Diary of a Word Nerd

Awesome Young Adult Books/Book reviews/How to encourage reading

What You Need to Know About Divergent Before You See the Movie

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Julia Tomiak / 10 Comments

Whenever my daughter sees a trailer for the movie Divergent, she says, “I really want to see that. It looks good.”

I think what she really means is Theo James, who plays one of the main characters, looks good. Alas, Divergent is rated PG-13, so I won’t let her see it yet. Besides, she hasn’t even read the books, and in my mind, one MUST read the book before watching the movie.

In case you don’t follow that motto, or you’ve read the books and need a refresher, here are some things you should know about Divergent, the book, before you see the movie:

It’s dystopian fiction, so expect an oppressive government, a dysfunctional society, and a futuristic/apocalyptic setting. Throw in a serious threat to survival of the characters.
Divergent is set in futuristic Chicago, and the people of the society are divided into five factions based on the virtues of abnegation, amity, candor, erudite, and dauntless. For a complete definition of each faction, consult my faction vocabulary post. The quick and dirty synonyms are selfless, peaceful, honest, intelligent, and brave. Visit IMDB to see a cool factions infographic.
Only people from the abnegation (selfless) faction are allowed to hold political office. (As you can expect, this causes problems.)
Those who fail to assimilate into a faction become “factionless”- the people living on the margins. (More problems)
Some special people show aptitude for more than one faction, and they are labeled divergent and are regarded as dangerous by “authorities.” (Big problem for some characters.)
The story is dark and sometimes brutal. However, the violence isn’t as disturbing as the sadistic plot of The Hunger Games, in which a corrupt government pits children against each other in a battle to the death. In Divergent, conflict arises between the factions as different groups struggle for power. That doesn’t sound much different from our own world, does it?
The characters must undergo “simulations” for training and assessment. This requires being injected IN THE NECK with various serums. *cringing*

What I liked about the book

Divergent has lots of action and a compelling lead, named Tris. She’s small, yet strong, and struggling to understand where she fits in. The brutality of her society troubles her, and yet she must engage in violence to survive. Good internal conflict there.

Divergent provokes questions about government and society, the thin line between protection and oppression. I was especially interested in the idea of factions. Does a society need people who embrace the five virtues? Why these five? Should only selfless people rule? Which faction I would choose to join if I were Tris? Definitely NOT dauntless. No jumping onto trains for me, thanks.

What I didn’t like about the book

Divergent is heavy on action and plot twists and light on character development. It feels like a lot of other dystopian reads with a female lead enduring a choosing ceremony and then going on to fight for survival and the people she loves. I also didn’t like the ending. It’s basically just a page break before the next book begins.

I do plan on seeing the movie, and I’ll tell you about it soon.

Have you read Divergent? Did you like it? Did I miss anything? Do you plan to see the movie?

Thanks!

Julia

How to encourage reading/Improving vocabulary

Vocab from And the Mountains Echoed: Blithe

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Julia Tomiak / 11 Comments

Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a fun meme for word nerds hosted by Kathy at bermudaonion.net. Share a word you learned in your reading this week or highlight one of your favorites. Be sure to visit Kathy’s site to learn more interesting vocab.

My word today comes from my current read, And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.

I’m halfway through the book, and I definitely do not like it as much as Hosseini’s older novel, The Kite Runner. First of all, nobody told me that it is basically a collection of tragic short stories. As each chapter nears its end, I wonder, “How is this one going to end badly?”

However, Hosseini’s writing is undeniably beautiful, even if his subjects are heartbreaking. I’ll write a full review when I finish.

Today’s word comes from the story of a middle-aged man who has returned to America after a trip back to Afghanistan, the land of his youth. His sons are not interested in his stories.

… he is annoyed with their lack of interest, their blithe ignorance of the arbitrary genetic lottery that has granted them their privileged lives.

blithe \’blīth\ adj from Old English blithe, akin to Old High German blidi, meaning joyous; of a happy, lighthearted character or disposition; lacking consideration; heedless

This is one of those words that I read and thought, I should KNOW this one. It’s not even that big! But alas, I had to look it up.

