My favorite Harry Potter songs (from the original scores)

1. Statues (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II), composed by Alexandre Despalt

2. Lily's Theme (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II), composed by Alexandre Despalt

3. A Window to the Past (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), composed by John Williams

4. Hedwig's Theme (Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone), composed by John Williams

5. Dumbledore's Speech (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince), composed by The Global Stage Orchestra

Pretty much all of them, because these scores are absolutely amazing. I do not understand why The Deathly Hallows part II wasn't Oscar nominated for best original score.

I'm just...

So, school started, obviously, and that hasn't been going well. I haven't cried during class yet, though, so it's better than I could hope for. Anyway, I haven't been reading much either, and am hoping that I'll finish a book before long, but long is relative. Random update over.

Favorite Quotes

I did a little bit of Harry Potter favorite quotes that I liked, but now I'm going to be more general.


These are ones I found all on my own, and am quite proud of finding:

"His scar burned, but he was the master of pain; he felt it, yet it was a part from it."
     -J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (pg. 478)

"For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power, and of love, and of self-discipline."
    -2 Timothy 1:7

"We don't actually fear death, we fear that no one will notice our absence- that we will disappear without a trace."
    -"The Doctor in the Photo." Bones (I'm not doing an official citation, so I'm leaving the confusing stuff out)

"Silence is the ultimate weapon of power."
   -Charles de Gaulle


Ones that I acquired from Veronica Roth's brain:

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
     -Frank Herbert, Dune

"My will is mine, I shall not make it soft for you."
    -Agamemnon, Aeschylus 

"I will show you fear in a handful of dust."
      -T. S. Eliot

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
     -Samuel Beckett

Most Anticipated Books (for me) Fall 2015

I want them now.

1. Beastly Bones by William Ritter

As you know, I loved Jackaby, and come one, I needed the next book. I'm slowly getting through The Map, but I picked that up right before I started Harry Potter, so it might still be a while.



2. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

The cover glows in the dark, and I mean it sounds pretty awesome, but the cover. The cover. Also, I love anything British (almost).



3. Da Vinci's Tiger by L. M. Elliot

I just love the cover so much that I have to buy it. The cover changed, though, but I'm not going to allow that thought to penetrate my mind until it comes in the mail.




4. Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

The cover. Also, a western.



5. Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson

IT SOUNDS SO COOL!!!

Books You Really Want to Read

I've realized that people not in the bookish community might not be aware of this fact, but it is still present: you don't always read the book you've been dying to read first. This can be for a number of reasons.

1. You don't want to be disappointed- who does?
2. School, Work, Writing Harry Potter fanfiction, ect.- this is why most people never read.
3. There are other books you're currently reading- it'll ruin both books reading experiences (probably)
4. You just can't bring yourself to do it- this is probably why I don't do it most often. It's not that I don't want to read the book, or that I haven't been waiting for months to get it, it's just that I get myself to open the pages and glue my eyes to them. This sounds like i'm not a reader, but I think if you are one, you'll understand.

Random thoughts of the day, over. 

Harry Potter, Trilogies, and the Splitting of Final Books/Movies

I watched The Deathly Hallows Part 2, and I didn't cry though the whole thing, which actually made me a little upset, but I cried enough that I wasn't mad at myself for not doing so. I kept keep telling myself that I should've watched The Half-Blood Prince, though, because now I don't think I'll be able to watch any of them for a long time. The last movie is just too perfect.

Harry Potter is the exception to the rule of "don't split up the final movie", because it's one of the few times where it really needed to be split up to achieve the full effect. Unless the whole movie was like four hours long, I don't think they could've had the same power to them. For instance, The Order of the Phoenix was amazingly well adapted considering how long the book is, but that doesn't mean it was the best adaptation. They left out key things that I wanted to see- Quidditch, the full Department of Mysteries scene, Cho and Harry- which I understand why they did, but was still a little disappointing (though I still love the movie).

Divergent and The Hunger Games' final movies don't need to be split up into two parts like Harry Potter, in fact, I'm not sure they even need to be trilogies. I love Divergent, Delirium, and The Hunger Games, but I don't think they need to be three books, and all for the same reason: if there were only two books, the final book wouldn't have to be so bloody boring. My reactions to the books: Mockingjay- ew. Allegiant- get on with it..., Requiem- too many words. This is true for a lot of trilogies, and I realized this, and now series are just ruined for me.

