Moving Blog!

...over to Livejournal. Blogger has become too glitchy for me, so....

I can now be found at!

http://lady-nawe.livejournal.com/

Book Review: Where Things Come Back

I received this book as an advance copy through the Firstreads program.

Where Things Come Back is an interesting little book. On one hand, the writing style seems to own a sense of whimsy curiosity in the “what if,” but those what ifs
are subsequently shadowed, or altogether shot down by a sheet of pure cynicism. While this negative outlook lent itself to a sense of unique charm, others factor played a part in it being emotionally stifling.

This is not a book for young and impressionable readers. The hopelessness breaks the line of tragic and goes straight through to a consistent line of apathetic acceptance of the dismal and despair-ridden. The inhabitants of Lily, Arkansas have no reason to try to make anything of themselves because they will just end up back in the hopeless little town they strived to leave. This is shown by example time and time again. One character leaves Lily in an attempt to make something of herself, and results in having had a miscarriage, been married and striving for a divorce by the time she is nineteen before returning back home.

Content-wise, the themes are quite mature. The language scope is pushing a hard PG-13. There are no morals, and the only thing close to a role-model to be found is Cullen’s father in his patience for his wife during a difficult time. Otherwise, people (in the 17-19 years old range) are sleeping with each other as if it is no big deal, ignoring the emotional and mental consequences that come with such flings. Some parents seem to find this cheerful. One has no issue with there being a naked boy (who’s a minor) in her daughter (who’s legally an adult)’s bed as she comes in the vacuum.

None of the characters grow, but instead just continue down their “why bother with anything” lifestyles and mindsets. Some characters struggle to be constantly cheerful. At first they may appear to be good and role models, but it is said later on that even they don’t know what their meaning in life is. They have no reason to be acting cheerful, really.

Where Things Come Back seems to try and ask deep, important questions it has no answers for. Instead, it lands on using such things as existentialism to explain the meaning of life, an extremely poor answer that will only lead to a mindset of hating life.

Whaley has a wonderful style in how he wrote Cullen’s thoughts, how he worded things and how he told the story overall. There were many lines that made me grin just by the sheer brilliance how they were executed. It is a shame such creativity and ingenuity was used on something touching on a topic important to all only to end it on a note of hopeless existence.

Book Review: Black Swan by Chris Knopf

First off, before I say anything else, I give the condition that this is the first Sam Acquillo (or Chris Knopf) book I have read. With that out of the way, I’ll continue on.


I found Black Swan hard to get into, to say the least. Characters were either flat or plain unlikable due to a largely absent moral compass. Few to no values were stood up for, although I will give Sam a little credit for trying to be honorable, though the venture felt half-hearted. There was such a selfishness prevalent in everyone—Sam and Amanda’s relationship is a good example.


As for the mystery, it took too long to initiate. After which, the majority of the story was asking people repeated questions, receiving repeated answers, and Sam’s inner dialogue that rehashed the same thing over and over. I found it difficult to care about what was going on even when the “mystery” was referenced. In the end, I skimmed almost anything not dialogue and still managed to follow the climax.


The weak attempt at wit—soon replaced with profanity—was another point subtracted from the overall quality of the story. Instead of there being swearing just because it was there, it seemed to be the crutch the author leaned on when unsure of what else to do. One or two characters having the personality to swear left and right, I can understand. Every character? Now, that’s just lazy.


Perhaps this was just not my type of mystery, or my type of characters. Each person likes something different, but this was definitely not my cup of tea, and I will be making an effort to avoid this author on future occasions.

Laptop Repairs Saga

I got my current laptop in Spring of 2009. Since then, I have had my motherboard replaced once or twice, my casing replaced, a new Disc drive...port..thing...my keyboard replaced twice, the cover on the back of the screen (top of lappy) replaced twice, LCD bezel once and the touchpad replaced twice.

The only thing that just ceased working was the disc drive bit, which refused to read any of the CDs, DVDs, CD-Roms I placed in there.

