The Grey Traveler's Inn

An Amazing Song

2012-01-28T04:28:00.000-08:00

All About Us by He is We feat. Owl City

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Quotes Part 1

2012-01-24T01:54:00.000-08:00

"Wormtail, I need somebody with brains, somebody whose loyalty has never wavered, and you, unfortunately, fulfill neither requirement."

"What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?"

"Oh no, Ron," came Fred's voice, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up."

"We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!" said Fred indignantly.
"No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," said George. "Isn't he, Harry?"
"Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley," said Harry earnestly.
"That's not the point!" raged Mr. Weasley.

"House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter," said Winky, firmly. "House-elves does what they is told."

Harry saw that they didn't look remotely beautiful now. On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders--
"And that, boys," yelled Mr. Weasley over the tumult of the crowd below, "is why you should never go for looks alone!"

"He didn't care how frightened she'd been, or how upset she was--it was like she wasn't even human!"
"Well, she's not," said Ron.

"Do us a favor, Perce," said Bill, yawning, "and shut up."

"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," said Mrs. Weasley sternly.
"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" said Fred quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room. "Birds of a feather..."

"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly. The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke.
Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar..."
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.
"Er--but maybe this is not the time...no..." said Dumbledore, "where was I?"

"People have died, though!" said Hermione in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase.
"Yeah," said Fred airily, "but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk?"

"What-what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.
"Teaching," said Moody.
"Teach-Moody, is that a student?"
"Yep," said Moody.
"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing.
"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said professor McGonagall weakly. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"
"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, "but I thought a good sharp shock-"
"We give detentions, Moody!"

"Yeh'll do wha' yer told," he growled, "or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book...I hear yeh made a good ferret, Malfoy."
The Gryffindors roared with laughter. Malfoy flushed with anger, but apparently the memory of Moody's punishment was still sufficiently painful to stop him from retorting. Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to the castle at the end of the lesson in high spirits; seeing Hagrid put down Malfoy was particularly satisfying, especially because Malfoy had done his very best to get Hagrid sacked the previous year.

"You!" he said, staring at Moody as though unsure he was really seeing him.
"Me," said Moody grimly. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."

"I'm not stupid, you know."
"You're doing a really good impression of it," Harry snapped.

"Jus' thought she'd like ter see 'em," shrugged Hagrid, still gazing, enraptured, at the dragons.
"Really romantic date, Hagrid," said Charlie, shaking his head.

Harry knew Ron was about to apologize and suddenly he found he didn't need to hear it. "It's okay," he said, before Ron could get the words out. "Forget it."
"No," said Ron, "I shouldn't've-"
"Forget it," Harry said. Ron grinned nervously at him, and Harry grinned back.
Hermione burst into tears.
"There's nothing to cry about!" Harry told her, bewildered.
"You two are so stupid!" she shouted, stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front. Then, before either of them could stop her, she had given both of them a hug and dashed away, now positively howling.
"Barking mad," said Ron, shaking his head.

Stop SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

I don't usually blog about politics, but...

The American government wants to pass a law that allows them to censor our websites and internet. That means that if they don't approve of a website they can shut it down and no one can say anything about it.
A government-controlled internet...What a horrifying idea! Imagine the government controlling where we get our information, and what information we get...

Stop SOPA and PIPA from passing!

Spread the Word!

Bonny

2012-01-17T04:50:00.000-08:00

Rob Roy
by Sir Walter Scott

When Frank Obaldistone refuses to follow his father's footsteps as a merchant, he is practically disowned and sent to live with his Uncle and cousins in the ancient and crumbling Obaldistone hall. Things soon spiral out of control when he is falsely accused of highway robbery and his villainous cousin Rashleigh steals important papers from Frank's father and intends to stir up trouble in Scotland. And before poor Frank knows it, he's mixed up with "the Scottish Robin Hood", Rob Roy MacGregor...

Simply put, I loved this book!
There was mystery, adventure, great characters, and great dialogue.
The blunt, yet charming Diana "Die" Vernon was one of my favorite characters (she's no damsel in distress) and I thought Rashleigh was a despicable villain indeed. He could have given Jane Austen's Wickham a run for his money. And Frank was a pretty proactive hero, too.

I couldn't put it down! (though, admittedly, chapters 24 and 25 were a mite slow.) It was also a very funny book--if you get old-fashioned humour, which I do.

As I said, there was a lot of mysteries, mostly involving Diana, which were cleared up satisfactorily at the end (the very end, mind.)

Also, the final chapter was thrilling!

(The Scottish accents were pretty easy to understand, though I do recommend that you get a copy with a good glossary.)
It wasn't a perfect book, but I really enjoyed it and I'll definitely be reading more of Mr. Scott's works.

Warning: Reading this book will cause you to say everything in a Scottish accent.

Favorite Line: He snatched my cravat...and twisted it (in the zeal of his restitution) around my neck with such suffocating energy as made me think that he had not only been...a substitute of the jailor, but moreover had taken lessons as an apprentice of the hangman.

Objectionable Content: Uses of the Lord's name in vain, some uses of the H-word, and a few uses of the D-word.

Related Reads:

Waverly-Sir Walter Scott

Kidnapped-Robert Louis Stevenson

Ivanhoe-Sir Walter Scott

Book Questionnaire

2012-01-12T05:03:00.000-08:00

Got this tag from All That is Gold (where else do I get these great tags?)

1. Favorite childhood book?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

2. What are you reading right now?

Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott, Save the Cat! Strikes Back by Blake Snyder (the first book being one that every writer should read), and The Oxford Book of English Verse.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke.

4. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott and The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells.

5. Do you have an e-reader?

Heavens, no! I loathe e-readers with a passion. Some technology scares me, and it scares me even more when they mess around with books.
But e-readers can be good for some people, though...

6. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

I used to read at least five at a time, but over the past year I've started to just focus on one or two books at a time.

7. Can you read on the bus?

Yes. And in the car. I hear a lot of people get carsick when they do this, but I've never had that problem.

8. Favorite place to read?

On my couch next to the wide, bay window. Particularly when it rains or during a sunset.

9. Do you ever dog-ear books?

Yes--thus earning me the ire of every book-lover out there. (They're small dog-ears.)

10. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

I just make little marks to indicate my favorite quotes, but I don't write in them.

11. What makes you love a book?

Character arcs and lots of great emotional struggles. Oh, and battles.

12. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

If I absolutely love it.

13. Favorite genre?

Fantasy! What else?

14. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I feel justified, but I won't ever post negative reviews because it's just sort of...negative. I'll talk about it with my friends and family, or just warn them to not read it.

15. Favorite Poet?

I hate horror, yet I love Edgar Allen Poe. I also love Wadsworth and Tennyson.

16. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

Seven is the highest I allow myself to go.

17. How often have you returned books to the library unread?

Only if I don't like it will I return it unread, which is sort of often.
18. Favorite fictional character?

Aragorn.

19. Favorite fictional villain?

Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He's the most interesting villain I've ever come across. I despise him and yet I can't help but pity him.

But if we're talking about giving an award to "Most Despicable Villain in Literature" then I'd have to say Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events.

20. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?

Whatever I'm currently reading. Or The Hounds of The Mórrígan by Pat O'Shea. Or the first two Ranger's Apprentice books (first two are great, but I don't like the rest of the series.)

21. The longest I’ve gone without reading.

A month. (Shame!)

22. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

Not to bash The Hunger Games (it's not that I disapprove of it or anything) but I couldn't get past the first chapter. Dystopian novels are not my thing.
For all you fans--good for you, it's just not my cup of tea, so to speak.

23. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

I'm not easily distracted while I'm reading. I could be stuck in a noisy room and still be able to read. But I can be distracted if there's a repetitive noise going on, like a buzzing sound or a faucet dripping.

24. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Lord of the Rings. Didn't see that coming, did you? :)

25. Most disappointing film adaptation?

Inkheart. Dustfinger was great, but the movie made it look like a magic kiddie movie, and not the Fantasy Epic it is.

26. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Swear words, fake religions in Fantasy, or just general bad content. Or if a book's too weird (why I stopped reading the Vampirates series.)

27. Do you like to keep your books organized?

I'm not a neat person, but books are the only things I manage to keep tidy.

28. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

If I like it, I keep it. If I hate it I'll be giving it away to the first person I can. But that isn't usual as I never buy a book I hate.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Quotes II

2012-01-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

Picture by Brittney Lee
"Hermione's right, you just need a good defense. You can call us as witnesses-"
"I'm sure I've read about a case of hipogriff-baiting," said Hermione thoughtfully, "where the hipogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened."
Hagrid howled still the more loudly. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron to help them.
"Er--shall I make a cup of tea?" said Ron.
Harry stared at him.
"It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset," Ron muttered, shrugging.

"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn--Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision-balance is really noticeable in these long-"
"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"
Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first--SMACK! She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.
"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul--you evil-"
"Hermione," said Ron weakly, as he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.
"Get off, Ron!"

Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said. Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him. "What, scared to hear your old master's name?" said Black. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"

"No!" Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Harry's nod had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying. "Sirius--it's me...it's Peter...your friend...you wouldn't..."
Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled. "There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," said Black.

"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"
"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" said Harry.

"It didn't make any difference," said Harry bitterly. "Pettigrew got away."
"Didn't make any difference?" said Dumbledore quietly. "It made all the difference in the world, Harry. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate."

"You know, Harry, in a way, you did see your father last night...You found him inside yourself."

"He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though...keep up with my news...check if I'm happy..."

Guest Post

2012-01-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

I wrote a guest post for Story Weaver's lovely blog "Writer Sense."
You can check it out here.

2011: A Year in Review

2011-12-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

A Summary of Every Movie I Saw This Year and My Thoughts

Kung Fu Panda 2: For me, the best animated movie to come out this year. An excellent sequel that adds much more to the first one. Also, it's absolutely hilarious.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2: An epic ending. They could have hardly finished it better.
War Horse: A movie like this only comes once in a blue moon. An amazing, breathtaking film that had both heart and soul. Fantastic.
Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides: Classic Pirates. Jack was as hilarious as ever, but for me it was Philip that made the movie. Loads of fun.

17 Miracles: A fantastic film about a group of pioneers on the Mormon Trail, and the hardships they faced. It's a powerful movie that is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. One you need to watch twice to appreciate, though.

Atlas Shrugged Part 1: Anyone who considers themselves American has to watch this film. Not only is it powerfully pro-Capitalism, but the cinematography was splendid and the story superb. Some bad acting occasionally, but other than than that, very well done.

The Adventures of Tintin: Funny and entertaining with some emotion thrown in, but the pacing was off and there was no tension. It should have been an amazing movie--it had all the ingredients--but it just fell flat.

Soul Surfer: The most inspirational, feel-good movie of the year. There was some bad acting (especially where Carrie Underwood was concerned) and a slightly Disney-fied ending, but other than that it was really good.

Thor: Let's face it--Thor is corny at times and has lots of plot holes. And yet we love it! Why? Because it's so gosh-darn hilarious. Even when it's trying to be "epic" it comes off as hysterical. That aside, Chris Hemsworth is a really good actor.

The Eagle: A little slow at times. But it's very historically acurate and there's some good acting thrown in at times. And the final scene was very well-done and wonderful.

Captain America: It was really, really good five minutes in. But my theory is this--the original screenwriter died after writing the first five minutes and was replaced by a guy who didn't know what he was doing. Bad CGI, and the movie's ending was one of the worst I've seen. But I loved those first five minutes.

The Help: Dirty. I walked out on this one.

Iconic Movie Moments of 2011:

Baby Po and Inner Peace

"Always."

The Battle of Hogwarts

Mermaids

The British and the German free Joey

Dagny's realization; "Who is John Galt?"

Haddock remembers everything

"Superb!"

Creepiest Villains:

Winner: Lord Shen from Kung Fu Panda 2

Runner-Up: Blackbeard from Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides (Sorry, Blackbeard, but you still get beat by an animated peacock)

Best Magical Transformation: Syrena from Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides

Best Special Effects: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Best New Character:

Winner: Philip from Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides

Runner-Up: Emilie from War Horse
Honorable Mention: Darcy from Thor

Favorite Scores:

Mermaids by Hans Zimmer (Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides)

Lily's Theme by Alexandre Desplat (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2)

War Horse

2011-12-31T10:02:00.000-08:00

War Horse

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence.

War Horse is one of those movies that everyone talks about. But no one could tell me if it was "good" or not. Critics praise it, but I usually take what they say with a grain of salt. So I figured the only way to know about it was to see it.

To be honest, I expected it to fail, and to fail miserably.

I've never been so pleasantly surprised.

What I expected to be "Black Beauty goes to war" was far more than that.

I loved, loved, loved War Horse.

This movie put me through the wringer. Every emotion--love, anger, shock, fear, sorrow, and humour--were wrung out of me. (Am I ever so glad I brought tissues!)
The violence wasn't graphic, yet it really drove home the horrors of war. I've never gasped at a movie so much in my life. And yet, there were moments of light that sweetly and quietly showed how kindness can shine through the worst of conflicts.

The characters were fabulous. I loved the mother--she was rough around the edges and yet sturdy and loving. And the little French girl, Emilie, was one of my favorite parts of the movie.
And the cinematography--ah, the cinematography!--was breathtaking.
The story was fantastic and nerve-wracking. And the scene with the English and German soldiers will forever be one of my favorites ever seen on the big screen.

Some people have said, "There was too much war and not enough horse," and still others have said, "Too much horse and not enough war."

I thought it was very evenly balanced out. It portrayed how ugly war can be without being horrific, and it spoke against cruelty to animals without being overbearing or preachy.

I also enjoyed the first fifteen minutes spent on the Narracott's farm. There was some excellent conflict there as well (and the English countryside was gorgeous.)

I can just see you sitting there, raising your eyebrows and thinking, "It can't be that good."

See it.

Then we'll talk.

Because War Horse is a movie to counter with.

Favorite Line: "We need more wire cutters!"

Verdict: Go see it! (and once agin in theaters if you like.)
Grey Travel Rating: 4/5
Special Effects: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Acting: 4/5
Objectionable Content: A couple uses of the Ba-word, H-word and D-word.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T01:34:00.000-08:00

"Let Earth recieve

her King..."

Merry Christmas.

by Carl Bloch

Friggin' Hobbit Trailer!!!

2011-12-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

I almost had a heart attack when I heard Thorin singing "Far over Misty Mountains cold, To dungeons deep and caverns old..."

I think I speak for every Tolkien fan when I say,
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
Precious.

And we have to wait for a year?

Tintin: An American's Review

2011-12-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

The Adventures of Tintin

Rated PG for adventure action violence, some drunkenness and brief smoking.

Tintin has done very well in Europe, mostly because it's home turf for the beloved comic hero. The real question critics kept asking prior to its American release was, How will Americans like it?
Well, let me tell you.

