Art School

I finally finished this book! (And, might I add that I finally own this book. I started reading this in Fully Booked and yup, I never bought it. I would like to send my deepest apologies to Fully Booked for abusing my rights and privileges as a reader. I promise to see myself as  a better individual and most importantly, in this case, as a consumer. Anyway, it's looking good with all the other books in my self-proclaimed bookshelf.) (More of that in the future.) 

This book is good. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure the word "good" doesn't give it justice but I think this is one of those things that when given more compliments, it becomes nauseatingly bad and irksome. It's like giving a child too much of what he wants; and it's bad for his health. Don't get me wrong, I loved this book. I gave it five stars in Goodreads. The characters are so... true and  the author did a pretty great job in telling the story of the alienating adult world. Decisions, the pressure, realizations and the fear of growing up. 

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall. 
 But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

The alternate cover. 

And of course there's always The Perfect Actress/Actor for This Character. Lily Loveless has always been Bev for me. The girl on the cover, the one wearing the yellow cardigan, is gorgeous and perfect BUT THIS IS LILY LOVELESS. Her metallic blonde hair and SHE'S LILY FREAKING LOVELESS. (And no, I'm not going to talk about Skins and Naomi and Emily right now.)

Also, I can't stop thinking about the VW van, Melinda. In my head, it's this robin's egg blue van, pretty old with a few rusts in the delicate sides. (No picture for you to see what I mean, I want you to visualize it on your own hehe.) It's my favorite object in the book. I don't know, I think it's because we used to own a red one. I used to ride in it with my uncle and it was very glorious, wow??? He'd pick me up in school with that van. I miss it so much and I think that's why I fell in love with this book? I regret not giving it a name like it was my pet, like it was mine. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE MY FAMILY SOLD IT TO SOME STRANGER IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. HEY FAMILY I HOPE YOU'RE READING THIS, I'M STILL MAD. 

Anyway, watching book trailers is not my hobby but this one gave me an idea about the places they've been, the people they met and the things they did. Turns out that it's pretty close to what I was imagining while reading hehehe. 

And of course, the soundtrack of the whole trip. This is my first time to hear this song and wow, why am I not a fan of girl bands? Then came The Marvelettes and Heart. I have yet to listen to their music but I think the way Alexa and Meg drools over these bands, I know they won't disappoint. 
I wish to encounter another novel like this: vibrant and screaming with music. Thank God for Nina LaCour. You should definitely read this book. 

So...

...we're almost done with 2013. Give it four months and 2014 will burst out of nowhere. I know, it sounds so weird because everything happened so fast. It's like we're running 250 miles per hour and there's no stopping us. More often than not, unexpected things--bad things--happen. Believe me, it gets really hard. But I have learned something very important the past month. I don't know why I haven't thought of it in such a long time. It's living in the now that's important. Swallowing the moment's temporary atmosphere. Good or bad, it brings us something we will forever have inside: a virtue and a lesson. 

And so I would like you to watch this. It's a movie called The Spectacular Now. Starring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley (both are in the Divergent movie, it's funny, I don't know). 

"Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) lives in the now. A high school senior, charming and self-possessed, he’s the life of the party, loves his job at a men’s clothing store, and has no plans for the future. A budding alcoholic, he’s never far from his supersized, whisky-fortified Thirst Master cup. But after being dumped by his girlfriend, Sutter gets drunk and wakes up on a lawn with Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley) hovering over him. She’s different: the “nice girl” who reads science fiction and doesn’t have a boyfriend. While Aimee has dreams of a future, Sutter lives in the impressive delusion of a spectacular now."

I'm not saying that planning about the future is bad. It's all about stopping and looking beyond. There's more to life than just to exist; you have to live. (Okay this sounds so cheesy and sticky and corny but I just have to let this out, yeah). 

Also, another movie! 

The first time I saw this movie... I cried. (Especially when Tessa came home form the hospital and her name was everywhere AND OKAY). Judging from the title, whatever happened in the past or what tomorrow will bring, it's always good to have now. 

Just don't be scared about the future.