Midnighters and Scott Westerfeld

So, here's an interesting story for ya:
Last Thursday my buddy Candice wanted me to start reading this book series with her. I had heard of the series but never read it. (We're totally forming a two-person book club at Richland!) Anyway, I finished book 1 Friday night and thought it was okay. But, if anything, I got motivated to read. (In other words, continuing my phase of wanting to read because I really do go in phases of wanting to write, read, type what I've written from my notebooks, or none of those. It really just depends.)
Sooo, Saturday I told my mom that I just had to go to the public library. Because I knew for a fact that they would have a certain book in another series that I have been dying to finish. But school and life get in the way a little too much when you're an avid reader like myself. (My friends have called me an "Over-dramatic nerd" And by golly, its true! As long as it is pertaining to the fact that I get way into what I'm reading.)
Seeing how there is always opposition in all things, somebody checked out the book before me! I was devastated! But, after gathering up all my courage and reassuring myself that hope was not lost, I began searching for something different. And that's when I saw it. The Secret Hour of the Midnighters series as seen below.I thought "Hmm, looks interesting," I read the back. "Sounds interesting..." Saw the author (Because when I'm randomly looking for books to read I let them come to me, I don't search by author so I didn't even pay attention to where I was at.) And the author is none other than Scott Westerfeld, the author of my favorite book, Peeps. That sealed the deal.
I read the book in 2 days!
I highly recommend it to any fantasy lover looking for a good read. Actually, I just finished book two, Touching Darkness and I had a reaction that I've never had before. I won't tell you what happened in the book (obviously not to give out juicy spoilers.) but it was something that I could kind of guess could happen, but I really, really, didn't want to happen. Naturally it does. I flipped! I was reading at the end Chemistry and the bell rang right after I read the suspenseful bad part. I ran to my locker, yanked out my math books, and hurried down the hall to my math class. I had three minutes left before the late bell and I wanted to read, but I was physically sick to my stomach at what happened!
Now, I've read my fair share of books that bring out a strong reaction in me, but I've never gotten sick! That's how crazy good this book is people!!!!! I have the 3rd one in my possession which is bitter sweet. It's the last in the series. Scott Westerfeld, if you ever read this please write more!!!!! I love you, I love your book series, and I love all the emotional roller coasters it takes me on! Again, I highly recommend this series!
P.s. Scott Westerfeld has a really awesome blog that you can check out at http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/

Flow

I've been reading Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom lately. I love it. It's a different writing style, but the point is so clear. It's about an old college professor, Morrie, who is dying of ALS and his student, Mitch. Morrie is a teacher to his last breath and is using his death as his final lesson to Mitch, and everyone. Last night I read a section that really struck me. Morrie was talking to Mitch about how people are always seeming to want more, more is good, he called it. He precedes to list all the material things that society views as allowing for a good life. But they're all wants, not needs. And he mentions how weird people can get when you don't believe the way they do about material things and how it's our culture to follow a certain pattern. It inspired me to write this poem.

Flow

If life is like a river
And each life a droplet in the river
Both big and small
We know that the current takes us where ever we are going
Were ever that is.

But one may care to ask,
Is this current taking me where I want to be?
What if I don't like where I end up?
What if it isn't me?

And so the great river breaks off into little streams
With their own flow
And their own destination

And I wonder if
the little droplets who chose to go
into the stream
look back the way they came
and wonder if they made the correct choice

And I wonder if
the many droplets who stayed
Look towards the stream
and wonder what the little droplets were thinking.

I can change the flow, perhaps.
I will choose my unknown.
I don't need to be the same
As the other droplets.
I can be different.
I can make a difference.

And the large droplets
Who stayed behind
Laugh at the little droplet's dreams.
"You can't change the world"
"You're only one little droplet"

"The river could spit you out
against the sandy banks
And let the sun evaporate you.
And who would miss you?

But what the large droplets
Who stayed behind
Do not know
Is that if that little droplet
is thrown
Off into the unknown
It will encourage grass to grow.

And that grass will sustain the small animals
And the small animals sustain the large.
And the large will sustain the man.
and he will continue the cycle
That would otherwise be broken
Except that one little droplet
created it's own flow.

Pushed Away Lullaby

I was cleaning my room this morning and found a piece of notebook paper crumpled up and shoved under my bed. Curious, I carefully un-crumpled it realized it was one of my poems that I had written. Considering it's content I must have been really upset. I remember writing it, just not why I did. Still, I think it's pretty. So, here it is:

Pushed away as no one knows
Pushed away where no one goes
Hear me? See me?
What, I beg of you
Lost in what the heart felt
Where in my darkness I go
In my shadow so deep

Pushed away, pushed so deep
Fallen away in my sleep
I fight for you
Vain I am.
Careless as you
Disappear. Fallen. Broken.
Hear my silent cry
Or fall asleep to my non-sweet lullaby