High School Activities

     So, school is starting soon, and for me, that means constant stress. Because I'm an overachiever and also slightly insane (who am I kidding, I'm completely insane) I'm doing like 5,000,000 activities this year (ok maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit), along with attempting to find volunteer opportunities and keep up with the blog. This is all in the hopes of getting into an Ivy League college, and I only have 2 more years until I start applying. So, I've decided to make a list of all the things I'm doing (or hope to be doing) this school year. Both to inform you a little bit more about my life and keep myself organized. So, I invite you to read all about my hectic life and feel free to comment below if you have experience with any of these!

Required Reading

via GIPHY      Obviously, I love reading. I run a book blog for goodness sake, I'm not exactly hiding it. However, there are circumstances in life that can make even the biggest bookworm refuse to read. For me, that circumstance is required reading. Whether it's for a class or my mom making me read it, required reading always puts me in a book slump, and it can be hard to come out of.

Can Harry Potter be considered Gothic?

     So I was looking through my posts and I found this! It was written by my mom back when our blog when it was first getting started and for some reason it was saved as a draft. I know at some point it was posted so I would like to share it with everyone.




     "I have been doing quite a bit of research lately on Gothic Literature. My life just hasn’t been hectic enough. Anyhow, in this process, I came across a syllabus for an undergraduate class focused on Victorian Gothic Literature. What surprised me was the two novels to be studied, the all too common Bram Stoker’s Dracula and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Of course my brain was immediately reeling to decide which side of the fence I belong on.

     From my research, here is a list of the primary points to a Gothic novel:

• the betrayal of innocence
• enclosed space (typically decrepit castles)
• battles ensued on the villain’s turf
• an orphaned protagonist
• emotional narrative
• a prophecy that sets the story in motion

     I will not sit here and give you a play by play for these bullets. I mean who in there right mind even puts a billeted list in a blog post and expects people to read it? We all know Harry himself is an orphaned child sent to live with his hateful aunt and uncle who stick him in a closet. Is that emotional enough? Rowling has more than a few Gothic structures, but I said I will not go point by point so let's move on.

     What I would like to discuss is battles ensued on the villain’s turf.

     Rowling has quite the creative approach when it comes to getting the heroes and villains together on the stereotypical gothic turf. She has portkeys to transport students, she lures students into dungeons and she takes advantage of character flaws. Above all, she has created such a heartfelt group of heroes that they seek out the danger, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

     Let's take a look

     Typically within the Gothic genre, the villain will lure the protagonist to a grim place (such as a cemetery) before the fight truly begins. Looking at Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,  Harry and Cedric unsuspectingly grab a portkey and are transmitted to the cemetery in Godric’s Hollow where they are to see the rebirth of the tabooed Lord Voldemort. Here, Harry is forced to defend himself against the dark wizard or die.

     Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t love the series any less now. In fact, I have even more respect for J.K. Rowling for her wonderful use of the Gothic genre within the realm of children’s literature."- Tori

     Having read this post it has great points and I never looked at Harry Potter this way. I mean seriously, I don't think most people have thought of Harry Potter this way, seeing as it's a children's book. I honestly don't think I'll ever look at this book the same. I love Rowling even more now for this, as she incorporated this Gothic theme in the books so well they were almost undetectable. This was a great book and I wish there were more posts like this out there!

*This has not been edited, the majority of this content all belongs to my mom, Tori.*

Witch Wood (Excerpt Included)

Click for Harvesting Series on Amazon

 

  *I got this book from the author for free, this in no way effects my opinion of the book.*

*Do not read this book until you've read the previous three books, The Harvesting, Midway, and The Shadow Aspect.*

 

Witch Wood

A "Harvesting Series" Novella  

Melanie Karsak 

• Published October 1, 2015 by Clockpunk Press 
•  Post Apocalyptic
•  13+ Interest level
•  5/5 ★★★★★
•  Includes mild language, zombies and witchcraft.

     Amelia isn't an average teenage girl, she's a witch. She's been practicing Wicca, a type of magic, since she was 13. With a flu sweeping the nation with deadly and strange side effects her mother, a nurse, is working 24/7. Once at Witch Wood to take care of Madame Knightly, an elderly women who can't clean the house or shop herself, she finds out her mother's sick. She go's home only to find her mom and step-dad in a zombie-like state in her backyard. The world is going down in flames, will Amelia go with it?