The Luckiest Dog

My friend's dog, Sprite, recently had a litter of puppies. Unfortunately only one lived. However, he's the cutest and most well-behaved dog I've ever seen! Here are some photographs of Lucky and my friend.






Me, giving Lucky a kiss :)






Sprite and her baby :)

Photoshoot!

In January, Kiera, Alley and I decided to have a photoshoot for the heck of it. Here are a few of my favourite shots, edited by me. Credit for the photos goes to my friend, Kiera. Our collective blog can be found here: Collision.


(Myself)


(Alley & Myself)


(Myself)


(Myself)


(Myself)


(Alley & myself)


(Alley & myself)


(Alley) (My favourite of you, hun!)


(Myself)

Book Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Title: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
# of Pages: 325
Published: April 20, 2004
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

This 2002 debut novel by Alice Sebold tells the story of a teenage girl who, after being murdered, watches from heaven as her family and friends go on with their lives, while she herself comes to terms with her own death.

I first heard of this novel at the beginning of the year when I stumble upon a review online. I was intrigued by the idea of a murdered girl as the narrator, and I finally picked up the novel a week ago. Once I began reading, I couldn't stop. When the novel begins, we understand how her killer tricked her and how her murder unfolded.

Susie narrates her family's reaction to her disappearance and later, the news of her murder. The characters Sebold created are amazing but not unbelievable. The father who drowns in Susie's death; too focused on his loss to work or be a proper father and husband. The mother, numb and empty, who wants to escape haunted memories. The sister, who deals with being 'the sister of the dead girl' and the baby brother who can't understand why his oldest sister isn't home.

From the moment Susie's murder is announced, I wanted to know if her murderer would be caught, if her family would become closer or fall apart from the tragic loss, and if Susie would pass from the 'in-between' to a final place of rest. This novel kept me reading till the wee hours of the morning, wondering just how Sebold would end the story.

I don't want to spoil anything for potential future readers (and there's a lot I could spoil), so I'll end by saying that although this novel wasn't perfect and I had hoped certain things would turn out differently, it was well-written and had my full attention from the first page.


(* cross posted from the collective blog Collision)

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
# of Pages: 224
Published: 1999
Genre: Teen
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful nover that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Review:

I'd seen this simple cover many times at Chapters and one day, I finally decided to give it a shot. I'm really glad I did because this book is really great. Although it follows the daily trials of a teenage boy in high school, it's far from ordinary. Charlie sees life differently from others - he's wiser than his years and provides insights about human emotions and interactions that really hit home. As well, the underlying emotional trauma Charlie has repressed explodes at the end of the novel, shocking and frightening all at once.

This novel has a great collection of quotes that may be able to explain the book better than I can. Here are a few of my favourites:

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

"Because things change. And friends leave. And life doesn’t stop for anybody."

"Do you always think this much, Charlie?" "Is that bad?" "Not necessarily. It's just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life." "Is that bad?" "Yes."

And probably it's most famous quote:

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

(* cross posted from the collective blog Collision)

Check Out: Six Feet Under

Six Feet Under
2001-2005

On one level, the show is a conventional family drama, dealing with such issues as relationships, infidelity, and religion. At the same time, it is a show distinguished by its unblinking focus on the topic of death, which it explores on multiple levels (personal, religious, and philosophical). Each episode begins with a death — anything from drowning or heart attack to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome — and that death usually sets the tone for each episode, allowing the characters to reflect on their current fortunes and misfortunes in a way that is illuminated by the death and its aftermath. The show also has a strong dosage of dark humor and surrealism running throughout.



The series follows the lives of the Fisher family, who own and run the funeral home 'Fisher & Sons' in Los Angeles. In the first episode, the father, Nathaniel Sr., dies in a car accident. He leaves behind his wife, Ruth, his sons Nathaniel Jr. and David and his daughter, Claire. The first season begins with the Fisher family trying to deal with the loss of a family member while taking care of funeral arrangements for the citizens of Los Angeles.

I had heard of HBO's drama Six Feet Under several times; my parents watched it religiously and it had been recommended to me a number of times. I finally settled down to watch it at the beginning of this school year, and all I can say is: WOW. I watched all of the episodes online, and the series was well worth the occasional frustration of online television sites. This series made me cry (and I mean bawl), laugh till my stomach hurt, and ponder the biggest questions in life.

With 24 Emmy nominations (9 wins), 8 Golden Globe nominations (3 wins) and 8 Screen Actor's Guild nominations (3 wins), it's safe to say that Six Feet Under is an outstanding drama series.



Unfortunately, Six Feet Under finished in 2005 with a fifth season. However, all the seasons are available on DVD and all episodes can be found online at www.sidereel.com. I would strongly recommend this TV series to anyone who enjoys dramas and who can handle mature content.

Below is the trailer for the first season of this fantastic HBO drama.



(* cross posted from the collective blog Collision)