An Accidental Time Traveler

   

     I did it again... I bought another book without finishing several others. 11/22/63, by Stephen King, a time travel story about, if you didn't guess by the date, the Kennedy assassination. Yesterday, I went to Target to shop for an iPad Mini. They had sold out, so I wandered about the store, before finding myself in the book section of the store. The first item I laid my eyes on, the new edition of the Hobbit (which is pretty awesome indeed), I decided not to get as I already have two copies. I did the same with the new editions of Lord of the Rings.. although I have only one copy of The Two Towers.

      Then I saw the 11/22/63 sitting by its lonesome on the bottom shelf, somewhere about halfway down the aisle. I ran down and snatched it up before anyone else could get to it (even though I had been the only person in around).

     This brings me to a total of four books underway.. and still a few yet to get around to. When will the madness end?

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

Be Thankful!

      Today's post is somewhat unrelated to literature, books, or anything of the sort. Today, here in America, it is Thanksgiving. We gather our families together for the sole purpose of being thankful, and engorge ourselves to the point at which we have to loosen the belts a bit. We have just one day in which we are encouraged to be thankful for our many blessings. After today, we drift back to our lives in normal fashion. We complain about work, we complain about school, we bicker back and forth about political ideas, and we are generally only encouraged to be thankful on this one day.
    
      Why must we only be thankful one day out of the year? Why can't we be thankful all the time, every day? I know, you can't be happy all the time, but you can't always be unhappy either. It is very easy to focus on the negatives, and not being thankful for what you have going for you can do nothing but hurt you. We all have things to complain about (like my incessant back pain, or how math seems like an alien language), but look on the bright side- we don't have to fear for our lives on a daily basis, we won't be killed simply for having an opinion, and we can live assured that for the most part we will have the basic necessities.

      Okay... I've exhausted myself for today. Be happy, be thankful, and don't hurt yourself.

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal.

Review: The Dark Tower VII- The Dark Tower

      Alright... It's over. I hate finishing good series, if only because I love living along with the characters, and finishing means I can't be with them anymore (almost sounds insane, right?). My life, since spring break early this year, has been nearly dominated by Roland, Eddie, Jake, Susannah, and Oy. I'm honestly wondering what it'd be like not reading about their adventures- because they have been such a constant force in my life. Anyway, how do I begin reviewing this 1000+ page book?

      Let's start with the positives. I could go on and on. The character growth among these five is stunningly amazing- even Oy, despite being a dog/raccoon- type creature (called a billy-bumbler). Of course, Eddie is my favorite character by far... His jokes were timely and awesome, and brought an element of hilarity to bad situations. The fulfillment of Roland's dream, laying his eyes on the Dark Tower, was great. Roland's being thrown back to the beginning of the series is a concept I find fascinating, and has me thinking. How many times has he been through the journey? After Susannah's, Eddie's, and Jake's reunion in New York, will they appear in Roland's next journey? Is the Crimson King still trapped as a set of eyes on a balcony of the Tower, or is he back in action? Have the Beams been permanently saved, or will Roland have to stop the Breakers again? Will Roland have to face off with Mordred again? The questions go on and on.

      Here come a few things that set me off a bit. One, I feel like that with the amount of energy put into the fact that Mordred was this sort of evil guy that would help destroy the Tower (or Roland), his death seemed a bit quick and inconclusive to me. I almost felt a bit let down by the fact that he posed so much of a threat throughout this book, yet he didn't really hinder Roland and friends much at all (except for the huge sidequest he caused, in Song of Susannah, but that's another book). Two: I'm still not sure how I felt about the inclusion of lightsabers  (Although those were in Wolves of the Calla), exploding snitches, and all the pop culture references that were put in to move the plot along. (Hey Jude is popular in both worlds?) I'm left wondering whether King had lost inspiration at these parts, or was trying to tie our world and Roland's together.

      All in all, I loved the series. I have it up there with Lord of the Rings as a series (although there's no way King matched the extensive background that Tolkien put into Middle-Earth). Might I add how coincidental it is that I finished the series on the nineteenth of November? (The number nineteen is a big plot element throughout the series.)

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

The Status of my Reading

      Here I sit, on the floor of my bedroom again, wondering what I shall write about next. Should I outline where I am in my readings? 

