Review: The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld
YA/Science Fiction

In Peeps we were first introduced to the parasite that turns people into modern day vampires, and we know a lot about the world in which they live from the main character, Cal. The Last Days is a different story. These five don't know much about the parasite, except for their singer who has experienced the effects, but doesn't know the cause. They just want to start up a band, but will they be able to do that in this world with more and more people contracting the parasite everyday and the apocalypse waiting just around the corner?

The characters in this book were great, all very original and interesting. And their slang made them sound like any other teenager. The book is set up so that each chapter is told from one of the band member's point of view, which constantly changes, making it a fun and different read. This is also the first band book I've ever read that I didn't hate, in fact, I loved it. I admit that I liked Peeps better, but this book was loved in a much different way, and is, like most of Westerfeld's books, one of my favorites. Although I also have to admit that I think it could have used a better ending, something with slightly more closure on the characters themselves, though it did bring things full circle.

Overall, a great read that teens will love, especially those teens who like vampire or band stories.

For those in the Chicago area

Shine.FM has relaunched their book club. The book this month is Anonymous by Alicia Britt Chole. The book will be discussed at 8:10 every Friday morning throughout the month on Shine.FM (89.7) during the Rise and Shine morning show. There will also be give-a-ways during the discussion.

Coming up at the Homer Township Public Library:
September 26, 7pm: Teen techies
October 2, 7pm: Teen book club: The Red Cayak by Pricilla Cummings
October 17, 7pm: Local Author Fair
October 18, 7:30 pm: Adult book club: The Cave by Jose Saramago
October 22-28: Teen Read Week
November 15th, 7:30 pm: The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
For more info, try these links: Homer Library Homepage, Teen Events, Teen Reviews, and The Homer Teens webpage.

Coming up at the Des Plaines Public Library:
October 10, 10:30 am: book discussion: Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
October 12, 6:30 pm: book discussion: The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco

And don't forget the Online Library Book Discussion.

Crikey!

Yes, I heard that Steve Irwin died. It's really sad, because he wasn't just entertainment, he was educational. I do know that a lot of people watched him just for his crazy antics, funny dialouge, and to see when he'd get bit. But while we watched The Crocodile Hunter we learned more about the animals in the world. And he made it interesting, I wouldn't care half as much about that stuff if it were taught to me in school.

My mum had predicted for years that he'd die slipping on some soap in the shower. If you ask me, I think he'd much rather die this way than death by soap.

She told me and at first I was like "Crikey! No way!" and then after a minute or two I looked up at her and said, "So...it wasn't soap then?" and we both smiled and laughed. Then I started quoting Steve Irwin.

But it's still really sad, I loved watching him and his crazy antics.

(for those who don't know: he was stabbed in the heart by a stingray)

Why Sci-Fi?

Someone asked me recently "why scifi?"

Why do I write in the sci-fi/fantasy genre?
Science Fiction/Fantasy is interesting, and more fun to write. With things like mutants, parallel worlds, and space travel acceptable, there's a million possible stories that can be written.

Why not some realistic fiction?
Well, there's two reasons for that. The first is that the majority of real life is boring, dull, and monotonously mundane. The second is that my real life is pretty rough and I'm afraid I'll end up having an emo fest in a book. The reason I started writing was because I wanted to imagine things differently, not write about how they are with my life.

You've always wanted to write some historical fiction, why don't you do that?
This is simple: research. In sci-fi you can get away with pretending that engines can run on butter or something in the future, the facts don't all have to be, well, factual. I definately love looking up some things (like say, spiders or dictators), but I don't like looking up everything to make it work in with history. Why do you think The Conqueror takes place on a fictional island?

Besides, I love reading Sci-Fi/Fantasy and I know I say this all the time, but "the true key to being a good writer is being a good reader."

