Top Ten Tuesday: Book Characters Who've Shaped My Life

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly countdown meme, hosted by the Broke and the Bookish! 

Diving a little into the deep end of the swimming pool this morning, for a post partially inspired by a revelation made by one of my English department compatriots, who suddenly discovered  that his sense of moral compass was determined more by Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild than it was by his religious upbringing. Seriously, that happened in class yesterday afternoon.

Regardless of your church affiliation - or lack thereof - I know there's a book there on your bedside table of years past, with someone inside who spoke to you, and changed the way you viewed the world. Be they the best friends you'd do anything to emulate, or the fearsome foes you'd face down whenever the time called for it, there are voices hidden within the bindings of some of your favorite reads, that you've listened to, maybe even since you were a kid, whose philosophies of life were adopted as your own. Here are mine!

1. Hermione Granger, from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series

Being smart isn't just cool... its amazing. You can work wonders, if you read for fun.  

2. Elizabeth Bennett, from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Being sassy works just as well, as long as you learn from your mistakes. 

3. Emma Woodhouse, from Jane Austen's Emma

Being driven and compassionate is also important. 

4.Tom Sawyer, from Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Adventure never killed anyone. (I mean, it almost did, but it didn't. And that's what's important.)

5. Beka, Alianne, and Keladry, from various series within Tamora Pierce's Tortall universe

Girls can seriously kick ass. Seriously. Also, fantasy is super cool. 

6. Milo, from Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth

Remember that thing Tom said about adventure? Never be bored, or boring, either. 

7. Gemma Doyle, from Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty

You have an unlimited, unlocked potential. You just need to take the chance for yourself. 

8. Paul (aka Muad'Dib), from Frank Herbert's Dune

One person can lead a revolution. (And knowing how to fight is really important in space.) 

9. Mary, from  Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden

You can be the one to make things magic. And spend some time outside every once in a while, it's good for you. 

10. Annie Dillard, in her biography An American Childhood

The most amazing thing you can always learn to be, is yourself, and the most important stories you can ever tell, are your own. 

What are your Top Ten?

I'm an English Major: Rewards for Being a Couch Potato

A brief anecdote about my recent experiences in the English major, here at UW. 

In my two short years I've been a part of the UW college campus, the only good things I've heard about being an English major... have been spoken by fellow English department members. 

At the risk of sounding cynical, I'm going to go out on a limb and say one of the concentrations specific to our scholarly focus - beyond even Literature and Creative Writing - is learning how to defend it in conversation. It's kind of an ego-killer when you hear about how all the other scholastic options are better than yours at your own school... and especially when even the Communications department thinks they can get in on the fun.

Recently, I suffered a bit of a Crisis of Future, after the publication of The Daily's annual "Career Guide" alongside its usual daily campus newspaper, where I found not even a single mention of a Humanities major, regardless of English itself making that list. What had so far been an ordinary morning suddenly spiraled into chaos, as the various factions of my brain desperately fought to regain domination over the near-crippling doubt set in place by the idea that maybe my English major was a waste of time. (This is kind of a routine thing with me, a kid who was raised on the "doctor, lawyer, accountant" mantra.)

Thankfully for me, an extended weekend at home was on the agenda. After two days vegging out on the sofa and catching up with my television, especially an exceptional psychologically-healing DVR-enabled eight-hour marathon of the current season of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I realized that checking back in with my schoolwork was probably necessary.

That's how, at 1am on Friday, I made the discovery that I had a two-paged, single-spaced essay reflection on comparison of two recent reads we'd covered in class, due at 8am on Friday. 

Stream-of-consciousness has always been my preferred essay-writing method, so in the ensuing hour, I knocked out both pages, and turned in the assignment without even glancing over my work, all by 2am. I was lucky enough to have my sister, The Cheerleader, sitting next to me, the following day when I received my results, plus grading commentary: "Beautifully written and great analyzing. I will be using this as an example in class." I  basically got a high five for being a couch potato, instead of the slap on the wrist that was going to help me stop procrastinating. (I am often rewarded for my study habits in this manner... hello, last Quarter's 4.0 in INFO.)

After reading the response aloud, my sister laughed, and vocalized a very pertinent question that changed the way I had been looking at my scholastic pursuits, "How much would it suck if you were anything but an English major?" It all clicked for me.

I am an English major, because I'm great at it. 

Seriously.

I have a firm handle on my talents, I work well under pressure, and routinely produce quality material, even if it may have stemmed from deadline duress. Sure, it may make it easier to get a job in the future with engineering or medical degrees, but if you do a terrible job, if you're not good at the things you do - or just as bad, if you don't like what you do - then how will that work out? I know how to work, and I enjoy doing it, and I do it well. At the risk of sounding like someone's "Words to Live By" Pinterest board, I have faith in my abilities and my future... even if those at The Daily might not. Writing wrocks.

end scene.

Waiting on Wednesday: Lies My Girlfriend Told Me

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that gives bloggers the opportunity to highlight upcoming releases about which they are extremely excited. 