1. The Dark Tower- I'm nearing the end of this crazily intense book. They're finally closing in on the epitome of their quest- The omnipresent Dark Tower, the nexus of all existence. At the point I've read to, Roland and Susannah have traveled into the White Lands of Empathica, a snowy tundra plagued by blizzards. 
2. Empire of the Sun- The war is over, yet Jim is still lost alone outside Shanghai- although aided by parachutes of food dropped by B-29's piloted by Americans. 
3. The Diary of Anne Frank- I bought this over the last week from a book fair at school. I've wanted to read this for a while, and upon seeing it I thrust it into my parent's hands and made them buy it for me, even though I have more than enough money for it. *snickers* Anyway, it's fascinating to see the perspective of someone who actually experienced the Holocaust, rather than the textbook definitions many people live by. 
4. Dune- Realizing I haven't picked this one up for more than a week or two, I don't have much to say on this one. Just goes to show what happens when I read multiple books at once. Well, Thanksgiving break is coming up soon, so I should be able to put in some reading time. Hopefully.

The Sweet Smell of E-books

         E-Readers- they're portable, convenient, yet they're also somewhat controversial. Some call it a grand idea, and others... not so much. What really is the reason that some accept e-readers, while others furiously object to the idea? I'm split on the issue myself- I own a Kindle, yet most of the books I read are the real, paper books.

         Those opposed to the idea of computers taking over the papered book state cling to several ideas to back themselves up. The one I most often hear is that e-readers lack that distinctive smell, a smell that is hard to describe. Nearly every avid reader is familiar with this smell. Another big argument against e-books takes into account the computer aspect. In the time since I first bought my Kindle just over a year ago, I've had to replace it several times, due to e-reader either freezing and not responding, or a stream of lines appearing on the screen, obstructing my view of what I had been reading at the time. Now, I'm pretty sure on this, but I think physical books aren't usually prone to machine malfunctions.

         On the other hand, those who support the idea of e-books cite portability, convenience, and also the myriad of features that come with most e-readers. For example, several libraries offer an e-book service where a person can download a book from said library, and on the due date the book will simply vanish from your collection. This cuts down on late fees for those who are too busy to make it to the library, and also those who easily forget to bring their books back.

         Like I said earlier, I'm on the fence with this issue. I do enjoy the smell of old paper, yet I also appreciate the ease of use that e-readers can bring to the arena. I myself don't believe that either means of reading is better than the other- at least people are reading, right?

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

An Innocent Escape

      I, being an introvert, find books to be just as good of friends as people can be. Looking at me at any given time at school (or anywhere else for that matter), one would find that I am more likely to be buried in a book, chipping away at homework, or looking up the latest news on the school computers than socializing with friends.

      They carry endless possibilities, ideas without end, they capture the spirit of the times. They can provide a place to go where there will almost certainly be someone who would understand you, even if you don't actually communicate with them. Unlike video games or computers, you can get endless hours of entertainment without having to charge the batteries, or look away from eye strain or mind-numbness.

      Also, another advantage books have over electronic means is the amount of material available. Books have been published and read for centuries upon centuries, while computers are only several decades old at the most. This allows for a much wider selection of material, and also reflects views on life extending back through history.

       You know another awesome thing about written literature? Anyone can do it. Take a paper, a pen, and start writing. If you do it enough, you might just become good at it. Video games, or computers in general, need extensive and lengthy schooling to even start programming (Okay, yes, classes are required for English, but you do gain a basic knowledge of the language just by experiencing the people around you; this isn't true of programming).

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

Eddie Dies! (Dark Tower Spoiler Alert)

      If you haven't guessed through my previous posts, I am a huge Stephen King fan, and I'm reading the final book of his Dark Tower series, titled The Dark Tower. My absolute favorite character (I mentioned this in another post) is Eddie Dean, an ex-heroin addict from Co-Op City, in New York, New York. Drawn into Roland's world from the New York of 1987 through the use of 'doors' that transcend time and space, he is initially wary of Roland, and in fact attempts to kill him for not letting him through another of these 'doors', as he is suffering from heroin withdrawal and wants a 'fix'.
      Over time, though, Eddie does accept Roland as 'Dinh', high speech for leader of their 'Ka-tet', a group brought together by 'Ka', an equivalent of destiny or fate. Through their adventures, and my reading of these, I have fallen in love with Eddie (not in a weird way). With his attitude towards life, and his often- hilarious jokes, puns, and timely references to pop culture (up to 1987, the year he's from), I've come to view him as someone not just from a book, but a friend walking with me on the path of life.
      Unfortunately for all, readers and Ka-tet members alike, during the battle of Algul Siento, Eddie took a bullet to his head. His death was not sudden, but slow and drawn out. thankfully, though he did get a final word in to Susannah, Jake, and Roland before he stepped into the void.
      I think I've said enough- I don't want to reveal too much.

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

Goodreads!

      Short post today, but I recently signed up on Goodreads, a site where you can rate, review, and recommend books. Check out my account here: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14163842-neal   There you'll find the books I've read in the past (more than what I've read in the past year), and simply my rates of them- I haven't the time (right now) to hunker down and review books that I read months or years ago. I'll get there eventually, though.

