Literaturistic

The Fault In Our Stars

2012-01-10T21:15:00.001-08:00

I came home from work to see John Green's new book waiting for me! I can't wait to read it!

The Hobbit Trailer

2011-12-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

For years I have read this book over and over and will probably read it a hundred more times in my lifetime and now it is finally being made into a movie and it's going to be the most amazing movie ever. Here it is, The Hobbit trailer:

Quotes From Writers About Writing

2011-12-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

"I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose."
Stephen King

"An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all."
Oscar Wilde

"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
Mark Twain

"Stories may well be lies, but they are good lies that say true things, and which can sometimes pay the rent."
Neil Gaiman

"Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being."
A. A. Milne

"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master."
Ernest Hemingway

Set Images of The Great Gatsby

2011-11-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the set of Baz Luhrmann‘s The Great Gatsby. Are you as excited as I am? And how do you feel about the casting choices? Feel free to share your opinions by commenting on this post!

Lisbeth Salander Drawing

2011-11-20T19:33:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo! Check out this amazing new drawing of Rooney Mara's transformation into Lisbeth Salander that was done on an iPad by a guy named Kyle Lambert. So literaturistic!

Anonymous

2011-11-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

As you probably already know, I am a huge Shakespeare fan so when I heard about the movie Anonymous, I was immediately intrigued. If you haven't heard of it, it's basically about a guy who supposedly wrote the plays of Shakespeare but could not put his name to them because he was an earl and apparently earls didn't write back then. While it may or may not be true, it's a very clever story. If you are at all interested in Shakespeare, I strongly suggest that you see this movie seeing that it is incredibly intriguing and literaturistic.

NaNoWriMo

2011-11-06T10:52:00.000-08:00

Well, NaNoWriMo began last Tuesday and I just reached 10,000 words! I've been writing 2,000 words every day since NaNoWriMo began and I will continue to write until the 30th. What about you? Are you doing NaNoWriMo? How far along are you? Don't forget to add me to your writing buddies!

The Fault In Our Stars Cover

2011-10-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the cover of John Green's new book The Fault In Our Stars. I don't know about you but I'm crazy about it. It's so simple and fun and different than all of the other covers of his other books. Underneath the official cover of the book are a few covers that John Green fans made. I chose a few of my favorites and hoped you would tell me which ones you like the best! And what do you think about the official cover? Is it everything you hoped for?

Official Cover:

Fan Made Covers:

Movies Based on Books

2011-10-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

I love books. I love movies. I love movies based on books. Here are some awesome movies that are based on books. Which ones are you most looking forward to?

The Rum Diary

October 28, 2011

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

December 21, 2011

Hugo based on "The Invention of Hugo Cabret"

November 23, 2011

The Hunger Games

March 23, 2012

Les Miserables

2012

World War Z

2012

The Great Gatsby

2011

NaNoWriMo 2011

2011-10-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

     It's almost November which means that NaNoWriMo is about to begin! If you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, it's an event that begins November 1st and ends November 30th. In these thirty days, participants will try to write 50,000 word novel.
     You probably think this sounds crazy and you're right: it is crazy. But while it is crazy, it is also extremely rewarding. The wonderful thing about this event is that it gives you a realistic goal that you can accomplish if you do it correctly.
     I know that 50,000 words sounds like a lot but if you just write roughly 1700 words a day, you'll have it finished in exactly thirty days. And don't forget, your novel isn't supposed to be perfect, in fact, it's going to be downright awful, but it isn't about writing a perfect novel in 30 days--that's not the point. The point is to get something down. And if you're anything like me, getting anything down on paper is an extremely difficult task.
       This will be my third year doing NaNoWriMo and I've won each attempt and I plan to win this year as well because once I set a goal for myself, I stick with it. You can too, you just have to give it your all.
So if you're a writer, I encourage you to at least try NaNoWriMo this year. You can check out the website by clicking here. My username is lyssafaith so once you sign up, don't forget to add me as a friend! Good luck!

Literaturistic Discounts

2011-10-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Sewing is fun. You should definitely try it sometime. If you've never check out my Etsy shop before, you definitely should. I mostly sell iPod and iPhone cases but I also have magnets and cosmetics bags. The reason why they're so awesome is because they're so delightfully geeky. I have everything from Harry Potter iPod cases to iPhone shaped cosmetics bags.
Because I love all of my followers so much, I'm going to give 10% any item to anyone who follows Literaturistic Blog! Also, if you post a link to Literaturistic Blog or my Etsy shop on your blog or website, you get 15% off! To get 10% off, follow my blog and send me a message saying you would like the coupon code. I will send you the code right away. To get 15%, send me a link to your blog so that I can verify that you posted a link to my blog or my Etsy shop and I will send you the code. As always, you get free shipping as long as you live in the US! To visit my shop, click here.

Doctor Who

2011-10-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

So the Doctor Who Season Finale was last night and if you've never watched Doctor Who before, here's everything you need to know about it.

Star Wars Blu-Ray

2011-09-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you'd know that I am a Star Wars fanatic. I've been a huge fan of the movies ever since I was a kid and I've read dozens of Star Wars books, seen the movies a hundred times each, and even owned a Jedi cloak which, unfortunately, doesn't fit me anymore. So when I heard about the new changes to the Star Wars Blu-Ray, I was outraged. George Lucas already did enough damage to the movies when the DVDs were released and now he changed them even more.

Some of the changes don't make a big difference but, still, it's not the same. For instance, the part when Obi-Wan saves Luke from the sand people: click here

Jabba has a ridiculous new door: click here

Wicket the Ewok blinks because in the original movie he was a puppet and therefore, he couldn't blink. So, of course, that had to be changed (at least George Lucas thought so): click here

And then there's the worst one of all. Instead of Darth Vader silently picking up the Emperor and throwing him into the Death Star's reactor shaft before he killed Luke, he's yelling "NOOOO!" You might remember this "NOOOO!" because it's from the Revenge of the Sith after he was turned into Darth Vader which is just plain stupid. Some people like the new version better because it makes more sense to them but true Star Wars fans will always favor the original because instead it's silent, mysterious, and, well, original. So as far as the Blu-Rays go, I think I'll just stick with the VHS tapes, thanks.

My Artwork

2011-09-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

I just finished this painting and it is currently hanging up in my room beside my bookshelf. It's nothing special but I think it captures my essence completely. Which book in my painting do you like the best?

Hunger Games Trailer

2011-09-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

Here it is! The first official trailer for The Hunger Games movie. Let me know what you think!

Writing on the Walls

2011-09-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I painted a few of my favorite quotes on my wall but now I've decided to completely cover my bedroom walls with my favorite quotations. I have seven quotes so far and I need a lot more. Comment on this post and tell me your favorite quotations but they have to be from either a book or a poem. Maybe yours will end up on my wall. :) Here are the ones I've already written on my walls:

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."--Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

"We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."--Alice in Wonderland

"When I look at my room, I see a girl who loves books."--Looking for Alaska

"To sleep perchance to dream."--Hamlet

"Fashion is what one wears oneself, what is unfashionable is what other people wear."--An Ideal Husband

"If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

a hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
if you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
for we have some flax-golden tales to spin
come in, come in." --Shel Silverstein

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." -Edgar Allan Poe

Awesome T-Shirts (That I Want Very Badly)

2011-08-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite websites in the whole world is redbubble.com which is an awesome site with awesome stuff. Here are a few t-shirts from the site that I absolutely adore and wished that I owned. Which one do you like the best?

