gossip girl

Possibly the best piece of advice I've ever been given (besides the normal 'double-check you work') is to write about what you know. While there have clearly been many cases where this has been flawed- take JK Rowling for example, do you really think she knew what it was like to be a wizard? I think not- I think that I will follow this advice today- for the first time- by writing about the one and only Gossip Girl. 

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Season 2 promo shot (2008). Don't they look so young here? Particularly Jenny- her transformation  is clearly the most extreme and fascinating out of all of the characters on the show.

My love for Gossip Girl (the TV show) started a few years ago, but up until last year, I was content with watching the odd episode on airplanes or the re-runs on TV. Last year I purchased all four seasons- which proved to be a good entertainment source. Upon purchasing the third season, I decided that it would probably be good to give the books a try. Reading the reviews of the Gossip Girl series proved that they were raved about, and everyone that read them became obsessed. And to be honest- as rare as it is- I find the TV series to be way better.

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The majority of the book series- including the prologue book ("It had to be you")

Perhaps it's that I was a lover of the TV series before I read the books, or maybe it's because the story line is so different, or maybe it's the fashion, or it could be as simple as the way Leighton Meester acts out Blair Waldorf.

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Blair in the episode "The Townie"- Season 4. Isn't she gorgeous?

Whatever the reason is, I was not a big fan of the books. The concept for them is great- but the books are really lacking something. The TV show has managed to enhance the characters and the plot line, making it far more interesting. The TV show features a number of cliffhangers that keep the series fresh- as well as adding in the element of fashion. The fashion in Gossip Girl plays a massive role- the plot is about rich young adults on New York's Upper East Side, what do you expect? Despite not exactly being a "fashionista" myself, I still find myself drooling over Serena's extravagant ballgowns or Lily's gorgeous handbags. I find myself wishing I could pull off Blair's outfits with the amount of elegance and grace that Leighton Meester possesses. (Being able to afford the outfits would be a plus, too.)


Another negative to this books were that they were, above all, quite inappropriate- in terms of language and other behaviour the characters take on. The overuse of crude language distracts the reader and undermines the elegance of the Upper East Side that the TV series captures so well. Of course, as both the TV show and books make clear, the Upper East Side isn't as pleasant as it seems- but really, does everyone have to smoke? And drink? These qualities have obviously been altered for TV, so that they can capture their target audience- which I honestly think is for the best. I don't find it too fitting that Serena van der Woodsen has the same mouth as a truck driver- or that Dan Humphrey, the seemingly good boy, is a smoking addict. Obviously, when the characters changed, the plot had to follow- which is possibly the main reason why the TV series and books have very little overlap in story line.


When the TV series first came out, Gossip Girl book lovers were said to be extremely disappointed. Especially the hardcore fans, which I can imagine would have been reading these books cover-to-cover for six years, thriving on when the next book would come out,the excitement for the TV series almost driving them mad. (If your wondering how I can predict all this, it's because I've been in the same position- with another book series. But I'll save that for another post.) So obviously, the amount of disappointment from the TV series premiere would have followed, leaving them heart-broken-at the very least.

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How adorable.

So it's a matter of opinion. I personally believe that the TV series trumps the books- which, I must stress, is a very rare occurrence. What do you think?

th1rteen r3asons why

If I had to sum up this book in one word...well, I simply couldn't. So many concepts and emotions are flying through my head right now that I just can't pinpoint an exact word to describe this phenomenal book. But without a doubt, it's unforgettable.

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Often, I think, the background is more important than the foreground. While this may seem shallow on a physiological level, it's true. And therefore, I'll start with how I was introduced to this book rather than launch straight into the plot and the underlying themes and so on. 


Yesterday in class, my wonderful (this word is honestly not enough to describe her) friend Divya gave an amazing presentation to our class about this book. That presentation is all it took to convince me to read this book. Thank goodness for that, because based on the blurb, I probably wouldn't have picked that book up in a bookshop. Upon her allowing me to borrow the book, I've been reading it non stop since, and I finished it literally half an hour ago. Maybe the word to sum up this book could be "addicting?" Anyway, I would just like to express my utmost gratitude to YOU Divya. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time, and I really appreciate you introducing me (and our class) to it.

http://www.holytaco.com/oxford-dictionary-cassette-tape-future-children/

This book has literally left me with chills. After reaching the half way point late last night, I decided to go to sleep, but this book kept me up for hours. Well, not the book itself (did anyone else get a mental image of this book hitting me to keep me awake? I know I did.) but the thoughts and emotions that were exposed and called to attention in it. Most of the books I read nowadays are pathetic, teen romance novels (novel really isn't the right word for them) with a predictable plot and simplistic language. While these books seem satisfactory and please me to a certain extent, they don't really change anyone's point of view or make a difference to the society we live in. Let me just say, this book does.


Covering the sensitive topic of teen suicide, this book tells the story of a girl in high school who fell into depression through a series of events. To make the story extra thrilling and suspenseful, it isn't even told through her- it's told through her tapes. What are these tapes? (This is my pathetic attempt at creating suspense, in order to pay tribute to the author of this novel- Jay Asher). To put it simply, these tapes are her version of a suicide note- a tape for every person that led her to commit. Each person must listen to all of these tapes and pass it onto the person that follows them in the "list"- and this book is told through the eyes of Clay, who is listening to the tapes.

There are a range of directions I could go with discussing this book- but I'm going to pick the "concept" line. No one wants to deal with the thought of suicide, making it a controversial one. This book clearly- and carefully- highlights the consequences of when someone leaves you on purpose- the guilt, the pain, the anger that you were blamed, what you could have done to stop it. Thirteen Reasons Why also deals with the idea that suicide threats are for attention- and it gives you many reasons why you should take it seriously. This book was designed to make you think, and trust me, it makes you think.


This book sensitively deals with some very touchy subjects- which actually makes it a must-read for teenagers. I highly recommend it. It must have won all those awards for some reason, right? 


-L 
P.S. Check out the website here