Allan & Ellen

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a major Robin Hood fan. Not the TV series (though they are pretty entertaining), but of the books. I adore the way they run rings around the sheriff. But most of all I love the romance in it.

If you're not fond of romance, refrain from rolling your eyes, please.

I'm not talking about Marian and Robin. Sure, they're a pretty sweet couple. But my favorite couple in the book is one that's almost been forced into obscurity: Allan a Dale and Ellen. I seriously love those two.

Ellen, the daughter of a knight, falls in love with the poor minstrel Allan a Dale. But her legal guardian chases Allan away, and forces Ellen to marry one called Sir Richard. Tragic, isn't it? So of course Allan gets help from the famed outlaw of Sherwood. They crash the wedding and save the day. And instead of Ellen being forced to marry Sir Richard, she gets to marry Allan.

Never heard of it? You have now.

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Awarded

Oh my! I was awarded the Beyond Your Imagination Award. Thanks, Sierra!

So here how it goes: I have to name 8 books I'd like to live in for two weeks. And then I have to award eight people.

1. Middle Earth, preferably Rohan or the Shire.

2. Redwall!!! Need I say more?

3. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. It sounds completely madcap.

4. The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. I'd love to visit the Great Library.

5. Narnia. Duh.

6. Hogwarts, definitley.

7. Sherwood during the time of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

8. The world of Larklight by Phillip Reeves.

Now I award these amazing bloggers:

Margaret W.-Artisan of the Shire
Marian-All That is Gold
Gray-The Locket
Gwyn-Plain Girl
Izori-Just Passing By
Ivorydancer-Another Once in Time
Jare and Lib-Random Jot Downs
The Reluctant Dragon-The Reluctant Dragon

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Eulalia Quotes Part 1

Picture by mushyZ
He blew his snout loudly, and called out to her, "Pay ee no 'eed to moi tears, miz, oi dearly do luvs a gudd ole blubber!"

"Right, left, left, you clod,/here comes the awkward squad!"

"To perish midst vermin will not be thy fate, watch for the young theif, be still and wait!"

"That Gruntan Kurdly's like all bullies, he'll meet his match one fine day, an' I hopes I'm around t'see it."

"Hmph! Filthy paws and matted fur, I'll have to scrub the counterpane and drape it in the orchard, so a good, clean breeze can dry it!" Abbot Daucus commented drily, "That's what I like about you, Miz Bluepaw, you're so kind and tender-hearted."

"Though I don't think this badger will lose his mind, he's too fixed by one purpose, to avenge the death of his family." Maudie gazed out of the window, watching the first pale streaks of dawn illuminating the night sky. "Sounds just like a badger to me, Sister."

"I say, Father old thing, d'you think it'd be a jolly good idea to celebrate this cheerful moment, with something like a...er, er, what's the confounded word I'm lookin' for?"
The Abbot provided it. "A feast?" Maudie shook his paw heartily. "What a wise mouse you are, t'be sure!"

Maudie treated the otter to an icy stare. "I have only two words to say t'you, sah. Pish an' tush!"

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My Judgement Sucks III

I'm not a big fan of sequels. Unnecessary ones, I mean. If they accomplish everything in the first book/movie, I don't feel like there should be a sequel.

I went and saw Toy Story 3.

At first, I was skeptic. The dumb short film at the beginning didn't improve my mood. Also, it seemed stupid for Pixar to go on with Andy leaving for college. So I was never really looking forward to the movie.

Five minutes into the movie and I was dying with laughter. It was fantastic! It had heart, wit, and it was actually really intense. Kind of like an animated prison-break movie. It also reminded me of Hogan's Heroes, minus Colonel Klink.
It was a joy from start to finish.
Some parts were sort of dark, like when the evil toys captured Buzz and tied him up. And Andy was a bit of a dork. I'm not being critical, just saying.
The end was breath-taking and I was wondering how the heck they were going to get out of the extremely sticky situation.

So, yeah, it was great. I thought it was going to be a Pixar flop, but it actually pulled through. It wasn't exactly as heartwarming as Up, but it sure was fun.

But I'm still not looking forward to Monster's Inc 2...

Let's see how that turns out.

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Best Movie Soundtracks EVER

I love soundtracks. And, randomly enough, here are some of my favorites.

9-Debroah Lurie and Danny Elfman

The Chronicles of Narnia-Harry Gregson Williams

How to Train Your Dragon-John Powell

Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration-Rob Gardner

Kung Fu Panda-Hans Zimmer and John Powell

The Lord of the Rings-Howard Shore

National Treasure-Trevor Rabin

Nicholas Nickleby-Rachel Portman

Pirates of the Carribean-Hans Zimmer

Planet Earth-George Fenton

The Secret-Rhonda Byrne

Treasure Planet-James Newton Howard

The Work and the Glory II: American Zion-Sam Cardon

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Online

I'm usually against posting about other sites. Why in the world would I want you to go somewhere else besides my blog?

But I've recently fell in love with a few online comics recently, and I just had to give them a bit of free, shameless advertising.

Cealdian by Anne Szalba

King Caedmon was assassinated, and the whole country thinks that December, the King's eldest son, killed him. But December is innocent, and terrified of leading a country that hates him. Haunted by a dark childhood, and trying to unravel the mysteries that surround him, December comes off as a gentle, cautious man harboring his own secrets. I love it because it's so intriguing, and the characters seem to leap off the page; and it's very Celtic-influenced.

ReMIND by Jason Brubaker

This has to be the funkiest, most wonderfully crazy thrill ride I've ever had. Sonja lives in a town whose only attraction is some 'Lizard Man' myth she doesn't believe. But then her cat, Victuals, goes missing near the lake. When he returns, he's talking. And what he has to tell is astounding. It's very original and with an excellent drawing style reminiscent of David Peterson's Mouse Guard.

The Bean by Travis Hanson

A boy called Bean was sold a long time ago by a father he no longer remembers. He doesn't know that he's special, meant for greatness. But soon an evil being kidnaps him, and forces him to do a dark purpose: fetching him a sword of great power. This is classic fantasy at it's most creative. I love how vivid the world and personalities are.

Red's Planet by Eddie Pittman

Red, a 10-year old girl, refuses to believe her parents are gone, though everybody else does. She keeps moving from foster home to foster home; and running away from them. Things go from bad to worse when she gets accidentaly abducted by aliens. And they just might be worse than her foster family. Red's personality stands out and is incredibly lovable. It's also so realistic. Until the aliens show up. Then it's just plain fun.

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Cliché

Don't judge a book by its cover...
How many times have we heard that?
Yet I do it anyway. Though it's true we shouldn't judge people, I still judge books by the cover.
And that's not a bad thing. I'd rather read an action-packed fantasy novel than a book about a kitten who finds a home. So would I pick up the one whose cover showed a sword duel? Definitely. Or would I pick up the one that had a way-too-adorable kitten in a pink bow? *shudder*

A better example would be what happened to me a few weeks ago. I was in Barnes and Nobles browsing.  I've always passed by a book called "The Girl Who Could Fly" by Victoria Forester. I always thought it looked dull because of the cover.

And then they re-did the cover. I passed by it again and this time I snatched it from the shelf and couldn't wait to open it up. And all because the front cover looked more thrilling.

So, yeah, I guess I do judge a book by its cover.

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