IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY by Ned Vizzini — Restarting January 27th 2018

[Mira]

Rachael wrote: "This is putting me in a really emotional state of mind"

IKR!

[Mira]

Rachael wrote: "This is just SO interesting! All the books I've read where the main character is depressed there's always some big traumatic reason for the depression... Craig doesn't. He just is. There's just som..."

For some reason I relate to that more than if he had a problem. Because, you know, sometimes you just feel blue with no particular reason. You don't have to have a huge problem to feel bad and you don't have to feel bad about feeling bad for no reason. Does that make any sense? xD

[Dr. Andy]

I wish I could just download this story into my brain and read it in like 5 seconds flat. It just sounds so good and I have so much homework. The best distraction from homework is reading but I'm trying to finish my homework so I can read. I'll probably get a lot of reading in Thursday and Friday and maybe tomorrow. It depends who is working tomorrow night with me.

[Mira]

Andrea wrote: "I wish I could just download this story into my brain and read it in like 5 seconds flat. It just sounds so good and I have so much homework. The best distraction from homework is reading but I'm t..."

It reads quite easily and is hard to put down. Once you start you'll find yourself almost finishing. So, don't worry about it. Just finish your homework first. I usually get more read around the weekend too. ^-^

[Mira]

Finished (view spoiler)[

Five stars easy.

I heard this once but I don't remember where: "Whenever I hear people saying 'life is hard' I feel like saying 'compared to what?'"

Well, I don't think it's compared to death because nobody knows for sure what that is like. I think it might be in comparison to not trying. If you don't care enough to try, I think life would be very easy. It might not be the best life but if you don't care, who would? If you're happy with it, who cares? I think it's the ultimate point. If you're happy, then who cares? It doesn't matter if you go to Executive Pre-Professional High School or Manhattan Arts Academy. As long as you're happy, who cares? I think Craig learned this lesson. Sometimes I wish that I do too. I wish I could care less. About everything.

I really liked the writing style and how relate-able the story seems. I agree with you guys. It's not just one thing. It's life. It's everything. We all struggle with that. Who wouldn't identify with Craig at one point or another? We're all "Human Being"s after all. Ps I really liked that guy Human Being at the end. So funny.

I am glad Mr. Vizzini decided to share his story. Or some variation of it anyway. I hope he shares these following thoughts with Craig. Because if he does, that means that he knew he left something behind too.

A legacy.

"We came up to the first tower of the bridge, with a plaque proclaiming who had built it; I stopped to read. John Roebling. Aided by his wife, and then his son. He died during construction. But, hey, the Brooklyn Bridge might be here for eight hundred years. I wanted to leave something like that behind."

"They gave me this insane reading list for the summer that included Under the Volcano and David Copperfied ... I found myself jealous of the people who wrote the books. They were dead and they were still taking up my time. Who did they think they were?"

Well, Mr. Vizzini, you're still taking up our time too. (hide spoiler)]

[Mira]

@Isela (view spoiler)[ Thanks for the shout out! :) This wasn't my first buddy read but I did have a lot of fun! And you are a pretty awesome reading buddy. I never read with someone who had so much to say about a book! It's really awesome! And it encourages me to do the same. I enjoyed that very much. ^-^

I do get how your name is pronounced. Thanks! It makes perfect sense. For some reason I thought the 'i' would be as in 'eye' and I was wondering if the 's' is actually a 'z' but that was simple how you explained. You seem to be good at your job. Contrary to me LOL x)

Muqtada was okay I guess but I thought it was hilarious how Craig described Egyptian music.

"...the sounds of deep plucked strings, and rolling over it, a voice of dangerous clarity and yearning, hitting three ascending notes and then bending one beyond where I thought you couldn’t bend a human voice, sounding like a MAN drawn out and smacked to vibrate around a little.
“Umm Kulthum!” Muqtada says.
“Yeah! Uh . . . Who’s that?”
“This is Egypt’s greatest singer!” he yells."

The thing is Umm Kulthum is actually a woman, but I've always thought she sounds a lot like a man but not quite. It was so awesome to see that Craig agrees with me! hahaha

I was shocked with what Bobby said too. It makes sense but it's really sad. I wish he'd given Craig a way of communication. I would have preferred that. I hate goodbyes.

Maybe Aaron is a good friend. But he seemed to know that Craig liked Nia. I was a little surprised to know that specially that he seemed to throw his relationship in Craig's face with PDA and stuff. If he didn't know that would be OK but if he knew and did it anyway that would be awful of him.