The motherboard and first touchpad replacements were to fix a problem with a jolty mouse--along with this, they also replaced my keyboard which was awesome since I had worn away through the paint on the spacebar.

For the casing, I was missing one of the rubber feet on the bottom of my laptop resulting in it to wobble, so they replaced the entire casing.

A large, deep scratch straight through my decal was the reasoning behind the replacement of the cover for the first time.

Most recently I had a crack in the LCD Bezel (the framing around the screen) and asked Dell to replace it. The support guy asked me if everything looked good and new, so I nitpicked on some things that were just worn, not unfunctional. He then offered to replace the cover (again), the keyboard (again) and the touchpad/left speaker grill (again).

The tech arrived yesterday to fix it, and I asked if I could take some pictures while he was taking my lappy apart and replacing the plastics. We have had the same tech guy each time (but once) my lappy was to have parts replaced, he is quite nice, and let me bug him and take pictures:


(I didn't notice this precarious coffee cup the entire time he was here...)

Worldviews and "Hi, Dell! It's me again..."

My church started a new Sunday School series on worldviews. Ever since this series was announced three or so weeks beforehand, I have been looking forward to it. The first week was an explanation of what a worldview even was, and I was glad to know I was pretty much correct in my thinking. (/end blatant pride/) Everyone has a worldview. Christians and Non-Christians. Everyone. Even if they don't acknowledge it, it doesn't mean it ain't there. It causes all the things you look at the be seen through certain lenses. (Going from my notes here) Each individual holds to their worldview system more or less consciously, and more or less consistently. If we're not careful about the worldview we come to hold to, we'll be influenced and/or blinded by things that are not true. I'm not going to reiterate the entire class, because I'll just end up managing to word wrongly my notes.

However, one thing I'd like to share is Mr. F's reasoning behind studying things we (as Protestant Christians) do not believe. I have had a strong interest in religion, cults and the occult for a while but always tried to blow it off as "bad." Recently I came to an almost snapping point about not knowing why I care about what I believe. I know why, however, not knowing what is out there made me feel ignorant and my faith felt weak. I was fairly confident what I knew to be true was true, very confident, in fact. But taking everyone's "Oh, Christianity is the only religion where man cannot save Himself from the problem of sin" at face value crushed my confidence. My mother has told me that my confidence comes in that Christ loved me enough to die for me, so really? I have no better reason for confidence, and at the same time, no better reason for humility. But although I was confident in Christ being truth, I had this smidgen of a doubt that I needed to look deeper into other things to truly appreciate what I believe. Some people might give the "bankers don't look at counterfeit money to know it's real" argument, something I didn't know how to refute. Due to this, I kept my study (via my sister's Bible College books) private.

Mr. F's answers to "Why study?" question were wonderful, and presented the perfect wording for the reasoning I couldn't quite pinpoint. I'm not including all the parts from my notes here, just some highlights. My notes are also in outline format:

Q: Why bother studying things we don't believe?
A:
-We're looking for error. For why it's so wrong and so dangerous and to be more discerning and caring to others we minister to.
- NOT studying to find the truth in each religion; each religion has a grain of truth the Devil twists into half-truths for his deception. Not using these twisted truths to find God's divine, pure truth. That would be silly.
- Looking at these things only to gain discernment, not to find Truth. Discernment is so critical, because of the web of confusion this world is. We're thrown into a whirlpool of conflicting ideas.

A: To be better equipped to share the Gospel with any person:
- It's a matter of commission
*We want to be effective with the Gosoel in this world and need to know where people are coming from; be able to understand on some surface level of what people believe.
*Unless we know what they mean, when they use the Bible we'll be swept away in what seems to be a good argument.
- It's a matter of compassion
*Letting people believe what they want to believe is not loving them. Eternity is at stake according to our worldview. Hell and Heaven wait in the afterlife. Unless we are reconciled to God, we're going to Hell. We may be accused of being dogmatic, judgmental, but what is it? Love and compassion.
*Not studying to nail people better, but to help them.
- It's a matter of communication
*Language is really misunderstood. Others borrow our language to explain their truths.
*In Athens, Paul used what he understood of what they believed as a bridge.
- It's a matter of contentment.
*They're alienated by God and we'll only be satisfied as we worship Him.

