A Constant Obsession

Yes, I know I have ignored you, my dear blog followers, for quite a few months but give me a break! Life happens and when life happens, blogging stops. My apologies. One consistent thing that I have realized that I am obsessed with, well consistently, is books. I am constantly reading books whether for school, for Reading Olympics (yes, I am on my school's Reading Olympics teams. I'm a nerd, don't make fun!) or reading for pleasure, I am always reading. And I am very sure I do not need to even explain why, BOOKS ARE AMAZING. Books > Food. Books + Ramen = Life. There's no easier way to phrase it.

SO! What I have decided to do for my Blog, rather than just have random rants about random awesomeness, I have decided to simply blog about books I am reading. Now these blogs arent going to be simply book reviews likes a certain sister of mine's blog (Link.) but actualy talk about the books. Talk about the plot, the themes, the symbols, anything and everything about a book I am currently reading.

SO! (Twos SO!s in one blog, how lucky are you?) LET IT BEGIN!

Sharpies Plus Duct Tape Equal Life

Or more specifically, packing tape and extra wide Sharpies equal packing but same difference! Yes, indeed, it's finally that time of the move (for those of you who don't know, I'M MOVING! Thus the absence from the Blog) when everything is getting packed, and I mean EVERYTHING! Coffee cups, shoes, laptops (oh, I shall miss you Edgar!) and soap. Yes, even the toilet paper gets packed! Actually the toilet paper I don't know about. Do you just leave the extra for the next family just in case they've done the same or do you take it with you, being the obvious that it's toilet paper and some people have a preference when it comes to these sort of things. Extra soft, soft, the one with the puppy, the one with the funny bears, the cheap kind that is basically tissue paper except without the fun colors that comes individually wrapped in more tissue paper, the list goes on! But I'm getting sidetracked. My obsession, quite obviously, these past few days... weeks... months has been packing. Now packing, don't get me wrong, is really boring but it can also have it's fun side. Take for example, bubble wrap: Man's Greatest Invention. Bubble wrap could possibly be what makes the world spin, what makes a child laugh and what keeps adults from losing their brains whilst going through a move. It's that instant POP! when you step on a corner or wrap something too tightly and you just can't help but pinch another bubble with your fingers and then another POP! And then after the first one, you just can't stop. You have to POP! another! Some people POP! randomly, some (like myself) have to do them in order, in rows or columns and then there are the children who like to step on it, dance on it or play Twister on it (which is actually quite fun!) But sooner or later, the bubbles have been popped and your left with a sheet of stretched out plastic and 10 bowls that need to be put in a box without breaking. But the sheer adrenalin, sheer joy, sheer happiness, sheer obsession experienced with that little POP! is what makes moving so much easier and fun.

-Could we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now.-

Me gusta esuchar musica!

Wow! I am really bad about blogging on here. :/ Let's just say blogging is NOT one of my obsessions. Not that I have anything against blogging it's just that I can NEVER stay commited.
But alas I am back! With another obsession that hopefully all people, with the exception of people who cannot hear, people who are tone death and zombies (who do indeed qualify as people!) share with me.
MUSIC!
Ah, yes, the joyous chorus of hallejuah angels sounds. ^.^ Sweet bliss.
On a more specific note, movie soundtrack music like, AlicecoughIncoughWonderland. Believe me, if you have not yet picked up the soundtrack.... you. are. crazy. And missing out! The last time I was so impressed with a movie soundtrack was the first Twilight movie, which as much as I despise the movie (gag!) the soundtrack was amazing!
Now to clarify, I'm talking about pop/rock soundtracks with lyrics and crap. Not instrumental soundtracks. Someone could write a BOOK on instrumental movie music, there is simply not enough room for that in a blog. Though perhaps I shall cover that at a later time. Hmmm. :/ An idea...
ANYWAY! The AIW soundtrack kicks butt like Chuck Norris! Seriously. >.> With artists like 3OH!3, Shinedown, The Plain White T's and MORE! it's simply... quite. awesome. All the songs are written specifiaclly for the movie so they ALL have to do with AIW. I much encourige reading the book while listening to the soundtrack. It's like.... having a lightsaber battle while the Imperial March plays in the background. It's epic. You can feel the epicness running course through your veins as you swing your lightsaber, er turn the page. :/ You get the idea.
The song that I'm OBSESSED with (note: OBSESSED! This is after all OBSESSION) is Painting Flowers by All Time Low. Good music, excellent voices, and the lyrics!
Oh! The lyrics!
It's like a sad love song of waiting. "I am still painting flowers for you." The rest of the lyrics really could have nothing to do with AIW besides "waking up"/ "nothing is true"/"dreaming is done" but those same phrases have been used in countless other works. No, what makes me love the song is the fact that is ISN'T JUST FOR AIW. It could be about anything or anyone! I like how you could just hear it on the radio and be "oh, what a sweet love song" not "ALICE IN WONDERLAND!" Rather anyone could listen to it and love it. When I listen to it, I don't think about the movie or how Johnny Depp would look dancing to it (not that I have those images! >.> ) but I'm really listening to the lyrics and the tone of the singer. I love those kind of songs, that make you really think about the message beneath the lyrics.
So... current obsession: Alice in Wonderland soundtrack. More specifically: Painting Flowers by All Time Low

"Wonder, why do we race? When everyday we're running in circles."