July/August 2006 Reading List

July 2006
House of M volume 1 (comic trade)
Spider-Man: House of M (comic trade)
Peter Parker Spider-Man: A Day in the Life (comic trade)
Exiles: Earn Your Wings (comic trade)
New Mutants Volume 1: Back to School (comic trade)
Spider-Man: Wild Blue Yonder (comic trade)
Spider-Man: Blue (comic trade)

August 2006
Wetware by Mike Haydu (unpublished, I was editing it)
Ultra Maniac Vol 1 by Wataru Yoshizumi (manga)
Ultra Maniac Vol 2 by Wataru Yoshizumi (manga)
Ultra Maniac Vol 3 by Wataru Yoshizumi (manga)
Ultra Maniac Vol 4 by Wataru Yoshizumi (manga)
Ultra Maniac Vol 5 by Wataru Yoshizumi (manga)
Fruits Basket Vol 14 by Natsuki Takaya (manga)

As always, this list does not include individual comics (although I recommend the X-Factor series for YA/Adult) or books/short stories I had to read for school. As you can see, I haven't finished any (new) books lately. I'm still working on reading Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve (and I highly recommend it) and Specials by Scott Westerfeld (conclusion of the Uglies series).

August Wrap-Up

Wow, August sure went by fast! And I've been very busy with school starting, applying/visiting colleges, and more, so sorry for not posting. I've been meaning to post a bunch of this stuff, so I'll just roll it all into one big post.

"Personally I think we’ll never decide what a planet is. They’ll pass a definition, but for eternity people will challenge it and it’ll get revised until it’s a paper 3000 pages long and anything, everything, and nothing will all simultaneously be named “planets.”"-me commenting on Westerfeld's blog.

Pluto is no longer a planet, that was the final decision.

My english paper. The prompt was "Why is Paris Hilton important to American society?"

Another English paper, the prompt for this was "if you were a food, which would you be?" and was to be written like a college application essay.

And be sure to check out John Scalzi's blog. I read it when Scott Westerfeld was linking him on the Pluto thing and I got hooked.

Lastly, don't forget about Homer Teen Reviews. Get some good book recommendations and post some yourself.

Pluto Controversy: Overview

Alright, I've been following this for a few days now, and have been meaning to write up something about it since the beginning. School is starting tomorrow, so I wanted to get at least an overview of the whole topic written up. If I have time tonight or this weekend I'll add more (and possibly go into detail on my stance).

Okay, for all of those who haven't been following, listen up: The IAU (International Astronomical Union) is deciding whether or not Pluto should be a planet. And depending on what they decide, we could have 4, 8, 9, or 12 planets. That's right, you'll have to come up with a new mnemonic device (which if everyone had a different one, how did that work in schools anyways?).

The most amusing part of this whole controversy is the debate between Science Fiction writers, Scott Westerfeld and John Sclazi, so click on their names when you're done here to get other views (and more information) on the whole controversy. And I'd like to mention that even though I love Westerfeld and his books, I am not going to take that into my final decision. Now, onto the good stuff.

Westerfeld gave a pretty good description of all the different groups involved, but he left out a few. I'll be using the group names he provided, and one that Scalzi pointed out, to talk about all the views on this subject (and they're all quite different too).

The No Iceball Left Behind Group
Okay, these guys love Pluto. They're the ones trying to save Pluto's planet title by defining a planet as an object that orbits a star (without being a star itself) and its gravity has to be strong enough to pull it into a spherical shape. So, if that goes through, they have accomplished their mission: Pluto will still be a planet. But in the process, they opened a can of worms. Think of all the new "planets" under this. If it goes through, we'll immediately induct Ceres, Charon, and 2003 UB313 (Xena?); there's about 43 total actually. So, uh...how does that save the mnemonic devices again?

The Culture Vultures
I know a few of these, one of whom was brave enough to debate it with me (which I love him for, debates are fun and I haven't had a good partner for a long time now). So, like my buddy Mike, these guys are pulling for a plan that basicly ends up in the "nine historical planets." Well, that's where Mike gets seperated from the culture vultures. They don't like change at all; Mike and others just want to keep the nine planets (and their handy mnemonic devices). But those two types of people got grouped together for this one because it's just their stance on this topic; just wanted to make that clear.

Mike Brown, the "UB313 Guy"
This guy's his own group really. He wants the "nine historical planets," but with only 1 extra: UB313, the planet he helped discover. He's a culture vulture who likes the idea of no iceball left behind, which proves that there are always going to be freethinkers who don't fit in with a certain group (and with that I say "good on ya Mike Brown"). So he wants 10 planets, nothing more. He realizes that the new plan will bring in every hunk of space junk we find and doesn't want all that, but he does want his own planet, which of coarse he's biased towards.