Harry Potter A-Z Alphabet

Nerd Girls: Set Phasers to Stunning

Doctor Who Quotes

Monty Python Quotes

Cunning and Ambition

First Day of School

2011-08-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

So today is my first day of school! I can hardly believe it but it's my third year at college and after this semester, I'll finally have my AA. I'm taking Developmental Psychology, Statistics (meh), and Speech so my days won't be as long as they have been in the past but I'm extremely overtired so this is going to be a long day. This semester is going to be awesome but at the end of the day I'm going to be like:

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Pictures

2011-08-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read the best selling books by Stieg Larsson, you're seriously missing out. I love The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and I can't wait to see the movie (although the Swedish version is really awesome too but you just can't beat Daniel Craig and David Fincher). If you haven't already seen the trailer for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo you can check it out by clicking here. Here are some pictures from the upcoming movie that comes out on December 21!

My To-Read List

2011-08-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Even though I go back to school in two weeks, I still plan to do a lot of reading because I love reading more than almost anything. I've added a few books to my To-Read list for this semester and three of them are listed below. Which books are on your To-Read list? Which books do you think I should add to my list?

I love love love Chuck Palahniuk and I've read almost all of his books but this is one
that I haven't read that I really look forward to reading because it's one
of his more popular books. I think Rant will always be my favorite though.

I read the first book from this series a few weeks ago and though I found it a bit silly,
I'd really like to read the next book in the series so I can find out
what happens. I admit it, I'm hooked.

I'm reading The Game of Thrones in A Song of Ice and Fire series right now and I cannot
wait to keep reading these books. The writing is so unique and rhythmic that
it's incredibly addicting and engaging.

Congratulations!

2011-08-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jessie for winning a signed copy of The Monstrumologist and to Thomas who won second prize. Thanks to everyone who entered and don't forget, you'll have another chance to win a super awesome prize once my blog reaches 200 followers! And if you won, don't forget to do a crazy dance. :)

Last Day to Enter!

2011-08-15T07:05:00.001-07:00

If you haven't entered the One Hundred Follower Giveaway yet, click here because today is the last day to enter! The winners will be announced tomorrow so don't forget to check and see if you've won! Good luck!

The Hobbit Pictures

2011-08-11T21:27:00.002-07:00

Finally! Pictures from the production of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about this movie. The Hobbit was always my favorite Lord of the Rings book and I can't wait to see the movie. Are you a big Lord of the Rings fan? What are your feelings about the new movie?

The Hunger Games Movie

2011-08-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Hunger Games a couple of weeks ago and you can check out my review on it by clicking the tab labeled 'Book Reviews.' Anyway, the movie based on the bestselling book is currently in production and a few photos have just been released and I'm going to share them with you because you all are awesome. Are you a fan of the books? Are you excited about the movie? And don't forget to enter the One Hundred Follower Giveaway and you could win a signed copy of The Monstrumologist. Click here to enter.

One Hundred Follower Giveaway

2011-08-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

I've reached one hundred followers! To celebrate, I will be giving away some awesome stuff to some awesome people. To enter the giveaway, answer the questions below to below.The grand prize is an autographed copy of The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey. There is also a secret prize for one other lucky person. There will be two winners in all.

Your name will be added an extra time if you put a banner or link to my blog on your website, blog, or Facebook. You can find some banners under the tab labeled 'Buttons.' You must paste the link below so it can be verified. Good luck!

Rules:

You must be a US citizen to enter

You must be a follower of Literaturistic Blog to enter

You must be literaturistic to enter :)

If you have a link/banner on your website, post a link to it in the text box below and your name will be entered into the giveaway an extra time

Deadline to enter is August 15

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Book Reviews

2011-08-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to make my blog more interesting and awesome, I decided to start writing book reviews again. You can find these book reviews by clicking on the tab labeled 'Book Reviews' and there you will find a list of book titles. Click on a title to read the review I wrote about it. Also, next to each book title, there will be a number of waffles that I assign to each book depending on how much I enjoyed it. Underneath the book titles, you will find a chart that explains the value of the waffles. Keep in mind, I am a very picky reader and, therefore, am very careful about how many waffles I give to each book. I really have to like the book for it to get a high number of waffles. Why waffles, you ask? Because waffles are delicious and how dare you ask such an ignorant question. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Viva Cuba!

2011-08-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

This past week I had the amazing opportunity to go to Cuba and help out at a youth conference in Matanzas. It was an awesome experience and I loved every minute of it. Here are some pictures of the beautiful sights in Cuba.

Catedral de Habana

Hotel Ambos Mundos, the hotel where Ernest Hemingway often stayed while visiting Cuba

Puente de Bacunayagua, the highest bridge in Cuba

Propaganda

Overlooking the water

A beach in Matanzas

The beach again :)

Announcement!

2011-07-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

I have some awesome, amazing, spectacular news for you! My blog almost has 100 followers and once it reaches 100, I'm going to have a fantastic 100 Follower Celebration Giveaway! If you are a follower of my blog, you can enter to win some fabulous prizes! To help me reach 100 followers, I would love it if you could post banners for my blog on your website/blog. You can find my banners by clicking on the 'Buttons' panel above. You can also post links on your Facebook, Twitter, or website to my blog to help me reach my goal. If you do any of these things, you will get extra entries into the giveaway which will, of course, improve your chances of winning. And the more people who follow this blog, the more chances you will have to win more prizes because for every 100 new followers, I'm going to celebrate with another giveaway! So get all the people to follow my blog as you can!
Secondly, I will not be updating my blog for the next week because I'll be in Cuba but I'll be sure to update it as soon as I get back!

Hogwarts Houses

2011-07-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

As most of you are already aware, there are four houses at Hogwarts and they are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. If you are a devoted Harry Potter fan, I have no doubt that you already know which house you would be placed in but for those of you who don't know which house you belong in, I have provided descriptions of each house that appear on Harry Potter Wiki and also a link to a website where you can take a quiz that will determine which house you are best suited for.

Gryffindor is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Godric Gryffindor. Its emblematic animal is the lion, and its colours are scarlet and gold.

"You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart"

—The Sorting Hat

Slytherin is one of the four Houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and is traditionally home to students who exhibit such traits as cunning and ambition. Its emblematic animal is the snake and its colours are green and silver.

"Or perhaps in Slytherin,
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means,
To achieve their ends."

—The Sorting Hat

Ravenclaw is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Rowena Ravenclaw. Members of this house are characterised by their wit, intelligence, creativity, and wisdom. Its house colours are blue and bronze, and its symbol is the eagle.

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind."

—The Sorting Hat

Hufflepuff is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Its founder was the medieval witch Helga Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff is the most inclusive among the four houses, valuing hard work, patience, friendship and fair play rather than a particular aptitude in its members. Its emblematic animal is the badger, and yellow and black are its colours.

"You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil"

—The Sorting Hat

Here are a few quizzes that you can take to determine which house you belong in. I am most definitely Slytherin. Which house are you in? Let me know which house you're in by posting it in a comment! I love hearing from you!

The sorting hat says that I belong in Slytherin!

Get Sorted Now!

Get Sorted By The Hogwarts Sorting Hat!

Album of the Month--July

2011-07-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

There is good music and there is bad music. This is good music.

