The Nerd List - September 2014

Given that I started school again this month, I haven't really done anything very spectacular. Nevertheless, the show must go on and so here is my monthly list of "stuff I kind of did and maybe liked that's mostly to do with books" a.k.a. my September Nerd List. 

Books

Books I’ve Read:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

On Writing by Stephen King

Carrie by Stephen King

Book of the month

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was simply, inexplicably phenomenal. Weirdly enough, I was inspired to read this novel after seeing the movie trailer. I delved into the book in with low expectations and the sole intention of finding out how it ended, but came out with my brain wrapped in millions of knots from twisting and turning so much, and the inability to speak fluent English for about half an hour because I was so shocked and flustered. This book made me want to scream out loud and rip each and every hair from my head, but it was without a doubt one of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. Not for the faint of heart, Gone Girl was gruesome and dark, but I highly recommend it to readers looking for something fast-paced and intensely gripping.

Character of the month

Well, this one’s tough… Considering that two out of three of the books I’ve read are about women that turn absolutely, insufferably crazy (literally, they go beyond insanity. There is not actually a word that wholly fits how mentally messed up Carrie and Amy are), it’s a little difficult to choose which one I disliked the least. And ‘On Writing’ was autobiographical, which complicates the situation a little seeing as Stephen King can’t technically be his own character… But what the hell. Stephen King is definitely one of the most entertaining authors I’ve encountered through literature, so he’s my character of the month.

Quote of the month

“High school isn't a very important place. When you're going you think it's a big deal, but when it's over nobody really thinks it was great unless they're beered up.”

― Stephen King, Carrie

Moments

Fangirl moment of the month

I was lucky enough to be able to go to see The Fray this month, and they were absolutely incredible. I fell in love with the band all over again.

A slightly larger fangirl session also occurred when Nickelback released another single (!!!) and I almost died from excitement when my friend played it to me during school. There is no feeling that can compete with the emotions that run through your veins when you listen to a new song by an artist that you’ve been listening to since childhood. I almost imploded right there in the locker room.

Facepalm moment of the month

It’s not really a “facepalm” moment in the sense that I slammed my hand against my forehead in a self-deprecating manner, but when I got my first matric assignment (due next year September), which we are supposed to start researching now, I did have an urge to slam my head repeatedly against a granite wall, and that’s kind of the same thing.

Music

Album of the month

After Matthew Mole opened for The Fray, I couldn’t help but check out more of his music. He’s got this incredible sound that’s a little reminiscent of Mumford and Sons, with his banjo and slightly folksy lyrics. At the same time, his voice has that calming, beautiful quality that can’t really be explained, a little like Ed Sheeran. Not to mention that he seems like the sweetest, most adorable performer on the face of this earth. Oh, and he’s also proudly South African, and a Christian with what seems like a good set of morals (which won him serious brownie points with my parents). I just had to but his album, ‘The Home We Built’, and now I can’t stop listening to it.

Song of the month

I’ve been blasting ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ by Green Day for the past week because – to take the song extremely literally – I’ve been so tired out by school that I pretty much wanted to fall asleep and wake up on October 1^st. (Interesting to note that this was also my September song of the month in 2013… It’s just the kind of song you have to play in September.)

Lyric of the month

“This is gospel for the fallen ones, locked away in permanent slumber, assembling their philosophies from pieces of broken memories.” – Panic! At The Disco, This Is Gospel

(I have no idea why, but the image in my mind when I listen to these lyrics is of vampires locked away in their coffins, which is kind of what I feel like when I’m at school. The parallels between the two are startling, especially when you compare the burning sensation of sunlight pouring through a crack in the coffin and onto a vampires skin with sitting in a Physics classroom.)

Hope this helped with some source of boredom in your life! 

Oh, and before I forget: ATA has now got a Twitter account, so if you're into stalking my reading habits and inane thoughts on another form of social media, follow me on @Blog_ATA. 

"We're all part of the same sick little games"

Anybody who knows me at all will be extremely aware of my unfortunate obsession with All Time Low’s music. However, those who know me just a little better will have realised by now that my seemingly never-ending love for the band is not because of their looks or the punk-pop image they promote. It’s the lyrics that I’m desperately, hopelessly struck by.