That was a short rant, so now I'm going to show random Harry Potter quotes I googled tonight.



"Don't let the Muggles get you down." -The Prisoner of Azkaban





There are more, but I'll limit it tonight.

Reading Breaks vs. Reading Slumps

I saw this Ariel Bissett Video on "Reading Breaks" not being bad, which I fully agree with, except, I disagree on the point that they are the same thing as "Reading Slumps." 

I take reading breaks all the time, and I've noticed this with reading logs in school. One quarter, I'll read 22 books without a school break, and the next I'll read 13 with multiple school breaks, and this isn't a bad thing. 

What is a bad thing, however, is a reading slump, because those are so different from a reading break. A reading slump that I had at the beginning of summer was terrible, because I was so sick of words. I didn't want to read, I didn't want to write, I just didn't want to do anything. It was the worst, and not a reading break. 

This was a quick thought that I felt like sharing. 

Harry Potter Update and Character Death

I finished The Order of the Phoenix auf Deutsch on Monday, and then watched the movie (again) (of course). I have already told you this, but I am quite proud of it, so I'm saying it again.


Today, I finished re-reading The Half-Blood Prince, and seem to have forgotten everything about Snape, because I am just so confused about him right now. I'm not mad at him, and I wasn't the first time either, because Dumbledore dying didn't make me all that sad. What made me sad was actually only in the movie, when McGonagall raises her wand in the air, and everyone follows suit (I'll admit though, the second time I read Harry not wanting to leave Dumbledore, it made me much sadder than the first time).

Generally, when I cry in books, it isn't because a favorite character of mine died (that really only happens in movies, if it's well done). For example, the dedication in The Deathly Hallows made me cry, I am not entirely sure why, but it did, and it wasn't to do with character death (well...). If I Lie made me cry, because everything that happens to her is just so terrible. Where The Red Fern Grows made me cry, because the connection between the dogs and their owner was so powerful, and only when Jack dies is this point made as evident as ever. I honestly can't think of a character death that has made me cry.

Maybe I'm just the coldest person ever, but I think there are other elements that make me feel more emotion than something as simple death (this is not saying that death is simple, it's just that it's not as complex of a plot development (and I feel bad about saying death is a plot development, because it shouldn't be) than other things).I'll probably do something more on this later.


Yesterday, I watched The Sorcerers Stone while working (sort of...) and noticed that Hermoine has bangs, BANGS!!! Tonight, I am either going to watch The Half-Blood Prince, or The Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Non-Existent Parents in YA

I'm realizing this happens a lot in (mostly) Young Adult books, but I think there is a reason for it. I am not deep into my teenage years, but I have been immersed in this feeling for a while (I think).

I remember after reading 39 Clues, and thinking about writing on my own, how there weren't parents. Well, I wasn't really thinking about how there weren't parents, I was thinking about how to get rid of parents in the story. Until recently, I didn't see the flaw in this thought, and then I did, and thought how stupid it was, and then I realized my thought process.

Okay, so there weren't parents present in the books I had been reading at that time (which were Middle Grade). The most important stories in my life didn't involve parents- Harry Potter, The Series of Unfortunate Events, The White Giraffe series (I don't think that's the official name for it), and 39 Clues- didn't have parents as a large part of the stories. For Middle Grade, I think this should be in the minority, because at that age you are still very dependent on your family, and especially your parents. The characters in the books I was reading were put into extraordinary circumstances that furthered the plot by not having parents, and this was how I thought all books had to be.

I didn't realize it until just now actually, but some of my favorite books of all time have parents as a huge part of the story- The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Inside Out and Back Again- because their parents are more or less controlling their lives. In The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Inside Out and Back Again would be a better example, I just know The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate so much better), she becomes very close with her aloof Grandfather because she has a driving passion to learn about Botany and Biology, but as it is set in 1899 Texas, her parents are not supportive of her dreams. They want her to learn how to play the piano, how to cook, how to sew and knit, and clean properly, and she stands up for herself as much as she can, but she is still forced into things that she would rather not do. That had something to do with the era, but it also had to do with the fact that she is very young, and that's how you are treated when you are young (this is MG, so it may not apply as much).