Amor Fati by Washed Out
Kids by Airship
Lonely Lullaby by Owl City
Wait In The Dark by Memory Tapes
This Is Not Harry Potter by Hank Green

Album of the Month
The Good Natured Skeleton EP

This album hasn't been released in the US yet but you can listen to it online and I strongly recommend that you do so.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

2011-07-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

I shamelessly went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at midnight on Thursday night and as I went into the theater, I was all like:

So I went into the theater and I left extremely satisfied. I thought that maybe, after seeing the final movie, I would have a feeling of emptiness in my heart but I felt quite the opposite. But even though I really enjoyed the movie, I did not enjoy the audience's responses to the movie. There was laughing, screaming, clapping, yelling, and crying as if they didn't know what was going to happen but they were all there at midnight so they were obviously dedicated Harry Potter fans so they should know what happens, right? At times I was just like:

For the most part, I liked the movie and thought that the actors were all very good (especially Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter) and even though they left out a few little things here and even added a few things, it worked. The only thing I really didn't like was the epilogue because, while some of the actors were convincing, Emma Watson and Bonnie Wright did not look 19 years older. But, all in all, it was a very good movie. And maybe I'm being insensitive, but I know a lot of people are really emotional about the last Harry Potter movie but I don't see what's so sad about it. I mean, it's not really over. We can still read it over and over and over and over again and make our children read it and they'll read it over and over and over and over again. So when I left the theater I wasn't like:

But I was more like:

Lit Day

2011-07-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Let me start out by saying that Lit Day was amazing. I learned so much at all of the different panels and got to meet so many awesome people. I also got a few pictures with some of my favorite authors which are shown below. In the Editors panel, I was practically jumping out of my seat during the Q&A and was able to ask the panel what where a few things that were automatic turnoffs in the manuscripts they receive. David Levithan responded by saying that the first chapter needed to have a great hook for him to keep reading it and that he doesn't like it when authors try to show of their writing abilities with long descriptions and poetic diction. I also learned a few other little known facts: one of Scott Westerfeld's first stories he wrote as a kid was about a demon in space who solved crime, Libba Bray used to be roommates with David Levithan and Barry Goldblatt, and the first place Arthur Levine took J.K. Rowling and her daughter to dinner was Bubba Gump! All in all, it was a fantastic day and I loved every minute of it.

Me and Arthur Levine (aka my new hero)

Me and David Levithan.

Me and Maureen Johnson who is the author of Devilish and Suite Scarlet.

Me and Hank Green who I was quite excited to see, as you can tell by my gleeful expression.

Me and Scott Westerfeld. So gangsta.

Upcoming Releases

2011-07-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some books by some of my favorite authors that will be released in the next few months (and in a whole year for John Green's new novel). Which book are you most looking forward to reading?

The Name Of The Star By Maureen Johnson--September 29, 2011

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk--October 18, 2011

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green--May 2012

Lit Day

2011-07-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ohmygoodnessimsoexcited! Only 9 more days until Lit Day! If you don't know what Lit Day is, it's one of the LeakyCon 2011 events where some of my favorite authors will speak about writing, editing, and publishing. Some of the speakers I'm most looking forward to hearing are Maureen Johnson, Scott Westerfeld, David Levithan, and John Green. Here are the panels I'll be attending:

How Books Saved My Sanity: Obsessed with books? With fictional characters? Yeah, so were these authors. We get it. This panel supports your addiction and discusses how an intense relationship with reading enhances your life—also, now the new online community of writers and readers is changing the way we read.
With: Cheryl Klein, Libba Bray, John Green, Stephanie Perkins, Lena Roy

Editors: Editors discuss how they go about acquiring and editing YA—how they have to balance their love of a book with the business of publishing. Q&A included.
With: David Levithan, Cheryl Klein, Julie Strauss-Gabel
Moderator: Ally Carter

The Relationship Panel: An author, an agent, and an editor walk into a convention center. This is not a joke - it's actually a panel. Meet two author-agent-editor teams and find out how they work together to produce a book.
Team I: Stephanie Perkins, Kate Schafer-Testerman and Julie Strauss Gabel
Team II: Libba Bray, Barry Goldblatt, David Levithan
Moderator: Rebecca Sherman

Love and Romance: What’s the deal here? Common wisdom says girls demand these things in their books and boys dislike them... but is that true? How do authors decide how to handle the squishy bits of life? How is LGBTQ literature bringing a fresh perspective? How far can scenes go? Is there really a difference between a love story and a romance novel? This panel wants to be in a relationship with you on Facebook, so you know it is serious.

With: Ally Carter, John Green, Kate Schafer-Testerman, Scott Westerfeld, Stephanie Perkins, David Levithan
Moderator: Robin Wasserman

I Was a Teenage Author: Think all published authors start out writing works of pure, undiluted genius? Think your work is terrible and you’ll never get anywhere, ever? Be prepared to be amazed. Authors read actual works from their tortured teenage years, giving you hope and inspiration to keep going.
With: Scott Westerfeld, David Levithan, Libba Bray, John Green, Robin Wasserman, Stephanie Perkins
Moderator: Maureen Johnson

I promise to share everything I learn with you and pictures from the event! Keep checking for updates!

8 Ways to Write Better Characters

2011-06-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

I believe that the best way to learn how to write is to read a lot of books and write as much as you can. Reading books like 'Writing for Dummies' will only help you learn how another writer writes instead of how you write. However, this is an extremely helpful article that I recommend entitled 8 Ways to Write Better Characters. In this article are a few pointers on how to create intriguing characters and their relationships, personality, etc. If you are an aspiring writer, I encourage you to read other articles such as this one that don't necessarily teach you how to write but can help you in your journey to become a good writer.

Pottermore

2011-06-27T06:04:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't already watched J.K. Rowling's announcement, let me fill you in on the 'exciting' news. Instead of a new book or even a new Harry Potter book, J.K. Rowling decided to surprise us with a website. The website is called Pottermore and it's a free website that apparently 'builds an exciting online experience around the reading of the Harry Potter books.' If you aren't already as disappointed as I am to hear this news, you will be because it's not even going to be available until October. So, here it is, faithful Harry Potter fans, J.K. Rowling's big announcement. I suppose I shouldn't be so discouraged about it, I might give it a chance in October but until then, my opinion of it isn't very good. But, on a more cheerful note, only 17 more days until we call all watch the new Harry Potter movie which, of course, I will be seeing at midnight the night it comes out. And if you're interested in learning more about Pottermore, just click here. Have fun.

Attention Harry Potter Fans

2011-06-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

In just 21 hours J.K. Rowling will make an announcement! No one knows exactly what this announcement will be about but my guess is that a new book is on the way, maybe even another Harry Potter book! J.K. Rowling will make her announcement at this Youtube page where apparently owls have begun to gather. Keep checking my blog for more updates!

Album of the Month

2011-06-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

Having an appreciation for music is a huge part of being literaturistic. Starting today, every month I'm going to feature five new, awesome songs and one awesome album that have been released in the past month. If you have a favorite song or album that you think should be featured, make sure to let me know about it! Enjoy!

1. Fragile Bird by City and Colour

2. Underneath the Sycamore by Death Cab for Cutie

3. Don't Sit Down 'Cause I Moved Your Chair by Arctic Monkeys

4. Monster by Paramore

5. Run Away by Sarah Jarosz

Album of the Month:
City and Colour--Little Hell

This album is absolutely amazing. The vocals, lyrics, and sound all work together to create uniquely mellow yet heartfelt melodies.

Etsy = Happiness

2011-06-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Etsy.com is quite possibly my favorite website on the internet, partly because I sell all of my creations on it and also because there are thousands of creative people also selling their imaginative creations. I thought I would show you some of my most favorite creations. You can also check out my shop by clicking here and my Etsy blog by clicking here.


Definition of Forever Mug by DailyGrinder


Totoro Necklace by ymmypocket

Where the Wild Things Are Custom Vans Shoes by Stabbyvonkillerstein


Mr. Tea Teapot by LennyMud

Lyric Pillow- The Beatles, Here Comes the Sun by ThreeYellowFinches

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

2011-06-05T05:31:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite books is being made into a movie by one of my most favorite directors. Needless to say, I'm super excited. I've been waiting for this trailer for forever and, of course, I had to put it on my blog so you could all watch it and get as excited as I am.

Magazines for Writers

2011-06-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

If you're literaturistic, you probably love writing and if you love writing, you want to learn to become an even better writer. Here are a few magazines that I have found to be very helpful in my quest to become a good writer.

Writer's Digest

The Writer

Poets & Writers

My Favorite Books When I Was Young

2011-05-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ever since I first learned to read, I loved reading. The books I read when I was young gave me a deep appreciation for literature and, more specifically, fictional literature. Here are some of the books that I loved when I was between the ages of 9 and 12. What were your favorite books?