I wouldn't call myself a fan, though I did read two of the books before seeing the film. My small knowledge of the Tintin universe allowed me to grin every time one of the characters said "Great snakes!" or "Blisterin' barnacles!"
But that was almost it.

The movie was really good. Lots of action (oh boy was there a lot of action) and the animation was astounding! I kept forgetting that it wasn't real. The plot was excellent and the characters 3-dimensional. I loved the Thom(p)sons, who were hysterical.
And I loved Haddock as well. In fact, most of the emotion in the movie centered around Haddock. (Also, is it wrong to think he was at his funniest when drunk?)
And even Snowy--the dog--was fantastic! All throughout the movie I kept thinking, "Goodness, I want this dog!" And I'm sure everyone else in the theater thought the same.

The most satisfying scenes in the movies happened near the end and at the end, mostly as they traveled Morocco. As a plus, the plot was quite unpredictable and I found myself wondering once or twice, "How are they going to get out of this?"

Another thing I liked was the scene where Haddock related the story of Red Rackham. Like I said, I was able to read "The Secret of the Unicorn" and the scene was exactly how I pictured it and more.
I also liked how they added Hergé (the author) into the beginning of the movie.

That aside, there was one thing that it lacked. Actually, all the way home from the theater we puzzled over what it was. We felt something was missing. We finally realized that it was pacing. Though I was on the edge of my seat at one point, there was no real build-up of the tension. There were no slow, reflective moments to catch your breath before being launched into another action-packed scene. That's not to say that it was plotless or dull--far from it! The pacing was just off.

And I know that an intro isn't even technically part of the movie, but may I just say that it would have been nicer to see all those cool animations over cast-members names at the end of the movie? I had kinda hoped that we had left long, credit-filled intros in the 50's.

So--Tintin was a great, fun-filled adventure and, despite a few flaws, it was good watching.
Strangely, not something I'd rave about, but a good film nonetheless.
However, the ending hinted at a sequel and to be honest, when it comes out I'll definitely go see it.

Favorite Line:
Tintin: Mrs. Finch, a man has just been shot on our doorstep!
Mrs. Finch: Not again!

Verdict: Go see it if you can.
Grey Travel Rating: 3/5
Animation: 6/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Acting: 4/5
Objectionable Content: Haddock is drunk. A lot. Blood is shown briefly.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Quotes Part 1

2011-12-17T06:36:00.000-08:00

Picture by Nicole Gustafsson
"You behave yourself, got me?"
"I will if she does," said Harry through gritted teeth.

"She deserved it," Harry said, breathing very fast. "She deserved what she got. You keep away from me." He fumbled behind him for the latch on the door. "I'm going," Harry said. "I've had enough."

"What were you doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner.
"Fell over," said Harry.
" 'Choo fall over for?" sniggered Stan.
"I didn't do it on purpose," said Harry, annoyed.

"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything...Pepper Imps--they make you smoke at the mouth--and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next-"
"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain-"
"And massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.

"If ever you have need of a noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"
"Yeah, we'll call you," muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone mental."

"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not happy about my injury-"
"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury," snarled Ron.

"I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well...I'm impressed." He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is--fear. Very wise, Harry."

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."
Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears.
It was a mark of how much the class loathed Snape that they were all glaring at him, because every one of them had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, and Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, "You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"
The class knew instantly he'd gone too far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly, and the room held its breath. "Detention, Weasley," Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."

"D'you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets too near me?"
Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive.
"I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry."

Cello Wars

2011-12-13T05:48:00.000-08:00

This is awesome.
My geek nerves are all a-tingling.

(Don't forget to check out The Piano Guys' more...er...serious videos.)

Amazing Books You've Never Heard Of But Should Most Definitely Read

2011-12-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

Title says all.

Regina Silsby's Secret War by Thomas J. Brodeur
On the eve of the American Revolution, a young girl comes up with her own plan to rid Boston of the British.

The Stone Goddess by Minfong Ho

When the Khmer Rouge takes over Cambodia, Nakri and her family are split apart. When they finally regroup, they head to America, where they must not only learn to adapt, but overcome the scars of their past.

Lady of Ch'iao Kuo by Laurence Yep

Set in diary format, it tells the story of a princess thought to be a "savage" by the Chinese and thought to be "Half Chinese" by her own people. Not only must she find a place to belong, but on top of that she must rid the land of a barbaric tribe bent on domination.

Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
A poignant tale of the Holocaust, set in free verse.

Kavik the Wolf Dog by Walt Morey

When Kavik is taken from the master he loves, he sets out on a treacherous, thrilling journey across an arctic landscape.

The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett
During WWI, two French sisters find a blind English soldier in the woods, who every day tells them a story...

The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall
Muggles lives a peaceful life in the land of Minnipins, until she and others are exiled for being different. But an old enemy of the Minnipins is returning and the motley group of outcasts have a choice: Should they warn the people who exiled them? And if even they do, will anyone believe them?

Dirty Magic by Carol Hughes
When Joe is transported to the war-torn world of Asphodel, he sets out on a journey to find his sister and ends up saving Asphodel from a terrible fate.

The Wainscott Weasel by Tor Seidler
A charming tale of a one-eyed weasel who saves the beautiful fish he loves from a terrible fate.

The Hounds of the Mórrígan by Pat O'Shea
Pidge and his little sister Brigit live a normal life in Ireland--until he finds the book. Now it's up to him and his sister to go on a whirlwind journey through Tír na nÓg to stop the evil Mórrígan from taking over the world.

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Princess Una has given her heart away, and only those who truly love her can save her. A stirring, refreshing Fantasy novel about love and loss, and the choice between darkness and light.

The Kingdom and the Crown by Gerald N. Lund
Set in the time of Christ's ministry, a family is torn by those who believe in his words and those who don't. And Simeon, leader of a rebel band against Rome, is caught right in the middle of it.
Of course, saying that this epic, three-volume series is only about that is understatement. There's love and loss and it really opens up the New Testament in a clear, un-sacreligious way.
From the acclaimed author of The Work and the Glory.

Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M. M. Blume
Cornelia lives a life hidden under her mother's famous shadow. No one seems to understand her. Until Virginia Somerset, and old lady with a taste for travel, moves next door.

The Word Eater by Mary Amato
A girl struggling in a new school finds a worm that--when he eats a word--can make anything disappear. But this new-found power has more consequences than she ever dreamed possible. An fun, imaginative story.

The Road to There: Mapmakers and Their Stories by Val Ross
A historical book, but a fascinating one! All about the mapmakers of old, and their travels and pains to map the world.

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The story of a 16-year-old German boy who defied Hitler's government to make the truth known. A powerful tale.

The Book of Lies by James Moloney
Honestly, the most unpredictable book I've ever read.
A boy wakes up at a home for foundlings, but has no memory of his past--or his name. When a mysterious girl tells him that the truth of his past can be found in a wizard's Book of Lies, he sets out of find it. Of course, the truth is more complicated than it seems. And lies seem to be everywhere.

Titanic: The Long Night by Diane Hoh

A wonderful, well-crafted novel about how the lives of many different characters are entwined in one, famous night.

Nicholas by René Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempé
The hilarious adventures of a French school-boy.

Awarded

2011-12-03T03:20:00.000-08:00

I was awarded the LOTR Award by The Director!

Thanks!

Now, I must answer the following questions:

1-Who is your favorite LOTR character and why?
Aragorn. Because he's awesome, brave, loyal, and generally heroic.

Sam is also one of my favorites. He's loyal and brave and really underestimated. "Frodo wouldn't have gotten far without Sam..."

2-If you were in Middle Earth, what species would you be?
A hobbit. I'm short, I like good food, and I'm generally barefoot 24/7.

3-If you were in Middle Earth, where would you be from?
Either the Shire or Erodas.

4-If you were with the fellowship in Lothlorien, what gift would you have wanted from Galadriel?
How about a writing utensil that makes me automatically inspired whenever I write with it?

5-Which language out of Middle Earth would you want to learn?
Black Speech!
Haha, just kidding.
I'd like to learn either Elvish or Rohirric. Even Khuzdul would be great to learn.

I award these fellow LOTR-Lovers:
Marian at All That is Gold
Kirthi at Pages
Gwyn at A Celtic Cowgirl
Margaret W. at Artisan of the Shire

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Quotes II

2011-11-29T06:10:00.000-08:00

Picture by Jake Parker
"I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madame Pince and hand the book back in-"
"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules," said Ron.

"So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm..." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."

"He sounds like Percy," said Ron, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Prefect, Head Boy...probably top of every class-"
"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Hermione in a slightly hurt voice.

"But why's she got to go to the library?"
"Because that's what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library."

Harry and Ron walked away, hardly daring to believe that they'd avoided detention. As they turned the corner, they distinctly heard Professor McGonagall blow her nose.
"That," said Ron fervently, "was the best story you've ever come up with."

"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore.
Ron opened his mouth in horror.
"Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling.

"It only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin..."
"Exactly," said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Harry didn't know whether the best bit was Hermione running toward him, screaming "You solved it! You solved it!" or Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to wring his hand and apologize endlessly for suspecting him, or Hagrid turning up at half past three, cuffing Harry and Ron so hard on the shoulders that they were knocked from their plates of trifle, or his and Ron's four hundred points for Gryffindor securing the House Cup for the second year running, or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell them all that the exams had been canceled ("Oh, no!" said Hermione) or Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back.
Quite a few teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.
"Shame," said Ron, helping himself to a jam doughnut. "He was starting to grow on me."

"Well--Percy's got a girlfriend."
Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head. "What?"
"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was--you know--attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.
"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early.
"Definitely not," said George, sniggering.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Things I'm thankful for:

1. Sunsets
2.Good books
3. Dark chocolate
4. God and his Son
5. My religion
6. Awesome movies
7. Intelligent conversations
8. Dogs
9. My family
10. Stars
11. The Scriptures
12. Music
13. That I live in America
14. My life
15. Poetry
16. Friends
17. Writing
18. Quotes
19. Cheese
20. Lists :)

(In other news, I finally put my Christmas playlist on this blog. Don't you just love the holidays?)

Create

2011-11-20T01:08:00.000-08:00

This video has a great message on creativity and self-worth.

I Like My Movies Clean

2011-11-15T01:52:00.000-08:00

A few years ago there was a company called Clean Films. What they did was take movies, cut the bad stuff out, and then rent them out to people via mail.
Me and my family adored Clean Films. We would rent the movies online, and then go check the mail a few days later and get it. I watched so many films I would not have otherwise watched. I saw Paycheck, King Arthur, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and so many others. I even rented PG ones that had swear words, however mild, cut out of them. It was very enjoyable.
And it was completely legal, too--until some Hollywood stars got the lawyers involved. "You're ruining our art," they whined, and Clean Films was taken down.

Needless to say, I mourned the loss of Clean Films.
And I didn't understand.
How can anything wrong be considered "art"?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Quotes Part 1

2011-11-10T05:57:00.000-08:00

Picture by Tang Heng
"Dudley?"
"How about--'We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr. Mason, and I wrote about you."
This was too much for both Aunt Petunia and Harry. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and hugged her son, while Harry ducked under the table so they wouldn't see him laughing.
"And you, boy?"
Harry fought to keep his face straight as he emerged. "I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," he said.

"Dobby will serve the family until he dies, sir..."
Harry stared. "And I thought I had it bad staying here for another four weeks," he said. "This makes the Dursley's sound almost human."

"I hope they're paying you overtime?" He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. "Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"
Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny. "We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.
"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley... and I thought your family could sink no lower--"

"I-I didn't think-"
"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."

"Why," demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"
Hermione snatched her schedule back, blushing furiously.

"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his Potions homework and grumpy. "Sounds dead depressing to me..."

When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly" and "looking happy."

"My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death."

Yellow Star

2011-11-05T02:49:00.000-07:00

Yellow Star

by Jennifer Roy

It is difficult to find a book about the Holocaust that really makes it sink in.

It is also difficult to find a book in written in free verse that is poignant and powerful.
Yellow Star is both of these and more.

In 1939, the Germans invaded Poland and moved 270,000 Jews into the Lodz ghetto.
At the end of the war, about 800 had survived.
Twelve were children.

Yellow Star is the story of Syvia Perlmutter, one of the twelve. It is told from her point of view, in free verse that encompasses the terrible sorrow of the event. In fact, it was the first book that got me hooked on books in verse.
But that's neither here nor there.
To be able to capture the ongoing terror of living in such a place is extraordinary. At one point in the story, Syvia and her father are walking the streets, sidestepping pools of dark red. And when you realize that this was real, this was their real life, it breaks you down. Children shouldn't have had to seen that kind of stuff, I kept thinking throughout the book. No one should have had to live through that.

It's not graphic, and it doesn't try to horrify you the way a horror movie might.
It's just the little, simply-stated facts that really shock you. It really puts you in their shoes. It makes you never want to complain about anything ever again.

But the book doesn't just focus on the terror and unbelievable sorrow.
There are moments of light, scenes where the main character realizes there's still good in the world. That she can be brave.
It's sombering, yes, but not depressing. Yellow Star ends with a message of hope, which really makes it stand out.
This book will leave few untouched.

Excerpt:
Yellow
is the color of
the felt six-pointed star
that is sewn onto my coat.
It is the law
that all Jews have to wear the
Star of David
when they leave their house,
or else be arrested.

I wish I could
rip the star off
(carefully, stitch by stitch, so as not to ruin
my lovely coat),
because yellow is meant to be
a happy color,
not the color of
hate.

Objectionable Content: None

Related Reads:
The Boy Who Dared-Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The Stone Goddess-Minfong Ho
Number the Stars-Lois Lowry

Yeah, This Is What I Celebrate

2011-10-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

Have a very Happy Birthday, Sir Peter Jackson.

(And, er, Happy Halloween, too.)

Adorable

2011-10-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

I am about to make your day in

3...

2...

1...

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Quotes II

2011-10-22T04:01:00.000-07:00

Picture by Jake Parker
But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money--you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."
Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy. "I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."

"Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on 'em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here--how to recognize diff'rent eggs--what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."
He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't.
"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," she said.

"This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur."
"We'd noticed," said Hermione faintly.

"Neville," Ron exploded, "get away from the hole and don't be an idiot-"
"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"
"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation.

"But Harry--what if You-Know-Who's with him?"
"Well--I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."

"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all--the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

Random Ramblings

2011-10-18T03:26:00.000-07:00

Living up to my slogan of "Random Ramblings", here are a few opinions, thoughts, and questions about nothing in particular:

You know that old question, "Which came first the chicken or the egg?"

I know the answer.

It was the chicken who came first.

If the egg had been first, it would have never hatched because there wouldn't have been a chicken to incubate it.

Also, science claims that tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables. Which I think is just ridiculous.

Technically, they're fruits because there's some sort of rule that any plant that has seeds is a fruit. Well, maybe they're the exception to the rule.

It's just not common sense.

Have you ever put tomatoes in a fruit salad?

And I don't care if Pluto is now classified as a "dwarf planet". Scientists just seem to have nothing better to do than turn tomatoes into fruits and planets into dwarves.

