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Friday, January 1, 2016
Friday, September 25, 2015
Queen of Shadows Celebration!
So if you're involved at all within the world of popular YA fantasy books, or just amazing books in general, you may have heard of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. A series that grows better and better with it each book, it follows the journey of a young assassin named Celaena. This series is one that reminds me why I love reading so much, and why I want to be an author one day. I have a review on my youtube channel of the most recent book in this series, Queen of Shadows, which completely blew me away!
Wallpaper Credit: IceyBooks - ChocolateHazelNutCake & MirrorcleWorldDesign - Check them out!
To celebrate this book's release (even if I'm a little late) I thought I'd share with you all my collection of Wallpapers featuring this series. Disclaimer: I suck at photoshop, none of these are mine!
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Colette - My Short Story
I've decided to share one of the first short stories I've ever written. It's been edited multiple times since I first put my proverbial pen to paper when I was 13, and is a good example of my style of work. Stick around for the ending, which is where this piece truly shines. This is a standard boy-meets girl tale, with a dash of magic, dogs, coffee, and of course, tragedy. I hope you enjoy!
Molly pats my hand with her paw, drawing me out of my thoughts, and back to the fragrant smells of sweet pastries and freshly-brewed coffee.
“What is it Molly? We sit outside the café all the time. You usually love it,” I wonder aloud to her.
She lets out a little whine, pushing my hand again with the top of her head. I reassuringly pet Molly, although she is usually the one reassuring me. As my hand brushes against her vest, I smile.
“Pardon me, do you mind if I join you?” a woman questions.
I’m rather taken aback, for her voice is so lovely. Like a bird’s, sweet, delicate, and song-like. I wonder if she sings. “No, please, go right ahead,” I hastily reply, realizing my hesitation might have been taken as rejection.
The woman’s chair screeches against the concrete ground as she pulls it back. “Thank you.”
Molly pushes up against my leg and whines again.
“It’s alright girl,” I tell Molly, “She normally likes company.” I turn my head towards the woman, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.
“It is fine. Animals usually do not like me.”
I realize, listening through the lovely tones of her voice, she sounds rather somber. “I wouldn’t take it to heart. Molly usually comes around to everyone. She can be a bit protective. After all, it’s her job.” I pat Molly’s head proudly.
“My Creator had a guard-dog.”
“Your what-?” I begin to ask, but I am interrupted by the waiter Tom.
“Hi, bro! It’s nice to see you and Molly again. Will it be the usual...” Tom trails off, “H-hi Miss! Wow, is she with you?” Tom asks, elbowing me in the side.
“Yeah, yeah she is, Tom,” I reply, a little confused at Tom’s sudden strange behavior.
“Man, you’re one lucky dude! Anyway, welcome to the Coffee Castle, Miss! Would you like to order?”
“No thank you. I do not drink coffee,” the woman answers.
“That’s okay. We’ve got some other drinks. Tea, water, and smoothies. We also have a variety of pastries, if that’s more your thing,” Tom offers.
“I do not eat,” the woman retorts, brushing off Tom’s offers.
“Oh, you girls and your diets. Are you a model? I could never do that. As is obvious, heh,” Tom laughs awkwardly.
“No. I am not.”
“I’m sure you could model if you wanted, Tom,” I comment, not wanting Tom to put himself down.
“No offense, man, but you’re probably not the best person to judge,” Tom pauses awkwardly. “So, just your usual, right? I’ll bring it right out!” Tom states, rushing away.
“Is he your friend?” the woman questions.
“Yeah. I visit this coffee shop quite a bit, so we’ve gotten to know each other. We also hang out sometimes away from the coffee shop.”
“I would like to have a friend...” the woman murmurs longingly.
“I understand. I went through a time in my life where I had no friends. I was completely alone, until Molly came along. Not only was her company invaluable, but she helped me to meet others. I would hate for anyone to feel as alone as I did.”
Memories of my time before Molly flood back to me. I was utterly alone, and people who I cared about left me. I felt that life was not worth the pain of living. Molly helped me to turn my entire life around. If it wasn’t for her, I most likely wouldn’t be here today.
I decide that I want to help keep the woman away from that dark and miserable place. No one deserves to feel the way I did. “By the way, I am John Rook.”
“My name is Colette.”
“Well then Colette, you’ve just made your first friend,” I smile.
“Thank you, John.”
From some other tables I overhear a man say, “Man, what a looker, wasted on that guy!”
I stiffen, feeling embarrassed and angry at the man’s comment. Why must people be so rude and thoughtless?
“I want to know what kind of skin care she uses. Her skin is flawless!” a woman comments.
Colette sighs, “I have never been able to make a true friend before. When I thought I had made a friend, I would always find that they only liked me for my looks.”
“I promise you, I don’t care one bit about how a person looks,” I assure Colette.
“I have never met anyone who has said that and has not succumbed to vanity. However, you do seem different than most others, John.”
“People care far too much about perfection,” I remark as Tom arrives.
