Since Sherlock is so popular a person would think they know everything about his character, but I think it's a different and super awesome experience to read about the original Sherlock. I love it!
Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
A Statement on Depression
I was inspired to write this post yesterday when my friend casually told us that she suffered from depression. I had no idea. And I just thought it was really unfair, call me silly but I was really upset about it because I didn't think it fair (even though I like to believe that life is fair) that someone so beautiful and amazing suffered from such a terrible disease.
I for a long time was a person who thought depression was a disease that was caused by something. I mean, it can be. But depression is not necessarily caused by an event. This is what I understand about depression. Depression is when your body sends chemicals flowing through your body that make you sad or anxious or other things like that when you don't want to. It's your body literally making your emotions out of your control. A person with depression can have a million reasons to be happy and even be completely aware of that and still not feel happy. Their body is giving out chemicals that make them feel sad for absolutely no reason. That's why depression is indeed a literal disease; it's your body doing something that makes it unable to function properly.
Luckily, a lot of people have learned how to deal with this disease. It's not easy, but they've found a way to get through every day. I'm really proud of my friend, and all my other friends who have this disease.
And another reason I wanted to write this post, is I was just thinking about all the things I wasn't sure she was aware of, or people who suffer from mental illnesses such as this one may not know. Things that people may have never been told. I know that these statements cannot cure a disease. But maybe they can do something.
Did you know that God loves you? I don't know, I just feel like a lot of people aren't aware of that. Because He does. And you were given this illness. I don't know why, but God does. God gave you that disease for you. He has something planned for you, I don't know what, but I know that it's not all lost because you suffer from an illness, and a lot of other people know that too. There are people that are surviving every day like that. You can too.
My dear friends, you are a light in my life. It's something I don't say out loud, but I wish you knew that because it's so true. I would be nothing without you, and a lot of people can say the same.
Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
I for a long time was a person who thought depression was a disease that was caused by something. I mean, it can be. But depression is not necessarily caused by an event. This is what I understand about depression. Depression is when your body sends chemicals flowing through your body that make you sad or anxious or other things like that when you don't want to. It's your body literally making your emotions out of your control. A person with depression can have a million reasons to be happy and even be completely aware of that and still not feel happy. Their body is giving out chemicals that make them feel sad for absolutely no reason. That's why depression is indeed a literal disease; it's your body doing something that makes it unable to function properly.
Luckily, a lot of people have learned how to deal with this disease. It's not easy, but they've found a way to get through every day. I'm really proud of my friend, and all my other friends who have this disease.
And another reason I wanted to write this post, is I was just thinking about all the things I wasn't sure she was aware of, or people who suffer from mental illnesses such as this one may not know. Things that people may have never been told. I know that these statements cannot cure a disease. But maybe they can do something.
Did you know that God loves you? I don't know, I just feel like a lot of people aren't aware of that. Because He does. And you were given this illness. I don't know why, but God does. God gave you that disease for you. He has something planned for you, I don't know what, but I know that it's not all lost because you suffer from an illness, and a lot of other people know that too. There are people that are surviving every day like that. You can too.
My dear friends, you are a light in my life. It's something I don't say out loud, but I wish you knew that because it's so true. I would be nothing without you, and a lot of people can say the same.
Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
Monday, August 31, 2015
Disney Princess Series
Okay guys, so although I write about books, now is the time for us to open our minds to all other fandoms. :)
So as many of you know and for those of you that don't, I really, really, really really really love the Disney fandom. The movies are great and as a musician the music is bomb and for really really lengthy reasons that I will not explain right now Walt Disney is pretty much my hero. And when people say that Disney is for kids I just think about how much I feel I love Disney more now that I'm a teenager rather than a young child. (Bro, I just had a birthday and my mom did this Disneyland party for me oh my gosh it was so cool.)
Well anyway, now I will tell you the stories of what so inspired this post. I kind of have a feminist spirit, like when I was in fourth grade we had to do a research paper on an inventor and the inventor I chose was the inventor of the windshield wiper who just so happened to be a woman. I was in Girl Scouts and all that good stuff. And so sometimes I have a problem with women being portrayed as weak if they make an effort to be pretty all the time or if they like to do traditional women jobs like cooking or sewing or if they don't have a paying job themselves and relying on a husband and stuff like that. Like, that bothers me. Is there something wrong with a woman being like that? You know, I think it's okay for women to have jobs but then I also think it's okay for them to not. If we're really about women's rights then we should be okay with women making choices like that. You know?
Okay, cool. But what does that have to do with the Disney princesses? Well, I'll tell a story as an example. Many of you also know that I am in color guard. My freshman year at band camp, we were working on a piece of flag work. And one of my favorite things even to this day to say about color guard is that we're like Disney princesses: we're strong and beautiful at the same time. Well I said that to the group I was working with and they were all like "That's so awesome" and whatnot. Right? And then one of my friends says, "Especially Mulan."
Okay, what?! Heck no! If y'all are thinking I don't like Mulan, you're wrong. I love Mulan; she's a great character and that's a great movie. But that is not the point I was trying to make.
Again, at this year's band camp, I said the same thing to a group of mostly new girls that I was leading in their flag work. They all loved that comparison too. And then another one of my friends said that we were all being like Mulan.
No. No. Did I say we were being like Mulan? No, I said we were being like the Disney princesses. Just because Mulan is the only Disney princess who fought in a war does not mean she is the only one who is strong and beautiful at the same time. That is my problem. I feel as if the Disney princesses are very misjudged. I have a problem with Mulan being the only one portrayed as strong. They are all strong, every single one of them.
So yeah, that's what inspired me to write this post-- or rather, this series of posts. Every post in this will feature one of the thirteen official Disney princesses in the Disney Princess franchise-- Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, and Elsa. I just feel a strong desire to write about why each of these princesses is super awesome and strong in their own way. Just because you aren't rough and hard and untouchable doesn't mean you are weak.
I'll get started soon! Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
So as many of you know and for those of you that don't, I really, really, really really really love the Disney fandom. The movies are great and as a musician the music is bomb and for really really lengthy reasons that I will not explain right now Walt Disney is pretty much my hero. And when people say that Disney is for kids I just think about how much I feel I love Disney more now that I'm a teenager rather than a young child. (Bro, I just had a birthday and my mom did this Disneyland party for me oh my gosh it was so cool.)
