As the year comes to a close, it's time to look back and think about how things went. I had a pretty good year. I have had some health issues to contend with, and this year, like every year had its ups and downs, but a lot of positive things have happened. Here are some of them:
1. I got a laptop. Having this allowed me a lot more freedom, and is the reason that several other items on this list were possible.
2. In June, I started editing a book for a friend of my dad's. The project has grown bigger since then, and I'm still working on it! It has been a great experience that I have learned a lot from. It is also really great to be making money doing some thing I really enjoy.
3. I started this blog! Blogging has been a great experience, and it's something I plan on doing as long as possible.
4. I went to the Write On! Teen Writing Conference this summer. This was a really great way to connect with other teens who love writing, and I learned a lot from all the great presenters.
5. I won NaNoWriMo for the third year in a row! It's a lot of work, but it's so worth it. This year was particularly tough because I was really sick for a lot of November, and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make 50k. But I pushed through and made it!
6. I went to a John Mayer concert this summer. It was a great experience, and a very enjoyable evening. It was the first major concert I've ever been to, and I loved it.
7. I've realized how many really great friends I have. This year, I've been doing less with our homeschool group at large, and more and more with the group that many call the "Usual Suspects." I'm not sure who first coined the term, but we all use it now to refer to the group of six families who do everything together. In that group, there are thirteen of us kids. I've always been friends with everyone to some extent, but in the last year, I feel like we've become much closer as a group, and as a result, I have much closer friendships with everyone.
The end of the year isn't just a time to look back, it's also a time to look forward. I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Resolutions, but I think the New Year is a good time to reflect a little and make some goals. Here are a few of my thoughts for 2014.
I want to find a balance between school and the rest of my life. I feel like there is a constant tug of war going on, and in the end, no one wins. I want to read more. This year, I read less that I have for many, many years. I've been busy, yes, but I've also spent too much time doing other useless things. Both of these things are things I need to think about, and slowly change my patterns.
I don't want to load too much onto my plate just yet, but I have a few plans of things I want to do this year that I'm really excited about. I don't want to talk about them yet, in case they don't pan out, but don't worry, you'll be hearing more about them in the next six months or so.
My final goal for 2014 is to enjoy it more. I sometimes feel like life is going by so fast, and while the thought of going to college, and figuring out my life are exciting, they are also terrifying. I want to enjoy being 15 as much as I can, and try not to worry too much about the future.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
55 Book Questions
I know I've been pretty negligent of my blogging plans lately, but today I'm back with a fun post, answering 55 book questions. Thanks to the Penslayer for the questions!
1. Your favourite book as a child? It's so hard to pick just one. I loved James and the Giant Peach, the Betsy-Tacy books, the All of a Kind Family books, and many more.
2. What are you reading right now? A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin, Malgudi Days by R. K. Narayan, Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor, and The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (I haven't really started this one yet).
3. What books do you have on request at the library? It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, and The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan.
4. Bad book habit. I very often eat and read at the same time. I don't get food on the books, but it's still a bad idea.
5. What do you currently have checked out from your library? The 5th Wave by Richard Yancy, The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, Sever by Lauren DeStefano, United We Spy by Ally Carter, Teen Angst? Naaah, by Ned Vizzini, and Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
6. Do you have an e-reader? Yes, but I don't read on it that often.I prefer real books.
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or do you tend to read several at once? Well, if you can't tell from all of the above, I tend to read a ridiculously large number of books at a time. It would probably be more efficient to read one at a time, but I never do.
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? They haven't too much. I do tend to write reviews in my head now as I read, so if anything, it's changed my thinking habits. :)
9. What was your least favourite book this year? That's hard. Maybe Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant?
10. What was your FAVOURITE book this year? Oh gosh, that even harder. I really liked Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and I really liked The Eight by Katherine Neville. I also really enjoyed Homeland by Cory Doctorow. Can I make it a top three?
11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? Well, I don't really have a comfort zone, so either all the time, or never.
12. What is your reading comfort zone? Strictly speaking, it would probably be young adult lit, but I read a lot of stuff that isn't that too.
13. Can you read in the car? Yes, and I do constantly. Not as much as I used to, but I rarely leave the house without a book.
14. Where is your favourite place to read? On my bed.
15. What is your policy on book-lending. I don't lend books a lot, but when I do, it's usually to my friends who all care about books as much as I do. I know that they'll give the book back to me, and that they'll take care of it.
16. Do you ever dog-ear in books? No.
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? Sometimes. Not too much.
18. What about text books? I do write in those.
19. What is your favourite language to read in? English, without a doubt. The only other language I could try reading in is Latin, and though I do try that every now and then, it is a painful process.
20. What makes you love a book? Good writing and relate-ability.
21. What would inspire you to recommend a book? What I know about the person I'm recommending the book to.
22. What is your favourite genre? I don't really have a favorite genre. I often enjoy distopian books, but honestly I'm getting a little tired of the formulaic approach they have all been taking lately. Most of my very favorite books are some combo of scifi fantasy, humor, and realistic fiction. Was that confusing enough?
23. What is a genre you rarely read but wish that you did? Fantasy. I don't read it all that often, but when I do, I usually enjoy it.
24. Favourite biography? I read biogrophies rarely enough (read: only for school) that I don't really feel qualified to answer this question.
25. Have you ever read a self-help book? Yes, but never for help.
26. Favourite cookbook? Again, not qualified.
27. What is the most inspirational book you have read this year? That's really hard for me to answer. Reading The Great Gatsby inspired me to write, and Fangirl provided much more personal inspiration.
28. Favourite reading snack? Chocolate.
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. The Percy Jackson books. I enjoyed them, but I think I would have liked them more if I didn't expect quite so much from them.
30. How often do you agree with critics about a book? Reletivly often. Writing style affects my opinion much more than more critics, so if I am less positive about a book, that's usually why,
31. How do you feel about giving negative reviews? I don't like, read, or write negative reviews. Critical reviews, if well written and constructive, are fine. Negative reviews are not.
32. If you could read a foreign language, which would you choose? Latin. I don't know if that counts, since it's the only one I can kind of read, but it's the one I would like to read fluently.
33. What was the most intimidating book you've ever read? The Illiad by Homer. I got through it though, and now I think I could read anything I put my mind to.
34. What is the most intimidating book you're too nervous to begin? Don Quiote.
35. Who is your favourite poet? I don't read much poetry, but there are several poems by Rudyard Kipling I really like.
36. On average, how many books do you have checked out of the library at any given time? Seven or eight at least.
37. How often do you return books to the library unread? Too often. Probably one or two out of every seven or eight go back unread.
38. Who are your favourite fictional characters? Lee, from East of Eden, Alanna from Tamora Peirce's Alanna books, Charlie from Flowers for Algernon, Johnny from The Outsiders, Meg from A Wrinkle in Time, Alice from Phyllis Reynold Naylor's Alice books, and Hermione from Harry Potter.
39. Who is your favourite fictional villain? If by favorite you mean most interesting: Cathy from East of Eden. If by favorite you mean most liked, The from The Name of This Book Is Secret (and the series following).
40. What are the books you are most likely to take on vacation? What ever I'm currently reading.
41. What is the longest you have gone without reading?A few day, maybe a week.
42. Name a book that you could not or would not finish. Lord of the Flies. I feel guilty every time I say it, but I never finished it. I will someday. Also The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour. Someday, I WILL read these books.
43. What distracts you easily when you're reading? Thoughts of other things I should be doing, like school work, editing, chores, ect. I have a hard time relaxing sometimes.
44. What is your favourite film adaptation of a novel? That's tough. Maybe the Princess Bride? As far as film adaptations go, it kept the same mood, though some of my favorite parts of the book had to be changed or left out. Also maybe the new Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio. I thought that was fantastic.
45. What is the most disappointing film adaptation? Well, I tend to avoid them if I've heard anything bad about them, but I was pretty disappointed with most of the Harry Potters. That's mainly because I get too stuck on details, and the movies couldn't be quite the same. The later ones were better, but three and five in particular disappointed me.
46. What is the most money you have spent in a bookstore at one go? Hmmm, I'm not sure. Maybe $50?
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it? Rarely. Unless it's a school book.
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through? A distict lack of plot and terrible writing. Monument 14 if the most recent book I stopped part way through.
49. Do you like to keep your books organized? I like to, but I don't.
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you're done with them? Keep them. I have way too many, and I buy more all the time. I don't really have space for them all, leading to piles everywhere, and the lack of organization discussed above.
51. Are there any books you've been avoiding? Nothing in particular.
52. Name a book that made you angry. The only thing that comes to mind is a textbook I have called The Least You Should Know About English. The title and teaching style both suggest that nobody wants to learn English, and the book's purpose is to teach you the very smallest amount possible to allow you to get through high school.
53. A book you didn't expect to like, but did? Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. I loved that book when I read it in American Lit last year, but I certainly didn't expect to.
54. How about a book you expected to like, but didn't? The Red Badge of Courage. I generally like a lot of classic fiction, and I'd heard good things about it. I didn't exactly dislike it, and there were parts I liked, but for the most part it was hard to read and a bit boring.
