Fall Activities

As an American, a white American (save your boos) My family celebrates Thanksgiving. Now you might be thinking, “OK??? So what, millions of people do that.” Well, dear reader, they do. I’m not denying it. I was just setting the stage. So the holiday, one largely only about food, you might wonder what my favorite fall treat is. The answer is the tried and true, the true fruit of the season, which matches the aesthetic perfectly, pumpkin pie. Yes, pumpkins are indeed fruit, but they generally fall under the subcategory of squash, according to scientists. Now what makes this my favorite fall treat? Well for one, less crust. Who here actually likes pie crust? Go on raise your hands and show how weird you are. Most fruit-based pies have a covering of more crust, while the perfection that is the pumpkin pie has a filling that can hold its shape without a breaded lid. It is the combination of all the seasonal spices as well, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and other assorted varieties depending on the recipe. And finally to rest my case, what dessert is served by the school a week or so before Thanksgiving, with the classic whipped cream on top? That's right, the pumpkin pie. 

-Austin

 Do you know what I like about this time of the year? The music. Not really the music our generation develops, but more like the music directors' choices in music for their groups. Like… it wasn’t even past Halloween and I already had THREE Christmas-themed songs- like… WHYYYY. 

 I swear though, I love going around the area and seeing Christmas-themed items when it’s not even past October. I swear. I hope this can be agreed upon as well are Christians this impatient about their holidays- I don’t see Jewish people complaining to the store clerks that themed music isn’t playing yet. Again- in October.

-Charlotte

The third installment of the Graceling series, titled “Bitterblue,” returns to the time of the original book, except for us being 8 years since the conclusion of the first installment. “When Queen Bitterblue took the throne of Monsea as a child, her advisers ran the kingdom for her. Now she’s beginning to question their decisions. Needing to know Monsea’s past to lead it into the future, Bitterblue begins exploring the city at night, disguised and alone. As she does, she learns about the legacy of her father, Leck, who ruled through his Grace – a talent for mind-altering – and a taste for cruelty. Soon Bitterblue meets two thieves who only steal what has already been stolen. She realizes they hold the key to the truth about King Leck’s reign. One of them, with a grace he hasn't yet identified, may also hold the key to her heart."

SPOILER WARNING

The queen of an entire nation has to wake up at 7 am just like you. She is incredibly relatable and very tired. Her advisors, who will not be named to move this along faster, are all terrible at their job. All are so traumatized by her father's reign that they don’t care anymore. They are all incredibly depressed. They are also incredibly old, like in their 60s, so for a fantasy medieval era, that's frankly ancient. Bitterblue decides to explore the city, meeting Saph, her lover, and his friend who wants to write a dictionary and is laughed at for it. Skipping to the end of Saph’s character, ark, as well as Bitterblue’s, for a second, his grace gives people dreams. Which makes him fall into a gray area of mind powers and not. The rest of Bitterblue’s court hardly matters except for her librarian, and the council member of the first book. Po and Katsa have taken on aunt/uncle figures in Bitterblue’s life, which she requires, to be an orphan. She becomes close friends with Giddon, who had a very large crush on Katsa previously, and still kind of resents Po. Over one calendar year, she gradually becomes accustomed to the city named after her, and the castle she has lived in all her life. Almost every person who was alive in the kingdom when her father ruled was scared in some way by him. Vast amounts of murder ensue, for anyone wanting to remember the past. At least two of her advisors die, and the other two retire. She meets her half-sister, hava, who has the Grace of appearing as an object she wants you to see. She forms a close trust with her doctor, who we learn is a spy from the Dells. Speaking of the Dells, Katsa returns after a spelunking trip with Fire, Brigan, and other assorted people, who barter peace and relations with Monsea and the other 7 kingdoms for the first time. Bitterblue is hesitant about Fire’s friendship for some time, but because Fire is the kindest person in the universe they slowly relate to each other over her insane dad. Saph goes to the Dells to investigate some mysterious ships, and Bitterblue has become a better queen by the end of her story, beginning to fix the corruption and lies in her court.

-Austin