Word Nerd Workout

Use blithe in a sentence. My workout:

While I tried to review the day’s itinerary, my family interrupted with blithe, and frankly, annoying, chatter.

Your turn! Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Tweet: Word nerd word from @juliatomiak: blithe = lighthearted, heedless. Can you use in a sentence? #amreading And the Mountains echoed http://ctt.ec/bSb2B+

Julia

Favorite Authors/Favorite Characters/How to encourage reading

Why You Must Like The Characters to Like the Book

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Julia Tomiak / 6 Comments

Last week I shared my formula for what makes a great character. (Formula- yikes! I’ve spent too much time supervising science fair projects.)

Today, I’m pondering the importance of characters again.

My idol, the YA author John Green, poses these questions at the back of his award-winning novel Looking for Alaska:

Do you like Alaska? Do you think it’s important to like the people you read about?

To question #1, I say “No!” I couldn’t stand Alaska. While complaining about the mistreatment of women, she used her body, adorned with tight tank tops, to string along the other main characters in the story (all 17-year-old boys, of course). I’ve known girls like her, which perhaps added to my ire.

To question #2, I proclaim an emphatic “YES!” I must like the characters to like the book. Perhaps Alaska is interesting, in a screwed up sort of way. But she’s also self-absorbed and unstable. I pick Hazel Grace over her any day, and, quite frankly, I’m glad Mr. Green wrote The Fault in Our Stars, or I wouldn’t like many of his female leads. (Margo Roth Spiegleman of Paper Towns also suffers from a severe case of self-absorption and attention seeking.)

Life is too brief, and my free time too limited, to bother spending hours with people I don’t like. That goes for the literary world as well as the real world.

Did I appreciate the value of Looking for Alaska? Indeed. Mr. Green masterfully tackles themes like suffering, mortality, and forgiveness. If you read any of his commentaries on his novels, you will appreciate exactly how much thought he puts into his work.

But I will never call Looking of Alaska one of my favorites. I couldn’t connect with it. And then there was the tube of toothpaste.

When the movie The Great Gatsby came out, I dragged my husband out to watch it. (I’ve loved Leo DiCaprio since What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, which was released before Titanic, btw.) But as the glittery story unfolded, I remembered, “Oh yeah, I don’t like any of the characters in this book.” I left the theater feeling empty, even though I’d consumed a half bucket of popcorn.

There are other award-winning and highly praised novels that I appreciate, but don’t like, because they don’t have a single character I enjoy. For example, Great Expectations, The Catcher in the Rye, and A Thousand Acres. The writing might be lovely, the themes sophisticated and relevant, but if a character doesn’t pull me in, the reading starts to feel like work.

How would you answer Mr. Green’s questions? Do you have to like the characters to like a book?

Thanks for adding to the discussion!

Julia

Improving vocabulary

A Runner’s Lexicon

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Julia Tomiak / 56 Comments

Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a fun meme hosted by Kathy at bermudaonion.net. Please welcome my guest Nicole as she shares Wondrous Words from running and some awesome pinnable quotes!

A unique subculture, runners dash through life at a different pace.

Part statistician, we reel off numbers with ease.

Total weekly mileage. Interval paces. Race splits.

Part cartographer, we chart our runs around the best pit stops.

Cleanest public bathrooms. Tolerable port-a-potties. Emergency bailouts.

We know the exact location of every one within a 50-mile radius.

And we have a way with words.

Glycogen stores. Iliotibial band. Lactate threshold.

To the uninitiated, the runner’s idiolect is as exotic as the Khoisan click languages of Africa.

‘Did she just say fartlek?’

For Wondrous Word Wednesday, I’m getting word nerdy to unlock the secrets of the swift. Use these helpful definitions to decipher the excited chatter around the water cooler.

A Runner’s Lexicon

Black Toenail – Caused by downhill running or too-small shoes, this badge of honor often heals on its own within a few months.

Bonk – To run out of energy during a training run or race. See Hitting the Wall.

Boston Marathon – The Holy Grail of marathon races. Runners must qualify for entry. See BQ.

BQ – Shorthand for Boston Qualifier.

Carbo Loading – Practice of increasing carbohydrate intake leading up to an endurance event. The reason Olive Garden has a 2-hour wait on race weekends.

