Philosophical Thinking and The Hunger Games

How the F*CK did I not read The Hunger Games until now?  I'm honestly furious with myself for somehow pushing this book series to the side, and I can't believe I went this long!  The first book in the trilogy was published in 2008, and now, almost 4 years later, I finally read them.  And it's because of a homework assignment!  That's right, my homework for grad class this week was to read The Hunger Games (just the first book) and I know, all of you are insanely jealous.  What fun homework she has!

Seriously though, brought the book with me to work on Friday night, finished the whole book Friday night when I got home (it was a late night), started the second book on Saturday, and finished the second and third book on Sunday morning.

I just owned up to my nerdiness (is that even a word?) for all the world to see.  (Listen, I read the 7th Harry Potter book in just over 3 hours, so I don't think it's a big secret)

Point is, I finally got around to reading a book -- well, 3 books -- that had been suggested to me over and over but I simply hadn't thought much into them.  I didn't even know anything about the books, other than that it was a Young Adult novel and it was about a dystopian society (okay, Blogger's spellcheck is off, because I know I spelled that word correctly!).  What I didn't know is how engaging and interesting the books would be -- and how many moral, philosophical, ethical, and logical questions the books would raise.

Young Adult literature is an interesting world, and I know I've been beating this idea to death, but since it is the focus of my grad class, it's somewhat unavoidable.  Last week we read Of Mice and Men, a classic in the high school canon, but our discussion seemed to focus on how, in the hands of a bad teacher, that book could go horribly wrong.  Any book that ends in that way (spoiler alert: don't read ahead!! one of the character kills another, raising the debate on mercy killings) is going to need a true teacher touch to manage the debate at the end.  The Hunger Games is in a similar vein, as The Games in the books are actually a fight to the death with 24 children (ages 12-18) being put in a very futuristic, sci-fi based 'arena' and left to fend for themselves until only one remains.  The catch?  The Gamemaster is in complete control of all things that happen in the arena (weather, predators, etc.) and the entire thing is televised for the population to watch.  There's obviously a whole heck of a lot more going on, but it comes down to the basic survival instinct; kill or be killed.

Our main character is also a female, which is rare in novels that are targeted to no specific genre.  Most books that are not meant as 'girl books' have a male protagonist because (and this has been studied, this isn't just me pontificating) males have a harder time identifying with a main character who is a different gender than they are; girls have an easier time.  There is something to be said about the idea of empathy vs. sympathy.  Sorry boys!  But honestly, think about it -- of the major popular young adult books that appeal across sex and gender divides, our protagonist is generally what?  Now in all fairness, our female lead has very masculine tendencies, as she is the head of her family (her mother isn't capable) and she hunts, trades, and is a volunteer to fight in The Games.  Is this a real decision the author made?  A female lad, but make her more boy-ish to appeal to the masses?

That aside, I appreciate a YA author who is willing to try and change the way teenagers read books.  The protagonist switch is only part of it.  She also raises those questions, and, similar to Steinbeck, asks when is it ever okay to kill another human?  Would you do it to survive?  And how many people does it take to change the way things go?  When you see wrong, is it just as bad to say nothing as it is to participate?

With all that's happening in our world today, I think these messages are important for young adults to not only see in literature (and tv and film and music) but to question and consider.  So often we read without engaging all of our mind.  It might drive me crazy that I can't read even trashy lit without bringing an English major and teacher perspective to the text, but I get more out of what I read when I keep thinking.  When the book ends, my analysis does not end.  That's why I love book clubs and grad classes; I love to discuss and question and learn more.

So, as a final plug, we're going to be experimenting with an International Book Club over the next few weeks.  Our book is One Day, and the next update will outline how it will work.  Be sure to join the Facebook Page to add your feedback and keep up with the final plan.  And as always, book suggestions are more than welcome :)

Toddlers, Tiaras, Books, and Anderson Cooper

I feel like a cliche right now; I'm sitting on the couch in my PJ's and a cardigan (hello, turning into my mother) drinking coffee, working on grad school homework, updating my blog, and watching Anderson Cooper.