The "Pluto-haytas"
They're they opposite of the first group, they don't like Pluto. Or at least they don't want it to be a planet. Seeing as how Pluto is just a tiny little iceball out on the edge of the solar system, they don't think it should be a planet; they're more for the "eight classic planets." Westerfeld likes this idea, and he says before we go and define planet, we should learn more about the universe. If we don't, we'll end up like those guys back in the day who thought the Sun revolved around the Earth and that the sun and moon were both planets.

And that's the end of Scott's 4 groups, which brings us to the last one:
The Quads (I'm the one that named them that btw)
They don't want 9 planets, 12, or even 8. They want 4: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus. Charlie Stross seems to be the biggest supporter of this (and the only one I found today). He (and any others there may be) think only the four biggest should be considered as planets, the rest of us are just space rocks. I'm betting this guy's gonna loose, sorry dude.

The one that has gone over best is the 12 planet system, Discovery will even have toys ready by Christmas if it goes through. Unfortunately the more important textbooks won't be totally implemented for 7 years. So, we'll have out-dated books in schools, but I guess we could just skip that chapter and implement our own, right?

Time for the wrap-up, then I'll get started on my stance explaination and get ready for the first day of school. The final vote by the IAU is on the 24th of August, 1 week from today. I'll post something on the decision for you.

For related links, check out my del.icio.us account, under the PlutoControversy tag.

Reviews: Hitchhiker's Guide and Sherlock Holmes

Quick reviews I wrote up for Homer Teen Reviews (check it out, book recommendations and reviews for teens; YA and Adult books) that I decided to cross-post here.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Adult fiction

Hitchhiker is classic. Adams has a great sense of humour and loves to poke fun at life here on earth from an alien's point of view.

Earth has been destroyed to make way for an intergalactic highway. Ford Prefect has been stranded on Earth for fifteen years now, and finds his way out just before the planet is blown up by hitching a ride on the construction ships sent to destroy it. And he decides to take with him Earthling Arthur Dent. Together they travel the galaxy looking for the mythical planet Magrathea on the ship Heart of Gold, home of the improbability drive. This book is definately worth reading (and much better than the movie too).

The book also includes entries from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a guide about how to travel the galaxy cheaply. You never know when you'll need that sort of information.

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Adult Fiction

A Study in Scarlet is one of the lesser-known books in the Sherlock Holmes series, which is a shame considering it's the very first. Doyle's style of telling a story is ingenious. The book is split into two parts, the first told from Doctor Watson's perspective, starting from the time he meets his new roommate, Sherlock Holmes, to the wrap-up of a mystery. The second half is the story behind the crime, filling in all the holes. I like this because you can really get the whole story. The second half may be a bit of a bore, but it's worth it to see how everything ties together (and it's not that bad once you get past the first few chapters of part II).

The story that birthed an icon, definately worth a read.

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Also: watch this blog for a post on Pluto sometime this week. I would post it tonight, but I want to research the topic and make sure I've got all my facts right first.

Speling Changus?

Simplr spellings 2 cum?

And my response:
First off, ow. Reading that hurt with all the misspellings.
That said, I think this is ridiculous and would cause much more trouble than it's worth. Yes, it's hard on our brains some times when spellings of words don't make sense (I've even had conversations about this recently), but changing the way we do everything would make things more confusing than that. My vote is for neither changing the system or keeping it the same. I say that we do what was mentioned in that article, alternate spellings. We can keep "tonight" but also have "tonite" as an acceptable spelling. Changing everything would take forever to do anyways. Everyone would have to learn how to read and spell all over again, not just little kids. What's the point in that? Yes, we helped the little children learn to read, but we inhibited everyone else; sounds like a Pyrrhic victory to me.

Also, our English language has evolved throughout the generations to give us what we have today. It started out as local dialects, eventually became Latin, which after awhile became English. That English has existed in England for centuries, and in the 18th century came to The United States where it became "Modern American English." So the spellings today have evolved, and whereas they have been getting shorter, they have not changed like this. Therefore a change this drastic would be stripping us of some of our culture and heritage.

