The Bookworm: Year Zero by Rob Reid

Crossposted from Goodreads.

This book started out pretty promising, I thought. But somewhere along the way, it went pear-shaped.

Many people have either compared it to Hitchhikers or refused to, saying that such comparisons are extremely unfair to hold a contemporary novel up against a science-fiction legend. And while I agree with the latter, honestly even I upon completing the novel could not help but sit there and wonder if I had read a rip-off of Hitchhikers.

I guess that is the inherent danger of writing a science-fiction comedy on the absurdity of human pettiness.

I originally picked up the book due to being intrigued by the concept that drove the story: Aliens owe the planet Earth the entire fortune of the universe. Also I found the prospective of learning about the inherent tragedies of copyright law from a music standpoint in a not-so-dry atmosphere to be palatable. All in all, it was enough that the book stuck in my head as a prospective reading choice, which therefore allow me to give it a fair shot.

And the opening felt promising. I found the dialogue to be pretty quirky, but not in a bad way and certainly enjoyed the pop-culture reference of every mid-2000s meme that existed.

But as the plot twisted sideways, I found that the story went the same way.

And that isn't to say a plot twisting sideways is a bad thing, but in this case, it seemed to just make the whole absurd story go from cute and funny to a case of "WTF just happened."

It was amazing how often the story got bogged down by either its technological mumbo-jumbo or else the copyright legalese involved. And while the author tried very hard to compensate for the overabundance of nonsense by adding humour to it as a means to make it less boring and more entertaining, the truth of the matter was that he tried entirely too hard to "fix" it, and therefore turning it into something that was less humourous and more obnoxious.

The footnotes didn't help either. Actually it made the whole thing far more tedious than it needed to be and basically hijacked the voice of the story from human cluelessness to a voice that was far too self-important given the current nature of the plot.

And WHAT was with that cat?

The thing that really annoyed me was how quickly things moved after the tedious middle part: too quickly if you ask me. Unbelievable as the story was to begin with, some of its solutions came about in a way that was unbelievable even within the context of the book's universe. Deus ex machina, anyone?

After all the fleshing out, it seemed as if the book decided it was in too deep and needed to wade back into shallower waters and ended up in the kiddie pool instead.

I will give credit to the penultimate solution to all our problems as I thought it was actually quite creative, but other than that, it fell flat when it needed to make its biggest impact. And while I enjoyed the humour and the pop-culture references enough that I'm willing to give it one more star than I gave Hitchhikers (which has it's own story to tell with regards to that rating), I can't say it's a book that I felt was more than the story.

It just fell flat of its intended goal.

Hate to say it, but Year Zero came off like a early-2000s boy band song: bland and commercialized.

Korean culture and the Sewol Ferry disaster

I am a Canadian.

I was born here, raised here and identify myself both with its geography and its culture, right down to the hockey-loving and beer-swilling (though with the addendum that I like the idea of beer-swilling. Being Asian gives me various biological disadvantages on that front)

But like many Canadians, I am not a native of this land. I am ethnically Korean, with two parents that immigrated here in the 70s and 80s. And with both my parents being first-gens meant that my upbringing was one that emphasized many traditional Korean values.

Which is why the news of the Sewol ferry disaster in Jindo in South Korea has struck a personal chord with me.

The ship took two and a half hours to fully capsize, although it appeared that the boat was nearly completely sideways after only an hour, with the final hour of the boat being in a position where rescue was realistically no longer possible or highly unlikely. So more or less, there was only an hour and a half of time between the accident originally taking place and the boat being no longer accessible to rescue operations for people to escape safely.

And yet, for about an hour, maybe more, the only instructions given on the ship was "put on life jackets and stay where you are."

There were 476 people on this vessel, most of them 16 and 17 year old teenagers from Danwon in Ansan. Only 174 people, including around 20 crew and the captain, made it out alive.

Of the 302 dead or presumed dead, most of them are children.

Some have said that Korean culture that prizes obedience in their youth was the reason why so few made it out of the ship alive, preferring to defer to the wisdom of their so-called elders who had told them to stay put and wait further instructions. Elders who turned out to be less than wise given that the captain literally was caught with his pants down during the sinking.