55. Favourite guilt-free pleasure reading? The two books I always go back to are Alanna: The First Adventure, and In the Hands of the Goddess, the first two books in Tamora Pierce's Alanna series. I can't tell you how many times I've read those two books. I rarely actually read them any more, but if I'm feeling sad or nostalgic, I'll pull one down and open it and read a few chapters.
1. Your favourite book as a child? It's so hard to pick just one. I loved James and the Giant Peach, the Betsy-Tacy books, the All of a Kind Family books, and many more.
2. What are you reading right now? A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin, Malgudi Days by R. K. Narayan, Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor, and The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (I haven't really started this one yet).
3. What books do you have on request at the library? It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, and The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan.
4. Bad book habit. I very often eat and read at the same time. I don't get food on the books, but it's still a bad idea.
5. What do you currently have checked out from your library? The 5th Wave by Richard Yancy, The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, Sever by Lauren DeStefano, United We Spy by Ally Carter, Teen Angst? Naaah, by Ned Vizzini, and Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
6. Do you have an e-reader? Yes, but I don't read on it that often.I prefer real books.
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or do you tend to read several at once? Well, if you can't tell from all of the above, I tend to read a ridiculously large number of books at a time. It would probably be more efficient to read one at a time, but I never do.
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? They haven't too much. I do tend to write reviews in my head now as I read, so if anything, it's changed my thinking habits. :)
9. What was your least favourite book this year? That's hard. Maybe Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant?
10. What was your FAVOURITE book this year? Oh gosh, that even harder. I really liked Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and I really liked The Eight by Katherine Neville. I also really enjoyed Homeland by Cory Doctorow. Can I make it a top three?
11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? Well, I don't really have a comfort zone, so either all the time, or never.
12. What is your reading comfort zone? Strictly speaking, it would probably be young adult lit, but I read a lot of stuff that isn't that too.
13. Can you read in the car? Yes, and I do constantly. Not as much as I used to, but I rarely leave the house without a book.
14. Where is your favourite place to read? On my bed.
15. What is your policy on book-lending. I don't lend books a lot, but when I do, it's usually to my friends who all care about books as much as I do. I know that they'll give the book back to me, and that they'll take care of it.
16. Do you ever dog-ear in books? No.
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? Sometimes. Not too much.
18. What about text books? I do write in those.
19. What is your favourite language to read in? English, without a doubt. The only other language I could try reading in is Latin, and though I do try that every now and then, it is a painful process.
20. What makes you love a book? Good writing and relate-ability.
21. What would inspire you to recommend a book? What I know about the person I'm recommending the book to.
22. What is your favourite genre? I don't really have a favorite genre. I often enjoy distopian books, but honestly I'm getting a little tired of the formulaic approach they have all been taking lately. Most of my very favorite books are some combo of scifi fantasy, humor, and realistic fiction. Was that confusing enough?
23. What is a genre you rarely read but wish that you did? Fantasy. I don't read it all that often, but when I do, I usually enjoy it.
24. Favourite biography? I read biogrophies rarely enough (read: only for school) that I don't really feel qualified to answer this question.
25. Have you ever read a self-help book? Yes, but never for help.
26. Favourite cookbook? Again, not qualified.
27. What is the most inspirational book you have read this year? That's really hard for me to answer. Reading The Great Gatsby inspired me to write, and Fangirl provided much more personal inspiration.
28. Favourite reading snack? Chocolate.
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. The Percy Jackson books. I enjoyed them, but I think I would have liked them more if I didn't expect quite so much from them.
30. How often do you agree with critics about a book? Reletivly often. Writing style affects my opinion much more than more critics, so if I am less positive about a book, that's usually why,
31. How do you feel about giving negative reviews? I don't like, read, or write negative reviews. Critical reviews, if well written and constructive, are fine. Negative reviews are not.
32. If you could read a foreign language, which would you choose? Latin. I don't know if that counts, since it's the only one I can kind of read, but it's the one I would like to read fluently.
33. What was the most intimidating book you've ever read? The Illiad by Homer. I got through it though, and now I think I could read anything I put my mind to.
34. What is the most intimidating book you're too nervous to begin? Don Quiote.
35. Who is your favourite poet? I don't read much poetry, but there are several poems by Rudyard Kipling I really like.
36. On average, how many books do you have checked out of the library at any given time? Seven or eight at least.
37. How often do you return books to the library unread? Too often. Probably one or two out of every seven or eight go back unread.
38. Who are your favourite fictional characters? Lee, from East of Eden, Alanna from Tamora Peirce's Alanna books, Charlie from Flowers for Algernon, Johnny from The Outsiders, Meg from A Wrinkle in Time, Alice from Phyllis Reynold Naylor's Alice books, and Hermione from Harry Potter.
39. Who is your favourite fictional villain? If by favorite you mean most interesting: Cathy from East of Eden. If by favorite you mean most liked, The from The Name of This Book Is Secret (and the series following).
40. What are the books you are most likely to take on vacation? What ever I'm currently reading.
41. What is the longest you have gone without reading?A few day, maybe a week.
42. Name a book that you could not or would not finish. Lord of the Flies. I feel guilty every time I say it, but I never finished it. I will someday. Also The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour. Someday, I WILL read these books.
43. What distracts you easily when you're reading? Thoughts of other things I should be doing, like school work, editing, chores, ect. I have a hard time relaxing sometimes.
44. What is your favourite film adaptation of a novel? That's tough. Maybe the Princess Bride? As far as film adaptations go, it kept the same mood, though some of my favorite parts of the book had to be changed or left out. Also maybe the new Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio. I thought that was fantastic.
45. What is the most disappointing film adaptation? Well, I tend to avoid them if I've heard anything bad about them, but I was pretty disappointed with most of the Harry Potters. That's mainly because I get too stuck on details, and the movies couldn't be quite the same. The later ones were better, but three and five in particular disappointed me.
46. What is the most money you have spent in a bookstore at one go? Hmmm, I'm not sure. Maybe $50?
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it? Rarely. Unless it's a school book.
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through? A distict lack of plot and terrible writing. Monument 14 if the most recent book I stopped part way through.
49. Do you like to keep your books organized? I like to, but I don't.
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you're done with them? Keep them. I have way too many, and I buy more all the time. I don't really have space for them all, leading to piles everywhere, and the lack of organization discussed above.
51. Are there any books you've been avoiding? Nothing in particular.
52. Name a book that made you angry. The only thing that comes to mind is a textbook I have called The Least You Should Know About English. The title and teaching style both suggest that nobody wants to learn English, and the book's purpose is to teach you the very smallest amount possible to allow you to get through high school.
53. A book you didn't expect to like, but did? Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. I loved that book when I read it in American Lit last year, but I certainly didn't expect to.
54. How about a book you expected to like, but didn't? The Red Badge of Courage. I generally like a lot of classic fiction, and I'd heard good things about it. I didn't exactly dislike it, and there were parts I liked, but for the most part it was hard to read and a bit boring.
55. Favourite guilt-free pleasure reading? The two books I always go back to are Alanna: The First Adventure, and In the Hands of the Goddess, the first two books in Tamora Pierce's Alanna series. I can't tell you how many times I've read those two books. I rarely actually read them any more, but if I'm feeling sad or nostalgic, I'll pull one down and open it and read a few chapters.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas!
I hope you are all having a fantastic Christmas!
Enjoy your day, and come back tomorrow for a real post!
Sunday, December 22, 2013
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Today, I am reviewing A Doll's House, a play written in 1879 by Henrik Ibsen. It was the December book in my World Lit high school book group. Since it is a play, and not too long of one, we thought it would be fun to read it aloud together. It took us a little longer than we had anticipated, a little over three hours all told. I read the part of Mrs. Linde for the majority of the play. This post contains spoilers, so don't read if you care about that.
I'm going to write this post in a much more relaxed manner than usual, mainly because I didn't read it like a normal book. It was a different reading experience that normal, and I think it deserves a more chatty type of review.
I found this play an interested read considering the time in which it was written. The play focuses on a woman named Nora Helmer, who was, at some point in the past, forced to borrow money to pay for the treatment of her husband's illness. He does not know about the loan, and would be furious if he knew. As the play begins, her loan situation is falling apart, along with her marriage.
Nora is an interesting character in that she manages to be at once both a "doll" and a relatively independent woman. By the end, she seems to know what she wants, or at least needs, and she is willing to to what it takes to get there. In her husband's eyes, however, she is an airheaded homemaker.
This play breaks away from several social norms of the time, especially in the end, when Norma leaves her husband. The ending, in which Norma leaves Torvald and their children because she needs to grow as a person, and she finds her life with him too stifling. What I find particularly interesting about the ending is not so much the events themselves, but more the light in which they were presented.
The tone of the writing suggests that Norma is in the right, and that her husband is wrong to try to make her stay, which, for the late 1800's, is quite a statement. Not just that, but Torvald is represented as being hypocritical and the true "Doll" in the house. This is not at all what I would expect from a play from that time, and I found it quite interesting.
For a play, I think it read quite easily. It did a good job of showing character and plot development through dialogue, which is certainly important for a play. Each of the main characters, Norma, Torvald, Mrs. Linde, Krogstad, and even Dr. Rank all were quite human and well written.