You'll always be a planet to me, Pluto.

One more question: "Is the glass half empty or half full?"

For me, it depends. If you fill a cup up, it's half full. If you pour some out, it's half empty.

It's just logic.

Jealous

2011-10-13T04:46:00.000-07:00

In Wales, a man named Simon Dale decided to build himself and his family a "Hobbit house". I am so exceedingly jealous.
Aren't you?

Because of Winn-Dixie

2011-10-08T01:43:00.000-07:00

Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo

I've always really liked the book. Just recently, I realized that I hadn't read it in years and decided to do some serious re-reading.

Isn't it wonderful when a book is even better than you remembered?

I've never had a book melt my heart before, but this one did. It made me both laugh and cry.
Because of Winn-Dixie just tells you a story in a honest, open-hearted fashion. It was as if a close friend was telling me all about Opal and her dog, not as if I were reading it. Reading it was like looking deep inside someone's soul, and being trusted to do so.

Man, it's such a good book.

Objectionable Content: A few uses of the Lord's name in vain.

Related Reads:
Bridge to Terebithia-Katherine Paterson
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs-Betty G. Birney
The Tiger Rising-Kate DiCamillo

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Quotes Part 1

2011-10-04T03:47:00.000-07:00

Picture by Brittney Lee

He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.

Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was their leader.

Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun--last year, the Dursley's had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. Still, you weren't eleven every day.

"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh--mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..."

"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"
"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."
"You'd like one?'
"Wanted one ever since I was a kid--here we go."

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once-"
"Or twice-"
"A minute-"
"All summer-"
"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.
“How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?” said one of the twins.
“Because he’s a prefect,” said their mother fondly. “All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there.” She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins. "Now, you two--this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've-you've blown up a toilet or-"
"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."
"Great idea though, thanks, Mum."

"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

"What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"
"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"
Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up. "Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."
When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.
"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"
"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie.

To Sierra

2011-09-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

I couldn't comment on your blog, (my computer wouldn't let me) so I decided on a different way to contact you.
That book you reviewed, Forsaking All Others, is incredibly badly-researched and false.

I am a Mormon, and I just wanted to clear some things up about our beliefs.
We do not approve or practice polygamy. It's a very common misconception that we do, but we don't.
And we don't believe we're going to become Gods just because we're Mormon, either.

If you have any other questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them.

Thanks:)

God bless.

Award

2011-09-29T01:47:00.000-07:00

Sierra/Arries over at Whispers of the Wind awarded me the One Lovely Blog Award!
Thanks, Sierra!

The rules are:
List 7 things about yourself and
award 15 other lovely bloggers.

Here goes:

1. If I have a choice between researching online and researching by book, I'll choose to do it by book.
2. I'm often called an old soul.
3. I can't play an instrument to save my life.
4. I get cold very easily.
5. I'm a big history buff. To me, it's just one dang good story.
7. I wish I could apprentice myself to a famous artist for a few years (Like, say, Tony DiTerlizzi), just so he could teach me his wisdom.

I award:
Gwyn at A Celtic Cowgirl
Marian at All That is Gold
Ivorydancer at Another Once in Time
Margaret W. at Artisan of the Shire
Liz Patterson at Awake
Madeline Claire at Daisy Chains
Gray at Gray's Locket
Margaret at Hello, World

The Lost Thing

2011-09-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of Shaun Tan, ever since I picked up The Arrival in the library.
So when I heard that his short film The Lost Thing won Best Short Film last year, I was happy for him.
It wasn't until recently that I got my hands on the book that the short film was based on. And it wasn't until recently that I watched it.
It's beautiful. If anything deserved to win, it's this. It's true to Shaun Tan's book and even adds a few things of its own. I loved the music, and the animation is wonderful. It perfectly fit the story of childhood creativity lost and found.

You can watch it below:

I also noticed a few things added into the shortfilm from his other books.

This Lost Thing resembles an animal from The Arrival.

If you look closely at the newspaper, you can see an article titled "The Amnesia Machine", a story from Tan's book Tales from Outer Suburbia.

One of the Lost Things shows the cycle of a flower on its screen; a flower that resembles one from The Arrival.

Kickstarter

2011-09-20T04:21:00.000-07:00

Travis Hanson, creator of the webcomic The Bean, is doing a kickstarter project to raise money in order to publish Volume One.

Please support him and his amazing webcomic! It's well worth it.

Click here to access the Kickstarter.

The Rogue Crew Quotes Part 3

2011-09-16T01:56:00.000-07:00

Picture by chichapie

"Aye, there was nothin' wrong with the song, mate—'twas the singer. Our Log a Log's a champion dancer, an' a great leader, but when he opens his mouth t'sing, it sounds like a score o' frogs bein' pelted with rocks!" His companion, Banktail, agreed fervently. "I was goin' to say that meself, but I didn't want to 'urt the feelin's of any nearby frogs, mate!"

"Does that suit ye, Rake?"
The tall, dark captain unbuckled both his blades. "Aye, that suits me grand. Ah'm fair starved!"
Jum Gurdy murmured, "If I ever meet a hare who isn't, 'twill be a rare sight..."
Rake overheard the remark. He stared at the otter cellardog. "Ye were sayin'...?"
Jum replied neatly, "I was just sayin', Cap'n, we ain't had a bite to eat since last night!"

"Rest now, an' don't fret. Those killers will cry tears o' blood when we meet up with 'em. Ye have my oath on that!"

"Well, I'll even the score, I tell ye. We won't rest 'til we can dance on their graves, every last mother's son o' the cowardly butchers!"

Big Drander splashed out with his paddle, soaking the colour sergeant. He apologised, grinning from ear to ear. "I say, Sarn't, sorry about that, me jolly old paddle slipped. Didn't get too wet, did ye?"
Miggory held a paw toward Drander. "I dunno—tell me wot you think, big feller." Drander stood awkwardly, reaching out to touch the sergeant's paw. As he did, a quick flip from Miggory toppled him into the river. Miggory watched as his comrades rescued Drander. "Ho, sorry h'about that, young sah, me jolly h'old paw slipped. Didn't get too wet, did ye, wot?"

"Allus remember, young sah, the quickness o' the paw can deceive the eye—h'an' like h'as not, blacken it!"

"Mark my words, young 'un, there's trouble ahead for our Abbey. Big trouble!"

"Lookit 'ere, mates. We got uz a rabbet!"
The old rat nodded eagerly. "I et a rabbet once—'twas nize!"
To their surprise, Miggory showed no fear, but joined in amicably. "H'I don't think ye'd like me, though. H'I'm a hare, not a rabbit. We're tough, y'see."
A nearby stoat poked him in the back. "Tough, eh? 'Ow tough?"

Rounding on the stoat, the sergeant knocked him out cold with a thunderous straight left. "H'is that tough h'enough for ye, scumnose?"

"Now, do ye like proper, thick woodland stew?" She held up a paw before Drander could reply. "I mean real Woodland Stew, made to an ole Wiltud recipe. With every veggible ye could shake a stick at chopped up into it. Aye, an' full o' chesnut'n'acorn dumplin's."
Overcome by emotion, tears sprang to Drander's eyes. "Chesnut'n'acorn dumplin's, marm, it makes me weak just thinkin' about 'em. Oh, my giddy grandad, where is it, marm?"

The pace stepped up, faces were set grim, weapons grasped tight. On to the Abbey of Redwall, and bad fortune to any foebeasts who dared stand in the way of such warriors!

"Come on, me buckoes, let's give the scum some steel!"

Throwing away her blade, she pleaded, whining piteously, "Mercy, sir, mercy. Can't ye see I'm unarmed?"
Trug swung his sword, gritting out the words. "Aye, I'll show ye mercy, just as ye did to my young sister an' her friends the night ye murdered them!" The young hare's words echoed in the Seer's head. It was the last voice she ever heard.

9/11: Ten Years Later

2011-09-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Has it really been ten years since that day?

But no matter how many years pass by, we must never forget.

I See Why

2011-09-06T04:09:00.000-07:00

Recent news is that Disney pulled the plug on thier movie adaptation of The Lone Ranger.

Why?

I'll give you a couple of good reasons.

The first reason was because of the budget, which was reaching as high as $250 million!

But that's not all that made the company hesitant to continue.

Johnny Depp was going to play Tonto (who was going to be the main character despite the title "The Lone Ranger").

And he was going to be a werewolf.

That's right, a werewolf.

The movie was planned to be an "Indian-spiruality werewolf film." (The CGI for that probably explains the budget.)

It was going to have tons of effects, with Tonto as a werewolf ripping people to shreds...

So, I can see why they pulled the plug on this.

I mean, a Lone Ranger movie starring Tonto as a werewolf?

I don't even know why they bought the script.

Cigars of the Pharaoh

2011-09-01T04:25:00.000-07:00

Cigars of the Pharaoh

by Hergé

I'd never heard of Tintin until the upcoming movie came to my attention. Determined to know if the movie would be worth seeing, I sought out the comics. But there's a wondrous lack of Tintin books in America, and I was forced to make subsequent trips to Barnes & Noble just to fully read "The Secret of the Unicorn." I was charmed, but still hesitant, so I went to my library and ordered the only Tintin book they had: Cigars of the Pharaoh.

I really enjoyed it--there was adventure, wit, and lots of hilarious comedy. Tintin was clever and the author equally so. There was always a surprise in the plot.

I'm not saying that this ensures that I'll like the movie. Maybe I will, maybe I won't.

And I'm not saying that I'm now a die-hard Tintin fan. I mean, I've only read two books so far.

But so far, I like what I'm seeing.

Favorite Line:

Objectionable Content: One use of the Lord's name in vain.

Related Reads:

Um...anything Tintin?

Classical Viva La Vida

2011-08-27T04:15:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful video that is sure to brighten up any day. Made me happy just watching it.

The Rogue Crew Quotes II

2011-08-23T01:46:00.000-07:00

Picture by chichapie

Queen Dukwina squeaked scornfully, "It's over, rabbets—surrender or die!"
Buff Redspore glared at the queen. "Nobeast asked for your comments, marm!"
Rake moved casually, flicking the sand with a footpaw as he spoke with Scutram and Miggory. "There's no way out o' this, mah friends. If we fled, they'd pick us off one by one, eh, Lieutenant?" Scutram smiled grimly. "Fled, sah? Fled, did ye say? Sorry, but we ain't much good at fleein', doncha know."

"His spirit will march alongside us,/we'll honour his memory and say,/he died for truth and freedom,/aye, an' that's the warrior's way."

"My name's Sage, like the herb. What's yours, friend?"
Her tough-looking companion replied, "Kite the Slayer, Kite like the bird, and Slayer because of the number of vermin I've slain."
It was said so coolly that Sage felt bound to enquire, "Oh, an' how many vermin have you slain?"
The ottermaid showed Sage her shield, which was scored around its rim with a circular pattern of nicks. "Can't remember the exact count—have to start on my axeshaft soon, though. Just call me Kite, they all do."

"Anyhow, ye'll never guess wot 'appened next!"
Rekaby gave the young otter a long-suffering glance. "No, Swiffo, I'll never guess what 'appened next, but I'd be pleased to hear it from ye."

"By the way, just how many vermin are there?"
The hairy vole, Fiddy, spread his paws wide. "Lots'n'lots o' the scum. Far too many for you to scoff."
Sircolo stared down his beak at Fiddy, then sniffed. "Don't fret, little furbag. I'll give it a good try!"

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, on a fine spring night! Are ye friend or foe or just plain slow? Don't answer that question. Ye ain't too slow, an' ye must be a friend, 'cos if ye were foe, we'd have slain ye long ago!"

He fell asleep, feeling safer than he had in a long while.

"Look to the blade, my point ye must take,/to whence the winds will bring evil in their wake,/for goodbeasts arriving, I bid ye wait,/they bring aid on the day thy need is great./Two warriors that day will answer the call./The most unlikely creatures of all!"

"Complainin' an' moanin', that's all yore good for!"
Ricker pointed indignantly to himself. "Wot me, a moaner an' complainer? Hah, wot've I got ter moan an' complain about, eh? Sent off on an idjit's errand, wanderin' round inna dark, covered in stinkin' marsh slop, an' all because the cap'n wants ter git 'is paws on two stoopid liddle 'ogs. Ho, no, bucko, I ain't complainin'. Lookit me—I'm 'avin' the time o' my life!"

He turned back to Voogal, still smiling. "You'll answer, thick'ead, an' they'd better be answers I like, or things might get a bit hot for ye."

They drifted into sleep on the dark night-shaded stream, cheered up by the fact that they had a good companion, and a real tough one, to boot.

"Chest out! Chin in! Left right together!/Eyes front! Back straight! Can ye smell that heather?"
After the song, one of the sea otters, Garrent, chuckled as he chatted to Big Drander. “Wot sort o' marchin' song is that? Bit sissy, ain't it?"
Drander kept his eyes front, muttering out of the side of his mouth, "Tell that to Cap'n Rake. He wrote it."
Kite Slayer, the tough ottermaid, scowled darkly. "Ain't the sort of marchin' song I'd be caught singin'. Would ye like to hear a Rogue Crew song? One Skor wrote?"
Trug Bawdsley nodded affably. "Jolly nice of ye, missy. Carry on an' warble away."
Without further ado, Kite launched into the sea otter tune. "O there's blood on the axe,/an' there's blood on the shield,/an' blood on the swordblade, too./An' if yore a foe of our Rogue Crew,/they'll be blood all over you!/Blood blood! Blood blood—"
Corporal Welkin interrupted before Kite could sing another verse. "Oh, well done, miss. What a jolly little ditty, a right pretty paw tapper, wot!"

"Here is a Story That's Stranger Than Strange..."

2011-08-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

Zorgamazoo

by Robert Paul Weston

Zorgamazoo has to be the quirkiest book I've ever read. For one thing, it's all in rhyme. For another, it's the story of an adventurous girl and a not-quite-so-adventurous Zorgle who set out to rescue the Zorgles of Zorgamazoo, and end up saving the world from the terrible fate of boredom.

Katrina Katrell was an extremely likable, plucky heroine. The descriptions were witty and the book was loads of fun. Now I wish that every book was told in rhyme.

If Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss had teamed up to write a book, Zorgamazoo would have probably been the result.

So if you've no time for whimsical things,

for pirates and gadgets and creatures and kings,

if you spurn the fantastic to never return

then

PUT THIS BOOK DOWN...

for it's not your concern.

-Excerpt

Favorite Line:

"Hey You!" she cried out./"Do you want some advice?/How 'bout/kidnapping /people is not/very nice!"

Objectionable content: A few mentions of bodily functions.

Related Reads:

James and the Giant Peach-Roald Dahl

A House Called Awful End-Philip Ardagh

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator-Roald Dahl

Help

2011-08-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

The Help

rated PG-13 for thematic material.

I swore I would review every movie I saw in theaters this year, but there's really not much to tell.

