Video Blog Numero Dos!

Music I Would Like You To Download For Me

Because you are much braver than I am at this and because you love me so much and because I am always always always super appreciative.

And because you're the bestest best friend ever.

Now, enough of that saccharine, sticky sweet (but TOTALLY and COMPLETELY true) mush and onto... The List.

Music I Would Like You To Download for Me:

(an ever-compiling compilation of music)

Sheryl Crow by Sheryl Crow. (done)

Parallel Lines by Blondie. (done)

It's Kind of a Funny Story soundtrack. (having trouble finding...)

Everything Lykke Li. (done)

Everything Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. (done)

"Beautiful" by Moby. (done)

"Telephone" and "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga. (done)

The Runaways soundtrack. (done)

Everything by The Runaways (the Joan Jett band). (done)

"Fire Escape," "Fools," "Rewind," "Mirror Mirror" by Diane Birch.

Anything Boyce Avenue that we don't already have (especially "Teenage Dream"). (done)

"Whip My Hair" by Jimmy Fallon. (done)

"Let The Drummer Kick" by Citizen Cope.

"New Slang" by The Shins (done)

"L.E.S. Artistes" by Santigold. (done)

"Walking On A Dream" by Empire Of The Sun.

"What Else Is There?" by Royksopp. (done)

"Glory Box" by Portishead. (done)

"Soft Shock" and "Heads Will Roll" by Yeah Yeah Yeah's. (done)

"Mushaboom (Postal Service Remix)" Feist.

"Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star.

"Loud Pipes" by Ratatat.

The Vampire Diaries soundtrack.

The first two Ashlee Simpson albums. Shut up.

"Girls" by Beyonce.

"Who Says" by Selena Gomez & The Scene.

Teenage Dream by Katy Perry.

"I Need A Doctor" by Dr. Dre.

"Tonight Tonight" by Hot Chelle Rae.

"Save The World" by Swedish House Mafia.

"Coming Home" by Diddy.

"Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO.

"Just Can't Get Enough" by The Black Eyed Peas.

"Don't Wanna Go Home" by Jason Derulo.

"Look At Me Now" by Chris Brown.

"S&M" by Rihanna.

"Roll Up" by Wiz Khalifa.

"Run The World (Girls)" by Beyonce.

"Backseat" by New Boyz.

"Dirty Dancer" by Enrique Iglesias.

"Fuckin' Perfect" by Pink.

"California King Bad" by Rihanna.

"Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac.

"Barefoot Blue Jean Night" by Jake Owen.

"Where Them Girls At" by David Guetta.

"What The Hell" by Avril Lavigne.

"Brighter Than The Sun" by Colbie Caillat.

"Til The World Ends (The Femme Fatale Remix)" by Britney Spears.

"Stereo Love" by Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina.

"Never Gonna Leave This Bed." by Maroon 5.

The Hunger Games

I usually have enough self-control to put down a book and get some sleep, but this was not the case with The Hunger Games by Suzanna Collins. In fact, my rest was the last thing on my mind through the gripping story of survival and love. The book begins in a post-apocalypse type of world in North America. There is the Capital, the ruling and ruthless center of the remaining world which hold dominion over the twelve districts that surround it by not only forcing them to live in poverty thus showing how much power and control the Capital has, but by forcing each district to participate in the Hunger Games. The games are an annual event in which each district sends one boy and one girl to be 'tributes' and fight the other chosen children until there is only one left alive. This tribute will gain wealth and comfort for themselves and their family for the rest of their lives.

This story revolves around Katniss, a young girl struggling to support her sister and mother after her father passed away in a coal-mining accident. She took what she learned from her father and hunts in the woods outside of her district, District 12, risking her life every day by breaking the law in order to support her family. When the day comes to choose tributes, her sister is chosen and, in order to save her, Katniss offers to have herself to go instead. This is allowed and Katniss, along with the boy tribute Peeta, begin a journey to the Capital and are forced to go through all the formalities of the games, and then are put into an arena where they must fight to survive.

