Dystopin December (and January) Details

(Funny, this could figure in as my D-post :P)

Hey all!

As I mentioned on Sunday, I would try to post something review-related either yesterday or today and, since I was a lazy bum (as usual) all day yesterday, it is, obviously, being posted today.

Okay, as I have mentioned numerous times (like...3), the theme for this month(s) reviews is all about dystopian societies. Now, there are a fair few who might be reading this that may not know what a dystopian society is, so I'll take a moment to explain.

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, a dystopian society is "an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives ," (click here to view entry).

Although you may not know it, it is very likely that you have either read a book or viewed a filmed that featured a dystopian setting. For example, here is a list of some famous dystopian novels and films: (click on the film's name to view it's IMDB [Internet Movie Database] page)

                                                                   Movies

Children of Men (2006)

Idiocracy (2006)

V for Vendetta (2006)
Æon Flux (2005)

I, Robot (2004)

Artificial Intelligence: AI  (2001)

Books

The Hunger Game - Suzanne Collins (2008)

The Giver - Lois Lowry (1993)

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood (1986)

A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess (1962)
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (1953)

1984 - George Orwell (1949)

As you can see, the idea of a dystopia has been around for a long time, however, the notion of dystopia versus utopia existed long before 1949. In 1516, Sir Thomas More (a dear friend, advisor, and confidant to the famous King Henry VIII of England) published a book titled Utopia. More, in fact, coined the phrase "Utopia," which is Greek for "no place" (with "Dystopia" being Greek for "bad place"). The first known use of the word dystopia is in 1868, in a speech before Parliament by John Stuart Mill.

In literature and film, the dystopian genre generally falls under science fiction, as many of them deal with futuristic settings (think The Jetsons, but with guns).

Dystopian fiction has exploded in recent years, particularly after the release of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games in 2008. I, like many others, have been drawn in by dystopian novels. In my childhood, I read Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, and 1984 (all mandatory for school, but I loved them). It's both easy and difficult to understand why the genre is so popular. Generally written with thrilling language and vibrant visual vernacular (yay for unnecessary alliteration), dystopian novels leave you sitting on the edge of your seat, gripping the pages with stiff, white-knuckled fingers. They leave your pulse pounding and mind racing.

However...

They are also quite depressing because they generally feature a loss of free will and happiness, and the inhabitants of the society are either blissfully ignorant or fearfully informed.

Still....people love them. I recently found a blog post from January of this year featuring the subject of dystopian literature and the almost inexplicable enjoyment of them.

So, now that you have the general gist of what a dystopian society is, here is the how the reviews are going to go.

While I can't give an exact date as to when each review is published (tons of details are being factored in like work, Internet availability, etc), I can give you a listing of the books that I plan on reviewing.

They are as follows:

The Hunger Games

Wither

Matched

1984

The Giver

Fahrenheit 451

A Clockwork Orange

The Maze Runner

Uglies

City of Ember

The Handmaid's Tale

Brave New World

The Road

Across the Universe

Among the Hidden



Those are the fifteen books that I will be reviewing over the next month. While the order listed above is not necessarily the order the reviews will appear, my first review will indeed be on The Hunger Games and will appear on this blog within a couple of days.

I hope you're looking forward to this as much as I am. It's been some time since I've done reviews and I'm very excited to be doing this again.

Happy reading, all!

P.S. I don't believe I've ever said so, but I do enjoy reading comments. However, any comments that are rude or antagonistic to myself or other readers WILL be reported and your comments will not be posted. 

P.P.S. Here is a fun image I found will looking for pictures for today's post.

How embarrassing!



So, as you may have noticed, I have not done a thing for my reviews, so far. I've read books...I've written about them, but as for here, on my blog, nada. I apologize. With finals, work, and a position as bridesmaid # 3 in a wedding (CONGRATS JESSIE  AND CRAIG!!!) and a lack of motivation in general. That, and not having internet at my house gets in the way too.

I promise, I will post soon! If I have any readers out there, I apologize and thank you for sticking with me!

On a side note, I met a celebrity today. No joke!

Ron Lester, of Varsity Blues/Not Another Teen Movie fame....came to the Waffle House I work at. I spoke with him for an hour. It was really cool!! He's way down-to-earth and a funny guy!


Anyway, I hope y'all are all having a good weekend! I have tomorrow and Tuesday off, so hopefully I'll be able to start catching up with the reviews!

It'll be Dystopian December/January, I suppose. =)

Taylor

Just a few updates...

Hi all (or any),

Few updates in the slightly low-key life of me.

First, I totally failed my attempt at NaNoWriMo. I'd like to place the blame irrevocably on school and work, but it was also a lack of motivation. I did get a pretty good start...I wrote for five days straight...and then quit writing for seven....after a while I just decided to give up. I haven't read enough fantasy and science fiction to make for a good writer of the same anyway. So, I am going to do more research (i.e. LOTS of reading) and then try again. I'll have to choose a different book for NaNo next year, of course, but hopefully, I will have a real winner.

