Classics 101: Night

Here is another classic 101. And I think I know what I want to do with this little series. I want to create a base knowledge of plot, themes, and characters so that studying or even just reading a classic can be a little easier.

As a bit of a warning and disclaimer, I am not an English expert. I am just someone who loves books, and loves to read, and has found different things in different books and wishes to share them with you. The warning is this post will be about Night by Elie Weisel a memoir about a Holocaust survivor. If that makes you uncomfortable or triggers you in any way, then I invite you to skip this post.

So this book is more of a work of non-fiction, but there is still a lot of mass symbolism especially to do with Jewish faith. Now, I am by far from an expert on Jewish symbols, or the Torah, so I'm not going to mention much about it.

One of the symbols that is talked about frequently is God. Especially pertaining to Weisel's feelings about life and death, and his place in the world. One of the lines that really stuck out with me was "But now, I no longer pleaded for anything. I was no longer able to lament. On the contrary, I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused... I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long. In the midst of these men assembled for prayer, I felt like an observer, a stranger"

Throughout the book, we read quite a bit about the struggle Weisel has with his belief in God, and his belief in the goodness of people. And I think this is something very important to take into account. Because life in the camps was not just a physical battle against hunger, and fatigue. But a battle against one's beliefs and one's faith. And with all that we know about the holocaust, that concept something that we cannot easily grasp. And I feel like this book does a wonderful job at tackling that particular battle.

This book is a very simple read in terms of language, but the topic is very difficult to stomach. There are scenes in the book that just tug so much at my heart and make me cry. Particularly when we get closer to the end of the book and Weisel's father dies. Weisel's writing is beautiful to read, but at the same time it doesn't beat around the bush with slightly disturbing content.

The last line in the book is also something very moving, "from the depths of the mirror, as corpse was contemplating me. The look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me." This book is incredibly good at describing the horrors of the camps, but doing so tastefully. With a topic like this, it's very easy to go overboard, and I feel like that's even more difficult when you have been there. But Elie Weisel does a good job of describing the conditions well enough so that a reader feels something, but not enough to turn a reader off.

This is a book that is supposed to disturb a reader. It's not meant to have happy endings. So this book is a challenge to read emotionally. There is also language that some may not understand, either because it's in German, or it's Hebrew. And if you guys really want me to, I can create a pdf glossary of sorts. I think knowing the words ahead of time might be quite useful in understand what is going on, and what things are.

I remember reading this book in Grade 10 history class an not being able to finish it because mentally I couldn't handle it. I do caution you about that. But this book is something especially now that we should take the time to read, and reflect on.

I hope this helped you understand a little bit about Night by Elie Weisel.

Bookish Pet Peeves.

Alright, so I've been seeing this on youtube a lot, and it's book people ranting about things either authors do, or book publishers do. And I wanted to make my own little list. So I chose five things that authors do, book publishers do, and as well readers do that just irk me. And just as a warning, this is a very rant-y post. And all of these things are just personal for me, and if you don't agree with them well that's your opinion.

1. Instalove/love triangles.
YA gets a huge reputation for having this. All of the characters fall in love instantly, and I understand that a book can only be so long, but at least have the characters have one conversation before falling in love. The useless love triangle thing just makes me mad. I've seen it done well in some occasions, but it's usually when the girl has her eyes already set on a man, and there is another dude falling in love with her as well. That I am okay with so long as she isn't stringing the other guy along, but I really don't care to read about what guy a girl is going to choose. To me, I find that a little bit sexist for lack of a better term. I'm sure in some dystopian novel this girl has more important things to worry about than what guy she is going to be with. Or a guy for that matter.

2. Reading plays like novels.
Alright, so I see this all the time with young people and Shakespeare. Plays are not novels! Plays yes can be read and enjoyed, but that's not where the medium thrives. You cannot expect a play to have all of the action of a novel. Plays are very much a visual medium and they combine so many different elements, from dance to music, to visual art, you cannot include all of that in a script. That's the directors job to make most of the creative decisions. As well, plays can't have "filler scenes" like novels do. Audiences get bored. And it drives me crazy when people read a play and expect it to be like a novel.

3. Dust Jackets.
When it comes to cover changes and stuff like that I'm generally pretty laid back. I mean, no they don't match, and I think it looks cool when books are different heights. But the one thing that makes me really mad is dust jackets. I know they are meant to protect your expensive hard cover book. I get that, but they are still so annoying. Especially when I am trying to read, and the dust jacket is slipping off. No, just no. It's why I prefer paper backs. I don't want to have to adjust the book every time it slips. No thank you. And if I take off the dust jacket, I usually loose it, or it gets creased or something, and it's just a lot of no.