“Here’s your usual iced coffee,” Tom says, arriving at our table. “And here’s water for you, on the house.” Tom places our drinks on the table with a soft clink against the smooth wood. “I also brought a sausage for Molly, can she have it?”
“Of course!”
“Here you go, Molly!”
Molly gobbles up the sausage loudly. She barks happily for Tom, showing her appreciation for the snack.
“Aw, you’re welcome Molly. Well I’ve gotta go now, rush hour you know. Enjoy your drinks!”
Tom’s presence reminded me of what Colette said when he interrupted my question earlier. She mentioned a creator. What a peculiar word choice. What on earth did she mean?
“What did you mean before, when you mentioned your creator?” I ask. Sliding my hands across the table, I pick up my glass and take a sip of bittersweet coffee.
“It is quite a long story, John,” Colette says quietly, “I would not want to burden you with it.”
“I’ve got all the time in the world. So, are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? You seem as if something is weighing on you.”
“Well then, I suppose I should clarify something first. You see, I am not what I appear to be. I am not simply a beautiful woman. In fact, I am not even human,” Colette explains, although she only succeeds in worrying me further.
What on earth has she gone through to make her think of herself as less than human? “Um, I’m afraid I’m only more confused now, Colette.”
“I will try and explain to the best of my ability. You see, I am actually a doll,” Colette says bluntly.
She thinks she’s what!?
“Um, Colette, what are you trying to tell me? Is this a metaphor of some kind?” At least, I sincerely hope it is a metaphor.
“No. I am a literal doll. My Creator wanted the perfect wife, so he created me to be his companion.”
“Oh, Colette...” I sigh. She is insane. This poor woman has more problems than I could have imagined. Why, she believes that she isn’t human! I think I might need something stronger than coffee for the rest of this conversation.
“You do not believe me. Are my looks not enough? No human is so perfect. So flawless and beautiful.”
“Colette, I’m sure you are beautiful but-”
“I suppose I will have to convince you in another manner,” Colette interrupts and, grasps my hand. Her hand is cold, hard, and smooth, just like porcelain. I gasp, instinctively jerking away.
Molly growls, bristling beside me. “It’s okay, girl...” I murmur in shock. I suppose this is the reason Molly has been so distrustful of Colette. She can sense what I cannot see.
“Do you now see? Do you now believe? No human is so hard, cold, and untouchable. Well, to everyone except my Creator that is.”
“My god, Colette,” I mummer, still in shock. I hold the hand she touched in my other, up to my chest. “Yes, I do believe now. I’m sorry I didn’t earlier.”
“It is alright.”
“How is this even possible!?”
“It will be easiest to explain if I start from the beginning. And the beginning starts with my Creator. You see, he was a lonely man, with extraordinary abilities.”
“Magic?” I ask, unable to keep my intense curiosity tamed.
“Yes. With a combination of science and other things I do not know. I do not think it was an easy task for him to accomplish. He did discuss the difficulty of the feat quite a bit, as well as magnitude of his accomplishment. However, he never told me exactly how he did it. He said that such knowledge was beyond a woman.”
“What a moron!” I interject. “It’s the 21st century last time I checked.”
“He was quite old, although he did not look it, and had old ideals. He used his abilities to keep himself young. In the beginning, I was more than happy to stay with him. I had everything in the world, clothes, jewels and entertainment, as long as I pleased him. But then, I began thinking for myself. I started learning about life beyond his mansion, and I longed for that life”
Colette pauses, engrossed in her memories, “I began yearning for what I did not have. I wanted to be free. I wanted someone to love me for who I was, not for my perfection. I wanted to be touched by someone I chose. I wanted to see the world. I wanted to experience more than his mansion’s walls. I wanted to live the way humans do. I wanted to be human.”
“That sounds like an awful existence, Colette. Never able to choose what you wanted to do,” I say, finding myself angry, reminded how people can be so cruel and selfish. Poor Colette. No one should live that way.
“Thank you, John,” Colette replies, taking my hand again. This time, I do not pull away. As we sit, hands interlinked, Colette continues her tale. “I eventually managed to come up with the courage to tell my Creator what I wanted. He was furious that I was dismissing his affections, and wanted to ruin his greatest accomplishment by becoming human.”
“He doesn’t have the right to say that! Why, it’s your life. Just because he created you doesn’t mean that he owns you. What a jerk,” I object.
“Nevertheless, he berated me over the stupidity of my request. He told me how I would no longer be beautiful, and no one would want me. How I would grow old and die one day,” Colette sighs. “Still, I persisted. Disgusted with me, he said that I deserved the curse of humanity. However, he would not simply make me real. He gave me a way to become human, but it was a challenge. He hoped the challenge would be so difficult that I would give up and come running back to him.”
“What challenge? How can you finally obtain your wish, Colette?” I ask, delighted that, despite her miserable life, there may be a happy ending for Colette yet.
“The challenge seemed very easy at first. I readily agreed to it, thinking it would take no time at all. I was wrong. You see, the challenge was to find someone who would wish for me to become human. However, the wish had to be completely honest, and come from a person pure in heart. I have approached others to try and help me. So far, none have been up to the challenge. No one understood my wish, and none were willing to give up my perfection. Will you help me, John?” Colette asks, sounding so hopeful.
