May 28, 2009
So Bored...
Any ideas?
Also, sorry for not blogging much lately. My blog juices are low. Is there anything in particular you think I should blog about?
God, how do people do this? I'm telling you right now, I'm going to HATE retirement. My brain is turning to mush! And while this has been a great chance to practice my piano* and write a little, I'm kinda' hating this.
Your Bored Person,
Nadia
*
I know, I can't sing.
May 24, 2009
Retarded Fortune Cookies
Here's what they said, verbatim.
You are very expressive and positive in words, ct and feeling.
The First Fortune:
-The grammar fluke aggravates me strongly.
The Second Fortune:
-It's not even a fortune
-What is "ct?"
-What's with the "in words" add-on?! What's that supposed to mean?
Everyone else at the table got slightly normal fortunes, but no, I had to get the retarded fortune cookies.
Oh, by the way, I think I have swine flu. Can't be sure yet.
Also, I just finished Evermore by Alyson Noël. Yeah...I'm not so in love with it, and it doesn't entice me to read any of her other books. However, I will read the next in the series, Blue Moon. Not even because I'm curious or interested, though. No, Ms. Noël couldn't even do that. I care not for any of the characters or what becames of them. I didn't guess anything about anything, because Alyson could not make me care. At all. I'm going to read the second book to give her another chance to get my attention, to give us a better climax, a better plot, more believable characters, and get us to feel with the characters. Yeah, so overall, the book wasn't very good. It also reminded me WAY too much of Twilight, which then just made it seem unoriginal.
5 Out Of 10 Stars
Your "Fortune" Getting, Sick, Reader of Not-S0-Great-Books and Blogger,
Nadia M.
May 22, 2009
Swine Flu Reigns: Captain's Log: Day 2
The auditorium, usually teeming with life and the various sounds of the petty conversations that pre-teens engage in, was dead silent and nearly empty.
There are 360 people in 7th grade at my school. Only one hundred came to school today. Of course, this is the natural reaction when there are 14 cases of swine flu in the county, eight of them in your school.
And something not everyone knew: This swine flu is the same sickness that killed thousands upon thousands in 1918, then called the Spanish Flu. The subtype for both these diseases are H1N1.
It seemed that everyone was handling it differently. Some scoffed. Some used it as an excuse to miss school. Some were paranoid and cautious (enough to wear a surgical masks to school). Still others joked around about it, wearing pig noses, and coughing their way to the fronts of lines, saying, "Hi, I'm from _____ Middle School," which caused all to scatter. It's actually pretty funny.
For some reason, the principal refuses to close school. Perhaps it's because we're already 2 weeks behind. But it matters not whether school is closed or not, because with every day (that is to say, with every new case), 50-100 less people are attending school (not that it matters, since there's hardly any school left in the year).
But all I've talked about is 7th grade! Only 47% of people came to school at all today. Substitutes were the majority. The hallways were silent. There were camera crews in my science class.
Through it all, however, the teachers tried to keep a handle on things, trying to actually go on with class.
By the way, in science we made contraptions that were supposed to keep eggs safe during a drop from a three-story window. I won!
Anyway, as it seems, the faculty has stopped announcing confirmed cases over the PA–at least not all of them. If they did, would they have any students? But it's still infuriating that they've decided to stop telling us about things that concern our health, just to keep us ignorant and them with a job.
So, in a nutshell,
- No one is coming to school anymore
- Those who are are getting the run of the place
- Those who aren't are hanging at the mall instead of math class (I did that yesterday)
- The school is trying to pass all the cases off as "very mild" and nothing to be feared
- The school has stopped telling us about the cases
- There are 8 cases
- I probably won't be going to school on Tuesday
- I won Egg Drop '09!
- I fear we will all die of the Spanish/Swine Flu!
Nadia
P.S. Holly, thank you so much for talking about "Need" by Hana Pestle. I wouldn't have heard about it otherwise, and I LOVE it!
May 21, 2009
Swine Flu Reigns!
Ok, so maybe you will believe me, but you'll never believe why.
It all started on Monday, when the entire 7th grade was playing bingo in the cafeteria…
Funny, I had just been thinking about how all the swine flu hype had just come and gone like that and how it was ridiculous that everyone thought they were going to get it.
