Harry Potter Fever

Ok, so I have a confession…I never actually felt the Harry Potter fever.  Clearly, I was missing something.  And, even though I never tackled reading ALL ridiculously long books, I did give the movies a chance.  I remember when I was in elementary and middle school, the series was pretty much the only “cool” thing to read. 

As I was browsing the net researching Harry Potter fan following, I wasn’t surprised to encounter YouTube videos, merchandise out the wazoo, artwork, and a plethora of other randomness.  But now, the fictional sport of Quiddich has now elevated to an official full-blown sport.  Crazy!  As I watched interviews and clips of teams from not only Florida colleges and universities, I also learned that the sport has spread across the nation, and even internationally.  From my perspective (being an athlete for my whole life) I just can’t see the legitimacy of watching people running around with sticks/brooms between their legs.  I mean, where they get the brooms? A Halloween outlet store?  On the other hand, it’s developed into a pretty intense sport; mixing rugby, dodge ball, and perhaps even basketball.  It's a sport that brings crowds of all kinds- unifying the jock and the nerd.  There definitely is an element of humor and a Quiddich player from Yale said it best, “You can’t take this sport too seriously”.

Once again, our society has iconized the shit out of a mere conceptual idea (just like Star Wars, Star Trek, and Pokemon in the past).  It become a cult and for some a way of life. It's here and it'll be around for years to come. 

Player One

A novel by Douglas Coupland, Player One is one of a series of novels that touch upon the idea that as different as we think out lives are from others, we all share similarities in one sense of another.  The author has an ability to magnify the contemporary; spotlighting in this case “Generation X”.

I actually liked the novel’s unusualness because Coupland has divided the story into five one-hour chunks; purposely dividing the series of events into chapters.   The story introduces us to Four characters converged on a cocktail bar in a Toronto airport.  We meet the bartender (Rick), a pastor (Luke) who has stolen $20,000 from his church; a rather unstable and psychologically screwed up person (Rachel); and a 40-year-old divorcee (Karen) who is meeting a man she contacted online.

Cataclysmic problems of epic proportions are pretty much destroying the world and taking down society with them.  So we’re led to believe that these main characters were brought together for some reason…perhaps a divine hope.  Coupland writes the book from the perspective of the Player One character, which retells the events that the others have experienced in the past and what is in store for them in the future, like an omniscient witness.

I felt that the ending was rather abrupt and was kind of hasty with its conclusion.  I guess overall…not one of the best books I read, although, it was an interesting concept.  I couldn’t help but think that it was reminiscent of the Final Destination movies.

Skyscraper

A novel by Faith Baldwin, we become introduced to Lynn- a bright, ambitious young woman, ready to make a life for herself in 1930’s New York City.  The newly constructed Seacoast Building, a skyscraper teeming with bustling life and epitomizing the wealth, power, and triumph of engineering marvel.  Bound and determined to work her way up in a “man’s world”, Lynn is hungry to establish herself as a capable woman.

I feel like I can relate to this novel, I'm determined to become a successful independent woman, but the reality is that the world HAS in the past and will CONTINUE to be run by men.  I mean, don't get me wrong... there have been great feats accomplished by women in the past, which motivates younger women (like myself) to work hard and…quite frankly give men a run for their money.  

Another reason this book is appealing is the way Baldwin incorporates the element of the struggle between career and love.  Lynn meets a man named, Tom who she met in the skyscraper’s coffee shop.  They fall madly in love for each other, but according to the strict employee conduct policy, any woman who marries will be immediately dismissed.  And, to make matter’s more complicated, we’re introduced to David Dwight- a powerful, charismatic, handsome, womanizer- who gains Lynn’s interest through flattery (and lots of it).  She views him as a fatherly-figure, yet his intentions are purely sexual…(of course!).

Skyscraper delves into the struggle Lynn has to face- determining the course of her life.  Should she abandon her career- a life of independence…or love?