As you get older, though, you want to escape more. I realized this maybe a year of so ago, because I really wanted to get away from my family for a while. That is why I think so few Young Adult books have present parents- because it's not what you want to be thinking about when you're a teenager. You want to think about the things that are huge themes in YA literature- overcoming repressive powers (in normal circumstances, probably things such as parents and school), finding love and friendship, and finding yourself.

The Chocolate War, I think, is a good example. Jerry's mother died and his father was very distant, and I think he was depressed. He wanted to break the monotony that was his life. He wanted to disturb the universe. In the end, he realized he shouldn't have done that, and his parents helped him up. And that is what I think parents are more important for in teenage years- picking you up when you fall. When you are younger (MG), they are trying to steer you in the right direction so you don't fall as hard, but then need to let go sometime, and should be there when you need them.

For example- Harry Potter. His parents weren't a part of his life, but when he needed someone to talk to, especially in the later ones, he would go to his friends, which I think is more true for teenage years that MG ones. He had the Weasly's, Dumbledore, some of his teachers, and for a short while Siruis to talk to, and they took the role of helping him where his friends couldn't. This is clearly an extraordinary circumstance, but for most of The Deathly Hallows there aren't any adults around, only his friends, and that's what happens in real life. They needed someplace to go, so they went to Bill and Fluer's house, which isn't like going home, but it's still finding refuge in those who are wiser.

This has probably lost many people, and seeing as I am typing this up at 10:12 at night, and still need to do so many other things tonight, I am not going to edit, and instead try and conclude with one sentence that I think really exemplifies what I am trying to say.

Parents aren't as present in Young Adult books, because parents aren't as present in a teenagers life. They are Young Adults, and they want to be treated that way- I certainly do. For example, I got a ride with another High Schooler to Cross Country today, and then a ride home from her as well. Then, I showered and stuff, and made myself my own lunch. I dictated what I was going to do until my mom asked me to help her. Then I did so, and went back to the things I needed to do. My brother went and fixed his own problem, then went off with his friends, then didn't get back from work until eight o' clock, and which time he had dinner and went to sleep. My parents made him dinner, and did what they should do as parents, but they weren't telling him what he needed to be doing.

This is going on for much longer than I intended, and I am feeling as if I am losing the validity to my point, but I still think it is there. Parents are present in lives of teenagers, but not in the same was as they are at different parts of their life. 

Divergent, for example- Tris's mom made a huge impact on her, even though she was there for the bare minimum of the story. This didn't keep Tris from changing her life because of her mom, it encouraged her, and that is what I think parents in stories are there to do.

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

I was actually very surprised by this book, because when I read, I thought it was well planned out and everything, and it was informative, but I didn't really find it necessary, because I'm not in any relationships. However, when talking to my Dad about my friendships, I realized that the information applied there too, and that it was super helpful. I was able to cite a bunch of facts, and know that they are true, which made me very happy.

This is a sucky book review, but other than the book was good, I don't really have much to say.



That said, I also got Lord of the Rings on Kindle Unlimited, and plan on reading it soon.

So...

I had this really cool idea about some random Harry Potter thing last night (after I finished it auf Deutsch!), but I have forgotten, and it's super annoying, because it was sooooo cool!!! Hopefully I'll think of it later.

I think it had something to do with Snape, because I keep thinking about him and Hagrid, but I'm not sure. Also, Voldemort, but that may just be a constant.

Something A Friend Said To Me

Okay, so last week, I asked my friend if she would want to do a writing sprint with me, but instead of what I thought she would say (great idea!) she told me: "I'm just saying if you get into the habit of focusing solely [on] one thing, you'll do that and ignore everything and everyone else and then.... "
I strongly disagree with that. I got that text over a week ago, and am still so pissed off about it.

For one:
THEY SPEND YEARS IN SCHOOL TRYING TO GET YOU TO THE POINT AT WHICH YOU CAN READ FOR 45 MINUTES STRAIGHT!!! THIS IS A HUGE PART OF THE CURRICULUM!

For two:
FOCUS, THAT IS WHAT I AM DOING! FOCUSING! NO WONDER YOU'VE ONLY FINISHED ONE PROJECT! (I really shouldn't have written that, but I think I need to, so I'm leaving it. Sorry)

For three:
EVERYTHING THAT I JUST STATED ABOVE!!! IT'S PISSING ME OFF THAT SHE'S NOT GETTING IT!

For four:
Personal reasons between the two of us

There is more, but I've let it out with my dad, because I don't have anyone else to talk it out with except my parents. I need more friends.

Also, friend, if you ever read this to you, know that I am sorry, but not about thinking your specific opinion .

Weird Things Happen During Your Sleep (1.2)

I changed my mind- Voldemort's (I just realized that wasn't spelled with an R) Hispanic (it seemed right) daughter would not pass out every time Aveda Kendavra was used, but also that she could not be killed by it. I was also thinking, that since she was a "Harry" like horcurx, she would have to die, but Curcio could cause her enough pain to kill her (because of the spells pain and the pain of dark magic on her body).

I also decided that she would be the Minister of Magic at the 16 years later part, and possibly marry Dean Thomas (I haven't researched if he is married of not, but whatever).

She would obviously be in the graveyard scene, and I was thinking that she could apparate back to Hogwarts, but once she arrived everyone would think that suspicious (you know, because no one else can), so they would attack her (did I already think of this?). A dementor would go after her, and her wand would be many feet away, but I was thinking that she might not need a wand. What if she just could conjure her patronus (rhino?) with her mind? Or all magic with her mind.

Also, what if in 5, she is mad at Harry because...I don't know, but she's mad at Harry for something she did. If I haven't mentioned this before, Fred and George are her best friends (I know this makes no sense), and that muddles things up a bit.

What if she had the combined powers of Voldemort and Dumbledore, making her the most powerful witch of all time? She would be in Slytherin, if I didn't mention that.

Also, right after Dumbledore is killed by Snape, I was thinking she could chase after Snape and tell him not to leave, because he's like a parent to her, but Harry interprets this otherwise, and thinks she's evil (obviously not.)

This is written when I should be reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix auf Deutsch, so I'm rushing this a bit. I have more for later.

Harry Potter auf Deutsch!

So, I am currecntly reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in German (Harry Potter und der Orden des Phönix), and it's really hard. I don't speak German almost at all (finished German 1 in school!), so I am reading a chapter in English, followed by a chapter in German, so I can guess at what they're saying better .

I've been trying to read like 250 pages a day (which would actually be 500), but I end up only getting maybe two chapters in. I really need to get to work on this if I want to re-read the whole series before school starts (the 1st, NOOOO).





Also, I've been thinking that maybe I should read The Lord of the Rings. It's with Kindle unlimited, right? So I could totally do it. Maybe. I don't know. Decisions!

Weird Things Happen During Your Sleep (1.1)

Okay, so I was thinking on this whole Voldermort with a child thing...

1. What if that child was a girl (because we need a female chosen one) who wasn't white (because all heros in the world aren't all white people, like these books suggest)
2. What if every time dark magic was used by Voldemort or a Death Eater, she felt pain (like Harry), except all over her body (like Crucio), and every time Avada Kedavra was used, she either nearly goes unconscious, or does
3. What if she was in Slytherin, and that's why they never heard of her, until the day in Defense Against the Dark arts when Moody (obviously not actually him) uses the unforgivable curses, and she felt pain, but everyone thought she was making fun of Harry, so the Gryffindors hate her, but Slytherins love her
4. What if, she was in the graveyard in The Goblet of Fire, and everyone thought she was with Voldermort, but she wasn't (duh), and then the Ministry used that against Harry in The Order of the Pheonix
5. What if she was more powerful than Voldermort, and therefore the best witch in the world, and totally saved Harry in the graveyard, by keeping the Death Eaters at bay while he got the Triwizard cup (mix it up a bit), and then apparated onto Hogwarts ground (only possible for her), making the Ministry suspicious (rightfully so)
6. What if, after all the good people realized how good she was, they trusted her, and she became best friends with Fred and George (even though that would be difficult)
7. What if Tonks, Snape, and Lupin were her parental figures and when they all died, she was okay with...(below)
8. What if she became a horcrux and they had to kill her as well in the Deathly Hallows
9. What if... (I'm bound to think of more things for The Order of the Phoenix,  The Half-Blood Prince, The Deathly Hallows, and really all the books, but I'm too tired now. Hey, maybe I'll think of it tonight!)

