The Twins of Ghostwriting.

Never had I realized that writing for some author would haunt the person both ways (positive and negative). I always thought it was a good thing. Being paid for writing and sharpening your talent was supposed to be enough for me. But after reading this article, it made me realize the other side of ghostwriting. How it would give you a sense of vagueness, lack of ownership and originality, among all other things.

I was a major fan of the Sweet Valley Series, from the Kids to the University. Those twins had me hooked. But at the back of my mind I have always wondered who Francine Pascal was, why it says "created by" with a "written by" at the same time, and so on and so forth. Reading the link below solved the mystery.

If you're curious enough, especially if you're also a Sweet Valley fan, then read on. :)

The Ghost Writes Back by Amy Boesky | Kenyon Review Online

nancy drew.

I could still remember what school level I started to read books, but I couldn't remember what book it was. I just remembered that I enjoyed reading very much, and from that time on I started to read and read and read.

Since I don't have the monetary budget to buy the books I want, I submitted to the refuge of our school library. We had two: the Grade School and the High School Libraries. Well of course during that time I was not permitted to enter the High School Library, which was perfectly fine by me.

I remember our library being so big and spacious, and I spent a lot of time after school there. Sigh...those were the days when I was still young and carefree. No problems, just homework and play.

There was a certain book series that I got addicted to, and that is the Nancy Drew Mystery Book Series.

--1st book of the series--

I was curious that first time I noticed that shelf solely allotted for them. The cover pages looked so old, some books were even tattered due to overuse. I noted the long list of borrowers, some of them I knew from my class or the neighboring ones (our school's really not that big), or even some from the higher years. I picked a random title during one of those after school times--I can't remember which one it was, though--sat down on one of the library tables and read a few paragraphs of chapter one.

The story seemed very interesting to me. I remember finishing the book during that one sitting. That point I decided I liked mystery stories. From then on, I read all books one by one, some of them I bring home to read during the weekends or during my free time at recess. I didn't realize that time that I was already hooked. The plot where a girl who is aged at eighteen years is an amateur detective, solving complicated mysteries, helping the police find and catch the culprit, even involved in a lot of danger. It got me really excited from cover to cover, from one book to another.

Now, I am trying to collect them, maybe to give to my kids when they grow up, introduce them to the one girl whom I have been besties with during my grade school life. :)

the hunger games.

I have considered myself as an avid book reader. But come to think of it, I haven't been reading that avidly these days. To prove this catastrophe, I just finished reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

And just like the Twilight series, I failed to create my own imaginary setting and characters. This is what always happens to me whenever I watch the movie before reading the book. Sometimes I get frustrated, but...what else can I do but go with what's been lain on the table?

Anyways, it was a good read. Very interesting choice of names, usually derived from plants or just freakishly unique. Weird setting, having a Capitol that swarms of Lady Gaga. When I saw the part where the townsfolk of the Capitol gathered around the just-arrived train, I remembered a photo that one of my friends shared:

That scene made me say at the moviehouse: "Take us to Lady Gaga!" and me and my friends all laughed at the comic reference.

Also the mechanism of the story. The concept of 24 people being forced to inhabitate a certain area and are killing each other to live, survive, and somehow win so that they can go home to their families is so bizaare and so unreal that makes the readers stand on tiptoes and anticipate every turn of the page. This goes to the movie as well.

Now, I'm reading the second book. And the story just keeps on getting better and better.