I recommend this play to those who enjoy a well written play, and are interested in the history of play writing or woman's rights. It provides a unique perspective on this topic.
Have you read this book? If you have, I would love to hear what you thought about it!
I'm going to write this post in a much more relaxed manner than usual, mainly because I didn't read it like a normal book. It was a different reading experience that normal, and I think it deserves a more chatty type of review.
I found this play an interested read considering the time in which it was written. The play focuses on a woman named Nora Helmer, who was, at some point in the past, forced to borrow money to pay for the treatment of her husband's illness. He does not know about the loan, and would be furious if he knew. As the play begins, her loan situation is falling apart, along with her marriage.
Nora is an interesting character in that she manages to be at once both a "doll" and a relatively independent woman. By the end, she seems to know what she wants, or at least needs, and she is willing to to what it takes to get there. In her husband's eyes, however, she is an airheaded homemaker.
This play breaks away from several social norms of the time, especially in the end, when Norma leaves her husband. The ending, in which Norma leaves Torvald and their children because she needs to grow as a person, and she finds her life with him too stifling. What I find particularly interesting about the ending is not so much the events themselves, but more the light in which they were presented.
The tone of the writing suggests that Norma is in the right, and that her husband is wrong to try to make her stay, which, for the late 1800's, is quite a statement. Not just that, but Torvald is represented as being hypocritical and the true "Doll" in the house. This is not at all what I would expect from a play from that time, and I found it quite interesting.
For a play, I think it read quite easily. It did a good job of showing character and plot development through dialogue, which is certainly important for a play. Each of the main characters, Norma, Torvald, Mrs. Linde, Krogstad, and even Dr. Rank all were quite human and well written.
I recommend this play to those who enjoy a well written play, and are interested in the history of play writing or woman's rights. It provides a unique perspective on this topic.
Have you read this book? If you have, I would love to hear what you thought about it!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Book Review Round Up - 2013
Now that 2013 is almost done (just ten days left in the year), I thought it was time to look over the year in books. Since I've only had this blog since March, there are a few months of books I didn't review, and there are quite a few I never got to this summer and fall. Despite that, I still reviewed a good number of books in 2013. Here are some of my best.
1. Eve and Adam by Micheal Grant and Katherine Applegate. I'm not putting this one in here because it was one of my favorite books, but because I often feel like I post a lot of very positive reviews. This is a good example of a book that I didn't love.
2. Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow. Cory Doctorow is one my very favorite authors, and this book didn't disappoint. It was a favorite of mine this year. I also read another new book of his, Homeland, this year, and loved it, but didn't have a chance to review it.
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This is one of the first books that I reviewed that I really respected, and appreciated, but didn't exactly like all the way.
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth. With the movie coming out soon, this seems like a good one to feature.
5. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I loved this book and highly recommend it. It has raised some controversy recently, which I think is a sign of how great it is. If everybody likes a book, it is unlikely that it did anything risky or unusual.
6. Erebos by Ursula Poznaski. This is one of the weirdest books I read this year, but I highly recommend it.
7. The Eight by Katherine Neville. I liked this book a lot. It's pretty different from the kinds of thing I normally read, which makes it perfect for this list.
8. Parnucklians for Chocolate by B. H. James. This book is the reason Erebos isn't the very weirdest book I read this year. This book is WAY weirder, and I love it. If you only read one book on this list, make it this one. Read the review first though, because I could imagine that this book could be somewhat polarizing for some people.
9. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Another fabulous Rainbow Rowell. I liked this one better than Eleanor and Park, which will probably make sense if you read my reviews of the books.
10. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. How could I leave this off my list?
There will be one or two more book reviews coming this next week, and then we're on to 2014.
1. Eve and Adam by Micheal Grant and Katherine Applegate. I'm not putting this one in here because it was one of my favorite books, but because I often feel like I post a lot of very positive reviews. This is a good example of a book that I didn't love.
2. Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow. Cory Doctorow is one my very favorite authors, and this book didn't disappoint. It was a favorite of mine this year. I also read another new book of his, Homeland, this year, and loved it, but didn't have a chance to review it.
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This is one of the first books that I reviewed that I really respected, and appreciated, but didn't exactly like all the way.
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth. With the movie coming out soon, this seems like a good one to feature.
5. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I loved this book and highly recommend it. It has raised some controversy recently, which I think is a sign of how great it is. If everybody likes a book, it is unlikely that it did anything risky or unusual.
6. Erebos by Ursula Poznaski. This is one of the weirdest books I read this year, but I highly recommend it.
7. The Eight by Katherine Neville. I liked this book a lot. It's pretty different from the kinds of thing I normally read, which makes it perfect for this list.
8. Parnucklians for Chocolate by B. H. James. This book is the reason Erebos isn't the very weirdest book I read this year. This book is WAY weirder, and I love it. If you only read one book on this list, make it this one. Read the review first though, because I could imagine that this book could be somewhat polarizing for some people.
9. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Another fabulous Rainbow Rowell. I liked this one better than Eleanor and Park, which will probably make sense if you read my reviews of the books.
10. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. How could I leave this off my list?
There will be one or two more book reviews coming this next week, and then we're on to 2014.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Christmas Cookies 2013
One of our longest standing Christmas traditions is to decorate Christmas cookies with our cousins. Nobody could remember for sure what year was the first one, but it was agreed that this year was at least the 13th, maybe the 14th.
The first year we did it, there were two of us (plus another cousin who doesn't come anymore), ages 1 and 2. This year, there were four of us (my sister and other cousin weren't born yet that first year), ages 16, 15, 13, and 12. As we've gotten older, our enthusiasm hasn't gone away, but our cookies have gotten much more creative.
I don't have pictures of some of the best cookies, but there were some really great ones.
We've also gotten more competitive over the years. For the past fourteen years, we have always had four colors of icing: blue, green, yellow, and red (which is almost always more pink than red). This year, someone had the revolutionary idea to introduce a 5th color: white. As you might imagine, this changed everything. :)
Now, the race was on to make the first REAL candy cane, with both white and red icing.
Of the three here, two of them were both almost first, though the one on top won. Mine (in the middle) was almost first, but I sacrificed that title for higher quality. The bottom is my sister's, which is better than either of ours, but was made a while later, so I don't think it really gets to compete. This led to a long discussion over which is more important: being best (that was me), or being first (that was him). What do you think?
Here's another picture of my sister and I. We were at the Lights of Christmas, which is a beautiful and large display of Christmas lights near us. We go every year.
The first year we did it, there were two of us (plus another cousin who doesn't come anymore), ages 1 and 2. This year, there were four of us (my sister and other cousin weren't born yet that first year), ages 16, 15, 13, and 12. As we've gotten older, our enthusiasm hasn't gone away, but our cookies have gotten much more creative.
I don't have pictures of some of the best cookies, but there were some really great ones.
We've also gotten more competitive over the years. For the past fourteen years, we have always had four colors of icing: blue, green, yellow, and red (which is almost always more pink than red). This year, someone had the revolutionary idea to introduce a 5th color: white. As you might imagine, this changed everything. :)
Now, the race was on to make the first REAL candy cane, with both white and red icing.
Of the three here, two of them were both almost first, though the one on top won. Mine (in the middle) was almost first, but I sacrificed that title for higher quality. The bottom is my sister's, which is better than either of ours, but was made a while later, so I don't think it really gets to compete. This led to a long discussion over which is more important: being best (that was me), or being first (that was him). What do you think?
Here's another picture of my sister and I. We were at the Lights of Christmas, which is a beautiful and large display of Christmas lights near us. We go every year.
I hope you're all having a great holiday season!
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Follow Me! {Social Media Roundup}
Well, I forgot to post yesterday. I don't even have an excuse this time since yesterday was the first day I didn't do anything out of the house in several weeks.
Today, I'm doing a cop out post and just dumping you with a few links. Not just any links, but my links.
As of this morning, I'm on facebook, and now this blog even has a page that you can follow! You can find that here, and never miss a post. :) There's nothing there right now (since it has existed for about twenty minutes), but I'll try to keep it up.
Also, I have a twitter, where I also tweet about new blog posts (when I remember to), and about other bookish stuff.
In addition, I also have a Google+ profile where I post about my blog a lot. I don't have a page there, just a personal profile, but please feel free to add me there as well.
If you follow all of those, the chances of ever missing a post here are pretty slim! :)
That's all I've got for today (sorry!), but later this week I'll be back with a review of the play A Doll's House, and a round up of some of my favorite books of 2013 (and my reviews of them).
Today, I'm doing a cop out post and just dumping you with a few links. Not just any links, but my links.
As of this morning, I'm on facebook, and now this blog even has a page that you can follow! You can find that here, and never miss a post. :) There's nothing there right now (since it has existed for about twenty minutes), but I'll try to keep it up.
Also, I have a twitter, where I also tweet about new blog posts (when I remember to), and about other bookish stuff.
In addition, I also have a Google+ profile where I post about my blog a lot. I don't have a page there, just a personal profile, but please feel free to add me there as well.
If you follow all of those, the chances of ever missing a post here are pretty slim! :)
That's all I've got for today (sorry!), but later this week I'll be back with a review of the play A Doll's House, and a round up of some of my favorite books of 2013 (and my reviews of them).
