Torchwood: Seasons 1-3

As an extension of the Doctor Who universe, naturally, I had to get into Torchwood. I mean, who doesn't want more bloodthirsty aliens in their life?

Basically, Torchwood is Doctor Who's unruly cousin. Which isn't too surprising considering it stars Captain Jack Harkness! The main premise of the show is Jack and his team (Gwen, Owen, Tosh and Ianto) fighting aliens who have come through the Rift in Time and Space that is located in Cardiff, Whales. It's kind of similar to DW in some ways, but Jack, despite being immortal (and if you don't know about that, go catch up on your Who!) is not as infallible as The Doctor usually is, which makes things quite interesting!

The cast of characters is really good. They have diverse personalities which makes interesting interactions and lots of great opportunities for subplots. The phrase "everything's gay and nothing hurts" is certainly appropriate here as well. One of my favorite things about the show and it's characters is how they deal with sexuality. There's a lot of things other than heterosexuality going on there and it's completely normal. Sexuality is acknowledged, certainly, but there is hardly a fuss made about it, which is quite admirable considering the fact that even in today's world there is still so much misunderstanding about it.
 

The visuals of Torchwood are pretty awesome. There are tons of arial views of Cardiff to feast on and the Hub is quite something as well. It kind of gives off a high-tech tree house feel; I'd love to hang out there! The alien makeup is fantastic too; really realistic looking. And the image of Jack in his navy blue military coat... nothing symbolizes Captain Jack Harkness better than that coat.

Despite being a quite unrealistic show 'cuz of, you know, the aliens and stuff, Torchwood  is a program that is quite emotionally and mentally stimulating. It's a show that makes you think, not only about what would happen if aliens were to come to planet Earth, but also about other things, like love and friendship. It also makes you really feel for the characters as well. For example, Jack's past is a mystery that gets slowly revealed, each new clue oozing with emotion. Sympathy for the others is not hard to come by either, as each deal with their own unique struggles.

Torchwood gets an A+ for drama, but it is pretty violent and not quite as family friendly as Doctor Who (there's lots of cussing!). All the same though, it's really worth checking out for any Whovian or fan Sci-Fi or the paranormal!

P.S. According to IMDb, there's a new season set to start on July 8th! There were plenty of teasers for Who fans in seasons 1-3, maybe we'll get a visit from The Doctor himself this time around? One can only hope!

UPDATE: The date for the new season is still up in the air, but you can follow @BlogtorWho on Twitter or go to blogtorwho.blogspot.com for all the latest! Should still be sometime in July though :)

Looking For Alaska

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the  "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

I really loved Looking For Alaska by John Green. When I was younger, I read An Abundance of Katherine's, also by him, which I absolutely loved as well. That book is one of the reasons why I was so eager to read his first novel. I think John Green is becoming one of my favorite people. Besides being a really cool vlogger, his books reach into deep ideas and concepts that I wouldn't necessarily think about normally. And yet, his stories are not monotonous or so intensely serious that you want to go sit in a corner and cry, although they are emotionally moving. In fact they are lighthearted enough that I can actually relate to them, which is hugely important when an author is trying to impart their ideas to their readers. If you can't relate, you're not going to pick up the meaning of their theories.

I was able to relate to this book in particular for a few reasons. First of all, it takes place at Culver Creek, a boarding school in Alabama. I have not gone to boarding school anywhere, let alone Alabama, but really Culver Creek doesn't sound all that different from college. I was able to understand the different emotions that the main character Miles was going through upon arriving at school and how he felt when he went home for vacation, spending time with his family who miss him in strange ways. It was easy for me to understand the process of making new friends and peer pressure and adjusting to being responsible for yourself. The other reason why I can relate to this novel I can't reveal without spoiling it completely, but something that happened in my Senior year of high school is, in a way, replicated in the second half of the book. Anyone who has ever experienced something similar will know EXACTLY how the majority of students at Culver Creek felt.

I was fascinated by this book's focus on last words. I'd never given much thought to them before, but now I find them intriguing. At one point, one of the characters says that we die like we live. It really made me think about what my last words would be based on my life. Probably something nerdy like "be excellent to each other" or (in a fit of nerdfighter energy) "don't forget to be awesome!" Hopefully I won't find out too soon though. And when I do, who knows what will race through my mind? This book really gets you thinking...

I would definitely recommend it to any teen or adult wishing to discover more about "the Great Perhaps" or even just looking for a good story!

DFTBA!

P.S. Check out my profile on Goodreads!

My Ukulele (And My Complete Musical History)

I guess it's time to talk about my new ukulele! I've had it about two weeks now, and I love it. It's a Stagg soprano ukulele, and I think it's made of mahogany with nylon strings. Also pictured is the special felt pick that I guess you're supposed to use for uke. It sounds awful nice!

I got into playing the ukulele spring semester of my freshman year of college. My friend Katherine (If Only He Had a Beard) had bought one to have while her guitar was in the shop and one day she brought it over while visiting me and Nicole (WORD for Teens). I've never been very musically inclined, although, believe me, I've tried to be....