“Yes, of course! What do I need to do to help you?” I ask eagerly. I am thrilled that I may be able to help Colette. She deserves for someone to be kind to her, instead of simply using her.
“You must speak into my locket that you wish for me to become human. You must mean what you say in its entirety, and not have any alternative motives. You must state the exact words, ‘I wish for Colette to turn human.’ You also must say it in Latin.”
“Okay, I think I can do that, I studied Latin in college. Is this truly all I have to do? It seems a little underwhelming, doesn’t it?” I seriously hope my Latin is accurate enough for the spell to work.
“There is a bit more. A memory of yours will be needed. A memory of great emotional importance to you. A memory that shows what it is to be human. You must be thinking of this memory as you prick your finger, and then let a drop of your blood fall onto my picture in the locket. The enchanted locket will do the rest,” Colette explains, with hope in her voice.
Colette places her locket in my hand. I raise it to my lips and mummer, “Volo enim ut facta hominum Colette.” My memory is easy to decide. A moment in my life that was so human, and brings with it overlapping crashing waves of emotion. Colette then gives me a small yet very sharp blade. Holding my finger over the locket, I pierce it with the blade. I feel a small pinch of pain, but I am distracted from it when the locket suddenly begins to grow warm in my hand. It rises in intensity quite rapidly, until it becomes so hot that I drop it onto the table. It lands with a small clatter.
“Did it work, Colette?” I ask hopefully.
“Y-yes, oh yes it did, John! Oh, thank you so much!” Colette cries joyfully. Her voice is no longer as perfectly song-like as before, but now she speaks with happiness, which is far more important than any beauty. She takes my hand again, and it is both warm and soft. I twist my hand slightly in her palm, noticing what had been missing before, a pulse.
“Oh, it truly did work!” I say, feeling my chest swell with joy for Colette. I helped her achieve her dream. Perhaps there are happy endings in this world after all.
“Oh, I don’t know what to do first! I know, I want to drink something for the first time!”
“Here, try some of my coffee,” I offer, sliding my cup over to her. Colette picks up the cup, her fingernails clinking against the glass. “Ugh...” Colette groans, quickly setting the cup back on the table with a thud.
I chuckle, “On second thought, perhaps coffee isn’t the best drink to try first. You can wash out the taste with the water Tom gave you.”
“John, what will I do now that I am human? I will need food and a somewhere to sleep.” Colette asks worriedly. She takes my hands again in her now soft ones.
“Well, if you want, you can stay with me until you get used to being human. I can’t imagine how overwhelming everything must be. I have an extra bedroom that you can use.”
“Oh, why thank you, John! You have helped me yet again,” Colette says, briefly tightening her grip on my hands. “I have been wondering John, what was the memory that was responsible for turning me human? Could you tell me, please? I’m sure it is a lovely one.”
I take a steadying breath as I respond, “I was remembering the last thing I saw before I lost my sight. It was a good memory, because what I saw was a beautiful sunset through a car window. All of those vivid golds, pinks and reds slowly descending into the horizon as the pale blue sky faded to dull grey. It’s also bittersweet; because it reminds me of how I will never see a sunset again; never see color. I miss color.”
Colette gasps, “W-what? You are blind?”
Molly presses against me protectively. A deep growl rumbles from her chest.
Embarrassment for my disability overcomes me, along with awkwardness that Colette did not know from the beginning. Didn’t she notice Molly’s special harness, and her service dog vest? “Yes. I lost my sight in a car accident. I assumed you knew, from Molly’s special vest.”
“What? No! I had no idea! Now I understand that man’s comment and why he said I was being wasted on you,” Colette hesitates, and then mumbles, “I do not know how to be with someone who cannot admire my beauty.”
“Colette, don’t you know that you are more than your beauty?”
“Still, you cannot see. If I live with you, what would be expected of me? Do you need someone to take care of you? To lead you around? Is this why you are being so generous with your offer to let me stay with you?”
My embarrassment turns to anger. How dare Colette accuse me of trying to use her, when I have been nothing but kind. “No. I look after myself, Colette. Molly is the one who guides me.”
“That animal is another problem,” Colette’s voice becomes cold in contrast to her warm hands. She pulls her hands from mine. “I have decided, John, that I cannot live with you. I need to discover who I am. I cannot be held back by you.” With that, Colette shoves her chair back with a screech, and she leaves.
I sigh. I suppose Colette truly became human after all. What I fool I was, to think this would end happily. Molly whines and places her head on my lap.
I smile. “But I’ve got you, huh, girl? You warned me from the beginning, didn’t you? Let’s go home, Molly.”
_________________________________________________________________________
The chaotic city streets are filled with people noisily bustling through the crowd to their destinations. Perhaps they are going home from work, to visit friends, or to something less mundane, like an adventure. How interesting would that be, to have an adventure.Molly pats my hand with her paw, drawing me out of my thoughts, and back to the fragrant smells of sweet pastries and freshly-brewed coffee.