After the first five minutes I left and went to go watch Harry Potter instead.

Why did I leave? Because:

a) I wasn't following any of it,

b) There was too much swearing,

and

c) The characters were having innapropriate conversations.

So, yeah.

Yet Another Harry Potter Post

2011-08-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

The Harry Potter cast shared memories from filming the eight movies over a decade, and I thought I'd share them with you.

Enjoy.

(Belongs to Entertainment Weekly.)

"I was pretty intimidated by Ralph [Fiennes; Voldemort]. I still am to a certain extent. In real life he is quite sweet. But in terms of his acting, it can make you quake in your boots a little bit."

—Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)

''When it came time to shoot the big kiss between Ron and Hermione, Rupert [Grint] and I cracked under the pressure. We were just dying from laughter. It was quite hard to take it all so seriously, but we also knew we had to do it right, because we had only been building up to this moment for 10 years and seven films. I think we got there at the end. I was nervous and giggly, but it was good.'' —Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)

''The first thing I shot was the very last scene of the first film, when we're all on the train and leaving Hogwarts and going home. It was my first time anywhere near a film set. There were so many people and so much going on. It was very confusing, and very overwhelming, and yet also really, really exciting. From the very first time Chris Columbus said, 'Action!' I was just on this amazing high." —Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)

''[Prisoner of Azkaban director] Alfonso Cuarón asked us to write essays about our characters. I didn't do mine, because I didn't think Ron would. Or that was my excuse. At the time, I was actually quite busy with the real schoolwork involved with my exams, and I just didn't do it. But in the end, it felt right because that's what Ron would have done.'' —Grint

''Chris wisely kept me away from [Daniel, Emma, and Rupert] before our first scene together. So in that sense, the first person they met was Gilderoy Lockhart. They seemed to enjoy and be fairly flabbergasted at his extraordinary personality, hair, and teeth. But I got to know them after that.'' —Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart)

''I wore a fat suit in [films] 3, 4, 5, and 6. And I had false teeth in 3 and 4. I didn't mind it — until I was 14 or 15 and there were girls on set. I was a bit like, 'Why me?' '' —Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)

''My [filming] was always contained to seven weeks of the year. The rest of the time I was making other movies or directing. But as soon as I put that Snape costume back on, I sort of go, 'Oh, yeah...I know you.'' —Alan Rickman (Severus Snape)

''To be a schoolboy up in the gallery watching Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith at the National Theatre, and then [decades later] to find yourself sitting in a canvas chair, laughing with them on set... It's very special.'' —Rickman

''Had I ever thought that I would be doing a scene with Gary Oldman that lasted a month, as my fight scene did, I would have always imagined it to have been Shakespeare, not a wand battle on a papier-mâché hillside. But still! It was more fun than people should get paid for.'' —Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy)

''We all read the books when Jo [Rowling] released them, along with everyone else. It let us experience the books as readers and as fans, not just as people who work on the movie.'' —Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)

''I was so scared of Alan that it took me about five years to muster up a conversation with him. But he has an incredible sense of dry wit. While Snape is a very daunting character, Alan is actually a very friendly guy.''

—Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)

''All these props and sets started to feel real, the more you used them over the course of the films. The wands weren't just a prop or a piece of wood. They were very personal to you. There was something very, dare I say 'magical,' about it.'' —Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick)

''Oh, I loved my [onscreen] children! I loved them! The fourth film, I wasn't in it, and I got postcard from them saying, 'Come back, Mom! Dad can't control us!' The whole feel of the job was very homey and very family. I've never known a film [series] like it. I suppose it's because we were there for 10 years and we saw the children grow up and the rest of us grow old. It didn't ever feel like work.'' —Julie Walters (Mrs. Weasley)

''When you use a wand, it's like [playing Nintendo] Wii. You use a lot of strength, but you're not actually hitting anything, so the next day your arm will be killing you from all that wand action.'' —Natalia Tena (Tonks)

''I was an obsessive fan of the books and movies. I remember the day [director] David Yates phoned the house and said I'd be doing a screen test with Daniel Radcliffe. I was pretending to be like, 'Yup, that's fine.' And I was freaking out inside.'' —Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)

''[My twin brother Oliver and I] actually didn't find out who was going to play Fred Weasley and who was going to play George Weasley until the read-through. We had the scripts and everything. I honestly did prefer Fred, and that's how it turned out.'' —James Phelps (Fred Weasley)

''I've always played bad people or funny people. I've never really played such a nice person in my life, certainly not for 10 years. So that was a really nice departure for me, and I still get sort of goggle-eyed 10-year-olds staring at me in supermarkets. It's quite odd, really.'' —Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid)

''I remember the very first take of the very first scene that I did; as I minced out of Dumbledore's office, Chris Columbus shouted, 'Shut the door behind you!' And I asked, 'Could I just wave my arm and the door shuts by magic?' And he said, 'Sure!' And I thought, 'This is going to be a ride.' And it was.'' —Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy)

30 Awesome Characters

2011-08-08T03:12:00.000-07:00

Once again, I got this idea from All That is Gold (stop doing awesome posts, Marian!:) The rules are to list 30 fictional characters that you like, you identify with, have influenced you, or are simply unforgettable.

Let's begin.

Spider Carey from Dirty Magic by Carol Hughes
Dustfinger from Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Smike from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

Shifu from Kung Fu Panda

Mr. Tumnus from The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean
Sirius Black from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Aragorn
Faramir
Eomer
Samwise Gamgee
Paton Yewbeam from Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
Vanessa Santoro from Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Shiara from Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Puddleglum from The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis
Gwydion from The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
Eilonwy
Fflewdur Fflam
Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

Reepicheep from The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Rapunzel from Tangled

Milligan from The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Col. Robert E. Hogan from Hogan's Heroes
Philip from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon

Mr. Warne from Miss Potter

Sextus Rubrius from The Kingdom and the Crown by Gerald N. Lund
Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

The Rogue Crew Quotes Part 1

2011-08-03T01:21:00.000-07:00

Who rules o'er the Kingdom of Night,/where all is not what it seems?/'Tis I, the Weaver of Tales,/for I am the Dreamer of Dreams!

"Hoolawhey! Hoolawhey!/Hurry to the slaughter./Hiyaree! Hiyaree!/Meet us in the water./Come back here, do not fear,/come and grant our wishes./Join your friends in this sea,/come and feed the fishes./Hoolawhey! Hoolawhey!/We will meet another day./Hiyaree! Hiyaree!/Flee, cowards, flee!"

When Mowlag had gone, Razzid whispered to Shekra, "When will I be fit enough to move about again?"
The vixen bowed respectfully. "Why ask me when you already know, Lord?"
A faint chuckle rose from the bandaged figure. "I would have slain you for answering falsely."

The volemaid asked that question which all little ones ask. "Why?"

"We'll sleep all the day whilst the chaps drill away./Aye, we'll snore just like hogs down a hole,/firm comrades let's stay until our dyin' day,/in the ranks of the great Long Patrol!"

"Ho round an' round an' round ee floor,/shutten ee window, close ee door,/moi likkle beauty take ee charnce,/join Oi en ee molebabe darnce!/Clappen ee paws a-wun, two, three,/twiggle ee tail roight merily,/moi ole granma carn't do thiz,/a-'cos she'm got ee roomatiz!/Jump ee h'up naow gurtly 'igh,/watch thy 'ead, doan't bump ee sky,/jumpen 'igher than ee trees,/hurr, wot 'arpy childs uz bee's!"

"Who can flippin' well say? The tracks are plain, an' what don't speak don't blinkin' well lie, as my pa used t'say."

"Sing rum-toodle-oo, rum-toodle 'ey,/an' splice the mainbrace, matey,/roll out the grog, ye greedy hog,/'cos I ain't had none lately."

"Have ye ever tasted yer ain blood? Well, ye will if ye dinnae answer mah questions, vermin. Now, speak!"

Shekra stood over her charges, snarling. "Git back, ye seascum. These two ain't t'be touched or hurt-cap'n's orders, so stay yore distance!" She whipped out a thin, keen-edged blade, menacing them.
A slobbering weasel gave her a look of mock alarm. "Ho, deary me, ye've got us all frightened, marm!"
The vixen jabbed her blade, making him stagger back. "Better t'be frightened than dead, grogsnout."

Tears sprang to Drander's eyes; his sturdy frame shook. “Cap'n, sah, don't say that, I blinkin' well beg ye! Put me on a fizzer, lock me in the guardhouse, feed me on weeds'n'water, anythin' but chuckin' me out o' the Patrol. 'Tis my whole life, sah!"
Rake Nightfur's attitude took on an unexpected change. He winked at Drander and smote his back heartily. "Och, yer a great gormless galoot, but ye have a guid heart, laddie. Now, how are ye at breakin' doon walls?"
Drander sniffed, wiped his eyes and saluted smartly. "Sah! Just show me the flamin' wall an' I'll break it, sah!"
Rake nodded toward the far section of the wall. "Take Wilbee's spear an' let's see ye do a wee bit o' damage tae that. Smartly, now!"
Big Drander grabbed the spear and charged the wall, his bellows ringing out over the din of javelin rattling. Everybeast leapt aside as he stampeded past. "Eulaliiiiaaaa! Blood'm'vinegaaaaar!" He hit the composition of sand, limestone and reed grass so hard that he went clear through it.
Captain Rake stepped through the huge, ragged gap and shook his paw. "Well done, bucko! All charges dropped, Ah think, eh!"
Drander's face lit up like a summer sunset. From flat on his back, where he had landed, he saluted. "No more sleepin' on duty for me, sah. Tank ye, Cap'n!"

The pretty hogmaid reached out in the darkness, finding Uggo's paw. "Then we'll have to think of something to tell this vermin Razzid."
Uggo muttered hopelessly. "Huh, like wot?" He winced as Posy tweaked his nose. She berated him angrily. "Like something that'll save my life! Look, I know you're frightened of the vermin—I am, too. But it's no good sitting and moaning here. We've got to do something. Make a plan, try some sort of escape, anything except wait here to be slain!"

Readers International: The Fellowship of the Ring

2011-07-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

Today is the 57th anniversary of the day Mr. Tolkien first published The Fellowship of the Ring.
Let's celebrate by studying the fantasy epic's covers through the ages (and around the world).

UK (first edition)

US (first edition)

Canada

1965

1980's

Bulgaria

Estonia

Germany

Sweden

Italy

Romania

Hungary

The Netherlands

Poland

Slovakia

Captain Typical

2011-07-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Captain America: The First Avenger

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action.

The jokes were funny, the action was pretty good, and the corny parts weren't too bad. I'll admit, the first quarter of the movie was really good.

But then he somehow ended up as a showboy in a dorky Captain America outfit. Okay, I thought, watching the American hero being humiliatingly displayed as kiddie circus hero, I guess I can let this slide. And I could have, too. I could have ignored the sometimes-fake-looking-CGI (it was pretty good at other times) and the rather downhill plot.

But then the end came.

The credits rolled and I just sat there in a stunned confusion, trying to fathom what had just happened.

Let me clear it up for you.

So, the Captain (named not for his rank but for the circus act afore-mentioned) defeats the villain and disappears under the ocean. Everyone thinks he's dead, including his love interest.

You sit there expecting him to be miraculously rescued, put on a stretcher, and showered in kisses by his lady love. Then, you guess, there will be a cool scene in which he dons his Captain America garb and goes out to fight evil. And only then, you think, will it fade to black.

Not so.

I hate to be harsh, but I have to be honest. It ends with the Captain waking up randomly in the world of 2011, though he still looks as impeccabbly handsome as ever. A man with an eyepatch is quick to inform him that he was "asleep for 70 years" (What?!) and Captain America only replies that he "had a date".

The End.

So, the ending pretty much ruined the entire movie for me.

The only reason they ended it like that was because of the upcoming Avengers movie. They wanted all the superheroes together, apparently, and putting Captain A. in a coma so he could be alive during the modern ages seemed like the only way to be able to squeeze him into next year's movie.

So they destroyed the entire plot of a standalone movie just so they could fit the main character into another film. A film that they don't even know if it's going to be succesful or not.

But I must point out that the first bit of the movie was great. There were hilarious jokes, lovable characters, and it seemed to be going well.

It could have been a decent movie. But, unfortunately, it wasn't.

Favorite Line: "It's OK, I can swim."

Verdict: If you ever do rent it, only watch the first thirty minutes. They're well worth it.
Grey Travel Rating: 3/5
Special Effects: 3/5
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 3/5
Acting: 4/5
Objectionable Content: Uses of the H-word, D-word, and B-word. It is implied that a man moons someone, though nothing is shown.

It All Ends

2011-07-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images.

(Review contains no major spoilers)

To be perfectly honest, I really disliked Part 1. It was dull, dark, and had no laughs whatsoever. It was so disappointing that I was more apprehensive than excited for the eighth and final movie.

But anyone with similar feelings need not fear.

Part 2 is a worthy ending and then some.

Unlike Part 1, this movie had plenty of both action and humor, two necessary ingredients in good movie-making. Part 2 was also a major tear-jerker. So many parts, mostly involving the death of beloved characters, sent me sobbing. And the cinematography was amazing, as well as the musical score.

The scene where they robbed Gringotts was brilliant. They couldn't have done it better. The dragon was wonderfully realistic, and almost enough to bring back my childhood dreams of riding one.

The Battle of Hogwarts was phenomenal. I literally gasped aloud at the very sight of the beloved Quidditch field burning.

I always like Mcgonagall, but even more so in this movie as she completely took charge in the defense of Hogwarts. When we weren't cheering her on, we were cheering for Neville's heroism. And I was extremely pleased to find Luna playing a very active role in the movie.

And Ginny was actually a very good actress in this one.

I won't mention anything about Ron and Hermione's kiss. Let's just say it was perfect, especially as I've been waiting for four years to see it (What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic.)

I also will not say a thing about the final showdown. All I can say is that it is that it was, well, amazing.

When the words "19 years later" came on the screen, everyone in the theater leaned forward.

There were a few things I didn't like. There was a rather grisly shot of Voldemort walking among dead bodies (there's quite a lot of blood). And it was a bit weird when Harry and Voldemort were flying through the air. I liked the Mrs. Weasely vs. Bellatrix moment. Although, admittedly, it was far better in the book.

But that was it.

Well, what else can I say?

Harry Potter is over. It was a big part of my life, and now it is finished.

Ten years and eight movies worth of memories.

One can't help but feel a little bitersweet.

Favorite Line:
Minerva McGonagall: I've always wanted to use that spell.

Verdict: Go see it! (Obviously. It's the last Harry Potter movie. Why wouldn't you?)
Grey Travel Rating: 4/5
Special Effects: 5/5
Plot: 6/5
Characters: 5/5
Acting: 4/5
Objectionable Content: Voldemort's grisly scene afore-mentioned, and uses of the B-Word and H-word.

Hermione is Concerned

2011-07-16T02:26:00.000-07:00

I swear, she has the same expression in every picture.
Hermione is very, very concerned.