A: (This is the one that applied strongest to me) To grow in appreciation for the truthfulness and beauty of our faith.
- TRUE truth has one ultimate source: God's word.
* It is discovered, not developed. Always want to draw out from the Bible, never make up something new.
- It is not dependent on man's fallible ideas
* People mess up.
*Never get to the point where we trust ourselves and trust men.
*Every man will fail you.
*His Truth stands firm and His word is sure.
- Truth is livable, consistent and factual.

That's really all I have to say on this topic. As I have rambled on long enough.... :) Though if anyone has interest in my notes, lemme know and I'll send them to you.

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As for other more recent, life-updates. I realized on Sunday (while I was taking notes for week two of this class) that my lappy has a crack in the upper lefthand corner of the framing around the screen. Guess what that means! I've been putting off contacting Dell all day, kind of dreading pestering them again. I feel a bit nitpicky, but we paid big bucks for the warranty I have and darn it I will get the money's worth! As of now I have had my keyboard, touchpad, motherboard and casing replaced on my computer since I got it in Spring of '09. Yep. Oh, and my little disc drive...thing. In my defense, none of this was consciously my fault. I strive to take care of my lappy...I just....use it a lot. Still looking for a decal, btw due to replaced casing. Hehe.

Also hoping to be writing a plethora of anime reviews when such shows come to an end in a few weeks. But who knows...feedback would be appreciated though. :)

Book Review: A Breach in the Watershed, by Douglas Niles

Adventure, magic and a dash of romance fill A Breach in the Watershed from start to finish. The Watershed divides the three regions of the world: Faerine - the region of magic and the water of Aura; Dalethica - the region of man and regular, non-magical water; and Duloth-Trol - the region of the evil Sleepstealer, his Lord Minions, and their life-force of Darkblood. If the Watershed were ever to be breached, disaster would ensue, a disaster that is the very plan of the Sleepstealer. Rudy Appenfell - an Iceman from Dalethica - is drawn into a whirlwind of destiny. A tragedy occurs, leading him on a journey of revenge that will blossom into a grander meaning than he could possibly imagine.

Niles paints a lovely picture of his three-realm world. Faerine, Duloth-Trol and Dalethica all contrast to such a degree that it brings out a unique quality to the Watershed world. While we do not get a very good look at Faerine, there are plenty of hints to make you want to learn more about it. Duloth-Trol is a place just waiting to strike, adding a level of urgency to everything the characters do. He nails a flat-out evil villain, and adds a level of terror in having the Sleepstealer be an actual figure instead of just some ominous foreboding presence often referred to. His world includes all the elements of true fantasy: dragons, faeries, humans, magic, adventure, loyalty and the courage to stand against an overwhelming evil. Lack of action and adventure is not a problem this book has in the slightest.

These elements come with a downside, however, as the sheer quantity of fantasy tropes leads to utter predictability and a lack of depth. While all the elements are there, it seems no revision was done to bring the characters from the page into the readers' heart. Not to say the characters are unlikable. Danri the digger, for example. He starts off with an endearing gruffness about him as he gripes about every little thing as the Madness overtakes him. That many pages of "and he continued his mindless digging" should not have been as interesting to read as they were. But near the end he becomes more positive. I saw no reason for this transition, so instead of growth it felt more like a lack of consistency.

Overall, the story is a fun one. It feels, however, that it was not given the attention such potential deserved, that it was written and turned in without any technical revision that could have led to a deeper story. But if you’re looking for just a fun, clean fantasy story with all the elements you, as a fantasy reader, have come to know and love, this book should be right up your alley. Although I doubt I would read it again, I definitely enjoyed reading it once.