How To Binge Read

1. Find a book, or book series, that you really want to read (ex. Harry Potter)
2. Either be able to handle distractions, or don't, and find the appropriate place
2.1. Find someplace, anywhere, that you can sit, lie down, or stand, or other if you can find another one...
2.2. Have acess to water
3. Open the book
4. Look at the words
5. READ
6. READ
7. READ
8. Watch the movie (if there is one, like Harry Potter)

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Grace Mae is already familiar with madness when family secrets and the bulge in her belly send her to an insane asylum—but it is in the darkness that she finds a new lease on life. When a visiting doctor interested in criminal psychology recognizes Grace's brilliant mind beneath her rage, he recruits her as his assistant. Continuing to operate under the cloak of madness at crime scenes allows her to gather clues from bystanders who believe her less than human. Now comfortable in an ethical asylum, Grace finds friends—and hope. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who will bring her shaky sanity and the demons in her past dangerously close to the surface.

Positives:
1. Reminded me of Sherlock Holmes
2. Asylums are cool
3. Very well spaced out information about what happened to Grace
4. Difficult topic handled with grace (I'm so funny, I know)
5. Dr. Thornhollow (I think I have a crush on him)
6. Victorian era
7. THAT COVER and THAT TITLE
8. Thornhollow has a heart
9. The way the story begins, woah. 

Negative:
1. I didn't understand a certain character death,.. (you'll see)

Intersetllar Key Parts (For Me) Movie Review

Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan

Screenplay:
It's a very long movie, but it needs to be that way. You spend the first 40 minutes of the movie on Earth, but those 40 minutes need to be there in order for it all to make sense. Overall, it's a good one, but very long.

Sountrack:
Perfect for the movie

Acting:
Anne Hathaway. What else should I say.

Film and Sound Editing:
*nods head*

Directing:
*nods head*

Diversity:
This one pisses me off so much. There is no reason the two main characters have to be white. I noticed this at one very specific scene, the tessaract scene. During the two times I've watched it, at that exact moment, I realize how stupid it is that they aren't diverse characters. If that had been different, I think this movie could have been so much better.

Overall:
I really liked this movie, although a little long, it was worth watching. Before I had watched it, I didn't really want to see it, but my brother really wanted us to, so I did, and really liked it (although he didn't.) I would recommend it.

10 Reasons Why I Love The Pigman by Paul Zindel

The Pigman by Paul Zindel (I didn't know this until a few seconds ago, but he won the Pulitzer Prize!!!)
In The Pigman, what begins as a teenage prank soon becomes a timeless examination of grief, acceptance, and the transformative power of friendship. High-school sophomores John and Lorraine had no idea what they were starting when they made a prank phone call to a stranger named Angelo Pignati. Virtually overnight, they befriended the old man. But now Mr. Pignati is dead. And for John and Lorraine, the only way to find peace is to write down their friend's story—the true story of the Pigman.


I read this book for the Book-Tube-A-Thon don't let go of a book challenge. I had been wanting to read it, because I saw it as a YA Classic, and it was perfect for this, because my super old edition was only 159 pages.

1. YA Classic (in my mind)
2. For when it was published, a lot of the stuff in this book would be considered controversial
3. The Zoo
4. Characters are just so great and complex
5. Dressing in Mr. Pignati's and his wife's clothes
6. Dual POV
7. Pretending to be for a charity..
8. How they know to meet up with each other
9. Short but powerful
10. When he comes home from the hospital, that whole part of the book made me upset. The friends are so annoying.

I could come up with so many more reasons why this book is great, but I'm in a hurry, so these are the ones that I thought of off the top of my head. Please read this book, it's so good and begging to be picked up.

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
You can’t stop the future. 
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. 
                
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever. (via Amazon)

Positives:
1. Suicide is an important topic that needs to be discussed
2. Tapes are a very interesting way to have the story be told
3. Very powerful emotions towards the end (I did not cry)
4. Map's are helpful
5. Characters
6. How everything fits together

Negatives:
1. Up until Clay's tape, I felt that the emotion was being told rather than shown
2. Occasionally, I would completely space out pages, and then have to re-read them. This may be due to how I was reading it, but if it wasn't, this is a warning.
3. I was disappointing how Clay fit into it all, for me
4. It wasn't my favorite book that dealt with the topic of suicide, and I felt like it romanticized it just a little. I am an idiot about this, though, so if you think it was perfect, it was perfect. I do love My Heart and Other Black Holes so much more though (it's very different, enough not to be compared, but whatever). This is on the same lines as The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand is for me.