Immediately after this thought, the principal went up over the PA. He was telling us that there was a confirmed case of swine flu. At. My. School.
Once people heard this everyone started yelling and the cafeteria was chaos and everyone was freaked out.
By the end of the day, there were rumors among the students that the teacher who got it gave it to one of her students. None of the adults believed it.
On Tuesday, every adult in my life called to ask me if my school was being closed because they heard about the cases at my school. The school refused to close since we were already 2 weeks behind.
On Wednesday, the principal notified us all that the case we students had been talking about for days had been confirmed on Monday, but had just reached his ears.
On Wednesday, we hear the teachers speaking about a guy in my grade whose mother called to tell the teachers that her son had swine flu. My English teacher even told the class that he did in fact have it.
Three Confirmed Cases and counting.
That same day, the guy who sits next to me in science left school during third period math due to random chills and fevers, chest pain, coughing and sneezing, as well as being tired. This guy sat at lunch with one of the people who had swine flu.
Four Cases
Then, the entire school found out that the teacher who had it in the first place gave it to not only the second case person, but ANOTHER one of her students.
Five Cases
The teacher also gave it to her teacher friend at the school.
There are SIX CASES of swine flu at my school.
So, needless to say, my parents didn't let me go to school today. Apparently, it was the same case with 200 other kids at my school. Including my two best friends who just happened to live a 10 minute walking distance from me... :)
Your Swine Flu (A.K.A. The Spanish Flu of 1918) Fearer,
Nadia
May 20, 2009
Curiosity Killed The Cat
How did it kill the cat? It doesn't really specify. I, however, have a few possible scenarios.
Scenario #1
The cat wanted to know what the pipe bomb was there for and went to investigate.
Scenario #2
The cat wanted to know if the dog was sleeping.
Scenario #3
The cat crossed the road to see what was on the other side.
Scenario #4
The cat was curious and wanted to know what Miley Cyrus looked like.
None of these are very probable (except for #4, but where would she get the picture?).
And we all know that THEY use the term to tell US to not be curious. But why? I mean, at the cat probably died in interest and with the thirst of curiosity quenched. If they had died before they knew, then they'd have to come back to find out, and NO ONE wants their pet's soul hanging out in their house. If my pet turtle came back, I'd be dead, because I assume he despises me....yeah, I never really knew how to care for turtles.....Oops!*
So the cat must have at least died interested and happy, which beats dying bored. Who wants THAT to be the last thing (s)he felt??? This would be what they would write on the headstone of the cat would died in boredom.
A Beloved, Boring Cat
May He Rest In Boredom
So, I think the meaning of the entire saying is moot point. It just doesn't make any sense and someone totally made it up on the spot. And this is how it came into existence…
Curiosity Killed The Cat
A True Story I Made Up by Nadia Murti
Characters:
JIMMY: Child with a dead cat.
MOTHER: Mother to Jimmy.
Setting: A 1920s home in America.
At Rise: MOTHER is lighting a fire on the gas stove.
(JIMMY runs to the kitchen.)
JIMMY: Mother, Mother!
MOTHER: What do you want, Jimmy?
JIMMY: I want to see what a decaying body looks like! Like the mummies!
MOTHER: Then go to a museum. Don't bother me! Who do I look like, your mother?
JIMMY: Um, yes.
MOTHER: Oh, about that, you're adopted. (Indifferent)
JIMMY: WHAT?!
MOTHER: So, what is this about the dead body?
JIMMY: Well, I want to dig up the Anti-Mr. Snuggles.
MOTHER: No.
JIMMY: Why not? I'm curious! (Whiny voice.)
MOTHER: Well, guess what, that same curiosity killed Anti-Mr. Snuggles. Yup, curiosity killed the cat. And now if you give in to curiosity, you're going to die and we'll have to bury you in the backyard, too!
(Silence.)
(JIMMY begins wailing.)
That's how the phrase came into use, because of a woman–who strangely resembled my sister in personality–who didn't feel like letting her kid dig up a cat's body and spoke rashly, not realizing that should might be starting the use of a retarded idiom…how nïave of her!