       Right now I'm familiarizing myself with how the site works, so I might not be able to do a ton with it for a while. I'll try to build my profile once I find the time (Probably over the weekend).

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

Literature By Character

      In this post I'll list out some of the characters I've loved the most throughout my readings. They won't be in any particular order, just a general list of my favorites.

• Eddie Dean (Dark Tower series, Stephen King)- I really like Eddie for millions of reasons, but mainly because he has such a dark past to him, yet he's such a purely awesome and hilarious person... and I feel like if I would have acted much like he did had I been put in all the bizarre situations that Roland put him through. 
• Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien)- He's such a great, loyal friend who never leaves Frodo's side. Of all the characters in LotR, I've always identified with him the most, with all the motivations that drive him.
• Johannes Verne (The Lonesome Gods, Louis L'Amour)- He's well-read, he's sure of himself, and there's something definite about him that I identify with. I genuinely wanted to see what he would do next.

       Yeah, it's a short list... I'll make another post when I think of more.

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

So Far This Year....

I've read:

1. The Gunslinger, Stephen King
2. The Drawing of the Three, Stephen King
3. The Wastelands, Stephen King
4. Wizard and Glass, Stephen King
5. Full Dark, No Stars, Stephen King
6. Coming of the Third Reich, Richard Evans
7. The U.P. Trail, Zane Grey
8. Riders of the Purple Sage, Zane Grey
9. The Lonesome Gods, Louis L'Amour
10. Wolves of the Calla, Stephen King
11. Song of Susannah, Stephen King
12. Salem's Lot, Stephen King

      It seems like ages ago since I started The Gunslinger, the first installment of Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I'd gladly review all of these books, but alas, that would entail me reading them again. That would take another year, give or take a few weeks. I will post a review of The Dark Tower, the final installment of King's series, once I finish, which should take a couple weeks among school and other things.

      Coming of the Third Reich stands out as the only non-fiction work I've read this year. That admittedly took quite an amount of effort to stave through, much to my surprise. As you can see, as I've mentioned several times in other posts, I'm a big Stephen King fan. What I'm also really into (I don't think I've mentioned this yet) is the Western genre, particularly Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour. I have a couple L'Amour books in my shelf yet unread.

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

My Own Personal Book-Store

      If I were to own a book-store (an idea I find interesting), It would be a place not only to buy books, but also to hang out, have a deep conversation, or maybe check the latest newspaper articles. A place where you can find someone willing to hear your opinion, or maybe to give some friendly advice.

      In front of the store would be several tables where people could sit, read, or chat. In the corner would be a television set to the news, in the back of the shop would be rows of shelves containing all the best books, classics and the most recent, and also several newspapers and magazines (not including celebrity gossip magazines). I would have some quiet music playing from a radio. Maybe in another corner I would have a small cafe where I could serve sandwiches and coffee to customers. Nothing grand or glamorous, just a small counter where I could make a few small, basic sandwiches, a stove for items such as grilled cheese that need to be cooked, and a coffee-maker (one that could also make iced coffees too- those are the best).

      I'd love it to be in an older brick building- one old enough to have a sense of history, but not so old that it needs more repairs than it's worth. It would give off a kind of atmosphere that would be pretty cool along with the books and sandwich/coffee corner.

      Sounds cool, right?

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

My Shelved, Yet Unread Books

      There are, of course, many books that I want to read. But first, as I naturally would do, I have quite a few books on the shelf yet to read. Half-Price Books will be the death of me.

      What do I have to read? The next three Dune Books, and a couple Louis L'Amour books (on the bottom of the picture). Right now, I'm reading Empire of the Sun, The Dark Tower #7, and the first Dune (top of the picture).

      Although only four of these books actually belong to me, you can see how much of a bookworm I am. Also, you can see the genres and styles of literature I'm into right now. Science-fiction, a genre I haven't explored much beyond Star Wars, is one that I'm very slowly stepping into. It's very much like walking into a cold pool- you have to take a while to get used to it. Post-apocalyptic fiction is one of my favorites- I Am Legend (the book, not the movie) is a prime example, and one I liked quite a bit. The Dark Tower series is part Western, part science-fiction, and part post-apocalyptic fiction- it's an amazing series with great characters, ideas, and a great plot. I've been living it since spring break earlier this year, and I almost can't bear the thought of being on the final book.

      Empire of the Sun, a Historical Fiction novel, revolves around the experiences of a young kid in Shanghai after the Japanese invade in the late 1930's. I find it to be a very emotional book, and it is based off the author's own experiences.

      Anyway, that's what I have on the shelf now- at least until I go to another bookstore.

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal