la petite lydia

More Wonderful Book News!

2012-02-13T10:35:00.000-06:00

Well, it isn't exactly BOOK news. More like, book to film news. As many of you know, I am a major fan of GP Taylor's work. I began reading his work the year Shadowmancer came out. He is a wonderful writer and really good with suspense.

Well, I picked this book up randomly one day because I saw it was a new GP Taylor book. I read it. Loved it. It is really odd, dark, and quirky. So basically the perfect book for Lydia. I'll do a review in a little while, but this is just about the book being brought to film.

The book was optioned and picked up by a producer and now the ball is rolling. Casting has begun and they are releasing some amazing names. Such as....

Michael Sheen (Twilight for you Twihards; Alice in Wonderland for you Burton fans.)
Sam Neil (JURASSIC PARK...DUH!)
Lena Headey (Cersei Freakin' Lannister.)
Ioan Gruffudd (Played William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace.)

I am pretty excited to see this list. Now, some are rumored. I actually think only Michael Sheen is rumored, but it was on his website so I think the rumor will soon be a reality. YES!

I am just really excited this book is being made into a film. I've been waiting for producers to grab ahold of one of Taylor's books for awhile now. So, this is really exciting.

Anywho...here is the link to the IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1376213/

Exciting, huh?

Have you read the Mariah Mundi series? Have you read any other GP Taylor books?

Five Positive Things from the Week:

2012-02-12T09:35:00.000-06:00

Hi all! Sorry this is late. I normally do this post on Saturday since it is the actual end of the week, but I was very busy and exhausted yesterday.

Here are my five:

1. I decided to cut more off of my hair! I absolutely love the cut. I am realizing I can probably do a lot with it, I just have to be brave for some of the styles! I'll try to do a photo shoot of this hair cut. I failed on doing a shoot with the last one!

2. I survived weekend class, despite being sick. I wasn't sure if I could make it, but I did. And I am now a certified facilitator in Prepare & Enrich. I am just waiting on my certification card to come in the mail.

3. Hedwig and Arya have started playing instead of fighting. It is super cute and makes us laugh. What happens is Arya will walk back to our bedroom and Hedwig will follow close behind, when they arrive we'll hear hissing. Then we will see Hedwig leaving our bedroom and walking into the kitchen with Arya following close behind. When they reach their destination there is more hissing. Put this on repeat for a good 30 minutes to an hour. So basically, it is a VERY slow chase.

4. I was approved to do my presentation LATER in the semester, which gives me a bit more time to study for comprehensive exams.

5. My husband got me roses for Valentines Day! Last night we had a Valentines dinner, but we didn't go out anywhere. We just cooked at home and had a nice quiet evening at home. It was wonderful.

There are my five positives from the week. What are yours? Have you blogged them? If so, send me the link!

Wonderful News

2012-02-09T18:47:00.000-06:00

How many of my fellow book lovers happen to be fans of Mr. Lemony Snicket? (If you are, then I'll love you forever.)

Well, how many of you were sad to see the end of "A Series of Unfortunate Events"? Have you been waiting to hear of the next "woe is me," sarcastic, and snarky adventure Mr. Snicket would take readers on? Guess what, news has been released that this October (yes, THIS October) Mr. Snicket will be coming out with a four part autobiographical series called "All the Wrong Questions."

Isn't this wonderful news?

In his press release about the series he says, "These books are questionable and contain questions. I, for one, question why anyone would be interested in reading them."

HERE is the link to the article.

How many of you are excited about this? I know I am.

Book Review: A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin

2012-02-04T21:48:00.000-06:00

After the whirlwind of "wtf" that was A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows was rather slow. I'll be straight up and honest, it isn't my favorite in the series. But, that being said, it is still an amazing book. It adds quite a bit more history to the world Martin has built.

Here is a basic summary of the book: lots of drinking, lots more sexytimes, sexy-scheming-times, drinking, scheming, anger, grief, an unexpected serial killer, more scheming, and some VERY interesting character developments. We were left wondering, "what the crap (heh heh) happened?!?" and this book adds more to that. More wondering, more questioning. Martin has this typical way of making you become lulled into "nothing is happening...booo" and then jumping out and surprising you. This usually happens in a chapter, but it took the whole book to do that this time around. The last few POVs made me go, "wait...what?"

While this book was a lot slower than the others, it had quite a few interesting aspects. I really appreciated the deep development of some major characters. It is crazy how Martin will play with your emotions. I can't go into too much detail because it will be filled with MAJOR spoilers. But...wowsa.

There are actually times where you KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt what is going to happen and you don't want it to. Then it just feels like you're watching some horror flick where the person is walking in the dark towards a creepy closed door and the music is creepy and you just KNOW something bad is going to happen. So you start saying, "Don't go in there! Don't trust! NOOOOOOO! Why aren't you listening?!?" and then BAM...shiz happens and you're like, "I TOLD YOU SO...crap."

That is the basic summary of A Feast for Crows.

Now onto A Dance with Dragons. Story behind this: Martin was basically writing a gigantor book that would have made Les Miserables look like a tinsy novel and he decided to cut it into two. He decided to give half of the story from a few POVs in A Feast for Crows and the other half in A Dance with Dragons. So, it is the same timeline, just a different book. Innnnteresting.

Have you read A Feast for Crows? What'd you think?

Five Positive Things from the Week:

2012-02-04T11:08:00.000-06:00

Is it Saturday already? Wow, this week went by really fast! Anyone else have a super fast week?

This week I was noticing all the negatives. I had a super crappy week, mainly due to health reasons. I started the week out with the remnants of a cold, but I was getting better. Then I got a migraine, then that went away, and now I have another cold. I kept thinking, "Will I ever catch a break!?!" So, this week is very easy to find the negatives and forget all the positives. I am realizing that it is hard to think back to what good happened this week, but Mariel Mohns actually helped me remember one thing and from that point on I was able to remember the good in the week.

1. The Les Miserables casting news was INCREDIBLE this week. When I heard TSwift was rumored to be cast as Eponine I was furious. I also was so disappointed in Cameron Mackintosh. I kept saying, "Oh it is a rumor, it is a rumor." But last week or the week before all the gossip columnists found TSwift leaving Les Mis rehearsals. Looked on IMDb, she was listed. BUT, this week Cameron Mackintosh announced a huge game changer. TSwift will NOT be Eponine..Samantha Barks will be! Here she is preforming "On My Own" ... she is perfect. PERFECT.

2. I finally have seen gameplay video of the new Tomb Raider. FINALLY. The trailer looked awesome, but we all know that game trailers look awesome, but in order to decide just how awesome you have to see gameplay video. And let me say...it looks AWESOME. I cannot wait. Is it December yet? Ps. I am considering posting a blog about how I got into playing Tomb Raider and my experiences with the game. Anyone interested in that?

3. I found the musical of Les Miserables in FRENCH. My heart is so happy. You have no idea how many times I have listened to "Mon Histoire"(aka "On My Own") ... so HAPPY!

4. This photo of Hedwig makes me laugh. And it is a positive of the week, because God knows how badly I needed to laugh. This cat is a definite kitty comedian and she makes me laugh pretty much every day. I mean...this cat....she burned her nose on bacon grease AND DIDN'T CARE.

5. Pumpkin is slowly getting back to sleeping in our bed. BUT, of course if we wake up and find her there she looks at Arya, hisses, and runs out. Oh the joy of cats. They are so full of pride. HILARIOUS.

I'll add a sixth positive thing:

6. I finally achieved the Speed Demon achievements in Tomb Raider: Underworld. I had Speed Demon II, but not I or III meaning I also did not have the Master Speed Demon achievement. I got them all last night! I didn't realize it and kept trying. I remember getting one achievement but I was too busy racing the motorcycle through a maze to realize what it was. I decided to take a break from attempting the achievement and looked through all the ones I already had...and I had all the Speed Demon ones! I was frustrated, then I laughed (because...how typical of me!), and then I was very happy. I only have four or five more achievements to get and then I will be done with Underworld!

Well there are my positives. Now back to playing TR: Underworld. I've dedicated today to video games. I need the break from reality.

Ps. Re-asking my question...would you all be interested in my Tomb Raider experience? How I started playing? When? Why? and my experience up to now? I still may do it even if no one answers. Maybe make a series leading up to the release of the new game. YES, I might do that.

Tomb Raider for life.

Tomb Raider Gameplay Demo

2012-02-03T13:39:00.001-06:00

I am shocked that I am only just now seeing this. I've been waiting patiently for gameplay demos to come out and haven't heard anything! But when I looked, this came out two days after my wreck. BUT at least I am seeing it now!

This is the very beginning of the game. Looks creepy, super dark, and amazing. I cannot wait till it comes out!

Here is the stage demo.

And this one is basically the same but takes longer to load. I think it is better quality though:

Five Positive Things from the Week:

2012-01-28T12:03:00.000-06:00

I am thinking this semester I will only be blogging book reviews AND the five positives from the week. I have a very busy semester. Which as stressful as it is, it is also very exciting.

I have to say, it has been super encouraging to see people blogging their five positives. I would love to know if you're doing this too. I love reading them. It really encourages me that so many people are choosing to do this. I love it. I am talking with some awesome girls and we are thinking of making buttons and linky thingys. (I know..so technical) Once we've gotten everything figured out we'll let y'all know.

Here are my five positives from the week:

1. My book to study for comps is here. This is a cause of stress, but also it is a positive because it came quickly and I have time to set out a study schedule for it.

2. My professors are very understanding about comps. One professor even lessened a paper and let us choose when our papers are due. There are a few grads in that class and he could see the look of distress on our faces as we thought about comps. Ha.

3. Colm Wilkinson is going to be in the film adaptation of Les Miserables (musical obvs) as the bishop. This insures I will see it even if I don't agree or REALLY DO NOT AGREE with certain casting choices. He said in an interview that he has "come full circle". Truth Mr. Wilkinson, truth.

4. I'm not wearing my splint at night anymore. This makes me happy.

5. My Worgen Hunter character on World of Warcraft is level 34. I know, to some this is stupid. But, I feel very accomplished. Plus, I love being a Werewolf. And since my spec is marksmanship, I kill things instantly with a bow. I feel pretty awesome.

There are my five positives. I do have one extra though:

I have been really sick with a cold from hell. (Is that possible?) Because of this I can't do a lot. So here is the positive from this:

My husband has been such a great help and has been super understanding. This means a lot to me. He also has been encouraging me when I make progress on something school related. If I down play it, he says it is still a good thing. I love him. I am pretty blessed.

Five Positive Things from the Week:

2012-01-20T14:01:00.000-06:00

I thought I would do this post today instead of on Saturday because I will be in class all day tomorrow and may not get a chance. But I really want to keep this up. It helps a lot and I've gotten a lot of positive (heh heh) feedback about this. People are starting to do something similar and this makes me really happy.