Monday, December 16, 2013
Another Holiday Life Update
I've still been really busy, and here is a little summary of what I've been up to. This week has been insane. In addition to all the activities going on, we realized on Saturday that our refrigerator isn't cold anymore. Since we don't know how long that has been the case, a lot of stuff had to be thrown out.
Luckily, it is cold enough outside right now that the deck can serve as a temporary fridge. The worst of it was that we had about nine bags of blueberries we picked last summer in the freezer. Once they thaw, you can't refreeze them, so we have to cook, eat or throw away all of the berries in the next few days, before they go bad.
I'm actually writing this post Sunday night, because Monday is really busy. In the morning, I am doing an embroidery class with the grandmother of a friend of mine who is in town for the holidays. I volunteer at the library in the afternoon (right after embroidery ends), and then I have a few hours to kill before dance. There is also a symphony concert that another friend is in that starts right when dance ends that we might go to.
Today, I went to see the Nutcracker as performed by NW Ballet (where I do Irish Dance). I had a friend in it, and she was fantastic. The whole show was really good. On Friday, we saw the Christmas show of another dance studio, which had some more friends of mine in it. It was really different than that usual Nutcracker fare, and it was a lot of fun too.
On Saturday, we went to Seattle to visit my cousins and make and decorate sugar cookies, something we have done for at least thirteen years. Even though we're teenagers now, it is still a ton of fun. Hopefully, I'll be able to post the pictures of a few of our cookies soon. As we get older, it is just as much fun, but our cookies get way fancier.
That's it for this random post. I'll post again tomorrow, but I have no clue what that will be about yet...
Luckily, it is cold enough outside right now that the deck can serve as a temporary fridge. The worst of it was that we had about nine bags of blueberries we picked last summer in the freezer. Once they thaw, you can't refreeze them, so we have to cook, eat or throw away all of the berries in the next few days, before they go bad.
I'm actually writing this post Sunday night, because Monday is really busy. In the morning, I am doing an embroidery class with the grandmother of a friend of mine who is in town for the holidays. I volunteer at the library in the afternoon (right after embroidery ends), and then I have a few hours to kill before dance. There is also a symphony concert that another friend is in that starts right when dance ends that we might go to.
Today, I went to see the Nutcracker as performed by NW Ballet (where I do Irish Dance). I had a friend in it, and she was fantastic. The whole show was really good. On Friday, we saw the Christmas show of another dance studio, which had some more friends of mine in it. It was really different than that usual Nutcracker fare, and it was a lot of fun too.
On Saturday, we went to Seattle to visit my cousins and make and decorate sugar cookies, something we have done for at least thirteen years. Even though we're teenagers now, it is still a ton of fun. Hopefully, I'll be able to post the pictures of a few of our cookies soon. As we get older, it is just as much fun, but our cookies get way fancier.
That's it for this random post. I'll post again tomorrow, but I have no clue what that will be about yet...
Sunday, December 15, 2013
2013 Movie Review
Now that 2013 is almost over, I have been thinking about all the movies I have seen in theaters this year. I think it is likely that I won't see any more until January, so this seems like a good time to do this update. If I do see any more, I'll try to update this post.
I have kept the tickets from every movie I saw this year. Here are all the ones I saw, and what I thought (or what I remember thinking). Of course, I've seen a lot more movies than this at home, but these are all the ones I bought tickets to see.
January 5: Lincoln. I remember liking this, though I think it was probably not one of my favorites, just because I don't find the topic as interesting as I do with some of these others.
May 12: The Great Gatsby. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this, but I really liked it. In fact, I think I actually liked it better than the book. Plus, there was some great music. I saw this on my birthday.:)
May 30: Star Trek: Into Darkness. I enjoyed it. I'm not a huge Star Trek fan, but it was fun. There were some gimmicky moments, but I still did like it.
June 27: I saw Star Trek: Into Darkness again with different people. I felt the same way about it. :)
November 24: Catching Fire. I liked this movie a lot, a lot better than the first one. It stuck to the book well.
December 1: Ender's Game. Read my review here.
December 12: The Book Thief. Again, read my review here.
If I end up seeing any more movies this month, I will definitely add them to this list.
What movies have you seen this year? Which were the best? I didn't see any movies I didn't like, though some were better than others. Also, you can see that we're really getting into movie season. I've seen three movies in the last three weeks, and none for the six months before that.
I have kept the tickets from every movie I saw this year. Here are all the ones I saw, and what I thought (or what I remember thinking). Of course, I've seen a lot more movies than this at home, but these are all the ones I bought tickets to see.
January 5: Lincoln. I remember liking this, though I think it was probably not one of my favorites, just because I don't find the topic as interesting as I do with some of these others.
May 12: The Great Gatsby. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this, but I really liked it. In fact, I think I actually liked it better than the book. Plus, there was some great music. I saw this on my birthday.:)
May 30: Star Trek: Into Darkness. I enjoyed it. I'm not a huge Star Trek fan, but it was fun. There were some gimmicky moments, but I still did like it.
June 27: I saw Star Trek: Into Darkness again with different people. I felt the same way about it. :)
November 24: Catching Fire. I liked this movie a lot, a lot better than the first one. It stuck to the book well.
December 1: Ender's Game. Read my review here.
December 12: The Book Thief. Again, read my review here.
If I end up seeing any more movies this month, I will definitely add them to this list.
What movies have you seen this year? Which were the best? I didn't see any movies I didn't like, though some were better than others. Also, you can see that we're really getting into movie season. I've seen three movies in the last three weeks, and none for the six months before that.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
What I've Been Listening To...
Here are some of the songs I've thumbed up on Pandora recently.
1. Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
2. Wonderwall by Oasis
3. Pinch Me by Barenaked Ladies
4. Follow You Down by Gin Blossoms
5. Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers
6. Here is Gone by Goo Goo Dolls
7. What It's Like by Everlast
8. Love Remains the Same by Gavin Rossdale
I don't have a lot of time today, so this will be it. What have you been listening to recently?
1. Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
2. Wonderwall by Oasis
3. Pinch Me by Barenaked Ladies
4. Follow You Down by Gin Blossoms
5. Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers
6. Here is Gone by Goo Goo Dolls
7. What It's Like by Everlast
8. Love Remains the Same by Gavin Rossdale
I don't have a lot of time today, so this will be it. What have you been listening to recently?
Friday, December 13, 2013
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin {Book Review}
(This post contains affiliate links, and I may make a small commission if you purchase and item through them.)
12/20/13 Edit: After talking to some friends, I realized that Arya should really be added to the list of characters I liked the whole way through in addition to Jon, Ned, and Bran. The post has been duly updated.
Today I'm finally getting around to reviewing A Game of Thrones, a book I finished about two months ago. I just started book two (finally!), and I thought it was well past time I post my thoughts on this one. I think this pretty much goes without saying, but there will be spoilers. I'll avoid the ending, and that sort of thing, but if you haven't read the books (and intend to read them at some point), you should probably stop reading now.
Before I begin, if you've read the book, definitely go read this review by Forever Young Adult. It's hilarious. If you haven't read the book, and go read that review, just know that it is not at all representative of the book. It's just meant to be funny.
Summary from Amazon.com
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.
Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.
My Review
As usual, I am going to start out by talking about the characters. This book has absolutely fantastic characters. There are many of them, and most of them felt very well developed. While there were some that were not as fleshed out, they also never narrated, which I think makes a difference. Despite having so many great characters, I think that there were very few that I truly liked. I liked Daenerys at times, but by the end of the book, I can't say I was too fond of her. The characters who I really did like, all the way through, were Ned Stark, Bran Stark, Arya Stark, and Jon Snow. All in the family there. :) There were characters I enjoyed reading, like Tyrion Lannister and Catelyn Stark, who I didn't really like that much.
I also really liked the writing. There were times when it felt like it was just going on and on describing one scene, but most of the time, I thought it was terrific. I was very impressed with how he switched the POV between chapters seamlessly. There were probably seven or eight characters who narrated, and they all felt unique and well developed. The writing was such that the 800 page book felt much shorter while I read it.
The plot was also good. It was complicated, with plots and sub plots galore, including several which I am sure were just a set up for upcoming books in the series. George R. R. Martin is obviously an author who cares deeply about the story, and is perfectly willing to sacrifice characters for it. He used surprise wonderfully, and there was a point at which I suddenly realized that no character was safe.
Who Should Read It?
This book is one I highly recommend, but there is quite a bit of sex and swearing, and this is (despite the FYA review) NOT a kids or YA book.
12/20/13 Edit: After talking to some friends, I realized that Arya should really be added to the list of characters I liked the whole way through in addition to Jon, Ned, and Bran. The post has been duly updated.
Today I'm finally getting around to reviewing A Game of Thrones, a book I finished about two months ago. I just started book two (finally!), and I thought it was well past time I post my thoughts on this one. I think this pretty much goes without saying, but there will be spoilers. I'll avoid the ending, and that sort of thing, but if you haven't read the books (and intend to read them at some point), you should probably stop reading now.
Before I begin, if you've read the book, definitely go read this review by Forever Young Adult. It's hilarious. If you haven't read the book, and go read that review, just know that it is not at all representative of the book. It's just meant to be funny.
