He's a Quadrupal Agent

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling: "But through all these years, [Dumbledore] has never stopped trusting Severus Snape, and therein lies my great value in the Dark Lord" (Rowling 31).
Snape, we find in the second chapter of the fifth book, remains a Death Eater. We discover in this section why Snape is cruel and prejudiced against Harry. Snape also admits that Dumbledore is a great wizard and we also discover that Narssica, Bellatrix and Snape are planning something for Malfoy that they aren't sure he can do successfully. This chapter lays out the whole premisice of the fifth book and sets the stage for future events.

Epiphany

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen: "'It's the same thing,' I told her.
'What is?'
'Being afraid and being alive.'
'No,' she spoke slowly.... 'Macy, no. It's not.'
It's not, I repeated in my head, and looking back later, it seemed to me that was the moment everything really changed. When I said these words, not even aloud, and in doing so made my own wish: that for me this could somehow, someday, really be true." (Dessen 137).

I absolutely loved this book. It's a romance, but whatever it is still the bomb. Macy, the main character telling the story, experiences one of those epiphany moments that everyone has to face once in their lifetime when she realizes she doesn't need to be afraid anymore. What she was afraid of was showing her joy, or showing her anger. Her boyfriend, Jason, the smartest kid in the world, is a bad influence over her because he doesn't encourage affection; he barely touches her let alone kiss her, and she begins to think that showing any signs of affection or contempt is bad. That's why, when she meets Wes and his catering crew, everything changes.

The Strength of Women

Page by Tamora Pierce: "'Joren of Stone Mountain, I will have a two-page essay on good manners by Sunday evening,' he said.... 'Keladry of Mindelan, for your lateness, you will labor in the pages' armory for on bell of time on Sunday afternoon.'" (Pierce 16)
Keladry of Mindelan is the only girl in Lord Wyldon's academy made to train and create Knights. Page is the second book in the trilogy. Kel, as the others begin to call her, goes through the ringer; literally. Because the academy is originally meant for boys only, the work and training classes have no sympathy for girls. Kel, however, is very strong; stronger than some of the boys in her same year. Fierce hatred is shown between her and Joren of Stone Mountain and they get into many fights with each other. Kel always defends the new squires while Joren "disciplines" them and she always gets angry and fights for the little squire. Joren and her always get punished for their jostling. Maybe that's why he hates her so; she gets him punished for things that used to be okay to get away with.

Inner Courage

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray: "Why should we girls not have the same privileges as men? Why do we police ourselves so stringently-whittling each other down with cutting remarks or holding ourselves back from greatness with a harness woven of fear and shame and longing? If we don not deem ourselves worthy first, how shall we ever ask for more?"
I read The Sweet Far Thing over the summer and fell madly in love with it (not as much as Twilight, but close). The series tells the adventure of an English school girl, Gemma, who discovers powers in herself. The quote above is one of the last paragraphs in the book (spoiler alert!) and I think it's one of the best lines in the series. Gemma tells Mrs. Nightwing to teach the girls in her academy more and teach them to speak for themselves and not hold back. It's funny because Gemma finds this inner courage in the place that frowns upon opinions of women and disobedience. Maybe it's not funny, however, because it's what's inside that prevails above all others, not what's on the outside, or the influence of others.

Fabulous and Intoxicating

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: "Well, I knew they were something. Something outside the possibility of rational justification was taking place in front of my incredulous eyes. Whether it be Jacob's cold ones or my own superhero theory, Edward Cullen was not... human. He was something more." (Meyer 138)
As much of a nerd I am, I decided to read Twilight again (for the fifth time) and refresh my memory and ready my brain to make minute comparisons while watching the movie. The particular quote I picked is when Bella is trying to figure out what Edward and his family is. She went to the beach with Mike and that's when she meets Jacob who tells her all the legends and stories of these cold ones. It freaks her out and she doesn't believe it's true; that Edward is a vampire. dum dum dummm

Isn't that Sweet

In the most recent ELLE Magazine, Alexa Brazilian travels to Sierra Leon to learn about the culture and about a new diamond company aimed to give back to a country "ripped apart by its most precious resource." Ruff&Cut founder Wade Watson says, "If it piques interest in the DNA of the diamond and the culture of the diamond, we could not only succeed as a business but change the world, too." Sierra Leon had a civil war between 1991 and 2002 where the Sierra Leonean government and the rebel Revolutionary United Front killed about 50,000 lives propelled by the very "culture of consumption and luxury we have come to worship." The diamond company Ruff&Cut's goal is to make a better country and a better culture out of Sierra Leon and out of the United States.
Brazilian, Alexa. "Hope Diamonds." Elle Magazine. 15 November 2008.