Okay, the Anderson Cooper part is a little off.  Let me explain...

On Monday I attended a taping of Anderson with three of my favorite gays (my mother was concerned that there were no girls going with me... I'll just leave that one alone) in New York City.  It was ridiculously fun, and Anderson Cooper is even better looking in person -- and much more pale, which I didn't think was possible -- and is clearly well-read and very intelligent.  Yum, yum.  Anyway, since the taping I have been shamelessly watching the show to see myself in the promos for upcoming episodes, but today's episode, well, I actually have been watching bits and pieces.  I'm almost ashamed to admit it, because the episode has on those Toddlers in Tiaras people.  Is it rude if I say the one mother is INSANE?  Probably, but I'm sure I'm not alone in that opinion.

Normally I think people are entitled to do what they want to do, but this pageant stuff seems out of control.  The money put in, the shift in values... I have to admit, growing up my mom and I watched Miss America almost every single year, and I loved it, but these are little girls, and the focus is on looks.  Where is the focus on education?  Many pageant girls win college funds, but for these mothers in particular it seems that there is no emphasis on education.  We skip the importance of reading and instead focus on that performance aspect.

Well, no wonder our society is falling apart.

My problem with today is that what's most accesable for kids and young adults is not education and literature, but television, video games, makeup, and other distractions.  Why aren't parents encouraging education and reading anymore?  I bought a book for grad class the other day that is a young adult book, and when I finished reading it, I gave it to a 12 year old boy, but I don't know if he'll get any outside encouragement to read it.

Why does our society lack support for the self-proclaimed nerds?  Why shouldn't we be proud of our kids for just enjoying school and learning?  Why do we need tangible rewards for success?  If we awarded trophies and had more banquets for getting an A on a test, or reading an entire book in a week, would more parents encourage their children to focus on education?  For a lot of people, the simple joy of finishing a book isn't enough anymore, and for parents in a society that wants to see the physical results of competition, it isn't enough, either.

What a shift in morals and views of the world.  Oprah did something right with her book-club.  When people can come together in a social setting and bond over a book, I'm happy.  That's why I'm trying to get an online book club together, to bring a group of my favorite people together over miles and time zones and oceans.  We're attempting to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which is difficult when one member of the experimental book-club is in a non-English speaking country, but the main goal is just for us to have a bonding experience over a book.

And really, what more could you want?

Making Choices (no, this is not yet another post about Sophie)

First and foremost, I now have a facebook page!  Please go check it out and 'like' me... if you like me in real life, you can like me on facebook :) Leah Reads. And reads. And reads.

I hate being an adult.  That's a lie; being an adult has a lot of benefits, such as the legality of drinking and having the freedom to make more of your own decisions.  I'm only half kidding about the drinking part...  Unfortunately, being an adult in this day and age is a lot more stressful than time prior, and I think a lot of people don't realize that.

So while I look for teaching/subbing positions and work part time at the wine store, I'm trying to focus my attention on other things, too.  Graduate school, for one, has been a pleasant and necessary distraction.  I'm a huge nerd who has always loved school -- maybe not all of my math classes, although I'm a beast at geometry -- and taking classes is something I wish I could do for a living.  This blog and my reading project has been another.  And although I can't control what happens with my employment, to a certain extent (I can just apply and be the best candidate I can be, but they make the final decisions) I can control a lot of other aspects in my life.

