Hard to Swallow

With the school year winding down, I decided to not read any more novels, and stick with shorter magazine articles.

Hard to Swallow by Barry Estabrook, on page 71 on the May edition of Reader's Digest.

The article starts off with a story about a man who suddenly dies after experiencing severe stomach pains and diarrhea. Towards the end of his life, his behavior grew erratic and he started behaving like a drunk. He no longer recognized his own son.

Scary, right? And what's even scarier is that his death was caused by...a piece of cantaloupe. The fruit was contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes, a deadly pathogen.

This is so creepy...

Foul conditions, poor regulations, and too few inspectors are threatening our safety. Food-born illnesses are increasing every day. The article addresses all of these issues without sugarcoating anything. 

 

It kind of made me want to never eat food again...HA! What am I talking about? I would never be able to do that. But the article did make me question the safety of my food supply. The real enemy is what is inside, not around your body.

Great! One stop shop for cigarettes, liquor, and celery!

So make sure your food is clean, your hands are sanitized, and your grocery store is not a sketchy looking cardboard stand!

Deadly (Pretty Little Liars # 14)

Right now, I kind of hate myself for reading this book. For any of you who have read the Pretty Little Liars series, you know what I mean. And for those of you who have never read the series, I suggest you stop reading this right now, because I am too lazy to explain the first 13 books. The plot goes in circles and the series NEVER ends...case in point, Deadly is already book # 14.

OK, I've done it. I just googled the question, "Who is A?".

IT'S NOT REVEALED in the book! Which, by the way, I am not finishing now. However, Helper A is revealed, so I guess that was a good thing.
                                                                         How can such nice looking girls be so stupid?

And look at them, holding hands and walking past a perfect little picket fence, while their lives are at risk- wavy tresses flowing, dresses artfully torn, makeup fixed to perfection. Even the top left cloud is kind of cute...

Sigh...I have very mixed feelings for this series. I always find myself reading the next book in line because I feel like I owe myself the answer to the never-ending mystery.

But now I finally realize: Why would I do that when I have Google by my side?

50 Secrets Pets Won't Tell You

I decided to try reading something different today, so I skimmed an article in Reader's Digest.

50 Secrets Pets Won't Tell You

The title of the article really catches your attention, and it definitely made me more curious! The only pets I ever had were a hamster and a turtle...both are dead.

OK, maybe I'm not the best pet owner. So you can see why I wanted to know how to understand an animal's deepest darkest secrets. However, I will never be one of those people who run up to dogs and start cooing at the "adorable shape of their noses".

The article gave me a lot of information- both highly useless and entertaining. For example, "You may think its cute when I rub my butt on the carpet, but it probably means that I'm itchy and would like to see a vet" (Crouch 135). Oh, by the way, the article is written from the point of view of the pet, NOT the owner. I really hope you realized that from the quote above :)

Something else I thought was funny: "Excuse me for putting my bottom in your face, but you should consider it an incredibly high compliment. It harks back to when I was a kitten and would do the same thing to Mom so she could clean my bottom. It means I perceive you as a maternal figure" (Crouch 138).

Great! So first you scratch your dirty butt against my carpet, then you want me to clean it with my tongue?

I will never understand hardcore pet owners.

But anyways, this article was a nice break from the novels I read all the time, and it definitely had strong voice in it. And the pictures were just too cute!

Thirteen Reasons Why- Done!

I finished Thirteen Reasons Why a few days ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. It's one of those books that forces you to think long and hard about life. And when you're done thinking, you realize how much life sucks.

But you'll also realize how many people you affect in your life on a daily basis. And you'll realize that you have the power to change, make, or break someone's day.

No one was there to help Hannah change her decision to take her own life. But you have the power to help anyone else who is stumbling through a tough part in their life. So use that power. And who knows? You might just save a life.

I thought about a story I once heard, about a woman who had had a bad morning, but still managed to smile at a passer-by. He stopped and started a conversation with her. They spoke for nearly an hour, until the man thanked her and walked off. Two days later, the same man sought her out and told her that he had been on his way to commit suicide when she smiled at him. Talking with her had made him change his mind, and gave him hope for life.

"A flood of emotion rushes into me. Pain and anger. Sadness and pity. But most surprising of all, hope." (Asher 335).

This quote from the book is exactly how I felt after I finished reading. It's heartbreaking and emotional, and it sends a powerful message. I don't say this very often, but this is one of those books you HAVE to read. Not just because it's popular right now or because all your friends are reading it. But because it's one of those books that you'll want to read again and again, even when you're much older.

Hannah Baker's Tapes: # 1

I found this video on YouTube, and I think that everyone should listen to it, regardless if they have read the book or not. Hannah's voice is freakishly similar to what I imagined...



The rest of the "tapes" are also on YouTube, if you enjoyed this one :)

Thirteen Reasons Why

       I was inspired to read Thirteen Reasons Why after reading someone's blog post on this book. I have only gotten to page 100 (1/3 of the way through), but I am really enjoying this book.

       Thirteen Reasons Why is different from any other book I have ever read. Why? Because the majority of the story is told by a girl who has already committed suicide.
       Huh? Yeah, by a dead girl. But don't worry, it's not her ghost.
       Hannah Baker had recorded several cassette tapes before she took her life. The tapes explained the 13 reasons why she committed suicide, along with instructions on what to do with the tapes if you had received them: listen to all of them, and send them to the next person/reason in Hannah's tapes.  There was one person for each reason, and the main character, Clay Jenson received these tapes. That meant that he was one of the reasons why Hannah killed herself.
       The story is told through Hannah's recorded tapes, and is occasionally interrupted by Clay's  thoughts while he is listening to her.
       So far, Clay has only listened to 4 of the tapes. I don't want to give too much away, but basically, the reasons involved mostly guys, rumors, betrayals, ruined friendships, and a peeping Tom (I know, eww ewww ewwwww GAG). 
       
       Needless to say, Hannah had terrible experiences with lots of males. But I can't help wondering- if the genders had been reverse, would people be as sympathetic or show as much understanding for why she took her life? I mean, let's think about how outrageous this would sound:

"Hi, my name is Hans Baker. I killed myself because 13 girls were being really mean to me and I felt helpless."

       Now, I'm not saying that girls can't bully guys, because I know they do. HOWEVER, in a story like this, a girl being mistreated by men makes a much more gut wrenching sob story. If "Hans" had been real, he would've sounded weak and unmanly, instead of scarred and depressed like Hannah. Hmm...I guess gender stereotypes are still rampant. 

       Another thought I had while reading this book: I don't think Clay is one of the reasons why Hannah killed herself. If the author had planned that, Clay would've come off as a lot more guilty than confused. 
        When Clay hears Hannah's first tapes, he thinks, "But we [Hannah and I] never had the chance to get closer. And not once did I take her for granted. Not once. These tapes shouldn't be here. Not with me. It has to be a mistake. Or a terrible joke," (Asher 10).
        I predict that Clay is right- the tapes were accidentally sent to him. So far, the worst thing he has done is steal a Walkman cassette player so that he could listen to the tapes while walking outside. He doesn't seem like someone who would hurt Hannah. And besides, he didn't know Hannah well enough to hurt her and push her to suicide. 
       And also, no one wants the main character of a book to be an indirect murderer. Let's be honest here. When has the main character of a book ever been an evil person? 

       That's all for now. I will be finishing this book next week, so stay tuned!

The Infernal Devices

For some reason, I just can't stop reading Cassandra Clare's writing...The Infernal Devices is basically the prequel to The Mortal Instruments, which was the topic of my previous blog. Again, I can't say much about what happened specifically in each book, but I can give you my overall feel:

I finished The Infernal Devices series last week, and I have to say: I didn't like this series as much as The Mortal Instruments- mainly because the setting is in the Victorian Era. I mean, corsets and servants are great and all, but they're not that relatable to most of us. Out of curiosity, I searched up the "proper etiquette for ladies during the Victorian Era". I had some good laughs...

 

"Anyone with bright red hair and a florid [flushed] complexion should marry someone with jet-black hair. The very corpulent [fat] should marry the thin and spare, and the body, wiry, cold-blooded should marry the round-featured, warmhearted, emotional type."

"When crossing the pavement, a lady should raise her dress with the right hand, a little about the ankle. To raise the dress with both hands is vulgar and can only be excused when mud is very deep."

"A single lady and a single gentleman should never be left alone in a room together. This could be embarrassing for them, and lead to speculation amongst others."

Obviously people don't think or act like that anymore- well actually, the last one could still lead to speculation nowadays :D

Something I did like better about The Infernal Devices were the characters. The characters were wonderfully crafted, and the love between them felt so much deeper and more genuine than the love in The Mortal Instruments. The main character, Tessa Gray, is torn by her love for 2 men who both love her back- Will Herondale and James Carstairs. I usually don't like love triangles, but in this case, I do. There's an interesting twist that comes from the fact that Will and James are parabatai (a pair of warriors who fight together as lifelong partners, bound together by oath; their bond is reflected in their closeness and willingness to lay down their lives for one another). SO...you can see how things get a little awkward. 

I like how Cassandra Clare developed Tessa's personality throughout the series. She is definitely a round, dynamic character. She's stubborn, intelligent, and selfless- basically, she's the perfect heroine without being too perfect. And she's also completely unaware of how pretty she is:

Tessa Gray

That's something that annoys me (just a little). When characters pretend to be completely oblivious of their beauty, like, "Oh my lord! I never noticed how long and silky my wavy hair is. Oh, and my eyes! The greenish blue color is rather stunning!"

OK, she never said that, but that's the feeling I got.

Overall, this series was great! There's something for everyone to enjoy! Romance, action, fantasy. Actually, now that I think about it, I think girls would enjoy this book more than guys...

ANYWAYS, thanks for reading my blog!