2009

Tonight marks 2010. The past ten years have seen me start school, make friends, lose friends, move from California to small but lovable hickville, learn to read and learn to write, get my heart broken and grow a strong addiction to glitter.
Example A--Well, just look up.
2009 was an especially lovely year.
It came with these:

All of which are now on my favorite book list.
It came with these:

And for me personally, it came with the end of my first year of highschool, the start of my querying agents, and this:

As you know, a girl's purse is her best friend. A purse that can fit book? Well, that's a true BFF.
Anyway. 2009 was a good year. It's weird and strange that we're now entering the double digits. My entire life seems to be in the last decade. It was when the towers fell in 2001, when America entered a war, when the last Harry Potter came out and the start of a really cool cell phone.
However, 2010 isn't looking too shabby either. I mean with this stuff all coming out;
2010 is bound to be good.
Anyway, this will be my last post of 2009. Happy New Years! Oh, and as a farewell present, I offer you this . . .

Because what would the end of the year be without a tribute to my shallow side?
Happy 2010, everyone.

Slowly becoming human again

NIn case you are not aware, high school can be very draining. Finals are particularly sapping. After several days of winter break, I'm suddenly feeling human though. I blame a huge bag of starburst and several seasons of Gilmore Girls for this reemergence into the species.

It's freakishly obsessive. Anyway, I apologize for post delays, AGAIN. I shall do better, promise.
My Christmas was good; I didn't post anything (blame this anti human streak. It's a very please-god-let-me-ace-my-finals way of life and doesn't leave much time for anything other than studying and the occasional working on my stories) but my Xmas was lovely. To quote Ron Weasely, it was good haul, plus I got to hang out with my family.
I also got this:


Which was very good. I got a lot of others, too, but that's the only one I'm actually finished with. Now it's my mission to steal Battle Royale from my sister.
So far, we have had snow several times here. It's great; we had a white Christmas. Well, the driving in snow part wasn't so great, but it was pretty. My dad, sister and I went to see Avatar a couple of days ago . . .

For a movie about ten foot tall blue people, I found it amazing. It was pretty, it was deep and hey, there were even dragons.
Look! Dragons!

It was the kind of plot that you read about, actually, but think would never get translated to movie. Too controversial, maybe. Boring, perhaps. No one but nerds would go see it.
Well, I am a Class A nerd, but I have friends who aren't (shocker) who have loved it as well. The special effects, perhaps? Or--
Oh, I know.
The ten foot tall blue people.
More later.

Wow, okay, I'm jealous

What an awesome cover.
I mean. . . That's really all I can say.
Wait, not all I can say.
When I get a book published, I want a cover like this. I don't know why, but I find it particularly amazing.
Wow.

All I want for Xmas is a big, fat, book

This has been an interesting few weeks.
First of all, my computer keeps freaking out. That's partly why posting is so sporadic; every time I seem to log on, it kicks me off. Cursed creature.
Second, there are some lovely teachers that are piling their students with homework. Reason number two.
And third, I was just kind of angry with the whole agent search thing after the 'Fifteen year olds are not responsible.'
But I am over that. Now is the time for holidays. Yay!
Sadly, I don't know many other holiday symbols. If I left yours out, I'm sorry!
Personally, we celebrate Christmas. I'm excited; every year we get tons of books. This year, I'm asking for these;

These are the ones that I've seen that look good. (Oh wait. Magic Under Glass won't come out on time, but it still looks good.) Any other suggestions? Of course, I'm also asking for this;

But I don't think they supply those at my local Target. Or my high school. Pity.
Anyway.
I just finished this;

And I would suggest it. It's robots and science and treachery galore, plus it was blurbed by Scott Westerfeld. It's the sequel to Skinned, which I enjoyed, but didn't adore. Crashed, however, was one of those books that I hide under my desk when the teacher is talking and then stare longingly at instead of doing my assignment. It built well, it ended well; it was just a very good book.

Check

So. There are certain things teenagers are expected to do.
Such as-
Get your heart broken by a guy. Check.
Lay on the floor with friends reading magazines. Check.
Sing with the windows down in a car. Check.
Get braces. Check.
Get braces off. Check(as of two hours ago.)
Watch mindless television. Check.
Get angry at family. Check.
Avoid doing homework and go to mindless movie about vampires instead. ...reluctantly, check.
So yes. I get it. Most teens can be somewhat stereotyped.
Then there's a little different list.
Write book. Check.
Spend hours revising book. Check.
Spend more hours. Check.
Send in book. Check.
Get back review and revisions. Check.
Spend more hours revising. Check.
More hours.
More hours.
More hours.
Lie to friends about why you refuse to pick up phone or go watch brainless television and keep revising. Check.
Send back in. Check.
Get email two days later about how
'We love the story, but it is with our greatest regrets we'll have to turn this down. It's simply that most teenagers are not responsible enough to sign.'
Or some such. I kind of deleted the rejection.
(Fine, not the most mature thing.)
But still. I'm not responsible?! After all of the hours put into it, I think I'm responsible enough.
Heavy Sigh.
Heavy Sigh Again.
Oh well. There's more agents out there. That was just kind of a slap in the face.

Why books beat movies

This is not high school.

On the other hand, neither is this.

It's funny. With all the movies, commericials, articles, about high school students, you'd think that more of the average kid's life would get covered. But it really isn't.
For instance, I have yet to see my cafeteria break out in renditions of 'Status Quo.' In fact, there isn't even really a status quo at school-at all. Yet look at most movies about teenagers, and there will be the hated 'Clique.'
That's why I love books so much more. Authors like Sarah Dessen, Meg Cabot, Maureen Johnson, and so many more, will catch a kid's view way better than a lot of movies. (I'm talking mostly realistic*ish* fiction.) Granted, there is the occasional patronizing book that comes to mind (one in particular is sitting on my floor, where I happened to throw it out of sheer annoyance) but in general, books do a better job of catching point of view.
A movie is not going to catch the unrequited crush that turns out to be a jerk. It isn't going to show you how much it hurts to lose a friend, or how much we stress out about grades. It won't teach you about long, rambling emails, or how much stupid, little stuff hurts. Books have all of that.
What brought on the monologue? I heard some girls complaining about how no one understands teenagers. It's a kind of common whine around high school, and on some level, sure, I agree. Of course, no one really understands anyone, regardless of age. Books are those lovely little creatures that let us see into other people for a little while. I don't think it matters how old you are.
This is a key example of why books will always, always be better than movies.
(Though admittably some, like the one below, come pretty dang close.)

Epic moments all around

I'm not even going into that, other than to say, yes, I am participating. Kind of. But I think everyone knows the rules and the excitement. I think it's great. I do kind of find myself wincing on behalf of the agents and editors out there (I imagine they're about to be bombarded with hundreds and thousands of manuscripts) but it is great. Epic, even.
(Agh, just googled Epic to find a picture. Yuck.)
Halloween is over, which is sad. I'm kind of a sugar bug, so I'm fond of that holiday. The only problem is the ferocity of trick or treating children. They're very forceful.
For instance:
Me- "Oh, that's a cute costume."
Little blonde creature- "What am I?"
I look her up and down and recognize the S and W on her blue and red outfit. "You're Superwoman."
Blonde creature- "No, I'm Super Girl. Get it right!"
And she tromps off, candy in tow. I resisted the urge to take back the Snickers bars. This is my effort of spreading holiday cheer-not smacking children and withholding candy.
Oh, wait, that's Christmas
On a random note, I just finished this book;


It's very good. Creepy with an aggravating ending, but very good all the same.
The book trailer is even better. And no, that's not just because the guy's kind of cute.
That's only some of it.