Brave

2011-07-12T01:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I'm getting slightly tired of Pixar sequels/prequels.
That's probably why I'm so excited for Brave. Of course, the Scottish setting might have something to do with that, too.
Anyway, enjoy the pictures and the teaser.

Oh, and here's the teaser:

The Return of the King Quotes II

2011-07-07T01:23:00.000-07:00

Picture by Alan Lee
To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,/The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying./West, west away, the round sun is falling./Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling,/The voices of my people that have gone before me?/I will leave, I will leave the woods that bore me;/For our days are ending and our years failing./I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing./Long are the waves on the Last Shore falling,/Sweet are the voices in the Lost Isle calling,/In Eressëa, in Elvenhome that no man can discover,/Where the leaves fall not: land of my people for ever!

'It needs but one foe to breed a war, not two, Master Warden,' answered Éowyn. 'And those who have not swords can still die upon them.'

'Would you have my plain answer?' he said.
'I would.'
'Then, Éowyn of Rohan, I say unto you that you are beautiful. In the valleys of our hills there are flowers fair and bright, and maidens fairer still; but neither flower nor lady have I seen till now in Gondor so lovely, and so sorrowful. It may be that only a few days are left ere darkness falls upon our world, and when it comes I hope to face it steadily; but it would ease my heart, if while the Sun yet shines, I could see you still. For you and I have both passed under the wings of the Shadow, and the same hand drew us back.'

And before he went to his rest he sent for Gimli the Dwarf, and he said to him: 'Gimli Glóin’s son, have you your axe ready?’
‘Nay, lord,’ said Gimli, ‘but I can speedily fetch it, if there be need.’
‘You shall judge,’ said Éomer. ‘For there are certain rash words concerning the Lady in the Golden Wood that lie still between us. And now I have seen her with my eyes.’
‘Well, lord,’ said Gimli, ‘and what say you now?’
‘Alas!’ said Éomer. ‘I will not say that she is the fairest lady that lives.’
‘Then I must go for my axe,’ said Gimli.

Then Éowyn looked in the eyes of Aragorn, and she said: 'Wish me joy, my liege-lord and healer!'
And he answered: 'I have wished thee joy ever since first I saw thee.'

'The Road goes ever on and on/Out from the door where it began./Now far ahead the Road has gone,/Let others follow it who can!/Let them a journey new begin,/But I at last with weary feet/Will turn towards the lighted inn,/My evening-rest and sleep to meet.'

'Very well, Mr. Baggins,' said the leader, pushing the barrier aside. 'But don't forget I've arrested you.'
'I won't,' said Frodo. 'Never. But I may forgive you.'

Ted gaped, for at that moment he first caught sight of the escort that at a sign from Merry now marched over the bridge. Dashing back into the mill he ran out with a horn and blew it loudly. ‘Save your breath!’ laughed Merry. ‘I’ve a better.’ Then lifting up his silver horn he winded it, and its clear call rang over the Hill; and out of the holes and sheds and shabby houses of Hobbiton the hobbits answered, and came pouring out, and with cheers and loud cries they followed the company up the road to Bag End.

Still round the corner there may wait/A new road or a secret gate,/And though I oft have passed them by,/A day will come at last when I/Shall take the hidden paths that run/West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

But Sam turned to Bywater, and so came back up the Hill, as day was ending once more. And he went on, and there was yellow light, and fire within; and the evening meal was ready, and he was expected. And Rose drew him in, and set him in his chair, and put little Elanor upon his lap. He drew a deep breath. ‘Well, I’m back,’ he said.

The Four Freedoms

2011-07-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

Norman Rockwell once did a series of paintings on the freedoms that make America great. I just thought I'd share them.
Have a wonderful 4th of July!

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Worship

Freedom from Want

Freedom from Fear

Lost in Translation

2011-06-28T02:59:00.000-07:00

Apparently when they translate a book into a different language, they change quite a few things, including titles and character names. For example:

Original English Version:
"Hallo!" said a soft and musical voice above his head, and Terence, looking up, saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen—a girl he would have been frightened of except that her blue eyes looked sad, and sadness was something Terence knew about.
-Eva Ibbotson, Which Witch?

German-to-English Translation:
"Hello," said a soft, musical voice, and Leonardo looked up. In front of him stood the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, a girl who might have frightened him but for the sad expression in her blue eyes. He knew about sadness.
-Eva Ibbotson, The Mystery of the Seventh Witch (Das Geheimnis der Siebten Hexe)

I still don't understand how Terence translates to Leonardo, though.

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

2011-06-23T02:41:00.000-07:00

The Stone Goddess
by Minfong Ho

Just because a book isn't well-known doesn't mean it's not well-written.
The Stone Goddess is one of the most powerful, moving books I have ever read. It really left a deep impact on me with the story of a family in Cambodia caught up in a cruel regime.
When the Khmer Rouge takes over Cambodia, Nakri and her siblings are sent to a brutal labor camp where they are treated little better than animals. They are forced to work hard labors on empty stomachs, and are harshly punished for the slightest disobedience. The only thing that keeps them going is their love and passion for dance. And even when it finally all ends, the surviving family members must regroup and enter the safe, but unfamiliar territory of America.

The most terrifying, heart-wrenching thing about this story was that it was all true. The Sokha family may have been fictional, but the terrible things they endured actually happened. It was an emotional roller coaster, filled with love, loss, hope and sorrow. This book had me sobbing.

But despite all this, the Sokha family moved on. It was hard but they did it. And that itself was a triumph.
It also really changed my view of life. All of my problems and my worries are minuscule to what the Cambodians went through. I have never known starvation and loss. They were so grateful for things I take for granted, like safety, a home, and enough food to eat. It really puts things in perspective.

Yet beneath all the sorrow, there is an undercurrent of hope which not only makes it a thought-provoking read, but a satisfying one. Like all books, it wasn't perfect, but it sure came close to it. It was an amazing book and worth every printed page.

Objectionable Content: None

Related Reads:
Chinese Cinderella-Adeline Yen Mah
A Single Shard-Linda Sue Park
Esperanza Rising-Pam Munoz Ryan

Character Questions

2011-06-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Though I wasn't necessarily tagged, I simply had to do this questionnaire I got from All That is Gold (who got it from Thoughts of a Shieldmaiden).
I decided to question one of my many villains, and he's as shallow and despicable as can be expected.
I left some parts of his speech blank, as I don't want to give anything away.
As you can probably tell, I did not enjoy his "company" one bit.

Do you want a hug?
M: What is this?

Do you have any kids?
M: (laughs, then sees my expression. Sneers) You’re serious?

Have you killed anyone?
M: Ask a stupid question…

Love anyone?
M: Myself.

What is your job?
M: (examines fingernails) Captain of a ___ ship and the soon-to-be ___ .

Favorite season?
M(sighs): Lame question, let’s move on.

Who’s your best friend?
M: I don’t have friends. Only slaves.
Celtic Traveler: Get over yourself.

Hobbies?
M: Slitting throats, torturing ___ in my spare time.
CT: You disgust me.
M: I try.

What are you going to do when this tag is over?
M: Run the crew ragged, probably yell at someone.

What is your eye color?
M: Grey.

Are you good? Or bad?
M: Oh, I’m very, very bad.
CT: At last we agree on something.

What is your greatest fear?
M: I’m not scared of anything.
CT: Except of losing your power.
M: (frowns) I suppose so...

What do you think of your parents?
M(sneering): My parents were common. I rose above them in the world, no thanks to them.

Any siblings?
M: No.

Was it fun to answer all these questions?
M: (glares) A little tedious, perhaps…

Do you have any weaknesses?
M: No.
CT: Besides being an evil, heartless scumbag, you mean.
M: I wouldn’t call that a weakness.
CT: I would.

Your favorite element?
M(maniac gleam in his eyes): Fire.

Do you care what others think of you?
M: No. Are we almost done?

Your theme song?
M: “Would You Mind if I Killed You” by Within Temptation.

What’s your species?
M: Human.
CT: Oh, I wouldn’t call you that.

The Return of the King Quotes Part 1

2011-06-14T02:52:00.000-07:00

Picture by Alan Lee
'I did not hinder it, for generous deed should not be checked by cold counsel.'

'But now everything seems to have slowed up again.'
'Only because everything is now ready,' said Beregond. 'It is but the deep breath before the plunge.'

'A pawn did Gandalf say? Perhaps; but on the wrong chessboard.'

'What do you fear, lady?' he asked.
'A cage,' she said. 'To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.'

'Tell me,' he said, 'is there any hope? For Frodo, I mean; or at least mostly for Frodo.'
Gandalf put his hand on Pippin's head. 'There was never much hope,' he answered. 'Just a fool's hope, as I have been told.'

Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his stirrups he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before: Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!/Fell deeds awake, fire and slaughter!/spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered,/a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!/Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!

'Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!'
Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. 'But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.'

Over the field rang his clear voice voice calling: 'Death! Ride, ride to ruin and the world's ending!' And with that the host began to move. But the Rohirrim sang no more. Death they cried with one voice loud and terrible, and gathering speed like a great tide their battle swept about their fallen king and passed, roaring away southwards.

'"For thus is it spoken: Oft hope is born, when all is forlorn."'

'Come, Mr. Frodo!' he cried. 'I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get!'

'I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.'

What the Heck?

2011-06-09T01:21:00.000-07:00

There's a book I've been wanting to read for a while now. It's called "13 Treasures" by Michelle Harrison.

But after researching about it, I think I'm going to have to get a hold of the British edition before I consider some serious reading.

In an interview, the English-born author discussed the differences between the American edition and the British one.
The title, for one thing. In Britain, the original title is "Thirteen Treasures," not "13 Treasures".
Personally, I want to know why. Do the editors think Americans find numbers more eye-catching? Being American myself, I couldn't care less whether it was "13" or "Thirteen". So why did they change it?

Ms. Harrison went on to say that in the US edition, the prologue was cut out! Why? (I seem to be asking that a lot.) Is there some sort of conspiracy against giving Americans the entire book? What can possibly be in the prologue that we can't handle?
Another thing they did was change the characters a bit, and tone down an entire chapter to be "less violent". Oh, and they took out a mention of suicide.
I'm not saying that I absolutely adore violence. It's just...it's part of the book, right? Shouldn't it stay in the book?

I can understand changing a few things in US editions, but this seems just ridiculous. It's almost as if they don't want us to read it. I wonder if they've been doing this to other British books. You know, books that I've actually read.
Have I been missing out on more than I know?

That's just jolly unsporting of them.

Book Tag

2011-06-04T02:57:00.000-07:00

Got this tag from All That is Gold, and I simply had to do it.

1. A fictional character you identify with and why.
Cornelia from Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters. She's shy and enjoys large books, words, and stories of far-off lands. Just like me.

2. Your earliest memory of reading or being read to.
My father reading a picture book to me.

3. Your favourite book aged 9 ½, or 13 ¾, whichever you remember best.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

4. The book that’s been on your shelves the longest.
The New Horizon's World Guide.

5. A book you acquired in some interesting way.
Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams. It originally belonged to a library, who caught me in the act of underlining my favorite quotes. It was discarded and I promptly paid for it.

6. A book with a story for you, that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time).
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. Reminds me of me and my sisters when we were kids. We played pirates and other games of imagination.

7. What fictional character are you (secretly) in love with.
Dustfinger from the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke.

8. The last book you acquired, and how (begged, bought, borrowed?)
King Arthur by Roger Lancelyn Green, bought for only five dollars at my local Barnes and Nobles.

9. Your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next.
Vampirates: Tide of Terror by Justin Somper. I last read Robinson Crusoe and I'll be reading The Travels of Marco Polo next.

10. What author do you own the most books by and why?
Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. There's thirteen, after all.

11. Do you own multiple copies of any book? What are they? Why do you have multiple copies?
The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket. I bought my first copy and many of my relatives sent me multiple ones.

12. Book borrowing – do you use the library? Do you prefer to try before you buy? What about lending your books to friends? Are you a good borrower, do you remember to return books?
I use the library. And of course I read a book before I buy it. My vast collection often is begged to be borrowed, but I'm usually hesitant as few books ever return... Actually, right now I'm waiting for my copy of Martin the Warrior to be given back. I think I'm pretty good about returning borrowed books.

13. Do you reread a lot? Why (not)? Name a book you have reread many times.
Only if it's a stupendous book. The book I must have read the most is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. My paperback copy of it is falling apart because I've read it so much.

14. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.

15. Do you recommend books to other people? If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?
Yes, I recommend books. But if I could get everyone I knew to read just one book, it would be The Book of Mormon.

16. Adaptation: What book would you most like to see made into a film? Do you like to read the book first or see the film? Any books you have read after seeing the film version?
I would like to see a well-made, non-musical version of Les Miserables. (Pleeeeease!) And I usually read the book before I see the film. But to my absolute horror and despair, I waited until after the film to read The Lord of the Rings. I won't be making the same mistake with The Hobbit.

17. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Le Morte D'Arthur. Seven-hundred pages, and all without proper punctuation!

18. Your favourite book series and your favourite book out of that series.
I'm torn between The Lord of the Rings and Redwall. Out of LOTR, it's The Fellowship of the Ring; Out of Redwall, it's Mossflower.

19. Your favourite picture, junior fiction and Young Adult books.
My favorite picture book of all time is Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems. Favorite junior fiction is Redwall, and favorite YA...Well, does The Lord of the Rings count?

20. Least favourite plot device employed by way too many books you actually enjoyed otherwise.
When the good guys are benevolent toward the bad guys and let them live to wreck even greater chaos!

21. A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle.

22. Your "comfort" book.
The Fellowship of the Ring (This is just getting ridiculous...)

23. Favourite book cover including a picture!

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper.

24. Favourite fictional relationship (romantic, friendship, familial).
Decisions, decisions. Luckily I have a favorite couples list. Let's see, I'm going to have to say Allan a Dale and Ellen from Robin Hood.

25. Most annoying character ever.
Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice. His irritating behavior is legendary.

26. Most quotable novel or 5 of your favourite quotes from any books.
The novel I quote the most is either Inkheart or (surprise, surprise) The Lord of the Rings.

27. Any five books from your "to be read" stack. What makes you select a book for your “to be read” stack?
The Art of War for Writers, The Call of the Wild by Jack London, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Travels of Marco Polo, and The Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.

28. Some firsts: First book you remember loving/being obsessed with. First book that made you cry. First book you gave to someone else as a gift.
The first book I ever obsessed over was The Lord of the Rings. The Bellmaker by Brian Jacques was the first book that made me cry. And for my sister I got Stories of the French Revolution by Marcelle and George Huisman.

29. Saddest character death OR best/most satisfying character death (or both!)
Either Dustfinger from Inkheart or Gandalf (I'm not even going to bother mentioning what he's from.)