4. Reading elitists.
Now, for me I feel like this can go both ways. It's more common to see those who read classics to shun those who read YA fiction. But I've experienced the exact opposite most often. And I think that's because of the level of popularity for YA books. But anyway, if I had a penny for every time I was called pretentious, or a nerd, or asked if I was only reading a book for school, I would be able to pay off my student loans. I like classics. That's the end of it. And yes, people can read classics for the sake of just enjoying a classic.

5. Romance for the sake of romance.
Alright, so you know you're sitting and enjoying an awesome book, with kick butt action, and huge problems that need to be solved, and then all of a sudden, romance. No. Just no. I'm sure when the world around a character is falling apart around them, the last thing they have on their minds is romance. And to make more annoying for me personally, is the fact that it's all straight couples. As someone who isn't straight, it just grinds my gears. I feel like I saw this a lot in Sarah J Maas's book Throne of Glass. That romance, love triangle thing did not need to be there. In some instances I'll allow it, but most of the time I just get annoyed.

So that was a long rant about books. I really want to make more book related content. So if you enjoy stuff like that, then you're in for a real treat! Let me know some of the things you dislike about books.

Writing and Writing Updates.

So, I've mentioned several times that I love writing. And I've been doing a lot more writing lately, and that makes me very happy. So, let me show you what I've been working on.

Well, first is my Nanowrimo novel. At the end of the month, the story was not finished. And I am still deciding if I am going to finish it. It has been difficult to sit there and write considering I was writing it in a bad place. For now I am putting it aside, and maybe I'll get around to finishing the first draft.

One thing is short stories and poems. I've been writing a lot of these, and if you want to see some of them and enjoy my writing please feel free to follow my writing blog here. Now these aren't everything I've been writing in terms of short stories and poems.

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I've wanted to make a book of poems, with a CD to accompany it. That I am pleased to say is currently being written. They are love poems, but they aren't all about loving another person. They are all about all kinds of love. I'm probably going to throw in something I wrote about my cat, so you have a bit of an idea. None of these will be able to be read until I have the thing finished though. I would like to have it done in the spring. But seeing as this is an ambitious project for someone who is only 19, we'll see how it goes.

Next is Camp Nanowrimo. Camp Nanowrimo is very similar to the event in November, but these events have a little bit more flexibility in word count. And they take place over the months of April and July. Yes I will be participating, but it's too early to tell if I'll be blogging about them. But if you want me to, I certainly will.

Since I was little, I've wanted to be a writer. And now I feel like that dream may actually happen. It's getting so close I can taste it. All of the advice I ever received from writers that I have met is "write lots." And that's what I feel like I'm finally doing. I feel like this is a lot of writing to be doing. And it makes me very happy.

I know my blog posting has been all over the place, but I am trying to get back on schedule. Thank you guys for sticking with me.

Series I want to see in 2016.

Now, usually through out the course of the year, I want to watch a few tv series. So here is a list of things I'll probably be watching in 2016, and of course, I put these into categories.

Anime:
Ore Monogatari.
Alright, so I guess I'm going to this in there even though I finished it this morning. Ore monogatari is about a first year high school student, who is our unlikely hero of a beautiful love story. I feel in love with the premise of this series, and I am happy to say it did not disappoint. It was cute, and I cried, and I laughed, and all in all I loved this series. Which is why I'm throwing it on this list.

One Punch Man.
Now, I know very little about this series other than the main character is bald, and he can defeat villains in One Punch. It has me pretty intrigued, and I cannot wait to start watching this series.

Shougeki no Soma.
This is a cooking anime about a young boy named Soma who goes to this elite cooking school. From what I've heard this series is fun, and cute, and I cannot wait to watch it.

Live Tv:
The X-Files.
I started this a few months ago, but it being 9 seasons, it's safe to say it'll take me a while to finish. But I love all of the characters, and all of the mysteries that need to be solved. Think of this as CSI meets Twilight Zone. And they are getting a revival six episode series at the end of January, and that has me very excited.

Firefly:
I've never seen Firefly, but I've been told I need to, so this year, I want to watch it, and see what the fuss is about.

Merlin:
This is something else I've been told to watch, and haven't quite got around to it. But I promise, I'll start it!

Cartoons:
Gravity Falls.
Now, you guys know that I have already seen Gravity Falls, but the series is finishing up, so that's why I'm including it on this list. There is one more episode I believe coming out in February, so I'll be of course watching that, and probably crying over it too.

And that's really it. It's a short list, but with everything else I have going on this year, I'm glad there aren't huge lists of shows I want to watch. I'll probably throw in a few more, and even do a full review of some of the series I've seen. For now, I'll talk to you soon! :)

New Years Resolutions.