So, in conclusion, keep the old stuff, but let some of the new stuff in as well. It'll help everyone in the long run.
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All that being said, I feel compelled to say that I use colour, honour, and labour, as well as theatre and centre. I also subscribe to the SHIFT theory if anyone has read So Yesterday.

Reviews: Blue Noon, Peeps, and Lost in a Good Book

These are short, so I thought I'd put them all in one post.

Midnighters: Blue Noon, Scott Westerfeld (young adult fiction)
Westerfeld certainly doesn't fail in his dramatic conclusion of the Midnighters trilogy. In the Midnighters series anyone born at midnight who lives in Bixby, OK gets an extra hour a day. Sounds great, huh? Everyone wants an extra hour, but these kids don't use that time to finish their homework, they're too busy saving the world. While everyone else is frozen, completely oblivious to the midnight hour or "blue time", creatures are all over the place, creatures who exist only inside the blue time. But those creatures, darklings, are getting ready to hunt. So when the blue time suddenly occurs at times other than midnight the teens are forced to investigate and find a way to stop the darklings from getting their way.

This book was fantastic, admittedly not my favourite of the series, but still great. It brings a great close to the series, but also leaves it open if Westerfeld decides to continue it. I really hope he does because this book got me to pay attention to math more, keep an eye out for tridecagolisms, and make me wish I could visit the blue time. And I couldn't put it down, not even for sleep; a great book for the dark hours.

Peeps, Scott Westerfeld (young adult fiction)
Westerfeld puts a new spin on the classic vampire story in Peeps. Peeps are people who are "parasite positive" or vampires. Cal is a carrier for the parasite, someone who has it, but isn't effected by it, besides increased strength and heightened senses. It's Cal's job to find other peeps and capture them before they cause any more harm or spread the disease farther.

If you've read Westerfeld's So Yesterday, then you'll love Peeps. I loved the plot and suspense of the novel, and can't wait for the next installment coming this September. But if you're squeamish you probably shouldn't read this book because all the even numbered chapters are information on real life parasites.

Lost in a Good Book, Jasper Fforde (adult fiction)
In the series the main character Thursday Next works for SpecOps (Special Operations) in the Literary Detectives has to save the classic of Jane Eyre, from the notorious Archeron Hades, by heading into the book itself. Last time she used an invention of her Uncle Mycroft's the Prose Portal, but now she'll have to read her way in. Once inside the book world, she is drafted into Jurisfiction, the government inside books, and apprenticed to Miss Havisham (yes, that Miss Havisham, the one from Great Expectations). Will she be able to save Jack Schitt for Goliath, save her husband, and make her fictious court date?

This book, the second in the series, is my favorite of the four that have been released. I love learning more about Jurisfiction and the book world, and Thursday's world amuses me to no end. The thing I most love about this book, however, is the villian. I'll try not to give away too much, but the villian is quite formidable, and has the most unique way of trying to kill Thursday. But who is this foe, what score do they have to settle, and what is their power? You'll have to read and find out.

June 2006 Reading List

Here's all what I read in June.

Midnighters (Volume 3) Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
PhD: Phantasy Degree Volume 1 by Son Hee-Joon (manga)
Fushigi Yûgi Volume 1 by Yû Watase (manga)
Fushigi Yûgi Volume 2 by Yû Watase (manga)
Fushigi Yûgi Volume 3 by Yû Watase (manga)
Ultimate X-Men Volume 9 (comic trade)
Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

It doesn't look like much, but those books were great. Look for some short reviews on the novels here soon, I've got to write them for the library anyways.

Writing, reading, life update

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last update, so sorry about that. Thing is, without school or a daily job, everything just melds together and I loose all track of time what-so-ever. Like tomorrow is the 4th of July, that doesn't seem possible at all. And I also just realized it's 1:30 AM here, probably shouldn't be on, but I'm awake and I won't remember to update when I'm online later.