Well here are my five positives from the week:

1. I got my graduation approval! Of course it is contingent on my grades from this semester and if I pass my comprehensive exams. I am SO EXCITED. Not so much for the exams, but for graduation.

2. I got a present from my best friend. It is called Beethoven's Hair by Russell Martin. I am really looking forward to reading it. In case you didn't know, I love love love Beethoven.

3. I finished two papers for two classes this week. It feels really good!

4. I have gone several hours without my splint. This is progress. Getting closer to not wearing it and getting closer to braces.

5. Had lunch with my mom and my best friend's mom.

What are your five positives from the week?

Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie [NookBook]

2012-01-15T20:33:00.000-06:00

This book is a YA fiction novel. It is Dystopian/Sci-fi. But nothing is really "sci-fi" anymore..because most science fiction has become a form of reality. It is set in the utopia nobody realizes is really dysfunctional. Obviously it is pretty formulaic. Most dystopian is. I love dystopian and I think that is one of the reasons why. It follows a pattern.

This book mixes one of my favorite dystopian series with one of the best American dystopian/sci-fi author. The society reminds me of the society in the Giver. Everything is laid out for everyone. Who you are partnered with, what you eat, how you dress, where you work, when you die, how you die. Very similar to the Giver. It then brings in Bradbury's tales of the loss of novels, poems, music, etc. The society chooses the songs, histories, books, etc. that will be left behind. These are ones that do not put much focus on being rebellious. So it isn't fully Bradbury where all imagination is destroyed.

It is your typical YA relational read. A love triangle with the best friend and the intriguing somewhat stranger. Although I never felt a tug for one character over another. Which is different from most YA relational reads. Maybe it was just me.

But, all in all it was a decent book. It is a good quick read if you're wanting something easy to read. It is very formulaic, which is nice every now and then. I liked the book. Not going on my favorites list or my must reads list. But it was a good book to just simply read. Does that make sense?

I am still considering if I would like to read the second book in the series. It isn't to the point where I HAVE TO KNOW what is going on. (Like A Song of Ice and Fire...) I might wait for the price to go down before I get it.

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts?

Five Positive Things from the Week:

2012-01-14T10:30:00.000-06:00

This week had its ups and downs. On Monday I could tell it would be a difficult week to find positives because I was in such a foul mood. But I reminded myself to look for them and I began to see them. It is incredible how one bad thing can make us not see anything positive happening, so we have to force ourselves to see. In a class we learned that it takes five positive actions to undo a negative action and only one negative action to undo every positive. Wow.

So here are my five positive things from the week. And they are really awesome!

1. CHAD IS HOME! He went to NYC, but is home now. And I am SO happy. I really miss him when he is gone. So, Chad coming home was the MAJOR highlight of the week.

2. I am beginning the process of weaning off of my splint! In 5/6 weeks I will be splint free and in 8 weeks I will be starting Invisalign.

3. I was able to email a friend to ask her to be praying for me and all the sudden I realized how blessed I was to be able to have friends I could trust and know they were praying for me.

4. I had the realization that most of the work for this semester is reading and paper writing, which really made me happy because that is what I am good at. I really feel I can pull off my goal for this semester. I am of course "keeping it real" in my mind, but I feel like I can accomplish my goal.

5. I had a wonderful time with my parents. Since Chad was in NYC I stayed at my parents house. It was nice to hang out with them. My dad stayed home from work on Thursday to take me to Dr. Moshiri. It was a good week with them. (And Rivkah was pretty happy I was at my parents house too...I don't think that dog left my side the whole week.)

What are your five positives from your week?

Bored.

2012-01-10T12:13:00.000-06:00

I am bored. No, actually...I'm not. I am just trying to avoid the thoughts of going to class today. How am I avoiding those thoughts...by taking photos.

Book Review: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

2012-01-09T16:10:00.000-06:00

I finished re-reading the "His Dark Materials" series. While reading it I (obviously) read two other books. I also started two different books that I haven't finished yet. For break, my total number of read books stands at 5. I think this was a wonderful break. I accomplished a lot.

Most of you have already read my blog on what His Dark Materials is about, so this is going to just be a little review instead of a summary + review.

This series is really well written. It is really beautiful. Philip Pullman is an emotional writer, so you feel the emotions of the characters in this story. He takes the idea of an alternate reality and meshes it with the fantasy world. I think this book is a mix of high fantasy, science fiction, and victorian era sci-fi written from a more modern perspective. Out of all of the books, I believe the second is my favorite. The third can be a little daunting to get through because so much happens. It also has a lot of strategy in it, which sometimes boggles my mind.

This is a really great fantasy read. Especially for fantasy fans who are looking for a good read that is lighter than say, Game of Thrones, but is still a good series.

I am glad I re-read it. Now I think I should probably buy a new set because the book is slowly falling apart.

Sorry this review is so short, but I am running low on time and I am pretty distracted. FIRST DAY OF MY LAST SEMESTER OF GRADUATE WORK! Wow...

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday.

Five Positive Things from the Week:

2012-01-07T09:22:00.000-06:00

The week is over which means I am going to take a look back and find five positive things from the week. I've always found this exercise difficult at times because I can be quite the pessimist. But that is why I feel it is important for me to do this and help make 2012 a more positive year.

This weeks five positive things are:

1. Hanging out with my best friend Beth, eating lunch with our moms and then just going around Springfield being silly before she heads back to Texas.

2. Having my in-laws over for New Years weekend.

3. Chatting with my parents instead of watching TV (since CM was a repeat.)

4. The cats are progressing on the friendship level.

5. Pumpkin raced to her little cardboard box in front of the heater as soon as the thermostat made the clicking sound indicating it was turning on. Made me laugh hysterically.