When I was in fourth grade, the school tried to get everyone to pick up an instrument. I chose flute, but that only lasted for a short time due to an incompetent band teacher that tried to teach us how to play using, not a flute, but a pencil. I was unimpressed and did not want to waste my time on an instrument that I wasn't being taught properly. Since then I began singing a lot, much to the chagrin of my family. I've gotten a lot better, but they still don't appreciate it when I attempt opera! I tried to teach myself piano a few times after my family inherited an old upright from our neighbors, but alas, my tiny hands (ring size 4 1/2) were not meant to play any type of keyboard. My lack of ability to read music didn't help either! This past fall, my brother took up guitar in school. During the times I would come home for the weekend or what have you, I would always try to learn something about guitar. I never got very far because yet again, my small hands hindered me. To give you a good idea of what I'm talking about, my hands are so small that my pinky doesn't reach the orange button on Guitar Hero. Regular guitar was difficult for me because of the width of the neck. But when I got my hands on Katherine's ukulele, everything changed. This instrument was actually a manageable size for me! The great thing about ukulele is that it only has four strings. I don't know if that makes it universally easier than guitar, but for me that's the case.

Katherine ended up lending me her ukulele for the whole semester and I really took to it. For me, it's a great way to relax and express myself. It's also nice to have something to work on; a challenge. I'm looking forward to learning more about famous uke players (all I really know about now is Tiny Tim!) I'm hoping to maybe record a video or something of me playing sometime soon as well!

Thoughts on the Wall Street Journal Article "Darkness Too Visible"

This article, written by Meghan Cox Gurdon is a criticism of Young Adult literature. That's right, not just one YA book, THE WHOLE GENRE. This article has blown up, causing dedicated book bloggers and Twitter patrons everywhere to revolt. (see Twitter hashtag #yasaves) I don't call myself a book blogger, but as someone has has read her share of YA, I feel offended too. I guess for anyone reading this who doesn't know about the article, I should link to it: [link]

I should start off by saying that although I am currently a teenager, YA is not my favorite genre (or rather "age group"?) Personally, I prefer middle grade and some adult stories myself. But still, I have read many a teen novel. I have read enough to know that YA is not just the darkness, violence and profanity that Gurdon says it is. There is certainly some of that in there, but it's not everything. Does that make those who choose to read the books with darker themes wrong or perverted? Of course not. Everyone is different, and some people enjoy pondering the darker issues of life. Or maybe someone finds comfort in a story that is similar to an unfortunate situation in their own lives.

 By taking this approach to making her point, Gurdon generalizes teens and YA big time. The only examples of YA books that she used happen to be books that deal with more serious matters. Not a very wide sample selection, huh? There are so many examples of much more lighthearted, widely known YA novels... anyone ever heard of The Princess Diaries? And teens are people too; as I said before, we're all different. We can not defined by stereotypes.

Something else that really bothers me is that the only outside opinion that Gurdon uses is that of a 46 year old woman. That's fine and all, but to really prove a point, there needs to be a real range of examples. In this article about young adult books there is not one singe opinion from an actual teenager.

Gurdon also throws about serious themes as if they are just written about because the author is a sick human being who wants to corrupt innocent children. "If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is." I think this completely ridiculous. The reason these things are written about is because they are about the realities that exist in this world. Yes, they are ugly, but they also most certainly happen. Rape and sexual abuse, self harm, drug abuse, murder and all other sorts of sad, serious things actually take place out there in the world, as awful as it is. It's so much better to find out about these things and be able to think about them, rather than be ignorant. It's themes like this that help to shape personal beliefs about the world in young readers. 

Gurdon argues that although a darker book may comfort someone in a similarly dark situation, there is a significant danger of others being affected by themes such as cutting. "...may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures." This is an insult to teenage creativity. No matter what, if someone is hurting, one way or another, they will eventually find an outlet for their emotions. Maybe reading a book about cutting will put that idea in their head, but if that book hadn't come along, something else would have; maybe even something worse that wasn't a YA novel.

"...a careless young reader—or one who seeks out depravity—will find himself surrounded by images not of joy or beauty but of damage, brutality and losses of the most horrendous kinds." This is an insult to teenage intelligence. Yes, teens can be careless and irresponsible (sometimes) but I don't really think that on a trip to the library, anyone would really pick up a book that was too serious for them and then, once arriving home force themselves to read it. Gurdon acts as if these books will physically force themselves onto unsuspecting victims. Novels with more serious themes can be really great if you want to read them, but by all means, you don't have to. Who does she think is forcing kids to read these novels? Also, "seeking out depravity?" what does she take us for?

At the end of it, this is what I thought: YA includes a wide range of subject matter, so don't generalize it; when writing an article about teens, actually talk to some teens; a lot teenagers are more creative and intelligent that this article gives them credit for; and unless you live in a world created by J.K. Rowling, books will not jump out at you and force you to read them. We have choices!


P.S. "Mrs. Gurdon writes regularly about children's books for the Journal."  I think someone's been a bit shielded by The Babysitter's Club and The Boxcar Children...

Doctor Who S6 E7 "A Good Man Goes to War" ***SPOILERS***

It's even in the title.... spoilers! Now that that's out of the way... let's get on with the blogging.