So, because of the time, I'll try to keep things short.
I'm taking a short break from The Conqueror to get some things sorted out with its plot, mostly with the timeline of it all. Been working a little on Zarcona, but not much writing sadly. Zarcona book 1 is planned out from start to finish, just a sketchy outline, but at least I won't have the problems Conqueror has given me. And I've got a plot bunny gnawing on my leg to write some fanfiction.

With reading I haven't read too much that's new, but right now I'm reading Scott Westerfeld's "Specials", the conclusion of his Uglies series. I love Westerfeld, so I'm enjoying this book. And really trying to catch up with comics, because I'm a comic junkie and I missed so much over the past few months. And as predicted, I finished my books for the library's summer reading program in the first two weeks, a whole month before I was supposed to be done.

Speaking of the summer reading program, I've been busy with it. Months ago I figured I'd have a totally boring summer and I'd want something to do, so I signed up to volunteer with a lot of things at the library. And now I'm there a lot and just wanting to bang my head against the wall repetitively most of the time. And handling 4 younger siblings full time babysitting, not fun.

So busy, busy, busy, but still alive.

Friday's are the writer's candy

Well, I just got back from a short trip to my aunt's house. And long car trips/vacation downtime are great for getting me on task with my writing. I think it's the lack of internet that helps best. But while I was gone I couldn't work on The Conqueror because everything I have written for that so far, and all my sticky notes with ideas, were at home on my desk and bulletin board. Fortunately I had everything I needed to work on Zarcona written down in small easy-to-pack notebooks. Now I'm happy to say I have the basic plot of the first book all written down. Of coarse this isn't all the little details or anything, it's just an overview, but it's a big step.

In other news, Friday's are the days I usually like to have off to give the creative juices a break. I find that a day spent with friends and having fun can be good to keep my stories from becoming dull and dry.

Writer's Checklist

I was thinking the other day, and I decided that there are 5 things a writer needs and why. I decided to write it down for all of you.

Computer- I usually need to sit at my computer and just start typing to really get a storyline to work for me. I can come up with a plot, but I can't get it to work unless I'm typing and staring at the light of my laptop's screen. Plus it comes with a spell checker.

Paper & Pen- First off, it should always be pen, pencil smudges and erases. Never erase something because even if it sounds stupid after you write it, who knows, maybe it will work for something later? And I usually keep at least two pens of different colours on me when I'm writing on paper because I can make notes that I know will stand out against the paragraphs of writing. The old fashioned way is good too. I like to write down ideas on paper, and type them up later. Plus, I don't always have access to my computer when I get a fantastic idea, and I can always write something down.

Someone else- Another human being. They don't have to be a writer or an editer, just someone who will listen to your crazy ranting for awhile. Or who will read through your early drafts and point out all your plot holes for you. It's always nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of. I have two: my friend Jess (also a writer) and my sister (who has to sit next to me on the bus every day and listen to my ideas for writing, poor thing). They can point out things or ask questions about something you didn't think about before. They can also give you ideas to go off of in your early stages of writing.

Imagination- Even when writing non-fic you need imagination as a writer. You need to think of a good way of describing something that will make the reader see it in their head. And in fiction you need to make the whole story. Especially the characters, the characters are pivitol in a story, so you have to see these made up events through some made up eyes. I don't know how anyone could do that if they didn't have imagination.

May 2006 Reading List

Here's all the books/manga I read in the month of May, in order.

Café Kichijouji (manga) by Yuki Miyamoto
Ouran Host Club (manga) by Bisco Hatori
Ouran Host Club Vol 2 (manga) by Bisco Hatori
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles Vol 3 (manga) by CLAMP
Tokyo Pop Manga Sampler
Shounen Jump Manga Sampler
Ouran Host Club Vol 3 (manga) by Bisco Hatori
Ouran Host Club Vol 4 (manga) by Bisco Hatori
Ouran Host Club Vol 5 (manga) by Bisco Hatori
Ouran Host Club Vol 6 (manga) by Bisco Hatori
Fruits Basket Vol 1 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Mandie and the Graduation Mystery by Lois Gladys Leppard (Mandie book 40)
Fruits Basket Vol 2 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Flyte by Angie Sage (Septimus Heap book 2)
Fruits Basket Vol 3 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Fruits Basket Vol 4 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Fruits Basket Vol 5 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Midnighters Vol 1: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
Fruits Basket Vol 6 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Fruits Basket Vol 7 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Fruits Basket Vol 8 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Fruits Basket Vol 9 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Fruits Basket Vol 10 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Fruits Basket Vol 11 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Fruits Basket Vol 12 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Fruits Basket Vol 13 (manga) by Natsuki Tayaka
Midnighters Vol 2: Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld
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And this month I plan on reading Midnighters Vol 3, Peeps, Specials, and anything else that jumps out at me. I've already half way through Midnighters, I love that series!

