So, in true Auden style I am unable to sleep and will therefore blog about sarah dessens newest installment of her amazing books along for the ride. Yes, I finished it in one day, and I am in love with my beautiful hardback signed copy. I know that you're not supposed to judge a book by its' cover, but I will admit that I most definitely do. I'm an artistic person who loves design so I can be quite judgemental over anything concerning this including book covers. The cover for along for the ride, most definitely passes the test. Sarah was telling us at the lunch where I got a chance to meet her that they did an actual photoshoot for the cover instead of using stock images as they usually do, and that she got to meet the models and see the shoot take place. However, I can't spend too much time on the cover, because as much as I love it, it is the contents of the book that really matter. Once again I was not let down through the entire novel, Sarah Dessen is such an amazing writer that I find myself lost in a totally different world, in fact I may have expirienced a bit of an identity crisis during the novel to a point where I was actually beginning to believe that I was Auden ( which is now a name on my list of amazing baby names). When I started the book, I assumed that I wouldn'tlike Heidi, but in all truthfulness she was one of my favorite parts of the novel. Her kindness was apparent even when she was going through more than she could handle, and I always have admired people who know how to handle themselves in difficult situations. I liked the fact that although there was a concept of death throughout the novel, because of Abe, it wasn't centered around it, and if anything focused more on the idea of living life to the fullest than on death itself. I also came to love Maggie, as I suppose Sarah hopes that you will, however, even as Leah and Esther became a bigger part of Auden's life, I still couldn't relate to them in any way, and almost resented their presence. Being one of those people who has trouble sleeping, i could relate with Auden and Eli's struggles on such a personal level. Although during my times of insomnia I am confined to my house, and most times my bedroom, I have learned to make do with the fact that I have hours upon end with nothing to do. It started with simple drawings and progressed to collaging my bedroom door, and redecorating my walls constantly. My room has become such a part of me because of this, and I wouldn't trade it for sleep any night. As a music junkie, I immediately downloaded the songs that Sarah posted as her playlist for the novel and I am loving them along with some of my own that I decided to add in as I read. Many of which are off of Mandy Moore's new CD Amanda Leigh, which is somewhat ironic considering her apperance in the only Sarah Dessen movie adaptation, which I am off to watch right now. I highly recommed the book to everyone, and hope that this hasn't been too terrible to read considering the fact that I didnt really sleep last night, and tonight isn't going so well either...

So today is Saturday, yet it is unlike most of the Saturdays that I have expirienced because I am officially a high school graduate. I can't believe it! I made it through four complete years of stress, AP classes, and drama and now I am ready to move on with my life. Last night I had my grad party that my friends and I have been planning all year, and it is being called THE gradparty of 2009, so go us! I have so much coming up this summer and I absolutely cannot wait. I'm jumpstarting the week on Tuesday when my friends and I will have a road trip to LA to go see a taping of so you think you can dance, and then end the week by meeting sarah dessen, which I am so absolutely psyched for, andI will be able to get her new book along for the ride. She is such an amazing author and I love everything that I have read by her.

So this is a little bit of a random topic, but my friends and I had a discussion yesterday about A. A. Milne and pooh bear. Yeah I know, weird right? But when you think about it, he has put some great thoughts into the world through the mouths of these characters that he has created. It is amazing to see the ways in which we can get through to children, or maybe we aren't because I know in my case anyways, I watched the show as a kid and never picked up on the sincerity of it. Here are some quotes that just melt my heart.

     “Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

"Never forget me, because if I thought you would, I'd never leave.”
(this one really touched me because of the current situation that I'm in. I'm leaving many of my friends to go away to college and this quote basically sums up how I feel about leaving them)

"Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?”

"Whatever fortune brings, don't be afraid of doing things.”

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
(how could this not melt your heart?)

"We can't all, and some just don't. That's all there is to it.”

"Time is swift, it races by; Opportunities are born and die... Still you wait and will not try - A bird with wings who dares not rise and fly.”"

All that's left to say is that pooh was one smart bear :)

hey to anyone who might possibly be reading this for one reason or another. my name is hayley, and although i have a new account here on lj, i am not new to it. i decided that it was time to start fresh seeing as i am graduating from high school in 10 days! wow time really does fly. i will be attending the university of california santa barbara in the fall for film and media studies, and i am so excited. i am absolutely obsessed with television and want so badly to be a television producer. I love to read and write and mess around in photoshop. my last journal was strictly for my graphics, but currently i don't have photoshop so i'm thinking this one might be along the lines of my writing and just a journal of my life. i'm sure i wont be able to resist throwing in some of my art here or there though. so i guess thats all for now. feel free to add me as a friend :)