Summer Reading Assignment: Entry Four

The Michael L. Printz award is given to the best books suited for teenagers and young adults, and the array of winners is quite vast. However, for this blogging project, one book was only necessary. Out of the expansive list of winners and honorary winners, I chose Looking for Alaska by John Green. Here are some reasons behind my decision of reading this book for school.

First things first, this is one of the few books on the list that I have previously heard about. In fact, I had already read this novel prior to this project. I just didn't read it "well enough" and didn't observe any themes or any certain writing style. I first heard about this book in the 7th grade, when a classmate in English did a book report on it and presented it to the class. Of all the reports presented, mine included, his made the book seem the most interesting, hence my initial interest in the novel.

Second of all, around the same time I chose this book to read for the summer, a very particular romantic movie came out to theaters, The Fault in Our Stars. This movie was initially a book, acquiring the same title, and was written by John Green--the same man who wrote Looking for Alaska. And to plop the cherry on top of the sundae, there is an excerpt from TFIOS in the final pages of my copy of the novel. So given all the hype that occurred upon the film's release, I figured it wouldn't be all that bad of an idea if I gave one of Green's books a shot.

Nothing personal really inspired me to read this book, however. Just witnessing soap operas and school-set dramas kind of reminds me of this novel. But despite my personal experiences having nothing to do with this book, I do have an idea of what kind of people it reminds me of and who I'd recommend it to. Genders are mixed, but it depends on how much they care about romance and drama. So, based on the demographic, I'd recommend it to a female, in high school, who is easily lured in with romances such as Twilight and, of course, The Fault in Our Stars. And trust me, there will be a cult based on this book. How would I know this? There's a movie in the works.

So, seeing the sorts of literature that's out right now, it's good to be a John Green fan. So a good way to catch up with what's being praised in his fandom, because its movie rendition might come right after, is to start from the very beginning with his debut book, Looking for Alaska.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry Three

Sure, the novel Looking for Alaska by John Green contains a whole slew of emotion, but when looking for any part of the book that is "gripping," it shouldn't necessarily mean leaving you at the edge of your seat, much rather giving you a significant interest in the novel, making you want to read more. When Alaska dies, the moment is described, but not creatively. In fact, there wasn't even a narration as it happened. The news was revealed by the Eagle, after the accident occurred. It was described as more of a headline than anything else. If the story of Alaska's death was told as it happened, now that would have left the reader at the edge of their seat.

So in this novel, what makes a certain segment "gripping" is having some kind of meaning or philosophy behind it that will make you want to dig deeper to find its meaning, and by "dig deeper," I mean continue reading.

"I have here Alaska's final. You'll recall that you were asked what the most important question facing people is, and how the three traditions we're studying this year address that question. This was Alaska's question." (written on the chalkboard) "How will we ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?-A.Y." (Green, 58)

Spoiler Alert; the meaning of this quote is revealed before this quote was even said. Alaska had stated this quote from Simon Bolivar before she made it the topic of her final. She told Pudge the meaning of "suffering" specifically. "It's not life or death, the labyrinth. Suffering. Doing wrong and having wrong things happen to you. That's the problem." (Green, 84). She also describes the things you feel in the labyrinth. "You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth. Thinking about how you'll escape it one day, and how awesome it would be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present." (Green, 54) Now, thinking of the future may be the coping mechanism, but the way to escape this labyrinth is also mentioned. However, just because it is mentioned doesn't mean I will.

So to summarize, the way to get hooked to Looking for Alaska is to think rather than to listen, and a main theme, that theme being the "labyrinth," is quite involved in that thought process. Your brain is the detective, rather than the television. You are Columbo, you're not just watching it.  That's how you get hooked.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry Two

As with every novel, each character has its own unique complexities. To increase the amount of interest given to that character, they are given one or more certain desires, or goals they would like to fulfill in life. And with the variety of characters in Looking for Alaska by John Green, that's a given.

What are the desire of Miles "Pudge" Halter? Well, let's just say they are also the desires of many other boys who are attending boarding school at Culver Creek. Go to parties, hook up with a girl (or two, maybe more...) and the rest is classified, yet quite obvious. However, his goals go way farther than just that. He wants to make some friends that are not just drama geeks and people who have no one else to talk to. That's when he met the Colonel, Takumi and Alaska, so right off the bat he got some boxes already checked off.

The only desire that the Colonel, Chip Martin acquires is to have another fun year at Culver Creek. He also did some things that he should have done a while ago, such as breaking up with his picky, frustrating girlfriend Sara. Another goal of his is to end the constant torment of the Weekday Warriors gang at the school. After the hateful acts they have committed towards him and Alaska, their main target, for seeing each other such as urinating in their shoes and flooding their dorm rooms, payback and vengeance is at bay for his list of missions to accomplish.

Takumi's goal is simple. Impress some people. He has lots of talents, and he wants to show them off. He is the class clown of Culver Creek. He gains an audience every time he cracks a joke or slips up. He's also almost a professional rapper. On Page 68, he starts a rap cycle when he hangs out with Pudge, the Colonel, Alaska and Lara. They all eventually join in, cracking their own creative rhymes.
He also doesn't want to get caught, because you can't catch the Fox.

Alaska doesn't have that many desires. She feels as if her life's wishes have already been fulfilled. She has a faithful boyfriend, she has tons of other friends who are always on her side. However, throughout the continuation of the novel, she seems to have an empty space inside, the gap constantly widening. I suspect that she is secretly falling in love with Pudge. That being said, Pudge secretly falls in love with Alaska, for her beauty and personality, so this situation will very much engage the reader to see what happens next.

A theme that is starting to convey throughout the book is that whenever the chips are down or the going gets rough, your friends shall always be by your side. Whether it'd be your defeat by a bitter rival or just some type of personal misfortune, your pals will have your back.

The structure of Looking for Alaska is very much conventional, only however there are no chapters. There are two main sections, "Before," and "After." The different "chapters"are formed in a sort of "countdown" fashion, for example "Ninety Eight Days Before." That fragment being in the "Before" section of the novel.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry One

For summer reading, I am currently in the midst of reading Looking for Alaska by John Green. You may have well heard of this novel, as it is the debut novel of the same author as of The Fault in Our Stars, which its movie rendition is currently ripping through box offices across the globe. But while that book sheds more tears than anything else, the book I am on right now is more of a gripping, entertaining read.

 Our protagonist in this book is Miles Halter, who later acquires the nickname "Pudge" for the sake of irony due to his thin, dainty physique. His existence is an embodiment of awkward, and his interests are anything but abundant. His life wasn't all that fun in his Florida public school. The only friends he had were drama geeks who didn't devote their lives to anything else but that. But then he makes the decision to transfer to boarding school, Culver Creek in Alabama, to be specific. His father had previously went there, and often times shared of his fun times there. And once Pudge had moved into his dorm room, his social and emotional life is changed forever.

Miles' roommate, Chip Martin, who bears the nickname, "The Colonel," has been to Culver Creek before. He is a more laid back, irresponsible human being who leisurely drinks and smokes, His favorite drink being Ambrosia, a 5:1 mix of milk and vodka, and his favorite drug being cigarettes. He has a good relationship with video games, and a bad relationship with his girlfriend, Sara, whom he later breaks up with.

Alaska Young is the cute, pretty, funny, attractive, fun, crazy, outrageous, stupid and emotionally unstable girl who lives two doors down from Pudge and the Colonel. She lives alone in her dorm, for her roommate got expelled for the Trifecta (being drunk, high and having someone else be in your bed with you). It turned out that Alaska had ratted her out, which made her a huge target for the Weekday Warriors, the group of antagonists in the novel. She is also the main distributor for drugs and alcohol in Culver Creek, dealing and frequently smoking cigarettes, and drinking primarily red wine. She has a boyfriend, Jake, who is a southern gun and makes both Pudge and the Colonel feel an enormous sense of jealousy.

Other side characters include Takumi, the perverted Japanese exchange student who proudly bears his fox hat upon his head, Lara, the Romanian-American who ends up dating Pudge for a short while, and the "Eagle," the strict, uptight school dean.

There are tons of conflicts in this novel, but the primary one being that Pudge, being the newbie, needs to catch up with social life at Culver Creek. You probably have already guessed the main setting, being Culver Creek. It is an older Boarding School, bearing a hexagonal-shaped campus. (and it also serves the best fried bean burritos you will ever find)

A good literary connection to this work would be something like Grey's Anatomy or any other drama/soap opera that takes place primarily in a certain setting. There are many dormitory dramas out there on television, but I'm not all that familiar with any of them.

A CONTINUED RECOMMENDED POST

Well, as a unique prompt, I will be giving some recommendations for the small screen. I am very much into comedy, but I can take some drama if I want to.

RULES: Shows must be scripted. That is all.

TIE: The Office, 30 Rock and Grey's Anatomy

Workplace sitcoms are always fun. I wouldn't call Grey's a sitcom, but it does have its funny moments. It's about a hospital in Seattle and its whereabouts. Mainly, the show revolves around its interns, who have an intertwined love life with each other and the staff. The patients also vary, which gives it a nice touch of anticipation. As for the true sitcoms, I prefer older seasons of the office simply because of Steve Carell. It's about the average day in an ordinary office--and all the shenanigans that go on within. It's sad the show's over now. I'm also depressed about the discontinuation of 30 Rock. It's about an ordinary day in and out of work at NBCUniversal. Specifically, the staff of a sketch comedy show, similar to Saturday Night Live.

Arrested Development

This show is hilarious. At least the first three seasons were. The Netflix version sucked. The series is about the wealthy Bluth dynasty, whose patriarch gets arrested for fraud. The family copes with the misfortune with a series of misadventures. For example; Michael's failing love life, Gob's failing magic life, Lindsay's failing sex life, Tobias' failing acting/coming out life, George Sr.'s failing prison life, Lucille's failing rich life and Buster's failing school/losing his left hand life. The show is filled with tropes and references that will come back to you as life goes on. It is sure to make your sides split into two.

Okay, so that's it. Stay classy.

THIS POST IS RECOMMENDED

This blog is all about literature. Whether it'd be books, movies or TV shows. You may have come to this site to expect some type of recommendation source. Well, I'm going to give the people just that in this post. Here is my list of literary recommendations.

Carrie, by Stephen King (and both the movies)

If you are unpopular at school, and want to take a stand to your social status on the school's Caste System, Carrie would be a good guide. As Stephen King's debutant novel, the horror book tells a tale of the High School Glory Days, and a dorky girl's discovery of an amazing power she acquires. She uses it to avenge her enemies at school and her extremely religious, almost insane mother, in a very sinister way. It is a very suspenseful, yet above all relatable read.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

This one makes you think a little bit. It tells the story of Guy Montag, who lives in a dystopian society as a book burner. In his society, books are illegal, and must be burned down along with the buildings they reside in. However, Montag smuggles a couple of books here and there from the sites. His wife discovers, and soon the whole city knows. He then declares war against the Status Quo who believe that books are the source of some evils, and the outgoing who like to read, like you guys!

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Yes, we've all seen this one. The famous fantasy series has recently come completely to a close, with the last movie adaptation being released a couple years ago. So here's the plot. A boy who witnesses the death of his parents by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort who was out to defeat the DA (Dumbledore's Army). In revenge, Harry sets out to try to defeat Voldemort as vengeance and at the same time, deals with school drama at Hogwart's. Good book for a kid.

So those are my recommendations as far as literature goes. G'night!

Well, what can I say?

The question mark is a common form of punctuation. It also often describes one's mind. Everybody is stupid. Even when somebody knows a lot, they don't know a lot. You could answer a billion questions, yet you have more than a quintillion in the remains. Everyone expects the brain's capacity to acquire the same enormity as does the triceps of a bodybuilder, and it does. However, it is flabbergastingly close to impossible to fulfill that space. So I would like to give you a task. Ask yourself a question. Then answer it. Afterwards, ask another question, then answer that. Keep the pattern going on and on. Keep it going until you die. Ask and answer questions to yourself until you reach your demise. In fact, ask yourself some more questions in Heaven, and then answer them there. The queries you can present yourself are infinite. It's implausible to halt the everlasting chain of questions. So this should be your lifelong project. Ask yourself a question. I bet you're doing it right now. Answer these questions, store your responses in your mental intake, and see where life goes from there.