Anyway, I had an inane thought today when I was listening to my iPod and ‘Sick Little Games’ came on. Let me be honest and say that while I do really like ‘Sick Little Games’ and its message, it wouldn’t be the first song I’d play to somebody who’d never heard of All Time Low before. At first listening, it’s not deep enough to be considered meaningful, but it’s also not incredible enough to become somebody’s favourite song immediately. Regardless I was listening to the lyrics rather intently today, and something clicked.

If you’ve never heard the song before, I recommend listening to it now. I really couldn’t care less if you don’t like this type of music. Just listen to the lyrics.

I’m going to assume that you took my advice, even though I know most of you wouldn’t have. *sigh*

In essence, the song is about how the artist is obsessed with watching celebrities, and truly aspires to be one of them. He wastes all his time playing the “sick little games” of the rich and famous, and watches all his friends slip away as he becomes more and more obsessed with the fame. The most disturbing part of the song, in my opinion, is the bridge: “If I play my cards right, I can make the big time. I could be a reason to stare. Caught up in the spotlight, shaking from the stage fright, how did I end up here?” The lyrics suggest that fame is not about talent, but “playing the cards right”. It is all just a game.

Sounds a little familiar, right? Think about it: isn’t our entire society based on the media, and the information we receive from them? And given that about forty percent – or even more – of mass media these days is based on useless celebrity news. So ultimately, we’re all caught up in the observation of people who are more talented, more likeable, more attractive, and consequently more famous than ourselves. Aren’t we all, in some sick way, a little crazed by the very idea of celebrities? (Hell, you just have to look at the way this very blog that you are reading right now was inspired by a song by a vaguely famous band.) Don’t those glossy magazines with creative names like ‘People’ and ‘You’ sell billions of copies every week? And why? Because billions of people are obsessed with other people whose biggest issue in life is how to spend their excessive money on a wedding that’s not too bland, not too flashy, but just right (and yet still cost more than it would to build twenty hospitals in Zimbabwe). That is messed up.

As a teenager who is significantly less interested in celebrities than other people my age, I’m probably a little more confused with the obsession my counterparts seem to have with the celebrity world. I think I’ve been personally shunned at least fifteen times this year because I don’t dedicate a small part of my life to watching ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’. It’s seen as a sin, an absolute crime, that I as a teenage girl do not waste my precious time watching another girl cry for twenty minutes about how she lost her diamond earring – which probably cost about the same amount of money as my house. Seriously? Seriously?

Let’s take one step back, shall we? Kim Kardashian – the star of afore mentioned ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ – is one of the most famous people in the world. Not for her kind-heartedness, not for her charitableness, not even for rescuing a kitten out of a tree. She’s famous for a sex tape that went viral.

I like to think that if aliens were to invade our planet right now and take a look at our society, they’d obliterate the entire human race simply because we’ve idolized a woman who took a poorly-filmed video of herself having sexual intercourse with some male, and is now one of the richest and most famous people in the world.

This is crazy. It’s sick. It’s even worse that thousands of humans are desperate to be famous, and are molding themselves after people like Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. Not the best role models out there… The value of simple talent – and not just for the things that get you on TV – has been lost almost completely. As human beings, we’re more interested in what’s going on with the people on our TV screens than we are about helping other people.

But, you know, I’m not an Oscar-winning actress, or a rock star, or a supermodel. I’m not famous, so it’s not like what I have to say will give any more meaning to your life.

Just something to think about.

The Nerd List - August 2014

Sorry this is late. I was stuck in the zone where WiFi goes to die – the South Coast… no one there has even heard of 3G – so I'm uploading this as I arrive home. Enjoy the latest list of stuff that I’ve been mildly obsessing over!

Books

Books I’ve Read:

The Three by Sarah Lotz - 5*

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 5* (my review)

The Palace of Curiosities by Rosie Garland - 4*

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - 5*

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare - 5*

Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres - 5* (my review)

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot - 3.5*

The Finisher by David Baldacci - 2* (my review)

[Note: I actually finished The Three in July, but totally forgot to add it to my Nerd List, and in all honesty it would have won because it was absolutely fantastic. Highly recommended.]