Quotations

2011-05-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

Even if I'm reading a book that I got from the library, I like to underline my favorite passages so that the people who read the book after me won't just skim over it, oblivious to its awesomeness. So here are some quotes that I have underlined in some of my favorite books.

"Ask yourself: What did I eat for breakfast today? What did I eat for dinner last night? You see how fast reality fades away?" --Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

"The Moral Law tells us the tune we have to play: our instincts are merely the keys."
--Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

"Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was was something tragic." --The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

"In simple terms, it was not the man who had stolen; it was the animal which, from habit and instinct, had brutally set its foot on the coin while the man's intelligence wrestled with the new and dumbfounding thoughts that preoccupied it." --Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

'What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though."--The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Yellow Eyed Frog Monsters

2011-05-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is one of the poems I read at my class poetry reading at my school. I hope you like it.

Yellow Eyed Frog Monsters
By Alyssa Merwin

Yellow eyed frog monsters won’t let me sleep.
They slide their long, serpentine bodies,
Through my window.
They slither over to my bed,
And see if I’m awake;
I always am.
They make their nests in my room,
Using crumpled notebook paper,
Covered in forgotten ideas.
Then they begin their mating calls,
Which sound like a dozen broken foghorns,
Resonating all at once.
Throughout the night,
They make their way into my room,
Building more nests and making more noise.
Before I know it, my room is filled
With yellow eyed frog monsters.
And I just want to sleep.
But they won’t let me sleep.

Need a Laugh?

2011-05-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

It's finals week and it probably is for a lot of you too so I think we could all use a laugh.

May The Fourth Be With You!

2011-05-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

It's Star Wars Day! Since the three original Star Wars movie are my favorite movies of all time, I felt it was necessary to dedicate an entire post to the best movies of all time. (We can't repel aweseomness of that magnitude!) May the fourth be with you!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Trailer

2011-04-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here it is, my fellow Harry Potter lovers, the trailer for the last and final Harry Potter movie!

Countdown to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Book Awards

2011-04-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

An important part of being Literaturistic is that you have to be up to date on the latest book awards and book lists. Below are some award winning books of 2011 and the nominees for the YALSA's Teens' Top Ten List.

Winner of the Printz Award:

In Ship Breaker, near a drowned New Orleans ravaged by hurricanes and global warming, Nailer and his young crew eke out a meager existence by scavenging materials on the ship-littered coast.

Winner of the Morris Award:

Loa, a strong, intelligent, hardworking sixteen-year-old girl experiences a year of loss. While trying to take care of her family and make it through school, she ponders the laws of physics as she tries to understand what can never make sense.

These are the YALSA's Teens' Top Ten nominees:

1. Drought by Pam Bachorz
2. I Am J by Cris Beam,
3. You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin
4. Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier.
5. The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card
6. The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
7. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
8. Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins,
9. Matched by Ally Condie
10. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
11. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
12. Lies by Grant Michael
13. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
14. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
15. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
16. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
17. Red Moon Rising by Peter Moore
18. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
19. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
20. The False Princess by O'Neal Ellis
21. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Paterson
22. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
23. Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith
24. Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
25. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Which books on this list do you think should make the top ten list for 2011? Which books do you wish would have made the cut?

The Birds

2011-04-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

Bird terrorism is a problem. Don't believe me? Just ask this kid:


The picture of fear

For years we have allowed these winged devils to shower us with their disgustingly white excrement but no more. The abuse has gone on too long. Now you might be wondering what we can do about this and although you might not be able to do it alone, if we all band together we can make this world bird poop free. First, we cut off enemy supplies by picking up food (popcorn, bread, french fries, etc) from the streets, fountains, and park areas. But in order to stop bird terrorism completely, we need to stop it at the source: old ladies. Yes, for too long old ladies have sat around city fountains and parks and enabled the devious creatures by giving them food; the old bird lady in Mary Poppins being the worst offender.

So what can we do with these bird ladies? Nothing. No, seriously, if you do anything to them, you'll go to jail. Don't hurt the bird ladies. However, there are many ways to avenge our poop covered cars and win our battle with the birds: Bird Pranks.

Important Things with Demetri Martin

Games - Bird-Pranked

www.comedycentral.com

Jokes

Sports Show with Norm Macdonald

Workaholics

Poetry Explosion!

2011-04-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

On May 3rd, for one night only, get ready for a Poetry Explosion! If you live in the area, it will be at The Madorsky Theater at Daytona State College and it starts at 5:30. Some other students and I will be performing our original works of poetry. Here are some flyers I've made for the event:

Books Coming Out This Year

2011-04-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

For all of my literaturistic readers, here are some books that will be coming out this year! Be excited.


The Throne of Fire/May 3, 2011

Inheritance/ Nov 8, 2011

Goliath/ September 20, 2011

Son of Neptune/ Oct 11, 2011

Darke/ Jun 7, 2011

Haiku

2011-04-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

I love writing poetry and I want you to love it too. For starters, try writing a haiku and if you don't know how, watch this video will tell you everything you need to know. To watch this video, click here.

Here's a haiku that I wrote:

There is a hole in the earth;

In the hole is frozen ice.

The fish swim inside.

And here's a real haiku poem:

Over the wintry

forest, winds howl in rage

with no leaves to blow.

by Soseki

I shared mine with you, so write one and share it with me! Please? :)

The Wins and Fails in the Animal Kingdom

2011-03-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

I think it's self-explanatory.

Platypus: Win

Turkey: Fail

Echidnas: Win

Llamas: Fail

Tapirs: Win

Cows: Fail.

Pugs: Win

Ostrich: Fail

Pigs: Epic Win

Poem of the Day #6

2011-03-24T10:35:00.001-07:00

Last and hopefully not least, here's a poem written by me. Let me know what you think!

What They Do

By Alyssa Merwin (Me)

When all of us children are asleep,
And tucked securely in our beds,
They meet together in secret,
In an abandoned warehouse at the edge of town.
They talk about us. They share our embarrassing stories,
They laugh about the time I forgot my lines during the school play.
And when they’re done with the stories they
Come up with new rules to make us miserable:
Like brushing our teeth and no TV until our homework is done.
This is where they decided to make us immerse our hands into dirty suds,
And scrub the remnants of dinner off plates and silverware.
They laugh evilly.
They love to torment us.
At dawn they come back home,
And when I wake up, they tell me to make my bed.

Poem of the Day #5

2011-03-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Poetry
by Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

Poem of the Day #4

2011-03-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

The Dead by Susan Mitchell

At night the dead come down to the river to drink.
They unburden themselves of their fears,
their worries for us. They take out the old photographs.
They pat the lines in our hands and tell our futures,
which are cracked and yellow.
Some dead find their way to our houses.
They go up to the attics.
They read the letters they sent us, insatiable
for signs of their love.
They tell each other stories.
They make so much noise
they wake us
as they did when we were children and they stayed up
drinking all night in the kitchen.

Poem of the Day #3

2011-03-17T09:35:00.001-07:00

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

Poem of the Day #2

2011-03-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

I Carry Your Heart With Me
by E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Poem of the Day #1

2011-03-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Since it's spring break and I have nothing better to do with my time, I'll be posting a new poem of the day for each day of the week. Each of these poems are my favorite poems of all time so make sure to keep checking back!