Devotion and Insanity?

The Eight by Catherine Neville: "Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Valentine pinned to the ground by two burly men who'd removed their coats and rolled up the sleeves of their shirts. There was not a moment to lose. 'Release her!' [Mireille] cried.
'I will,' said the man, 'but only if you tell me what your cousin refused to reveal. Tell me where the Montglane Service is hidden.'" (Neville 182)
The Montglane Service is a chess set. It may seem odd how men are willing to kill over such a silly trinket but in the 1700s, the Montglane Service was not a silly trinket. It was anything but, in fact. The Montglane Service is said to have powers. It is deadly if one has all the pieces together and that is why Valentine and Mireille have to keep the pieces in secret and apart from eachother. Many men are after the set, as demonstrated in the quote above, and will do whatever they can to get their hands on it. These type of men are the ones Valentine and Mireille must keep away from; for their lives and their responsibility. Since they are only teenagers, a little over eighteen, their responsibility is questionable and doubted among the abbey who housed these two trouble makers. But, Valentine and Mireille demonstrate their devotion and their honor when Valentine willingly dies for this chess set. She is killed because she reveals nothing to the men. She is a trouble maker, true, but has devoted herself to protecting the Montglane Service.

Blood Lust

In the September issue of ELLE Magazine, Peter Sorel writes about the fascination with vampires and how they're "sexy heroes who have forsworn feeding on people and long for a good woman's love." Sorel talks about True Blood, an HBO series from Alan Ball about a young barmaid in Louisiana who can hear other people's thoughts. She ends up falling in love with a vampire, played by Stephen Moyer. Sorel also mentions Twilight, the bible for lonely nerds like myself. He talks about Bella and her new found love for a vampire as well, played by gorgeous Brit hunk Rob Pattinson. Our society, now more than ever, has been sucked into the world of the imagination of great writers such as Stephenie Meyer and Charlaine Harris. Vampires have gained new respect; they're no longer feared, but embraced and loved.
Sorel, Peter. "Vampire Hotties." Elle Magazine. 15 November 2008.

New Love

Mary starts to fall in love with William Stafford, a handsome [worker] for her family. His dreams are equal to hers; to live on a quiet farm in Hever, away from court and Mary's devilish sister. As Mary is walking in the gardens one evening, William stops her and tucks her hand sweetly in the crook of his arm. He traps her into flirting with him and she gets angry about it. She's not directly angry with him, but with herself for willingly flirting and letting him court her. A new romance is stirring in the most famous court in England, and it's not the king's.

A Harsh Joy

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory: This quote is long, but I like it very much, "Henry Percy must have felt a harsh joy to send to Anne the man who had separated them, now sick with exhaustion and despair. It was no fault of Henry Percy's that Wosley escaped them all by dying on the road and only satisfaction that Anne could take was that it was the boy she had loved who told the man that had parted them that her vengeance had come at last." (Gregory 349).
Anne seeks revenge on Wosley, the man who separated her and Henry Percy. Of course, he dies on the road to his death escorted by Henry Percy, Anne's first love.

A Lack of A Quote

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson: (I'm sorry but there simply is not one good quote I can use to sum up the reading I did.)
A Countess Below Stairs is about a young Russian Countess who is forced out of her country because of the Russian Revolution. Anna's father is killed and their maid stole all their fortune. Anna, then, decides to work for an English Earl as a housemaid to earn the money her family needs. While working for Rupert, the young and handsome Earl, Anna begins to fall in love with him, and he her. Rupert is, however, engaged to a most beautiful girl who has an abundance of money. Rupert's bride-to-be soon displays her bitter side, which he can't stand but cannot find it in himself to stop the wedding. Anna falls more in love with him by the hour and he does as well, but can't find a way to be together.

Comic Book Heroes

Comic book heroes make the impossible look possible. They save the world by night and work in an office by day. The many heroes we think of such as Superman and Batman originate from the comic books children read everyday. Inuyashu and Sailor Moon are two heroes from Japan, both TV shows but also comic books. Comic book heroes display the concept of supernatural powers through American and Japanese comic books.

American Comic Book Heroes




Iron Man trailer displays the regular man saving the world with the powers of his past (making weapons).







The Batman trailer shows, again, the regular man transforming into a hero and saving Gotham City from the villains such as the Joker with his powers acquired by his assets (his money).






















Superheroes are shown in the place of Jesus and Mary, displaying the significance of them through famous paintings.
















The old Superman cover shows his strength and his want to help ordinary people.





















Spiderman saves his town with the powers he received when bitten by a radioactive spider.