I never liked Nia. Even at the beginning when she wasn't the "bad guy". I get that she has issues of her own but I don't know it's hard for me to sympathize with her.
(hide spoiler)]

[Mira]

I just watched the first 22 minutes of the movie. I don't think it has the same feel as the book. I'm not liking it very much so far.

[Rachael]

Guys I think this book is making me depressed... I laid in bed last night and couldn't sleep cause my mind was doing the Cycling..

But then I started thinking that I don't have a buncha tentacles I just have a bunch of anchors so I should stop being crazy and go to sleep haha

[Rachael]

I really like his Mom... I got teary eye'd when he called her from the hospital

[Rachael]

Mira wrote: "Rachael wrote: "This is just SO interesting! All the books I've read where the main character is depressed there's always some big traumatic reason for the depression... Craig doesn't. He just is. ..."
Yep it makes total sense... I wish I would have read this book when I was younger so I could feel more "OK" with not being "ok"

[Dr. Andy]

Finished Part 1! I love the story so far. Craig is such a fascinating character and i really enjoy seeing the world through his eyes. The feel and tone of his voice kind of reminds me of Charlie from the Perks of Being a Wallflower. Can't wait to read more!!!

[Rachael]

I've been trying to figure out who would Zach play in the movie.. Right now my guess is Humble

[Rachael]

Aaron is super insensitive when he calls Craig and from our perspective we can tell how offensive it is. But in a real world I think this would be an accurate conversation and a common assumption between guys when one guy doesn't understand the chemical imbalance.

I wonder if Craig and Nia will end up together but I don't really think they should be.

[Dr. Andy]

Here's some of the cast list from the movie:
Noelle- Emma Roberts
Bobby- Zach Galifanakis
Craig- Keir Gilchrist
Nia- Zoe Kravits
Mr. Gilner- Jim Gaffigan
Dr. Minerva- Viola Davis
Lynn- Lauren Graham

[Rachael]

Ohhhh he's Bobby.. Okay

And Emma Roberts is in it! I had no clue! Okay that's interesting stuff

[Dr. Andy]

Yeah, I really liked her role. I haven't gotten to that part of the book, but I know I really liked her character from the movie!

[Rachael]

Ahhh I just finished!

I'm sad it's over, I'm giving it 4 stars and working on a review now.

[Rachael]

@ Isela I agree with everything you said.. What stuck out to me was that you said you'd like to think that craig didn't end up like Ned Vizzini...what happened to him??

[Rachael]

Muqtada is one of my favorite characters

[Mira]

@Rachael It was making me depressed too! But only in the beginning. (view spoiler)[I totally agree with you on the Craig/Aaron phone call. It is normal. It is accurate. And it happens. But that doesn't mean that Aaron was insensitive and kind of a jerk to Craig. And I don't think Craig and Nia would be a good fit. I don't think Nia and anyone would be a good fit. I seriously dislike her. (hide spoiler)]

&honestly, I wish I read a lot of books when I was younger. I think I might have turned out a completely different person. Eh xD

[Mira]

@Andrea Oh hey you like Craig's narrating style! It takes some getting used to but it grows on you after a while. You seem to get into it right away though. Glad you have some time to read now :) I haven't actually read The Perks of Being a Wallflower but I might consider it if it's anything like this one :)

[Mira]

@Isela (view spoiler)[ Haha yeah I had no idea about the groups or the buddy reads at first either, I just wanted to make friends who like to read like me. I don't know people who like to read in real life. Unless you count my cousin who only likes the Millennium series and read it over the span of a year or so LOL.

My name can be pronounced like 'mee-ra' or to put it the way you did your name: mi as in 'me' and ra as in 'run' (just drop the 'n') hehe... how's that? :P

I guess you're right about Bobby and Craig. There's no actual foundation for the friendship. It's just their similar circumstances at this particular time that brought them together. It is sad though.

Nia did play both of them. I wonder if being sluty is a part of her "depression"... ugh I seriously do not like that girl.

I would actually love to join but I still have a couple of scheduled buddy reads coming up so I can't do it this Sunday. But I'll send you a private message with my buddy reading schedule so we can set something up because we definitely definitely have to read something else together!
(hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Te Perks of being a wallflower was amazing! I loved it and the movie was super good too! The movie has Emma Watson in it! I highly recommend that one!

[Dr. Andy]

39% He's in the hospital now.

(view spoiler)[ I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that he didn't actually jump off the bridge. I would have been so sad. I think he did the right thing calling the suicide hotline and what not. Hopefully, he'll begin to find a better way to deal with his Tentacles. (hide spoiler)]

[Rachael]

Hi Mira & Isela - I don't usually type as much as you guys on here cause I have so much going on but I was scanning your posts yesterday and you made me feel like jumping in.