Is WebSense Common Sense?

I read an article yesterday my friend had co-written for our school newspaper. It was a pro/con essay and my friend Amanda had the con side while her partner had the pro.
Amanda's arguement was that WebSense, the web censorship program that many schools and businesses use, blocked too much. And I've had this problem as well. For a Web Design project in my Multimedia Presentation and Design class I had to access the CBS site everyday. On the fifth day the site was blocked under "entertainment" and I couldn't use it in my project any longer. Also, I've tried to access lists for the top 100 children's books here at school and it was blocked under "shopping." Some things that may be blocked are needed for school or clubs. I can't even access my own website anymore, which I need to be able to when I'm participating in web design club.
On the pro side, WebSense keeps students and workers on task. Who wants to do research when you can be on MySpace, LiveJournal, or Addicting Games? No one will be doing their work. It also blocks inappropriate websites which are not allowed in schools in the first place.

But the question I ask of you is, should censorship be used in schools and businesses? And should it be used to the extent it currently is used at?

Finals kill inspiration

http://www.authorsblogs.com/index.php

Well, this is quite interesting isn't it? I've applied to be added to the Author's Blogs listings. I should be on there soon. Can't wait to find time to check out other author's blogs.

In other news I've not been writing so much as I have been brainstorming. I've got The Conqueror all planned out and I can tell you one thing...it's going to be exceedingly long. Also, I've been looking back on some of my old ideas for fiction books wondering if I would want to go back and work on those after I finish The Conqueror and Zarcona (at least the first book). I think I'll just wait and see what's going on at that point.

In my time at school when I'm not writing or studying for finals, I've been looking over the writings of a friend of mine. She's definately got a lot of potential, but needs help with little things like grammar and spelling, and maybe a little bit of clarity could be of use as well. Her story is definately interesting and I hope she continues to pursue writing in the future. As far as I know she's going to a state college to learn psychology, but I'm not sure if that's what she plans to be her major.

Well, only 3 days of school left, two of them shortened, and all three involving finals. This should get interesting...and highly stress-making. As you can tell from the title, the finals have temporarily squashed my inspiration to write. But starting this time next week, I will have loads of time for writing, reading, and volunteering. Also this summer I will be meeting with my pastor about the possibility of me attending a Christian school after high school is over with. I really hope I can go.

Some book recommendations:
Midnighters (trilogy) by Scott Westerfeld. There's a 25th hour that only certain people can get into while the rest of the world remains frozen. Jessica Day discovers she can reach this world, and that 4 other teens can too. But the true Midnight hour hides many other creatures that she'll have to face.

Fruits Basket by natsuki Tayaka. A fantasy manga about an orphan girl who is taken in by the mysterious Sohma family. Soon she finds out that this family isn't all they appear to be, they're actually possessed by the spirits of the zodiac!

Good Times Coming Fast

Hullo, just a quick update about my life here before I start on a review of Angie Sage's Flyte. The English Research/Creative/Writing project that has been restricting my creative juices and hogging all my time was turned in today. I finished it late last night and I'm really proud of how it turned out and I'm especially relieved that it is finally over with. This was my last English project of the school year, thankfully. But it also means we're back to reading novels and that I'll have a reading assignment every night (but it's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, so it's no big deal).

There are only 11 days left in the school year for me, and 3 of those are early dismissals (2 of which are exam days that will feel longer than a full day...). This summer I plan to spend lots of time writing, reading, raising the munchkins that are my brothers, and volunteering a lot at my local library. I'm really looking forward to the time at the library because it combines my three loves: reading, writing, and web design. Yes, I will be fixing up the library's webpage.