This week, I'm waiting on an upcoming YA release that exposes the infidelity and hurt at the heart of a young relationship. The topic wouldn't come off as breaking new ground in the Young Adult Romance genre... except for those tied to the tumultuous romance are both women. There's been a lot of attention paid to LGBTQ teens in contemporary Young Adult lit recently, and rightfully so, and Lies My Girlfriend Told Me is one among many upcoming releases to touch on the socially conscious topic. 

Following the sudden and unexpected death of her girlfriend, Swanee, to cardiac arrest, Alix decides to work through her grief by searching through the things Swanee left behind, looking for mementos of their relationship in her room. What she is looking for is something to remember her by, but what she finds leads her to someone else entirely: Liana, the secret girlfriend that Swanee has been with the whole time she was with Alix. Shocked and betrayed, Alix decides she's going to get to the bottom of the matter... by texting Liana on Swanee's phone as Swanee. As they come closer together, Alix is faced with a heartbreaking quandry: she knows what it's like to be lied to, but does she have the strength to come clean? 

This book sounds incredibly intriguing. And, let's face it, I'm a total cover snob, too. The gorgeous text, the Instagram-y filter, the Cara Delevigne-like model on the front... I was sunk as soon as I saw the front of the book. 

Lies My Girlfriend Told Me, by Julie Anne Peters, is set to be published June 10th. 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Things That I'd Like to Own (That Aren't Books)

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly countdown meme, hosted by the Broke and the Bookish! 

This week's "Top Ten Tuesday" topic satisfies both the bookworm and the aesthete not-so-easily hidden inside me, by making a veritable shopping list of all the pretty nerdy things I want to own. But first, let's start off with one I only recently acquired...

1. A BRAND SPANKIN' NEW KINDLE PAPERWHITE. If only I could capture a decent picture of this majestic being, in its new and comfortable habitat of always-and-constantly-at-my-side. Originally a present for my mother, seeing her off on a trip to Japan, she opted instead for my old-school Kindle Touch, trading with me, which is why I now am in possession of the pretty pretty shiny shiny. 

But if you give a book-starved sorority girl a Kindle, she's going to want to buy it 2. A GORGEOUS NEW JONATHON ADLER KINDLE COVER (see more options here). 

And if you give a book-starved sorority girl a cute new Kindle Cover, she's going to want to find a means of accessorizing it with 3. BOOK SCARVES FROM ETSY. (find more options here.) 

And if you give a book-starved sorority girl a chic book scarf from Etsy, she'll want some 4. OUT OF PRINT 

CLOTHING TEE SHIRTS

to pair it with. (see the collections here.) 

And it only makes sense to pair those same super cute shirts with some super cuddly 5. BOOK SWEATSHIRTS FROM ETSY, amirite?

And if you give a book-starved sorority girl so many cute new clothes, she's going to want to wear them when she goes out. And while she's already going to be the nerdiest girl in any fraternity gentleman's basement she frequents, this George Bernard Shaw 6. BOOK FLASK will help drive the message home.


Other than those few things, I don't think my wardrobe needs all that much of a boost. My desk could probably use a bit of a makeover, though, which makes some 7. VINTAGE BOOKENDS from eBay and these adorable 8. NANCY DREW-WRAPPED PENCILS  sound like just the thing to spruce up for Spring.

Being in possession of 9. THE COMPLETE HARRY POTTER MOVIE COLLECTION wouldn't hurt, either. And speaking of HP, here's my number ten Bookish Thing I'd Like to Own:

10. A TIME TURNER. Because, let's be real: its origins and intended personal potential use are inherently tied to use, so it totally counts. I just want more time to read, guys.

What were your Top Ten? 

Moonlighting: The Daffodil Festival

Blogging isn't the only opportunity I get to show off my writing chops, you know. Sure, I've always got schoolwork and English classes - those college essays are never exactly as easy to write as I'd like them to be - and I've kept a journal since the sixth grade, but there's always more means of getting my work out there. I'm a writer with many hats... my pen has many caps, I guess? Regardless, beyond simply my blogging, sometimes I moonlight a little. 

THE PIERCE COUNTY DAFFODIL FESTIVAL

I've never exactly been shy about my love for the land I came from. My Tacoma origins are a distinct place of pride for me, and despite my newly-planted Seattle roots, it's going to take a lot more coffee and plaid flannel of the Emerald City to stomp out the Grit City girl in me. And happily for me, my love for Tacoma perfectly complements yet another celebration of the great things growing in Pierce County of which I am extremely - and equally vocally - fond: Pierce County's Daffodil Festival. 

The Daffodil Festival is a community celebration that has taken place for over the past 80 years in Pierce County. Winding its way through the four Pierce County cities of Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting, all in one day, the Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade - the year's biggest event - took place just this past weekend, and, naturally, when the question came up of whether I'd be back in town to contribute to the proceedings, the answer was an unequivocal and resounding "YES!" 