How was your week? What are your positives from the week?

Book Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver [NookBook]

2012-01-03T10:44:00.001-06:00

Confession: My guilty pleasure is sappy (and mostly crappy) YA fiction. I can't help it. I haven't read much lately because I just couldn't justify buying the book and I have a fear of library books. (You never know what germs they're carrying.) Since getting the Nook, I have been able to appease my guilty pleasure and buy YA fiction books.

My first book of the new year happens to be one of those books. It is called "Before I Fall". Reading it felt like it belonged in one of these episodes:

The summary I read of it got my attention. It is about a girl who dies and relives her last day seven times. The other part of the summary made me cringe, but realize it fit my guilty pleasure of YA fiction. The lead character is a very popular girl with (as the summary said) a "crush worthy" boyfriend. So basically it is Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day meets Existentialism. The start of the book made me wonder, "why am I reading this" the middle part of the book made me think, "hmmm maybe this can be good" the first part of the last part of the book made me think, "nope...it is crappy" the last chapter made think, "ok..it was an ok book."

It brings up a lot of existential questions such as, If you knew you were living your last day what would you do? What would you say? What would you choose to remember? What would you change? I thought it was interesting from that point of view. But, it still seems like an episode of "Shit Girls Say" because of how it is written. I am not sure if this is how the author writes all the time or if she intentionally wrote the book like that. I have another book of hers I plan on reading, so we shall see.

This review is pretty short seeing as the book is only 282 pages. But overall it was an ok book. Not an awesome book and not totally crappy, just ok. But of course the counseling major in me liked the aspect of the existential questions.

Have you read this book? What do you think?

Looking Back at 2011

2012-01-01T09:35:00.000-06:00

2011 was an interesting year. It seemed to go by in such a blur. So here goes, a look back. (I like these kind of posts, it is fun to look back even if the year didn't seem like such a great year.)

The year started off with snow, reading, and school. In fact most of the year was like that, only not the snow bit. I got my first tattoo this year of Jack Skellington. Chad got a tattoo as well of Sally. Click HERE to check out the PHOTO BLOG of the tattoos. We also celebrated our first wedding anniversary. It was so much fun. I got photos, but haven't uploaded or edit any of them.

On the hair aspect of things I did have a fun year. I dyed my hair Poison Ivy red. Then dyed it back to match my natural. And then chopped it off.

What really changed my year was the car wreck. Really changed everything.

After that the year was (and still is) filled with rehabilitation, school, work, and reading. I read a lot this year, which was really nice. I greatly enjoyed having the goal of reading those books.
Halloween was pretty fun though:

We also got a new kitty cat:

2011 was a pretty interesting year. Really uneventful for awhile and then pretty eventful. Eventful in a good way and eventful in a bad way. Interesting year.

Here is to 2012. I know this year will have several good highlights. Especially graduation.
Go HERE to read my RESOLUTIONS.

2012 Resolutions or Goals:

2011-12-31T09:54:00.000-06:00

I do like making these blog posts. There is something very satisfying about completing goals on your list. Even if it is just one, it is nice.

Here is my list from last year:
1. Read 25 new books.
2. Maintain a work out routine.
3. Build record collection.
4. Improve French.
5. Learn Latin.
6. House stuffs.

Basically the only one I completed was reading 25 books. I didn't end up reading 25 NEW books, but there were times this year that I really need familiarity of stories instead of new stories. There was one book I forgot to include on my sidebar list of "Books of 2011" which is the first book of DragonRiders of Pern. I did complete some other goals not listed and am very proud of myself. Those close to me know what those are, but I don't feel it is something I can share here.

I was starting to do ok with the workout routine, until the wreck. From that time on, I haven't really done that. I have been trying to get my life back on track. And because of the wreck I had to prioritize what I focused on, so there was no improving of French or learning Latin. As for house stuffs, it ended up just being keeping up with the housework. The wreck really threw everything off balance and made this year rough. We did add some new records to our collection though and we ended up with a new record player.

Well here are my goals for this year.
1. Re-read Les Miserables. I use to re-read this story every year until my junior year of undergrad. I recently purchased it on the nook, so I plan on reading it on the nook.
2. Read 25 books. I am going with this goal again. It was really nice to have completed it, especially with classes and the kind of year we had. I felt a major sense of accomplishment knowing I completed this goal and feel a sense of pride with every book that goes over that goal.
3. Go Camping. For those who know me, this is big. I am terrified of spiders and that is the main thing that keeps me from camping. Also, my anxiety about other things builds up and I end up just wanting to stay indoors. This year we have plans for camping and as soon as we purchase everything, I cannot back out.
4. GRADUATE! I KNOW this goal will be completed. I will be graduating with my masters degree in counseling this May. CRAZY!
5. Fight off the blues. With a lot of stuff going on in my life lately, I have been very glum. I find myself sinking further into the blues every day because of stress from so many areas in life. I've decided to try to fight this as best I can by doing simple things like: yoga, playing piano, & writing out five positive things from my week.
6. Write out five positive things from my week. I am going to attempt to write up five positive things at the end of each week. Usually people are suppose to do this daily, but I am starting out in easy steps and doing it weekly. I may blog them, but I am not sure.

Well, those are my goals. How do they sound? I think these are all things I can do and all things that can help me grow.

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett [NookBook]

2011-12-29T11:32:00.000-06:00

As you all know, my first read on the nook was Edgar Allan Poe. It felt right that he should be the first read on it. But my first "legit" read was "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.

