Concerning The News, Whether You Want to Hear it or Not.

Local Theater Headed for Change
This month was a time of heavy change at the world renowned Theatre Illuminata.
The theater, which is home to a wonderful cast of players, was thrown of it's usual tilt as it staged a new play by its new director, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith.  Miss Smith has been at the theater since she was a little girl, and according to inside sources has had a reputation for being rebellious.
"Sometimes I find it a wonder that she hasn't burnt the place to the ground," says the theater's stage manager.
Mrs. Edith, the Theatre's costume director, strikes a softer tone.
"She can be insensitive at times, but ithink she's capable of correcting it."
And Mrs. Edith's words certainly fulfilled themselves, as Smith lead a campain to repair the Complete Works of the Stage, a book that contains all of the plays used by the Theatre.  During her efforts, she was also preparing an Egyptian themed version of Hamlet, which was to make it's debut earlier this week.  However, patrons of the performance were treated not to the new production, but to a play telling of Smith's life story and how she came to be at the Theatre.  The performance was well recieved, and the theater gained many more patrons.  Shortly afterward, Smith announced that she and a small group of friends would be leaving the Theatre and taking their show on the road. 

Time read this week: 6 hrs
Total Time Read: 34 hrs
Total Books Read: 13

Of Characters You Never Wanted to Meet

Okay, the title is a bit misleading.  This week I need to think of five reasons why I would or wouldn't want to be firiends with the characters or author of my book.

I decided to take a break from White Fang and spent a half hour last night reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Though the book was short, it is to the point and includes some very good characters as well.  I like Kate DiCamillo's books because the tend to be shorter, but at the same time, they are well written and teach a very important lesson.

The first character we meet is a china rabbit named Edward Tulane.  Edward is owned by a little girl named Abilene who treats him with the best care and love.  However, it is Abilene's grandmother who makes Edward realize that he has never really known love.  By the end of the book, I think I would like to be friends with Edward because he has gone through unimaginable things and has indeed been loved and cherished. I think it would be a good lesson to learn from him.

After Edward is lost by Abilene, he is discovered by an old fisherman, who brings him home to his wife, Nellie. While old, Nellie is a very loving and caring person. Though she has no grandchildren in the book, she finds something else to show affection affection to.  She gives Edward the name Susanna and makes dresses for him and treats him like a real child. It is she who first makes Edward  feel truly loved. I think Nellie would be a wonderful grandmother to have. She seems like the kind of person who would be there for you if you ever felt unwanted.  She might also bake you cookies.

One day, Nellie and Lawrence's daughter Lolly comes to visit.  Lolly is a loud, cold-hearted woman who wears too much make up and thinks her parents are crazy.  Just as Edward disliked Lolly, I did as well.  I wouldn't want to be friends with her at all.  She scorns her parents for showing affection to Edward and ultimately ends up throwing him in a garbage dump.  I don't think anyone would like Lolly as a friend.

Towards the end of the book, Edward winds up being used as a scarecrow in a field.  It is here that he meets an eight-year-old boy named Bryce.  Bryce takes Edward and brings him home to give to his little sister,Sarah Ruth, who is very sick.  Bryce's father is a drunkard who hardly ever comes home, leaving Bryce to look after Sarah Ruth on his own.  I look at Bryce as being the world's best big brother.  He looks after his sister, and when she dies and is taken away by their father, leaves with Edward and looks after him as well.  He is a very protective person.

Lastly, I would like to be friends with the author in general.  Kate DiCamillo seems like a very wise person, and someone you could learn alot from.  Her stories are well written, and give a colorful selection of characters to relate to. I would like to know where she gets the inspiration for her stories and how she makes them seem so real.

Total Time This Week: 4 hrs

Total Time For Project: 28 hrs

Books Read: 11

Theme 3: Of Songs and Soundtracks

The long awaited topic has finally arrived!  This week I need to come-up with a 4-song soundtrack for the book I'm reading.  In this case, it's a book i finished reading on Monday, but I had alot of fun coming up with songs and I like the ones I picked. (this post contains some spoilers, so beware)

I wanted to give the Hunger Games in general their own theme.  I think that Blow Me Away by Breaking Benjamin does a nice job of describing them.  During the games twenty-four tributes are pitted against each other in a fight to the death.  If you want to win you need to be smart and move quickly to outwit your opponents; only the strongest will survive...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nTwBF7dM7g

In the beginning of Catching Fire, Katniss and Peeta go on a Victory Tour in which they visit each of the twelve districts of Panem and the Capitol.  As part of this they must act as though they are still in love to hopefully discourage the seeds of rebellion that have been planted in some of the districts.  While Katniss doesn't seem to have true feelings for Peeta, she goes along with the act (partially because of a threat from President Snow)  However, Peeta still shows that he cares about Katniss throughout the book; particularly, comforting her during her nightmares. he also tries to encourage her.  This is one of my favorite songs and I think it somewhat relays Peeta's feelings toward Katniss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFxxOO-WDc4

In the Hunger Games books, there is a large city in Panem known as the Capitol, which is the home of President Snow and the rest of the socialites of  the country.  The song I picked was a description of  society in the Capitol.  People in the Capitol are obsessed whith the latest fashions and being beautiful, often altering their bodies to be so.  The people there are very high up in status, but even though they may seem to have everything, it must be difficult to always keep up that image.
(This is a link to the lyrics. I don't recommend listening to the song unless you enjoy screamo music, though there are a few parts where there's someone singing normally)
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/the_devil_wears_prada/hey_john_whats_your_name_again.html

At the end of Catching Fire, Katniss is rescued from the games by a hovercraft.  She wakes up in a hospital bed and first assumes that she has been captured by the Gamemakers.  She takes a syringe and goes off to find whoever captured her and possibly kill them.  Instead, she finds Haymitch, Finnick, Gale, and Plutarch Heavnsbee, the head Gamemaker, and learns that they were planning to sabotage the games from the beginning. Unfortunately, Peeta was captured by the Capitol before they could rescue him as well.  Gale also informs Katniss that District 12 has been bombed by the Capitol and destroyed.  I felt that this song captured a feeling of helplessness and sadness, but also gave a glimmer of hope in the fact that there is still a way to over come the things that have happened.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_ZOQOK1nq8

(I was tempted to include 'I'm Sexy and I Know it' and put it as Finnick Odair's theme, but I decided not to, even though one of my friends would have gotten a kick out of it... you know who you are) 


Total Time This Week: 13 hrs 20 min
Total Time For Whole project: 23 hrs 50 min
Books Read: 9 (six of these were only 185 pages each)