“What is it Molly? We sit outside the café all the time. You usually love it,” I wonder aloud to her.
She lets out a little whine, pushing my hand again with the top of her head. I reassuringly pet Molly, although she is usually the one reassuring me. As my hand brushes against her vest, I smile.
“Pardon me, do you mind if I join you?” a woman questions.
I’m rather taken aback, for her voice is so lovely. Like a bird’s, sweet, delicate, and song-like. I wonder if she sings. “No, please, go right ahead,” I hastily reply, realizing my hesitation might have been taken as rejection.
The woman’s chair screeches against the concrete ground as she pulls it back. “Thank you.”
Molly pushes up against my leg and whines again.
“It’s alright girl,” I tell Molly, “She normally likes company.” I turn my head towards the woman, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.
“It is fine. Animals usually do not like me.”
I realize, listening through the lovely tones of her voice, she sounds rather somber. “I wouldn’t take it to heart. Molly usually comes around to everyone. She can be a bit protective. After all, it’s her job.” I pat Molly’s head proudly.
“My Creator had a guard-dog.”
“Your what-?” I begin to ask, but I am interrupted by the waiter Tom.
“Hi, bro! It’s nice to see you and Molly again. Will it be the usual...” Tom trails off, “H-hi Miss! Wow, is she with you?” Tom asks, elbowing me in the side.
“Yeah, yeah she is, Tom,” I reply, a little confused at Tom’s sudden strange behavior.
“Man, you’re one lucky dude! Anyway, welcome to the Coffee Castle, Miss! Would you like to order?”
“No thank you. I do not drink coffee,” the woman answers.
“That’s okay. We’ve got some other drinks. Tea, water, and smoothies. We also have a variety of pastries, if that’s more your thing,” Tom offers.
“I do not eat,” the woman retorts, brushing off Tom’s offers.
“Oh, you girls and your diets. Are you a model? I could never do that. As is obvious, heh,” Tom laughs awkwardly.
“No. I am not.”
“I’m sure you could model if you wanted, Tom,” I comment, not wanting Tom to put himself down.
“No offense, man, but you’re probably not the best person to judge,” Tom pauses awkwardly. “So, just your usual, right? I’ll bring it right out!” Tom states, rushing away.
“Is he your friend?” the woman questions.
“Yeah. I visit this coffee shop quite a bit, so we’ve gotten to know each other. We also hang out sometimes away from the coffee shop.”
“I would like to have a friend...” the woman murmurs longingly.
“I understand. I went through a time in my life where I had no friends. I was completely alone, until Molly came along. Not only was her company invaluable, but she helped me to meet others. I would hate for anyone to feel as alone as I did.”
Memories of my time before Molly flood back to me. I was utterly alone, and people who I cared about left me. I felt that life was not worth the pain of living. Molly helped me to turn my entire life around. If it wasn’t for her, I most likely wouldn’t be here today.
I decide that I want to help keep the woman away from that dark and miserable place. No one deserves to feel the way I did. “By the way, I am John Rook.”
“My name is Colette.”
“Well then Colette, you’ve just made your first friend,” I smile.
“Thank you, John.”
From some other tables I overhear a man say, “Man, what a looker, wasted on that guy!”
I stiffen, feeling embarrassed and angry at the man’s comment. Why must people be so rude and thoughtless?
“I want to know what kind of skin care she uses. Her skin is flawless!” a woman comments.
Colette sighs, “I have never been able to make a true friend before. When I thought I had made a friend, I would always find that they only liked me for my looks.”
“I promise you, I don’t care one bit about how a person looks,” I assure Colette.
“I have never met anyone who has said that and has not succumbed to vanity. However, you do seem different than most others, John.”
“People care far too much about perfection,” I remark as Tom arrives.
“Here’s your usual iced coffee,” Tom says, arriving at our table. “And here’s water for you, on the house.” Tom places our drinks on the table with a soft clink against the smooth wood. “I also brought a sausage for Molly, can she have it?”
“Of course!”
“Here you go, Molly!”
Molly gobbles up the sausage loudly. She barks happily for Tom, showing her appreciation for the snack.
“Aw, you’re welcome Molly. Well I’ve gotta go now, rush hour you know. Enjoy your drinks!”
Tom’s presence reminded me of what Colette said when he interrupted my question earlier. She mentioned a creator. What a peculiar word choice. What on earth did she mean?
“What did you mean before, when you mentioned your creator?” I ask. Sliding my hands across the table, I pick up my glass and take a sip of bittersweet coffee.
“It is quite a long story, John,” Colette says quietly, “I would not want to burden you with it.”
“I’ve got all the time in the world. So, are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? You seem as if something is weighing on you.”
“Well then, I suppose I should clarify something first. You see, I am not what I appear to be. I am not simply a beautiful woman. In fact, I am not even human,” Colette explains, although she only succeeds in worrying me further.
What on earth has she gone through to make her think of herself as less than human? “Um, I’m afraid I’m only more confused now, Colette.”