I am sure most of you have at least heard of the film that recently came out and probably most of you knew the film was based off of a book that came out in 2009. I heard about this book about a year or so ago, but was never really interested in it. When I started thinking, "Maybe I'll add this to my read list" the film started advertising and a lot more people started reading and talking about it. I listened to a lot of the chatter about it and saw a lot of girly news shows constantly talking in high pitched voices about it. Because of that I decided I would not read it. With the recent downturn in decent literature, I am very hesitant to read new books, especially if they seem extra girly and if news shows talk about them like they are already a classic. So I admit, I judged this book without giving it a chance. After the hubbub of it died down a bit I started thinking about reading it. It was another one of those moments where I realized I was wrong and should have given it a chance.

The book is good. I like the emotions of it and the lessons of it. I am a fan of books switching POVs around so you see the story from multiple angles and opinions. It was a real easy read too. I read it in 3 and a half days and that was with reading 10 chapters from another book because I wasn't completely sold on the book when I started it.

I think this book is a good book to read if you want to read something easy that doesn't take a lot of time to think about, but also makes you think more than a typical YA fiction book. It is in-between the "nonthinking" books and the "thinking" books. While reading it all I could think was that I wanted to re-read Clifton Taulbert's "Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored". I read that in grade school and even met the author. It is a nonfiction book told from Clifton's perspective. That is what this book reminded me of.

Now I know some people don't like the ending because it just ends. I actually really liked the ending. You're left to decide how it ends and you know eventually what happens in the civil rights movement. I like how she tied up a lot of the story, but left just enough for you to think about it and feel with the character. I also liked that she starts and ends with the same character.

All in all, I think this is a good book.

Have you read "The Help"? Did you like it?

The Demons Are Enjoying Their New Ice Skating Rink...

2011-12-28T12:03:00.000-06:00

Yes, yes they are.

I got an e-reader for Christmas and I LOVE IT. Yes, you read that right my fine furry friends, I love the Nook.

In case you're new to me and my book snobbish ways: I have always said I would never own an e-reader and my mentality was that of, if I ever own an e-reader hell will have frozen over and pigs will be flying all over the place. Simply saying, never would I own an e-reader. I was mad at the e-readers. I mean, NOTHING can replace a real book. And I would never give it a try. In fact, my best friend and I refused to touch the carpet surrounding the Nook and we called it an ungodly shrine. Last week we started joking about how much we didn't like e-readers but that we would probably end up owning them in the next few years and loving them.

Well. I got an e-reader for Christmas. A Nook to be more precise. Which is much better than a Kindle to me, simply because not only am I a book snob, but I am a Barnes and Noble snob. But I've shopped there for so long, so it makes sense. I mean managers know me by sight and some by name. Some have worked there since I was a kid and have kind of watched me grow up. One teased me a few years ago about how spastic my reading choices were. I feel like the Cheers song plays when I enter that store. So...I am a B&N snob. :)

My in-laws told me to give it a chance and I promised them I would. I fell in love with the Nook right away. I mean, one of the authors portraits is Edgar Allan Poe...that sold me instantly on it. I realized how dumbdumb I was with trying to figure it out. It was cracking me up. But I finally figured it out by reading the instructions (those help a lot, in case you're e-reader illiterate...) In order to test it out I got a book I already knew everything about, The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. My first read on the Nook was "The Bells" and I realized how much I loved the layout.

It is gray and black. The writing doesn't look like it is on a screen. It doesn't quite look like a page of a book, but close enough. The screen isn't shiny; it is textured. One thing I've always hated about reading on the computer or my phone is the fact that my eyes get so tired from the screen and the brightness of it, but the Nook isn't like that.

I found a book I've been looking for and could never find the physical copy of, mainly because bookstores have all bought into "YA fiction can only be about vampires or supernatural beings that sparkle." I am currently half way through the first book I bought (not Edgar Allan Poe). I really like how the Nook reads. I get so lost in the story that I don't even realize I am reading on an e-reader.

All this to say, I will admit that I was wrong. E-readers are not of the devil. They won't kill you or brainwash you. They are actually pretty cool. Apparently, Barnes and Noble runs weekly specials where you can get a free nookbook or a reduced price nookbook, but in order to do that you HAVE to go into the store. Where the Nook is now placed in our B&N, that means you walk past rows and rows of physical books with little tables in the main aisle also filled with books. They make sure to get you into the store and make you pass physical books. I'm pretty sure a lot of people end up buying more books when they go in.

E-readers will not replace physical books. I know that I will read the physical books of "A Song of Ice and Fire," "The Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter," etc. Classics will be read in physical form. And I would feel kind of weird reading Bradbury on an e-reader or dystopian books where the government is trying to take over or has taken over the country through technology.

But...
I was wrong. E-readers are not evil. They're pretty awesome.

Especially when they have Edgar Allan Poe as the lock screen wallpaper.

"Into this wild abyss..."

2011-12-22T13:43:00.000-06:00

For Christmas break, I decided to re-read a fantasy series that I really enjoy. I've read this series so much that I need to get a new set of books because mine is falling apart. I am re-reading His Dark Materials. I know, I know...a very controversial series. But a good series nonetheless.

I picked this series up in 2006. I actually borrowed the first book from the library at the time. Which is a big shocker, cos I don't do that. But at the time I wasn't afraid of library books. (After that I got a few nasty books that really grossed me out because people didn't take care of them, so I stopped borrowing from the library then.) I wanted to see if I would like the series because I saw the books at Barnes and Noble and liked the cover art. I know, judging a book by its cover right?