My first choice at the moment is for what and how many graduate class(es) I will be taking for the spring semester.  Ideally I'll be able to start subbing after my application and interview tomorrow -- I'm also making stops at several Bucks County schools' Central Offices tomorrow with papers in hand looking fabulous and attempting to convince them I would be the greatest English sub ever -- and can afford to move into Philadelphia and take two grad classes.  If not, though, I have to decide between the following:

• Readings in American Literature: 19th Century American Captivity Narratives
• Readings in British Literature: 20th Century British Literature and Modernism
• Composition and Rhetoric Studies
• Cultural Studies: Contemporary Drama and Religion

I have to be honest; 19th Century American Captivity Narratives sounds god awful.  I assume it'll be a lot of slave narratives (Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, anyone?) which is all fine and dandy, but complete overkill.  I've read parts of Incidents in what feels like a million different classes.  American Lit, Lit by Women, 11th grade English, in the class I peer-mentored as a sophomore... I can't deal with an entire semester of that type of literature.  Does that make me a bad person? Nah, I'm just going to play to my strengths.  Which means probably avoiding Contemporary Drama and Religion (I've also heard not so great things about that professor) and focusing on the final two selections.

My freshman year of college I took a class called 20th Century Brit Lit with one of my favorite McDaniel professors (my fellow people from the Hill can assume) and it was terrifying but also a really excellent class.  Becky likes (oh, crap, I just gave it away) to talk about sex and vaginas a LOT and as my first English class of my college career, I felt very stupid compared to the upperclassmen with brains and experience.  I was smart enough to place out of both intro classes, but it took a while for me to feel comfortable sharing in class.  Composition and Rhetoric, on the other hand, would be a new venture for me, but I can't shake the feeling that I would miss out on a literature class.

My program is 10 classes in total, and I have to fulfill certain categories and take 4 classes at the 600 level.  Technically I could avoid Composition and Rhetoric completely, if I wanted, but I do need a British Literature class.  If I don't take 20th century, I could wind up with a different era of British Lit, which could be more painful.  Like the 19th century American Captivity Narratives... I'll wait for a Modern American Lit offering to get that requirement out of the way!

Whatever I decide, I'm sure it will be a really excellent class experience.  If anyone would like to contribute to my grad school fund so I can take both classes, let me know!

Hot Hot Heat!

Am I allowed to use that as a title?  Isn't that the name of a band?  Do you think I should stop asking rhetorical questions?  I say that because as soon as I ask a question I get on Google (gotta love the internet) and look it up.  According to Wikipedia, Hot Hot Heat is an indie rock band from Canada -- you may remember their 'hit' Bandages from back in the day.  Or you might not remember it, because really, who cares about yet another indie rock band from Canada?  Anyway, I don't think they'll be offended that I stole their name for the title since they haven't really been up to much recently -- although again, Wikipedia tells me that they like to experiment with 5/4 time.  LOVE IT.

Okay let me refocus.  Remember when I had to get an eBook for my grad class?  I almost had to go down that road again.  My mom got in touch with one of the middle school librarians last week about my next book for class, but texted me just now saying she couldn't get a hold of it and I was on my own.  Okay, no problem.  I got on the Bucks County library website to look for a copy of the book Heat by Mike Lupica.  Unfortunately my work schedule and the distance to each of the locations doesn't work.  I refuse to drive 30 minutes for a copy of the book.  So I looked on the electronic section yet again, hating myself for it, but they don't have an electronic copy.  They have an audio copy for download.

Here we go again. 

You'll recall a few months back when I foraged into the world of audio books with The Historian on my drives to and from Maryland while moving home.  I wasn't thrilled with it, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to listen to it, because the format is strange.  It can't be burned to a CD, and it may be only compatible with an iPod -- and sorry, Steve Jobs, I don't own any Mac products -- but it can play through my computer.  And I may be able to transfer it to my MP3 player (I'm an iRiver girl, personally) but if not... does that mean I'll have to sit at my computer and listen to the entire book? Thank goodness it's a Young Adult book, so it isn't very long! 

Just kidding, it's still apparently 6 hours long.  *sigh* I may just have to order the damn book at this point because 6 hours is quite a bit of time.  Regardless, I'm sure you all have something to look forward to in a later post after I try with this audio book.  It's a book about baseball, which I'm sure will make me happy at least.