“I will try and explain to the best of my ability. You see, I am actually a doll,” Colette says bluntly.
She thinks she’s what!?
“Um, Colette, what are you trying to tell me? Is this a metaphor of some kind?” At least, I sincerely hope it is a metaphor.
“No. I am a literal doll. My Creator wanted the perfect wife, so he created me to be his companion.”
“Oh, Colette...” I sigh. She is insane. This poor woman has more problems than I could have imagined. Why, she believes that she isn’t human! I think I might need something stronger than coffee for the rest of this conversation.
“You do not believe me. Are my looks not enough? No human is so perfect. So flawless and beautiful.”
“Colette, I’m sure you are beautiful but-”
“I suppose I will have to convince you in another manner,” Colette interrupts and, grasps my hand. Her hand is cold, hard, and smooth, just like porcelain. I gasp, instinctively jerking away.
Molly growls, bristling beside me. “It’s okay, girl...” I murmur in shock. I suppose this is the reason Molly has been so distrustful of Colette. She can sense what I cannot see.
“Do you now see? Do you now believe? No human is so hard, cold, and untouchable. Well, to everyone except my Creator that is.”
“My god, Colette,” I mummer, still in shock. I hold the hand she touched in my other, up to my chest. “Yes, I do believe now. I’m sorry I didn’t earlier.”
“It is alright.”
“How is this even possible!?”
“It will be easiest to explain if I start from the beginning. And the beginning starts with my Creator. You see, he was a lonely man, with extraordinary abilities.”
“Magic?” I ask, unable to keep my intense curiosity tamed.
“Yes. With a combination of science and other things I do not know. I do not think it was an easy task for him to accomplish. He did discuss the difficulty of the feat quite a bit, as well as magnitude of his accomplishment. However, he never told me exactly how he did it. He said that such knowledge was beyond a woman.”
“What a moron!” I interject. “It’s the 21st century last time I checked.”
“He was quite old, although he did not look it, and had old ideals. He used his abilities to keep himself young. In the beginning, I was more than happy to stay with him. I had everything in the world, clothes, jewels and entertainment, as long as I pleased him. But then, I began thinking for myself. I started learning about life beyond his mansion, and I longed for that life”
Colette pauses, engrossed in her memories, “I began yearning for what I did not have. I wanted to be free. I wanted someone to love me for who I was, not for my perfection. I wanted to be touched by someone I chose. I wanted to see the world. I wanted to experience more than his mansion’s walls. I wanted to live the way humans do. I wanted to be human.”
“That sounds like an awful existence, Colette. Never able to choose what you wanted to do,” I say, finding myself angry, reminded how people can be so cruel and selfish. Poor Colette. No one should live that way.
“Thank you, John,” Colette replies, taking my hand again. This time, I do not pull away. As we sit, hands interlinked, Colette continues her tale. “I eventually managed to come up with the courage to tell my Creator what I wanted. He was furious that I was dismissing his affections, and wanted to ruin his greatest accomplishment by becoming human.”
“He doesn’t have the right to say that! Why, it’s your life. Just because he created you doesn’t mean that he owns you. What a jerk,” I object.
“Nevertheless, he berated me over the stupidity of my request. He told me how I would no longer be beautiful, and no one would want me. How I would grow old and die one day,” Colette sighs. “Still, I persisted. Disgusted with me, he said that I deserved the curse of humanity. However, he would not simply make me real. He gave me a way to become human, but it was a challenge. He hoped the challenge would be so difficult that I would give up and come running back to him.”
“What challenge? How can you finally obtain your wish, Colette?” I ask, delighted that, despite her miserable life, there may be a happy ending for Colette yet.
“The challenge seemed very easy at first. I readily agreed to it, thinking it would take no time at all. I was wrong. You see, the challenge was to find someone who would wish for me to become human. However, the wish had to be completely honest, and come from a person pure in heart. I have approached others to try and help me. So far, none have been up to the challenge. No one understood my wish, and none were willing to give up my perfection. Will you help me, John?” Colette asks, sounding so hopeful.
“Yes, of course! What do I need to do to help you?” I ask eagerly. I am thrilled that I may be able to help Colette. She deserves for someone to be kind to her, instead of simply using her.
“You must speak into my locket that you wish for me to become human. You must mean what you say in its entirety, and not have any alternative motives. You must state the exact words, ‘I wish for Colette to turn human.’ You also must say it in Latin.”
“Okay, I think I can do that, I studied Latin in college. Is this truly all I have to do? It seems a little underwhelming, doesn’t it?” I seriously hope my Latin is accurate enough for the spell to work.
“There is a bit more. A memory of yours will be needed. A memory of great emotional importance to you. A memory that shows what it is to be human. You must be thinking of this memory as you prick your finger, and then let a drop of your blood fall onto my picture in the locket. The enchanted locket will do the rest,” Colette explains, with hope in her voice.
