Watching the sun set.

Some times I’m glad that I don’t have a TV in my house. Today was especially one of those days. If I had gotten up this morning and turned the TV to CNN while getting ready for work today than I can 100% guarantee you that I would have called in sick to work, because I would be paralyzed and stuck to my bed or some where around it. 

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”—

Mahatma Gandhi

I came across this quote earlier today when I got off work and pretty much tortured myself with the articles on CNN and other news sites, as I’m sure many other Americans have today. And you know what? Gandhi was a wise, old man and his quotes aren’t posted on the Internet and scribbled in people’s quote journal’s, and etched into the men and women that have actually had the pleasure of meeting him’s hearts and brain’s for nothing. 

Yes, James Holmes is a terrible man, and did a terrible thing to innocent people for his own selfish and unknown reasons, but we must not forget these very simple words that a very sweet old man said one day to comfort the world and those around him when a tragedy struck. 

My thoughts strength, prayers, and infinite love goes out to the family members of the deceased and to the ones that are in hospitals right now fighting for their lives, which is something that I am all too familiar with. Tonight I felt that it was necessary to reflect on everything, and even though my summer has kind of sucked, I’m grateful that I’m here to actually get through it. I literally just watched the sunset over my school and the pond on it’s property, from my kitchen (because it has the perfect view) and I just ate my dinner and watched as the sun sank below the trees and buildings and away from me for another day, only to return tomorrow. 

Go hug you someone you love and make sure they know that you love them too. Life is short and can end mid-sentence. 

The Other Hand/Little Bee by Chris Cleave

On my list of books to read this summer was Little Bee by Chris Cleave, because the first time I came across it in a Target about a year or two back I knew that I wanted to read it. So this summer when I found a used copy at Hasting's I bought it without giving it a second thought.

The Other Hand, also known as Little Bee, is a 2008 novel by British author Chris Cleave. It is a dual narrative story about a Nigerianasylum-seeker and a British magazine editor, who meet during the oil conflict in the Niger Delta, and are re-united in England several years later. Cleave, inspired as a university student by his temporary employment in an asylum detention centre, wrote the book in an attempt to humanise the plight of asylum-seekers in Britain. The novel examines the treatment of refugees by the asylum system, as well as issues of British colonialism, globalization, political violence and personal accountability. (source: Wikipedia)


This book will immediately draw you in and leave you on the edge of your seat as the character's, Little Bee and Sarah, recall their memories and navigate the reader through their present struggles. I was a puddle for a good portion of this book and I'm okay with that. Because if there's one indication of a a writer's capability to keep a reader's attention, it's turning them into a massive blubbering mess. Cleave's writing is amazingly fluid and simultaneously addicting and his character's only become a part of you, right down to little Charlie who refuses to  take off his Batman costume. The innocence of Charlie is a sweet reminder that even though there is a myriad of bad things that happen in the world that there is still some good and hope for humanity out there, even if the murkiness of one's life is blinding. 


I highly recommend this book, though if you're already kind of depressed then you should prepare yourself with a box of tissues and maybe some chocolates because your heart will be ripped out, stomped on and then slowly put back together again. 


5/5 typewriters


xoxo

High Fidelity

Ladies and gents, this is the beginning of a series. A series in which I review ALL of the books that I've read this summer..this is just the beginning. It's Kind of a Funny Story will not be listed in this series though, since I reviewed it the day I finished it.


I've been on a British author's kick for a few weeks this summer, I've read A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby and Little Bee by Chris Cleave (which I intend to review very soon as well) and I've just started Atonement by Ian McEwan so the UK kick is starting to become a bit out of hand. But I'm perfectly okay with it, especially if I go to London next Spring Break with a theatre group from my school. But I digress, onward with the reviewing!

Rob Fleming is a London record store owner in his mid-thirties whose girlfriend, Laura, has just left him. At the record shop — named Championship Vinyl — Rob and his employees Dick and Barry spend their free moments discussing mix-tape aesthetics and constructing"top-five" lists of anything that demonstrates their knowledge of music.

Rob, recalling his five most memorable breakups, sets about getting in touch with the former girlfriends. Eventually, Rob's re-examination of his failed relationships and the death of Laura's father bring the two back together. Their relationship is cemented by the launch of a new purposefulness to Rob's life in the revival of his disc jockey career.

Also, realizing that his fear of commitment (a result of his fear of death of those around him) and his tendency to act on emotion are responsible for his continuing desires to pursue new women, Rob makes a symbolic commitment to Laura.

                               ............................................................................

At first when I started to get into the book I started feeling like I was reading the pages of a boyfriend's personal journal,  I mean the back cover even says, "Keep this book away from your girlfriend-it contains too many of your secrets to let it fall into the wrong hands."- Details magazine and that was just like bait to me. Of course a single girl would want to read a book from the perspective of a guy that has similar interests and whatnot. It just makes sense, and my sanity doesn't need to be questioned right now. 

I thought that the character development of the book was great, everyone was introduced in Rob's life in such a way that it felt like you, the reader, was just one of his friend's that he was telling the story too. The dialogue in the book was very true to life. I don't think that I've ever read an author that has swore as much Nick Hornby does, but I totally loved it because it made the story become more real and everything that Rob and Laura went through became that much more believable. 

I recently quoted a line from the movie that was changed from what it was actually wrote as in the book, ‎"Books, records, films--These things matter. Call me shallow. It's the fucking truth." -High Fidelity, and my mom called me a potty mouth..so in response I just told her to call Mr. Hornby that since he wrote the words and I was just quoting them for their relevance. You had to be there...

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book, whether your a guy or girl. Because you will learn something from it no matter your gender or what state your love life is currently in. 

4/5 typewriters!

Yet another pros and cons list of singledom

Little Miss Independent has been kicked out of the writers seat for the night. A mini internal breakdown is currently going on and my rationality is out of order.

Pros:

• marathoning your favorite TV shows on DVD in your underwear is permitted every weekend. 
• you can put on makeup whenever you want, and it's just for you
• sweats
• no one to pester you about the books you're reading 
• you can sleep in whatever position you want in bed every night without having to worry about pulling blankets off of another person and all of the pillows are yours. 
• You get to know yourself more. 
• You get to shamelessly stare and flirt with other guys without feeling guilty about it. 
• No one to judge you for eating a whole pint of ice cream in front of sappy movies when you've had a bad day. 

Cons:

• On those really shitty days where you just want to lay in bed and cry there's no one to put their arm around you and whisper to you that things will be okay. 
• Every other one of your friend's on your Facebook feed is getting engaged, pregnant or married and your just there. 
• Pillows are sucky cuddle-rs after a while. 
• When you finish a book or some other big accomplishment that you want to gush about and your friends pr family aren't close you have no one to tell them to.  

• no one to to help you with your car if you're not mechanically inclined. 
• You have no one to stop you when you accidentally click on your ex's new girlfriend and see that she's mutual friend's with half of yours and your ex's sweetheart of a little sister and you break your own heart after keeping it held together for so long. 
• No one to share books and movies nights with. 

Yeah, so clearly the last 3 or 4 months haven't really been the best for me. But they also haven't been the worst.  I'm not complaining because life is   just a series of trials and tribulations, especially dating. But tonight I was feeling especially lonely, so there ya go internet.