The Fault in Our Stars |
But it's also about the little things we can do, the ways we can touch others, that make the hurt and the suffering just that much easier to bear. And, sometimes, almost worth the inevitable pain.
Day 3 of the blog hop has arrived, so let's get the most obvious choice when it comes to my personal Top 5 out of the way.
But after hearing the author read from it, there was no going back for me. I hunted it down: first through a loan from a friend, and then in local bookstores until I located three copies: one for myself, two for my library. Because reading this book that isn't just a book about cancer had me crying for days. Not just because of you-know-what (that is, if you've read it. If you haven't, please. Give it a chance). But because of Augustus' determination to make this closed girl open up to him. Because of her parents' worry and overwhelming helplessness. Because of Hazel's own determination to destroy as few lives as possible when the inevitable occurred. TFiOS isn't just some cancer book, and you know that if you've read it. It's more than the movie that was based on it as well (as excellent as job as they did with that movie: the gas station scene and the entire Amsterdam trip had me crying like a baby). It's about... inevitability, in the end. About the many, many ways that life can suck, and the inevitability that we all will hurt others or be hurt ourselves as we make our way through it, and as it comes to its end. But it's also about the little things we can do, the ways we can touch others, that make the hurt and the suffering just that much easier to bear. And, sometimes, almost worth the inevitable pain. Top 5 in 5 GiveawayOther Participating Blogs
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We're back for another installment of Marathon Monday (no I did not almost forget abut it because I'm getting caught up on Diamond no Ace where would you get that idea). Today, let's talk about Tamora Pierce's largest fantasy world, spanning not only multiple countries, but multiple characters, families and entire generations: the world of Tortall.
We meet so many people- kids and adults- and best of all, we get to watch them learn. Mature. Grow up. Tortall is unlike Pierce's other fantasy world, Emelan, in several ways. In Tortall, magic is largely academic: learned through spellbooks, rituals and chants. The gods in Tortall are very much a regular (and tangibly interfering- I'm looking at you, Kyprioth) feature. And the focus is not on the magic this time, but on those who use it more as a tool than as part of their very existence. Like Alanna, terrified of her own magic. Daine, who had no idea what she was. Beka, who only really uses it to gain information.
Tamora Pierce really struck gold when she expanded this series. We get to see Alanna as both a headstrong kid and a frustrated parent. Daine as both clueless herder and powerful mage (and object of teenage boys' crushes). We learn about George as a youth, as an adult, and the history behind the family. While Emelan is a wonderful world, it's just so much... smaller than Tortall. Emelan focuses on the four mages: Tortall looks at one girl and the ripples extending even to other countries in the other lives she and those close to her touch. I didn't really mean this to be a comparison of the two series, because in doing so neither really comes out on top for me. Both have their wonders. Their pains. Their secrets. Both have such... real characters (even those whose very existence made my head hurt at one point). Both of them take the stage they were written for and lure so many youths into them that even now, so many years after I first met these characters, I still cannot forget them. Welcome to Day 2 of the Top 5 in 5 Giveaway blog hop! You can check out the other participating blog's posts below: 60 Seconds or More Quill Cafe Now, on to my Day 2 pick (and a reminder to enter the giveaway!)
I read this book soon after being traumatised by another that was on my list. The two did not deal with entirely the same issues (although there was some overlap regarding death). Still, they both left a deep impression on me- so much so that they are my first choice recommendations whenever a student comes to me with a desire for just "something" to read. It's an Issue Book, no doubt about that, but the way that you are drawn into Clay's night time wanderings, thefts, evasions, anger, sadness, guilt- is nothing short of amazing. It's not just that you get to hear Hannah's thoughts right before she takes her own life. It's Clay's impressions of her reasons. His reflections on what he himself could have done differently. His realisation that things that may have seemed like nothing to him, meant so much more to someone else. It's a lesson on impressions, really. I wouldn't call it a suicide book, nor will I call it a book that addresses teen suicide- although many easily attach those two labels to it. For me, Thirteen Reasons Why was about, more than anything else, the ripples that are caused by our own words. Actions. Or lack of either. It's funny, though. Some of my girls had quite the negative reaction to this book. They called her reasons silly. While it was reassuring that they did not think her reasons were good enough to end a life, it was at the same time a bit disappointing. To me, the list of reasons were never about whether they were good enough. They were about Hannah finally finding a voice to say that You. Hurt. Me. Even if it was too late to save her. Top 5 in 5 Giveaway Welcome to the Top 5 in 5 Blog Hop, hosted by Living Several Lives. This week, we'll be looking at our personal Top 5 books that we have read within the last five years. Everyday I'll post another addition to the list, as well as a link to the giveaways that go along with this hop, so stay tuned! The final 2 days... well. I have a bit of fun planned. l'll start off with a book that, while I expected it to be great when I first heard of it back in 2012, I didn't expect it to change how I dealt with my students, my friends- even myself.