Summary from Amazon.com
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.
Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.
My Review
As usual, I am going to start out by talking about the characters. This book has absolutely fantastic characters. There are many of them, and most of them felt very well developed. While there were some that were not as fleshed out, they also never narrated, which I think makes a difference. Despite having so many great characters, I think that there were very few that I truly liked. I liked Daenerys at times, but by the end of the book, I can't say I was too fond of her. The characters who I really did like, all the way through, were Ned Stark, Bran Stark, Arya Stark, and Jon Snow. All in the family there. :) There were characters I enjoyed reading, like Tyrion Lannister and Catelyn Stark, who I didn't really like that much.
I also really liked the writing. There were times when it felt like it was just going on and on describing one scene, but most of the time, I thought it was terrific. I was very impressed with how he switched the POV between chapters seamlessly. There were probably seven or eight characters who narrated, and they all felt unique and well developed. The writing was such that the 800 page book felt much shorter while I read it.
The plot was also good. It was complicated, with plots and sub plots galore, including several which I am sure were just a set up for upcoming books in the series. George R. R. Martin is obviously an author who cares deeply about the story, and is perfectly willing to sacrifice characters for it. He used surprise wonderfully, and there was a point at which I suddenly realized that no character was safe.
Who Should Read It?
This book is one I highly recommend, but there is quite a bit of sex and swearing, and this is (despite the FYA review) NOT a kids or YA book.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
The Book Thief {Movie Review}
It's after three in the afternoon, and I haven't written anything today, so I think I'll write about the movie I just saw, The Book Thief. Now, I literally saw this movie less than an hour ago (it got our at 2:30), so it is very fresh in my mind. Normally with a post like this, I'd spend most of the time comparing it to the book, but since I haven't actually read the book (I know, I know, please don't be too mad), I won't do that.
Instead, I think this is going to be more just observations about the movie in general. Be warned, there will be spoilers.
First of all, I liked the German/English mix up thing they did. The accents all sounded pretty good (though what do I know? They could have been terrible), and I liked the way they did occasionally switch to German (Nien! Nein!). It felt German without being hard to understand.
I spent a lot of the movie trying to remember where I recognized Hans (Geoffry Rush) from. It wasn't until just now (after I googled it) that I realized it was from Pirates of the Caribbean. He looked (and acted!) quite differently here. The accent didn't help either.
Spoilers coming, so consider yourself warned.
The movie was very dark visually, which definitely set the tone well. While I expected the movie to be sad, and I knew people would die, I wasn't really expected so many people to die at once. This is I'm sure where the fact that I didn't read the book is becoming really obvious. I would have known that if I had.
Particularly sad was Rudy's death, mid sentence. Everybody in the theater (all seven of us, literally) sighed at the same time. At an earlier point in the movie, when it seemed like Rudy was about to kiss Liesel, but didn't, the older ladies behind us all went "Oh, come on! Kiss her!" It was pretty funny.
I'm not sure exactly how long this movie has been in theaters, but, including me and the friend I was with, there were seven of us in the theater, and we were the youngest by probably forty years. Of course, it was a day time movie on a week day, but it still seemed really empty to me. We sat almost in the exact middle of the theater, and there was no one in front of us, which was great.
I had a hard time telling how old Liesel was supposed to be, particularly considering how they jumped forward several times. I was guessing she was supposed to be about eleven or twelve at the beginning, thought she looked younger. I just looked up the actress (Sophie Nelisse) and I was surprised to see that she is only thirteen! I think she was really good, especially for being that young.
Okay, that's the end of my randomness for the day. I do intend to read the book as soon as possible, and when I do, I'll review it here right away!
Instead, I think this is going to be more just observations about the movie in general. Be warned, there will be spoilers.
First of all, I liked the German/English mix up thing they did. The accents all sounded pretty good (though what do I know? They could have been terrible), and I liked the way they did occasionally switch to German (Nien! Nein!). It felt German without being hard to understand.
I spent a lot of the movie trying to remember where I recognized Hans (Geoffry Rush) from. It wasn't until just now (after I googled it) that I realized it was from Pirates of the Caribbean. He looked (and acted!) quite differently here. The accent didn't help either.
Spoilers coming, so consider yourself warned.
The movie was very dark visually, which definitely set the tone well. While I expected the movie to be sad, and I knew people would die, I wasn't really expected so many people to die at once. This is I'm sure where the fact that I didn't read the book is becoming really obvious. I would have known that if I had.
Particularly sad was Rudy's death, mid sentence. Everybody in the theater (all seven of us, literally) sighed at the same time. At an earlier point in the movie, when it seemed like Rudy was about to kiss Liesel, but didn't, the older ladies behind us all went "Oh, come on! Kiss her!" It was pretty funny.
I'm not sure exactly how long this movie has been in theaters, but, including me and the friend I was with, there were seven of us in the theater, and we were the youngest by probably forty years. Of course, it was a day time movie on a week day, but it still seemed really empty to me. We sat almost in the exact middle of the theater, and there was no one in front of us, which was great.
I had a hard time telling how old Liesel was supposed to be, particularly considering how they jumped forward several times. I was guessing she was supposed to be about eleven or twelve at the beginning, thought she looked younger. I just looked up the actress (Sophie Nelisse) and I was surprised to see that she is only thirteen! I think she was really good, especially for being that young.
Okay, that's the end of my randomness for the day. I do intend to read the book as soon as possible, and when I do, I'll review it here right away!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Music in My Novels
I didn't get a post up yesterday. I'm sorry about that. I was busy with Current Events class all afternoon, then our final choir performance for the season that night at the Homeschool Christmas Show. Anyway, I'm back on for today.
Two of my three NaNoWriMo novels feature a particular song at the very end. This song also lends it's lyrics to the title. While I am quite sure that if I attempted to publish them I could not do that, it is fun now that I am not planning on publishing right now.
The first year I did NaNo, I used the lyric to this song to close out my story:
I love this song. It's a lot more country than most things I like, but Iris DeMent is someone we listened to a lot when I was little, and this one is definitely special to me. I felt like the lyrics really resonated with the story, and it felt like a good ending. I called the book "Nothing Good Ever Lasts."
This year (my third NaNo), I used this song at the end.
This song was so perfect, it was amazing. The song could have been written for my story, that's how well it fit with the characters and the plot. I like this song, and I think it is the perfect mood. I called my book "At the Edge of the Ocean."
While I'm sharing music, here is another song. This one has nothing to do with NaNoWriMo, but it is one of the songs our choir sung this year. This version is a little different than ours (the beat is a little different, and we sing a capella), but it has all the same parts and words.
That's all for today. I'll be back tomorrow.
Two of my three NaNoWriMo novels feature a particular song at the very end. This song also lends it's lyrics to the title. While I am quite sure that if I attempted to publish them I could not do that, it is fun now that I am not planning on publishing right now.
The first year I did NaNo, I used the lyric to this song to close out my story:
I love this song. It's a lot more country than most things I like, but Iris DeMent is someone we listened to a lot when I was little, and this one is definitely special to me. I felt like the lyrics really resonated with the story, and it felt like a good ending. I called the book "Nothing Good Ever Lasts."
This year (my third NaNo), I used this song at the end.
This song was so perfect, it was amazing. The song could have been written for my story, that's how well it fit with the characters and the plot. I like this song, and I think it is the perfect mood. I called my book "At the Edge of the Ocean."
While I'm sharing music, here is another song. This one has nothing to do with NaNoWriMo, but it is one of the songs our choir sung this year. This version is a little different than ours (the beat is a little different, and we sing a capella), but it has all the same parts and words.
That's all for today. I'll be back tomorrow.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Favorite YouTubers
So, it is nine thirty at night, and I just realized I did not have a post up today. Since I said I would try to post every day this month, I thought I would try to come up with something really quickly. Since lists are easy, I thought I would do a list of some of my favorite youtubers. I am subscribed to an embarrassingly large number of them, but these are the ones I watch regularly. My subscription box is usually full of unwatched videos, but there are always a few that I will always watch, no matter what. I used to watch a lot more, but I have less time for it now.
1. Vlogbrothers. This was the first YouTube channel I ever subscribed to, over a year ago, and I am pretty sure that I have watched every video they have released since then.
2. Wheezy Waiter. I love Wheezy Waiter, though he posts videos more often, and there are definitely some that I've missed, particularly recently. I am finally at the point now that I think that I actually get all the inside jokes, which is fun.
3. Pemberly Digital. This is where the Emma Approved videos go up. I am really loving it so far.
4. Charlieissocoollike. He isn't at all hard to keep up with, since he posts a video about once every three months or so.
There really aren't any others that I always watch.
There are, however, a lot more that I really like, but just don't have time to watch too often, though I try when I have the chance. Maybe I'll do another post with some other channels I like another day when I have more time.
I'll be back tomorrow, though I have no idea what with.
1. Vlogbrothers. This was the first YouTube channel I ever subscribed to, over a year ago, and I am pretty sure that I have watched every video they have released since then.
2. Wheezy Waiter. I love Wheezy Waiter, though he posts videos more often, and there are definitely some that I've missed, particularly recently. I am finally at the point now that I think that I actually get all the inside jokes, which is fun.
3. Pemberly Digital. This is where the Emma Approved videos go up. I am really loving it so far.
4. Charlieissocoollike. He isn't at all hard to keep up with, since he posts a video about once every three months or so.
There really aren't any others that I always watch.
There are, however, a lot more that I really like, but just don't have time to watch too often, though I try when I have the chance. Maybe I'll do another post with some other channels I like another day when I have more time.
I'll be back tomorrow, though I have no idea what with.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Busy, Busy, Busy {Life Update}
Today, I don't actually have time to write up a fancy post, so this is all that is going up. Life has been insane lately, and it's not slowing down. On Friday, we had our first choir performance, which went fine. On Saturday, I also danced with the Scottish Highland Dancers at the holiday festival at the port, and I took part in an Irish dance as part of that.
The Irish dance we did was one that a friend and I put together ourselves, the night before. It went really well, considering, but I do wish we could have practiced it a few more times. Today, I have another choir performance, and then a Christmas party, which should be a lot of fun, and, hopefully, somewhat relaxing.
Last Tuesday, our World Lit group got together to read the play, A Doll's House outloud together. It was a lot of fun. We each took a character to play. It took us over three hours, but we made it. I'll post a book review (and more about our reading) soon. My upcoming week is just as busy, with something (or multiple things) happening every day. According to Google Calender, the first free day I have is Dec. 17th. That's one of just three empty days between now and Christmas, though I'm sure they'll fill up quickly.
Anyways, I don't need to just tell you how busy I am. This is just an update on what I'm up to, and now you at least know a little bit of it. School has been a little hard to fit in lately, but I'm planning on doing a comprehensive Homeschool Friday post this coming Friday. I'll talk a little about what's been going on and how things are going.
I've had a lot to do and think about lately, so this is all I have time to write at the moment. I'll be back tomorrow!
The Irish dance we did was one that a friend and I put together ourselves, the night before. It went really well, considering, but I do wish we could have practiced it a few more times. Today, I have another choir performance, and then a Christmas party, which should be a lot of fun, and, hopefully, somewhat relaxing.
Last Tuesday, our World Lit group got together to read the play, A Doll's House outloud together. It was a lot of fun. We each took a character to play. It took us over three hours, but we made it. I'll post a book review (and more about our reading) soon. My upcoming week is just as busy, with something (or multiple things) happening every day. According to Google Calender, the first free day I have is Dec. 17th. That's one of just three empty days between now and Christmas, though I'm sure they'll fill up quickly.
Anyways, I don't need to just tell you how busy I am. This is just an update on what I'm up to, and now you at least know a little bit of it. School has been a little hard to fit in lately, but I'm planning on doing a comprehensive Homeschool Friday post this coming Friday. I'll talk a little about what's been going on and how things are going.
I've had a lot to do and think about lately, so this is all I have time to write at the moment. I'll be back tomorrow!
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Eureka: Part Two
Continuing from yesterday, here are the final three seasons of Eureka.
Season Three
Season Three brings some of the saddest moments of the show. If you've seen it, I'm sure you know to what I am referring to. Ironically, I really liked the episode, up until about the lat four minutes. Also, Jack's sister is in town, and pregnant with twin boys (she later disappears, never to be mentioned again). Kim comes back (sorta), which made me very happy. I always like it when tv shows make references to things from the past like that. In the end, Jenna is born, Zane proposes, Zoe leaves for college, and Tess moves to Australia. All is well for the moment.
Season Four
Now, I'm going to start doing them the way they aired. Season Four begins by changing EVERYTHING. Some changes were not terrible (Like Andy.) Some were, like Jo and Zane, or Henry and Grace. I guess that's not terrible exactly, but weird. Also, Kevin's not autistic. That made me mad. That was, in some ways, the plot of the show for the first few seasons. Now it's just... gone? And Fargo is the head of GD? This season we have characters like Grant, Grace, and Andy joining the crew. Also, Stark makes an appearance, which got everyone's hopes up and then shattered them. Very mean.
Season 4.5
This is the Astraeus season. Beverly is back, and up to no good as usual. Jack and Allison happen, finally (it only took five years), Zane decides to go to Titan, and Jo stays behind. Allison gets into a very tricky situation in the final seconds of the season. We have new characters this season like Dr. Parrish (Wil Wheaton) and Holly Martin (Felicia Day)
Season 5
This season begins with the clean up of the disaster that was the Astraeus project. Beverley's involved, of course, and a lot of confusion follows. Eventually, they get the situation mostly sorted out, but there is still the Holly problem, as well as the relationship issues Allison and Zane are now plagued with. The final episode was much better than I had hoped it would be, and there were even some cheesy montages of the past. Cute. But the very best moment, for me, was the very last one.
I hope you liked this! These are fun for me, and I think for you too, if you've watched the show. If you haven't, you probably thought it was boring. Sorry. I'm going to do a few more of these this month, so stay tuned.
 |
Season Three
| This is it. The episode. |
Season Three brings some of the saddest moments of the show. If you've seen it, I'm sure you know to what I am referring to. Ironically, I really liked the episode, up until about the lat four minutes. Also, Jack's sister is in town, and pregnant with twin boys (she later disappears, never to be mentioned again). Kim comes back (sorta), which made me very happy. I always like it when tv shows make references to things from the past like that. In the end, Jenna is born, Zane proposes, Zoe leaves for college, and Tess moves to Australia. All is well for the moment.
Season Four
 |
| What year is it? |
Now, I'm going to start doing them the way they aired. Season Four begins by changing EVERYTHING. Some changes were not terrible (Like Andy.) Some were, like Jo and Zane, or Henry and Grace. I guess that's not terrible exactly, but weird. Also, Kevin's not autistic. That made me mad. That was, in some ways, the plot of the show for the first few seasons. Now it's just... gone? And Fargo is the head of GD? This season we have characters like Grant, Grace, and Andy joining the crew. Also, Stark makes an appearance, which got everyone's hopes up and then shattered them. Very mean.
Season 4.5
 |
| Folding paper cranes. Parish is a jerk. |
This is the Astraeus season. Beverly is back, and up to no good as usual. Jack and Allison happen, finally (it only took five years), Zane decides to go to Titan, and Jo stays behind. Allison gets into a very tricky situation in the final seconds of the season. We have new characters this season like Dr. Parrish (Wil Wheaton) and Holly Martin (Felicia Day)
Season 5
 |
| Allison and a way too old Jenna. I think this is at the beginning, before they are found. |
This season begins with the clean up of the disaster that was the Astraeus project. Beverley's involved, of course, and a lot of confusion follows. Eventually, they get the situation mostly sorted out, but there is still the Holly problem, as well as the relationship issues Allison and Zane are now plagued with. The final episode was much better than I had hoped it would be, and there were even some cheesy montages of the past. Cute. But the very best moment, for me, was the very last one.
 |
| This was the perfect ending. When I first saw it, I went to rewatch the first episode to check for accuracy. It was perfect! |
I hope you liked this! These are fun for me, and I think for you too, if you've watched the show. If you haven't, you probably thought it was boring. Sorry. I'm going to do a few more of these this month, so stay tuned.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Eureka: Part One
I thought that today it would be fun to do a post on a favorite TV show of mine. This will be similar to the review of Buffy The Vampire Slayer I did a few months ago. For each season, I'm going to have some pictures, a summary, and some reactions of my own. There will be spoilers, so if you are thinking about watching this show, you should probably not read past the first few seasons. After that, there are WAY more potential spoilers. Even so, it's written in such a way to help you remember it if you've seen it, and if you haven't, it'll probably just be confusing. Come back tomorrow for the second part.
Before we begin, here is Eureka on IMDb.
Also, people you might recognize:
Chris Gauthier:
 | |
| Vincent, the cook at Cafe Diem. He's William Smee (the guy with the red hat) in Once Upon A Time. |
 |
| Dr. Parrish, a total jerk. Best known from Star Trek: The Next Generation |
Debrah Farentino:
| Beverly Barlow, a dangerous woman. Her list is long. I know her from Earth 2. |
Joe Morton:
 |
| Henry Deacon, mechanic. He's from... everything. His IMDb page never ends. |
Season One
 |
| The whole crew. S.A.R.A.H. isn't happy. |
Season Two
 |
| Jack and Nathan. |
Season Two starts with a bang (sorry, couldn't resist), and continues that way. I love season two. We have characters like Nathan, and Tagart, and even Zane is introduced for the first time. We are still following the main storyline with Kevin, and Beverly is still our main villain. Allison is the head of GD, and all is perfect in the world of Eureka (except all the things that go really, really wrong, but who cares about that. I'm happy. :) )
And because this is a totally awesome episode:
 |
| Jo and Nathan. Awesome. |
Come back tomorrow for Season 3-5!
Thursday, December 5, 2013
NaNoWriMo 2013 - Resources
This year during NaNoWriMo, I used several writing resources that I had not previously discovered, but that I loved. Both of the ones mentioned here I discovered on the regional forums for the Bellingham area on nanowrimo.com
1. Written Kitten
I LOVE this thing. Seriously, I would guess that about 20 thousand words of my novel were written in this. I have used Write or Die occassionally in the past, but it stressed me out too much. This was way better.
In Written Kitten, every time you hit a word count goal (I had mine set for every 100 words) you get a new cute kitten picture on one side of your screen. It is fantastic. The pictures are pulled from flickr, so some are better than others, and some are a bit weird, but the idea is wonderful. The one thing I didn't like was that I wasn't able to format my text the way I wanted (for example, I wasn't able to indent my paragraphs with the tab key). I worked around that, though, and I might need to credit Written Kitten for the completion of this novel. :)
2. Baby Name Genie
This website allows to you type in a last name, and choose a gender (or not, if you want to be surprised), and then it will give you first and middle name combos for the last name you provided. Names are my favorite part of writing fiction, and I love finding interesting ones for my characters. Baby Name Genie was a website I used a TON this November.
The majority of my characters got their names (or at least part of it) through this website, and I am sure I will continue to use it in the future.
That's all I've got for you today. Come back tomorrow for a long overdue Homeschool Friday post (sorry about that!). What websites and other resources did you discover this NaNo?
1. Written Kitten
I LOVE this thing. Seriously, I would guess that about 20 thousand words of my novel were written in this. I have used Write or Die occassionally in the past, but it stressed me out too much. This was way better.
In Written Kitten, every time you hit a word count goal (I had mine set for every 100 words) you get a new cute kitten picture on one side of your screen. It is fantastic. The pictures are pulled from flickr, so some are better than others, and some are a bit weird, but the idea is wonderful. The one thing I didn't like was that I wasn't able to format my text the way I wanted (for example, I wasn't able to indent my paragraphs with the tab key). I worked around that, though, and I might need to credit Written Kitten for the completion of this novel. :)
2. Baby Name Genie
This website allows to you type in a last name, and choose a gender (or not, if you want to be surprised), and then it will give you first and middle name combos for the last name you provided. Names are my favorite part of writing fiction, and I love finding interesting ones for my characters. Baby Name Genie was a website I used a TON this November.
The majority of my characters got their names (or at least part of it) through this website, and I am sure I will continue to use it in the future.
That's all I've got for you today. Come back tomorrow for a long overdue Homeschool Friday post (sorry about that!). What websites and other resources did you discover this NaNo?
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Life Update {Illness, Dancing, Singing, and Writing}
Hey guys! It is way past time for me to write one of these. The last month was INSANE, and I know that the one coming up won't be much better.
I have been really sick this last week, and in fact had to stay home while my family went to Thanksgiving with relatives. As a result, I did no school, and am quite behind there, and not a lot of writing. In fact, I was pretty sure that this was going to be the year I didn't win NaNoWriMo, but I managed to pull through in the end, which was a bit of a miracle.
Since I know that there are some of you in the Bellingham area who read this (and some family and friends who may be interested in coming), I thought I would post the dates and times of some of my performances for choir and dance over the next week or so.
On Saturday, December 7th, our Scottish Dance group will be performing at the Port Festival at from noon to 1pm. There will also be an Irish Dance or two from those of us who do both types of dance.
On Tuesday, December 10th, our Homeschool Choir will be performing as part of the Whatcom Homeschool Association Annual Christmas program, which begins at 7pm, and includes many performers. This will be at Kulshan Middle School and is open to the public.
There will probably be more choir performances, but they have not been finalized as of right now.
I have a lot of practice for all these, and overall I am swamped. I am really glad that NaNo is over, because if I am this overwhelmed with out writing 2k each day, I would be going crazy trying to fit that in too!
In the past week, I also saw Catching Fire (review coming soon) and Ender's Game (read review here). I also watched 5 episodes of Lost on Thanksgiving, and I am finally up to the beginning of Season Five. It's only taken two years. Oh well. At the current rate, it'll take almost another year to finish.
Also, this might sound a little crazy, but I want to try to put up a blog post every day for the rest of December. I really want to see if I can manage it. It will be a mix of holiday stuff, book and movie reviews (I have a ton stacked up waiting to be finished), some school stuff (I haven't done a HF post in weeks!), some other fun things I don't want to talk about yet, and some general chatty life update posts for the days I don't have anything else.
It should be fun, and crazy, and I might not make it, but I also might. I really just want to see if I can manage to do it. On that note, I have some ideas of ways things may be changing a little around here in the new year, but I'm going to wait a little while to talk more about that.
I hope you are all had a good Thanksgiving, and are enjoying the coming holiday season!
I have been really sick this last week, and in fact had to stay home while my family went to Thanksgiving with relatives. As a result, I did no school, and am quite behind there, and not a lot of writing. In fact, I was pretty sure that this was going to be the year I didn't win NaNoWriMo, but I managed to pull through in the end, which was a bit of a miracle.
Since I know that there are some of you in the Bellingham area who read this (and some family and friends who may be interested in coming), I thought I would post the dates and times of some of my performances for choir and dance over the next week or so.
On Saturday, December 7th, our Scottish Dance group will be performing at the Port Festival at from noon to 1pm. There will also be an Irish Dance or two from those of us who do both types of dance.
On Tuesday, December 10th, our Homeschool Choir will be performing as part of the Whatcom Homeschool Association Annual Christmas program, which begins at 7pm, and includes many performers. This will be at Kulshan Middle School and is open to the public.
There will probably be more choir performances, but they have not been finalized as of right now.
I have a lot of practice for all these, and overall I am swamped. I am really glad that NaNo is over, because if I am this overwhelmed with out writing 2k each day, I would be going crazy trying to fit that in too!
In the past week, I also saw Catching Fire (review coming soon) and Ender's Game (read review here). I also watched 5 episodes of Lost on Thanksgiving, and I am finally up to the beginning of Season Five. It's only taken two years. Oh well. At the current rate, it'll take almost another year to finish.
Also, this might sound a little crazy, but I want to try to put up a blog post every day for the rest of December. I really want to see if I can manage it. It will be a mix of holiday stuff, book and movie reviews (I have a ton stacked up waiting to be finished), some school stuff (I haven't done a HF post in weeks!), some other fun things I don't want to talk about yet, and some general chatty life update posts for the days I don't have anything else.
It should be fun, and crazy, and I might not make it, but I also might. I really just want to see if I can manage to do it. On that note, I have some ideas of ways things may be changing a little around here in the new year, but I'm going to wait a little while to talk more about that.
I hope you are all had a good Thanksgiving, and are enjoying the coming holiday season!
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
(This review contains affiliate links, which means that if you buy something after clicking it, I will get a small compensation.)
Today I am reviewing The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
. I read this book for the high school World Lit group I am in, and I also saw a play version of it.
Summary (from Amazon.com)
Four mothers, four daughters, four families whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who's "saying" the stories. In 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money. "To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable." Forty years later the stories and history continue.
With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of their matriarchal ties. Tan is an astute storyteller, enticing readers to immerse themselves into these lives of complexity and mystery.
My Review
I enjoyed many things about this book. I found it to be a unique look at the lives of eight women, and their relationships with their families and each other. The characters in this book were good, and each had a distinct personality. With the format of the book, I often found it difficult at first to remember who was who, and who was who's daughter, but I think it mostly sorted itself out. When I saw the play version, they did it a little differently (they had the first mother story and then the first daughter story for each set together), and I think it helped me keep track a little better. Also, by doing that, it made me realize that there were many connections between the mother's childhood experiences, and their behavior and reactions as an adult. I missed these connections when I read the book.
I very much enjoyed her writing style. It was quick to read and flowed well, but still managed to portray complex ideas and emotions with ease. I was impressed with how she was able to write about such different people and times, but still make them all feel like they were part of the same story. She manages to capture with words not just the women, but the relationships and the emotions that those relationships were built on.
In this book, the plot matters much less than the characters, which is rare. The plot that there is exists between the lines, and between the stories. In many cases, the most important parts of the plot were the ones never told. They are the ones that you must realize for herself. For example, one part that to me seemed very important plot wise, but was never said was the reason for Ying-Ying St. Clair's extreme reaction to her pregnancy, and the eventual loss of her child. This ties back to her first marriage in China, which her husband and daughter in America do not know about. When her first husband left her, she aborted their child she was pregnant with at the time, and now she feels that the loss of this baby is her punishment.
Who Should Read This Book?
I highly recommend this book. It is a wonderful look both at Chinese-American culture, but also, more importantly, at the importance of strong relationships between mothers and daughters. I would recommend this book to anyone, but I think women of all ages would find it particularly powerful.
Today I am reviewing The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
. I read this book for the high school World Lit group I am in, and I also saw a play version of it.Summary (from Amazon.com)
Four mothers, four daughters, four families whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who's "saying" the stories. In 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money. "To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable." Forty years later the stories and history continue.
With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of their matriarchal ties. Tan is an astute storyteller, enticing readers to immerse themselves into these lives of complexity and mystery.
My Review
I enjoyed many things about this book. I found it to be a unique look at the lives of eight women, and their relationships with their families and each other. The characters in this book were good, and each had a distinct personality. With the format of the book, I often found it difficult at first to remember who was who, and who was who's daughter, but I think it mostly sorted itself out. When I saw the play version, they did it a little differently (they had the first mother story and then the first daughter story for each set together), and I think it helped me keep track a little better. Also, by doing that, it made me realize that there were many connections between the mother's childhood experiences, and their behavior and reactions as an adult. I missed these connections when I read the book.