Well anyway, now I will tell you the stories of what so inspired this post. I kind of have a feminist spirit, like when I was in fourth grade we had to do a research paper on an inventor and the inventor I chose was the inventor of the windshield wiper who just so happened to be a woman. I was in Girl Scouts and all that good stuff. And so sometimes I have a problem with women being portrayed as weak if they make an effort to be pretty all the time or if they like to do traditional women jobs like cooking or sewing or if they don't have a paying job themselves and relying on a husband and stuff like that. Like, that bothers me. Is there something wrong with a woman being like that? You know, I think it's okay for women to have jobs but then I also think it's okay for them to not. If we're really about women's rights then we should be okay with women making choices like that. You know?
Okay, cool. But what does that have to do with the Disney princesses? Well, I'll tell a story as an example. Many of you also know that I am in color guard. My freshman year at band camp, we were working on a piece of flag work. And one of my favorite things even to this day to say about color guard is that we're like Disney princesses: we're strong and beautiful at the same time. Well I said that to the group I was working with and they were all like "That's so awesome" and whatnot. Right? And then one of my friends says, "Especially Mulan."
Okay, what?! Heck no! If y'all are thinking I don't like Mulan, you're wrong. I love Mulan; she's a great character and that's a great movie. But that is not the point I was trying to make.
Again, at this year's band camp, I said the same thing to a group of mostly new girls that I was leading in their flag work. They all loved that comparison too. And then another one of my friends said that we were all being like Mulan.
No. No. Did I say we were being like Mulan? No, I said we were being like the Disney princesses. Just because Mulan is the only Disney princess who fought in a war does not mean she is the only one who is strong and beautiful at the same time. That is my problem. I feel as if the Disney princesses are very misjudged. I have a problem with Mulan being the only one portrayed as strong. They are all strong, every single one of them.
So yeah, that's what inspired me to write this post-- or rather, this series of posts. Every post in this will feature one of the thirteen official Disney princesses in the Disney Princess franchise-- Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, and Elsa. I just feel a strong desire to write about why each of these princesses is super awesome and strong in their own way. Just because you aren't rough and hard and untouchable doesn't mean you are weak.
I'll get started soon! Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
Monday, August 3, 2015
The Best Paragraphs Ever Written
(Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Roar)
Okay, so we just really need to talk about these real fast.
I have these two paragraphs that I read and when I read them I just wanted to be dead because they are so darn beautiful and so well-written. #WritingGoals So here they are:
"Harry realized what Wormtail was about to do a second before it happened-- he closed his eyes as tightly as he could, but he could not block the scream that pierced the night, that went through Harry as though he had been stabbed with the dagger too. He heard something fall to the ground, heard Wormtail's anguished panting, then a sickening splash, as something was dropped into the cauldron. Harry couldn't stand to look... but the potion had turned a burning red; the light of it shone through Harry's closed eyelids...."
--Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling
Is that not perfection?! You know exactly what's happening without being told it directly. You are standing right next to Harry in that graveyard. It's stuff like that that makes Goblet of Fire my second favorite Harry Potter book.
"Awen stayed on the bed and watched Mika get up. Mika pressed his ear against the cupboard door and listened. The noise didn't sound like a Telly Head. It was gentle and purposeful, as if something was being made. Feeling reassured, he carefully opened the door and his lungs filled with air that was so cold and fresh, he felt as if he had eaten a whole packet of mints in one go. The cupboard was filled, floor to ceiling, with a plant that was growing before his eyes. It reached out, waving soft green tips, leaves unfurling and arching back like moth wings. Awen jumped down from the bed and walked into its midst, and as Mika tried to follow, something amazing happened-- as he took a step forward, his body folded over and suddenly he was walking on his hands as well as his feet, and when he looked down, he saw in the dim light that they had transformed into paws just like Awen's. He had become a dog. Awen's head reappeared among the foliage and he yapped playfully, as if this was a "chase me" game, and then he disappeared again. Laughing, Mika made to follow but woke up instead."
--The Roar, Emma Clayton
You can feel it! You can see it! Can't you just imagine exactly what that's like? She uses familiar things, "moth wings", "a whole packet of mints", so that we can feel and see exactly what Mika sees. That is so excellent! This book got terrible reviews and I have no idea why. It got excellent reviews and is absolutely beautiful and a super fun and creative story. You all should definitely check it out!
Any favorite paragraphs? Feel free to comment!
Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
Okay, so we just really need to talk about these real fast.
I have these two paragraphs that I read and when I read them I just wanted to be dead because they are so darn beautiful and so well-written. #WritingGoals So here they are:
"Harry realized what Wormtail was about to do a second before it happened-- he closed his eyes as tightly as he could, but he could not block the scream that pierced the night, that went through Harry as though he had been stabbed with the dagger too. He heard something fall to the ground, heard Wormtail's anguished panting, then a sickening splash, as something was dropped into the cauldron. Harry couldn't stand to look... but the potion had turned a burning red; the light of it shone through Harry's closed eyelids...."
--Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling
Is that not perfection?! You know exactly what's happening without being told it directly. You are standing right next to Harry in that graveyard. It's stuff like that that makes Goblet of Fire my second favorite Harry Potter book.
"Awen stayed on the bed and watched Mika get up. Mika pressed his ear against the cupboard door and listened. The noise didn't sound like a Telly Head. It was gentle and purposeful, as if something was being made. Feeling reassured, he carefully opened the door and his lungs filled with air that was so cold and fresh, he felt as if he had eaten a whole packet of mints in one go. The cupboard was filled, floor to ceiling, with a plant that was growing before his eyes. It reached out, waving soft green tips, leaves unfurling and arching back like moth wings. Awen jumped down from the bed and walked into its midst, and as Mika tried to follow, something amazing happened-- as he took a step forward, his body folded over and suddenly he was walking on his hands as well as his feet, and when he looked down, he saw in the dim light that they had transformed into paws just like Awen's. He had become a dog. Awen's head reappeared among the foliage and he yapped playfully, as if this was a "chase me" game, and then he disappeared again. Laughing, Mika made to follow but woke up instead."
--The Roar, Emma Clayton
You can feel it! You can see it! Can't you just imagine exactly what that's like? She uses familiar things, "moth wings", "a whole packet of mints", so that we can feel and see exactly what Mika sees. That is so excellent! This book got terrible reviews and I have no idea why. It got excellent reviews and is absolutely beautiful and a super fun and creative story. You all should definitely check it out!
Any favorite paragraphs? Feel free to comment!
Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Hourglass Door
Guys, I just finished Heroes of Olympus.