30. The End: do you prefer everything tied up or to be able to 'make up your own mind'? What is the worst ending to a book you have read? And the best? (careful, spoiler tags!)
I prefer everything to be tied up, but not everything perfect. The worst book ending I ever read was in Bright Shadow by Avi. Everyone died and nothing got accomplished. My favorite book ending was probably in Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary. There was a huge, explosive plot twist that literally took my breath away.

Yet Another Review

2011-05-31T15:26:00.000-07:00

Kung Fu Panda 2

Rated PG for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence.

It was utterly hilarious. And when it wasn't hilarious, it was just simply splendid. Po was still fun, lovable and awesome all at once as he raced to save Kung Fu and discover his past.

It was more of an emotional journey than anything. When Po wasn't cracking side-splitting jokes he was questioning who he was and where he came from. While watching the first movie, I had always wondered why Po was the only panda in the film. The second movie explains that, and in a very clever and satisfying way, too.
Also, when I first learned that the villain was going to be a peacock of all things, I was skeptical. But Lord Shen has to be one of the most creepiest animated villains out there.
My favorite parts of the movie included the flashbacks with Po as a baby. While I'm not much for cute, I seriously had to desist from squealing aloud at the sight.
The heart of the story was Po having to find inner peace in himself, which made up for a very cool scene. And the moral was excellent: "Your past doesn't make who you are. You make who you are."

Granted, the plot was a little shaky in some areas, but that was it.
Was it as good as the first movie?
No.
But was it a good sequel?
Definitely.
I'd recommend seeing this one as soon as possible.

Favorite Line:
Po: I just found out that my dad isn't really my dad.
Tigress: The goose...Well, that must have come as quite a shock to you.

Verdict: Go see it!
Grey Travel Rating: 4/5
Animation: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Acting: 4/5
Objectionable Content: None.

The Two Towers Quotes II

2011-05-30T03:21:00.000-07:00

Picture by Alan Lee

'I say, Theoden King: shall we have peace and friendship, you and I? It is ours to command.'

'We will have peace,' said Theoden at last thickly and with an effort. Several of the Riders cried out gladly. Théoden held up his hand. ‘Yes, we will have peace,’ he said, now in a clear voice, ‘we will have peace, when you and all your works have perished – and the works of your dark master to whom you would deliver us. You are a liar, Saruman, and a corrupter of men’s hearts. You hold out your hand to me, and I perceive only a finger of the claw of Mordor. Cruel and cold! Even if your war on me was just – as it was not, for were you ten times as wise you would have no right to rule me and mine for your own profit as you desired – even so, what will you say of your torches in the Westfold and the children that lie dead there? And they hewed Háma’s body before the gates of the Hornburg, after he was dead. When you hang from a gibbet at your window for the sport of your own crows, I will have peace with you and Orthanc.'

At last the wizard passed into a song of which the hobbit caught the words: a few lines became clear to his ears through the rushing of the wind: Tall ships and tall kings/Three times three/What brought they from the foundered land/Over the flowing sea?/Seven stars and seven stones/And one white tree.

So sleek, so fair!/What a joy to meet!/We only wish/to catch a fish,/so juicy-sweet!

All hobbits, of course, can cook, for they begin to learn the art before their letters (which many never reach); but Sam was a good cook, even by hobbit reckoning, and he had done a good deal of the camp-cooking on their travels, when there was a chance.

'Nay! Not Elves,' said the fourth, the tallest, and as it appeared the chief among them. 'Elves do not walk in Ithilien in these days. And Elves are wondrous fair to look upon, or so 'tis said.'
'Meaning we're not, I take you,' said Sam.

Kings made tombs more splendid than houses of the living, and counted old names in the rolls of their descent dearer than the names of sons.

'Hold up, Mr. Frodo!' muttered Sam in Frodo's ear. 'Come back! Not that way. Gollum says not, and for once I agree with him.'

'Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We're in one, of course; but I mean: put into words, you know, told by the fireside, or read out of a great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards. And people will say: "Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring! " And they'll say: "Yes, that's one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave. wasn't he, dad?" "Yes, my boy, the famousest of the hobbits, and that's saying a lot."'

'Sneaking, sneaking!' he hissed. 'Hobbits always so polite, yes. O nice Hobbits! Sméagol brings them up secret ways that nobody else could find. Tired he is, thirsty he is, yes thirsty; and he guides them and he searches for paths, and they say sneak, sneak. Very nice friends, O yes my precious, very nice.'
Sam felt a bit remorseful, though not more trustful. 'Sorry.' he said. 'I'm sorry, but you startled me out of my sleep. And I shouldn't have been sleeping, and that made me a bit sharp. But Mr. Frodo. he's that tired, I asked him to have a wink; and well, that's how it is. Sorry. But where have you been to? '
`Sneaking,' said Gollum, and the green glint did not leave his eyes.

'Frodo, Mr. Frodo!' he called. 'Don't leave me here alone! It's your Sam calling. Don't go where I can't follow! Wake up, Mr. Frodo!'

Bittersweet

2011-05-25T01:27:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be the first person to check out The Rogue Crew from my local library. I read it all day with hardly a pause. It was a worthy end to the Redwall series. I just wish it wasn't the end.

Every time Mr. Jacques explained what "Dibbuns", "Guosim", and "Dab" meant, I felt myself tearing up. Because I've known what they are for years, ever since I discovered the series. And it was the last time he'd explain it to me. Call me emotional, but it felt like losing a friend.
But despite the sorrow associated with it, The Rogue Crew was a wonderful read, with every ingredient that made Redwall great. And there were nods to other books in the series as well.
I don't know, but it almost seemed as if Brian Jacques knew this would be the last book.

The poems were catchier than ever, the food as mouthwatering, the characters as memorable. The end battle was as amazing as all the others, but instead of going out without a bang it mostly just left me quietly satisfied.
I hesitated to read the final page. Redwall had been in my life for so long. But I finally read it, turned the page, and closed the book.

All in all, a pretty bittersweet ending.

"Is the tale finished? Oh, rats! I wanted it to go on an' on an' jolly well on f'rever..."
-Outcast of Redwall, Brian Jacques

Jack is Back

2011-05-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action/adventure violence, some frightening images, sensuality and innuendo.

For all of you worrying about whether or not On Stranger Tides is a worthy sequel, don't.
Pirates 4 is awesome.

It's got a different feel to it than the other movies, but it's still pure Pirates. The plot twists were incredible and Jack Sparrow was as witty as ever. The beginning was a little choppy, however, but once the characters got to sea it was smooth sailing from then on out. (Haha, get it? Smooth sailing? Oh, er, never mind.)
My favorite part of the movie was surprisingly not Jack, but Philip. It was nice to see a character with morals and courage admidst the rest of the roguish scoundrels the cast had to offer. I fact, I'd say he was one of the best parts of the movie. And besides, for most of the movie Jack was hanging out with Penelope Cruz, who irked me. And the good thing is Barbossa became his old self as the story progressed.
And Blackbeard! He was such a ruthless, despicable villain, as villains should be.

I really enjoyed the new takes on old sailor legends and trinkets, such as the ships in bottles and the mermaids, who were extremely well-done. I still don't get the voodoo doll, though.
The special effects were trippier than usual (that's a good thing) and did I mention the plot twists? Also, the end battle was thrilling.
All in all, a ripping good adventure on the high seas. I simply can't wait to see it again. But mostly that's because of Philip and the action scenes.

Favorite Line: "If you had a sister and a dog, I'd choose the dog."

Verdict: Go see it!
Grey Travel Rating: 4/5
Special Effects: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Acting: 4/5
Objectionable Content: Quite a few references. The mermaids are unclothed but nothing is shown. Uses of the h-word, d-word, and ba-word.

Escape from Luxury

2011-05-14T01:37:00.000-07:00

The Audi Super Bowl ad was so deep. In fact, it was almost symbolic. And that's not something you can say about most commercials.
Not to mention, it's absolutely hilarious.

The Two Towers Quotes Part 1

2011-05-10T02:44:00.000-07:00

Picture by Alan Lee

'We may get news from them.'

'Or spears,' said Gimli.

Éomer's eyes blazed, and the Men of Rohan murmured angrily, and closed in, advancing their spears. 'I would cut off your head, beard and all, Master Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground,' said Éomer.
'He stands not alone,' said Legolas, bending his bow and fitting an arrow with hands that moved quicker than sight. 'You would die before your stroke fell.'

'I don't think you will find it that way,' he whispered. 'It isn't easy to find.'

'Find it?' said Grishnákh: his fingers stopped crawling and gripped Pippin's shoulder. 'Find what? What are you talking about, little one?' For a moment Pippin was silent. Then suddenly in the darkness he made a noise in his throat: gollum, gollum. 'Nothing, my precious,' he added.

'You'll wish there was more you could tell to satisfy the Questioner, indeed you will: quite soon. We shan't hurry the inquiry.'

To Isengard! Though Isengard be ringed and barred with doors of stone;/Though Isengard be stong and hard, as cold as stone and bare as bone,/We go, we go, we go to war, to hew the stone and break the door;/For bole and bough are burning now, the furnace roars - we go to war!/To land of gloom with tramp of doom, with roll of drum, we come, we come;/To Isengard with doom we come!/With doom we come, with doom we come!

'He resolved to go to Mordor alone, and he set out: that is all that I can say.'
'Not alone,' said Legolas. 'We think that Sam went with him.'
'Did he!' said Gandalf, and there was a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face. 'Did he indeed? It is news to me, yet does not surprise me. Good! Very good!'

'I thought Fangorn was dangerous.

'Dangerous!' cried Gandalf. 'And so am I, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet, unless you are brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord. And Aragorn is dangerous, and Legolas is dangerous. You are beset with dangers, Gimli son of Glóin; for you are dangerous yourself, in your own fashion.'

Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?/Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?/Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?/Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?/They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;/The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow.

'Truly,' said Aragorn. 'And I would do as the master of the house bade me, were this only a woodman's cot, if I bore any sword but Andúril.'
'Whatever its name may be,' said Háma, 'here you shall lay it, if you would not fight alone against all the men in Edoras.'
'Not alone!' said Gimli, fingering the blade of his axe, and looking darkly up at the guard, as if he were a young tree that Gimli had a mean to fell. 'Not alone!'

The guard still hesitated. 'Your staff,' he said to Gandalf. 'Forgive me, but that too must be left at the doors.'
'Foolishness!' said Gandalf. 'Prudence is one thing, but discourtesy is another. I am old. If I may not lean on my stick as I go, then I will sit out here, until it pleases Théoden to hobble out himself to speak with me.'

Aragorn laughed.

Ravens and Writing Desks

2011-05-05T02:57:00.000-07:00

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

According to history, Lewis Carrol's answer was "they are nevar turned the wrong way front". A writing desk is never used backwards, and "nevar" is "raven" backwards. But his brilliant editors thought it was a typo and changed it to "never", thus ruining the riddle.

But readers have posed their own answers:
"Because you can not ride either like a bicycle."
"Because they both come with inky quills."
"Because there is a B in both and an N in neither."

But my favorite, and by far the best answer is
"Because Edgar Allan Poe wrote on both."

And that is why a raven is like a writing desk.

Books of 2011

2011-04-30T01:32:00.000-07:00

Books I'm most interested in and/or excited for that are coming out this year. As you can see, I'm mostly into children's fantasy.

February 2
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery-Maryrose Wood
The second book in the series. The Ashton household moves to London, where even stranger events occur.

February 8
Mr. Chartwell-Rebecca Hunt
Mr. Chruchill and Ms. Hammerhans must triumph over a humorous personification of depression.

April 29
Come Fall-A.C.E. Bauer
A group of friends must not only contend with the fairies Oberon and Puck, but also find their place in the world.

May 3
The Rogue Crew-Brian Jacques
The Long Patrol and the Rogue Crew must team up to rescue Redwall Abbey from a creature like no one's ever seen.

May 10
A Tale of Two Castles-Gail Carson Levine
A girl named Elodie becomes apprentice to a dragon, and must uncover a deadly plot.

May 17
The Fires Beneath The Sea-Lydia Millet
A group of children must embark on a quest that will take them beneath the sea, and on the front lines of good and evil.

June 1
Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom-Jenny Nimmo
In a prequel to the Charlie Bone series, a prince endowed with magical powers must seek a new kingdom.

June 7
Septimus Heap: Darke-Angie Sage
In the sixth book of the series, Septimus must enter the Darke to save the Castle and its wizards from destruction.

August 9
The Undrowned Child-Michelle Lovric
Venice is in danger from a dark, unseen force, and only the Undrowned Child can save it. But who is the Undrowned Child?

September 6
The Princess Curse-Merrie Haskell
Plot unknown, though it does involve an herbalist's apprentice in 15th-century Romania.

November 10
Snow in Summer: Fairest of Them All-Jane Yolen
A modern-day retelling of Snow White imbued with magic and intrigue.

Hilarious

2011-04-25T02:26:00.000-07:00

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling
by Maryrose Wood

Penelope Lumley has no idea what she's gotten herself into. She expected to be a governess to normal, well-brought-up children, not ones raised by wolves. But she's determined to teach them to behave, and all in time for Lady Ashton's Christmas ball.

But strange things are happening at Ashton place. And there's too many questions for Penelope to fathom.

What does the coachman have to hide?

What did that strange conversation between her employers mean?

Why is Lord Ashton's missing almanac so important?

And how can she possibly get the Incorrigibles to stop chasing squirrels?

I absolutely adored this book. Starred Review called it "Jane Eyre meets Lemony Snicket", and a truer description was never written. Penelope was a lovable, intelligent heroine who I could completely relate to. The Incorrigibles were fantastic, and the entire book was well-paced, highly addicting, and uproariously funny. I am most definitely reading the next book.

The only thing I didn't like (besides the occasional, but understandable, anti-hunting sentiments) were the unsolved mysteries at the end.
But I guess that's why it's a series.

Favorite Line: "If it were easy to resist, it would not be called chocolate cake."

Objectionable Content: It is mentioned that the Incorrigibles were naked when Lord Ashton found them in the woods.

Related Reads:
The Name of This Book is Secret-Pseudonymous Bosch
A Series of Unfortunate Events-Lemony Snicket

Jane Eyre-Charlotte Brontë

The Fellowship of the Ring Quotes II

2011-04-20T01:38:00.000-07:00

Picture by Alan Lee

Raising his right hand he said in a clear and commanding voice: Wake now my merry lads! Wake and hear me calling!/Warm now be heart and limb! The cold stone is fallen;/Dark door is standing wide; dead hand is broken./Night under Night is flown, and the Gate is open!

All that is gold does not glitter,/Not all those who wander are lost;/The old that is strong does not wither,/Deep roots are not reached by the frost./From the ashes a fire shall be woken,/A light from the shadows shall spring;/Renewed shall be blade that was broken,/The crownless again shall be king.