I'm in the same boat you are.. I LOVE to read and I prefer to discuss as I go. None of my friends like to read the same books as I do, maybe because I'm 24 and I read the same books as a lot of 14-18 year olds. But I don't really care about that, YA books are just so much better.

I started a twitter with the plan of discussing books with people but then I found this group. I literally have read 5x more books since I've joined this group then before. It's just so awesome that you can find someone who wants to read the same book as you just about any time.

I work 45-50 hours a week (I sell real estate) so it's really hard for me to read and discuss as much as I'd like to.. But luckily I have a lot of down time in the office so I use that to listen to audio books and discuss on here.

Anyways, it's been great reading with you guys and I hope to read some more stuff with you in April and so on :)

[Rachael]

No no no! There's no such thing as writing too much! I agree with your age ranges though! Makes me feel better about reading YA haha

You're right, goodreads is SOOOO addictive! I haven't heard of Ask The Passengers but I have a lot of other BR's going on so I'm not sure.. Maybe we'll meet again in another one though :)

Happy reading!

[Mira]

@Andrea I think I'll give the book a shot. Thanks! (view spoiler)[Craig knows what would happen to everyone around him if he did kill himself. And even though he tried, I guess he couldn't be selfish enough to do it which worked out perfectly since he ended up getting professional help. (hide spoiler)]

[Mira]

@Rachael Awesome! Glad you decided to join in ^-^ I'm 24 too and none of my friends likes to read at all. Not adult books not Ya nothing. I love YA books though I don't feel like I should be reading them. I wish they'd make the same story lines with older characters. They're always 16 there. They make me feel old lol.

Goodreads is pretty cool like that. I've been reading a lot more books and even faster than before. I agree it's very addictive [facebook for nerds hehe] specially the buddy reads thing because I always feel like discussing books and I never find people to discuss them with. So, it feels kind of like pent up energy or something haha

Your work seems interesting. I'm always interested in anything besides teaching. I don't like it very much. But you work a lot of hours! I only work 30 hours a week like @Isela so I have some free time even though preparing and planning take a lot of my own time.

It's been great reading with you too. I also loved reading the Maze Runner with you! ;) I really hope you can read something with us in April. That would be really cool!

How does Shatter Me sound? It's this month's guided buddy read, have you read it before?

[Mira]

@Isela I completely and whole-heartedly agree with @Rachael There's no such thing as writing too much! It's been great! Seriously. Do. Not. Write. Less. xD

So, you think we're still young adults? That's kind of cool. I wish I was into reading YA books when I was actually a teenager though. I wonder how it would have been like for me if the characters were actually my age and I was still in school. Oh well :P

It's cool about my name in Spanish. I'll remember that :)

[Dr. Andy]

I just wanted to add my two cents in here. I'm so happy that you guys read YA even though you're not teenagers. I'm 18 but I absolutely love YA and the new adult stuff. My mom makes fun of me, but I find other stuff usually boring. I guess I just don't want to give up the impulsive-ness and and crazy feelings teenagers have.

I usually read pretty fast, but this semester it's been harder. I'm a full time student with 18 credits, I now work 18 hours a week at a library!!!, I'm house president, working on other stories and in a few clubs. Yeah, I know how y'all feel when you talk about a full plate.

I love reading and discussing with other people, not many of my friends read what I do. I hope to talk to you guys in more of my buddy reads for sure!! If you can join me in Ask the Passengers starting Sunday!!!

[Dr. Andy]

It's because of the difference in subject. It's much easier to read something that is a narrative rather than an intellectual passage of plain facts and interpretations. I'm excited to read Ask the Passengers!!! :)

[Rachael]

Isela wrote: "@Rachael Well, you know that he, just like Craig, spent 5 days on a mental hospital or something because he suffered depression. It was this experience what inspired this book. He committed suicide..."

I thought that might be what you meant so I looked up the author's story and I was devastated to hear that he committed suicide.. As much as I'd like to believe that's not what Craig went on to do, I can't help but understand that in real life 5 days in a mental hospital wouldn't completely cure somebody..

Anyways, has anyone read any of Ned's other stuff?

[Rachael]

I too wish I read more when I was younger... For instance this book. If I would have read this book when I was the same age as the MC I think I would have taken something completely different away from it.

[Rachael]

Mira wrote: "@Rachael Awesome! Glad you decided to join in ^-^ I'm 24 too and none of my friends likes to read at all. Not adult books not Ya nothing. I love YA books though I don't feel like I should be readin..."