Japanese Comic Book Heroes

















Dragon Ball Z is a common known name in Japan, even here in America. The main characters struggle to keep their world safe from invaders and dictators.

















Sailor Moon is also a common known name. Sailor Moon protects herself and her friends from destruction and evil. She's a school girl by day and Sailor Moon by night.






Inuyashu is another hero who keeps his village safe from the harsh world around him.


Conclusion

The comic books these superheroes are born from provide the reasons for superheroes and display the concept of supernatural powers through American and Japanese art. The world is kept safe from nasty villains and evil dictators by the wonderful superheroes we so praise. Their supernatural abilities and kind hearts save the world from destruction and mishap.

What We Do for Attention

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory: "The happiness of a queen, the safety of a throne, the respect of the people, the sanctity of the church. Sometimes it seems to me as if you and I have spent our lives working for Anne, and I don't even know what we have gained from it." (Gregory 332). Again, Gregory illustrates the hardships of court life. As Anne rises, the rest of the family does as well. The family's happiness seems to fall, however, with each new title it's given. George confesses to Mary early on in the book that he's gay and Mary now realizes she's in love with a farm boy. Their Uncle has many mistresses and fights often with his wife and their mother is said to have been with the king before Mary and Anne. The Boleyn/Howard family is full of scandal and unhappiness underneath the title of earl and earldom. Despite their unhappiness, they do try to rise in the favor of the king, gaining his affections and his money by making him fall in lust with first Mary and then Anne.
Did you know that Anne's real name is Annamaria and Mary's real name is Marianne? Their names are in each other. How clever?

A Good Way to Start A Book

The Eight by Katherine Neville: "'You are in danger,' she said. 'I feel danger all around me. Right now.'" (Neville 40). Catherine, one of the main characters in The Eight, is told at the very beginning of the book she's in danger. At a chess match, Solarin, a chess master from Russia, also warns Catherine of the danger she's in. After Lily and Catherine are shot at and Lily's chauffeur is kidnapped, Catherine finally believes it's true. Solarin, a Russian chess master who has unmeasurable good looks plays one of the best chess players in the world, a man named Fiske. During the match Fiske goes pale and doesn't move. When Solarin calls a break, Fiske walks out of the room. Solarin follows him until they reach another building. Once they enter, Fiske turns around and shows Solarin a ring he's wearing. Solarin believes it's a trap, that once Fiske removes the ring, it will blow up. So when Fiske decides to slide the ring slowly off his finger, Solarin dives out of the building counting down from ten. When he reaches one, however, nothing happens. He walks into the building again and sees the ring on the ground. He looks up and finds Fiske hanging from the ceiling by a rope around his neck.

Growing Up at Last

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory: "But there is clearly a third sort and that is the woman that men neither marry nor take as their mistresses. Women that go home alone for christmas. And that seems to be you, my sister. Good day." (Gregory 242) Mary finally stands up to Anne! Mary seems to be growing up and realizing how much power she has over her sister and she's discovering ways to use it with class.
I think when Mary doesn't want the king anymore she's showing how naive she was and how it was just an infatuation and nothing real. (Not real love, what she thought it was.) When Anne leaves for christmas, it gives Mary a chance to be free from Anne's brittle and mean comments. Plus the fact that Mary is almost twenty now, not her youthful, immature preteen years, she has more insight and a clearer head.
I should also point out how her brother, George, is a homosexual. It's ironic because he is the envy of the court with his charm and good looks. He's betrothed to Jane Parker, a nasty lady-in-waiting and he despises her with all his heart, as well as Anne and Mary.

Sisterly Love

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory: "'Everything I have gained she has taken from me,' [Mary] said, [her] voice low with passionate resentment," (Gregory 233)
Queen Katherine went through the same thing Mary is going through; the king moving onto another woman. Katherine had to watch Mary move in and take her man, now Mary has to watch Anne swoop in and take the king. The sad thing is they have no choice. Once the king has moved on, he has moved on, there's no arguing.
Anne has a whole plan in mind; to become Queen of England, a plan Mary did not think of. Mary couldn't envision herself taking her most beloved queen's place. Mary does have a child, however. She has two both from the king; a son and a daughter. Henry is ever so grateful, but can't claim them for his own, Mary being his mistress. Her children, Catherine and Henry, take the name of Carey (Mary's husband's name). I think it's funny how the King wanted to name Mary's daughter Elizabeth (a little foreshadowing going on there). If the king finds a way to get ride of Katherine, he could have a boy and a girl, 2 heirs to the throne. If he does get ride of Katherine, however, Mary would become queen. Mary does not want that job.
Mary's interest in the king has vanished. She does not have the desire for him the way she did when he first courted her. The king is also loosing interest Mary, for Mary has been moping and sad and not as charming. Partially because she cannot see her children and because Anne is being a back-stabbing, hypocritical, mean sister.

