Quote: Oscar Wilde

This week's quote is:

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."

- Oscar Wilde

 

I like this quote because it speaks the absolute truth. Many people live their lives like zombies or robots, too occupied with worrying about the future to actually live in the present. And I know that those are stereotypical examples, but still. However, on some cases I don't necessarily think that it is the fault of the individual. Our modern-day society is so focused on what will happen tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. It is too easy to get caught up in all of this planning. I think that if more people took the time to stop obsessing over the future and actually get out there and live in the moment, the world would be a much happier place. I'm not saying that you shouldn't plan for tomorrow- just make sure that the only life you live isn't in your fantasies of years to come.

 

Always,

NutFreeNerd

NaNoWriMo!!!

Are any of you guys doing NaNoWriMo this year? If you don't know what that is, it stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it happens every November. The goal is to write an entire novel (or about 50,000 words) in just one month. This is my first year attempting it, and I was wondering if anyone else was also participating.

To find out more about NaNoWriMo you can go to www.nanowrimo.org.

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: WHERE THINGS COME BACK

Author: John Corey Whaley
Number of Pages: 256
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers 
Release Date: May 3, 2011

It is the summer before Cullen Witter's senior year of high school when his life suddenly turns upside-down. One day Cullen's intelligent and utterly unique fifteen year old brother, Gabriel, disappears. At the same time, Cullen's small hometown of Lily, Arkansas begins to obsess about an extinct woodpecker that has apparently somehow reappeared. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a young missionary named Benton Sage spreads his faith to the people of a small town in Africa in an attempt to feel happy with his life. When these two stories come together it will be a moment that stirs your soul and that will linger in your mind for days afterward.

When I first picked up this book at my local Barnes and Noble, I expected it to be yet another average story about a teenager's life during that legendary summer before their senior year of high school. Well, Where Things Come Back completely blew that expectation out of the water. I am absolutely shocked that this is John Corey Whaley's first novel, because the story is written in such a way that hints at the author having a lot of experience.

My favorite thing about this book was the way the two stories really began to come together at the end. It's such a good feeling to be reading along and suddenly realize that everything makes sense, and that's exactly the feeling I experienced towards the end of this novel. Also, I really liked Gabriel, Cullen's younger brother. He's just one of those characters that you want to keep reading about. The way he viewed life and how he listened to off-beat music and always read The Catcher in the Rye (by J.D. Salinger) is just really refreshing to me. I wish more authors put that much detail, thought, and depth into their characters.

Overall, this was an awesome book. I hope John Corey Whaley writes another one soon!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.
Would I recommend it to a friend?: YES.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: Homer H. Hickam Jr.

This week's quote is:

"It seemed as if all through grade school I was reading two books, one for me and one for my teachers."

 - October Sky by Homer H. Hickam Jr. (pages 13-14)

 

I really like this quote because it's true. My English teachers always make us read and analyze certain books, when if they just let me pick my own book I would get so much more out of it. Now, I'm not saying that I'm complaining about having to read classics all the time- I think it is very important to be exposed to different kinds of writing. However, I think that being able to pick the book you want to read every once in while is important, too. So yes, Mr. Hickam Jr, over fifty years later teachers are still forcing their students to read books that they cannot connect to, or that are well below their reading level, or even a mixture of the two reasons. Wouldn't it be wonderful if English teachers actually communicated with their students and took an interest in the books that they found enjoyable to read?

 

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: CITY OF GLASS

Author: Cassandra Clare
Number of Pages: 541
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: March 24, 2009

"To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments."
                                                                                                      - Goodreads.com

Whenever I finish one of these books I feel so satisfied, like I just ate a huge plate of pasta and now my stomach is completely full. Seriously, that's what it's like. Cassandra Clare really is a fantastic story teller, and the way she creates her plots and develops her characters is truly amazing. This is the third book in The Mortal Instruments series, and I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed. I honestly have nothing bad at all to say about this book, so I'm just going to ramble on about how purely awesome it was.

One thing I really liked about this book was the fact that it is very action-packed and the plot is always moving forward towards that big moment at the end. However, even though it has a lot of action it never seems choppy or like it's moving too quickly. Everything flows nicely and I never have to do a double-take and reread parts that are too confusing or that just don't make sense, because there are not parts like that. Cassandra Clare really is an excellent writer.

Another thing I adore about this book- well, the whole series, really- is the huge abundance of plot twists. I'll be happily reading along when all of a sudden: OH MY GOSH THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN. And then I spend several minutes reassuring myself that yes, it did  just happen. These books keep you on your toes like a ballet dancer, and that's saying something.

I loved this book. Really, that's all I can say. I have no complaints about it whatsoever.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys. Obviously.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: ABSOLUTELY. But read the beginning of the series first. Even if you think you don't like fantasy/paranormal/vampires/werewolves, this isn't your typical series of that genre. Seriously, you won't be disappointed!

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: John Green

Since John Green is one of my most favorite authors ever, I've decided it's about time that I featured one of his quotes on this blog. So without further ado, this week's quote is:

"What a treacherous thing it is to believe that a person is more than a person."

- John Green

 

This quote is from John Green's amazing novel Paper Towns. I love this quote because it really is true. How many times do people look at another person with such awe and respect that the person they admire becomes more of a character to them than an actual human being? I myself am guilty of doing this a lot. I convince myself that this certain person is perfect, only to be proven wrong time and time again that they are indeed a human with as many flaws as the person standing next to them. The "relate-ability"of this quote really stood out to me when I first read Papers Towns a while back, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. This is one of the many, many reasons why I adore John Green.

 

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: OCTOBER SKY

Author: Homer H. Hickam Jr.
Number of Pages: 448
Publisher: Dell
Release Date: 1998

Originally published with the title Rocket Boys, this memoir by Homer H. Hickam Jr. recounts his experience as a son of a coal mine superintendent living in Coalwood, West Virginia. The year was 1957, and Homer was inspired by the flight of Sputnik, the Russian satellite, to start building his own mini rockets. He hoped someday that his hard work would get him and his friends all the way to Cape Canaveral, where scientists were working on a way to build rockets that would fly higher and higher.

I remember watching this movie in elementary school, and until recently I had no idea that it was based off of an actual book, never mind a memoir! I had never read a memoir before this, so I was very excited to dive into it.

I loved this book! Hickam's writing style is the perfect balance between description, action, and dialogue, and it makes reading it very enjoyable. I felt like I was there with Homer and his friends building rockets and watching the workers trudge their way to the mine. The story itself is so wonderful that it's hard to believe that it actually occurred in real life. It takes place in such an interesting time in American history, when everyone is both hopeful and a bit sad at the same time. Hickam really incorporates the culture and lifestyle of what it was like to live in a coal mining town in 1950's America, which gives the book a lot more depth and meaning.

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this book. It was 448 pages of awesomeness! I'm definitely going to watch the movie again soon!

Later,
NutFreeNerd