Adults Who Only Read Adult Books Should Shut Up About Young Adult Books
I interrupt this blog for a moment of outrage.
Okay, maybe “outrage” is too strong a word, but when I saw the title of this New York Times opinion piece—“Adults Should Read Adult Books”—my first reaction was something like this. It’s no secret that I love young adult fiction and I fully intend to read it until the day I die. After reading the full article, though, it’s clear that this guy Joel Stein is just an idiot, more deserving of my pity than my anger. Still, I feel like I need to chew this thing up and spit it back out before moving past it, so here goes:
The only thing more embarrassing than catching a guy on the plane looking at pornography on his computer is seeing a guy on the plane reading “The Hunger Games.” Or a Twilight book. Or Harry Potter.
Oh it’s on, Joel Stein. I’m sure you didn’t realize this, but people who proudly declare that they have never read Harry Potter and never will, like it’s somehow beneath them to even crack the cover, are among my very least favorite people in the world. My boyfriend was one of those when we first started dating, and upon learning this I proceeded to read the entire series aloud to him until he changed his mind. For the record, it only took about four chapters for that to happen, but by that point I was a train that would not be stopped until I reached the last sentence of book seven. It was very much a turning point in our relationship.
The only time I’m O.K. with an adult holding a children’s book is if he’s moving his mouth as he reads.
I’d like to believe this is a poorly executed reference to parents reading books to their kids, but I have a sneaking suspicion Stein is actually making fun of people who learn to read as adults. Gross.
I’m sure all those books are well written.Even when he’s trying to throw the counterargument a bone, he’s still wrong. The Twilight books are probably the four most terribly written novels ever to be published.
My list of the reasons why I read junior fiction, inspired by reading the article “Adults Should Read Adult Books” by Joel Stein.
“Because a good book is a good book.”
May 25, 1977: Star Wars is released.
George Lucas’s landmark space opera was produced on a budget of $11 million and debuted on opening day to only thirty-two theatres, but by the end of its theatrical run, it had grossed nearly $800 million worldwide. Today, it is (domestically) the second-highest grossing film of all time, adjusted for inflation, and the franchise it spawned is as deeply ingrained in American culture as a piece of fiction can be. Star Wars, along with Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, helped inaugurate a new era in filmmaking - the era of the blockbuster. Roger Ebert called it “a technical watershed”, and this was true as well, for films intending to copy Star Wars’s model (and its success) relied more on special effects than any generation of films before it. And, for better or for worse, George Lucas’s genre-defying epic demonstrated the potential commercial viability of a well-marketed franchise.
Fun facts about the planning, production, and early versions of Star Wars:
- “Luke Skywalker” was originally an elderly General, a Ben Kenobi-type character, and the young protagonist was named “Annikin Starkiller”.
- Though the movie was created to stand alone (separate from any series) Lucas said that he soon “began to see it as a tale that could take at least nine films to tell”.
- During production, Star Wars was titled The Star Wars, and Luke Skywalker was called Luke Starkiller.
- Before 1978, the idea that Darth Vader was (spoiler!) Luke’s father had probably not even been seriously considered - leading to some discrepancies between the first and second films.
- George Lucas and Steven Spielberg made a bet on whether Star Wars or Spielberg’s film Close Encounters of the Third Kind would become the bigger hit. Lucas won.
- The subtitles Episode IV and A New Hope were not added until 1981, after The Empire Strikes Back was released.
- Han Solo was originally written as a green alien, but that honor ultimately went to Greedo.
- George Lucas originally wanted Orson Welles to voice Darth Vader.
Pictured above is concept art by the late Ralph McQuarrie, who himself later said that he “didn’t think the film would ever get made” because “it was too expensive. There wouldn’t be enough of an audience. It’s just too complicated.”
(via homoerotics)
"We live and breathe words. It was books that kept me from taking my own life after I thought I could never love anyone, never be loved again. It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them. "
(via weliveandbreathewords)
how is it june next week how are we already on the 6th month of the year wasn’t it just march
(via weliveandbreathewords)
OH MY GOD
TINA YOU WERE RIGHT IT’S PERFECTION AAHGDKDBSKDBKSBSKSI can’t stop watching it.
(Source: lightwoodbanes)
- math test: a farmer plants 7 crops of tomatoes and 3 crops of carrots what is the probablity his moms name is leslie
- history test: the american civil war ended in 1865, explain how this had a defining role in the extinction of dinosaurs
- literature test: explain what the author meant by, "the apple was as red as an apple"
- physics tests: The aliens ate 3.4 doughnuts. Their crumbs fell to the Earth because of gravity. Calculate how many penguins are eating pancakes at the speed of light.
A 90 years old man holds hands with his 40+ boyfriend. People call him a pervert, no one knows he’s been hibernated for 70 years. People call another guy short. No one knows he has a serious genetic mutation that causes him to turn into a green raging monster. People call a man ugly. No one knew he had a serious injury to his face while fighting with his assassin of a wife who didn’t like the nest he had built them. People call a man stupid but they don’t know he is the norse god of thunder. Re-post this if you are against bullying and stereotyping. I bet 95% of you won’t do it, because you do what you want.
(Source: stravaganza, via needklainenow)
kurt: “i want my senior year to be magic…”
It started at the Lima Bean. It ended at the Lima Bean.
“So…” Blaine smiled over his medium drip. “Mr. Hummel. Graduate of William McKinley High School. How would you rank your senior year?”
Kurt smiled as he chewed his pumpkin bread thoughtfully. “Well, last year was pretty good, all things considered. But this year was…”
OMG WHYYyyyy
ALL THE FEELINGS
THIS IS GLORIOUS
(Source: jayoppa-s, via weliveandbreathewords)
(via pinkandsatiny)
The Salvatores may fight like dogs but in the end they would die for each other.
(via kirkwoodisinoregon)
