Time to Read- "Northern Lights"

Over these past few weeks I've found it harder and harder to fit in some time to sit down with a book, and read. I've had so many things to do. Homework, family, friends and time to myself. You're probably thinking, "Why don't you just read when you're having "time to yourself". " Good point. I usually spend this "time to myself" sitting on my computer watching YT videos and just couldn't be bothered reading a book as entertainment.

I have so many books that I want to read but never have the time or make the effort to do so. One book that I'm trying to read and am throughly enjoying is, "Northern Lights" by Phillip Pullman. It's a 397 page book that is the first of a three book series called, "His Dark Materials". The other two books I believe are called, "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass". In "Northern Lights" an instrument is featured which plays a major part in the plot. It's called the alethiometer. In the book, alethio means truth, and meter means measure, so it's the truth measure. If you've ever seen the motion picture, "The Golden Compass", you'll know what this instrument looks like. If not, then you should look it up on Google images, it's quite a cool looking gadget. It resembles a compass or a pocket watch, and it has three dials with many, many ivory carved pictures around the rim inside the compass face. Each picture means different things, and in turn those things mean different things. For example, there is one picture with an hour glass and a skull above it. This means time and death.

The idea is that, in your mind you think of a question that you want to know the answer to. You then pick three symbols/pictures that relate to what you want to know, then think about your question and the dials move to different symbols in order to give you an answer. By looking at the symbols, you have to interpret their meaning to get the answer. Of course, it's not real or anything, but you can buy one of these things. I've seen numerous videos on You Tube of people showing off their cool alethiometer. Anyways, I just thought it was an interesting concept. Reading Pullman's book here has been amazing. His plotting is extraordinary! Just when you think you know the plot like the back of your hand...BANG! There's twist in the tale and the tension reaches a new peak. I'd definately recommened this book, even to those who are older than teenagers. It's a book not to miss!

Anyways, it seems I strayed from the subject matter there. I haven't had the time to read this fantastic novel. So far, I'm on page 147. It's been a fantastic roller coaster ride of a read. Thankfully though, I had about an hour and a half worth of time to get some reading done, and I did just that!

Another thing I'd like to mention regarding something featured in the book. I find it fascinating! The concept of "daemons" (pronounced "de-mons"). In the book, every human being has a daemon, which is basically their spirit or soul in the form of an animal. It is very close to it's human owner and daemons express the human's feeling via body language. If your sex is female, your daemon will be male, and if your sex is male, your daemon will be female. When you're a child your daemon is capable of shape-shifting into different animals, e.g from a moth to a cat etc. But when you reach adolescence, you daemon is not capable of changing shape anymore, it remains one animal. Some people's are crows, cats, lemurs, squirrels, butterflies etc. And if one daemon fights/hurt another daemon, the human owner will feel the pain too. Isn't that interesting.

Well, maybe not for you, but I guess you have to read the book to understand what I mean. I'm sorry if I went on a bit too much, but it's just a really good book. Very well plotted.