Book of the month

Oooohh, this one is so difficult. I read the two conclusions to two of my favourite series: City of Heavenly Fire from The Mortal Instruments series, and Opposition from the Lux series. I loved both, and both made me cry. But let’s be honest, J. L. A. holds the keys to my heart in terms of books that can make me laugh, cry, throw pillows at the wall, and scream until my lungs want to burst. So, without a doubt, my best read of the month was Opposition.

Character of the month

This award has to go to Luc from Opposition. It just has to. He may be my favourite character of all time. He’s sarcastic, funny, and typically can’t be bothered with anything. Plus, he’s an Origin, the super cool product of a Hybrid and a Luxen in the Lux series, which basically means he has the coolest superpowers ever. And to round it off with a sparkly pink bow, his little comments and anecdotes make my life, such as ‘doin’ my thing like a chicken wing’ and ‘okie dokie smokie’.

Quote of the month

Hmmm… I think it’s a toss-up between:

“She tipped her head back and started laughing, and I started picturing people twerking – everyone in the limo. Quiet Luxen Dude. Sadi. All of them bent over, butts in the air, looking like damn fools.”

- Jennifer L. Armentrout, Opposition.

and,

“’Heroes aren’t always the ones who win,’ she said. ‘They’re the ones who lose, sometimes. But they keep fighting, they keep coming back. They don’t give up. That’s what makes them heroes.’”

- Cassandra Clare, City of Heavenly Fire

Moments

Fangirl moment of the month

It’s been a fairly relaxing month, given that I’ve been on holiday for the majority of it. However, I think I can share that when I discovered that I had actually finished not one, not two, but SEVEN books in one month, I was very impressed with myself. Considering I probably hadn’t even read seven books this year up until a couple of weeks ago, I suppose we can safely say that I’ve escaped from my very own Dark Ages of reading. Hopefully my success doesn’t disintegrate once I’ve started school again…

Facepalm moment of the month

If I thought I looked unattractive before, evidently I was wrong. Let’s just say I look about 900 times worse when I’m having freezing cold water poured over my head for the trending ALS Ice Bucket Challenge… Nevertheless, I survived the ordeal, but recommend rather donating to the ALS foundation than pouring water over your head.

Music

Album of the month

Ed Sheeran’s + is perfection. I don’t know why I put off buying it for so long, but I love it with every fiber of my being. The soft, lilting melodies are incredible, while simultaneously unbelievably catchy. It’s keeping me sane while I try not to focus on the fact that I have a week until I’m thrown back into the dark, dank prison cells of education.

Song of the month

Despite the calm, slightly alternative atmosphere I created in my room while softly playing + over and over again, it’s evidently impossible to escape from pop music’s influence. But instead of being annoyed by Taylor Swift’s latest socially acceptable single, Shake It Off, I had it stuck in my head for about 72 hours straight, and by the time I got it out, I loved it.

Luckily, I was saved from losing my typical teenager rebel attitude when Nickelback released their new single: Edge of a Revolution. So I proclaim a tie.

Lyric of the month

“This is the dawning of the rest of our lives… On holiday.”

- Green Day, Holiday

I thought Holiday was an appropriate choice, both for the simple fact that I am actually on holiday (to take the lyrics extremely literally), and for the reason that they seem to relate perfectly to America’s continuous fall from grace in the eyes of the world… (“Hatts off to the president gasmask. Bombs away is your punishment. […] ‘Bang bang’ goes the broken record,” etc.)

Other

Movie of the month

I saw ‘Lucy’ last night, and while it left me a little confused at the end, it was still pretty good. I would have placed the latest Step Up film above it, except for the fact that I was so incredibly annoyed with the directors for getting rid of Emily, the main dancer from the last movie.

Latest Obsession

Dance Moms. I’m not even ashamed to be obsessed with a reality TV show, because it’s actually just the funniest, most stressful programme on television since Glee. It also makes me feel like a total failure as a person because there are seven-year-olds doing backflips across the stage when I’m sitting here on my laptop wondering what I should eat next…

Thanks for reading!

A reminder that I’m now on Twitter, so if you want to get random updates for whenever I post a blog or review, or quick ratings of books I’ve just finished and am too lazy to review, follow me: @Blog_ATA.