Culture Through Pictures- DeathNote (Post 1)

Ever heard of Manga or Anime? That's like half my reading life, between all my favorite authors and the very long lists of literature I hope, but probably wont, ever complete; I always leave some time aside for my daily dose of Asian culture submitted to me by Manga and Anime.

Though most of them are made up stories of other worldly lands and beings, they actually represent the distinct type of Asian culture it gives of. With different supernatural beings and forms of  ruling like with emperors with nobles instead of kings and lords. Everything besides the translated English is immersing you in their world from their epic battle scene and weapons to the single (or many) bowl(s) of Ramen in Naruto's hand(s).

Though DeathNote is different, set in a real city in Japan around the Kanto region and actual company names it feels so much closer to us here in this world. Though with "The Other Side" evident with the use of the Japanese culture of the Shinigamis otherwise known as the "Spirits of Death" it makes it more of a story than a fairy tale.

Submerged in Asian culture, mostly Japanese, is when I feel I am traveling there myself while intertwined with the unique characters that tie me into the story, while the entire time my head is swimming with the culture. Making me a part of it. Which makes me proud to be apart of another culture, cause these books, and people, are amazing.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Note
The Wikipedia page fore DeathNote with TONS of information.

http://www.viz.com/death-note
The VIZ media page with a short summary, pictures, and even streaming episodes of the Anime.

Realism: Hidden in the Pages of Books- The Fault in Our Stars (Post 6)

Re·al·ism [ree-uh-liz-uhm]
Noun

1. Interest in or concern for the actual or real, as distinguished from the abstract, speculative, etc.

2. The tendency to view or represent things as they really are.

3. Literature.
    a. a manner of treating subject matter that presents a careful description of everyday life, usually of the lower and middle classes.

    b. a theory of writing in which the ordinary, familiar, or mundane aspects of life are represented in a straightforward or matter-of-fact manner that is presumed to reflect life as it actually is. Compare naturalism.


It's there; the sense of things being real. Everything I have blogged about on The Fault in Our Stars is in the general idea of making it feel more "real". Real could be, you seeing happen, you have seen if happen, you could even imagine it happening. Or on your own playing field you relate to the topic or the character or situation. Even in fantasy or sci-fy novels its true, like you could relate to Tinkerbell for her sas and how just darn cute she is. Or you could relate to The Doctor because of his wits or good looks perhaps?

Though with the last page of The Fault in Our Stars turned and the cover shut, I just knew it was real, to me. With not just how the story was told in a real place with normal people characters, but how the story was written. With all the aspects of: dialogue, humor, character traits, diction, imagery and figurative language, format and reliability. Yet, these are just the points that I touched on through my blog posts not to mention: pace, syntax, chapter lengths, secondary characters, plot twists, an basically everything down to the period.

This was an amazing, existential crisis causing, book, that i enjoyed every moment reading. Every tear, every laugh, every flip of the page, every breath i took while reading this book was worth it. Do you know those books have have a personal affect on how you live your life? For me, this was the book, that changed me, without me realizing it til I reached the end.

For a shout out to the author, John Green, if he every find this small blog of mine; Thank you, for writing.

https://www.google.com/search?q=the+fault+in+our+stars&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=jMlvU5riKoaTyATVioCIBA&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=880
The Google images search page for The Fault in Our Stars with the book cover, movie shots, and fan-based art work.

http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/05/09/ed-sheeran-fault-in-our-stars-all-of-the-stars-video/
Ed Sheeran's new song and music video for The Fault in Our Stars soundtrack coming out May 19th.

The Cry of Thunder? -Fault in Our Stars (Post 5)

Crying.
Simple just maybe some tears down someones cheeks or a ruffled intake of breath, with the help of a slight sob.

Sobbing.
Tears have been passed down the face of the person and unable to breath a choked noise emits with wails of pain or sadness.

Breaking down.
Cheeks drenched with salty tears, past a series of chokes and gasps. The sobs becoming wails and wails to yells. intensity of the pain  increased.

Though breaking down in a sense can be entirely different to how different people experience it. Wit a book you dont her or see whats happening, only words on a page to describe to you whats the occurrence. With the use of comparisons and figurative language we can "experience" more "correctly" or closely to what the author was aiming for. In a part of The Fault in Our Stars it states, "... he broke down, just for one moment, his sob roaring impotent like a clap of thunder unaccompanied by lightening, the terrible ferocity that amateurs in the field of suffering might mistake for weakness..." (Green 215).

