Quotes from “Second Helpings”

by Megan McCafferty.

the sequel to this.

What Title?

Here are some categories of people, and what they do on this [non]special day:

• Those who hate it philosophically.
  They are the same people who refuse to celebrate New Year because it’s “just another night.”
  • It’s just a day like any other. It’s not special. Why should I show more love today than I usually do?
  • If today is more than yesterday, I’ll regret it tomorrow when everything gets back to normal.
• Those who hate it personally.
  • bitterly
    as in sour grapes.
    • “Everybody hates me.”
    • VD stands not only for Valentine’s Day but also for Venereal Disease.
    • “Relax, it will only get worse.”
  • sadly
    • “Why do I miss someone I never met?” (Nightwish — Cadence of Her Last Breath)
    • System Of A Down — Lonely Day
    • Try to immerse themselves in any activity just to take their minds off their loneliness.
    • Breathe over cold glass to fog it and then draw a heart shape.
    • Stare at the 56% full moon.
  • secretly
    • Big fake smile.
    • “Of course I love this day.”
      
    • “Yeah but will you love me as much tomorrow?”
• Those who enjoy it consciously.
  I.e. taking into account all that the philosophical haters know.
  • “OK, so this is a day just like any other. But since everyone else is having fun, why shouldn’t I?”
  • “Tomorrow doesn’t have to be less than today.”
    
• Those who enjoy it in blissful ignorance.
  • “Philosophy? Cut the crap.”
  • “I love you today more than any other day.”
  • Brag to others about their superior status.
  • “OMG!! presents!!1!”

I’ll keep adding to this list as I figure out more stuff ;)

HOW TO Enjoy Mushy Eighties Films

Like this one.

• Don’t try to draw parallels between yourself and the characters. Ideally, don’t think about your own life at all.
• Laugh. Out loud. At every opportunity.
• Count the clichés. Plus the older ones. “Same difference.”
• Notice the exaggerations and the stereotypes.
• Don’t you like it when the characters are talking to themselves?

Nineteen Minutes

What could possibly make a person walk into a school with four guns and kill ten people? You’ll give a different answer after reading this book.

I could hardly put it out of my mind after the first sentence, and probably for a lot of time after the last one. I loved the way Jodi Picoult gets inside the minds of the characters, without judging them. I also loved the way the book is structured: starting with the incident and then, like a movie, alternating between moments of time before and after. These clear-cut scenes are interspersed with short insights from Peter, which carry the most emotional charge (To anyone who cares…). If you are like me and find it hard to remember the characters’ names initially, you might find this exposition technique somewhat confusing, but I bet you’ll appreciate it in the end.

Overall this is one of the best novels I’ve read. I’m definitely going to look for more books by the author. If I could change one thing about this one though, I would cut in half the amount of text dedicated to the courtroom.

Some ideas that this book touches upon:

• High school, like any society, is divided into two categories of people: the cool and popular (unhappy because they have to wear a mask all the time), and the uncool and unpopular (unhappy because they are lonely etc.)
• Some people see suicide as an extreme communication device.
• Life/society/school/democracy sucks, but it’s the best thing we’ve got so far.
• When we’re sitting in front of the TV, we appreciate the fact that the media is able to keep us informed, but we rarely think of how the same media intrudes in the lives of those we see on the screen.
• The fear of losing control; the desire to live within predictability, and what happens when that balance is lost.
• What happens when someone we love does something we would never have expected (Peter — Lacy and Lewis; Josie — Alex).
• There is no clearly-defined line between childhood and adulthood, yet the rights we give a person and the way we judge them are a function of biological age.
• How the same thing carries different meanings to different people.
• Do you still want the truth if it hurts?
• Nothing we do is guaranteed to be good or bad in the long run.
• Ultimately, revenge doesn’t change anything.
• Life goes on. The human capacity to get over things is sometimes astounding.

Conspiracy theorists

should burn in hell if you ask me. At least as long as there are enough people they can so easily convince.

I am annoyed at those who find it worthwhile to force their beliefs upon me. Especially when the source of these beliefs is so questionable. Why is it easier to believe some twisted pseudo-documentary than it is to believe, for instance, NASA? Or is everybody doing it simply because it’s en vogue to think/talk/dress/be different? In a world where everybody is trying so hard to be different, being different doesn’t make any difference anymore (polyptoton intended.)

Yes, I believe Americans have landed on the moon. No, I don’t believe there is a reptilian race ruling the Earth. No, I don’t believe the September 11th attacks were an inside job. And no, I don’t believe the Harry Potter books contain subliminal messages turning children into evil wizards.

There’s a reason it’s called conspiracy theory.

Yes, I believe people aren’t evil by definition, and yes, I still wince when called naive.