On a happier, more productive note, it's almost December which means my book reviews will begin! December's will be on books that are set in a dystopian society. On December 1st, I'll post my book list and a little preface, so to speak, with interesting information and such relating to the them.  My first review will be on The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I hope you tune in to read the review and whatever fun facts I find!

I'm starting to think this blog may be predominantly a review blog, with a few thoughts sprinkled here and there, some funny (or attempted thereof) anecdotes and such. This is mainly because (as a total newbie to blogger/blogspot), I just discovered today that, although you can have multiple pages, there is not a capability for multiple entries on the added pages. And while I would like to keep my reviews separate from my main blog-list, it look as though I may have to post on the main page...that, or get a new blog entirely.

Anyway, hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving (if it is something you celebrate) and are enjoying the holiday (whichever holiday you may partake in).

Bye!

Here is a picture of an otter (my favorite non-feline, wild animal) to make you go AWWWW!

Enjoy!

Some Changes...

Hullo all!

Sorry for the absence, if there is anyone there! Senior year at college has been nothing short of dreadful, but hey, I'm getting what I paid for, right? I just wanted to let you know there was a change to the Book review page with some new info up there, so check it out if you are interested!

Anyway, I've been working full time and going to school full time, which is why I haven't had any posts written. With all that time allotted elsewhere, I really haven't had time to have anything interesting happen, either.


However, I should have a fun Halloween post up, because I'm taking my boyfriend trick-or-treating. I know that sounds weird and creepy, but let me explain. My boyfriend is 26 years old and has recently told me that he has never been trick-or-treating! NEVER! I was appalled! So, I took it upon myself to take him! We will don our Civil War clothes and I will take him on his very first trick-or-treating adventure in my hometown (where I know all the good places to go!).

So there will be cute pictures. I'm going to make him carry those pumpkin/ghost buckets and everything. Should be a blast and post-worthy.

Also, with November approaching, I will be working on writing along with everything else in my life as November is the official National Novel Writing Month. For more information, check here! My account is Amavara, so check me out and cheer me on as I try for the 50,000-word goal. This will be my first year. I will try to post frequent updates and fun (copyrighted) info about my book-to-be during November as well.

Well, I'm off to go plan for nanowrimo and to do some homework for class.

Happy Halloween to all!

-Taylor

In Memoria

Ten years ago today, the United States of America was brutally attacked by a vindictive terrorist group, leaving the country reeling in shock and pain. So much has changed for America since that dreadful day.

A decade is a long time, but, in retrospect, it feels as if it happened yesterday. I was 11 years old, in 6th grade. I remember being in science class when my school principal's voice came over the intercom system asking for a moment of silence to commemorate a dreadful event. I remember everyone in my class, the teacher included being totally baffled. 'What happened?' we were all wondering. The teacher turned on the news and on every channel was the coverage of the two towers burning, black smoking pouring out of them. It was horrible to watch. A lot of us cried.

Shortly after, the bell rang for us to go to our next class. By the time I had sat in my next class, math, and the television had been turned on, both towers had fallen.

I cried throughout the day.

The sister of one of the teachers at my school had been at the Pentagon that day. Mercifully, she was not harmed.

Still, I often think back to that day. Six years after that, in my twelth grade year, I wrote a poem for class concerning Flight 93, and the plot to retake the plain by the passengers on board.

Mind you, I'm horrible at poetry, I would have rather written something in prose but:

Let's Roll

On September 11^th you board your flight

Unaware of the lives to be spent out of spite

Not knowing the terror that will soon plague the plane

Nor the eminent feelings of anger and pain

You sit, oblivious, to the terrorist plot

To the plan of revenge their leaders have sought

Then over the speaker came the terrorists' call

Their plan was to make our morale fall

You pick up your phone with tears in your eyes

You call your wife to say your goodbyes

You tell her you love her and not to forget

To never give up, and never to quit

You formulate a plan with the others on board

To give back to many all life can afford

You say a final goodbye and try to console

Then turn to your fellows and state "Let's roll"

It is people like Jeremy Glick and Tom Burnett, two of the men who revolted and tried to take back the plane, as well as all the men and women who have fought in the two wars that continue on to this day that make me proud to be an American.

To the victims and heroes of 9/11 and all those who have fought (and those who have selflessly given everything) in the war: You will never be forgotten. 

Readers: please, at one point today, take a moment of silence to remember the people who died and everyone who lost someone that dreadful day or in the wars thereafter.
Honor those who have fought back, protecting you and your family from further acts of terrorism. Remember what we lost that day.

To the American military:
Thank you. Your service means so much to this country and to its people.

Requiescat In Pace