What Can We Do?
by Charles Bukowski

at their best, there is gentleness in Humanity.
some understanding and, at times, acts of
courage
but all in all it is a mass, a glob that doesn't
have too much.
it is like a large animal deep in sleep and
almost nothing can awaken it.
when activated it's best at brutality,
selfishness, unjust judgments, murder.
what can we do with it, this Humanity?
nothing.
avoid the thing as much as possible.
treat it as you would anything poisonous, vicious
and mindless.
but be careful. it has enacted laws to protect
itself from you.
it can kill you without cause.
and to escape it you must be subtle.
few escape.
it's up to you to figure a plan.
I have met nobody who has escaped.
I have met some of the great and
famous but they have not escaped
for they are only great and famous within
Humanity.
I have not escaped
but I have not failed in trying again and
again.
before my death I hope to obtain my
life.
from blank gun silencer - 1994

The Wilhelm Scream

2011-03-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

As you are probably already aware, I'm a huge Star Wars fan. One of the great things about Star Wars is the sound (thanks to Ben Burtt who is a genius) and I especially love the notorious and distinct scream that appears quite a few times in the Star Wars movies. If you don't know what the heck I'm referring to, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about after watching this video:

After doing some research, I discovered that this is called The Wilhelm Scream which is a stock sound effect that was first recorded in 1951 for the movie Distant Drums. And it is believed that it was provided by this guy:

However, the sound was named after Private Wilhelm, a character in the movie, The Charge at Feather River which was apparently the third movie to use the sound effect. Ben Burtt discovered the original recording as a studio reel labeled "Man being eaten by alligator." The rest is history.

This Is Why I Want To Be A Teacher

2011-03-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

Writing Contests

2011-02-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

I love to write. You love to write. So we might as well make some money while we write, right? Here are some short story and poetry competitions that you can enter some of your work to and maybe make hundreds of dollars and become famous and all of that fun stuff.

Annual Writer’s Digest Competition
Deadline: May 2, 2011.

GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents. Writer's Digest will fly you and a guest to The Big Apple for the conference. While you're there, a Writer's Digest editor will arrange for you to meet and share your work with four editors or agents!

The Writer's 2011 Short-Story Contest
Deadline: April 30, 2011.

First prize: $1,000; a free 10-week creative writing workshop offered online by Gotham Writers' Workshop ($420 value); publication in The Writer and on WriterMag.com; and a one-year subscription to The Writer.

Creative Communication Poetry Contest
Deadline: April 05, 2011

First Prize: $50 savings bond, special recognition in the book, and a free copy of the anthology that is created from the contest.

Aura Estrada Short Story Contest
Deadline: October 1, 2011
First Prize: The winning author will receive $1,500 and have his or her work published in Boston Review, the summer of 2012.

The Dream Quest One Poetry and Writing Contest
Deadline: July 31, 2011
First Prize: $250.00 in cash.

Tree Houses

2011-02-16T18:53:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I always wanted a tree house (I'm not going to lie, I still do) but I never got one. So I found some of the most awesome tree houses ever built and I'm going to show them to you so that you can be overcome with jealousy like me.

I WANT THEM.

My Favorite Words

2011-02-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

As you are probably already aware, I love the English language and language in general. There are so many words in the English language that we don't even know about and I love to learn about them. Here are a few of my favorite words and their meanings. Try to use them in conversations--it's fun!

Boviate
–verb
To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner.

Mulligrubs
–noun
Ill temper; colic; grumpiness.

Mussitate
–verb
1. To silently move the lips in simulation of audible speech.

Pedagogy
–noun, plural -gies.
1. The function or work of a teacher; teaching.
2. The art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods.

Caterwaul
–noun
1. A shrill, discordant sound.

Vomitorium
–noun
In a theater or stadium, esp. ancient, a passageway leading to and from the seating

Perfunctory
–adjective
1. Done merely to carry out a duty; performed mechanically or routinely.
2. Lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent.

Lethologica
–noun
The inability to remember a word or put your finger on the right word

Vulpine
–adjective
1. Cunning or crafty.
2. Of or resembling a fox.

Bombilate
–verb
Make a buzzing sound

Plethora
–noun
Overabundance; excess

What are you favorite words and what do they mean?

My Favorite Songs That Were Inspired by Literature

2011-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

     Music is awesome but do you know what makes it more awesome? When it is inspired by fantastic works of literature. So here are a few of my favorite songs that were inspired by

1. Oscar Wilde by Company of Thieves
     If you really pay attention to the lyrics of this song, it's easy to realize that it paralells the idea of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Example: "Porcelain teacups decorate/Tables and the conversation/Beauty pageants, all the time/It’s running out, the time is running out."

2. Hug Me by Meg & Dia
     This song conveys a lot of the same ideas that the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley conveys and it even references the title: "I can't lie, I was brainwashed to be honest. In this brave new world that slowly passes by."

3. Oedipus by Regina Spektor
    Obviously this song is about the famous play by Sophocles of the same name. Just like the play some of this song's lyrics are hauntingly disturbing but the music is beautiful and that's why I love it.

4. Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police
   This song is a classic and I'm sure that most of you have heard it before but what you may not know is that it is based on Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. These lyrics make it kind of obvious: "Its no use, he sees her/He starts to shake and cough/Just like the old man in/That book by Nabakov."

5. White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane
    Just read these lyrics and take a wild guess as to which famous book this song refers to: "One pill makes you larger/And one pill makes you small/And the ones that mother gives you/Don't do anything at all/Go ask Alice/When she's ten feet tall."

6. On My Own from Les Miserables
     Although this song is from a musical based on the book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, I still think it counts. This song is sung by the character of Eponine and conveys her unrequited love for Marius who is in love with someone else. It is so sad but also amazingly beautiful.

7. In Her Tomb By The Surrounding Sea by Alesana
    The title of this song refers to the last line of the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe and the lyrics convey the same story of Poe's famous poem.

Here you can listen to all of the songs that were mentioned above:

Do you have any songs that you love that were inspired by works of literature? Which one of these songs is your favorite?

Haunted

2011-01-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks, I've fallen in love with poetry all over again and I've been writing some poetry as well. Here is my latest creation. Let me know what you think!

Haunted

I’m haunted by the memories from the time when life was easy,

When the worst things in life weren’t bad at all

And the best things that happened live forever in my memory.

I’m haunted by the years when I thought I knew everything.

Then I finally to discovered that I didn’t know myself

And that I was human just like everyone else.

I’m haunted by the friends whose names I can’t recall,

But I’ve never forgotten the hurtful words they said to me.

The names that they called me run through my head on repeat.

I’m haunted by the times when happiness came naturally.

I miss the times when love wasn’t a fight or a struggle,

When belief in the unbelievable was just another part of my being.

I’m haunted by the time when I wasn’t afraid to sing out loud.

I wish I could go back to when I didn’t care what people said—

The time when I wasn’t afraid of anything except for monsters under my bed.

I’m haunted by the hurtful things I said to those I loved

And there are times when I wish I could go back to right my wrongs,

But I never want to go back to that time. I never want to go back.

Slam Poetry

2011-01-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

This semester, I decided to take a poetry class at my school and I'm really glad I'm really glad I did. Taking this class has caused me to fall in love with poetry all over again and even though we've only had one class so far, I've learned a lot. I have to memorize a poem by Tuesday and recite it in front of the class which I'm looking forward to but I still can't decide which poem to recite. Anyway, in class we had to watch a few poets do slam poetry and I thought I'd share one of them with you because it's awesome. Let me know what you think about it! Also, what are some of your favorite poems?

My Top Ten Favorite Literary Characters

2011-01-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

Here it is, my top ten list of favorite literary characters. Below are ten of the most awesome characters in literature, in fact, if you read this, your head might explode due to the amount of awesomeness. Read at your own risk. Also, don't forget to tell me who your favorite literary characters are!

10. Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins undergoes one of the greatest transformations of all time. He is just an ordinary hobbit who is afraid of adventures in the beginning of The Hobbit and, because of Gandalf, he fights giant spiders, gets captured by wood elves, and steals treasures from a dragon. Bilbo Baggins goes from boring to awesome in only 320 pages. Awesome.