Eternal Obsession

Books. Don't we all love them? Personally, I can never get enough of books. I love being able to simply turn and page and be engulfed in a wild tale or a romantic love story or a tragically depressing yet still beautifully written book. Let's focus on that last one, shall we?

A while back, whilst going through a slightly emo stage [my girls know what I'm talking about ;) ] I would grab every single book that had a dark title or book cover. Sad to say, but I did indeed judge books by their covers. [Oh, the shame!] Anyway, that habit has stuck with me to pick books that do not have the beach blond Hollister model posing with a cardboard heart but rather pick the covers of black with simple white writing spelling out one simple word: Crank.

Now, for the goody two-shoes who are not constantly on patrol for friends on drugs, [I myself stay away from it. My life, My choice, blah blah blah.] crank is quite simple meth. Urban Dictionary states that it received it's nickname "crank" because it was often smuggled in the crank cases of vehicles. Now you know. Urban D. described it's symptoms as grinding of teeth, assholeyness and complete retardation. That about sums it up, in my opinion.

As is obvious, that is quite simply what the book is about. But why am I obsessed with it?

Answer: It's written in poetry form.

I know what your thinking. A 537 book written completely in poems? But let me tell you now, these are not those "Roses are red, violets are blue, my sister's a monkey, and so are you" poems from 2nd grade. These poems are literally beautiful works of art in themselves, leaving aside the fact that they tell a wonderful heartwretching story about how one girl's lives is turned completely upside down from drugs.

Amazing, no?

And because you're all such wonderful viewers, I shall treat you to one. Pay attention to the form of how the poems are written, this is a habit of the writer and it really does contribute to the story. I shall delve deeper into that in a short moment.

Ecstasy is hard to describe

It's like

falling softly into a pool of crystal mountain water

floating on you back cicurlar beneath vibrant sky

deciphering codes in the clouds spinning dizzy fast.

That exportation is from page 427, if your interested and it is not even the entire poem but I wanted to treat you all to another.

Burned out

Burning

up, coming down
I popped three
aspirin against the

throbbing

in my skull, and
attempted a nap.
I laid in bed,

sweating

out toxins, the
last of the E
and crank,

aching

from the inside
out. Could I ever
shift into reverse?

Falling

from euphoria,
I faceplanted into
depression. Hard,

somersaulting

through your own
manure. Harder yet
to get back up without

tripping

and falling all over
again. I felt out of
control, a meteorite

tumbling

through space,
tugged by gravity
toward certain doom.

Now if that didn't amaze you than something seriously is wrong with you. I swear, I head to reread that 5 times because every time I did I was amazed at the depressing feeling the author (Ellen Hopkins) packed into a relatively short sonnet, compared to those of Shakespeare. And did you notice that every line began with a verb? Hmmm? Hmmm? Did you? I believe she breaks down her poems like this to emphasise on certain words. Burning, sweating, aching, falling, somersaulting, tripping, tumbling. Had that been written in normal paragraph form, the reader would not be able to fully absorb on what words the author wanted you to pay attention to and so you don't understand it completely and do not appreciate the author's thoughts and feelings on this subject.

Amazing, isn't it?

Back to Obsession, I'm obsessed with these books [there is more than one!] because of the complexity and deep descriptions on a very touchy subject. But the main reason I'm obsessed with them, is that they are completely true. The author wrote these stories about her daughter, her daughter being the main character. When you read it [I know you will now!] remember that every account, event and feeling is hard fact. Depressing, yes.

And yet I'm obsessed.



{I find a map and draw a straight line, over rivers, farms and state lines. The distance from me to where you'd be, it's only finger lengths that I see.}

Obsession Begins

Are you obsessed? I know I am. With what? you ask. Well, all things awesome, of course! Anything from forts to cookie dough to movies to Converse to the latest book series about winged teenagers running from phsycotic doctors to save the world from global warming. Basically anything and everything. But does this have to do with a blog? Well, simply the fact that I'm going to blog about my obsessions with microscopic detail and witty charm for my viewers (all 3 of them) to enjoy.
So, get ready to get obsessed.

What I love most about rivers is that you can't step in the same river twice. The waters always changing, always flowing.