I hope you enjoyed yet another mini-play that I wrote in about 3 minutes.
Thanks From Your Blogger,
Nadia
*I have so much respect for the dead.
**No offense to anyone who lives in Canadia***
***Yes, I know it's actually Canada, but Canadia sounds funny!
May 17, 2009
About The Character
Have fun!
Basic Info (for characters)
Name: Zac Sharpe
Genre: General Fiction
Author (screen name, please): Nadia Murti
Author's blog (optional): nadiamurti.blogspot.com
For Characters
1. If you could put yourself in any other story, what would it be???
A James Bond one, maybe. Or in "Push." The movie sucked, and I could definitely make it better.
2. If you were to write a book about your author, what genre would it be???
I'm not much of a writer, so the genre wouldn't even matter seeing as the book wouldn't make any sense. But if I must pick, then Renaissance-type comedy (like Twelfth Night). Don't know why, but I really like books that (in the words of my seventh grade English teacher) "poke fun at everyday life and society."
3. Would you survive in a zombie apocalypse, or would you be eating brains???
Of course I'd survive! But I'd most likely survive by pretending I'm already a zombie, so I would also be eating brains.
4. If you were given control of you story, would you change anything? What and why???
Sure I would. I would change myself, I think. I'm pretty fickle. And I would change my girlfriend's friends. They're really obnoxious, though I'd've never let on about it. Oh, and I would have stopped certain people's entrances, which come up at the most convenient times. Seriously, every time I get Jenna alone someone or something interrupts us. *Cough*Cough* Not that I want to talk to Jenna alone, or anything...
5. Do you ever try to give your author writer's block (don't lie)???
...Yes. *Sheepish Smile* It's just too easy.
Your Blogger's Character,
Zac Sharpe
May 15, 2009
Lots Of Reviews
But first, a reminder!
Tonight is the last night of Teens Read Week, and it was NOT a success. Oh well, hopefully the next one will be better.
Send in your short stories by midnight, everyone!**
Alright, today I'll be reviewing the following books,
- Ophelia by Lisa Klein
- Rebel Angels by Libba Bray, and
- Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
"Ophelia is young, vivacious, and falling in love with a prince who cannot return her affections without arousing suspicion. And so they meet in secret—embracing in stairwells and castle turrets, reaching passionately for each other under the cover of darkness. His name is Hamlet; her name is Ophelia. And if you think you know this story, think again. Because when bloody deeds turn the court of Elsinore into a place of treachery and madness, Ophelia alone will find the means to escape, with nothing more than the clothes on her back…and one very dangerous secret.
A spellbinding page-turner, this unforgettable novel will hold readers in its grip until the final, heart-rending scene."
This book was completely and utterly amazing (and surprising). Between Hamlet and Ophelia, the latter is the true classic. Ms. Klein's book keeps readers enthralled throughout. Ophelia was a very original character. Do you notice that every author who writes about this time period seems to think that their female protagonist is original just because she disdains the women's roles in society? Wake up and smell the book store, honey, because everyone does that, you're not creative, and your character is recycled and washed up.
But Ophelia is different. No, she doesn't take everything lying down. But she is proper as the "real" Ophelia was and as the real women of that time were. But she had her own mind, even if she didn't act up against everything she did not like.
The emotions were real, the drama was psychotic, and the romance was riveting.* You had better read this!
9 stars of 10, the highest ever achieved!
Rebel Angels
"Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma’s visions intensify–visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain. . . . The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girls’ great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship. But all is not well in the realms–or out. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma’s willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother’s greatest friend–and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task."
It definitely cleared a lot of unanswered questions I had, but also raised new ones. We got to see lots of romance, lots of Rakshana, and lots of uncertainty which all made for a definite page-turner. I could not put this book down. (Seriously, ask anyone. I was dead to the world for three whole days, reading that 548 page tome.)
Libba Bray is a gifted writer. Every other paragraph seemed quotable, philosophic, and deep. HOW DOES SHE DO THAT? I cannot wait until I can read the next book!
Rebel Angels gets 8.5 out of 10.
Suite Scarlett
"Her new summer job comes with baggage.
