Shadow of the Game

In case anyone doesn't know, my favorite book ever is Ender's Game. I have read it 6 or 7 times in the past 4 and a half years. We read it for class earlier this year, actually, and I had read it more times that the teacher had. I know the story front to back, and I could probably tell you every detail about it, if you asked. I have a hard back copy of it which I've underlined things in it and boxed off passages of it. It's (probably more than) a little crazy of me.

Regardless, Ender's Game has a parallel novel- Ender's Shadow. And Ender's Shadow has it's own little series, which I've been reading for the past few weeks.

So, that being said, this post will make more sense if you've read the Shadow Series, and if you haven't, there are slight spoilers, because this post is about why I don't really like the series.

I mean, I think the story line is alright, but I wouldn't read any of these books again. I really didn't like how Bean will be sitting there thinking about possible solutions to a problem or something, and he'll get a random and stupid idea that he'll tell himself can't possibly be true, but deep down he knows it's right. And it is. And this all happens fairly instantaneously. I know he's a super-genius and whatever, but it still seems lame.

But I think the thing I like least about this story line is that it was written years after Ender's Game was, and when Card wrote Ender's Game, he didn't really plan to have a parallel novel and series to go with it. So in Ender's Game, Bean is just a little kid, who is also smart. And Peter didn't get into Battle school because he was too dangerous and aggressive. And Ender's parents didn't have any idea that Valentine and Peter were actually Demosthenes and Locke (although I think that's unlikely, that they'd have no idea).

[[these are my slight spoilers]]
That's how the story actually goes, the end. But in the parallel series, Bean is actually genetically altered, and his condition is going to make him a giant someday. And Peter didn't get accepted because he's not lovable. And the Wiggin parents knew everything all along, they just didn't want to hinder the progressions that Peter and Valentine were making with the world.

I think that if you want to write sequels to your books, that's fine and I hope they do well, but I firmly disagree with altering the original story so you can have your sequels still fit in well with the story. Maybe if you had to change it so much, you should've just written a different story.

And you could argue that there's premises that are vital enough to each story, that Card could've have written the both and not have them come from the same original story, so in effect, Ender's Shadow is the "different story" for Ender's Game. But if that's the case, then I think it was stretching it a little too far to say that Peter wasn't too aggressive for Battle school, since that's actually a really important detail in Ender's Game.

Mmm. Maybe it's just me.

Just because I have thoughts.

I was looking at this girl's myspace profile, at her pictures. She probably has about 30, in all these different poses and in all these different clothes. One specifically in these lack of clothes. (Not naked, but wearing a swimming suit. Or maybe underwear. I don't really know.)

Anyway, so I'm just really glad that I don't need that. I don't want that. I don't want to have the attention of my body in all these provocative positions. I don't want the image of me with less and less clothes circling around the internet, and that is something I'm grateful for.

I'm happy with who I am, and I'm glad that I'm interesting enough that people like me anyway.

As was once said by one of my friends from church, "girls who do that to get boys attention are just stupid. At least I know when a guy's talking to me, it's because he actually wants to talk to me, not because he thinks I'm easy."

Hooray 2010!

So graduation was this week. It totally rocked. Chaelomen's was on Sunday, then mine was on Monday.

Chaelomen gave me bunny ears. I didn't notice for the first picture, but I did for this one.


We all look the same, so I circled me. Within a 2-person radius.

I played cymbols for my last concert. Woo haha.

I got my Five Star Diploma :D

(Which means that I:

-earned 23 credits

-had at least a 3.5 GPA

-got proficient or advanced on all my CSAP scores

-got a 23 or more on my ACTs

-met CDHD requirements

-participated in all state-mandated assessments)

He refused to give me a kiss haha. But politely.

It was fun. Definitely a lot better than the ones I'd been to the past few years, playing in the band.

Dear Bishop,

I have recently changed wards. My records were requested out of the Woodglen Ward and into the Single's Branch.

It was also been brought to my attention that last time I tried to change wards, my records were requested right back. Although I'm glad you don't want to lose such a precious gem as me, I would appreciate it if we didn't request my records back again.

I find it important that I actually end up in this directory, in case people need or want to contact me.

Yours Truly,
Samara

P.S. Tell Mom not to cry. I'll go to the Woodglen Ward at least one more time, just for her.

So close...

I had my last band concert last night. :) It was fun haha. Usually mass band concerts are really boring, because they hand out all the awards and everything, which about doubles the time of the concert. But yesterday, everyone in percussion stood around telling jokes. It was fun.

And let me just say that I'm really glad that I don't have any more concerts ever. It's awesome. One of the girls yesterday was crying because she was sad to be leaving band, and that just blows me away. I didn't know anyone liked band that much. I mean, I'll miss all the kids in band and everything, but the joy of not having to be in band anymore totally outweighs all that. Well, actually. I'll miss a few of the kids in band and everything.

I was just never really good friends with most of the kids in band, and I'm glad I got to know all of them, but the only time I've ever defined myself as a band geek was freshman year, when I really enjoyed band a lot, but after that things went downhill. So I don't really mind losing contact with everyone. We still have facebook, too, if I still want to keep tabs on anyone, I can.

I'm really excited to graduate :D I'm getting all the announcements out this week.