Colette places her locket in my hand. I raise it to my lips and mummer, “Volo enim ut facta hominum Colette.” My memory is easy to decide. A moment in my life that was so human, and brings with it overlapping crashing waves of emotion. Colette then gives me a small yet very sharp blade. Holding my finger over the locket, I pierce it with the blade. I feel a small pinch of pain, but I am distracted from it when the locket suddenly begins to grow warm in my hand. It rises in intensity quite rapidly, until it becomes so hot that I drop it onto the table. It lands with a small clatter.
“Did it work, Colette?” I ask hopefully.
“Y-yes, oh yes it did, John! Oh, thank you so much!” Colette cries joyfully. Her voice is no longer as perfectly song-like as before, but now she speaks with happiness, which is far more important than any beauty. She takes my hand again, and it is both warm and soft. I twist my hand slightly in her palm, noticing what had been missing before, a pulse.
“Oh, it truly did work!” I say, feeling my chest swell with joy for Colette. I helped her achieve her dream. Perhaps there are happy endings in this world after all.
“Oh, I don’t know what to do first! I know, I want to drink something for the first time!”
“Here, try some of my coffee,” I offer, sliding my cup over to her. Colette picks up the cup, her fingernails clinking against the glass. “Ugh...” Colette groans, quickly setting the cup back on the table with a thud.
I chuckle, “On second thought, perhaps coffee isn’t the best drink to try first. You can wash out the taste with the water Tom gave you.”
“John, what will I do now that I am human? I will need food and a somewhere to sleep.” Colette asks worriedly. She takes my hands again in her now soft ones.
“Well, if you want, you can stay with me until you get used to being human. I can’t imagine how overwhelming everything must be. I have an extra bedroom that you can use.”
“Oh, why thank you, John! You have helped me yet again,” Colette says, briefly tightening her grip on my hands. “I have been wondering John, what was the memory that was responsible for turning me human? Could you tell me, please? I’m sure it is a lovely one.”
I take a steadying breath as I respond, “I was remembering the last thing I saw before I lost my sight. It was a good memory, because what I saw was a beautiful sunset through a car window. All of those vivid golds, pinks and reds slowly descending into the horizon as the pale blue sky faded to dull grey. It’s also bittersweet; because it reminds me of how I will never see a sunset again; never see color. I miss color.”
Colette gasps, “W-what? You are blind?”
Molly presses against me protectively. A deep growl rumbles from her chest.
Embarrassment for my disability overcomes me, along with awkwardness that Colette did not know from the beginning. Didn’t she notice Molly’s special harness, and her service dog vest? “Yes. I lost my sight in a car accident. I assumed you knew, from Molly’s special vest.”
“What? No! I had no idea! Now I understand that man’s comment and why he said I was being wasted on you,” Colette hesitates, and then mumbles, “I do not know how to be with someone who cannot admire my beauty.”
“Colette, don’t you know that you are more than your beauty?”
“Still, you cannot see. If I live with you, what would be expected of me? Do you need someone to take care of you? To lead you around? Is this why you are being so generous with your offer to let me stay with you?”
My embarrassment turns to anger. How dare Colette accuse me of trying to use her, when I have been nothing but kind. “No. I look after myself, Colette. Molly is the one who guides me.”
“That animal is another problem,” Colette’s voice becomes cold in contrast to her warm hands. She pulls her hands from mine. “I have decided, John, that I cannot live with you. I need to discover who I am. I cannot be held back by you.” With that, Colette shoves her chair back with a screech, and she leaves.
I sigh. I suppose Colette truly became human after all. What I fool I was, to think this would end happily. Molly whines and places her head on my lap.
I smile. “But I’ve got you, huh, girl? You warned me from the beginning, didn’t you? Let’s go home, Molly.”
~Thanks for Reading!~
Monday, July 27, 2015
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman - Review
For my monthly book club, I read Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman. I was a little tentative going into this book, realistic historical fiction isn't my usual cup of tea. However, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this novel. Paired with an ice-cold Snapple, I found myself flying through the pages. Set during WWII in India, Climbing the Stairs tells the story of 15-year-old Vidya, whose happy life with her family is turned upside down when her father is tragically injured. Vidya and her family move into their extended family's traditional household, and Vidya must adjust to suddenly being constricted and stifled by her relatives conventionally strict ways. Many of her family members make it quite clear to Vidya that they do not want her family there with them. As Vidya copes with her grief and guilt, she finds solace in the home's massive library and a new friend in a boy named Raman.
What I noticed right away in Climbing the Stairs was its protagonist Vidya's likeability. Vidya takes after her father's liberal ways. She wishes to stray from the expected path of women during the time and go to college, instead of being married off at the age of sixteen. What sets Vidya apart from the typical YA protagonist is Vidya's maturity. Vidya, with all of her righteous outrage at her current situation, knows when to hold her tongue. She certainly is no doormat however, and would love to speak her mind and tell off her deserving cousin. Vidya understands that would cause repercussions that would affect not only her, but her family, who are relying on their extended relatives for a place to live. Most teenage characters wouldn't possibly know how to hold in their snarky temper. Vidya knows which battles are worth fighting for, like the right to visit the family library on the male's floor, which women are usually forbidden to enter.