Just kidding.  This baseball season stinks.  Oh well.  Heat, here I come!

Gossamer (what a great adjective!)

Dear world, it's past October 1st.  The deadline for my project was October 1st, and although I'm disappointed I didn't make my goal, I am trying to be understanding with myself.  It's been a rough year, all things considered, and I accomplished a number of other things in that time frame.  Although I wish I could say I read a book-a-week, the truth is other things got in the way.  I won't make excuses for the time I spent watching Jersey Shore instead of reading (everyone needs a little trashy TV from time to time) but I will say I wish I'd buckled down a little bit more.  In honor of Diana (Check out her blog about living in Dijon here!), c'est la vie.  I think that's how it's spelled.

Last night I read Gossamer.  Seriously, the whole book in one hour, but it's a kids book, so I'm not sure that's really as impressive as it might seem at first glance.  It's a Lois Lowry book for my grad class, and although I loved The Giver and Number the Stars, I was less than impressed by this book.  I felt like it was too cliched and didn't hold the same power that her earlier books have.  Nevertheless, it was cute and a fast read.  But this post isn't about the book, per say, it's about how I came to have the book in my possession.

At the start of class our professor told us not to stress about purchasing books for the semester.  Instead she encouraged borrowing and library check-outs, even suggesting going to our local book stores and sitting down with a copy of a book and reading it (scandalous, I know).  I located most of the books through libraries and friends, and the fact that my mom works in an elementary school doesn't hurt, either.  So when I needed to read Gossamer for class today, I asked my mom about it.  It was a 5th grade Reading Olympics book, so she knew it was in the school library somewhere.  Well, time passed, and the new librarian at her school was over stressed, so finding the book became more of a last minute situation.  As of 11am yesterday, I still didn't have a copy of the book. I wasn't concerned with finishing it in time (I'm a speed reader extraordinaire) but just locating a copy in time.  I didn't want to buy the book, because I knew I'd never use it again, so I turned to the library.

The Bucks County Library system now offers e-books as a check-out option, so I decided to explore that option.  After a slight difficulty figuring out how to work the electronic books section (don't tease, I was confused!) I located a copy of the book and downloaded the book to my Kindle.  Well, I didn't download it to my Kindle, I downloaded it to the computer and then had to connect my Kindle with a USB and transfer the book to the Kindle.  Then I had to change my settings so the book would show up in my reading list.  Then I proceeded to look at other options for e-books from the local library.

Then I stopped myself.  What was I doing?  In previous posts, I've espoused on my feelings toward electronic books.  Remember that trip to the DMV? (Excuse me, the MVA.  I still hate you, MVA).  Stupid Kindle.  But I was desperate and needed a copy of that book.  I honestly was planning on swinging by the library, but the closest location was almost 30 minutes away, and I needed to get to work.  So I just found it online.

How lazy are we?  Are we getting to the point where we barely have to leave the house or interact with other humans to accomplish certain tasks?  We can order clothes, medication, house-hold items, even groceries online.  We have food delivered at all hours -- depending on where you live, of course -- and now we can even check out library books online and have them electronically delivered to our e-Readers.  Where do we go from here?  What happens to the printed word?

I'm a firm believer in the longevity of real books.  Regardless of technology changes, I truly feel that books in the printed form will always have a dedicated following.  Literature brings people together in ways that other forms of media cannot.  The simplicity of e-Books has a certain draw but for those of us who love the feel of a book in our hand, a Kindle doesn't bring that same sensation.

I found a website recently called Read the Printed Word (You can find the website here) and I've become a supporter.  Even though this blog is online, I hope that it encourages people to go out and read a book the way books were meant to be read -- as a complete sensory experience.  The feel of paper, the weight of the book in our hands, the smell of the pages, the history and story behind that publication.  It's all significant.

Until I'm in a time crunch and really need to get my homework done.  I guess we all have our faults.  Reading an e-book is only one of mine.  Jersey Shore is definitely another.