Since I just a few minutes ago finished Flyte, and I don't have the money to buy Scott Westerfeld's Pretties (I'm just going to buy it, Westerfeld is my fave writer and it's the conclusion to one of my favourite series) just yet, does anyone have any book recommendations? I'm headed to the library tonight and might find something there, but I always welcome recommendations.

Well, I'm off to dance class where we're having a meditation day which I will probably sleep through again.

Zarcona becomes a series

For all of you who have been lurking over at my writing journal, then you probably know about Zarcona. Well, it is no longer a book, it is now going to be a series. I have not decided if it will be set of two or of three, but it is most decidedly longer than one book.

Some background information for those who have not read my journal:
Zarcona originally started out with the title Ledgends of Certaori (really Zarcona is still a working title). The story is, like all my other works, satirical. This one is satirical of religion in government, and as usual, government in general. Zarcona takes place in a fantasy world in a city ruled by the Demis. The Demis are a group of different types of beings, all the top in their field. When the Demi of Religion goes missing, his daughter Zerea is appointed to team up with the guide Merka, and the Demi's young assistant, Gala, to serch for him. But are the Demis all they really seem to be?
Zarcona was put off for a while when I got the idea for The Conqueror and couldn't help but jump on that one instead. Over the past months in which I have worked on The Conqueror I've been planning a little bit for Zarcona, but haven't done much writing. Until now. I'm currently finishing up The Conqueror, and restarting on Zarcona, so I'm balancing two books. But I've recently been bogged down with inspiration and new plot ideas for Zarcona, so I hope that the series will move quickly.

So, is anyone interested in hearing more about Zarcona? What do you think of my pitch? And would you read either The Conqueror or Zarcona?

Dance is Free Expression

This year I took a beginning dance class for gym. I expected an easy "a" and maybe a little fun along the way. Also, it was the only class I could take because I can't run on my bad ankles. But as the semester nears and end and my days as a beginning dancer do also, I've started to notice some things about my dance class.

First, dance requires confidence. I knew no one in my class, so I rarely spoke the first week or so, and the class was no fun at all, which means I didn't care enough to excell in it. But as the weeks wore on, I opened up to the other girls and let the real me shine through. I'm not a shy person, but dance class for some reason made me as such. So soon I realized I had to shed that shy outer layer and just be the open, bold geek that I am. And soon I grew in that in a way I didn't in other classes. I actually became bolder, I was no longer afraid of what might happen. "Will I look stupid doing this?" "What will happen if I say this?" "What if I mess up and fall flat on my face?" All those questions were now gone from my mind. And you know what? I did look stupid some times, but I had fun doing it and I was able to laugh at myself. I did say some things I shouldn't have, but also some things that I wouldn't have before that people thought were really smart. And yes, I did fall down a few times, but I laughed, got right up again, and continued dancing. So, dance made me more confident in all the things I do, and that confidence also made me a better dancer.

Second, be friendly. First time I walked into that class I looked at everyone I didn't know, and at those I knew but never became close with and just shut my mouth. After the confidence kicked in, I became much more friendly with the other girls. So what if I didn't know them? If I didn't say anything, I would never get to know them. Soon I had a new best friend, Risty. She's pretty shy, but I got to know her and we had a lot in common. Now thanks to that class, I now have another anime/manga dork to laugh with, and I have a friend in the class.

Third, dance requires an open mind. In this class I've had to do all sorts of different styles of dance, had to listen to different types of music, and had to try things I'd never done before. For a group project we had to create a dance to any music we wanted. I was out voted on the music and our group did a song by Shakira I would have never heard but for that class. And I like the beat a lot. For that same project I had to do some hip hop and some salsa, two dance styles I had never even thought of trying. And I loved that too.

And lastly, dance is free expression. Any kind of dance you do, you're putting a part of yourself into it. The hula dance tells a story. Lyrical dance shows actions behind words. Interpretive dance shows emotions through movements. Each dance has its own way of showing your personality through your actions. It is a way to express yourself to the world.

So dance like no one's watching, and let the real you come through.