The mid-season finale was all that was cracked up to be. And yet there are STILL some things that we don't know for sure and will have to wait until September (I know, it's quite unreasonable) to find out. All in all though, how could I not love it?

In short, the Doctor is at war against some religious weirdos led by Eye Patch Lady (Madam Kovarian), Amy has had her baby, and we find out who River Song is.


This episode has that great, almost nostalgia feeling to it because there are a return of a lot of previous characters/creatures. There are Cybermen, Silurians and a Sontaran, as well as the brief return of pirates Henry Avery and his son Toby. We even get a cameo from the World War II fighter jets turned spacecraft from Series 5, meaning Winston Churchill is on on this as well.

I was really happy that this episode confirmed that the baby's father is in fact Rory. There was a ton of speculation that it was really The Doctor, which to me would've been completely horrible. The relationship between The Doctor and Amy is many things, but I don't think that it is at all romantic. I always thought that Amy's speculation about the baby having  a "time head" or something was funny, but now I guess it's true! The idea of a TARDIS conception is really quite interesting. I wonder if the TARDIS herself had any influence on it? Could something like that happen again, or is it random?

There are some really cute moments in this episode. Some were between Amy and Rory like Rory wanting to look cool but instead blubbering over the baby, and of course, "Mrs. Williams." The Doctor's cradle was really adorable too. And the moment where The Doctor meets the baby! Happy family time there, for a moment. Also, Roranicus Pondicus = awesome and River's first dress is cool as hell.

Something a bit deeper that "A Good Man Goes to War" tackles is this religious war thing. Those opposed to The Doctor here are "soldiers of God." There is a part where they all chant "we are not fools" after being reminded of this. I found it quite interesting. I think that everyone is entitled to their religion and it can be a truly wonderful thing, but I also think that wars caused by religion are quite foolish. It makes me wonder: what kind of a statement are the writers making? Are they condemning religious war? It would be really be something if that were so, basically a commentary on modern, religiously driven terrorism.

We see something different with The Doctor here as well: anger.  "Oh look, I'm angry. That's new." Each Doctor has had moments of anger before, but Matt Smith's Doctor is just so damn silly sometimes! Here though, he does stay quite angry for a while. I don't blame him though; the people he loves are being senselessly endangered.

And finally, I'll talk about the scene that Whovians have been waiting for ever since "Silence in the Library:" River Song. I'm really quite happy with it all. I was convinced that she wasn't The Doctor's wife and I was right! I had heard the suggestion that she was Amy and Rory's daughter before, but I wasn't set on that theory up until I saw the name of the baby, Melody Pond. I was texting Nicole (WORDforTeens) throughout the whole thing and together we figured it out.... Melody = Song and Pond = River (also goes along with the whole "the only water in the forest is the river" thing).

There's still so much to find out though... we don't know who the little girl regenerating in New York is for sure. It could be River/Melody but there's no evidence of that besides her timey wimey DNA. Also, where's the real baby? We thought we had the real Melody all along, but then BAM she's a ganger (or as Rory calls them, "Flesh avatars"). Has Madam Kovarian taken her? And there is still  the lingering thought that River has been put in jail for killing "a good man." So much still to figure out!

And on a final note, who else is intrigued by the next episode being called "Let's Kill Hitler?"

Doctor Who S6 E7 Trailer and Prequel Clips

These three clips are basically making me hyperventilate. That's it basically. All I can do until Saturday is speculate about who River Song is and what the deal with the baby is. Holy crap holy crap holy crap!!!

Remarkable Creatures

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier is the story of Mary Anning, one of the worlds first archaeologists; and her companion Elizabeth Philpot. This story follows the journey of archaeology in the early 1800's from a non existent science to a serious matter among scholars. As it turns out, much of what early archaeologists knew was learned from studying the specimens that Mary Anning found in and around her home town of Lyme Regis in England.

Tracy Chevalier, whose work I have read before, always does an excellent job bringing her stories to life with incredible historical research. The worlds she creates are so realistic, it is very easy to picture exactly what the settings she describes look like. In fact, I found a picture of a beach near Lyme, where the story takes place, and I was amazed that it was so close to what I had imagined.

I liked the fact that this novel was narrated by both Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. It gave a very good range of viewpoint. When the novel begins, Anning is a young girl and Philpot is a goin-on-middle aged spinster, just moved to Lyme from London with her two spinster sisters. The Anning family is quite poor, while the Philpots enjoy more luxury. The difference between the two women is great for exhibiting the class diversity that existed between classes during the time period.

Unfortunately (for me, anyway) there is not a lot of focus on costume. Nonetheless, Chevalier's historical research does spread to clothing, and we get a good enough description of what the characters are wearing that you can picture them. As far as I can tell, the clothing description is historically accurate as well.

I would recommend reading this book if you like historical fiction and/or archaeology. While there is a small amount of time spent on things such as interpersonal relationships, most of the book focuses on archaeological finds, and the problems they created in early 19th century England. If you're not interested in fossil finding or history, you may be bored by this novel.

I really enjoyed reading Remarkable Creatures but I don't think it's for everyone.