I very much enjoyed her writing style. It was quick to read and flowed well, but still managed to portray complex ideas and emotions with ease. I was impressed with how she was able to write about such different people and times, but still make them all feel like they were part of the same story. She manages to capture with words not just the women, but the relationships and the emotions that those relationships were built on.
In this book, the plot matters much less than the characters, which is rare. The plot that there is exists between the lines, and between the stories. In many cases, the most important parts of the plot were the ones never told. They are the ones that you must realize for herself. For example, one part that to me seemed very important plot wise, but was never said was the reason for Ying-Ying St. Clair's extreme reaction to her pregnancy, and the eventual loss of her child. This ties back to her first marriage in China, which her husband and daughter in America do not know about. When her first husband left her, she aborted their child she was pregnant with at the time, and now she feels that the loss of this baby is her punishment.
Who Should Read This Book?
I highly recommend this book. It is a wonderful look both at Chinese-American culture, but also, more importantly, at the importance of strong relationships between mothers and daughters. I would recommend this book to anyone, but I think women of all ages would find it particularly powerful.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Ender's Game {Movie Review}
I'm sorry the blog has been so silent lately! I am working on a life update post which should be up later today, or tomorrow morning.
First of all, this will have spoilers. I am going to make no effort to avoid spoilers. If you've read the book, there should be nothing to worry about, but if you haven't, this will definitely give away some things. If you haven't seen the movie, this post will mainly be focusing on the differences between the two, so continue at your own discretion.
Second, this isn't really going to be much of a review, but really more of a list of things I did and didn't like. I went and saw the movie last night with a bunch of friends, and some of these items were things that really came from them in the post movie discussion time in which we all stood in the lobby and blocked the walkway and got strange looks from the theater workers.
Things I DID Like
1. I felt like over all, it was a pretty good adaptation. They made changes that they needed to make in order to make it into a two hour movie, and for the most part, didn't cut any important things (see the exceptions below).
2. The actors/actresses. I thought that they chose really good people to play most of the characters. I especially liked how young many of the kids actually looked. They didn't have a bunch of older actors playing kids. Asa Butterfield (Ender) is actually 16 years old, though he looked a lot younger. Hailee Steinfeld (Petra) is 17, and she looked a little more her age, but still young. Also, Harrison Ford was fantastic.
3. The battle simulations. They looked really cool.
Things I Did NOT Like
1. The thing I disliked the most was how fast it all seemed to be. It felt like a week passed from the time that Ender was taken to battle school and the time that he was fighting his final battle. It would have been really nice if they would have at least had someone mention in passing some thing like "Wow, I can't believe we've already been here for two months," or something like that. Or, as a friend suggested, they could have done some training/battle montages.
2. At the very end, Ender walks out of the HQ, walks about fifty feet, and finds... the egg of the bugger queen. Fifty feet from command central. There is NO way that they would not have known that was there. It doesn't seem like it would have been to hard to make it more like the book (where he finds it on another planet).
3. There were very few characters (other than Ender) who were developed at all. Even Bean was introduced and then essentially forgotten. Petra got a little more screen time, but still very little character development. You know nothing about any of those characters.
4. Another thing that I disliked was the omission of the Valentine/Peter storyline back on Earth. I understand that they couldn't include a lot because of time constraints, but it would have been nice if they had least made some references to it.
Overall, I think it was pretty good, considering the time they had to work with. I think it could have been better, but I was pretty pleased. If you are a fan of the book, and are considering seeing it, I recommend it.
First of all, this will have spoilers. I am going to make no effort to avoid spoilers. If you've read the book, there should be nothing to worry about, but if you haven't, this will definitely give away some things. If you haven't seen the movie, this post will mainly be focusing on the differences between the two, so continue at your own discretion.
Second, this isn't really going to be much of a review, but really more of a list of things I did and didn't like. I went and saw the movie last night with a bunch of friends, and some of these items were things that really came from them in the post movie discussion time in which we all stood in the lobby and blocked the walkway and got strange looks from the theater workers.
Things I DID Like
1. I felt like over all, it was a pretty good adaptation. They made changes that they needed to make in order to make it into a two hour movie, and for the most part, didn't cut any important things (see the exceptions below).
2. The actors/actresses. I thought that they chose really good people to play most of the characters. I especially liked how young many of the kids actually looked. They didn't have a bunch of older actors playing kids. Asa Butterfield (Ender) is actually 16 years old, though he looked a lot younger. Hailee Steinfeld (Petra) is 17, and she looked a little more her age, but still young. Also, Harrison Ford was fantastic.
3. The battle simulations. They looked really cool.
Things I Did NOT Like
1. The thing I disliked the most was how fast it all seemed to be. It felt like a week passed from the time that Ender was taken to battle school and the time that he was fighting his final battle. It would have been really nice if they would have at least had someone mention in passing some thing like "Wow, I can't believe we've already been here for two months," or something like that. Or, as a friend suggested, they could have done some training/battle montages.
2. At the very end, Ender walks out of the HQ, walks about fifty feet, and finds... the egg of the bugger queen. Fifty feet from command central. There is NO way that they would not have known that was there. It doesn't seem like it would have been to hard to make it more like the book (where he finds it on another planet).
3. There were very few characters (other than Ender) who were developed at all. Even Bean was introduced and then essentially forgotten. Petra got a little more screen time, but still very little character development. You know nothing about any of those characters.
4. Another thing that I disliked was the omission of the Valentine/Peter storyline back on Earth. I understand that they couldn't include a lot because of time constraints, but it would have been nice if they had least made some references to it.
Overall, I think it was pretty good, considering the time they had to work with. I think it could have been better, but I was pretty pleased. If you are a fan of the book, and are considering seeing it, I recommend it.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Behind the Albergue Door {Book Review}
Today I am reviewing Behind the Albergue Door by Dean Johnston, a book about traveling El Camino de Santiago in Spain. When I had to opportunity to get this book to review, I jumped on it. Walking El Camino has been a dream of mine for a while, and I must say that this book made me even more excited to travel there someday.
Summary
Behind the Albergue Door :Inspiration Agony Adventure on the Camino de Santiago is a detailed and, according to the author’s mom, hilarious account of the 5 weeks in the fall of 2012 that he and his wife spent hiking the popular 800 kilometre Spanish pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago. It mixes stories, advice and humour in a way unique among travelogues and is a terrific read for past pilgrims, future pilgrims, travel buffs, and those who simply enjoy reading about other people’s suffering.
Review
This book is a wonderful combination of informative and hilarious. Dean Johnston intersperses his advice and guidelines with humorous anecdotes and stories of fictional travelers. I found his writing style quite enjoyable, and I think he managed very well to combine the serious and not so serious topic he covered.
This book is thorough, and covered many topics such as what to pack, the food, the weather, the other people, and more. There are also several chapters, intersperced through out the book, which tell the story of a fictional El Camino traveler, usually told through emails, tweets, or other modern methods of communication. These stories help demonstrate the different kinds of people who make the journey, and some of the experiences they might have.
There are also more real life, semi serious stories from Dean's actual time on El Camino de Santiago, which, by the end of the book, make you feel like he is a family friend you have been asking for advice from. Nothing, it seems, was too personal for him to share, and that is what makes this book so wonderfully comprehensive.
I would highly recommend this book to people to love to travel, people considering walking El Camino de Santiago, and those who simply love a well written real life adventure!
Now, I have the very special opportunity to give away a copy of this ebook to one of you! You can enter below using your facebook account, your twitter account, or your email address. Unfortunately, since I have been really sick lately, I did not get this up as soon as I had hoped, and so Dean Johnston would like to send this to the winner in just three days!
You can find this book at Smashwords here, Amazon here, and the author here.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Summary
Behind the Albergue Door :
Review
This book is a wonderful combination of informative and hilarious. Dean Johnston intersperses his advice and guidelines with humorous anecdotes and stories of fictional travelers. I found his writing style quite enjoyable, and I think he managed very well to combine the serious and not so serious topic he covered.
This book is thorough, and covered many topics such as what to pack, the food, the weather, the other people, and more. There are also several chapters, intersperced through out the book, which tell the story of a fictional El Camino traveler, usually told through emails, tweets, or other modern methods of communication. These stories help demonstrate the different kinds of people who make the journey, and some of the experiences they might have.
There are also more real life, semi serious stories from Dean's actual time on El Camino de Santiago, which, by the end of the book, make you feel like he is a family friend you have been asking for advice from. Nothing, it seems, was too personal for him to share, and that is what makes this book so wonderfully comprehensive.
I would highly recommend this book to people to love to travel, people considering walking El Camino de Santiago, and those who simply love a well written real life adventure!
Now, I have the very special opportunity to give away a copy of this ebook to one of you! You can enter below using your facebook account, your twitter account, or your email address. Unfortunately, since I have been really sick lately, I did not get this up as soon as I had hoped, and so Dean Johnston would like to send this to the winner in just three days!
You can find this book at Smashwords here, Amazon here, and the author here.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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