On the search for adventure, or a good adventure book

I can't say why, but winter always brings a need for me to have a big long adventure/fantasy book. Most of the year I'm not really big on that kind of book, but when its cold out, I find myself scouring my, my brother, and my fathers bookshelfs for the biggest, longest book I can find, hopefully with magic or adventure or villages or at least a princess. My bookshelf dates back to when I was in second grade, and I havn't updated much since then, seeing as I prefer libraries, and the only time I take a book back home to keep is if its sitting in a cardboard box marked:

"Free Books! Pleaz take!"

If someone dares spell please like that obviously they don't have much use for books and it makes me feel like I'm saving orphaned children from a neglected life sitting on a dusty old shelf.

Anyways,  I digress from the point (a terrible habit I have no intentions of dropping). Next I search to my brothers bookshelf. He too, hasn't updated his bookshelf in a while, but for an entirely different reason- he doesn't like to read (I know what you're thinking- the horror!). So, on his bookshelf you will find 3 types of books; Ones he had from 4th grade, such as Artemis Fowl, the Alex Rider series and so on; Books that were brought as gifts from relatives who mean well or from my parents who really want him to read; Or mandatory reading books, such as Romeo and Juliet and The Scarlett Letter- old copies from his school that are falling apart and that the consequences are so great if I touch them I don't find it worth it.

Lastly, I head to my father's room, my last hope. As I stand on a chair scanning his shelfs, I see unfamaliar, uninteresting and in some cases unpronouncable tittles. Smith's Recognizable Patters of Human Malfunction, Mechanisms of Microbial Disease, A Simplified Approach to Electrocardiography, and Freakanomics. Boring-wait, what? Freakonomics, the tittle sounds familiar.

So, I grab the orange harcover book off the shelf, where it obviously hasn't been moved for a while because it sprinkles dust on the floor, and head off.

Maybe I didn't get my fantasy book, but it's better than nothing.

If No One Stops Me...

This week I read 13 Reasons Why. It's about a girl named Hannah who sends out 13 audiotapes to the people who in someway influenced her to commit suicide. Its from the point of person number 9, and we listen to his thoughs and conversations, and alternatly going from him to Hannahs words which are writtien in italics.

Spoiler Paragraph, Please Skip This Section of the Post if You Haven't Read the Book and Would Like to.
This post is based on the last side of the last audiotape, which is the big *twist* in the story. Hannah goes to Mr. Porter, the school guidance counselor, and tells him shes considering committing suicide. And, after talking for a few minutes he tells her to move on from the problems shes facing, that there's nothing she can do. Shes says, Okay she will, and she's done. Done with life. Done with everything. And Mr. Porter lets her walk out those doors, he doesn't make any moves to stop her.

Continue Here
This was so confusing. Honestly, if I knew anyone was considering suicide I'd stop them. I don't care who it is, I would try to save their life, wouldn't you? Even the person I hate the most I would try to stop her/him from dying- from taking their own life. Maybe thats all some people need, just another person telling them not to do it, not to end their life. To know their needed or wanted may just be enough.

It reminds me of the song, "Leave Before the Lights Come on" by the Arctic Monkeys. The video is of this woman, who stands on a roof, contemplating suicide. She drops her left shoe on a man, giving him a chance to look up, know what she's doing, to save her. And of course, he does, as everyone will say they would. It ends up all she wants is attention, love from someone, something he can't give- he's engaged, and not interested in her that way. She follows him, trying to get him to love her and to want her, but he doesn't. So, she runs back to that very same building and repeats... She stands, looks down, and drops her left shoe...
If you want to watch it here's the link- you may not like the song but just watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEukS2YN9B8&feature=related

I've kind of felt like we all consider it at some points, but a second later I'm just like "God no, Im not ready to die! There's nothign in my life worth dying over. I can't believe I even thought that for a second- There so much more, so much I'll miss, so many people I'll miss- Plus I bet death is boring." Before I read this book I though suicide was just quitting. But now I realized how wrong I am. Sometimes people just can't bare living anymore, and they think anything would be better. Sometimes people think they're doing other people a favor, they feel everyone wants them dead. Sometimes all they need is someone there to stop them. The thought that someone would just ignore such a blatant plea for help makes me sick. It's like assisted suicide, even murder, knowing someone will kill themselves and not stopping it.

Maybe he didn't think he could stop her? But the fact that she was still alive that day meant that she wasn't fully ready... Maybe I'm just makign excuses for him?

But maybe there's something I don't know, a point or idea I hadn't thought of. Maybe there's some reason you can think of that someone wouldn't stop Hannah from killing herself.

Would you stop someone if you could? And if you don't, is that like murder?

If you or someone you know is or may be considering suicide, please call 1-800-SUICIDE, 212-532-2400, 1-800-273-TALK. There is treatment, and you can help stop someone from commiting suicide, or even stop yourself.