That year, I had an adolescent literature course and it was a recommended book. I thought it was great that I had checked it out AND I could use it for class. It was then I found out something rather shocking...this book was incredibly controversial. Not like Harry Potter, but more so. This made me want to read the series even more. I read the first book and knew I had to finish the series. If you've read it, you know why. He ends the first book with a *dun dun DUUUNNNN* moment and you're left sitting there going, "WTF??"Because of classes, it took awhile for me to read the rest of the series. The beginning of 2007, I bought a book with all three books in it. Re-read the first and finished the series. Once I finished the series, I understood the controversy more. It made more sense than the Harry Potter controversy. But, to me the controversy wasn't enough to ban this book. And especially not go to the drastic extreme of burning it like some groups were calling for.

If you want to read about the controversy of His Dark Materials go HERE and if you know the controversy but want to read it you can get a synopsis at that site too. Although there will be spoilers. But, it is my suggestion if you are easily offended at the Church being shown in a evil light or the angels being shown as malevolent don't read the series, or at least read the synopsis before you get it. Now if you aren't easily offended...READ IT. It is a decent fantasy series.

My main issue with the book is it can be found in the children's section of bookstores. My issue isn't because of the controversy, but is because of the violent content. I remember reading about a bear fight and one bear knocks the other bear's jaw and sends it flying and then kills the bear. There is quite a bit of hefty violence. Now this wouldn't have bothered my 7-12 year old self because I was reading books quite similar, but a lot of kids really can't read those types of books. Also, this book would be considered "advanced" now for kids. I really consider it adolescent literature, as did my professor. B&N still has it in the children's section, but they have more copies in the main sci-fi/fantasy section.

I plan on reviewing the books when I finish them. I will probably at least finish the first book soon, possibly the second. But that depends on the holidays.

I leave you with the quote at the beginning of The Golden Compass/The Northern Lights (American/British titles):

Into this wild abyss,
The womb of nature and perhaps her grave,
Of neither sea, nor shore, nor air, nor fire,
But all these in their pregnant causes mixed
Confusedly, and which thus must ever fight,
Unless the almighty maker them ordain
His dark materials to create more worlds,
Into this wild abyss the wary feind
Stood on the brink of hell and looked a while,
Pondering his voyage...

-John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II

Have you read His Dark Materials? Do you agree with the controversy? Or do you have a different opinion? I would love to discuss, especially with those who have read it. I have some strong opinions and ideas about the series, but to discuss here would give away A LOT of spoilers.

Book Review: A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin

2011-12-16T15:26:00.000-06:00

I just finished the third book in the series "A Song of Ice and Fire" and can I just say that it is my favorite in the series so far. Wow. I really like it.

It took me awhile to read this one, first of all because there is a lot of information in it and SO MANY things happen. I honestly think that HBO should break this book up into two seasons. So much happens. Second, it took me awhile to read it because of school. Yep I am blaming school for this one. But it is true!

This book is amazing. Can I just leave it at that? No? You want to know why I think it is amazing? (sans spoilers?) Ok..well I'll start off with a synopsis. How is that?

The third book obviously picks up where the second left off. Durrrr. (Don't you just hate when people say that??) We are left with a bunch of crazy kings who all hate each other and have lots of people telling them what to do. This book focuses a lot more on the Wall and the Nights Watch. There is a lot of fighting everywhere. There is a lot of scheming going on. Also, a lot of deaths. One thing to know about this series is no one is safe. A friend of mine said recently: "JK Rowling killed off half the cast in the last book; George R.R. Martin kills off half the cast in every book." It is very true. I was seeing a pattern of one or two prominent deaths with the first two books, but this book defies that pattern and...well...death everywhere. So, if you aren't able to handle a lot of beloved main characters dying, this isn't the series for you.

My review: The reason I really liked this book is because of how in depth everything is. The emotions are so vivid. You feel what the characters are feeling. You see or hear what they are seeing/hearing. It is amazing. His writing style definitely shows in this book and I consider his ability to describe things up there with Tolkien. I really appreciated a specific character's chapters because of the grief they go through. It was amazing to actually watch a character go through the stages of grief. (Can you tell I am a counseling major?) There is one particular chapter that was SO amazing with description, but I can't share about it because this single chapter has about a million spoilers. There were plenty of times where I expected things to happen, but I wasn't upset that I figured it out. That is one thing with fantasy...it can sometimes be real easy to figure out what will happen next. Like who will die, who will aggravatingly live, etc. But even with those aspects, Martin finds ways to surprise you. Like that epilogue. WHOA! Pretty dang awesome.

George R. R. Martin is, in my opinion, pretty close to J. R. R. Tolkien. Not too many authors can achieve that.

Not only was this book my favorite (so far) in the series, but it also happens to be my 25th book of the year! GOAL ACCOMPLISHED!

Alright. So have you finished this book? The series? Are you planning on reading it?

Have you seen this!?!?!!:

Fox Force Five.

2011-12-15T15:47:00.000-06:00

I am pretty sure most everyone who reads my blog already knows this, but I decided to blog about it anyway.

I cut my hair. Randomly.

I went in to get my hair trimmed and colored. (I color it close to my natural color, I know that makes zero sense unless you've dyed your hair like mine a lot...) It was just the normal gig. I doubt I would have cut my hair if it had been just me at the salon. BUT here is the story.