Do you remember that feeling? You were in about sixth grade? You loved Percy Jackson. And then you found out about this series that everyone was really excited about because it was like a continuation of Percy Jackson. The book was called The Lost Hero. It was one of the popular books of the time, along with Mockingjay and The Red Pyramid. And you were skeptical. Because could he really do this? Was he going to ruin your beautiful series for you? Was he going to continue writing because he was a weak writer who couldn't bear to let go of his characters?
My dear friends, I can assure you that Rick Riordan was not a weak writer who couldn't bear to let go of his characters. He was a genius.
I can't imagine the Percy Jackson universe without our new friends that we met, or the new quest. Heroes of Olympus is such a part of the Percy Jackson universe that it would feel wrong to read just one series. They go so beautifully hand in hand. The Seven are the closest I have ever gotten to characters. Who knew it was possible to hardcore ship so many couples? Leo is definitely my favorite character in the series. (Don't worry, Commander Tool Belt, I am totally on Team Leo. Can I get a t-shirt or something?) This is some of the best modern literature in the world. Well done, Uncle Rick. You did a great job.
(My reviews for The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, and The Blood of Olympus. Feel free to follow me on Goodreads!)
I just started reading a few pages ago (Oh! How great would it be if time were measured in pages?) the Hourglass Door trilogy by Lisa Mangum. The trilogy includes the books The Hourglass Door, The Golden Spiral, and The Forgotten Locket. It's about Abby, who meets the Italian foreign exchange student Dante, who she finds relatively attractive, but whenever he's around weird things start going down, things that involve time.... Based off of what I've read it seems interesting, and I know a lot of other people who liked it. It was ForeWord Reviews' Book of the Year Award winner. This is going to be great!
Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
(Haha, oh yeah, that's my name!)
Do you remember that feeling? You were in about sixth grade? You loved Percy Jackson. And then you found out about this series that everyone was really excited about because it was like a continuation of Percy Jackson. The book was called The Lost Hero. It was one of the popular books of the time, along with Mockingjay and The Red Pyramid. And you were skeptical. Because could he really do this? Was he going to ruin your beautiful series for you? Was he going to continue writing because he was a weak writer who couldn't bear to let go of his characters?
My dear friends, I can assure you that Rick Riordan was not a weak writer who couldn't bear to let go of his characters. He was a genius.
I can't imagine the Percy Jackson universe without our new friends that we met, or the new quest. Heroes of Olympus is such a part of the Percy Jackson universe that it would feel wrong to read just one series. They go so beautifully hand in hand. The Seven are the closest I have ever gotten to characters. Who knew it was possible to hardcore ship so many couples? Leo is definitely my favorite character in the series. (Don't worry, Commander Tool Belt, I am totally on Team Leo. Can I get a t-shirt or something?) This is some of the best modern literature in the world. Well done, Uncle Rick. You did a great job.
(My reviews for The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, and The Blood of Olympus. Feel free to follow me on Goodreads!)
I just started reading a few pages ago (Oh! How great would it be if time were measured in pages?) the Hourglass Door trilogy by Lisa Mangum. The trilogy includes the books The Hourglass Door, The Golden Spiral, and The Forgotten Locket. It's about Abby, who meets the Italian foreign exchange student Dante, who she finds relatively attractive, but whenever he's around weird things start going down, things that involve time.... Based off of what I've read it seems interesting, and I know a lot of other people who liked it. It was ForeWord Reviews' Book of the Year Award winner. This is going to be great!
Love ya, mean it!
--Lizzo
(Haha, oh yeah, that's my name!)
Thursday, July 9, 2015
The Harry Potter Fandom
(Spoilers for Harry Potter)
Today I want to pay tribute and reminisce in all the glorious memories of a great fandom, the first fandom I was ever in-- the Harry Potter fandom.
What can one say about the Harry Potter fandom? We can say that it began with the novels written by an awesome lady, Joanne Rowling, who was not in a great place when she started writing these books. She wrote these books, and started something amazing for herself, while starting something amazing for the entire world. The books are absolutely beautiful, the most incredibly real fiction I have ever read, with characters that you can get super close to and stories that you can get really involved in. Then films were made, and the stories and fandom expanded, and suddenly we weren't only getting close to the characters but also to the actors and filmmakers and their stories. A theme park was made. The Harry Potter fandom is so big, everyone knows what it is, and there have been so many things created due to the Harry Potter fandom. The Harry Potter fandom is where you can find a family. If you meet someone, and you find out they're a Potterhead, you're suddenly bonded, so easily, effortlessly. The Harry Potter fandom has connected so many people. It has given people friends that they will probably never meet. But we're still united.
I remember when I was seven years old Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the book, was coming out. The night the book was put in stores, a library in my city had this book premiere party, and my friends that were also in the Harry Potter fandom invited me to it. Gosh dang it, let me just tell you it was so dang cool. I was a little seven year old wearing Hogwarts robes running through this banner decorated to look like a brick wall and the music from the films was playing and there were people dressed like the characters walking around and we played a game of Quidditch and had butterbeer and Harry Potter candies and it was an all-night event waiting for the book to come out and wow. That's just such a great memory.
I did go to another premiere.... This one was at midnight, for the very last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. These midnight movie premieres, these are big events for fandomeers. I am so glad that while I still had the chance, I got to be a part of one. Me and my sister painted Harry Potter scars on our foreheads. I saw my friend there in Hogwarts robes, and my other friend there with her wand. My sister and her friend took a picture with a guy dressed as Dobby, and we sat by a group of friends covered in branches-- they were the Whomping Willow. Everyone there is celebrating their fandom and it's so great. The entire theater applauded when Bellatrix and Voldemort died-- and cute little eleven-year-old me started the applause for Voldemort. When I walked out of the theater, one of the signs in front of the theaters said:
Today I want to pay tribute and reminisce in all the glorious memories of a great fandom, the first fandom I was ever in-- the Harry Potter fandom.
What can one say about the Harry Potter fandom? We can say that it began with the novels written by an awesome lady, Joanne Rowling, who was not in a great place when she started writing these books. She wrote these books, and started something amazing for herself, while starting something amazing for the entire world. The books are absolutely beautiful, the most incredibly real fiction I have ever read, with characters that you can get super close to and stories that you can get really involved in. Then films were made, and the stories and fandom expanded, and suddenly we weren't only getting close to the characters but also to the actors and filmmakers and their stories. A theme park was made. The Harry Potter fandom is so big, everyone knows what it is, and there have been so many things created due to the Harry Potter fandom. The Harry Potter fandom is where you can find a family. If you meet someone, and you find out they're a Potterhead, you're suddenly bonded, so easily, effortlessly. The Harry Potter fandom has connected so many people. It has given people friends that they will probably never meet. But we're still united.