What I noticed right away in Climbing the Stairs was its protagonist Vidya's likeability. Vidya takes after her father's liberal ways. She wishes to stray from the expected path of women during the time and go to college, instead of being married off at the age of sixteen. What sets Vidya apart from the typical YA protagonist is Vidya's maturity. Vidya, with all of her righteous outrage at her current situation, knows when to hold her tongue. She certainly is no doormat however, and would love to speak her mind and tell off her deserving cousin. Vidya understands that would cause repercussions that would affect not only her, but her family, who are relying on their extended relatives for a place to live. Most teenage characters wouldn't possibly know how to hold in their snarky temper. Vidya knows which battles are worth fighting for, like the right to visit the family library on the male's floor, which women are usually forbidden to enter.
Climbing the Stairs doesn't only have Vidya to praise, for it seamlessly weaves in Indian history, religion, questions of morality, racism, and sexism. One of the largest debates in this book is India's involvement within WWII, and how it goes against their nonviolent beliefs. Padma challenges you to think- are the ends worth the means, and is it ever okay to take a life to save one? This book tackles many topics, but does so subtly, without shoving its try-hard political edgyness down your throat.
So, with all that I've presented here, this seems like an amazing young adult novel, correct? Well, yes and no. I certainly enjoyed the book; however, it did not read to me as a YA novel. As I was reading this novel, I wondered why it was even considered to be a YA book. There's no sex, not much violence, and no cursing. Not even a "damn"! Now yes, the book does discuss some deep topics, as mentioned above, but this doesn't mean it couldn't be a middle grade book. Middle graders need to be exposed to all of these important topics and questions. The difficulty reading level of this book, and considering its short length, just isn't up to par with a standard YA novel. I believe this book should be categorized as Middle Grade. It would open it up for the younger readers who would LOVE this book, if they were ordinarily not allowed to read YA. Please don't misunderstand me- I'm not dissing this novel in the slightest by suggesting it have a younger target audience for there are many Middle Grade novels out there that are fantastic works of literature.
So, with all that I've presented here, this seems like an amazing young adult novel, correct? Well, yes and no. I certainly enjoyed the book; however, it did not read to me as a YA novel. As I was reading this novel, I wondered why it was even considered to be a YA book. There's no sex, not much violence, and no cursing. Not even a "damn"! Now yes, the book does discuss some deep topics, as mentioned above, but this doesn't mean it couldn't be a middle grade book. Middle graders need to be exposed to all of these important topics and questions. The difficulty reading level of this book, and considering its short length, just isn't up to par with a standard YA novel. I believe this book should be categorized as Middle Grade. It would open it up for the younger readers who would LOVE this book, if they were ordinarily not allowed to read YA. Please don't misunderstand me- I'm not dissing this novel in the slightest by suggesting it have a younger target audience for there are many Middle Grade novels out there that are fantastic works of literature.
To wrap up this review, I'll give you my final star rating, which is 4 stars. Aka, I enjoyed reading it, but I don't think this is one for the all time favorite shelf.
Find Climbing the Stairs at these different links:
~Thanks for reading!~
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
The Fall of the House of Bartleby the Scrivener
In my last post I compared and reviewed two books, so I thought I'd do the same thing again with this post. Except with two short stories, that are classics, not recent YA releases, and are two different genres, instead of both being the same genre. So, perhaps I'm not really doing the same thing, but I read these two short stories recently and wanted to review them. Those short stories are The Fall of The House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe, and Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville. I read these stories for school, as students usually do, (or are supposed to do at any rate) and found myself surprised by my reactions to both.
I'm almost hesitant to discuss this one, because there's this unwritten rule that you simply can't diss Poe, he's a god, rather like Beyonce, and can do no wrong in most people's eyes. However, it seems my opinion seems to stray from the norm when it comes to classic authors and pop stars, which is to say, in a roundabout way, that I didn't enjoy this one. I wanted to though! I've even read it three times! It's Poe, and I expected to like it, for I enjoyed some of his other works (The Raven, Annabel Lee) but this one just didn't do it for me. The premise is interesting, the narrator being summoned to his friend Mr. Usher's rather creepy house to keep him company while he is plagued by a mysterious illness. The biggest flaw within this story is that the language is almost impossible to get through. After reading the story I had to check good old SparkNotes to fully understand what went down. There's one paragraph that takes up over half a page, describing Mr. Usher's painting skills, and it took the last sentence of the paragraph for me to finally understand, oh, he's talking about his friend's paintings. I'm all for artsy usage of the English language, but it's still important for people to be able to understand what you've written, Poe.
Besides the issues of language, this story felt as if it was trying a little too hard to be quirky. Also, the plot, while interesting at first, didn't keep me engaged all the way through. And by the time the exciting climax came around, I didn't particularly care. I will say that reading the story made me feel rather glum and slightly creeped out, so Poe did at least manage to capture that emotion, and make you feel what the character's were feeling. My final rating is 2 out of 5 stars.
As for the next short story, I was equally surprised at my reaction to it, but this was a happy surprise. I really enjoyed this one, and unlike The Fall of the House of Usher, the writing style actually made it shine. Bartleby the Scrivener is narrated by an older lawyer as he describes an unusual copyist he hires. Unfortunately for our narrator, the rest of his staff is also rather eccentric, and this leads to an unexpectedly amusing story. Bartleby, despite being an excellent typist, soon becomes more trouble than he's worth, for whenever he doesn't want to do something, he says his coined phrase, "I'd prefer not to" in such a mild tone that our good narrator doesn't know how to react. Eventually Bartleby decides he'd prefer to do nothing at all, except continue squatting in our narrator's offices, and the end is taken to county jail, where things take a tragic turn. The interactions between characters, the narrator's thoughts, and entire ridiculousness of the situation makes this an entertain read. I actually chuckled aloud a couple times. Herman Melville managed to take what is an overall small series of events into something enjoyable from start to finish, unlike Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, which is packed to the brim with drama and epicness, but never really engages the reader. I think I'll start using Bartleby's tactic whenever my mom wants me to do the dishes. You hear me mom? "I'd prefer not to." My final rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Talon by Julie Kagawa & Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier Reviews
Over on my Youtube channel I have reviewed two books, & they couldn't be more different.
One's Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier, and it is one of the best books I've read this year. With a witty writing style, laugh out loud scenes, magical psychic dreams, and multiple hot guys, Dream a Little Dream was just a blast to read. I loved every. single. page. You may know Kerstin Gier from her wildly popular New York Times bestselling Ruby Red trilogy, and she's done it yet again with the Silver series. Making her works even more impressive, the writer is actually German, and all of her books have been translated into English. (By the lovely Anthea Bell.) Luckily, nothing was lost in translation, and out of all her books Dream a Little Dream is my favorite. It follows Liv, who has recently moved to London, and begins having magical dreams wherein she communicates with a group of popular boys at her new school. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series, just as soon as they're translated! If only I knew German, and I could have them even sooner. If you prefer a more exact rating, I'd give Dream a Little Dream 5 out of 5 stars.
The other book I reviewed is Talon by Julie Kagawa, and my opinion of this book couldn't be more different than Dream a Little Dream. Although I was delighted by the exciting premise, (dragon shapeshifters are hiding among human society from an evil military like organization out to kill them all) the book simply did not deliver, and I was bored from start to finish. This book was riddled with cliches, unlikable characters, a predictable plot, and excessively long paragraphs describing surfing. There was so much surfing! I honestly wanted to LOVE this book, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. Really the only positive thing I can say is that I think it has a gorgeous cover. As for my star rating, I give it a 2 out of 5 stars.
Find my more detailed individual reviews on these two books at my youtube channel. The links are below! :)
One's Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier, and it is one of the best books I've read this year. With a witty writing style, laugh out loud scenes, magical psychic dreams, and multiple hot guys, Dream a Little Dream was just a blast to read. I loved every. single. page. You may know Kerstin Gier from her wildly popular New York Times bestselling Ruby Red trilogy, and she's done it yet again with the Silver series. Making her works even more impressive, the writer is actually German, and all of her books have been translated into English. (By the lovely Anthea Bell.) Luckily, nothing was lost in translation, and out of all her books Dream a Little Dream is my favorite. It follows Liv, who has recently moved to London, and begins having magical dreams wherein she communicates with a group of popular boys at her new school. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series, just as soon as they're translated! If only I knew German, and I could have them even sooner. If you prefer a more exact rating, I'd give Dream a Little Dream 5 out of 5 stars.
The other book I reviewed is Talon by Julie Kagawa, and my opinion of this book couldn't be more different than Dream a Little Dream. Although I was delighted by the exciting premise, (dragon shapeshifters are hiding among human society from an evil military like organization out to kill them all) the book simply did not deliver, and I was bored from start to finish. This book was riddled with cliches, unlikable characters, a predictable plot, and excessively long paragraphs describing surfing. There was so much surfing! I honestly wanted to LOVE this book, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. Really the only positive thing I can say is that I think it has a gorgeous cover. As for my star rating, I give it a 2 out of 5 stars.
Find my more detailed individual reviews on these two books at my youtube channel. The links are below! :)
Monday, May 11, 2015
Charlie Appreciation Post
After watching the most recently aired Supernatural episode, "Dark Dynasty" I decided I just HAD to have a wallpaper of Charlie for my laptop. I was surprised by how few choices there were scattered throughout the interwebs, considering how popular of a character Charlie is. So, for this post today I've decided to share my favorites with you, so that way you don't have to spend all the time I did scouring the internet. Also, if you've watched "Dark Dynasty" you'll know the inspiration behind making this post. Enough chatting, here are the wallpapers!
Disclaimer: I made none of these, other amazing far more talented people than me did. If you recognize your work here and would like me to credit you please just let me know in the comments! Unfortunately the majority of the pictures came from Fanpop, and that website never has sources for their images. Enjoy!
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