Favorite Quote:
“Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!” --The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

9. Jean Valjean
Whether it be the book, the musical, or the movie, the character of Jean Valjean from the story of Les Miserable is truly an inspiration of forgiveness and spiritual development. In the beginning of the story, Jean Valjean is a convict and because of the wise words and compassion of a priest, he changes into a completely different person. It's this transformation that makes Jean Valjean one of my favorite literary characters.

Favorite Quote:
"The pupil dilates in the night and at last finds day in it, even as the soul dilates in misfortune, and at last finds God in it."--Les Miserable by Victor Hugo

8. Lisbeth Salander
If you've read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, you know that Lisbeth Salander is one crazy, messed up chick. Her past is mysterious as much as it is terrifying and her mind and thoughts are absolutely impenetrable. The character of Lisbeth Salander is baffling and fascinating which is why she's on my list.

Favorite Quote:
"'Martin...I just found out that Martin was killed in a car accident last night.'
'That's sad,' Salander said, taking a sip of her own coffee." --The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

7. Holden Caulfield
Although Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye can be overly cynical from time to time but there's something strangely relatable about him. I find that many of his pessimistic evaluations of the world are absolutely true but no one wants to believe it. Holden Caulfield is one of the most intricate literary characters of our time.

Favorite Quote:
"Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." --The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

6. Screwtape
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is one of the most creatively ingenious books of our time. The book is about a fictional demon who is mentoring his nephew on how to tempt a human to reject Christianity. Each letter is so ingeniously evil and even disturbing at times and although it's fictional, you'll look at sin an entirely different way.

Favorite Quote:
"The safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." --The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

5. Margo Roth Spiegelman
Margo Roth Spiegelman is not your ordinary fictional character, she is mysterious and awesome at practical jokes. But she is also a reflection of every person who pretends to be someone they're not which is pretty much everyone. You'll have to read the book to really understand what I mean but for now you'll just have to take my word that the character of Margo Roth Spiegelman is incredibly thought provoking.

Favorite Quote:
"What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person." — Paper Towns by John Green

4. Elizabeth Bennet
I love the high spirited and bold the protagonist of Pride and Prejudice. I'd like to think that I'm like her, and in some ways I am, but there are many attributes she has that I hope I can have one day. But the thing I love the most about her is that she is far from perfect and I can definitely relate to that.

Favorite Quote:
"There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it." --Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

3. Mr. Darcy
In the beginning of Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy may not be selfless and humble like Mr. Bingley but as his love for Elizabeth Bennet grows, he begins to change for the better. His character evolves throughout the story and even though he isn't perfect, neither is Elizabeth. So, in the end, their imperfections make them perfect for each other. That's why he's awesome.

Favorite Quote:
"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." --Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. Hamlet
There is something fascinating about the character of Hamlet from Shakespeare's famous play. He goes from just a regular guy into a crazy maniac but his dissent into insanity is complex and intricate. You could study Hamlet for ears and still not fully understand his character.

Favorite Quote:
"God hath given you one face and you make yourselves another." --Hamlet by William Shakespeare

1. Edmund Pevensie
I met Edmund Pevensie when I was about nine years old and I've been in love with him ever since. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, he was selfish and skeptical and eventually he turned into a person I wish I could be like. I consider the character of Edmund Pevensie to be the most well-developed characters in literature and that is why he is number one on my list. And since he's number one, I'm putting up two quotes by him.

Favorite Quotes:
"But even a traitor may mend. I have known one that did." --The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

"There was a frightful roar and something hit me with a bang, but it didn't hurt. And I felt not so much scared as - well, excited." --The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

More of My Creations

2011-01-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

Let's face it, without school and work, there's practically nothing to do so this is how I keep myself occupied. Here are a few more things that I've been working on over the past few weeks. If you're interested in purchasing something, click on the description below the picture of the item that links to the website. Also, right now I'm working on a list of my favorite literary characters of all time and I will be posting it in the next few days, so keep checking for updates.

Legend of Zelda Triforce iPhone/iPod

Piggy iPhone/iPod Cosy (Free Shipping)

Gryffindor iPhone/iPod Cosy

R2-D2 iPhone/iPod Cozy

Slytherin iPhone/iPod Cosy

Pac-Man iPhone/iPod Cosy

Movies I Want To See

2011-01-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Well, 2010 is over and it's officially 2011. And with a new year comes new movies, most of which look ridiculously awful but there are a few movies that are being released this year that I am very much looking forward to seeing.

HP 7 Part 2. But I don't want it to be over! *sob*

Harrison Ford, cowboys, and a crap load of aliens. What could be better?


I love this book and I'm looking forward to seeing how they do with the movie.


I adore classic literature and I am very much looking forward to seeing the new film adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's novel.

Although most of the movies aren't coming out for another two years, here are some of my favorite books that are going to be made into movies.

The debut novel by John Green is going to be a movie! Unfortunately I have to wait until 2013 to see it....

My favorite book in the Lord of the Rings series is finally being made into a movie and will be released in 2012!

I'm really excited about seeing the American movie that will be based on this book. The Swedish movie is pretty good but I think it has potential to be even better.

In 2012, my favorite Dr. Seuss book will be a movie! I am uncontrollably excited right now.

Out of all the movies that are being released this year, I am only looking forward to about five. There really are way too many crappy movies that are coming out this year. It's a shame, really. Which movies are you looking forward to seeing this year? (Side note: If you say Breaking Dawn I will destroy you with my laser gun).

The Wins and Fails of 2010

2010-12-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

Here it is: The Wins and Fails of 2010. Below is a list of all of the movies, books, and albums that I have found to be either epic wins or epic fails. First, here is the list of the best and worst books that I read this year:

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini.

This book is extremely well written andI highly recommend it. Win.

Whip It by Shauna Cross.
Loved the movie and the book. If you like light reads, you should read this book. Win.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

Classic. Win.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray.

One of the worst books I've ever read. Avoid at all costs. Fail.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

Love the movie. Hate the book. Fail.

Up in the Air by Walter Kirn.

Slightly worse than Going Bovine and that's saying something. Fail.

Now here are the best and the worst movies of 2010:

Inception.

If you have not seen this movie, go see it right now. I don't care what you're doing--just get up and walk or drive or hitchhike to your closest Redbox and get it and watch it ten times. Win.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I'll admit, I had extremely low expectations for this movie but I was amazed at how good it was. Win.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

If you haven't heard, the Chronicles of Narnia series is my favorite series of books in the universe and I was already disappointed by the Prince Caspian movie. I honestly didn't think that it was humanly possible to make a Narnia movie that was worse than Prince Caspian. But they did it. Fail.

Legion.

The psycho old lady was cool but it wasn't enough to redeem the rest of this awful movie. Fail.

Emarosa by Emarosa

This album is definitely one of the best albums that was released this year. Win.

Omni by Minus the Bear

This band is absolutely amazing. The vocals, the sound, and the lyrics are unique and awesome. Pull up the iTunes store and give it a listen. You won't be disappointed. Win.

I was going to have a 'Fail' section for music but there were just too many failures in the music department this year. I think it's safe to say that I consider about 75% to be epic fails especially anything by Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and every country music artist.
Well, that's it. Which books, movies, and albums do you consider to be wins or fails? Do you disagree or agree with my picks? Let me know!

Some of My Creations

2010-12-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

Now that another semester has come to an end I've found that an abundance of boredom has been left in its place. So in an effort to amuse myself with the month of no tutoring and no studying (instead of finding something useful to do) I have taken up sewing again and began to create. And I attempted to somewhat redeem my new hobby by trying to make money of them by posting them on Etsy. Below are pictures and links to my creations in hopes that some of you may be inspired to make your own creations but mostly in hopes that you'll buy some of them. ;) Do you have any ideas for some new creations that I could make? And also what are your hobbies? I want to hear from you!