This is more than crying, more than sobbing and breaking down to a very high degree. With the comparison of a storm and some one crying, it just shows how rattling and intense it is for the person experiencing it. With figurative language the book or scene becomes more than words in a page, it becomes more real. Like we are there or ca reach out and touch the characters. Or even more connecting, we are the character and feeling that pain.



https://www.google.com/search?q=the+fault+in+our+stars&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=PsNmU_a0NcOVyATJp4GADg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&biw=1280&bih=880&dpr=1#q=the+fault+in+our+stars&tbm=shop
The shopping page for book on this book, with clothing, images, the book and more.

Speaking Through Text- The Fault in Our Stars (Post 4)

Format. The ways things look on page, it draws our eyes or just lets them skim. A single line stands out and a large paragraph could too. Its all in the way the book is made out to be. For me personally, a single line draws out more emphasis. Though even the structure of a sentence is format, it all ties together.
The way the page looks.
The way the sentence stands.
Or just a single word on its...
own.

Like that, a different format, that draws the eye. Also just something being "off" can draw the eye. Like out of order placement or unique punctuation or something entirely different. Something we are not used to seeing in literature or our usual readings. Like with dialogue, sounding more step ny step, than a conversation.
"Augustus: "You probably need some rest."
Me: "I'm okay."
Augustus: "Okay." (Pause.) "What are you thinking about?"
Me: "You."
Augustus: "What about me?"
Me: "I do not know which to prefer, / The beauty of inflections / Or the beauty of innuendos, /The blackbird whistling / Or just after."
Augustus: "God, you are sexy."
Me: "We could go to your room."
Augustus: "I've heard worse ideas."" (Green, 204-205)

Just this strange format makes it out of place, or more important and emphasized. Its like texting but with actual words... if that makes any sense what so ever. With the name then a colon, then whatever that person said. Its way different then when er learned so-and-so said, "Bla. Bla. Bla." Its different! And different in a book spices it up a bit. In my opinion.



http://shelf-life.ew.com/2014/04/23/john-green-fault-in-our-stars-bookcon/
Information on John Green talking about this novel at Book-con.

"Seeing" and "Feeling"- The Fault in Our Stars (Post 3)

Don’t you love when you can see something, touch it, even smell or taste it, or to be able to hear it. Like imagine a beach… wait no, even better, imagine a highway. What do you see? A compiled amount of somewhat organized rows of shiny, silver, black, or blue cars, spotted along the road, all crammed together. With the occasional bright splash of a pink Punch-Buggy, or a hot red Mustang. Flickering lights of red and orange greet you from the rears of each vehicle and the bright white scopes on the front of each of the cars. The road, barely visible underneath the high amount of automobiles, deep black, with lines of yellow and dashes of white, all alight with the tall shiny poles flanking the roads. Over hanging their necks and heads of light over the chaos below. Now what do you smell, and hear, the thick smell of exhaust and tire burn as the cars skid and dodge each other. The sound of an occasional car horn and the obnoxious sound of the screeching of unattended breaks, or an unhinged muffler. Then, FWOZOOOOOMMMMMMZZZZZ the sound of an overconfident Harley rider as he dodges and weaves between cars, as the drivers honk and scream at him through their open windows.

Does that image in your head seem real, when books do this, mostly good books; we know what they are talking about. And that author seems more impressive and that story seems more realistic than ever. For me, imagery plays a big part in what I believe and think about while I read a novel. If I can image the place in the book it makes me become more intertwined with this story and understand this book more. Even imagine myself there, with the characters.

John Green is a good example of an author who does this, he does it a lot in his book, The Fault in Our Stars, and yet one part sticks out the most to me; when Hazel and Augustus go to this town in the Netherlands and it is explained beautifully-I feel like I am there with them. “It happened all at once: We exited the highway and there were the rows of houses of my imagination leaning precariously toward canals, ubiquitous bicycles, and coffee shops advertising LARGE SMOKING ROOM. We drove over a canal and from atop the bridge I could see dozens of houseboats moored along the water. It looked nothing like America. It looked like an old painting, but real- everything achingly idyllic in the morning light- and I thought about how wonderfully strange it would be to live in a place where almost everything had been built by the dead.” (Green, 157) This section of text puts this image in my head of this beautiful town, with history yet still elegant, not old. I feel like I am with them in this car, traveling along the canal, passing the shops and houses.

With me at least, imagery is important, so I can "see" and "feel" what the characters are seeing and feeling, because I am there with them. So it is less of reading and more of an experience.

http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/
A page for John Green the author with reviews, discussions and more on this novel.

 http://thefaultinourstarsmovie.com/
A website with The Fault in Our Stars movie web page complete with, actor facts, trailer, pictures, fan art, and more. 

How Teen react to: The Fault in Our Stars movie trailer 

Hug or Embrace -The Fault in Our Stars (Post 2)

This book…. I swear, I don’t know what to do with it anymore. I’m still reading it bit by bit so I don’t overload my heart with more than it can handle, whether it be joy or pain. Yet, some of parts of this book captivates me enough to push me forward in reading even more of this book. With the continuation of humor used, as a teenager about their age this just makes the book even more interesting as a whole.

 Though this is not a reason for my blog post today, today I want to touch on vocabulary. Sorry if it sounds a bit too formal, but the use of vocabulary in this book plays a big role for me. “Headline?” he asked. “Swing Set Needs Home,” I said. “Desperately Lonely Swing Needs Loving Home,” he said. “Lonely, Vaguely Pedophilic Swing Set Seeks the Butts of Children,” I said (Green, 123).” This conversation between Hazel and Augustus over the selling of a swing set, and with each word said it sounds more crazy and humorous. Making the swing house like if it was a person, but it’s not. 

 

With words and speaking, a lot can be expressed, like other languages, or intelligence, or even characteristics of the person, like occupation, or where they are from. But in the form of a book, we can’t hear there, tone, voice, or accent. So we depend on the vocabulary used to describe this person. The dialogue and vocabulary in this book makes the characters feel real to me, like I know them as my own friends because they actually talk like my friends. 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fault-in-our-stars-john-green/1104045488?ean=9780525478812

The Barnes and Nobles page for this novel. 

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/16827462-the-fault-in-our-stars

GoodReads page containing quotes from this book. 

The Doppleganger Chronicles: Book 1 The First Escape by G. P. Taylor(Post 2)

Someone get me a rope please, cause I am stuck on these cliff hangers. Also with so many turns and plot twists in the story I seriously had to get off this carousel of a book, but not until this ride (or read) is over. Which was totally worth it. With such a book as this giving me a doozy I am wondered what the rest of the series is going to do to me. I hope I can get my hands on them.

With this book having each chapter be a character switch between two of the main characters, the twins Sadie and Sakai, they also end the chapter and switch chapters right at the part where you want to continue the most. With bad situations afoot and suspicious occurrences always giving these girls an edge. These cliff hangers, also want me to read quickly through this chapter to get to the first girl, but then this story gets better and the as you read the second girls story you are sucked into her chapter as well. As that chapter ends, you get to the first and the cycle continues, as you want to continue reading their stories, but at the same time. It is well written and pretty mastered. Also with the end as the girls two separate perspective chapters coming together to make them have one chapter together, and giving the other main character, Erik, a shot at his own chapter. 

On a quick note with the twists and turns, as I don't want to spoil anything, were spectacular. I didn't see some things happen, and expected others too, but since there is so much information filled distance, when the occurrence happens you just want to yell out to yourself "I knew it!" Kinda of like in the beginning when Erik wasn't apart of the trio with the girls yet. But when you get a backstory on him, you realize something is going to happen. So he becomes a main character with the twins, and that's all I'm going to say! Hopefully I can get my hands on the rest of the series and see if they are just as good! 

A preview of all three books which is spoiler free, it includes art from the original book.

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Indigo-Dopple-Ganger-Chronicles/dp/1414319487
The Amazon page for the second book The Secret of Indigo Moon, as well as an inside peek and links to the first and third books.

http://www.gptaylor.info/content/view/54/184/
Website that has a place to order novels not only from tis series but other books by G. P. Taylor, as well as signed copies. With attactments that you can read the back cover over veiw, as well as the first chapter of the book.
 

The Doppleganger Chronicles: Book 1 The First Escape by G. P. Taylor (Post 1)

Ever get bored of just a plain page of front size 12, Typewriter Arabic script? Well I know I do, yes I do agree with constant words its like a rhythm the keep reading with. When the words become too much I pick up a handy graphic novel, or a slim comic.

Though now I have found a book that's keeps me guessing, not in plot, but in the style of writing. This book also with text, has pictures, exaggerated text, and... Comics. With this book it's interesting, with multiple styles in the book, I never know how this book is going to express itself. It's a good read for normal text lovers, visual reading, and those just in the mood for a good read. Though not just only on the visual level, but the story is interesting, but I'm not going to give it away. As when I finish this book, I will go on the rest of them. Just for your views, here are what some parts of the book looks like... 

Text with picture-

Text-

Comic-

I hope you find these pictures a good reference for the book, even without the direct lines. With a hope you forgive me for having a less formal post like I usually do, I wanted to be a bit more laid back with this week and just read more, I hope you understand. Thanks!



http://www.dopplegangerchronicles.com/
This is The actual website for this series, with the look at the series, a trailer, and a place to buy the book right there.

http://www.goodreads.com/series/61057-the-dopple-ganger-chronicles
The GoodReads page for The Doppelganger Chronicles. 