So I am a little late for this, but I blame my little hiatus. But here are the goals I have for 2016.

Read more.
So, I've talked about this before, I want to read more. This year I want to read 100 books, and put the books back in Basil's Books and Things. As well as I want to expand the types of books I read. I want to read more classics, and more adult books, and different types of YA books, and nonfiction books. And you'll get to be along for the ride.

Open my etsy shop.
I've talked about this just a little. And I am happy to say, I've started making things for the shop. I cannot share any of those yet, but soon you'll get to see the things I've been making to sell. Right now there are a lot of different things I want to make for the shop from bath stuff, to cute accessories for cold climates. So hopefully by late winter, early spring I will have that up and running.

Write more.
I'm going to be talking about this in another blog post. But essentially I want to write something every day. Even if it's just a blog post. I want to write something everyday.

Get healthier.
I feel like this is on everyone's New Years resolution list every year. But it's a good thing to try and work towards. I don't only want to be physically healthier, but mentally as well. But I feel like with my mental health I need to literally start rebuilding all over again.

Create more.
There are a lot of things I want to make, and a lot of things I want to do. I want to do more art, and more photography, and more cosplays. And there are a million things I want to do, and hopefully this will be the year where those things get done.

Use more photos.
Up until recently, my blog has been pretty much all text. And that's been mostly because I haven't had a decent camera to work with. Now I have one, and I can add some hopefully beautiful photos to my blogposts.

I hope you guys have awesome plans for 2016! :)

100 Book Challenge+January TBR.

So, for 2015 I'll be the first to admit, I did not read as much as I wanted to. Life just got in the way. But 2016 one of my many new years resolutions is to read more. And this year, I want to read 100 books.

There is a website called the 50 book pledge here and they offer contests and help you track how many books you read. Now for me at least 50 doesn't seem like a lot of books. I want to challenge myself a little more. Through the site you can change the amount of books your read (fact check that). So, I'm going to try and read 100 books this year.

Now, I am not going to be super hard on myself if I cannot complete it. But still, I am going to try.

And in light of this challenge, my tbr posts will change a little bit. They'll include a little wrap up, and how many books I've managed to complete in total, it's not a huge change, but there is something. This will begin when I give you my February tbr pile.

Anyway, onto this months tbr pile!

So, the first books I want to finish are A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin.... yeah, I'm still not finished it, but I am so determined to finish it this months. The holidays got in my way. As well as Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones. I was debating not even adding it to this list because I only have 100 pages left, but I'll throw it in there as well. And I will be doing a review on that.

The books I want to read are Memoirs of a Geisha. It wasn't a book that I got around to last month, but I'm getting back into reading more than one book at a time. So hopefully this will allow me to read more books.

The next book I'll be listening to is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mendel. It was a Christmas gift, and I know nothing about it, other than it takes place in my city! I'll be doing a book review of this book!

And I'll be listening to some audio books. I found with audible it gives you a credit every month! So that's a free book every month, which I had no idea! So, I'll be listening to The Martian by Andy Weir. Since this book is so popular I'm not going to do a book a review on it unless you really want to read my thoughts.

Any way, there is my long list of books to read this month. Hopefully life won't get in the way, and I'll be able to make more time to read.

I'm back!

So, I took a one week long internet hiatus to kind of situate somethings, and I'll be the first to admit I did have one night on the computer because I had a con ticket I needed to buy. And surprisingly I didn't get the things I wanted done, but I did a lot of other things.

I went on lots of long walks, I had friends come over, my family did a sushi night. I did read a little bit, I did some knitting, and wrote lots.

Having some time away from the computer and the internet has helped in the ways of mental health, and put things back into perspective. I have lots of ideas for the future, and I feel much more refreshed.

However, I will be doing this internet hiatus thing twice a year, once in the winter, and once in the summer. I think it's hugely important to put away the gadgets once in a while. But, I am in no way condemning the use of them. I grew up with the beginnings of the internet, where most families had at least one computer in their home, and I see the use of them. But at the same time I see how they take over.

So I am pleased to say that I have a little bit of a stronger hold on myself, and what I want to do for this little bit of time.

The last week has been incredible with watching movies with the family, and walking through the snow. Just enjoying personal time.

I have one more week in my hometown, and this week I hope to get a few things done as well. Like find my yellow thread so I can actually work on my Bill Cipher cosplay. It's my one regret this week that I couldn't work on that. All because I couldn't find my yellow thread.

But for now I am back on a regular blogging schedule, and I am so glad to be back.