But let's not kid ourselves; the culture of obedience is not at fault here. Most children of that age regardless of culture, race or religion would have rather deferred to an announcement blaring instructions in that situation, simply because most kids would not know any better in that situation and therefore refer to the "experts" - the people whose job it is to know what to do in these kinds of emergencies.

Sure, perhaps in certain cultures some would question the authority more, but whether they'd act on it is a different matter entirely and for the most part would still defer such responsibilities to those who supposedly would know better.

In order to know better, it would mean children having been given instructions and knowledge on when to recognize when a ship is sinking and what to do in such an event. But since when do a parent or a child have to teach or have to learn what to do in the event of an emergency on a ship that is sinking, which is head to deck and once above deck put on a life jacket and hang on until rescue is available? Or at what point should it be obvious that a ship will sink, given that these people were not told that the ship was sinking, only that there was a dangerous situation going on, which can range from a serial killer on board to a fire in the kitchens.

And plus, it appeared that by the time it was obvious that things were in a truly dire state, for many, it was too late to get out.

You can't claim common sense here because honestly, these situations are not common. You can't expect the average person to know what to do any more than asking the average person to know how to build a fire from scratch. The onus of education is therefore on the crew, who ultimately did not offer such advise or knowledge on the Sewol.

By blaming the culture of how a child is raised, one blames the victims and their families, who have enough regrets as it is without the wider world asking if their cultural identity is what went wrong.

The only ones who deserves the blame are the people who first allowed the vessel to set sail without meeting minimum safety standards which caused the disaster to begin with and the incompetence of the crew who failed to order their passengers on deck and deploying lifeboats in that critical 40-60 minutes they had once they knew they were in trouble.

'Worried about people jumping in the unsafe water?' Gathering people on the deck hardly constitutes abandoning ship, only a call to prepare for such a possibility. And as some have pointed out, I'd rather take my chances surviving in those waters than being trapped below deck.

The crew should have known better and been trained for such possibilities. (Whether they have been given such training would fall under the fault of the company who hired them) Their failure to pass along such survival knowledge and instructions when they most needed it and instead providing information that likely doomed most of their passengers is what led to such a huge tragedy.

Most of the surviving crew is now in custody awaiting charges, with many Koreans angry enough at them to likely strangle them with their bare hands if they had half the chance. Because no Korean isn't affected by this in some way; those who have or had children can feel the parents grief, those who are young have lost their sense of invincibility, and every one wondering if they could have done something to have prevented this.

Stylize: Spring and structured

Top - Necessary Clothing (F '13); Necklace -
Forever 21 (UNK); Blazer - Ruche (Sp '14);
Camisole - H&M (Sp '14); Bottom - AE
Outfitters (F '13); Shoes - Payless (Sp '14)

I would be the first to admit that I'm not the trendiest person on the block. It's not even close. For one, my tomboy roots (one that has eventually bled its way into the profession I have dedicated my adult life to) keeps me from pursuing the craziest fashion choices and styles for the simple reason that where I work, it doesn't work.

For another, I'm generally unimpressed with how quickly 'trends' become trash in our hyper-consumer world, a reality that even I have plead guilty to and often have to mourn when going through the bits and pieces of my closet that I elect to discard, especially after realizing how little use a particular piece got.

So I generally try to stick to the classics, pieces that is easily mixed and matched to create different outfits - preferably an outfit for each day of the week (including weekends!). Seven outfits per piece, at least, is what I sit and strive for.

Otherwise, it turns into a piece that is too easily forgotten.

This is why a number of pieces in this outfit has been 'recycled' (so to speak) from last time.

The printed shirt retains its starring role in the outfit with the camisole and heels making a return statement. But despite the fact that the top and the shoes are back (and worn in the same way even I have to admit) it is pretty striking how two key changes basically changed the tone of this outfit from the last more casual look to this pretty strong silhouette.

