Random Stuff and Tattoos

Pentagraph
I think. I think. I think. I think. I think.
Therefore iamb.
-Ed Conti

How great is that?

Anyway, I am now 18 years old. It is no different from 17, except now I can sign forms at the shirnk without my mother being present, and also, I don't have to worry about curfew (even though I'm never out late). One more thing, which may be of some significance, is that I can now get a tattoo. Whether I will or not is a different story.

How is that literary?

Because in my world, almost everything is literary. See, if I were to get a tattoo, it would be a reference to literature. I've been toying around with ideas. All text maybe? Or an illustration? Both? I don't know. If I were really brave, I would get a sleeve of illustrations from all of my favorite childhood books. I'm averse towards pain, and I do not see it necessary to spend over 100 dollars to cause pain to myself. Therefore, no sleeve for me. Instead, here are some options. (This is significant, because I am telling you what literary things I really love). Onward!

• The Dark Mark or the Hallows sign. Harry Potter was probably the most important character of my childhood. I started reading the books when I was eight, and I will continue reading them throughout the rest of my life. Yes, the Dark Mark is "bad," but it's kind of cool. Right? I would, naturally, get it on my left forearm. The Hallows sign is self explanatory, and I would get that on my upper back.
• Kurt Vonnegut's self portrait or the tombstone from Slaughterhouse-5. The man. The legend. Oh, how I love KVJ. I don't know which I would get. The tombstone says, "Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt." Simple genius. I'm not sure about placement, but I do love the ideas.
• I am. From The Bell Jar. I love love love Sylvia Plath and this book. I don't think love is a strong enough word, even. Placement= wrist.
• burn, burn, burn. How could anyone expect me not to put Kerouac on the list? I would get the words as a list, almost, going down my forearm.

I have more ideas, but I'll save them for later. I'm at school, and the bell will ring sooner or later. So, I'm off. Consider this post unfinished.

Book Recommendations

This post is just going to be a list of great books and why you should read them. I've read all of them, and they are amazing books. I'll try to put these in categories, but some just don't fit into just one category. So, here we go, read these books. Seriously. Right now.


Classics

Jane Eyre- Oh, how I love Jane Eyre. Jane is such a wonderful, relatable character, and Charlotte Bronte writes beautifully. Sorry Wuthering Heights fans, but in my opinion, she is the best of the Brontes. If you're one for characterizations and heavy symbolism—and even if you’re not—you need to read this book.

Pride and Prejudice- I wish I were Elizabeth Bennet. Yeah, I know this isn't the best book in the history of the world, but you have to admit that Jane Austen is amazing. If you're a fan of love stories and you haven't read this, you MUST pick it up right this instant.

Beloved- This is such a powerful, tragic book. Toni Morrison creates such beautiful, terrible, and real characters with this novel. This is one of the best books in American literature, seriously.

Anthem- Want to read Ayn Rand, but don't have time for a 1000 page novel? Read Anthem. Rand is such a cool author. Anthem is about a world without individuality due to collectivism. If you enjoy politics, I whole-heartedly suggest this novel.

The Mists of Avalon- I have not actually finished this book. I am not even half way through this book. I've been working on it for about 6 months. That being said, this is one of my favorite books. Yes, I can say that and mean it. I have always loved the Arthurian legend, and much to my delight, I found this work that tells the tale from a feminist point of view. This is just one of the coolest books. If you're a fan of Arthurian legend or if you're a fantasy geek, I suggest reading this.

The Crucible- I bet you were wondering when I was going to put a play in this list. Well, here we are. Arthur Miller is a god. I absolutely love this play. For the political nerds, this parallels the Red Scare. For everyone else, this is such a thrill. Read it, read it, read it. I cannot stress this enough.

Slaughterhouse 5- If I were the Pope, I would canonize Kurt Vonnegut. I have an unhealthy obsession with Vonnegut. Slaughterhouse 5 not only includes alien abduction, but also includes a prisoner of war's view of the bombings in Dresden. This is such a beautiful book. It is my second favorite Vonnegut, but the most well known.

Cat's Cradle- My FAVORITE by Vonnegut. This is so beautiful and awesome. Science nerds and literary nerds alike will love this novel. I hate to summarize this book, because a summary will not do it justice. Read it. If I could recommend just one of these books to you, it would be this one.

Teen Fiction

I am not a big fan of the angsty teen novels, myself. However, I used to be, and here are some good ones I would probably reread.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower- If you are a teenager and you have not read this, shame on you. Charlie is such a relatable character. I loved it. It's a beautiful story.

It's Kind of A Funny Story- Good story. It's about a kid who gets help before trying to kill himself, and ends up in a psych ward for a week. I enjoyed it. My friends have enjoyed it. It's interesting. Not my favorite, but interesting and relatable.

The Twilight Saga- I would get punched in the face by my friends if I did not include this series. I started reading the first book back in 2005. I've only read the first 3, and stopped before the fourth. Is this good literature? Not at all, and the literary snobs hate it. But is it fun? Yes, and all of my friends who have read the books absolutely love them. It's like the Harry Potter craze for the teens. I will say one thing, though. This "dazzling" vampire, Edward, shows signs of a very over-protective, controlling boyfriend. Bella and Edward's love is an obsessive love. It's a bit unnerving. I did enjoy the books, though. They are fun.

Uncategorized

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- This is one of my top five favorite books. A nine-year-old genius on a quest for the soul. Absolutely, hilarious, heart breaking, and joyous. I love this book so very much.

The Time Traveler's Wife- Such a beautiful book. I could read this over and over again. A great love story. Confusing at first because of the times changing, but you get used to it. I highly recommend this.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy- One of the funniest books I have ever read. Douglas Adams is a genius. Enough said.

The Secret History- This was recommended to me by a friend, and it has become my favorite book of the year so far. This is a story of 6 college students who major in Greek studies. It mirrors a Greek tragedy. Donna Tartt writes so eloquently. I absolutely love this.

That's all for now. More than enough, I believe. Hopefully someone has found this useful.

MUSE

My name is Laura Flowers and this is my own personal literary blog for Hueytown High School's literary magazine, Muse. It's an online magazine right now, and there is a link on this page to it. WE NEED SUBMISSIONS! So, if you go to Hueytown, please submit your work. We take any poetry, short stories, photography, whatever you want to give us. For submitting, I'll even give you a free moustache or vampire fangs--your choice. Sounds exciting, right? Anyway, this is my blog, and I'll be putting book reviews and other things relating to literature. I will also be putting up events around Birmingham that I find to be awesome on here.

This is my big submission for Muse since I don't write poetry or short stories or anything. Sometimes, I write run-0n sentences and use too many commas, but bear with me, grammar Nazis. See what I mean?

In conclusion, read and submit to Muse.