I remember when I was seven years old Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the book, was coming out. The night the book was put in stores, a library in my city had this book premiere party, and my friends that were also in the Harry Potter fandom invited me to it. Gosh dang it, let me just tell you it was so dang cool. I was a little seven year old wearing Hogwarts robes running through this banner decorated to look like a brick wall and the music from the films was playing and there were people dressed like the characters walking around and we played a game of Quidditch and had butterbeer and Harry Potter candies and it was an all-night event waiting for the book to come out and wow. That's just such a great memory.
I did go to another premiere.... This one was at midnight, for the very last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. These midnight movie premieres, these are big events for fandomeers. I am so glad that while I still had the chance, I got to be a part of one. Me and my sister painted Harry Potter scars on our foreheads. I saw my friend there in Hogwarts robes, and my other friend there with her wand. My sister and her friend took a picture with a guy dressed as Dobby, and we sat by a group of friends covered in branches-- they were the Whomping Willow. Everyone there is celebrating their fandom and it's so great. The entire theater applauded when Bellatrix and Voldemort died-- and cute little eleven-year-old me started the applause for Voldemort. When I walked out of the theater, one of the signs in front of the theaters said:
THANK YOU
LOYAL POTTER FANS
ACCIO POPCORN
(Which was really terrifying for me, because I had accidentally dumped out a huge bucket of popcorn onto the floor and I was certain they knew.)
Another one of my fondest memories. This fandom has been so much for so many people and is still going strong.
Any favorite memories from the Harry Potter fandom? Feel free to comment!
Any favorite memories from the Harry Potter fandom? Feel free to comment!
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Books are Diamonds!
Guys, I have a little blog I would like you all to check out! My friend Casi looked at my blog and decided she wanted to make her own, and I just checked it out and think it's really awesome! Check it out and follow it!
http://booksrdiamonds.blogspot.com/
Love ya, mean it!
http://booksrdiamonds.blogspot.com/
Love ya, mean it!
Book Recommendations: GO!
(At the request of my dear friend and follower!)
You heard me, fandomeers! Comment away your favorite books!
If I could recommend a super sensational and horrendously underrated book series to you, it would definitely be the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter.
Alright, go!
You heard me, fandomeers! Comment away your favorite books!
If I could recommend a super sensational and horrendously underrated book series to you, it would definitely be the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter.
Alright, go!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
The Heroes of Olympus
(Spoilers for The Mark of Athena)
So, I just finished A Dog's Purpose. I still get shame from enjoying a dog book so much. But the people, you will love the people. And, let me just say, my gosh, let all the authors of the world be a little bit more like W. Bruce Cameron and tell the readers all about their lives and all the people and things in their lives that ended up in their books or helped shape the way it was written! Shout-out to the writers that just love to write and could write all day about whatever's going on with them or whatever crazy idea they thought of and will just write to the world about all those things. They are the greatest. And to the readers who are willing to just read those things! You're awesome too.
Now... the day has finally come!!! I'm going to read/reread the Heroes of Olympus series!
For those of you who weren't with me awhile ago on the blog, I had started reading Heroes of Olympus. I read The Lost Hero. Then I read The Son of Neptune. But when I got to the end of that... I sadly realized that the third book, The Mark of Athena, hadn't come yet. What?! I have this thing that I call the Booklist, and, I made it so I could keep track of all the books I wanted to read, but I wouldn't be reading one series in the middle of reading another. It made my head feel more organized. So I was totally defeated when I couldn't finish this series. I couldn't just move on to the next series on the list!!! And I certainly couldn't just not read for that amount of time! So instead I had some books I wanted to reread, my two favorite fandoms at the time (Harry Potter and Hunger Games, now Percy Jackson is added to the list), and some new books I had gotten that were part of a never-ending series (Princess Academy and Nancy Drew, for example) and the sequels to not-never-ending seri that I didn't know weren't never-ending seri at the time (For example, A Dog's Purpose). So, I decided, I would start back at the top of the list and do some rereading and reading, until I got back to Heroes of Olympus, and by then I would be able to finish the entire series. Well, school had me pretty busy so for a while I couldn't read at all, and I also learned from Nancy Drew that you don't want to read if the book isn't good, so for quite a few months all of the Heroes of Olympus books have been out. Only now have I finally caught up to the list and I can read them all! I'll be rereading The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune, then reading for the first time The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, and The Blood of Olympus.
This is a spin-off series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, about three kids named Jason (who doesn't remember who he is), Piper (who had a really scary dream), and Leo (who is your comic relief with a super deep past). And, it's a super bomb series. Of course, you have all probably read them all already so please don't tell me anything!!! (I was so mad at my friend when he told me Annabeth and Percy fell into Tartarus)
Happy reading, love you mean it!
So, I just finished A Dog's Purpose. I still get shame from enjoying a dog book so much. But the people, you will love the people. And, let me just say, my gosh, let all the authors of the world be a little bit more like W. Bruce Cameron and tell the readers all about their lives and all the people and things in their lives that ended up in their books or helped shape the way it was written! Shout-out to the writers that just love to write and could write all day about whatever's going on with them or whatever crazy idea they thought of and will just write to the world about all those things. They are the greatest. And to the readers who are willing to just read those things! You're awesome too.
Now... the day has finally come!!! I'm going to read/reread the Heroes of Olympus series!
For those of you who weren't with me awhile ago on the blog, I had started reading Heroes of Olympus. I read The Lost Hero. Then I read The Son of Neptune. But when I got to the end of that... I sadly realized that the third book, The Mark of Athena, hadn't come yet. What?! I have this thing that I call the Booklist, and, I made it so I could keep track of all the books I wanted to read, but I wouldn't be reading one series in the middle of reading another. It made my head feel more organized. So I was totally defeated when I couldn't finish this series. I couldn't just move on to the next series on the list!!! And I certainly couldn't just not read for that amount of time! So instead I had some books I wanted to reread, my two favorite fandoms at the time (Harry Potter and Hunger Games, now Percy Jackson is added to the list), and some new books I had gotten that were part of a never-ending series (Princess Academy and Nancy Drew, for example) and the sequels to not-never-ending seri that I didn't know weren't never-ending seri at the time (For example, A Dog's Purpose). So, I decided, I would start back at the top of the list and do some rereading and reading, until I got back to Heroes of Olympus, and by then I would be able to finish the entire series. Well, school had me pretty busy so for a while I couldn't read at all, and I also learned from Nancy Drew that you don't want to read if the book isn't good, so for quite a few months all of the Heroes of Olympus books have been out. Only now have I finally caught up to the list and I can read them all! I'll be rereading The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune, then reading for the first time The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, and The Blood of Olympus.