Cheeseburger iPhone/iPod Cosy

Nintendo Controller iPhone/iPod Cosy

Diana Camera Makeup Pouch

iPhone/iPod Touch Cosy

My Neighbor Totoro iPhone/iPod Cosy

Ridiculous Inventions for Lazy People

2010-12-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

I...I really have no words to describe the pictures in this post....the only thing I can think to say is that if you have one of the things listed below, it is 100 percent likely that you are lazy. On the bright side, you are stimulating the economy by buying these pointless things. So...thanks, I guess.

Twirling Spaghetti Fork. Because it's so hard to actually twist the fork yourself.

Motorized Ice Cream Cone. I have a feeling that if you own this...you probably own the Twirling Spaghetti Fork too.

Moo Mixer. Stirring is for losers.

Butter Stick. Heaven help the person who mistakes the glue stick for the butter stick.

Fries Holder. The fact that someone eats fries in their car so much that they would feel that such a device was necessary is a problem in and of itself.

And perhaps the worst of all...

Santa Claus

2010-12-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

As silly as it may sound, I have always been sort of creeped out by Santa Claus. I never believed in Santa Claus as a child and the idea of him always quite frightened me. Why? Because he’s an old man who wants little kids to sit on his lap, he comes down your chimney while you’re asleep and eats your cookies. Oh, and apparently, he sees you when he's sleep and he knows when you're awake. Have I convinced you of his creepiness yet? And although Santa Claus doesn’t quite frighten me like he used to, the idea of him is a bit...strange.

Staring into the face of death

So, as the pointless fact seeker that I am, I decided to do a little bit of research on this mysterious Santa Claus and I found that his back story is even more frightening than I thought.

I wonder if his nose was really that tiny.

Nicholas of Myra was a Greek bishop a long, long, long time ago. There are a lot of stories about this guy but my favorite one is that there was a terrible famine and a butcher (I hate the word butcher, by the way) lured three children into his house and killed them! Not only that, but he planned the sell the kids as ham. Gross. That’s when Nicholas came along and resurrected the children from the dead and they all lived happily ever after.

Awesome.

The most popular story, however, is that a man had three daughters who he couldn’t afford to marry off so, one night, Nicholas threw down bags of money which landed in the stockings that were drying over the fire.

Even if none of the stories are true Nicholas of Myra must have been a pretty nice guy because he has his own day: Saint Nicholas Day which is celebrated on December 6. Saint Nicholas Day is usually celebrated Europe and the name “Santa Claus” was derived from “Sinterklaas.”

Despite these stories of heroic deeds, I’m still not sure how I feel about Santa Claus. It seems that us Americans have really screwed up the idea of Saint Nicholas. We've turned an apparently really great guy into a coke drinking, magic sleigh riding, creepy, old man. But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, America has a tendency of screwing things up.

Good job, America.

Awesome Christmas Gifts

2010-11-28T20:37:00.000-08:00

Having trouble picking out awesome gifts for your awesome friends and family? Well, look no further because I have all of the most awesome Christmas gifts right here. Underneath the picture, I have the price and a link to the website where you can purchase the item. I basically did all of your shopping for you. You're welcome.

$17 Starbucks Coffee Cup Earrings

$18 Marauders T-Shirt. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.

$12.99 Lightsaber Chopsticks

$9.50 Coffee Cup Cozy

$19.99 Cheeseburger Phone

$19.95 Star Wars Lunch Box and Sandwich Cutters. Awesome.

$24.99 The Stealth Laptop Case. Epic win.


$24 Camera Lens Mug!


$7.99 Ninja Bread Cookie Cutters. You can't catch me, I'm the ninja bread man!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! As you know today is a day where family and friends get together and eat and eat and eat some more. But it is also a day that we should all consider what we are thankful for. I'm thankful for a wonderful family, great friends, and also that I don't have to work today. I am truly blessed. What are you thankful for? Oh...and Happy Black Friday Eve! :)

Further Up and Further In

2010-11-22T18:40:00.000-08:00

     "'The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.'
      And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before." --The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis.

     For 47 years, C.S. Lewis has been living the Great Story which is the greatest story of all. Ever since I first walked through the wardrobe so many years ago, I have been a different person. The Chronicles of Narnia has inspired me more than any other books I have ever and "I am going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."

Weirdest Toys Ever

2010-11-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

Well Christmas is coming soon and the Christmas shopping has already begun. And with that being said, I thought I would brief you on the toys that should not be found under your Christmas tree. Warning: (Some items are terrifying so brace yourself). :)

A Michael Jackson doll: What every kid wants for Christmas.

The Jesus piggy bank. Jesus saves. And so should you.

*Speechless*

I'll be honest, I have no idea what this is. All I know is that it's terrifying.

I want to meet the person who had the idea for this toy and when I do, I just want to ask him one question: "Why?"

Ninja Obama. He'll mess you up.

And finally, the most disturbing of all.

Second Week of NaNoWriMo

2010-11-12T20:59:00.001-08:00

Well I’ve almost finished my second week of NaNoWriMo and so far, so good. I’m up to 19,000 words. It isn’t very good, mind you, but it really isn’t supposed to be. NaNoWriMo is all about you getting the story down and then you can make it awesome. Nanowrimo is basically a whole month that celebrates mediocrity.

I don’t have a name for my novel yet but whenever I do figure that out, I am certain that it will be awesome. Here are the first 65 words from my novel:

Amelia was surrounded by books.
She was sitting in the back of the bookstore, her legs were stretched out in front of her and her palms rested on the cool, wood floor behind her. The room was saturated in the smell of the old spines and the weathered pages of a thousand books that held a thousand words that were imprinted on a thousand minds

Well I have to go keep writing. 19,000 words down, 31,000 words to go!

The Origins of Common Terms and Phrases (That Are Actually Really Weird)

2010-11-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Language is one of my favorite things in the world but there are some things that we say today that honestly don't make any sense whatsoever. I decided to do some research and find the origins of some of the most absurd phrases and terms and now I shall share my knowledge with you.

1. Dead as a doornail

When a doornail is used, both ends are flattened to clinch the wood , after this the nail was unusable and, therefore, dead.

William Shakespeare used the word in King Henry VI:

“Look on me well: I have eat no meat these five days; yet, come thou and thy five men, and if I do not leave you all as dead as a doornail, I pray God I may never eat grass more.”

2. 2. Mad as a hatter

This one is my absolute favorite. Apparently mercury was used to make hats a long, long time ago and exposure to it can aggressiveness, mood swings, and anti-social behavior. And then, of course, the character in Alice in Wonderland known as the Mad Hatter was a reference to this peculiar saying. It’s quite ingenious, if you ask me. I love this because I can just imagine a bunch of hat makers walking around everywhere like zombies because of mercury poisoning. It makes me laugh.

1. 3. Best thing since sliced bread

The origin is actually very literal. For a long time, people could only buy unsliced loaves and had to cut it themselves with a knife. Then somebody came up with the brilliant idea of a bread-slicer and the rest was history. Can you image having to cut your own bread? Parish the thought!

4. Right as rain
This expression has to do with the idea that rain falls down in a straight line and it compares this to correctness of judgment or something like that. That sounds like nonsense because I’ve definitely seen rain fall sideways before.

5. Mum’s the word

I personally love this saying, it makes me smile. You may think that “mum” is a reference to “mother” but it’s really a reference to the humming sound one makes with a closed mouth. So, in essence, “mum” is the only thing you’ll be saying about the thing that you were told to keep secret.

6. Scott Free

Some people believe that this term is a reference to Dred Scott, an African American slave who was made free by his owners, the Blow family. (what an awful last name by the way).

But another idea is it’s a reference to the word ‘scot’ which is a Scandinavian word for tax or payment. It came to the United Kingdom as a form of redistributive tax which was a form of municipal poor relief. Some people believe that to be “scott free” meant to not have to pay other people’s taxes. If that’s the case, I wish I could say that I was scott free.

