Among My Other Issue With The Series, I Also Envy Marcus's Ability To Carry Around A Sword

I remember at one point over the summer, my mother told me one of my relatives had asked her if I was still doing alright, given that I hadn't written a blog post since the end of school. Now, of course, school has long since begun, and the blog posts have once again begun with it. Hooray me for relaxing, but now real life has begun it's shit once more. I'll try and write fast as I only have a lunch period (during which I'm supposed to be writing an essay), but what are blog posts for?

Have you ever had that kind of day where absolutely nothing has gone wrong, yet you feel like something has? My Astronomy teacher referred to today as a "triple-Monday", which I fully agree with. I'm tired, exhausted, even though I was well rested on the weekend where my most pressing activity was mastering Halo 4 with my sister. I've found we can be quite the badass pair, not just in Halo, but in real life as well.

Still, today was mainly affected, I believe, by the book I'm reading. My mom's boyfriend got me into this book series as Summer began, a series about Roman legionaries who get accidentally sent to this land of magic and sorcery. Being Romans, they kick everyone's ass at general effectiveness and everything else. In the empire of Videssos, the emperor announces they will be required to leave the city for campaign in 8 days. With much grumbling from the other groups of mercenaries in service as the emperor's military, Marcus Scaurus' senior centurion, Gaius Phillipus, gives him a smug grin, "knowing they could well be prepared in half the time."

The only issue I have with the series is that Marcus doesn't slay the dragon on the front cover. Sure, it doesn't look like a dragon, but tell Harry Turtledove that.

Expecting just a story about badass Romans, I wasn't exactly going to be let down either way. What I got instead of just that was a masterpiece. Harry Turtledove's third book, The Legion Of Videssos, attempted to tear my heart out with the heroes' fall and, finding no way to do so, simply dragged me around while grasping my still beating heart. I feel like this is one of the first real books I've read in a long while. After spending my time reading Divergent, Percy Jackson, Hunger Games, and a couple other YA novels, I feel like this book series is so startlingly real. For me, at least, it's the kind of book that gives you chills when you read, that makes you sit up, stirring with excitement and desire to quote the current passage to anyone sitting near.

I realize, of course, that the Percy Jackson obviously makes some people feel that way. I simply read it to see how Riordan would construct his universe. The story was simply a bonus. I feel somewhat deafened to simpler books like YA novels meant for people my age. The only other books I felt this way with was the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy series, and through these masterpieces I realize my type of book as the type that's startlingly real. The story considers religion, bias, love, choices. It glosses over the fine details that YA novels typically characterize themselves with, instead focusing on how each event influences the bigger picture.

These kinds of novels also help me realize how real life is. In TLOV, Marcus ends up being betrayed by someone close to him, thus sending him into a depressive stage where he is alone in the Videssian court. It's something I empathize with, having your faith all in one person where it's cast away heartlessly with a simple betrayal.  The emotions in the book end up drawing attention to those within me (although my mother would argue it's because of "the stupid computer"), allowing me to truly feel human in a world where so many people fail to understand the meaning. Don't ask me to explain. It's not meant to be explained.

As for the remaining events in my life, one thing I'm certainly proud of is my ability to have gotten 4 people to check out Person Of Interest on Netflix. One of my friends (yes, Hunter) ended up getting addicted to it, which is always a good sign. When it comes to Person Of Interest, I'll simply name it as the best damn show out there. Firefly, had it continued further, would've held said title (and lost it once POI came around). Person Of Interest, I'll just say, you should watch the first few episodes and then decide whether you like it. The show needs the Netflix traffic anyways.

One last thing for today as lunch begins to wrap up is that I've noticed a funny burst of confidence today. I don't mind being me, even for a moment. My former crush I still haven't managed to look in the eye due to the increasing awkwardness that rejection entails, but I'm willing to try it. If I can get over her and stop bothering myself with my failed attempt(s) at romance, I can get ahead with myself at last.

They say romance is dead, if only it were. Maybe then we could all get ahead with ourselves before we try it with any other.