Chafing – Skin rubbed raw by clothing or skin-on-skin contact. Often undetected until hot shower. Results in loud exclamations and prolific expletives.

Cramp – Painful, involuntary contraction of a muscle. Pronounced ‘Aaaaaaarggghhhhh.’

Cross Training – Training regimen incorporating other forms of exercise, such as swimming and cycling. Often ignored by runners.

DFL – Dead F***in’ Last

DNF – Did Not Finish

DNS – Did Not Start

DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

Endorphins – Chemicals in brain credited with producing sense of elation after completing an arduous run. See Runner’s High.

Fartlek – Swedish for “speed play;” variable pace running. Surefire way to make non-runners laugh.

Flopper – A runner who has a habit of collapsing in dramatic fashion in a non-winning position (usually second place) at the conclusion of a race.

Gu – Overpriced, barely edible, semi-liquid carbohydrate snack packaged in single serving pouches. Used as a fuel supplement during long periods of exercise.

Hill Repeats – A workout involving running uphill fast, jogging downhill slowly to recover, and then repeating the sequence. Also known as torture.

Hitting the Wall – A bonk so sudden and severe it feels as if you actually hit a wall. Energy levels plummet and negative thoughts skyrocket. Commonly occurs at mile 20 of marathon.

Junk Miles – Miles run at an easy pace to reach a certain weekly or monthly mileage.

Kick – Finishing burst of speed at the end of a race.

LSD – Long Slow Distance. Unexpected flashbacks to particularly brutal miles common.

Marathon – Long distance race run over 26 miles, 385 yards. Not for sissies. See Pheidippides.

Negative Split – Running the second half of a race faster than the first half. Requires superhuman strength.

Ninja Mama Runner – Fierce, fabulous woman who pounds the pavement and tears up the trails.

Pheidippides – Greek courier who ran from Marathon to Athens in 490 BC with news of a Greek victory. After delivering the message, he collapsed and died. Also known as Cautionary Tale. See Marathon.

PR – Personal Record. Term used to describe a runner’s fastest time over a certain distance. Also called Personal Best (PB).

Runner’s High – A feeling of exhilaration directly associated with vigorous running; related to the secretion of endorphins. Highly annoying to non-runners.

Snot rocket – Act of clearing nasal passages by blocking one nostril and blowing.

Stretching – To extend one’s body or limbs; something runners watch others do.

Taper – Cutting back mileage and intensity prior to a big race. Accompanied by phantom pains, mounting anxiety, and insatiable appetite.

Technical apparel – Clothing made of synthetic fibers that wick moisture away from the skin. Best known for increased stink factor with each wear.

Yasso’s 800s – Popular workout to predict a specific marathon time. Bane of every marathon training plan.

What terms would you add to the list?

Nicole Goodman is a full-time working mother of two and the caffeine-driven mind behind Work in Sweats Mama.

After business hours, you’ll find her chasing her fearless two-year-old, verbally sparring with her precocious four-year-old, avoiding housework, seeking an endorphin high on long runs, and slurping down gigantic fountain Cokes.

Favorite Characters/How to encourage reading

What Makes a Great Character: A Reader’s Perspective

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Julia Tomiak / 7 Comments

I had an argument with my ten-year-old son yesterday. It wasn’t about screen time or whether he could “check his farm.” (Holy creepers, who thinks up games like “Hay Day” and how can we stop them?)

We were sitting in the library doing homework, and a literary debate ensued. My son had to write a persuasive essay convincing his classmates to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. His essay included praise for the adventure and action in the story, as well as the mystery. But I thought something was missing.

“What about Harry?” I asked. “Doesn’t he make you want to read the story? What do you like about him?”

“Well, he’s the good guy,” my son said.

“So you like him just because he’s the good guy?” I asked.

My son nodded.

“But what makes him good?”

“He just is, because he’s the main character.”

This sounded too simple. Granted, he’s ten, but I had to press.

“So all good guys are the same?”

He shrugged. “Yes.”

“Harry is just like Artemis Fowl?”

“Well, no. Artemis robs people.”