'Morning, Longshanks!' he said. 'Off early? Found some friends at last?'
Strider nodded, but did not answer. 'Morning, my little friends!' he said to the others. 'I suppose you know who you've taken up with? That's Stick-at-naught Strider, that is! Though I've heard other names not so pretty. Watch out tonight! And you, Sammie, don't go ill-treating my poor old pony. Pah!' He spat again.
Sam turned quickly. 'And you, Ferny,' he said, 'put your ugly face out of sight, or it will get hurt.' With a sudden flick, quick as lightning, an apple left his hand and hit Bill square on the nose. He ducked too late, and curses came from behind the hedge. 'Waste of a good apple,' said Sam regretfully, and strode on.

'I am learning a lot about Sam Gamgee on this journey. First he was a conspirator, now he's a jester. He'll end up by becoming a wizard-or a warrior!'
'I hope not,' said Sam. 'I don't want to be neither!'

'Hurray!' cried Pippin, springing up. 'Here is our noble cousin! Make way for Frodo, Lord of the Ring!'
'Hush!' said Gandalf from the shadows at the back of the porch. 'Evil things do not come into this valley; but all the same we should not name them. The Lord of the Ring is not Frodo, but the master of the Dark Tower of Mordor, whose power is again stretching out over the world. We are sitting in a fortress. Outside it is getting Dark.'
'Gandalf has been saying many cheerful things like that,' said Pippin. 'He thinks I need keeping in order.'

'If I understand aright all that I have heard,' he said, 'I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will.'

'Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens,' said Gimli.
'Maybe,' said Elrond, 'but let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.'
'Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart,' said Gimli.
'Or break it,' said Elrond.

'I have it!' he cried. 'Of course, of course! Absurdly simple, like most riddles when you see the answer.'

'But this I will say to you: your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all.'

A lord of wisdom throned he sat,/swift in anger, quick to laugh;/an old man in a battered hat/who leaned upon a thorny staff. /He stood upon the bridge alone /and Fire and Shadow both defied;/his staff was broken on the stone,/in Khazad-dum his wisdom died.

Things I Learned From A Series of Unfortunate Events

2011-04-16T01:26:00.000-07:00

-The definitions of complicated words
-How to make life-saving devices with few materials
-What puttanesca is
-All about the knot called Devil's Tongue
-How to milk a snake
-What it feels like losing a loved one
-How to eavesdrop without getting caught
-At least 50 possible ways to die from a common household object
-Correct (and over-obsessive) grammar
-How to write in code
-All about lumber mills
-What an optimist is like
-All about hypnotism
-How to say 'Remember you will die' in Latin
-How to get rid of fungus using salt
-The difference between 'nervous' and 'anxious'
-What's in and out
-That the periodic table is missing the element of surprise
-How wrong newspapers can be
-The different kinds of libraries there are
-How to write couplets
-How to escape a cell using only water, bread, and a bench
-The history of the bowie knife
-How to disguise oneself
-How to make a meal using only a few items
-All about freakshows
-How fortune-telling works
-How to draw an eye using the letters V,F,and D
-The silliness of fashion
-That well-read people can usually be trusted
-That the presentation of food is as important as the taste
-How boring the water cycle is
-That he (or she) who hesitates isn't necessarily lost
-How mushrooms wax and wane
-That Edgar Guest writes 'tedious' poetry
-That wasabi is a substitute for horseradish
-La Forza del Destino cannot be avoided
-All about the Dewey Decimal system
-That is is enough to be noble
And lastly:
-There are two kinds of people in this world; those who start fires, and those who put them out.

JFK Was a Jelly Doughnut

2011-04-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

According to historians, John F. Kennedy may have (accidentally) called himself a jelly doughnut.

In 1963, JFK addressed a crowd of millions in Berlin, Germany. On a last-minute decision, he said the final words of his speech in German.
He ended it with "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner). Ein Berliner can either mean "a Berliner" or "a jelly doughnut."
Another problem is that a native-speaking German would ommit the ein and simply say "Ich bin Berliner".

So did he say he was from Berlin, or simply a jam-filled pastry?

Funny what you learn while reading a German travel guide.

I Am Such a Geek

2011-04-07T03:03:00.000-07:00

While rereading The Hounds of the Mórrígan for the second time, I came across a chapter that described the characters' journey through Galway City. And I simply had to map it.

I have now officially reached a new level of nerdyness.

The Fellowship of the Ring Quotes Part 1

2011-04-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

Picture by Alan Lee

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. This was unexpected and rather difficult. There was some scattered clapping, but most of them were trying to work it out and see if it came as a compliment.

Her face looked as if she was in the throes of thinking out a really crushing parting remark; but all she found to say, turning round on the step, was: 'You'll live to regret it, young fellow! Why don't you go too? You don't belong here; you're no Baggins-you-you're a Brandybuck!'
'Did you hear that, Merry? That was an insult, if you like,' said Frodo as he shut the door on her.
'It was a compliment,' said Merry Brandybuck, 'and so, of course, not true.'

'I wish it need not have happened in my time.'
'So do I,' said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such days. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.'

'He deserves death.'
'Deserves it! I dare say he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.'

'I feel that as long as the Shire lies behind, safe and comfortable, I shall find wandering more bearable: I shall know that somewhere there is a firm foothold, even if my feet cannot stand there again.'

Suddenly he spoke, aloud but as if to himself, saying slowly: The Road goes ever on and on/Down from the door where it began./Now far ahead the Road has gone,/And I must follow, if I can,/Pursuing it with eager feet,/Until it joins some larger way/Where many paths and errands meet./And whither then? I cannot say.

'And it is also said,' answered Frodo: 'Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes.'
'Is it indeed?' laughed Gildor.

'You speak of danger, but you do not understand. This is no treasure-hunt, no there-and-back journey. I am flying from deadly peril into deadly peril.'

After a while the song became clearer, and with dread in his heart he percieved that it hand changed into an incantation: Cold be hand and heart and bone,/and cold be sleep under stone:/never more to wake on stony bed,/never, till the Sun has failed and the Moon is dead./In the black wind the stars shall die,/and still on gold here let them lie,/till the Dark Lord lifts his hand/over dead sea and withered land.

On Second Thought, Let's Not Go to Camelot...

2011-03-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

picture by Gustave Doré

I love the legends of King Arthur. The only problem is that there aren't any good (or appropriate) movie adaptations.

What is this apparent fascination with making King Arthur movies that completely disregard the legend? Would it kill them to portray it accurately? I know there's creative license, but this is just ridiculous. It seems to be very out of hand.

Despite the many adaptations, there doesn't seem to be one I like. The most recent film replaced the magic with Romans. And as for that new Camelot TV show...Well, I couldn't even get past the first five seconds of the trailer without cringing.
The only one I even vaguely approve of is BBC's Merlin. While it may not be the most correct version of the tale, it does not try to be an authority on all things Arthurian. And at least it foreshadows, something other adaptations can't boast of.

Merlin: So, come on, just for the sake of argument. If you had to [chose]: Arthur or Lancelot?

Gwen: But I don't have to and I never will.
Merlin: You are no fun, Gwen.

And it's not just movies. It's the general pop culture. Everyone knows Launcelot's name. But nobody knows who he is. And if I were to list off the names Ewaine, Percival, Gareth, Geraint, and Bedivere, chances are nobody would know what I was talking about.

It's frustrating.

I'm not saying I'm an expert on the Arthurian legends. I just wish someone would make a movie that didn't take an English legend and completely ignore everything about it.

But maybe that's just me.

Splendid

2011-03-22T02:21:00.000-07:00

Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters

by Lesley M. M. Blume

It's not easy being the daughter of a world-famous piano player. Lucy Englehart is constantly traveling, leaving her daughter to live in her shadow. Cornelia is lonely and virtually friendless, but copes by escaping into books and using large words so she won't get pulled into a conversation.

It seems like no one understands her.

Until an elderly writer, Virginia Somerset, moves next door.

And Cornelia finds that the world is an exciting place after all.

I really enjoyed this book. Cornelia reminded me of myself at her age, and the way the author portrayed her slowing coming out of her shell was expertly done. The stories Virginia told were fantastic (particularily the one about India), but I couldn't wait to get back to Cornelia and see how this new tale would affect her life. This book was a celebration of travel, words, and stories in general. And the friendship she found in Virginia was truly magical.

The ending was rather poignant and sad, yet full of hope. It's how all endings should be.
I cried. And very few books make me do that.
But the overall tone of Cornelia was charming and heart-warming. This book welcomed me like an old friend the first time I opened it. It's like the book I've always been searching for, only I didn't know it.

It was a simple little tale, but even more beautiful for it's simplicity. I highly suggest you read it.

Objectionable Content: A few uses of the Lord's name in vain, but in French. There is mention of a man pinching a lady's bottom. A reporter calls Cornelia's famous dad a "playboy".

Related Reads:
The Mysterious Benedict Society-Trenton Lee Stewart
Nicholas-Rene Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempe
A Little Princess-Frances Hogsdon Burnett

The Best of Celtic Music

2011-03-17T03:20:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Let's celebrate with a bit of music, shall we?

Altan

A legendary band, and arguably Ireland's best traditional one.

Hayley Westenra

She has the most gorgeous voice I've ever heard.

Julie Fowlis

The only artist who sings in native Scottish Gaelic.

Natalie MacMaster

She does things with a fiddle I never thought possible.

Cherish the Ladies

A fantastic band full of the lovliest voices you'll ever hear.

Déanta

The band that introduced me to Celtic music.

Loreena McKennitt

She sings/composes both World and Celtic music in

her stunning voice.

Enya

Even though she doesn't do Celtic music,

there's no denying that Enya is the absolute best

thing to ever come out of Ireland.

The Last Battle Quotes

2011-03-12T01:14:00.000-08:00

Picture by Elandain
"That I know not, Lord King," said the Centaur. "But I know there are liars on earth; there are none among the stars."

"Jewel," he said, "what lies before us? Horrible thoughts arise in my heart. If we had died before today we should have been happy."
"Yes," said Jewel. "We have lived too long. The worst thing in the world has come upon us." They stood like that for a minute or two and then went on.

"You are in the right, Sire. This is the end of all things. Let us go and give ourselves up."
"There is no need for both of us to go."
"If ever we loved one another, let me go with you now," said the Unicorn. "If you are dead and if Aslan is not Aslan, what life is left for me?"

That waking was about the worst moment he had ever had in his life.

"Oh hurrah!" said Jill. "Disguises! I love disguises."

All that was silenced: gloom and fear reigned over Narnia.

Anyway, one always feels better when one has made up one's mind.

This was very good sense but, at the moment, Jill hated Eustace for saying it. He was fond of being dreadfully matter-of-fact when other people got excited.

And then she understood the devilish cunning of the enemies' plan. By mixing a little truth with it they had made their lie far stronger.

"I feel in my bones," said Poggin, "that we shall all, one by one, pass through that dark door before morning. I can think of a hundred deaths I would rather have died."

And then the last battle of the last King of Narnia began.

"Youngsters, indeed!" said Jill. "I don't believe you two really are much older than we are here."
"Well if we aren't, we have been," said the Lady Polly.

"Your wonderful lion didn't come and help you, did he? Thought not. And now-even now-when you've been beaten and shoved into this black hole, just the same as the rest of us, you're still at your old game."

"I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee-hee! Come further up, come further in!"

"The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."

Another Review

2011-03-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Eagle
Rated PG-13 for battle sequences and some disturbing images.

Maybe this isn't a fair review. After all, I did miss the first five minutes of it. Plus, this is my first "sword and sandal flick", so I don't really have anything to fall back on.

For me, it was a good movie. Just not quite good enough.

They seemed to be trying too hard to film it in a "unique" way that would make it stand out.
The camera would focus on a tree trunk, and then on another tree trunk, before it finally showed our heroes braving the wilderness.
And Marcus continued having flashbacks showing him as a blonde, blue-eyed child that couldn't possibly grow up into a dark-haired, dark-eyed Channing Tatum.
But at least the filmmakers got the story across.

The acting wasn't excatly top-notch, but it wasn't horrendous either (except where Donald Sutherland's concerned). The actors really shone, however, when they were yelling or having some sort of internal conflict.
It was kind of hard to feel for the characters because they didn't have much depth. Of the entire cast, Esca was the easiest to feel for and relate to.

There was this scene that seemed to have no point but to show how weird ancient British ceremonies were. Also, the battles scenes weren't as edge-of-your-seat as I had hoped.
And there was a sort of corny "go on without me" scene that left Marcus hugging the eagle to his chest like a teddy bear.

That aside, there were quite a few things that made this movie worth it:
I really enjoyed the scenes where Esca was in the arena, and also his discussion with Marcus around the campfire.
The final battle could have been more, but that's okay. Though I did enjoy seeing Guern's small army of Britains dressed in Roman uniforms.
And when they returned the eagle, I was actually cheering them on. That scene alone left me leaving the theater in a good mood. Not to mention, the set and costumes were very historically accurate.

All things considered, I wouldn't mind seeing it again. And strangley enough, I enjoyed it far more than the latest Potter installment.
And that's saying something.

Verdict: Wait until the DVD comes out.
Grey Travel Rating: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
Acting: 3/5
Objectionable Content: Some Britains are hardly dressed. Naked corpses hang from trees but nothing is shown. The chief mentions that the Romans have defiled thier daughters. One use of the P-word, A-word and D-word.

A Joy Forever

2011-03-05T01:39:00.000-08:00

I love following the blogs of artists, ecspecially those who worked on animated movies.
Here are some of my favorites.

Britteny Lee does things with paper I didn't even think possible.

Abigail Halpin has such whimsical, charming sketches.

Toby Shelton is a fantastic storyboard artist for animated movies.

Rachel Bennett's artistic abilities make me jealous. Very jealous.

Justin Gerard is a modern master. Not much else to say except that he's beyond awesome.

Glen Keane is a Disney mastermind and legend. If you haven't heard of him, then your education is sadly lacking.

David Derrick does storyboard, illustration and pretty much everything else.

Geneviève Godbout's beautiful artwork must cause the paper to blush with pride.

Goro Fujita does wonderful digital art with atmostphere.

Eren Blanquet Unten. What's not to love?

Jake Parker: his drawings are a celebration of creativity and imagination (dramatic, no?)

Nathan Fowkes seems to have created his own genre. If Rembrandt was alive, he'd be even more jealous than I am.

Can't Wait?

2011-02-28T06:44:00.000-08:00

My speculations on movies coming out this year.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pros: A Jack-only adventure is sure to be fantastic.
Cons: Penelope Cruz/Might be inappropriate.

Kung Fu Panda 2
Pros: The first movie was great!
Cons: This isn't the first movie. (There's also a rumor floating around that the villain is a...peacock?)

Cars 2
Pros: It's Pixar/A pretty good plot.
Cons: None, except that I didn't really like the first one.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Pros: It's Harry Potter.
Cons: I really disliked part 1.

Winnie the Pooh
Pros: Who doesn't love our "silly old bear"?
Cons: It seems like Disney's grasping for straws at this point.

Captain America
Pros: A patriotic superhero is just what we need.
Cons: The chance of inappropriate content/What if they portray political ideas?