7. Upper Hand

One of the theories about the origin of this saying is the method that children use to select sides for impromptu baseball games. One team captain to grab the bat at the bottom, then the other captain takes hold above the first's hand and they progress hand over hand until the top is reached - the one who’s hand is on the top of the bat has the 'upper hand' and gets the first choice of player for their team.

8. Break a Leg

It is said that this phrase came about because it is supposedly bad luck to wish good luck to an actor. Since actors can be very superstitious, it became good luck to wish an actor bad luck. Therefore, to wish someone bad luck will inevitably bring the actor good luck.

However, another theory is that the term “break a leg” also means “make an effort.” Ex. “Do your best or break a leg trying.”

7. 9. Fast Asleep

Today, the word “fast” commonly means quickly or speedy but it derived from the German word “fest” and means “not easily moved.” The word “fast” is used in the term “fast asleep” as it is used in, “the ship was fast aground.” This term was used in Macbeth:

“Since his majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her night-gown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon't, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.”

8.
10. What The Dickens

This phrase has absolutely nothing to do with Charles Dickens. The word “dickens” is actually a a euphemistic word for the devil. It was used in the Merry Wives of Windsor.

“I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of.”

9.
11. Close, but no cigar.

In the 20^th century, cigars were commonly given out as a prize at carnivals. When someone played a game and lost, he would be told, “close, but no cigar.” There’s no concrete evidence for this but it makes a lot of sense. All I want to know is if there were other prizes for children or if they just handed out cigars to kids when they won a game. I guess I'll never know.

Which origin most surprised you? Are there any other terms or phrases that you'd like to know the origin of? I want to hear from you!

Happy Halloween and Merry NaNoWriMo Eve

2010-10-31T18:27:00.001-07:00

Awesome Halloween Costumes

2010-10-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or has this year gone by abnormally fast? I can't believe Halloween is only a week away! And in honor of Halloween, I decided to post some of my favorite costumes of all time. Which one is your favorite?

It's me! Mario!

I want to know how much time was put into the making of this costume.

パックンフラワ

Aww! What a nerdy little family.

It just doesn't get anymore awesome than this.

Despite their awesome costumes, neither of them look very happy.

Sushi has never looked so cute.

Helpful Websites for Those Who Are Brave Enough To Embark On the Adventure of NaNoWriMo

2010-10-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

    It's exactly two weeks until NaNoWriMo and before the craziness begins, I thought I'd show you all some of my favorite websites that can be very useful for your novel-writing quest.

    Sometimes the characters in books can be incredibly cliche, so to make sure that your character doesn't fall into the same rut as so many have in the past, take the Writer's Mary Sue Test by clicking here. (And answer the questions honestly or a deranged, zombified monkey will come and find you and then eat you.)

    And awesome blog that helped me get through NaNoWriMo last year was Inkygirl.com. This website is full of awesome and hilarious comics and during the month of November, there are always comics related to NaNoWriMo that your friends won't understand but you will because you conquered NaNoWriMo and they didn't. Get to the website by clicking here.

    I've never used this website for NaNoWriMo last year because I've only stumbled upon it recently but I'm sure I'll be using it this year. It's called Write Or Die and basically what you do is type in how many words you want to write and how much time you want to do it in and then a text box will pop up with your time and word count beneath it. It's a great way to just get your story down when you're having writer's block. Click here to try it out.
   Coming up with names for your characters can be tough, a website I like to use is Nymbler.com. All you have to do is type in your favorite names and a list will be generated based on your specific taste in names. And it works! Click here to find your character names.

Well that's about all I can think of for right now. Do you know of any good websites that can be helpful during NaNoWriMo? Tell me about it!

The Lost Hero

2010-10-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's here! The newest book by Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series. It's called The Lost Hero and it looks amazing. The description of the book is as follows:

After saving Olympus from the evil Titan lord, Kronos, Percy and friends have rebuilt their beloved Camp Half-Blood, where the next generation of demigods must now prepare for a chilling prophecy of their own:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,

To storm or fire the world must fall.

An oath to keep with a final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Now, in a brand-new series from blockbuster best-selling author Rick Riordan, fans return to the world of Camp Half-Blood. Here, a new group of heroes will inherit a quest. But to survive the journey, they’ll need the help of some familiar demigods.

Can it get anymore awesome? Well, maybe it could if they had to fight an army of zombies in space but this is still disgustingly awesome. I haven't gotten my hands on the book yet but if one of you buy it, I call dibs on it when you're done with it. :)

Also, in honor of this historic day, I thought that I'd ask you all some questions about Greek mythology so that we can discuss the awesomeness of it. Even though it's made up, Greek mythology is awesome and the Percy Jackson series makes it even more awesome.

1. Who is your favorite god or goddess in Greek mythology?

2. Which is your favorite creature in Greek mythology?

3. Who is your favorite character in the Percy Jackson series?

4. If you attended Camp Half-Blood, which cabin would you be in and why?

5. What is your favorite story in Greek mythology?

Give into your nerdiness and answer these questions, I'll try to post my answers in the next week or so.

Happy 70th Birthday, John Lennon.

2010-10-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

Even though he's gone, his music still inspires people to think peace, act peace and imagine peace!

Listen to Songs Mentioned in Wallflower

2010-10-07T10:26:00.001-07:00

I recently finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I thought I'd write a poem about the ideas that were brought up in the book. The book was very interesting and thought provoking although it was dangerously similar to The Catcher in the Rye at times but, all in all, it was good. Also, below is a playlist with all of the songs mentioned in Wallflower. The Smiths, Nat "King" Cole, The Beatles, Pink Floyd...it doesn't get any better than this.

Wallflower
You are wistful and observant, yet all alone,
You stand at a distance, looking on,
At the world and the people thereon.
You look at life through a telescope.

You are longing, yet content. Lonely,
Though you are, you just watch them live,
While you just exists: a helpless captive,
To a world you see but don’t know.

You are a listener and a watcher; surrounded,
Yet isolated, never speaking, only hearing.
Never fighting, only fearing.
Incapable of honesty, not even to yourself.

You are an intellectual, a thinker, but still,
You insist upon believing what others believe.
You've seen many things, yet you're still so naive,
You’re ready to believe whatever they say.

You are an admirer and a lover. But you love in vain,
Because you speak of it to nobody.
So what is the use of loving somebody,
If you don’t have the courage to kiss them?

You think things but don’t speak your mind.
You love someone but it doesn’t show.
You have the heart of a leader; yet you follow.
You’re like a wallflower and you don't even know.

My Answers

2010-10-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here are the answers to my questions. If you haven't answered them yet, post your answers on the blog post below. I want to hear from you! And don't forget to "like" my blog on Facebook. If you do, all of the updates will go straight to your Facebook page. And who wouldn't want that? And if you don't, I'll die of sadness and my ghost will haunt you. (Oh, and despite popular belief, I am not wearing a fairy costume in this video but rather sitting leisurely in my hammock swing.)

Questions

2010-09-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

All right, all right, I'm going to ask you all a series of questions and I want you all to answer them. To give me your answer, comment on this post and write your answer next to the number of the question you are answering. I will tell you my answers in a video post next week. Let the answering begin.

1. If you could have a conversation with any literary character, who would it be?

2. Which literary character do you think you're most like?

3. If you could live in any literary world, which one would it be?

4. Which literary character do you think is your soulmate?

5. Which literary creature would you most like as a pet?

6. If you could turn any book into a movie, which one would it be?

7. Which fictional character would you most like to punch in the face?

8. Which literary character do you wish you could be like?

Awesomely Creative Things

2010-09-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here are a few creative things that I have discovered on my travels through the vast wilderness known as the internet and I thought I would share them with you because they are that awesome. Which item do you like the best? Let me know!

A Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Wallet? Yes please!

It sure does.

Luke.... I am your wakeup call...

Who doesn't want to smell like popcorn?

It's so random, it's awesome.