(any feedback on review-writing is appreciated. :) )

As of tonight, I am planning to be an assistant leader at Awana. We'll see what happens. Two weeks ago was my first time back to Awana since 6th grade. It was very weird, and even more scary. Dealing with younger kids has been something I want to be good at, but never felt particularly confident in. So here is the plunge into the only opportunity to do something that I am seeing.

My grandparents from Tahoe arrived yesterday. =) Yesterday was my Grandma's birthday, and tomorrow is my Mom's. Hopefully it will be a fun week, which, of course, it will be because my Grandparents are made of fun.


My parents and I started The Cape last week, which was very fun and did not disappoint. I found it just serious enough to get emotionally involved and light enough to not mind it being Batman with Summer Glau.

A lot has happened, but I have not taken any pictures to catalogue the events. However, Emerwen visited in December which was very nice. We didn't do a ton, but she said she had fun and I'll....I'll...let go of my perfectionism to believe her.

So far this year is looking like it will be another crazy one, but hopefully a happier year. Many of our friends passed away or were hospitalized last year. Of course, we also got to see an even larger number of our friends, and my Grammy is doing much better. :) Thank God.

That's all for now, I guess. Hope to update again soon. Though don't expect pictures, because that's the biggest reason why I procrastinate.

Massive Update: Narnia Party, NaNoWriMo, Snow, Etc.

I have been putting off updating for a bit, but now I shall. So, it may be a bit massive.



I made Potato Soup with much difficulty and also with a cementing of if I need to spend over 30-45 minutes making something, it is more than likely not worth it. But hey. Live and learn I guess. :)



My sister threw her first movie night where people came with Narnia: LWW. She made Turkish Delight among a couple other oddities, and I proceeded to bawl my eyes out anytime anything remotely interesting happened. This may or may not be why I was not too fond of the movie (except for the phoenix, which is worth the entire thing). However, I still like it. :)



Food that Joelle prepared and others brought.



People!



This is our home theater. In SV, the entire living room was pretty much designed to accomadate this system. However, here at our new house the basement was most definitely not designed for a theater. My Dad did an amazing job setting it up all the same (though he's been cringing over the wires showing). My picture is crooked, but the screen is straighter than it looks. :)



The following Friday, we had a Prince Caspian movie night (to which, yes the typical jabs at Ben Barnes' accent were made). Now that we've had our build-up, we're just waiting for when VotDT tickets will finally go on sale at Regal. (Due to adventures in the snow and ice and "what's that?" responses to a request for buying a midnight showing ticket. Whole 'nother world here.)

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We had a fun Thanksgiving with my cousin and her family. She had prepared the most delicious turkey ever (this coming from someone who is not a fan of turkey), and overall the meal and company were absolutely delightful. =) Jaiden, Khristian and I played monopoly in the basement for an hour or so, upholding tradition. B) And yes, I believe I was creamed. Again. But hey, old habits die hard.



Also on Thanksgiving, I completed NaNoWriMo. The earliest I have ever finished and after having never gotten behind once this November! I am quite proud of myself. However, although I managed to maintain a. er. semi-flowing story, the story itself is not finished. But it will probably be left forgotten for a while anyways due to the apathy I feel toward it.

My final word count: 50,935--however some of this was written after my word count was verified.

My official final word count: 50,022.

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As for other misc. odds and ends, it is currently snowing so much we can barely see the road from our house. While this is awesome if we don't have to go anywhere, I sincerely hope we...don't have...to...go anywhere...






Otherwise, today's agenda includes potentially throwing the cat in the snow at some point (that's always fun), plotting/writing (*egasp!*) my story I give a hoot about, and vegging. A lot. And justifying my vegging with tv shows by knitting a Christmas present (a phrase I can honestly say I never thought would come from my mouth). Though it might be an "oops I forgot about Christmas and I'm broke, have a scarf" type of thing but who knows. :)

Parting Pic:



Trouble outside while it's snowing for possibly the first time. He can hold on really tight when he wants to.