“But he does good things too.”

My seven-year-old, who was sitting nearby with a copy of Superfudge in his hands, perked up and said, “Harry is brave.”

I smiled. Now we were getting somewhere.

My ten-year-old rolled his eyes, but I wouldn’t give up. Why do kids and adults all over the world love Harry Potter? It’s not just because he’s the good guy, is it?

What makes a great character

In his book Plot and Structure, James Scott Bell asserts that a good story must have a compelling lead – someone to sympathize with, route for, relate to. Harry Potter definitely fills this role. My parents weren’t killed when I was a baby, but I can sympathize with Harry’s loss. I want him to triumph over the evil Voldemort. I love his perseverance and his courage as he strives to protect what is good. Like my son said, Harry’s a good guy.

But Harry isn’t perfect. In fact, he screws up a lot. And I can relate to that. Thank goodness Harry has Hermione to keep him in line, which reminds me of another good character quality: loyalty.

Think about your favorite lead characters. What common qualities do they share?

strength
courage
intelligence
persistence
loyalty
a few flaws

In some ways, my son is right: the “good guys” have some predictable attributes that draw us to them. But that can’t be enough.

What makes each character uniquely endearing is the way he or she overcomes obstacles. Artemis takes down evil with intricate and highly intellectual plans. Harry has an invisibility cloak and lots of help from his friends. Katniss has her bow and arrow, and Hazel Grace has her cynical wisdom. These are the things that make us love them.

Here’s my formula for a great character:

heroic qualities + unique personality traits or situations = compelling lead

My youngest son just wanted to sit in the cool reading chair.

Who are some of your favorite characters and what do you think makes them great? Do you agree with my formula or are there other components to a great character? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Julia

Improving vocabulary

Wondrous Words for College Rivalry: Hokies and ‘Hoos

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Julia Tomiak / 1 Comment

Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a great meme for learning vocabulary. Visit Kathy at bermudaonion.net to find more interesting words.

Today I’m guest posting at my friend Nicole’s blog, Work In Sweats Mama. Nicole is an avid runner and reader like me, but there’s one big way we differ.

She’s a Hokie. I’m a ‘Hoo.

For those of you outside of Virginia, let me just say that the rivalry between the Hokies of Virginia Tech and the ‘Hoos of the University of Virginia is intense. Don’t believe me? Look at this:

I’m sure there are anti-Hoo t-shirts on the Tech campus, probably pegging all UVA students as snobby and stuck up. (Not true!)

For Wondrous Words, I did some research on Virginia mascots.

Hokie: a loyal Virginia Tech fan and the official mascot of Virginia Tech. Although the Hokie is now embodied as a turkey, the term originally came from a cheer written by senior O.M. Stull in 1896. The school was changing its name from Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and needed a new cheer, mascot, etc. Mr. Stull’s cheer began:

Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, Hy!

Tech, Tech, VPI

According to Tech’s website, the word Hokie had no significance other than to draw attention to the cheer.

‘Hoo: Short for “Wahoo”, the unofficial mascot for UVA. (Our official mascot is the Cavalier.) Some say that a Wahoo is a fish that can drink twice its own weight, a nod to our “party school” reputation. 😉 Another story says that Washington and Lee baseball fans dubbed the Virginia players “Wahoos” during the fiercely contested rivalry between the two in-state schools in the 1890s. Like “Hokie”, “Wahoo” is also part of an old school cheer:

Wahoowa Wahoowa

Uni-v Vir-gin-i-a!

I’m happy to say that I’ve overcome my aversion to all things Hokie. This is a good thing, since I live in southwest Virginia, the heart of Hokie Nation. My son plays soccer on a VT field, my daughter swims for H2okies (although she claims the claw on her suit gives her a rash 😉 ), and best of all, I’ve met wonderful Hokies like Kathy (our meme hostess) and Nicole.

No word nerd workout today; I’m closing comments here, but please stop by Nicole’s site instead. I’m sharing my tips on how to find great books for eager young readers.

Oh, and one last thing. As of March 3, 2014, UVA’s basketball team is #5 in the nation and #1 in the ACC. Just had to get that in.

WAHOOWA! 🙂

Julia