I didn't expect it to tell me so much about myself, about why I act as I do. I didn't expect this book to simultaneously blow my mind and make me cry, just by telling me something few have. That it's okay to be the way I am. That I don't have to force myself to change. Simultaneously, it didn't tell me that it was okay to retreat into myself either: a trait a very good friend still points out every time he calls me Semorrocoy (morrocoy: type of turtle). It forced me to look at ways I could make my feelings and opinions known, even if I found it so difficult to do face to face. In a way, that book encouraged me to stop hiding my voice in a place where I knew it wouldn't be heard by many and come out into the open. That book is the reason I blog today. Reading Quiet, as trite as it sounds, changed my life. Not only where and how I write. It's changed the way I work. How I interact with those around me. There have been mistakes, of course. Things I wish I'd never written or said. But that's part of being human, after all. Learning from mistakes. Introverts and extroverts both: do yourself a favor. Read. This. Book. What's a Giveaway Hop Without a Giveaway?Hop to it! Go ahead and visit the other blogs involved in this Hop by visiting the links below. And share the love (and links) around! Or first Mad Monday giveaway has ended- and the winner has been contacted. Congratulations! However, this will be the final post to this blog for a few days. Life is... strange, you know. I am in love with Green Gables Fables: a youtube adaptation of Lucy Maude Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. In the story arc, we've reached the most tragic part: the death of Anne's foster father, Matthew Cuthbert. The characters' twitter feeds hinted at it; but it was Mrs Rachel Lynde who, on January 14th, confirmed what all of us knew was coming. I complained about excessively bad timing, but it couldn't be helped, really.
How were they to know that my own father had passed away little more than twelve hours earlier? So, back to this blog. It will be placed on a brief (I hope) hiatus until the launch of the Top 5 in 5 Giveaway Hop on January 25 (if you haven't signed up yet, now's the time). Until then, wishing you the best of adventures in all the lives you choose to wander through. Welcome to my FIRST blog hop- what I hope, with your help, will become the first of many. It will run from January 25 to January 31. For this Hop, we'll be focusing on your personal Top 5 of books that were published between January 2010 and December 2014. You can give away copies of one, two, or all five of those books, a gift card, swag- whatever you think suits the theme (and, of course, your pocket). Just sign up using the linky below, putting in the name of your blog and indicating if this is a local or international giveaway in the first field shown. Top 5 in 5 Participants Every other Monday, I'll be running a giveaway on this blog. Let's start this off small and get right to it, shall we?
The giveaway is international, and VERY short. We had some technical issues today, which means you get some extra time. However, future #MadMonday giveaways will only be open for 24 hours and may involve a wee bit more effort than this one, so be sure you get your entries in early! Let the fun begin! My apologies for this two-day late post, but some personal issues prevented me from posting it on Wednesday as planned. Now that we're back on schedule, I give you the FIRST book that always comes to mind when I think about upcoming releases that I CANNOT WAIT TO GET MY GREEDY HANDS ON.
Challenge accepted, Book Riot.
Over the course of this year, I'll be reading 24 books that meet one of the requirements listed below. Some will be easy; some not quite as (self-improvement books? okaay). I'll add a note whenever I complete one of the challenges. Feel free to join in the fun: there's even a group on Goodreads! During 2015, I will read... A book written by someone when they were under the age of 25 A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65 A collection of short stories (either by one person or an anthology by many people) A book published by an indie press A book by or about someone that identifies as LGBTQ A book by a person whose gender is different from your own A book that takes place in Asia A book by an author from Africa A book that is by or about someone from an indigenous culture (Native Americans,Aboriginals, etc.) A microhistory A YA novel A sci-fi novel A romance novel A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize winner from the last decade A book that is a retelling of a classic story (fairytale, Shakespearian play, classic novel, etc.) An audiobook A collection of poetry A book that someone else has recommended to you A book that was originally published in another language A graphic novel, a graphic memoir or a collection of comics of any kind (Hi, have you met Panels?) A book that you would consider a guilty pleasure (Read, and then realize that good entertainment is nothing to feel guilty over) A book published before 1850 A book published this year A self-improvement book (can be traditionally or non-traditionally considered “self-improvement”) When it comes to Reasons I Haven't Read That Book Yet, Tamora Pierce is a regular excuse. As a teen, her books were widely promoted in my library- and I gobbled each up as soon as I got my little hands on them. And it wasn't because she writes books that make me think and wonder (even though she does). It isn't because all of her books feature Strong Female Characters (even though they do).
Mostly, I can't let go of Tamora Pierce's books because of her characters. First, let's talk about the series that revolves around four children in a world of elemental and academic magic: Emelan. The Emelan series, to date, consist of the books listed here. They constantly surprise me, even after all these years. I love reading about Briar's struggles to get used to life as a young mage after being a thief on the mean city streets. I love hearing Sandry insist that people do the right thing (and I love even more the results when they don't listen). I love Tris' temper, and the way that she fears even herself. I love Daja's solidity despite her insecurities; her isolation from all she once knew and held dear. But despite the draw of the kids, I do believe I love "his prissiness" Niklaren Goldeye even more. He's sarcastic, he's impatient at times, he forgets on a regular basis that he's talking to kids, and I would like nothing better than to see him in another book. Or two. Frankly, I wouldn't object to an entire series revolving around Niko. But moving past the characters, the world-building is simply delicious. So many little bits and pieces working and flowing so well together to create a familiar and yet alien landscape. Fields of dead plants suffering from a drought (further cooked by a single spark of stray lightning). The simple beauty of fishermen about to set out to sea, watching a solitary figure weave a dance for luck. The quiet moments spent with friends upon a roof, watching the clouds and remembering. Comfort from the flickering light of a crystal. The devastation of a staff with a blank metal cap. Rallying around a poor abused puppy- and the battlefield that resulted from trying to give said puppy a bath. The words. The scenes. The emotions. The characters. The history. The challenges. The character development. All combining to create a series that I'll be reading again and again and again. On another Monday, we'll talk about that other wonderful world Tamora Pierce has created: Tortall. |