Shatter Me is my favorite series EVER.. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it. It's not like this book, it's not realistic. It's more Dystopian and futuristic but it's really REALLY good... I hope you will come read it with us for the Group Buddy Read

[Mira]

@Andrea I hear ya. Most of the other stuff are really boring! "I just don't want to give up the impulsive-ness and and crazy feelings teenagers have." I think that is actually a great way of putting it.

I remember you reading fast. You read Daughter of Smoke and Bone in the Disneyland line LOL I was wondering why you were taking longer this time but now I know. Good luck with all this. Sometimes I just feel grateful that I'm done with school xD

Are you joining the Shatter Me guided buddy read?

[Mira]

@Isela Alright I'm a young adult then! :D

[Mira]

@Rachael I'm glad you like Shatter Me. I have read some not so great reviews about it so your opinion makes me feel better about deciding to read it. Are you going to re-read it for the guided buddy read? I'll be reading it with @Isela during her Easter vacation :) It'd be really awesome if you could time it to read with us!

[Rachael]

Yes I planned to read shatter me on April 1st but I could move it to another time.. When are you reading it?

[Mira]

I'm not sure exactly, @Isela hasn't told me yet. Let's ask shall we? :P



@Iselaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa when's your Easter vacation?! x'D

[Dr. Andy]

I probably won't be reading Shatter me in April. Although, I really would like too, I have soo many books to read. I'm trying to plan out each book I read and I'm at a solid book a week pace. I know we'll probably cross paths again. I love these buddy reads. They help force me to read instead of sit around.

[Dr. Andy]

Ughhh I hate reading slowly. I feel like there's just not enough time in the day right now. I start reading, but then someone wants me to do this or that and by the time I'm done with that, I have to go to sleep. I apologize for reading so slowly. I'll be trapped at an airport later so I'll finish this and begin my next book.

But I really do like the story. I just passed the part where Aaron called and Craig finally met Noelle. I like Noelle. I'm starting to remember what happened in the movie.

[Mira]

@Rachael We'll be starting on the 13th :)

@Isela Awesome! Me too! :P

@Andrea That's too bad I was hoping you'd join us. But I understand though. It's just one of those times. I can't seem to get the book I'm currently reading done. Every time I start I find that I have to do something else. And when I try to read before bed I end up falling asleep. It's been five days and I'm not even half way through and I have another buddy read on April 1st. Sometimes I feel like reading slowly kind of ruins the book for me to be honest. I hate it when it drags on like that. But yeah, buddy reads are more motivating than just reading on your own.

[Dr. Andy]

Ugh! I know exactly how you feel! I finally finished this book last night and I feel like you all finished it a week ago! I'll post my review on here soon.

[Dr. Andy]

I just read through all your guys comments finally and I have to say I agreed with a lot of what you all said. (view spoiler)[ At first I didn't really like Aaron, but I think Craig and him could be friends if Aaron gets his shit together. I think he should dump Nia. She's not good for him. I'm not sure if she's really good for anyone.

Maybe if she got help, I feel like she might have a lot of psychological issues, but that she represses them so you can't tell. One thing I did not like about her, was how just downright insensitive and selfish she was. Was Craig even listening to the words she was saying? I know this was in the beginning of the book but it really bothered me. "I never had a guy want to kill himself over me!" She was like happy that Craig was thinking of killing himself, even though it wasn't even about her. She just managed to always turn everything so it was about her. She just really annoyed me, but I don't think I disliked her as much as you did @Mira. Haha. (hide spoiler)]

[Mira]

@Andrea (view spoiler)[ Yeah I couldn't believe she made Craig's suicide all about her. It wasn't exactly a surprise given her history but you know it was like are you really saying those words? But yeah I don't think any of you guys disliked her as much as I did xD (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Here's my review if any of y'all want to read it!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting September 8th 2014. Happy Reading ☺

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[Princess]

The beginning part of me is boring so it took me a long time to have progress

[Princess]

Chap 14 (view spoiler)[ Wow. I like how he clearly describe what Craig is thinking why will he do it or things running to his mind before he kill himself (hide spoiler)]

Chap 31 (view spoiler)[ But I ship Nia and Craig :( although Noella seems pretty cool too (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 39 (view spoiler)[ NEVERMIND. I HATE NIA. Go Noella!! (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

I agree with you. The beginning was kind of slow and not really gripping though there were lines that I liked that are thought-provoking. It dragged a bit and it took me long as well to read.