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Pros: I loved the first movie
Cons: The cast/The possibility it won't be that great.

The Three Musketeers
Pros: I love Alexandre Dumas's classic.
Cons: Again, the possibility of inappropriate material/What if they don't get it right?

Arthur Christmas
Pros: We need a new Christmas movie, and animated films tend to be good.
Cons: A not-so-big-production-company made it/Am I the only one who thinks this looks like Prep & Landing?

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Pros: The book was fantastic/The casting seems pretty good so far.
Cons: They might not get the book right.

National Treasure 3
Pros: The first movies were brilliant.
Cons: What if it's not brilliant?

A Long-Expected Movie

2011-02-24T01:24:00.000-08:00

Picture by Celtic Traveler, courtesy of theonering.net & Picnik.com

The Magician's Nephew Quotes

2011-02-19T06:26:00.000-08:00

Picture by Kecky
"Grown-ups are always thinking of uninteresting explanations," said Digory.

I suppose you planned the whole thing, so that she'd go without knowing it and then I'd have to go after her."
"Of course," said Uncle Andrew with his hateful smile.
"Very well. I'll go. But there's one thing I jolly well mean to say first. I didn't believe in Magic till today. I see now it's real. Well if it is, I suppose all the old fairy tales are more or less true. And you're simply a wicked, cruel magician like the ones in the stories. Well, I've never read a story in which people of that sort weren't paid out in the end, and I bet you will be. And serve you right."

What it said was something like this - at least this is the sense of it though the poetry, when you read it there, was better: Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;/Strike the bell and bide the danger,/Or wonder, till it drives you mad,/What would have followed if you had.
"No fear!" said Polly. "We don't want any danger."

Digory suddenly remembered that Uncle Andrew had used exactly the same words. But they sounded much grander when Queen Jadis said them; perhaps because Uncle Andrew was not seven feet tall and dazzling beautiful.

I expect most witches are like that. They are not interested in things or people unless they can use them; they are terribly practical.

And if you want me to come back, hadn't you better say you're sorry?"
"Sorry?" exclaimed Digory. "Well now, if that isn't just like a girl! What have I done?"
"Oh nothing of course," said Polly sarcastically. "Only nearly screwed my wrist off in that room with all the waxworks, like a cowardly bully. Only struck the bell with the hammer, like a silly idiot. Only turned back in the wood so that she had time to catch hold of you before we jumped into our own pool. That's all."

"This is not Charn," came the Witch's voice. "This is an empty world. This is Nothing."

"Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak."

"Of course it can't really have been singing," he thought, "I must have imagined it. Who ever heard of a lion singing?"

"Why," said the Bulldog, "if a fellow can't trust his nose, what is he to trust?"
"Well, his brains perhaps," she replied mildly.

"I don't suppose they're anywhere yet," said Polly. "I mean, there's no one there, and nothing happening. The world only began to-day."
"No, but people will get there," said Digory. "And then they'll have histories, you know."

"No thanks," said Digory, "I don't know that I care much about living on and on after everyone I know is dead. I'd rather live an ordinary time and die and go to Heaven."

"Be just and merciful and brave. The blessing is upon you."

"Understand, then, that it would have healed her; but not to your joy or hers."

Love Letters

2011-02-14T02:01:00.000-08:00

Picture by Francesco Hayez
Even famous people wrote letters to thier loved ones.
Huzzah for sappy holidays!

A letter from you, and the universe (that's me) sings.
-Malcom Lowry to Jan Gabrial

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart...
-William Wordsworth to His Wife Mary

But your belongings are like that for me-they're sacred. When I see your hat, it becomes "the only hat in the world" for me.
-Katherine Mansfield to John Middleton Murry

The sun cannot shine without you, the birds can make no melody. The flowers have no other beauty or perfume-all is a meaningless waste. I love you darling...You are in every thought, dream, hope, desire.
-Austin Dickinson to Mabel Todd

Everything reminds me of you so much. If I go into the drawing-room, the piano reminds me of you and your violin and the "Shepherds Dance", and "One More", and I feel miserable. Then if I go into the dining-room, there's somebody missing from the table and I'm miserable...
-Unknown Author to Mary Cartland

When you have gone away,/No flowers more, methinks, will be-/No more maple leaves in all the world-/Till you come back to me.
-Yanagiwara Yasu-Ko

The Shortest and Sweetest of Songs

Come

Home.

-George MacDonald

No...

2011-02-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

I just got news that my favorite author, Brian Jacques, passed away this Saturday. He was 71 years old.

His Redwall series opened up a new world for me. I remember walking into a library six years ago (was it only six?) I had seen the books before and decided to try them out. I'm so very, very glad I did. I loved everything about them. I loved the heroes and the battles, and the sense of justice and hope in each one. I read through the series as fast as I could, checking out a new one each week. When my library ran out of them, I went to a new library and continued reading them.

The Rogue Crew will be coming out in March. How I wish it wasn't the final one.

R.I.P, Mr. Jacques.
Thank for everything.

Oh My Goodness

2011-02-05T01:23:00.000-08:00

I've been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by Margaret W.
Thank you so very much!
Now I have to tell you seven things about myself.
Let's see...

1. I simply can't stand modern art. Give me a Vermeer or a Monet any day. (Same with books. The older, the better.)
2. I really get into movies when I watch them. Even in movie theaters I gasp and jump at certain moments.
3. I think all the time, and sometimes I concentrate so hard that people come up to me and ask if I'm alright.
4. I will eat almost anything. Even haggis.
5. I'm a sucker for a good romance.
6. I love sunsets. And I'd hate to live in a big city where I couldn't see the stars.
7. I wish I could discover something that wasn't yet discovered.

Enough about me. I award these amazing bloggers:
A Celtic Cowgirl~Gwyn
Gray's Locket~Gray
Where the Sun Shines~Sananora
Random Writer~writergirl

Whoa

2011-02-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

Inception

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action throughout.

How to describe it? Words like mind blowing, stunning, trippy and pure genius seem adequate enough.

But they'd still be an understatement.

Inception has to have the most brilliantly-constructed plot I've ever seen. The totems, dream levels, limbo, everything. It was amazing. And it perfectly captured the strangeness and wonder of dreams. I ecspecially liked how they had to (literally) fight thier subconcious.
And it actually wasn't too difficult to understand. All you need to know is that Mal is his dead wife and Cobb is on the run.

The only thing I didn't like about the movie was the swearing.
One thing. That's rare.

Well, what can I say? Though I was hesitant to watch it, it is seriously one of the best movies ever made. I was so glad I saw it. You'll be, too.

Just one word of advice: Don't trust your eyes.

Verdict: Go rent it now. And then watch it all over again when you've finished. (And possibly even again after that.)
Grey Travel Rating: 4/5
Special Effects: 6/5
Plot: 6/5
Characters: 5/5
Acting: 5/5
Objectionable Content: Uses of the D-word, H-word and the Lord's name in vain. Also, Cobb vaguely mentions a love nest.

The Horse and His Boy Quotes

2011-01-27T01:04:00.000-08:00

Picture by Suburbanbeatnik
"Narnia," answered the horse. "The happy land of Narnia-Narnia of the heathery mountains and the thymy downs, Narnia of the many rivers, the plashing glens, the mossy caverns and the deep forests ringing with the hammers of the Dwarfs. Oh the sweet air of Narnia! An hour's life there is better than a thousand years in Calormen."

"My Tarkaan is on his way North to the great city, to Tashbaan itself and the court of the Tisroc -"
"I say," put in Shasta in rather a shocked voice, "oughtn't you to say `May he live for ever'?"
"Why?" asked the Horse. "I'm a free Narnian. And why should I talk slaves' and fools' talk? I don't want him to live for ever, and I know that he's not going to live for ever whether I want him to or not."

I suppose, like all humans, you won't eat natural food like grass and oats." "I can't."
"Ever tried?" "Yes, I have. I can't get it down at all. You couldn't either if you were me."
"You're rum little creatures, you humans," remarked Bree.

"I mustn't be seen," "she said. "My father doesn't know I'm here. I'm running away."
"My dear, how perfectly thrilling," said Lasaraleen. "I'm dying to hear all about it. Darling, you're sitting on my dress. Do you mind? That's better. It is a new one. Do you like it? I got it at-" "Oh, Las, do be serious," said Aravis. "Where is my father?"
"Didn't you know?" said Lasaraleen. "He's here, of course. He came to town yesterday and is asking about you everywhere. And to think of you and me being here together and his not knowing anything about it! It's the funniest thing I ever heard."

"Phew! It's not much fun with the curtains drawn. I want to see people. There's no point in having a new dress on if one's got to go about shut up like this." "I hope no one heard you when you shouted out to me like that," said Aravis. "No, no, of course, darling," said Lasraleen absentmindedly. "But you haven't even told me yet what you think of the dress."

"And anyone I catch talking about this young lady will be first beaten to death and then burned alive and after that be kept on bread and water for six weeks. There."

"If you were not my father, O ever-living Tisroc, " said the Prince, grinding his teeth, "I should say that was the word of a coward." "And if you were not my son, O most inflammable Rabadash," replied his father, "your life would be short and your death slow when you had said it."

"Good-bye," said Aravis, "and I thought your dresses lovely. And I think your house is lovely too. I'm sure you'll have a lovely life-though it wouldn't suit me."

"Gallop, Bree, gallop. Remember you're a war horse."

"After all," said Shasta, "this road is bound to get to somewhere."

"Child," said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own." "Who are you?" asked Shasta. "Myself," said the Voice, very deep and low so that the earth shook: and again "Myself", loud and clear and gay: and then the third time "Myself", whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all round you as if the leaves rustled with it.

Shasta was dreadfully frightened. But it suddenly came into his head "If you funk this, you'll funk every battle all your life. Now or never."

"By attacking our castle of Anvard in time of peace without defiance sent, you have proved yourself no knight, but a traitor, and one rather to be whipped by the hangman than to be suffered to cross swords with any person of honour."

"It is very true," said Edmund. "But even a traitor may mend. I have known one who did." And he looked very thoughtful.

Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I'm afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarrelling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently.

Just Add Zombies

2011-01-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

I see them everywhere. There's not one classic that hasn't been degraded into a pulp-fiction horror novel.
It all started with Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. And then he just had to come out with Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters.
And now everyone else is jumping on the bandwagon.
Why? What twisted mind decided it would be a good idea to take a classic love story and add zombies?
And if that's not enough, Mr. Darcy is now a vampire (according to Amanda Grange) and Jane Eyre is now Jane Slayre.
Emma and the Vampires.
Mansfield Park and Mummies.

Jane Austen must be rolling in her grave.

But no classic story is safe. Romeo and Juliet have become vampires. And Little Women? Apologies, I mean Little Vampire Women.
And now they've got their claws on history! Queen Victoria is actually a Demon Hunter.
They've even gotten hold of Abraham Lincoln. That's right: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.

I have a splendid idea: Let's take all of the most heartfelt books ever written and completely degrade them by adding blood, gore, and the undead.
Who needs a well-written novel when you've got zombies?

Authors of these books are simply unimaginative money-grubbers who can't come up with any good ideas of their own. So they take the classics and add the most meaningless drivel in order to earn a quick buck.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. Who'd have guessed?

The Return of...Frodo

2011-01-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

Apparently, Elijah Wood is going to appear in The Hobbit.
Here's how:

Frodo will be reading Bilbo's account from The Red Book of Westmarch, and as he experiences the tale, so will we.
I hope that doesn't mean he's going to narrate for the entire movie. I simply can't stand narration. And as long as they do it subtly, it just might work.
Now, if this wasn't Peter Jackson, I'd be tearing out my hair and throwing a fit by now. But I have every confidence it his directing skills, so I'm not too concerned.

But there's other things to consider.
The Hobbit shouldn't be treated as a blow-off of The Lord of the Rings.
That means lines like "It's just a ring, what harm can it do?" and "Hobbits will never change the fate of Middle-Earth" should be discouraged.
All I'm saying is that The Hobbit should be an adventure in its own right.
When I'm siting in the theater, I want to watch The Hobbit, not The-Story-We-Never-Mentioned-in-The-Lord-of-the-Rings.

But I'm not worried. Much.

Wanted: Fresh Ideas

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's true.

Hollywood has officially run out of ideas.

All we can expect now are

remakes, sequels,

book-adaptations, fairy tales

and mindless action movies.

Gnomeo & Juliet?
Cowboys & Aliens?
The Smurfs?
Yogi Bear?
Are you kidding me?

They may be good.

They may even be great.

But, seriously, can we get some fresh ideas here?

And look--Even Michael Bublé agrees with me.↓

The Silver Chair Quotes

2011-01-07T01:58:00.000-08:00

Picture by Elandain
"Pole, I say, are you good at believing things? I mean things that everyone would laugh at?" "I've never had the chance," said Jill, "but I think I would be."

If Jill had been more used to adventures, she might have doubted the Owl's word, but this never occurred to her: and in the exciting idea of a midnight escape she forgot her sleepiness.

"Oh come on, Pole, buck up," said Scrubb's voice. "After all, it is an adventure." "I'm sick of adventures," said Jill crossly.

"Please, we don't know your name," said Scrubb. "Puddleglum's my name. But it doesn't matter if you forget it. I can always tell you again."

"It's hardly what I call a Chance," said the Marsh-Wiggle. "But it's all the chance we're likely to get."

"Many have taken the ship at the pale arches," replied the Warden, "and-"
"Yes, I know," interrupted Puddleglum. "And few return to the sunlit lands. You needn't say it again. You are a chap of one idea, aren't you?"

"For those words are all that is left of a longer script, which in ancient times, as she well remembered, expressed this verse: Though under Earth and throneless now I be,/Yet, while I lived, all earth was under me."

"There's a stronger smell of danger and lies and magic and treason about this land than I've ever smelled before. We need to keep our eyes and ears open."

"I don't know rightly what you all mean by a world," he said, talking like a man who hasn't enough air. "But you can play that fiddle till your fingers drop off, and still you won't make me forget Narnia; and the whole Overworld too. We'll never see it again, I shouldn't wonder. You may have blotted it out and turned it dark like this, for all I know. Nothing more likely. But I know I was there once. I've seen the sky full of stars. I've seen the sun coming up out of the sea of a morning and sinking behind the mountains at night. And I've seen him up in the midday sky when I couldn't look at him for brightness."

A strong heat smote into their faces, mixed with a smell which was quite unlike any they had ever smelled. It was rich, sharp, exciting, and made you sneeze.

"And you must always remember there's one good thing about being trapped down here: It'll save funeral expenses."

Then Aslan roared so that the sun shook in the sky and thirty feet of the wall fell down before them. They looked through the gap, down into the school shrubbery and onto the roof of the gym, all under the same dull autumn sky which they had seen before their adventures began.

Don't Look Back

2011-01-02T01:59:00.000-08:00

A wonderful video that uses the Bible story of Lot's wife to tell us to "look not behind", but forward.
Happy New Year!