Inspired by a number of pins on Pinterest (which you could peruse on my board here) maintained that 'spring is here' feeling by keeping the accent pieces light in contrast to the black chiffon top with a white blazer I spent a solid two months pining for and light jeans that gets a regular work out in my closet. The blazer gives it a really structured feel while the light-wash denim brings it down from super-fancy to something I could wear to my workplace without raising eyebrows or drawing questions as to my previous or future destination.

The big statement necklace from Forever 21 is included to add a just-so touch, but really lacks statement as the pastels blended with the pastels in the shirt. It was given to me by my sister, who became disenchanted with the look and so I salvaged it.

It tends towards the fancy side despite the casual approach, and so would only work on weekdays at work (where life tends to be a touch more structured) or for a fancy night out with friends for me, but that's my lifestyle. I'm sure it'd be great for everyday for some, too casual to go to work in for others.

Stylize: May flowers in April

Top - Necessary Clothing (Fall '13); Bottom - Forever21
(Summer '13); Camisole - H&M (Spring '14); Necklace -
Forever21 (Winter '14); Shoes - Payless (Spring '14)

Note to self: best find some nice gold bracelets to wear. Because I have none.

When I originally bought these jeans from Forever21 last July, I was actually taking aim at a pair of medium green jeans, because that was what the picture for the product appeared to have advertised the colour of these jeans.

Well they weren't a medium green. I got a minty green instead.

Funny how these things work out.

Unbeknownst to my slightly annoyed self at the time (I never did get that desired colour of green jeans ultimately) mint-coloured jeans - or really any piece in that particular shade - has become a huge trend this season what with how popular pastels of any colour is this year.

I can't yet decide if it is a trend driven by an actual fashion consortium several months in advance or it was driven by the fact that this past winter sucked.

And I mean sucked to the point where all of us are likely exhausted by our collection of sweaters in our closet, because that was honestly all we wore the last five months here in Canada.

So needless to say, the changing of the seasons and the fact that I can finally wear something that isn't just knee-high boots (bonus if they're covered in salt stains), jeans and a sweater layered with a long sleeve shirt beneath and a scarf on top has made me gone a little stir-crazy for my closet. Because after a time, I actually missed being able to wear my collection of chiffon blouses (an impossibility for me between the polar vortex outside and the freezer-like temperatures inside my office.

Which is why I pulled out this particular top today.

I actually bought this piece last fall and basically wore twice before the big nasty winter set in and it was too cold to wear this anywhere but in a sauna. I found it in People's StyleWatch magazine and I fell in love the print.

The print can be both the centerpiece of an outfit, as it is here, or can be an accent piece under the right kind of blazer thanks to its mostly neutral black base. It is see-through which means unless you mean to show off your undergarments is best worn with a camisole underneath.

And it is honestly the softest chiffon shirt I've ever owned.

Lately I've been having issues with itchy fabric in that it is irritating my skin, and the cheap chiffon you find at most fast-fashion outlets are definitely a big perpetrator. But I can fall asleep in this shirt because that's how comfortable and soft this is.

And it has put me on an eternal search for an equally comfortable chiffon top.

Add on a gold antique locket to match the antique flower print of the shirt with nude suede wedge peep-toe heels that absolutely screams warm weather and this is something I could wear both to work and to hang out with friends at a coffee shop or a restaurant. It is simple, easy but still says a lot. But if you wish to make it a touch fancier, you can further accessorize either with a gold belt (and the shirt tucked in), gold bracelets and a really nice purse. Add the right mix of hair and make-up and this can really make a statement.

Next time I'm going to recycle one of these pieces and make a totally brand new outfit that hopefully exudes a different flavour to this one, although both pieces are honestly easy to mix and match with anyone who has a really versatile closet. I really do want to see how far I can stretch each piece of my existing closet in order to see how many outfits.

And to honestly find a way to justify keeping what clothing I am choosing to keep instead of tossing away.

The Bookworm: The Fault in our Stars by John Green

Crossposted from Goodreads.

"This book is a work of fiction. I made it up."

There are books that entertains, amuses, distracts and describes.

Then there are books that make you think.

I opened this review not with a quote from the narrative of The Fault in our Stars or even one famously said in the past that may be able to divine the impact of the story. But no, I used a fairly pedestrian quote from his Author's Note; a piece of writing that is sometimes only skimmed if observed at all. It is a fault of the impatient humanity in us all who is less occupied with the art of book-reading than simply getting to Point A in order to advance to Point B.

I had earlier opined that those who skipped or missed the contents of the Author's Note is a fool. I had since changed that opinion, but only because others may not value the thought behind it as much as I did, or else fail to observe the significance I found in it, in which case the Author's Note is therefore rendered meaningless.

Also, it's a young adult's book, and I cannot fault the young who feel, sometimes more than they should.

For me as an adult, in two paragraphs, John Green had forever obscured how I read the book, for better or for worse.

Because from there, I walked the tightrope between becoming emotionally involved and attached as some on GR obviously have based on both the reverent and enraged reviews, while also keeping in mind that the human emotions he was eliciting within us weren't from real people.

This whole world, this whole construct was a study in the abstract art of the seemingly opposite natures of love and death. And while he tried to tread carefully without patronizing or trivializing, from the start he knew that it is not a real interpretation of the real stuff people face every day, that for many it will trivialize or patronize.

But he never attempted or intended to make it such that it was or even could equal reality. Because imagination while powerful is not real.

The pipe is not a pipe. There is nothing here to either get angry at or sad or happy. Of course, you can get emotional with the idea, but then what really are you emotional about? If it is the presumption, there were none.

If it's because the story felt real or unreal to the point of it being an insult on your being, well according to the author, you're doing it wrong.

If the arrogance or maybe the irreverence didn't please you, well I can't help you there.

The book was engaging and simply written and yet exceedingly mature and complicated, the themes moving in-and-out of the fore at such a pace that I often had to stop and consider what I just read. So simply written, complicatedly thought, if you would allow for the visual paradox.

The primary characters were unrealistic is a huge complaint with some and would normally be one of mine. Between the perfect body of the ridiculously named Augustus Waters (Hazel Grace is passable, but barely) and the far too eloquent discussions of things that university students majoring in philosophy would fail to be able to qualify if even produce a counter-argument to.

But it didn't annoy me.

Instead I wondered if in creating the abstract, he allowed himself to write as if these teenagers did not suffer from our verbal impreciseness and poor grammar and was able to communicate as the voice in our head does, which is mostly far more intelligent than our mouth would ever be.

(Trust me, I do not communicate this articulately in real life.)

Additionally, with less than half the book to go, I started seeing that the stupid name(s) in addition to the 'body of the Adonis' (if you'd forgive the Twilight reference) was less so an attempt to ingratiate the romantics but more to make sarcastic reference to a common romance book trope, while additionally stressing how unreal this book is supposed to be.

(Nevermind the significance of an ellipses and when and where they are used in this book)

The book had its surprises, but none that stopped the heart and made you question the authority of the book: predictable and yet not without its thematic significance at every corner.

Predictable because it is a book about death and dying. Death is predictable because eventually everyone dies. It is life that is unpredictable. And yet it is a book directed at a crowd that for the most part does not know dying, cannot see death in their window or at their doorstep; those who are just starting life.

But it is also about love. And nothing is more unpredictable than that, without waxing philosophical on it.

Together they are two competing events, both tragedies and triumphs that are abstract opposites and yet strikingly similar things.

All this thinking did not stop me from feeling however. I did laugh, I did tear up, and I did get upset at times. Because my emotions were real, even if emotions were just as abstract as the novel itself.

Perhaps I am reading too far into this book, creating thought where there is none. Sometimes things are written because they just are and I am just a reader who fabricates and divines how to interpret it for myself and others, therefore making this story more than what it is supposed to be: made up.

I didn't have a fiction shelf on GR, largely because as a consumer of fantasy, the majority of my books are inherently fictional and so would turn out to be mostly redundant and frankly of little use.

Out of respect for the subject matter within this book however, and the characters and emotions that belong within it, I created a fiction shelf where this will reside.

Perhaps there will be others to join it. Life is unpredictable like that.

And.