Scarlett Martin has grown up in a most unusual way. Her family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City, and Scarlett lives there with her four siblings - Spencer, Lola, and Marlene.
When each of the Martins turns fifteen, they are expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest called Mrs. Amberson.
Scarlett doesn't quite know what to make of this C-list starlet, world traveler, and aspiring autobiographer who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn.
Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deceptions. But in the city where anything can happen, she just might be able to pull it off."
Praise:
"This book is made of funny and smart and whimsical deliciousness (really, lick a page and taste for yourself)." - Libba Bray
First thing I want to say, Libba does not lie! I got curious and licked a margin. I compared it to the taste of another margin from a different book, and it was indeed sweet, like candy! But it had a bad aftertaste.
The book was indeed sweet like sugar, with humor, unique characters and relationships, as well as problems and conflicts.
It was very good, but not as great as expected. Though it kept me interested, it wasn't a "real page-turner," and it was possible to put down.
Oh, and I might marry Spencer.
I really look forward to reading the next book in the series, Scarlett Fever. I thing the the first one is allowed to be very good and not great (just good enough to get us to want to read the sequel) because there are other books that need to follow it up.
I certainly recommend this book.
7.6 out of 10
From Your Frantic Reader,
Nadia
*Nice use of adjectives, I know.
**Look, I'm not going to be mega anal about this. If you send it at 9 am tomorrow, I'm not even going to notice.
May 12, 2009
This Week I Have...
1. Done 10 hours of volunteer work.
2. Gotten some serious sunburn while doing this volunteer work.
3. Eaten my body mass in sno-cones during this volunteer work.
4. Played three hours of volley ball and soccer as part of this volunteer work.
5. Yelled at many children during this VW.
6. Had much cotton candy during this VW.
7. Gone to school looking like I was permanently embarrassed.
8. Gotten freaked out about the final testing (which never happens to me) while my teachers were trying to get us to not freak out.
9. Read Suite Scarlett and much of Rebel Angels.
10. Taken parts of the test.
11. Found some great ice cream in the freezer.
12. Relayed all the boring facts of my week to you.
13. Apologized for the boring-ness.
14. Realized that I have yet to apologize.
15. I apologize.
16. Salutations!
Your Blogger,
Nadia
May 10, 2009
Tonight Is Gallagher Girls Night
Monday night is also Gallagher Girls Night.
Tuesday, we'll talk about writing.
The next day I will hopefully put up an interesting post.
What else do you want to talk about?
May 08, 2009
Mini-Blog: Chats And Books
Tomorrow's chat will be at the same place at 7:00 pm EST. The chat will be about the Twilight Series. Come whether you like the books or not, because talking about books is what we'll be there to do, and that is not the same as sitting around for an hour and praising a book.
We will most likely end up debating about whether or not the book is good.
Your Blogger,
Nadia
Mini-Blog: TRW
Just so you know!
This also pushes the TRW Competition back by one day.
Your Blogger Who REALLY Wants You Guys To Come Tonight,
Nadia
P.S. It's at 7:00 pm EST and at this URL with the password of TRW1.
May 07, 2009
Teens Read Week Competition
The contest:
Write a short story, or some introduction to a novel you're writing/wrote.
The rules:
- Must be under 300 words
- Must be submitted by May 15th
- Must be emailed to the email on my profile.
Best Story
Best Writer
Best Plot
Most Creative.
Remember the chat tonight, 7:00 pm EST, right here. The password is TRW1
Your Blogger,
Nadia
May 05, 2009
Book Updates
Recently, I have read the following:
Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors
Silver Is For Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz
A Great And Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Red Is For Remembrance by Laurie Faria Stolarz
The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong
I possess and plan to read the following:
Ophelia by Lisa Klien
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
And in case I haven't reviewed all the ones I've read, I'm going to mini review them all! (Except Silver Is For Secrets because I'm sure I've reviewed that one!)
Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors
"Mimi Wallingford, Great Granddaughter of Adelaide Wallingford, has the life that most girls dream about, playing Juliet opposite teen heartthrob Troy Summer on Broadway in Shakespeare’s famous play. Unfortunately, she has no desire to be an actress, a fact her mother can’t seem to grasp. But when she and Troy are magically thrust into Shakespeare’s Verona, they experience the feud between the Capulets and Montagues first hand. Mimi realizes that she and Juliet have more in common than Shakespeare’s script—they are both fighting for futures of their own choosing. Mimi feels compelled to help her and with Troy’s unexpected help, hopes to give Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy a happily-ever-after-ending."
It was original. I liked all the characters. It made sense. The only thing I didn't like was the ending, and sometimes the character named Troy Summers.
A Great And Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
"It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?"
When I finished this book, it left me with one question: "What. Just. Happened?" Not the Did-I-just-have-an-acid-trip? kind. More like it-was-just-crazy, it-all-happened-in-a-blur, did-I-catch-that? kind of "What just happened?"It was definitely a thriller. You may find this book under "Romance," though I don't understand why. This book had barely any romance. This, I think, was a book mostly about friendship, power, and secrets. And you know those Spanish soap operas where in every episode it's like, "Oh, that's not Michelina! It's really Ramon's sister-in-law's jealous ex-husband's secret spy!" or something ridiculous like that. Well, that happened a few times, but by the end, Libba made it seem not ridiculous, make sense, and play a role in the plot. The climax wasn't very epic, but it was good. Maybe they're just saving the epicness of the climax for the next books, because if the first is too epic, the others just can't follow up.
It was really good.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
"Agatha Christie's most famous and acclaimed novel! Ten strangers are gathered together on an isolated island by a mysterious host. They share the darkest secrets of their pasts, and then, one by one, they die."
I really didn't like it. There wasn't much suspense. The ending was too out of the blue. The characters acted unrealistically. The entire plot was this:
Exposition
Death
"Who did it?"
Death
"Who did it?"
Death
"Who did it?"
Death
"Who did it?"
and so on, until everyone was supposedly dead.
Red Is For Remembrance by Laurie Faria Stolarz
"Since Jacob's disappearance, Stacey has been trying to move on with her life. With a full scholarship, she begins classes at Beacon University, which her best friend Amber is also attending. But Stacey still misses Jacob and can't quite accept that she'll never see him again.
The president of Beacon introduces Stacey to his fourteen-year-old daughter Porsha, who is struggling with her own nightmares that foretell murder. The two become friends as Stacey helps the young girl cope with her frightening premonitions. They work together to find the boy in Porsha's dreams—locating him in a cult-like community. Despite their innocent goal to live peacefully without technology and material goods, there's a dark side to this community. And one of the members, Shell, looks remarkably like someone Stacey used to know . . ."
It was good.It had barely any of that paranormal darkness and there wasn't much romance, and it seemed like it took a while for the book to start.
The chapters entitled, "Shell," however, made up for all of that with the way it kept us wondering and guessing and hoping, not to mention the way it made us all yell, "Oh my gosh, I know who it is!!!"
The next book is called Black Is For Beginnings and comes out in September. To my dismay, I have just found out that it will be a graphic novel. I have no problem with graphic novels, really, but it's the fifth in a series of four novels. One thing I think Stolarz was really good at throughout the series were the descriptions and such, and I also feel that those descriptions played a major role in the plot, and that if all she actually writes is a little bit of dialouge, the plot and sense of the story will sacrificed. It just looks like she's writing a graphic novel to get out of writing a real book.
The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong
"After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.
At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…"
It ends with a cliffhanger, promising a great sequel.
You can here about the other books once I've read them, since this post is already so long.
Your Read-a-Holic Blogger,
Nadia
May 03, 2009
Jonas: The Show
I felt quite apalled at finding this show funny, but they have some great writers, and it's not super fluffly or unoriginal, and Nick Jonas is a good actor. It may be that I had low expectations, but it was very funny and just...very funny.
Once again, I am revolted to like it, even in the slightest degree, but they have good writers, and ok actors, and Kevin and Joe and Nick are just funny. Like those guys at school that are halarious together, but when they talk to you, you just don't know how to respond. Yeah, like that.
Sorry, don't know if that made sense.
Yeah, I'd say to give it a shot, 'cause it's funny.
Except for the two girls. They're just too much and look like ridiculous morons who are trying WAY too hard.
Your Self-Sickened Blogger,
Nadia