Are you in the mood?

Don’t lie to me. We all do it.

We curl up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, a Diet Coke and soak up every minute of teenage nostalgia, especially the angst-y, heartbreak-y, hormone-driven parts that come with the High School Movie. We may be out of high school, but that doesn’t mean we’re over it. Our very fascination with those 4 years and the events that might have changed our lives is secretly compelling to us. So we watch. And we love it.

And that’s OK. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a little high school drama (and an occasional choreographed dance) again. There is so much to be learned from those flicks and so much happiness to be gleaned from the fact that we are no longer living them.

Just to let you know that indulging in high school drama is a healthy and well-adjusted way to waste your free time, I created a list of the best/awesomely funny/most ridiculous high school movies you will ever see. Read More »

Like “A Clockwork Orange”, this book is probably more famous as a film. But, again, the book is infinitely better!

Jeffery Eugenides has received much praise in the past few years for his novel Middlesex, which is a great book too, but The Virgin Suicides was his first mega hit…and for good reason.

It is a simple yet powerful story. Eugenides forgoes the use of literary devices and flowery language and instead pours his energy into creating a unique plot. The title is pretty self-explanatory and the frankness with which Eugenides describes the events is riveting. Some books are enhanced by descriptive details and flowery imagery, but The Virgin Suicides proves that none of that is necessary when weaving a great story. It is a perfect example of how a short and concise book can still evoke emotion when written by a great author.

The story revolves around the five Lisbon sisters and events that take place in their town. It is told from the point of view of a group of boys who are obsessed with the sisters. This is interesting because, just like the narrators, the reader never truly knows what is happening inside the sisters’ heads and can only make assumptions. Read More »

Thankfully, I am not a teenager anymore, but sometimes I like to get nostalgic and reflect upon the days when my pudgy, controlling boyfriend cheating on me was an event akin to the apocalypse and no one articulated my feelings better than Davey Havok of AFI, bless his tranny heart.

For others looking to take a simultaneously funny and painful stroll down memory lane, may I recommend these literary gems to get you in the hormone-laden mood.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: Written as a series of letters to an unidentified recipient, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a charming little novella told from the perspective of Charlie, a shy and introverted freshman. True to teen book form, Charlie experiences all the usual touchstones of adolescence – crushes, family drama, drugs, sexual experimentation – but what makes the book stand out is Chbosky’s simple, straightforward writing style.

With excerpts like, “Sam tapped her hand on the steering wheel. Patrick held his hand outside the car and made airwaves. And I just sat between them. After the song finished, I said something. ‘I feel infinite,’” The Perks of Being a Wallflower is like reading the journal of that quiet kid that sat next to you in English that you always wanted to make out with. Plus, it was published by MTV in the days when the network was still clinging to some shed of credibility. Ah, memories. Read More »