I called to get an appointment for my hair. Needed it trimmed badly. It was beyond tangly and awful so I knew I needed to get the dead ends taken off. I was talking with my mom and realized that she scheduled to get her hair done the same day right before me. We didn't know this and thought it was hilarious. I decided we should go together and she agreed. Well, we get there and I start thinking, "hmm..." I usually do, but I never actually have time to contemplate cutting my hair. She went before me and that is when I decided...cutting my hair. I text Chad to make sure it was alright and he was fine with it as long as I really wanted to. We had discussed awhile ago that if and when I did cut my hair, I was thinking of cutting it like Mia Wallace. So he already knew what to expect.

I decided..YES. And ripped the band-aid off. For anyone who has gone from really long hair to short hair, you understand how monumental this is. I kept thinking about doing this but would always decide against it, so I finally just did it.

Can I just say, it was crazy. And people were in shock. Happy shock...but still shock. Because I have refrained from cutting my hair for a long time.

I went in looking like this:

Came out looking like this:

And I love it. LOVE it. It is taking a lot of getting use to. Like when I get bored, I can't flip my hair or braid it. When I washed my hair, I had to remember not to use too much shampoo or conditioner. Blow drying my hair still took awhile (what can I say...I have A LOT of hair) but it was a shorter amount of time then I was use to. Straightening it took zero time at all. Maybe five-ten minutes...not a lot of time. It feels amazing though. I don't have as much pressure on my neck (my hair is wicked heavy), my back isn't aching and I no longer have headaches from my hair. My hair is a lot healthier now and if I do decide to grow it out again, It will all be one length. It was a fun change. I kind of cried last night though, I won't lie. But, I am loving it so much.

I strongly encourage everyone who is working on growing their hair out....KEEP IT UP. I am glad I did. I had long hair for awhile and it was amazing and fun. So keep growing your hair out, until one day YOU decide to rip the band-aid off and go for a fun new look.

Here are some more photos of before and after. I am hoping to take better photos soon, but will probably do that this weekend (I have finals tonight and tomorrow). MAYBE I should do a Pulp Fiction inspired shoot. ;)

Merry Christmas Snitches!

2011-12-13T15:31:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Snitches!

Doesn’t that sound swell? Obviously it is censored, I didn’t say what I wanted to say. But nevertheless, doesn’t that sound swell? Really puts one in the “Christmas spirit” doesn’t it?

The other day, Chad and I were Christmas shopping. We had hopes and goals to finish all of the shopping in one day. WE DID! *cha-ching!* It was hectic. We were way too exhausted. But we finished everything in one day. We even came away with awesome non-Christmas gift related things. Like adorable shoes or a pair of yeti boxers.

The day started crazy. Why? Well if you’ve ever driven through Springfield (Missouri) traffic, you’ll understand. Especially if you’ve ever driven through Springfield traffic during the holidays. We went to Chick-Fil-A. Not that it is particularly pertinent to the point of this blog. But it was here we started discussing our “battle plan” for Christmas shopping. I started reflecting on the fact we need a “battle plan” for Christmas shopping. These battle plans are necessary to ones survival when Christmas shopping. Do you ever consider possibly shopping in full body armor?

We were going to various stores and I began discussing the people shopping there. I specifically described a certain type of Christmas loving female. You know the kind. Seemingly sweet, wearing bright red sweaters or very sparkly sweaters. Or possibly sweaters with little felt snowmen sewn on the sweater. They always seem to have some sort of crazy Christmas accessory too. I’m not saying the cutely crazy ones you see occasionally, but completely decked out in way too many Christmas accessories. As if they were a Christmas tree. But what makes this particular Christmas loving female different from the ones who are adorable with their love of the holiday, is that this CLF also wears a terrifying glare. It is obvious they’ve left their husbands and children behind in order to get the latest greatest holiday whatever. They come fully prepared. They don’t bring weapons, but make them from store bought stuff. Carts become battering rams, plastic/metal giant candy canes become spears, and metal trays become terrifyingly painful shields.

These Christmas loving females come at innocent Christmas ornament observers with that glare and store bought weaponry yelling the battle cry of “Merry Christmas Snitches!” The innocent Christmas ornament observers end up rushing from the aisle only to be bombarded by MORE of these particular CLFs. And before the innocent knows it, they’re out the store thanking God they are still intact and alive.

What happened? I mean really...what happened?

What happened to the most wonderful time of the year? It has become rather terrifying if you ask me.

Finals are here.

2011-12-12T19:50:00.000-06:00

I promise I am studying. Promise. I'm just taking a break to blog, take photos on my computer, and listen to Weird Al. You know...
I figured since I was taking photos on my computer, I could totally blog them. You'll have to forgive me..I've just recently entered the land of "modern" MacBook

I took a random video too:

So as you can see, I've been really productive today! ;)

Well actually I have been...this was just in the past what...30 minutes. Ha.

Arya Stark...Douglas?: The Story of a Rescue Kitty

2011-12-05T14:01:00.000-06:00

I keep wishing I would have updates that were happy, non-complaining, unrelated to sickness or the car accident. I finally have one. A very unexpected one. One that could have several updates following.

We have a new kitty cat. Yes, we have three cats now. Did we want three cats? No. I mean, it takes a lot to care for an animal. (Please no, "wait until you have kids" ... I'm not stupid and I am pretty observant.) Now you're probably wondering, "If you didn't want three cats, why did you bring in a third cat?" I'll give you her story. Some parts are guessed at from behavior.