After all, this Festival transformed my high school experience through a senior year full of volunteering opportunities, charity work, community outreach, and even ambassadorship. I made friends for life, and bonded with not only a group of 23 of the most amazing young women I know, but the communities they came from, as well. One of the ways I'm able to give back to the organization who continues to inspire me so much, thankfully, is through one of the things I'm best at, so when the Daffodil Festival needs to get news out about what's going on, I've been able to lend a hand. 

Here are a couple of links to some of the articles I've been writing in the past couple of months in support of the Festival: 

TACOMA WEEKLY Front-Pagers

February 11th - Daffodil Festival Princess Promenade

March 11th - Daffodil Festival Annual Coronation Celebration

April 2nd - Daffodil Festival Grande Floral Parade (Pre-Parade)

April 10th - Daffodil Festival (Post-Parade)

DAFFODIL NEWSPAPER INSERT

Running in between the pages of the News Tribune and the Tacoma Weekly, this newspaper insert provides a means of communicating strictly Festival news, promoting the amazing women of the Daffodil Royal Court and the exceptional work they do, as well as thanking some of this year's sponsors.

The Daffodil Festival is always going to have a large place in my heart, which is why it will always have a place in my writing, as well. Though I may not mention it on my blog all the time, the Festival has events going on all year, and wherever those yellow dresses spread sunshine, you can bet I'm there, too. 

College Fashion Post Link Up: Fashion Inspired by The 100

I've decided that I've complained to you all enough about my cripplingly busy current state and little-to-no drive to complicate that business any further, and yet, here I am again, ready to complain about how cripplingly busy I am. I'll try to rein it in.

When struck in the middle of said business last week, I realized I had to turn in a College Fashion article by the end of it. (Cue the "Oh, sh*t, I've got a job to do" music.)

Scrambling for inspiration, I decided to pursue my best possible option: utilize a viewing party for one for some bad teen television as a means of productivity. As I was eating my feelings through a bowl of Lucky Charms and pondering whether I'd rather bury myself in an abandoned bunker or run away to a life spent living on the rails, as a future career option, now that any writing chops I had have obviously gone into their recessive mode, inspiration struck me like an overly-dramatic and overly-hyped commercial for a new teen series that had just premiered on the CW. The 100, by Kass Morgan, was thus chosen as my new project!

The book itself, was actually pretty enjoyable. Well-written, with an engaging and new premise, focusing on the inner relationships of teens instead of the astoundingly high-stakes peril they're in (as these things are wont to do), The 100 was an interesting and engaging new teen sci-fi release. It definitely had its problems, of course: multiple POVs with essentially the same voice throughout, the rather astoundingly terrifying contrast between excellent leadership skills and jaw-droppingly horrendous decision-making that shattered all believability for one of the main characters, etc. But overall, I can say it was pretty good.

(Not so much for the television series, which warranted its own mini-viewing party between me and one of my roommates... but I'm pretty sure I'm going to make that the subject of its own blog post, so you're just going to have to wait for that.)

At any rate, it was the subject of my latest College Fashion article, and I'm actually pleased with the results (for at least two of the characters... I just couldn't get Clarke's to look right!). Here, for your viewing temptation, is the outfit chosen to represent one of the main characters of the novel, Bellamy:

Remember to head over to College Fashion and like/comment on my "Looks from Books" column! 

Waiting on Wednesday: To Rise Again at a Different Hour

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that gives bloggers the opportunity to highlight upcoming releases about which they are extremely excited. 

Getting your identity stolen is a scary thing... and a thing my family is becoming a little more intimate with this year, after the Seattle Archdiocese had its accounts hacked, and someone stole my mom's social security number! With this issue fresh in my brain, I stumbled across this upcoming release, about a man whose online identity, manipulated by a different person, causes him to call into question everything he knows about the divisions between reality and virtuality. Here's Joshua Ferris' To Rise Again at a Later Hour, due for publication this upcoming May 13th. 

Paul O'Rourke, a complex man who doesn't quite know what to make of his own many contradictions, can't understand the motives behind the mystery, after someone creates multiple social media identities in his name, and begins to impersonate him online. However, it isn't just the flagrant violation of his privacy and rights of his own identity that causes him concern, but the fact that this new, virtual version of himself just might be more interesting than the flesh-and-blood Paul. Now the question comes into play, not only why his identity was stolen in the first place, but what is Paul going to be able to do to get it back. 

Forcing Paul to come to terms with his past problems, present discomfort, and future uncertainty,  as well as his own issues with the internet, To Rise Again at a Later Hour is a hilarious account of one man's grappling with his virtual counterpart and the absurdities of the modern world. 

Why I'm Excited? 

Like I said, identity theft is something I've really got my mind stuck on right now, and growing up with a Dad whose main source of inspiration in this world deals with computers, as well as just having finished the INFO class from Hell last quarter, that explicitly dealt with information systems and social media, I've already got a lot of opinions on this subject matter. I can't wait to see how this one turns out, especially because it's supposed to be very humorously presented, as well. 

What novels are you waiting on this Wednesday?