"Sup dawg!" -The Fault in Our Stars (Post 2)

I am impressed, with this author, John Green. Even touching on the last post I had with the tone of the characters sounding like teenagers, with laid back dialogue and the order of words. Not up tight sounding and formal like business men, or a serious book. Also not sounding like a light and peppy kindergarten teacher with bundles of energy. The characters sound natural, real, and most of all... relatable.

In my opinion some of the best books out there fall in three categories: uses your imagination, had a cool cover matched with title, or is relatable. Many would question what I mean by a relatable book, and for me it means that just the story makes sense to me and is natural, or I have experienced similar things to the characters in the books. With this novel there is a relatable scene though not to the exact way in the story but the way the characters interact with each other while playing a video game. "'Isaac I feel a growing concern about our position. If you agree then head over to the power Station and I'll cover you... (He switches to speaking to Hazel in the conversation) Anyway it doesn't hurt to talk to him. If you have any sage words of feminine advice... (Conversation back to Isaac) Oh, goddamn it, Isaac, I don't mean to criticize you in your moment of great weakness, but you allowed them to outflank and now there's nothing between the terrorists and the school.'"(Page 57) For me, this adds to the feeling and vibe of the characters and story, so they feel natural and not forced words on the page. This technique pulls readers in for they understand the characters as well as feel like they are part if the story. 

For me on a personal note, it brings me closer to the characters and causes me to have a great issue putting the book down. Like in the quote above I'm like the speaker, Augustus, as when I play video games I am usually holding my spot on two different conversations at once, but with a division and fluency that would make people never know where I'm focused.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fault_in_Our_Stars
The Wikipedia page for the book, which contains the plot, writing inspirations, and some information on the screen adaption.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars
A page for the novel on GoodReads which contains a summary, suggested books, and real life peoples ideas about the book.

Laugh and You Burn -The Fault in Our Stars (Post 1)

As it is known, this book is supposed to have a sad tone to it. Yet, I didn't understand when I first starting reading this book, how the sadness was interpreted. Such as I thought it would have an over all depressing tone though in truth. I found the beginning and the way the main character, Hazel, explains her predicament with load sarcasm and a touch of sass really pulls out some humor in this book. "... Patrick recount for the thousandth time his depressingly miserable life story- how he had cancer in his balls and they thought he was going to die but he didn't die and now here he is, a full-grown adult in a church basement.... addicted to video games, mostly friendless... those many years ago when cancer took both of his nuts but spared what only the generous soul would call his life. AND YOU MIGHT BE SO LUCKY!" (Page 4-5) In my head I read this thought of Hazel with a bored tone, like reciting a story for a thousandth time, just as she said in her quote. With the ending of how they might be so lucky to get that, how she describes it, miserable almost meaningless life. It was quite humorous with this relatable teenage tone and thoughts. Also with use of this tone and the use of slang terms, Hazel seems more dimensional and how we can understand her on a level basis. But, back with humor, it is used to help the story along but when it gets bad, it hits, hard.

As with the humor, a trap is set. Little did I know starting this book that was overwhelmed with humor and sarcasm, that soon, this lightly bubbliness will be gone. When a bad thing happens in a happy moment you don't expect it. So with this story, when the bad part came, it hit home run. And even so far as page 25, I lost it. "I had a neck surgery called radical neck dissection, which is as pleasant as it sounds. Then radiation. Then they tried some chemo for my lung tumors. My tumors shrank and then grew. By then, I was fourteen... I finally ended up in the ICU with pneumonia, and my mom kelt by the side of my bed and said, 'Are you ready, sweetie?' and I told her I was ready, and my dad just kept telling me he loved me in this voice that was not breaking so much as already broken, and I kept telling him I loved him too, and everyone was holding hands, and I couldn't catch my breath... And I remember my mom telling me it was okay, that I was okay, that I would be okay, and when my father was trying hard not to sob, that when he did... I remember wanting not to be awake." (Page 24-25) She starts out like she is retelling a story for the thousandth time again, with the dull overtaking tone. Yet as you get farther and farther into what she is saying, the depressing tone sets in and pushes down and down until you can't take the pressure. As soon as she mentioned her mom, I thought my own mom and the dad who was trying not to sob or cry. It was hard because I can't imagine being in a situation like that. It's so sad that this happened and it broke me, I'm not going to lie, I cried, a lot. Only 25 pages in, now I'm worried what's to come and if it gets worse. I'll just have to keep an eye out for the humor trap next time.

 

The Fault in Our Stars original trailer for the movie.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Fault-Stars-John-Green/dp/0525478817
This is the link for the Amazon page for the novel in case you were intersted in buying it.

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/03/05/esther-earl-star
Here is the story of the girl who insipired the book A Fault in Our Stars along with videos about her and part of her life story. Also contained some information of another book about her and her fight against cancer called This Star Won't Go out.