The Reader's Code

There are two types of readers in this world.

There are the readers that do it for fun - for something to do, for following trends (e.g. the Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.), for finding out what happens. Those are the readers that will leave a book unfinished more often than not, who will think of a book as just that - a story about things that happen.

Then there are the Deep Thinkers. This is, in my opinion, a whole category of personality, but it also is a type of reader. If someone is a Deep Thinker, they will almost certainly be a serious reader.
Serious readers don't just read - they take in the book, they want to know what's next - they give it a little place in their heart. Every book you read marks their view on the world a little - alters how they think in almost unrecognisable ways. But these changes are there. How different would a person be if they had never read those books? How different are the minds of light readers and the serious readers? My guess is . . . pretty damn different.

I don't know about other Deep Thinkers/serious readers, but me? I read for the SOUL. I fill up my soul with stories and reading and grand escapades, characters and different worlds. Writers are creators of worlds, (and I could think of so many "what if's" on that tangent, but that's another post) creators of PEOPLE - like they are the gods of their little created worlds. And when I read, I immerse myself in it completely. It's like a time warp: I can sit down to flip through a few pages, but I end up being sucked in - and after what feels like ten minutes, I look up to the clock and am shocked to see that a whole hour has passed.

Me in a book store is like an alcoholic in a liquor store. There's so much potential, so much to be read, so many unsung and undiscovered gems possibly lying around! I discovered the Lunar Chronicles, and I can only hope it's possible to find a new series just as good after I have read it all (only 2 BOOKS LEFT. And they haven't come out yet).

But what if I never do? After I've read those last two books for the first time, I can never read them for the first time again, and though they will still be spectacular, magical books, it's never quite the same as reading it for the first time (though the Lunar Chronicles feel fresh upon every read, something you don't really get with other book series). What if I will never discover gems again, and will spend my life mourning that?
AIEIEIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

What I was hoping to say, without having to go too off tangent, was this: an important value in a serious reader is that they follow an unanimous code:

1. You must never, ever spoil a story for someone. This includes giving away the plot twists, the book endings, and giving them any information as to what happens in the story - whether it's just one book or a whole series. Trust me - serious reader or not, that someone will not thank you for it. And you will have violated your honour as a reader who respects the sacred sanctity of reading.

2. If reading a series, you must read the books in their proper order. Skipping a book, because it isn't available in the library or for whatever reason, isn't a good option. It spoils the book you missed, so that you won't be surprised and will never know the joy in reading that book for the first time. You will never know what you were missing in that. Also, it's just proper to read them in order.

3. If a movie based on the book comes out, you must read the book before watching the movie. More often than not, the book is the better of the two - and besides, it tells how things really happened. A movie might give you a distorted view of the story. Also, movies include surprises (audio sets the mood, and visuals - well, we all know the monster-jumps-out-of-the closet-theme!), but if you read the book after seeing the movie, you can't really be surprised. The experience of watching the movie is so much better when you know how things happened, but have yet to a) cement your mind's eye visual of the proceedings, b) see it all come to life.

If there's anything you think should be included in this code, leave a comment, but I think this is what's most important. It sort of encompasses the respect for reading that we should all have.

Serendipity

Serendipity: a fortunate accident. Tied with destiny and fate - but sort of like a sub-branch of the two. I know it's supposed to be a feeling you get when it happens to you, but I can't help thinking:
Does serendipity have rules?
Because the way I see it, luck doesn't have any rules - it's just luck - but maybe serendipity could. Ah, the possibilities!
1. Does serendipity happen to everyone? Or a select few?
2. If 1 = yes, then do people get multiple serendipities? Or is it just, like, one per lifetime?
3. Do you have to deserve a serendipity?
4. What are serendipities for? Finding your soul mate? Figuring out your goal in life? Generally the different aspects of destiny?
5.  Does it happen only to the people to need help finding the aforementioned?
6. Is it random?
7. Can it happen if you try to find it? Or does it happen only when it's unexpected, like the wardrobe leading you to Narnia?
8. Could serendipities have a scale of seriousness? For example, a 1 on the scale would be happening upon your lost iPod by chance . . . 10 would be help with something that affects your whole life in a very positive way.
9. Is serendipity like a push when you need something to tip the scales, when you're struggling? Or can a simple act of serendipity do all the work?
10. Is serendipity even common enough to answer all these questions? Or is it just a rare set of circumstance?

The Lunar Chronicles

My book pitch of Cinder, from the Inspire Teen Reads Contest I entered (copyright to me):

It’s not often that one encounters a book that one can read over and over, and never get tired of it. It’s not every day one finds a story that will sweep you into its world – where every moment and every rush will be your own. It’s so rare to read something that can soothe you upon your delving in, like a cup of hot chocolate when you come inside from a winter day, and keep you there.

So where might one find such a story?

Enter Cinder, by Marissa Meyer, based on the original Grimm fairy tale “Cinderella.” Though it shares most of the same story elements, new factors weave the story into a fantastic young adult fiction creation that will surpass your hopes and expectations.