This is a spin-off series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, about three kids named Jason (who doesn't remember who he is), Piper (who had a really scary dream), and Leo (who is your comic relief with a super deep past). And, it's a super bomb series. Of course, you have all probably read them all already so please don't tell me anything!!! (I was so mad at my friend when he told me Annabeth and Percy fell into Tartarus)
Happy reading, love you mean it!
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
The End of the Chamber of Secrets
(Spoiler alert for Harry Potter)
Do you want to know how much my mind was blown?
At the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry is killed by Voldemort... and doesn't die. What? Dumbledore explains it to Harry... and it's still super confusing.
I saw a question that J.K. Rowling was asked on Twitter. About the end of Deathly Hallows. Voldemort clearly killed Harry. But he didn't die. I guess "After all this time" we still don't get it.
(Ten house points to whoever caught that reference.)
And J.K.R. said, who seemed very tired of answering this question, that if someone tried to kill Harry, he would not die, only the horcrux in him would. So Harry would just become mortal and vulnerable again. The next time someone tried to kill him, he would die.
Okay, okay, I see. So a killing curse, that magical fire stuff (Can someone help me remember what it's called?) or basilisk venom would only kill the horcrux..... WAIT WAIT WAIT stop the train. Basilisk venom? Let's go back to Harry's second year at Hogwarts, when he almost died because he got stabbed with a basilisk fang. That was the closest Harry had ever really come to death. He didn't die because Fawkes used his magical tears to save him.
But wait a minute, now we know that the first time someone tried to kill Harry after he got the horcrux put into him, it would only kill the horcrux. Does that mean that Fawkes's tears actually healed the horcrux? And even more importantly, if Fawkes had not saved Harry Harry still would not have died.
Just think of how different everything would have been! Think of how much sooner everything could have ended! Harry gets stabbed with a basilisk fang... but doesn't die. And nobody can make any sense of that because it is common knowledge that basilisk venom is deadly. Nobody except Dumbledore. Dumbledore knows but Harry is still too young to completely understand. The real question is how long can Dumbledore keep that information from Harry? I think if Dumbledore doesn't tell Harry at the end of his second year then he will have to tell Harry in his third year, because Harry is just the most stubborn child at all time, is willing to do anything to figure something out and has two best friends that are just as willing as him. And when Harry finds out and has to go on the horcrux hunt, he is super undertrained. At that point he would only be thirteen years old! But then again, Voldemort would not have risen to power at that time. Who knows how that story would end.
Do you want to know how much my mind was blown?
At the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry is killed by Voldemort... and doesn't die. What? Dumbledore explains it to Harry... and it's still super confusing.
I saw a question that J.K. Rowling was asked on Twitter. About the end of Deathly Hallows. Voldemort clearly killed Harry. But he didn't die. I guess "After all this time" we still don't get it.
(Ten house points to whoever caught that reference.)
And J.K.R. said, who seemed very tired of answering this question, that if someone tried to kill Harry, he would not die, only the horcrux in him would. So Harry would just become mortal and vulnerable again. The next time someone tried to kill him, he would die.
Okay, okay, I see. So a killing curse, that magical fire stuff (Can someone help me remember what it's called?) or basilisk venom would only kill the horcrux..... WAIT WAIT WAIT stop the train. Basilisk venom? Let's go back to Harry's second year at Hogwarts, when he almost died because he got stabbed with a basilisk fang. That was the closest Harry had ever really come to death. He didn't die because Fawkes used his magical tears to save him.
But wait a minute, now we know that the first time someone tried to kill Harry after he got the horcrux put into him, it would only kill the horcrux. Does that mean that Fawkes's tears actually healed the horcrux? And even more importantly, if Fawkes had not saved Harry Harry still would not have died.
Just think of how different everything would have been! Think of how much sooner everything could have ended! Harry gets stabbed with a basilisk fang... but doesn't die. And nobody can make any sense of that because it is common knowledge that basilisk venom is deadly. Nobody except Dumbledore. Dumbledore knows but Harry is still too young to completely understand. The real question is how long can Dumbledore keep that information from Harry? I think if Dumbledore doesn't tell Harry at the end of his second year then he will have to tell Harry in his third year, because Harry is just the most stubborn child at all time, is willing to do anything to figure something out and has two best friends that are just as willing as him. And when Harry finds out and has to go on the horcrux hunt, he is super undertrained. At that point he would only be thirteen years old! But then again, Voldemort would not have risen to power at that time. Who knows how that story would end.
Happy Two Years!!!
Guys, the day has come! "It's an Adventure!" has been a thing for two years! For those of you who have been with me since at least last year you'll remember that I forgot our first year last year and I ended up doing a super late post in July or something.... I'll be honest, I forgot about today too, until I looked at my fridge and there was a piece of paper saying what day it was and I flipped and I knew I had to post.
My dearest fandomeers, I am super happy for this day! We have grown a lot in the past year. I've gotten a lot more followers and you're all so supportive! You have no idea, I love you to the moon and back a million times! I'm planning on expanding a lot in this next year too. Right now I'm trying to get more followers and get more people to join our fandomeer family!
Confession: I don't have a smart phone. Which was fine until my precious camera broke. So this summer when I get a new phone, the blog is expanding more, to YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter and me writing and posting for you guys will get a million times easier!
You see, I kind of have this vision for the blog. Another confession, that I feel like I've kind of told you guys before: I've been writing various works for a few years now and once I (whenever this happens) start working on getting published I kind of want to use the blog to help promote that, and me, and my various other stuff I'm working on. (I do a little bit of music writing too.) But it reminds me of the words of my hero, Walt Disney: "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing-- that it was all started by a mouse."
Of course, in this case I mean by a dead-end literature blog that really wasn't awesome in the beginning. In these two years I have grown as a person and as a writer. Thank you for all being here with me!
Love ya, mean it!
My dearest fandomeers, I am super happy for this day! We have grown a lot in the past year. I've gotten a lot more followers and you're all so supportive! You have no idea, I love you to the moon and back a million times! I'm planning on expanding a lot in this next year too. Right now I'm trying to get more followers and get more people to join our fandomeer family!
Confession: I don't have a smart phone. Which was fine until my precious camera broke. So this summer when I get a new phone, the blog is expanding more, to YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter and me writing and posting for you guys will get a million times easier!
You see, I kind of have this vision for the blog. Another confession, that I feel like I've kind of told you guys before: I've been writing various works for a few years now and once I (whenever this happens) start working on getting published I kind of want to use the blog to help promote that, and me, and my various other stuff I'm working on. (I do a little bit of music writing too.) But it reminds me of the words of my hero, Walt Disney: "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing-- that it was all started by a mouse."
Of course, in this case I mean by a dead-end literature blog that really wasn't awesome in the beginning. In these two years I have grown as a person and as a writer. Thank you for all being here with me!
Love ya, mean it!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
A Dog's Purpose
I have been trying to post this literally all day, and I only now can.
So I finished Princess Academy. I read the first book (Princess Academy) for the second time (and that book is still just so dang beautiful) and then for the first time read Palace of Stone (which was really unexpected-- check out the review for it and other books here ). I decided not to try to find The Forgotten Sisters because I feel like it was a pretty good assumption that Princess Academy is officially a never-ending series. But let it be known that Princess Academy is like a million years old, still going on not horrendously strong, but it probably should be because they are just absolutely beautiful books! Just so you're all aware.
Now I'm going to read A Dog's Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron.... I'm almost ashamed to say this. W. Bruce Cameron is a quality writer, and I believe he is a really intelligent writer and really good. It's just that... ugh. When I was a kid-- okay, not even when I was a young child, I mean like as of almost two years ago even, it was more so when I was a young child but the same was true as of about two years ago-- I was really into animals. I was super interested in them and loved them and for a time I wanted to be an animal boarder or a veterinarian or a dog groomer and I loved learning about animals and being with animals and all that. But over the past few years I stopped loving animals. I don't hate animals, it's not like I don't like them, 'cause I don't mind them. I just don't love them. They just don't really matter to me a ton anymore. I've of late gotten really into what my choir director calls "the human element", the emotions and ideas of people. I'm a few hundred pages into the first book, A Dog's Purpose, and the human emotions in the book interest me a lot more than the animal emotions do. In the book, Cameron wrote it himself: "Humans are so much more complex than dogs, with such a broad range of feelings...." And that's why I love them.
When the second book in the series came out, A Dog's Journey, I thought that A Dog's Purpose was a never-ending series. I wonder now if I was wrong. I'm not sure, it honestly could go any way. Luckily I bought it about three years ago or so, so I feel obligated to read it because I've never read the second book before.
Cameron got the idea for this book when he was a kid and had a dog named Cammie. (By the way, shoutout to the writers who will write about their lives for the readers!) Cammie died before he went to college. Many years later he saw a dog that looked at him just the way his old dog Cammie used to. It made him wonder, is that really her? What if dogs are reborn?
A Dog's Purpose is about a little dog named Toby, who dies. But Toby is reborn again into another dog's body. He can remember everything about his past life, but he is starting a new one, and Toby starts to look for his purpose in life.
Cameron said, "I’ve been a writer my whole life, but never have I ever written anything as important as A Dog’s Purpose." Wish me luck!
(Should I be having you guys wish me luck? I'm only going to read a book. Gosh, I'm such a nerd.)
So I finished Princess Academy. I read the first book (Princess Academy) for the second time (and that book is still just so dang beautiful) and then for the first time read Palace of Stone (which was really unexpected-- check out the review for it and other books here ). I decided not to try to find The Forgotten Sisters because I feel like it was a pretty good assumption that Princess Academy is officially a never-ending series. But let it be known that Princess Academy is like a million years old, still going on not horrendously strong, but it probably should be because they are just absolutely beautiful books! Just so you're all aware.
Now I'm going to read A Dog's Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron.... I'm almost ashamed to say this. W. Bruce Cameron is a quality writer, and I believe he is a really intelligent writer and really good. It's just that... ugh. When I was a kid-- okay, not even when I was a young child, I mean like as of almost two years ago even, it was more so when I was a young child but the same was true as of about two years ago-- I was really into animals. I was super interested in them and loved them and for a time I wanted to be an animal boarder or a veterinarian or a dog groomer and I loved learning about animals and being with animals and all that. But over the past few years I stopped loving animals. I don't hate animals, it's not like I don't like them, 'cause I don't mind them. I just don't love them. They just don't really matter to me a ton anymore. I've of late gotten really into what my choir director calls "the human element", the emotions and ideas of people. I'm a few hundred pages into the first book, A Dog's Purpose, and the human emotions in the book interest me a lot more than the animal emotions do. In the book, Cameron wrote it himself: "Humans are so much more complex than dogs, with such a broad range of feelings...." And that's why I love them.
When the second book in the series came out, A Dog's Journey, I thought that A Dog's Purpose was a never-ending series. I wonder now if I was wrong. I'm not sure, it honestly could go any way. Luckily I bought it about three years ago or so, so I feel obligated to read it because I've never read the second book before.
Cameron got the idea for this book when he was a kid and had a dog named Cammie. (By the way, shoutout to the writers who will write about their lives for the readers!) Cammie died before he went to college. Many years later he saw a dog that looked at him just the way his old dog Cammie used to. It made him wonder, is that really her? What if dogs are reborn?
A Dog's Purpose is about a little dog named Toby, who dies. But Toby is reborn again into another dog's body. He can remember everything about his past life, but he is starting a new one, and Toby starts to look for his purpose in life.
Cameron said, "I’ve been a writer my whole life, but never have I ever written anything as important as A Dog’s Purpose." Wish me luck!
(Should I be having you guys wish me luck? I'm only going to read a book. Gosh, I'm such a nerd.)
Monday, April 6, 2015
Princess Academy
(Spoilers for Princess Academy)
Just finished my second time reading the Hunger Games Trilogy way early this morning. You know, I think that it's true of books in general that you need to reread it to truly know it. Hunger Games has a lot of complexity and a lot of feeling in it for just one trilogy. So rereading it? Was super awesome. And I feel like I really understand them now.
Now I'm going to reread/read Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. Princess Academy, being the first book, was published in 2005, and I read that a few years ago. But later-- like, way later-- in 2012 Palace of Stone was written. I got that book a few years ago, so I thought I would reread Princess Academy and then read Palace of Stone-- but I'm just now finding out that Princess Academy is a trilogy! The third book is The Forgotten Sisters and it seems it came out the third of March just this year. Well, that's why I didn't know about it. So I'm thinking I'll finish up this trilogy! Unless there's another after The Forgotten Sisters? That would totally throw me. Or even worse, and I'm thinking this is a possibility, Princess Academy is a never-ending series? But in that case I don't even need to read The Forgotten Sisters. We'll see, though.
Princess Academy is about the kingdom of Danland, where Miri lives on Mount Eskel. The people of Mount Eskel are kind of thought to be below the lowlanders, but then it is announced that the prince's bride will be chosen from the girls of Mount Eskel. They are all sent to the Princess Academy, where they will have to learn things that will make them eligible to be chosen by the prince. The first time I read the book it was really good. Now with a sequel, we'll see what happens. I don't know about you guys, but I love fairy tales. I'll let you know how it goes!
Just finished my second time reading the Hunger Games Trilogy way early this morning. You know, I think that it's true of books in general that you need to reread it to truly know it. Hunger Games has a lot of complexity and a lot of feeling in it for just one trilogy. So rereading it? Was super awesome. And I feel like I really understand them now.
Now I'm going to reread/read Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. Princess Academy, being the first book, was published in 2005, and I read that a few years ago. But later-- like, way later-- in 2012 Palace of Stone was written. I got that book a few years ago, so I thought I would reread Princess Academy and then read Palace of Stone-- but I'm just now finding out that Princess Academy is a trilogy! The third book is The Forgotten Sisters and it seems it came out the third of March just this year. Well, that's why I didn't know about it. So I'm thinking I'll finish up this trilogy! Unless there's another after The Forgotten Sisters? That would totally throw me. Or even worse, and I'm thinking this is a possibility, Princess Academy is a never-ending series? But in that case I don't even need to read The Forgotten Sisters. We'll see, though.
Princess Academy is about the kingdom of Danland, where Miri lives on Mount Eskel. The people of Mount Eskel are kind of thought to be below the lowlanders, but then it is announced that the prince's bride will be chosen from the girls of Mount Eskel. They are all sent to the Princess Academy, where they will have to learn things that will make them eligible to be chosen by the prince. The first time I read the book it was really good. Now with a sequel, we'll see what happens. I don't know about you guys, but I love fairy tales. I'll let you know how it goes!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
The Hunger Games Trilogy
Guys, I just finished it. I just finished Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series. I swear, she is a genius. Ally Carter doesn't forget a thing and never fails to blow me away with her stories. Like, oh my gosh. She is just awesome. Ally Carter, you're kind of like Taylor Swift, 'cause you "never miss a beat... AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DON'T SEE!" Seriously, you should have an army of fangirls and I feel like you just don't. And you really just need to. The Gallagher Girls fandom should really be the biggest fandom on the earth. And it just isn't. And I have a problem with that.
If you guys would like to follow my reviews you can do it here.
Now I'm going to be rereading the Hunger Games trilogy, and for those of you who know me, you know that I love it. I feel like I have half of it memorized because I just look at it so often all the time, but there are some things I would really like to look at more in depth in its entirety. Katniss is the best protagonist ever. I am so ready. (Because I'm pretty sure this might be one of the best trilogies to reread ever.)
If you guys would like to follow my reviews you can do it here.
Now I'm going to be rereading the Hunger Games trilogy, and for those of you who know me, you know that I love it. I feel like I have half of it memorized because I just look at it so often all the time, but there are some things I would really like to look at more in depth in its entirety. Katniss is the best protagonist ever. I am so ready. (Because I'm pretty sure this might be one of the best trilogies to reread ever.)
Friday, February 27, 2015
Out of Sight, Out of Time Chapter Twenty-Five
(Spoilers for Out of Sight, Out of Time)
So I've been reading Ally Carter's Out of Sight, Out of Time (I just finished it tonight!) and it was pretty much one of the best-written books ever.... But I had to write about this chapter alone because this is where I thought "Dang, who even knew you could do so much right in just one chapter?"
In the third book in the Gallagher Girls series, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, Sam Winters is running for president of the United States with Macey's dad as his vice. And Preston Winters is Governor Winters's son. And everyone thinks that's really cute and all. Until later in that book Macey actually kind of starts to like Preston! Which I think is adorable, because they're both kind of misunderstood kids and totally lovable. They're just super cute and Macey deserves that. But hey, I'm getting sidetracked. So after Governor Winters and Macey's dad lost the election, Preston Winters isn't in the stories anymore. Well that's what you think until you read this book and this chapter of this book and out of nowhere here's Preston Winters and he's seen Cammie over the summer and out of nowhere he's suddenly a significant character again! Ally Carter, it seems you miss nothing. Nothing at all.
And it doesn't stop there. Because after all the chaos of this chapter and I won't go into all the glorious details here, Preston shows the things Cammie left behind when she was staying with Preston that summer.
We all know what the point of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You was. Cammie was writing a CoveOps report for the thing that had happened between her and Josh that semester. Preston pulls out a passport and a book. Cammie knows that book because it's the CoveOps report she wrote sophomore year fall semester and that's awesome Ally Carter you are the best writer on the earth!
And that's just that chapter. It gets better from there. If you want to follow my book reviews you can do so here.
So I've been reading Ally Carter's Out of Sight, Out of Time (I just finished it tonight!) and it was pretty much one of the best-written books ever.... But I had to write about this chapter alone because this is where I thought "Dang, who even knew you could do so much right in just one chapter?"
In the third book in the Gallagher Girls series, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, Sam Winters is running for president of the United States with Macey's dad as his vice. And Preston Winters is Governor Winters's son. And everyone thinks that's really cute and all. Until later in that book Macey actually kind of starts to like Preston! Which I think is adorable, because they're both kind of misunderstood kids and totally lovable. They're just super cute and Macey deserves that. But hey, I'm getting sidetracked. So after Governor Winters and Macey's dad lost the election, Preston Winters isn't in the stories anymore. Well that's what you think until you read this book and this chapter of this book and out of nowhere here's Preston Winters and he's seen Cammie over the summer and out of nowhere he's suddenly a significant character again! Ally Carter, it seems you miss nothing. Nothing at all.
And it doesn't stop there. Because after all the chaos of this chapter and I won't go into all the glorious details here, Preston shows the things Cammie left behind when she was staying with Preston that summer.
We all know what the point of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You was. Cammie was writing a CoveOps report for the thing that had happened between her and Josh that semester. Preston pulls out a passport and a book. Cammie knows that book because it's the CoveOps report she wrote sophomore year fall semester and that's awesome Ally Carter you are the best writer on the earth!
And that's just that chapter. It gets better from there. If you want to follow my book reviews you can do so here.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Gallagher Girls
So I just finished reading and rereading some of the Nancy Drew books.....
Nancy Drew started in 1930 and heck were those first few books just adorable and I loved them so much. But did we need 350 books after that and still going strong? But I guess that going strong isn't exactly accurate because Nancy Drew books haven't been good for a while. When the first books came out they were one of the cutest ideas in the world of literature. Now, they are one of the world of literature's biggest mistakes.
I'm going to start rereading the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter, about Cammie Morgan who goes to the Gallagher Academy, a school for spies. I read the first four back when there were only four and I was sure she would end the series there. It felt so closed to me. My friend thought that it could go either way. Maybe Ally would write another, maybe she wouldn't. But I was sure she wouldn't. When she wrote another, I was actually mad. I thought that the series was over! It felt over!
Now there are six books in this series and I am excited to finish it. I'm starting at the beginning though, with I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. I will stand by the fact that this series is the best chick lit ever written. I'm excited!
Nancy Drew started in 1930 and heck were those first few books just adorable and I loved them so much. But did we need 350 books after that and still going strong? But I guess that going strong isn't exactly accurate because Nancy Drew books haven't been good for a while. When the first books came out they were one of the cutest ideas in the world of literature. Now, they are one of the world of literature's biggest mistakes.
I'm going to start rereading the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter, about Cammie Morgan who goes to the Gallagher Academy, a school for spies. I read the first four back when there were only four and I was sure she would end the series there. It felt so closed to me. My friend thought that it could go either way. Maybe Ally would write another, maybe she wouldn't. But I was sure she wouldn't. When she wrote another, I was actually mad. I thought that the series was over! It felt over!
Now there are six books in this series and I am excited to finish it. I'm starting at the beginning though, with I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. I will stand by the fact that this series is the best chick lit ever written. I'm excited!
Blind Dates Are Just Real-Life OTPs
This is something that I realized a bit ago.
Blind dates, when somebody sets you up on a date with a person you don't know. I hear they are awful. Why would anyone ever put their friends through this? Because they are hardcore shipping their two friends together and it just needs to be a thing.
People just get immense joy out of imagining how cute two people would be if they were together. The next time someone thinks you're weird for having an OTP (my friends laughed at me so hard when I said that Flynn and Rapunzel were my Disney OTP and then they asked what an OTP was), just remember that people outside of the fandom world do it too, even if they don't know it.
And just think, when you go on a blind date and it's just really terrible, it's kind of like when you ship a couple that the author didn't actually write. That's crazy.
Blind dates, when somebody sets you up on a date with a person you don't know. I hear they are awful. Why would anyone ever put their friends through this? Because they are hardcore shipping their two friends together and it just needs to be a thing.
People just get immense joy out of imagining how cute two people would be if they were together. The next time someone thinks you're weird for having an OTP (my friends laughed at me so hard when I said that Flynn and Rapunzel were my Disney OTP and then they asked what an OTP was), just remember that people outside of the fandom world do it too, even if they don't know it.
And just think, when you go on a blind date and it's just really terrible, it's kind of like when you ship a couple that the author didn't actually write. That's crazy.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Phoenixes
(Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
Hey, guys, hi!
So as many of you may have seen on the Facebook page me and my sister went to the first part of a Harry Potter marathon, the first two movies.
(Look, my sister has an awesome Hufflepuff lanyard and bottle of felix felicis around her neck!)
And it was Fawkes at the end of Chamber of Secrets that got me thinking.
Okay, firstly, we wondered, if phoenix tears have healing powers, why didn't Dumbledore just offer up Fawkes for all the petrified people? Instead they had to wait for the mandrakes to be ready. But what if that worked? Maybe it wouldn't. But it was just something I wondered.
And now I'm going to say what I started thinking. Phoenixes are kind of like people.
Wait, what? Let me explain myself. So Dumbledore is describing to Harry in his office all the things that the phoenix can do. He says first that they can carry incredibly heavy loads. And I thought hey, I've watched people go through really hard stuff in their lives but they can still handle it and by the time it's all over they aren't completely done, they can keep going still. People can carry incredibly heavy loads too.
And then Dumbledore said that phoenix's tears have healing powers. Honestly when I thought about it I thought that it was kind of a miracle that phoenixes could cry at all, because they're birds and birds don't generally cry. But I thought about it and I thought that people's tears have healing powers too. Because when a person is so heartbroken and devastated about whatever has happened to them, and then someone is mourning with them, or crying should I say, because they care about that person, and that makes that person feel just a little bit better.
So whenever you are thinking that you are not amazing, remember that that is not true! Because you have the same powers as a phoenix and that is awesome! I love you, fandomeers!
Hey, guys, hi!
So as many of you may have seen on the Facebook page me and my sister went to the first part of a Harry Potter marathon, the first two movies.
And it was Fawkes at the end of Chamber of Secrets that got me thinking.
Okay, firstly, we wondered, if phoenix tears have healing powers, why didn't Dumbledore just offer up Fawkes for all the petrified people? Instead they had to wait for the mandrakes to be ready. But what if that worked? Maybe it wouldn't. But it was just something I wondered.
And now I'm going to say what I started thinking. Phoenixes are kind of like people.
Wait, what? Let me explain myself. So Dumbledore is describing to Harry in his office all the things that the phoenix can do. He says first that they can carry incredibly heavy loads. And I thought hey, I've watched people go through really hard stuff in their lives but they can still handle it and by the time it's all over they aren't completely done, they can keep going still. People can carry incredibly heavy loads too.
And then Dumbledore said that phoenix's tears have healing powers. Honestly when I thought about it I thought that it was kind of a miracle that phoenixes could cry at all, because they're birds and birds don't generally cry. But I thought about it and I thought that people's tears have healing powers too. Because when a person is so heartbroken and devastated about whatever has happened to them, and then someone is mourning with them, or crying should I say, because they care about that person, and that makes that person feel just a little bit better.
So whenever you are thinking that you are not amazing, remember that that is not true! Because you have the same powers as a phoenix and that is awesome! I love you, fandomeers!