Don't judge a book by it's...what?

The moralistic phrase is one that has been running through my mind frequently these past few days. Don't judge a book by it's cover. Not only does it pertain to the obvious--books--but of course, to other matters of life. For example, me. There is nothing that makes my blood boil more than stereotyping. (Well I'm sure I could name a few more things, but I won't.) Granted we all do it, we're human, it happens. But sometimes the ignorance people display through it completely baffles me.

Let's start with a few examples.

Remember that stud, Mr. Wickham? You know, the strapping, young soldier from Jane Austen's, Pride and Prejudice. He wooed all the girls right off their feet, including young Lydia Bennet. Sure he was respectable, honorable, and what not. After all, he was a militant and easy on the eyes, not to mention charming. Oh yes, but he was also a conniving, greedy little bugger as well. Under all his facade and woo, he was nothing more than a money hungry bastard. Strike one for appearances not proving accurate.

Who's next? Ah, let's discuss Mr. Edward Cullen. Yes, the one from the ever popular Twilight series. Here we have the cold skinned, blood drinking, undead vampire. The accused is supposed to hunt on the living, violently killing to feed his thirst, letting nothing stop him or get in his way. Ha! Ed is nothing more than a hopeless romantic, a vegetarian, if you will (he only drinks the blood of animals), and is madly in love with the innocent and humble Bella Swan. Strike Two!

Lastly, I'll give you a classic. Everyone knows her. The White Witch from The Chronicles of Narnia. Even her name portrays a false exterior. Not that I know much about Wicca, but a "white" witch is normally one who practices good magic. So here comes along the White Witch, zapping Turkish Delights out of her wand and luring little boys into her dark, sinister fortress as if it were an amusement park. What's beneath her snow white skin and alluring looks? Only an evil, Satanic like woman who turns innocent people and creatures into stone with a flick of her wand. OK, strike three, you're out.

So what do these appearances-not-being-all-they-seem have to do with anything? In short, I'm tired of them.

Why are people so shocked when I tell them my favorite band is Nirvana? Or why is it that I get looks of bewilderment when they hear my Jimi Hendrix ringtone? How about the fact that I'm an English major, adore books, and plan to write for a living; yet people are absolutely stunned by this. Point blank. They stereotype me. Do I have to look like Courtney Love to appreciate 90s rock? Or be a 61 year old hippie to listen to The Beatles and Janis Joplin? Must I act like a complete "geek," wear oversized glasses, and dress up in Elizabethean clothing to portray myself as an English major? I don't think so. Let's think a little outside the box, shall we?

Clearly, appearances are not all they are cracked up to be. Much like the characters in my favorite novels, I've been judged faster than a slandered woman in a Shakepspeare play. I mean, I've even been stereotyped for my boyfriend's ethnicity. (Another reason why people are mystified by my taste in music). He's Hispanic so supposedly he's only to like...what? Rap? Funny story, I'm pretty sure he likes Pearl Jam and Lynyrd Skynyrd more than me. Strike one million and one for those damn stereotypical people. I think we need to start taking a deeper look before we judge. Or as they say, and yes I will say it, don't judge a book by it's cover.

Stereotypical stereotypes

Join the Club

"Are you going to write a book one day?" my mother asked me. I had my nose stuffed in another one of Stephenie Meyer's masterpieces. I looked up at her thoughtfully, and explained that I wasn't sure if I'd ever write one. But her question got me thinking.

As much as I love them, I could never see myself writing a whole novel. But would I even write a novel? Maybe it would be a memoir. One of my favorite paperbacks of all time is an autobiography: Riding In Cars With Boys. But I never became impregnated in the 1950s and then raised a child on my own, much like Beverly Donofrio, the author, and main character of the book. Yet I'm sure my crazy days as a rebel teenager would make for a good page turner. But I'm not so sure I'd want all those experiences in print. It's a thought though. Maybe a science fiction? I did win an award in the fourth grade for my story on "The Weird Alien." Not exactly the next Star Wars, but the Child's Play Touring Theater did make it into a play and perform it at my school.

Perhaps I will just stay on the road to journalism. Short stories, blogs, and articles seem to be more my forte. But you never know where the road may lead. I read that Stephenie Meyer had the idea of Twilight come to her in a dream. The rest has been history. Perhaps I'll start writing down all my dreams.

Read the Signs

I recently read an article entitled, "Are You a Shopaholic? Read The Signs." Sadly, I answered yes to almost all of the questions. But let's keep it to one addiction at a time, shall we? With this idea in mind, I decided to trace some of the steps that makes one a bookworm, or as I like to call, a book junkie. Here they are:

1. You feel excited or overwhelmed at a Barnes and Noble or Borders.

2. You enjoy the smell of books, old or new; paperback or hardcover, and you can easily sniff out the difference.

3. You feel compelled to collect books, and strive to do so.

4. You'd rather keep your text books than sell them back at the end of the semester. Unless of course the book contains more numbers than words, and in that case, you'd sell it back for a nickel and be happy with it.

5. You actually do the readings when assigned by professors. Occassionally, you will have to use the infamous Sparknotes, but in return feel a pang of disgust or guilt when doing so.

6. You re-read books. And look at people like they're crazy when they question why you do so.

7. You can't help but feel pity for people who claim they don't have time to read and/or don't like to.

8. You like to debate with others as to why a book was better than the movie. In the same breath, you have little patience for people who don't realize, The Chronicles of Narnia, Troy, O, and American Psycho were all based on outstanding works of literature.

9. You know that reading a good book will cause severe problems of insomnia and putting off of school work.

10. You've almost tackled the mailman trying to retrieve a highly anticipated Amazon package.

11. You've considered naming your first born after a character in one of your favorite books.

12. You have a blog about them.

13. You like to carry a book with you at all times, just in case you have a split second to read.

14. You form connections and/or relationships with the characters in your novels.

15. You've actually cried, laughed out loud, and/or gasped while reading.

If any of these applied to you, pat yourself on the back, call yourself a geek, and realize that you too are a book junkie. Take pride in the fact that you'd rather read a book than play a video game, chat online, or watch TV. Hey, at least we have something to do during a power failure. So bravo to you. At the rate technology is going, books may become extinct before our very eyes. It's a scary thought, but hopefully it would never happen. I don't think I could deal with having to read a romance novel on a computer screen. For all others who disagree, read a book.