The resemblance to the old tale stops at the ball, the prince, and the stepmother. Cinder, the protagonist, lives in a futuristic world where cyborgs and androids are just as common as humans, when a lethal pandemic is running rampant with no cure in sight, and most importantly, when there is a sub-branch of the human race living on the moon, called the Lunars, who can control minds.

Cinder herself is a cyborg, which makes her a second-class citizen, with no memories of her past before the operation. Gone is the doe-eyed Cinderella who waited for magic to let her go to the ball and make all her wishes come true. This story is about an intelligent, tough young woman and how her personal life conflicted with an interplanetary crisis. She is someone worth rooting for in the face of adversity, and Cinder had never wished for silk gowns or true love. All she’d ever wanted was equality and freedom.

Like when dreaming, plunging into this book brings me peace and complete obliviousness to the outside world. On the inside, though, I’d be in a whirlwind – feeling rather blushy when a certain Prince Kai came into the picture, catching my breath when the tempo picked up, altogether as though I was in Cinder’s shoes, every step of the way. I find myself feeling her indignation, her relief, her gaiety, and her worries. Cinder is so real, so much like young women today – it’s impossible not to relate to her, and the problems she must face: not being accepted, the death of loved ones, family crises.

And it isn’t just a book with a plot – it’s a story, in every sense of the word. You have an ultimate evil, an ultimate hero; you have the adventure, you have the conspiracy. It can be told with all the detail of the book, but I think it could also be told as a whispered bedtime story, or a legend, passed down through generations. When I have children, I’m not going to tell them the fairy tale of Cinderella. I’m going to tell them what happened to Cinder, an orphaned cyborg with empowered character, determination, humour, and a strong ability to love.

This story is magical in a way that you might never notice if you were looking for it. It’s a million little things: Cinder’s sarcasm, the comic relief in the form of Cinder’s android sidekick, every one of the plot twists, and the feeling of anticipation when you remind yourself that, for better or for worse, there is a sequel. This story is not finished yet.

You’ll never think of fairy tales the same way again. I know I won’t.

Don't think for a moment that you know what's going to happen. You don't.

Revel in it.

P.S. I tied for third place in that contest. :D
inspireteenreads.com

High School: Following the Stereotype

I've read about high school for what feels like all my life. Many books have shown a few recurring themes: love, popularity, extracurricular activities, and a lot of homework. Now that I am actually going into high school, I realize how the suspense might come to nothing after all - those books do show a sort of stereotype of high school (except the homework. I know better than to think THAT might be misguided). I mean, really - who has a cafeteria with food you can actually buy anymore?

I've composed a list of themes I vaguely expect from high school, and whether or not I think they'll be fulfilled.

1. To make friends. All my childhood friends have drifted away now, and there's nothing I can do to challenge distance and time. I'll be at this school for 4 years - the longest I've ever been at any one school. I hope to find a true friend or two, a circle if I'm really lucky, that will stick around for the years.

2. Romance. The requited kind seems to happen at least once to everyone . . . right? Somehow I can't picture it happening to me. Whenever I pictured myself in high school, when I was little, I guess I sort of thought of myself as this mature, stylish, independent Twist. The thing is, I still feel like me. It's one thing to read about romance from a first-person perspective, but entirely different (probably) in the real world. Romance has never, ever happened to me before, and all the secondhand experience I have from reading so many books might actually be counter-productive.
You know why? All the kinds of romance, what happened and what the characters did (not to mention what worked for them might not work for me) - all the different cases are like shouting, conflicting voices in my head as to what romance might really be like, if it ever does happen to me.
Basically: I have no idea, and every idea, of what to expect of possibly romance.

3. Homework. Of this I have no doubt. I picked up my procrastinator slack a lot this year and I'll have to renew my efforts double-time, if the stories told by books, high school seminars and my mother are any indication.

4. Some measure of popularity and cliques. I think that this is just irrational high school prejudice. I've specifically heard from a student that there are no cliques or popularity pyramids in the school I'm going to, which should be a relief, but I'll believe it when I see it!

5. Some measure of peer pressure when it comes to a) alcohol, b) nicotine. *shudders* I'm pretty sure I have good defences, but you can never be too careful.

6. Extracurricular activities. The school I'm going to is supposed to have a debate club, which I plan to join in a heartbeat . . . if it's there. I went on the school website and searched but saw no mention of a debate club. Who knows? Extracurriculars should also be friend-making opportunities. So we'll see about that.

So you see, I'm enjoying summertime, but there's something to be said for social interaction with people my own age. Maybe I'm still feeling warm and fuzzy from the amazing people at Camp PEAK. But a month is a long time, and I've already had a taste of summer. When school rolls around I'm not going to protest. Starting at a new school is always thrilling, but this? The one thing I know to expect is that high school is in a different league than what I've experienced so far.