It all started several months ago. It was a rainy night (oh yes..this story starts with a rainy night...). Chad and I were leaving my parents after dropping off Pumpkin and Hedwig because we were heading out of town for a bit. As we were leaving we see this white cat run across my parents driveway. It was so weird, because Chad and I had seen the EXACT same thing when we got to my parents house. We were laughing at it being deja vu. We decided to call this little white kitty cat. She came running to me and Chad. She was so lovey and we felt so bad that she was going to be outdoors during the rain. Well, we weren't considering taking in a new cat, and my parents weren't either. Finally my mom and dad decided if she wasn't sick they'd take her in. But first they'd give her a week in case her owners lost her and were looking for her. A week later, no one came looking. But my parents' across the street neighbors decided to feed her and she stayed on their porch.

Last week, my mom was talking to their neighbors about something completely unrelated and found out they would be taking this kitty to the pound. They had no other option and couldn't keep her. So my mom got her a visit to the vet to see if she was healthy. If she was, my parents would bring her in. Well she was...so you all can guess what happened. I happened to be there the whole week because Chad was in New York. My mom kept trying out various names and I'd say, "Well, it is a good name but .... {fill in the blank}." I kept TRYING AND TRYING to get my mom to name her Arya, but my mom hasn't read A Game of Thrones or watched the tv series so she kept saying no. Finally she told me to explain WHY I felt she should be named Arya. I presented my case to her with much evidence. (I was serious on naming her Arya.) I finally convinced my mom to name her Arya. *celebratory dance*

That week was filled with lots of cuddles from Arya, lots of weird kitty noises when all the cats got together, and Pumpkin filled with jealousy anytime Arya was near me. But it was the normal weird kitty "some new beast is here" reactions. When I left with Hedwig and Pumpkin, things went downhill. See Kissa and Emmy are a little skittish. Alright, a lot skittish. Kissa didn't let us pet her until she was like 6 years old and only when her "boyfriend" Howie was with her. When Howie died, she became a little more lovey, but still a terrified little cat. Emmy is similar, but we are pretty sure she was an abused cat and also she had to fight the animals for food where she lived. So, that explains it. But neither are assertive. In fact, we can't figure out who is dominate because they are so...skittish. Because of this Arya was a bully to them. They were scared to death of her. It just wasn't working.

Chad and I decided to bring her in. We didn't want her going to a shelter and neither did my parents. We feel attached to her and we are pretty sure she was abused by her previous owners (not the neighbors) and we believe those abusive owners threw her out onto the street. So, now Arya is here with us. There have been a lot of weird kitty noises, but they've lessened over the past few hours. Hedwig and Arya had an epic staredown which ended with Hedwig winning and Arya submitting. Our cats are comfy as can be and only occasionally get antsy when Arya is around. But Arya usually sleeps under our bed in peace.

Things seem to be going quite well. We are hoping she continues to fit in here with our animals.

So, after this lengthy post I introduce you to Arya Stark Douglas: (kudos if you read the WHOLE blog post...you get a gold star. Go buy one.)

Immobilized.

2011-12-03T15:15:00.000-06:00

(I wrote this awhile ago, but my computer shut down.)

That is what I was this past week. Immobilized. It was a weird week to begin with. Let's start with Monday. I was feeling sad because Chad was going to NYC and I knew the week would go by so slowly. I also had a lot of course work to do which meant the week would also go by too fast. I decided to stay with my parents this time around. It worked out great because the cats were already there because of Thanksgiving.

On Monday my mom found out that their across the street neighbors were going to have to take a kitty they adopted to the pound, so my mom called my dad and he said they could take her in. I was so excited. I will save the rest of the story for my mom if she decides to blog about it, because this is her rescue kitty. :) I will say though, I convinced my mom to name her Arya from A Song of Ice and Fire. Let me tell you, the name fits perfectly. Only thing...she doesn't sword fight. (Which would be interestingly cool.)

Tuesday Arya came to our house. Tuesday was also the day I got hit with random severe sinus pressure and started losing my voice. I was upset cos I thought, "I can't be sick with only three weeks left in the semester!" Yeah, I wasn't that sick. Tuesday basically was a blur of trying to acquaint Arya with the others, which seems to be going ok with a few cat fights.

Wednesday, oh man. Worst day in awhile. I was so sick I couldn't move. Tried to do work for class...yep I couldn't. I could barely eat, which turned out to be a somewhat blessing. Wednesday night was the roughest out of the whole week and I could not keep any food. I finally fell asleep at 2 am. Plain exhausted. Thursday, I couldn't move because of still being so sick, but could eat Animal Crackers. That is all I ate on Thursday. Friday was another I can't move days. When I got dressed to leave to go back home, I would have to rest. It was exhausting.

Thankfully this whole week my parents were taking wonderful care of me. Chad really wanted to be there with me, but NYC is kind of far away...I am really thankful for my family. They were/are a tremendous help. My mom drove me (in my Jeep) back home and my dad came to pick her up. They helped me light the pilot light, which was out. They also brought me dinner. Last night I was able to eat half a hamburger and a few french fries. I am progressing back into the land of the living. Currently I am eating peanut butter crackers. I am slowly but surely getting better.

Now to finish that 12pg paper I have due next week. STRESS. Prayers/positive thoughts would be appreciated (whichever it is you prefer to do). I need crazy Thor like strength to finish this paper on time and well.

So, that was my week. Fun...huh?

Oh yeah. And I couldn't read anything. At all. And watching TV hurt my eyes. So I slept. Anyone who thinks I used this as a vacay...you're way off...I was...

Immobilized.

I leave you with Pumpkin sleeping in a basket that just so happens to be in perfect range of the heater: