Existentially Fraught Free Throws

I've not been posting much lately, to the point that this is hardly active. I haven't spent as much time looking at other blogs/participating as usual/as I would have liked. Cause I'm in one of those moods. Creative-y stuff is not happening to me at the moment. All my creativity is being sucked into my art coursework (who am I kidding, I haven't done any actual work on my art in ages. Woops) Anyway. I can't explain myself as well as Stephen Chbosky can, so here you go:




So I'm not feeling half as bad as Charlie. But you know, meh. And now some things have become like Gus's existentially fraught free throws. Like, what's the point.

Woah, though. This is coming off way more depressing that intended. It's all good. I'm just a dramatic person (also, I think you should really go read The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, and The Faults In Our Stars, if you haven't already. Cause then a) You would know what I am taking about, and b) they are really really really good books.)

Anyway, I haven't totally entirely disappeared. And since I am great at lists, I'm going to give you a list.

1) I have just finished baking Flapjacks. I shall tell you about these tomorrow (although because it's me, it probably won't go up until the end of the week. Apologies in advanced)

2) Last Sunday I read the aforementioned Faults. In two hours. I then gave it to my friend, and she read it in one sitting. We then gave it to another friend who read it in a few days. In the last week, three people have read my copy, and two other people have gone out and bought it cause I have been raving about it so much (I would like to thing they thought it sounded great. It may just have been cause they realised I wouldn't shut up until they bought it) I'm going to talk about it later ( I would have already, but I couldn't have two book posts in a row. Sadly, I'm not kidding, I do worry about such trivial things) but in the mean time. I would like to urge you for the second time in two hundred words to go read it. Now.

3) I still have loads of fur fabric. I'll be making another teddy bear. Be prepared it will be awesome*

4) I've just watched Easy A and Pretty in Pink in Spanish, and while I can honestly say it was not that enlightening, it was pretty funny. And also, I forget how great those movies are.

5) I really want to make glittery shoes. So that should be happening soon too.

6) I dyed my hair red. It didn't work. This is irrelevant to my blog entirely. I just wanted to share. Also, I wore a skirt and a top without a jacket and I didn't freeze today. This excited me to no end. And then someone pointed out that this was global warming in action and I kind of freaked out a little.

*awesomely badly done. Like I said, be prepared

The Graveyard Book

So I felt I should talk about this great book that was sent to me by Haley in her care package that was just way better than the one I sent her. I have a feeling that this is one of those books that if I talk to anyone about though they will just be like 'OH MY GOODNESS, WHY HAVEN'T YOU READ THAT ALREADY' If you feel like that, then sorry. I really have no idea why not. If you haven't read it, then I do have to say 'OH MY GOODNESS, WHY HAVEN'T YOU READ THAT ALREADY.' Go read it.

It's one of those great kids books that is the reason for kids books still existing. You know, like the first few Harry Potters, before they became YA, and the first Anne of Green Gables and Shug and other books like that that make up for the dodgy series like Animal Ark, or what ever it was called, (although I did read and love those. But that's partly cause I read everything when I was little. I was Head Librarian = Not all that cool a child. I don't have any regrets.)

Anyway. The Graveyard Book is a story about Nobody Owens, who's whole family is crazy-murdered when he is only a tiny baby. He manages to escape some how, and crawls to the graveyard, where is is given the Freedom of the Graveyard. Which basically means he gets to grow up with Ghosts, and he has special Ghost powers.

And if that doesn't sell it for you, it has beautiful pictures. I take the same line as Alice from Alice in Wonderland on that one. Books are always better with pictures.

Seriously, this books is something I wish I had read when I was younger, because it is so inspiring, but one of those books that I still got a lot from now. And I love Haley very much for sending it to me.

And on a side note, I just got home from a great week skiing in Switzerland with my Family. I learnt no German sadly (no literally, all I can say in German is 'I am a Donut' and a bit of dodgy stuff about the Nazi's from history class. People don't like me much there...) But I had a great week all the same, and also that is my lame explanation of my absence from the Blogosphere over the past week...

A Lightening Scar

So the final thing for my friend's care package:

It is just a super simple headband I made watching TV, but I think it's quite cute all the same, even if a little useless. It's the second one I have made like it, although the first one didn't have a scar on it.

Right so, I am going to tell you how I made it, even if you don't care, cause other wise this post will be sure short and not at all useful/have a point. Which wouldn't be a change but whatever.

Alright, so I used size five needles, and some red heart wool that claims to be DK but is totally not, and way more like 10/12 ply. I cast on 12 stitches, and just knit it like this:

First row: knit 

Second row: k2, p8, k2

And repeat, so you end up with a garter stitch border and stockinette stitch otherwise. And then I made myself a chart for the scar:

Which is super lamely coloured in, cause Paint was being stupid, and also I was too lazy to do it properly. Oh well.

Now I can't wait to mail this package! (Ugh, why is everything closed on Sunday, my only day off!)

In other news, John Green's new book came out, and I am trying to figure out how long it will take to get here from the US...

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

So, if you read my post about my new year's resolutions, you would have seen that I wanted to read 50 books this year, which comes out to a little under a book a week. Totally do able. I think? Maybe... 

Anyway, Delirium was book number 2, after The Lovely Bones which I don't really know what to make of. Disturbing, and very well written, but kind of like, ew, why am I reading about this? 

I picked them both up at a charity store on the way back from my local library. I always forget how rubbish that library is, and it's actually really sad. It would be great, it's really near my house, and seems to have lots of books, but somehow I never find anything I want to read in there. It even has a YA section, but that has nothing but really really shudder inducing 'OMG, that boi over there totes fancis me yeah?' kind of books. And I am like, OMGNO. HE DOESN'T. GO GET SOME REAL ISSUES ALREADY.

Back to the point, I had read Lauren Oliver's first novel, Before I Fall last year, and had loved it. It was beautifully written and really interesting.  It was a concept novel that was still written well, with interesting characters and a really good message. 

I was a little weary of Delirium though, as it was described on the back as a 'Margaret Atwood meets Twilight novel' by Grazia. I am not a fan of Twilight. Twilight too makes me shudder (Dude, it is not cute in the slightest that there is an 150 year old vampire watching you sleep, while trying to resist killing you. Okay? Okay.)

Having read the book though, I can see why they linked the books. It's a forbidden love story, but not because the guy is about to murder you. Also, there is none of this, 'Hi, what's your name?' and then about ten minutes later 'I would die for you I love you so much,' which also seems to happen a lot for some unknown reason in stories. 

I also really liked the other main aspect of the book, where Lena begins to question her whole world. The book is set in a dystopian future of the US, where they have found the cure for love, as they have decided it is the cause of all evil. Without love, they are taught, it is possible to be happy. She is a few weeks away from getting cured when she meets Alex, who doesn't believe in the cure. And as she falls in love with him, she too starts seeing things differently.

I thought it was done really well, the whole story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are going to read it though, you may want to wait until just before the second book comes out. Cause there is a major cliffhanger at the end, and I don't know how I am going to wait till it comes out...