The Hard, Cold Truth of the 16th Century

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory: “‘I am happy for the family,’ [Anne] said. ‘I hardly ever think of you.’” (Gregory 35). After Mary and King Henry make love for the first time, Anne is clearly jealous. Anne being the oldest, more experienced and most definitely more spoiled, she insults Mary instead of congratulating her for capturing the king’s interest. When you’re the mistress of the King of England, your family moves up in the ranks; gaining more land and the respect of the King so the Boleyns are pretty ecstatic about Mary and Henry’s affair. The problem I find in the situation, however, is how much the family actually cares about Mary and her well-being. Mary is in love with Henry, plain as day, but what if she wasn’t? What if Henry was raping her and enjoying it? The family only cares about rank and their social class level so they wouldn’t take a second look at Mary’s happiness. Contributing to the unfairness, even when it is pretty bad, is that Anne is the family’s little protégé, their favorite. Anne is cunning, witty, and clever; having learned it all while she lived in France. The family uses Anne as the gas that fuels a car. Anne tells Mary what to do, and how to do it. She coaxes her sister to play hard-to-get with the King. Anne gives Mary advice on how to act when he’s with the queen, Katherine. Anne is the one having the affair with Henry it seems, with all the maneuvering she’s doing. She doesn’t do it nicely, either. Anne is not the older sister you want; harsh, sharp and unemotional when discussing Mary’s problems. Anne is very selfish and is not afraid to show it.

What We Need Most

Reading Animal Dreams, I've come to realize that Loyd and Hallie are two characters most alike, Loyd being Codi's insight once she's back in Grace, and Hallie hers in Tucson. Their likeness isn't really in their personalities, it's in their influence they have over Codi. Both provide comfort and security when Codi needs it most. When Codi first arrives in Grace, for example, Loyd holds her. It may not be the climax of the story, but it is something Codi has been longing for; someone to hold her. Also, when Codi and Carlo get back from medical school, Hallie living with them provides Codi with a sense of completion and of security. Loyd makes Codi laugh, think, and wonder about things she wasn't taught in medical school. Hallie also makes her laugh and feel important. When Hallie leaves, Codi feels insignificant and out of place. Codi, therefore, goes to Grace to find a sense of completion and family, so to speak. Loyd fills in the space that needs attention when Codi's in Grace; space no one else is able to fill. Codi is a lonely person, afraid of being happy, and only a few people can truly make her feel so. Loyd contributes when she's in Grace, and Hallie does when she's in Tucson. Therefore, Loyd and Hallie are the two characters who are most alike.

A Great and Terrible Beauty

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray tells the life of a young woman in the 19th century. Even though she struggled through the lifestyle, her perseverance and her special abilities helped her change her life and the lives of young women like herself. Gemma Doyle acts through love when she saves those like herself; stuck in a society that won’t accept women for who they are. As Gemma is trained to be a prime, porcelain doll-like woman, she breaks through the barriers and explores another side of life; one that only she can enter. She can enter another world called the Realms. Her journey through the Realms changes her; she becomes strong and independent, something most young ladies aren’t in the 19th century. In terms of agreeing and disagreeing with the thesis, obviously I’m going to agree, because it’s not only Gemma finding how strong and independent she is, it’s finding how to help others. If Twilight didn’t exist, this would be my favorite book, absolutely.

A Long Paragraph about Myself.

Even though I spend all of my time dancing and working on homework, I find I am intrigued and inspired the most when I draw and paint. Art acts as my religion, while drawing and painting act as my form of worship, of relaxation. I need a chance to relax once in a while, a chance to reflect and to restart. I need a break from my hectic schedule. Painting and drawing, I feel, serves that very purpose. My notebooks from past years are covered with little doodles and twirly-gigs, my binders labeled with big letters and pictures. I have dozens of diaries at home reserved for sketching and I've even drawn little flowers on m pants. I've recently started to tie-dye shirts and sweatshirts, finding that intriguing and inspiring as well. I've studied my mom's paintings and even some of her friend's works. I've read "How-to" books and traced famous paintings to sharpen my skills. I've also tried to copy the fashions celebrities wear, toning them down a bit, making them less "abstract" and more wearable. But when it comes right down to it, my favorite way of relaxing is picking up a paintbrush, or a pencil, and just marking up that canvas or piece of paper. Therefore, one word to describe myself would be artistic.