That's as much as I am willing to divulge on the storyline since it is a book I would highly suggest everyone to read. It was a gripping story even before the games begun as Katniss struggles with her fear and tries to understand the motives behind everyones actions. Once the games begun though, I could not put the book down. The story moved from action to survival to relationship in such a way that not one subject was overdone. Each chapter held some new development and I had to keep reading in order to find out what happens next. Even now that I am done, I feel the need to go buy the next book (so far there are three). I could relate to the main character, which I always think makes a book more interesting, and I lost myself completely in the story.

Also, this book should definitely be made into a movie. It would be incredible.

Go read it.

Now.

And The Winner Of Reading Competition 2010 Is...

Rosalie!!

Rosalie:
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini. 748 pages.
A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. 464 pages.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. 244 pages.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. 230 pages.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 360 pages.
Friend Me by Cathy Hopkins. 497 pages.
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith. 492 pages.
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith. 520 pages.

Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon. 154 pages.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. 173 pages.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. 414 pages.
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead. 489 pages.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. 218 pages.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smithe. 317 pages.
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. 485 pages.
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare. 453 pages.
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. 541 pages.
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead. 594 pages.

Total: 7348 pages.

vs.

Bella:
Splendor by Anna Godbersen. 391 pages.
Vampire Diaries: The Awakening & The Struggle by L.J. Smith. 492 pages.
Vampire Diaries: The Fury & The Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith. 520 pages.
Anthem by Ayn Rand. 90 pages.
Youth In Revolt by C.D. Payne. 498 pages.
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. 352 pages.
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. 332 pages.
Vampire Academy: Frostbite by Richelle Mead. 327 pages.
Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead. 443 pages.
Vampire Academy: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead. 503 pages.
Vampire Academy: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead. 489 pages.
The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer. 192 pages.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. 652 pages.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. 759 pages.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. 550 pages.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling. 119 pages.
Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin. 322 pages.

Total: 7031 pages.

I Hate To Break It To You Baby, But I'm Not Drowning. There's No One Here To Save.

You know what I have realized lately? I am extremely blessed. Now, I don't say this to boast or brag, I just want to relay how extremely thankful I am for every good thing (and the bad things too) that I have in my life.

First, my family. My parents are incredible, and I feel so honored to have their beautiful marriage and love to be a guide to me and to everyone who witnesses it. They try so hard to provide for me everything I could need and teach me what I need to know to live a good life, but also let me make mistakes so I can learn on my own. Then there's my brother, who I may complain about and not quite understand, but I have always looked up to him. He is a good brother, and if anything, I learn from his mistakes.

Second, my friends. Specifically my best friend. Not everyone has someone they can talk to about their insecurities and their deep dark secrets, but I have Bella, who understands, and is willing to listen and give me her honest opinion. God sent her to me for a reason, and I am loving whatever that reason is. She is a great influence in my life and I love her very mush. There are also my other friends who each bring some new spark into my life. I am so blessed that my new roommates have become my friends and that we get along and don't try to kill one another...often...

Third is the wonderful churches that God has brought into my life. The community of the church, I have realized, is a key in my spiritual growth and life, and after Brandon left our high school group I went searching for a new church and found the Stirring. Now, in this new town, I have been brought to Nexus, and the wonderful group of followers there. Also, the Christian group at my school that I have become very involved in is a great part of my walk, and is very much needed as I go through this year of school.

It's probably the holiday season, but it feels right to think about all the good things in life right now, and realized just how blessed I am for what God has put in my life.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Despite being the intensely obsessed Harry Potter fan that I am (read these books more than any others in my collection, been in love with the series since I was eight, and am currently involved with a blossoming Quidditch team here at UCSD), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was a book I did not completely understand when I first read it.

Actually, I hated it more than any other book in the series.

Why?

I felt like the whole King's Cross chapter was a cop-out. Harry dies, meets Dumbledore, learns some things, and comes back to life. I never understood. Granted, I didn't remember what Horcruxes were until they happened to explain it about 400 pages in, but... still. I felt I would be left with a bit more... clarity after waiting 9 years from the books' beginning to end. However, I didn't get it. Somehow, through magic not Voldemort nor Dumbledore nor Harry could really explain or understand, Harry could simply choose to go back to his body and finish out his life. What?! That's not what happens with Avada Kedavra.

Avada Kedavra -> flash of green light -> death.

It left me wondering... In all of Voldemort's entire reign of power (which timeline-wise seems really iffy in the books, I've noticed), no one else ever died to save someone else? Was Harry the only one who could have deflected the killing curse when he was a baby because of the prophecy? If the prophecy had never been given, would there have ever been a Harry, even if someone had in fact died for someone else? Maybe because I've seen a lot of movies and television, my view of dying for someone else is a bit jaded--I thought it would be more common.

Anyway, I digress.

This time around, I read the sixth one and jumped right into the seventh one, both books consuming me for the last couple of weeks, and finally concluding today, a day in which I put aside all homework and life tasks and sat and read for hours. Beautiful. Brought me back to the good ol' days when these books would first come out. I understood it better this time. Knowing the final outcome, I was not as eager to read through it so quickly to get to the end. I stopped, I reread, I I went back to other chapters. It was good for me as I forget a story with each sentence that passes through my brain.

It's a wonderful book. A book that completes an entire series perfectly. I just think that Rowling is a genius. Whether or not she had ALL of this planned out in her head from the very beginning, it works. References to past books, past memories, seeing how one tiny detail from one book becomes important in the next... it all works. And it's bloody brilliant. I believe she's one person who truly deserves every bit of the fame and fortune she's earned. The whole tale in the thought of it's creation is genius. Compare it to another popular series, Twilight pales in comparison at how thought out and perfect the story comes together. I could go on...

I know this is a book I'm going to have to read again. I said as it as I put it away on my bookshelf tonight. This is a series I'm going to have to read again. And again. It's something to be studied, thoroughly and purely for enjoyment. I could spend a long time on this series. I know I could spend simply hours reading PotterWiki. I think one day, I'm going to have to.

I don't know what else to say. It is two in the morning and there's this insane beeping noise driving me up the way and I cannot find the source of it, but other than that, I really feel like I could talk about this book forever. I think anyone could. That's probably what keeps us going with this series. And I think that's one of the best recommendations I could give it.

(While writing this blog, I had to tell my computer to accept the words Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Horcruxes. This saddened me. But it's probably because I named my computer after a vampire.)

I Believe...

That God has me here for a purpose.

In reading like crazy or until others think you're crazy.

In love, love, love, love, love.

That Dave Matthews Band is one of the best bands in the entire world.

That my mom and my brother are the best people in the entire world.

That I would feel completely alone without my best friend.

In being silly, being goofy, and being yourself.

That Sunny Delight, macaroni-and-cheese, and grilled cheese are cure alls.

In baking whenever you feel like it.

In making sure your kids have a better life than you did.

That someday there will be One who doesn't leave.

That music is a necessity, not an extra.

In letting yourself get carried away.

In impulsiveness, spontaneity, and faith in your actions.

That being warm is cozy is the best feeling in the world.

That family time is the most important time.

In the complexity and feeling that goes into a playlist.

In waiting endlessly for the thing you want the most.

In having a plan, but being able to abandon it when needed.

That we are all human, no more and no less.

That we are not meant to live this life alone, although I have trouble with this one.

In writing something down, no matter how trivial.

In inner-strength and self-reliance, as well as the goodness of vulnerability.

In love stories.

In rehabilitation over imprisonment.

That I will find my path, though I wander searchingly now.