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We can’t attack Stephenie Meyer because she is rich.
We can’t attack Stephenie Meyer because her book and the woman herself have moved beyond the real and have become cultural icons.
What is wrong with girls having power to choose when they want to have sex?
What is wrong with subverting the romance novel alpha male trope into Edward?
What is wrong with reinventing the vampire?
Why don’t people see the extensive world-building in this book?
Is this really bad writing or simply an easy reading style?
Does everything have to be “LITERATURE”?
Are we really looking at the power dynamics in this book carefully enough?
So, it’s normal when every hot woman wants to have sex with the hero of a fantasy novel, but when two hot teen guys want to have sex with the teen heroine, then it’s Mary Sue fantasy?
Not having read the vampire tradition from Stoker’s Dracula does not mane that Meyer has nothing to say.
What teen girls like doesn’t matter to the rest of the world? It isn’t important?
Is it bad to have a final violent confrontation end with a woman’s compromise through words?
Abortion is one of the major issues of the day—what’s wrong with a book that talks about it deeply?
What happens in high school matters. Don’t say “high school” with a sneer, because every grown-up is aware that high school lives on in the business world and in adult social situations.
Anti-feminism is not necessary anti-women. There are different kinds of strong mothers, including mothers who stay at home.
Why do all the complaints about Twilight sound like echoes of Hawthorne’s complaint about “that damned mob of scribbling women”?
What is wrong with fiction that is love and family centered? Think about what they said about Jane Austen?
Look, I have plenty of problems with Twilight. And I don’t mind a fair discussion of those problems, in a situation in which the people speaking have all read the book and perhaps some other YA novels and some romance fiction to compare it to. People who are not reading simply to make fun, but out of love for these kinds of fiction. People who are willing to see things from differing points of view. But the disdain which is heaped on Twilight has become a kind of self-congratulatory, aren’t we all so smart that we don’t read stupid books like this, high school is so juvenile kind of anger against a woman who is successful that it becomes distasteful and rather nakedly pleading.
Anyone remember Nathaniel Hawthorne’s complaint about “that damned mob of scribbling women,” who, like Louisa May Alcott, wrote about family lives and sold like crazy while Hawthorne had to wait for a hundred years of white male college professors to validate his depiction of what should happen to women who think that they deserve more than marriage and socially acceptable sex? Stephenie Meyer has been given a scarlet letter, the letter “s” for success, and that supposedly allows all of us to throw stones and rotten fruit at her. I’m not saying you have to like this book. I AM saying that if you haven’t read it, you can shut up. And if you can’t think of a single nice thing to say about it, maybe you are going to have to wait, like Hawthorne, for your books to be assigned in lit classes in college.
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I agree passionately with what Mette says here with just one tiny change. I don't believe Bella's choice to keep her baby is "anti-feminist." It was a choice. If the book showed Bella wanting to abort but being pressured into keeping her baby, I could see a problem (in fact all her loved ones are encouraging her to abort for her own sake, but she sticks to her guns). If the book showed multiple young women who all made the same choice as if it were the only correct choice for everyone, I could see a problem. But this is one woman who makes her own choice. Feminism advocates for women to have the opportunity to make choices and live their lives according to their best desires and full potential, not hindered by their gender. If feminism has changed and only advocates for women's right to make choices that always agree with me/you/the group/some ideology, then feminism won't work anymore.
I recently heard a writer speaking at a conference (a writer I respect, like, and who has had objectively admirable success). When asked by the audience to name a favorite book, he answered, "I'll tell you one I wish had never been written: Twilight." It was an unnecessary and petty comment, I thought, but what really troubled me was the audience's reaction: they applauded and cheered. I've encountered similar scenes dozens of times. By all means, don't like Twilight. Don't read it. Or read it and have intelligent conversations about why you don't like it. But I question why it's become okay to hate, mock, demean, ridicule this writer woman and her series that's loved by so many women.
One thing I like about tumblr is it's organized around the positive. You like a post. You reblog a post. You ignore the negative. This seems healthy to me. I think we're all happier when we define ourselves not by what we hate but by what we love.
I have so much more I could say about this, but I'll save it for another post because I have a feeling many of you will have comments on this one we'll want to talk about. Please remember, disagree with me or other commenters but keep it respectful! Name calling, angry rants, and hate-spewing are not welcome here.
I've been neglecting you! And I haven't posted winners of the contest yet. Sorry. I just sent off the latest draft of my unnamed YA book to my editor and am working on a short story for an anthology I'll annouce later. But first, Happy Halloween! And as has become a magnificent Squeetus tradition, here's a book pumpkin from carving wizard Laura Middleton.
There are no words.
Also, check out her ode to FRANKENSTEIN, from the picture book parody of MADELINE, written by Ludworst Bemonster, aka Rick Walton and Nate Hale.
Aw. The little demon looks so sweet. And celebrating Ally Condie's final book in the MATCHED trilogy:
Here are your photos! I love these so much. I'll let my husband and kiddos select two winners (because I have no doubt that they'll choose the Batman one, so we'll add a second winner to the mix). If you submitted a photo and it's not here, please put the link in the comments below and I'll add it. Enjoy!
Sometimes my blog posts make people disappointed, sad, and angry. Every time this happens, I'm never expecting the fierce response. I think if I always knew how people would take what I say, I would self-censor, and I wonder about that. Because I do think the conversations started are valuable to me, and others tell me valuable to them too. But the fear of offending and hurting might discourage me or others from engaging in touchy subjects. I'm not afraid of disagreeing with people, but I hate hurting people in the process.
Longtime squeetusers may recall some of the fiercest instances on squeetus--for example, when I defended Breaking Dawn in 2008. That was one of the rare instances that we actually had to delete comments and by the dozens. I can take a few hits, but I draw the line at profanity, threats, and bullying other commenters, especially young commenters. In a way I'm glad people are so passionate about books and ideas, but I don't get the hate. Sometimes anger can be productive, but hate just sucks.
(squeetusers, have you noticed how kind commenters are on this blog in general? It makes me happy. When commenters are harsher and less respectful in their disagreement, I've found that they're not regulars but people who have clicked over from someone else reporting about the post. I really want this blog to be a safe place where people can share ideas without fear of being flamed, so thank you.)
I guess when I write a blog entry, I think about it as a rough draft. It's exploration time. It's not a final, polished article. It's me in conversation, saying things I'm thinking about. The danger is that thinking aloud can offend. Which is why, I think, most politicians have practiced answers. I don't want to hurt anyone, and yet I don't want to be bland and opinion-less, scared of risk. Writers are idea people. I think we should wrestle with questions. We should allow ourselves that luxury. We're not politicians, trying to please as many people as we can. We should engage in risky ideas, question things, wrestle with ideas we don't know all the answers to. But should that be confined to a novel, where I have time to edit and polish before anyone sees it, or is a blog still useful? Even if I risk hurting people, is it still positive to have this public thinking-aloud-place? (I ask, as I think aloud in this place.)
When I've written a post that is fairly opinion-y and people disagree with me, or if I tweet something of that ilk, I almost always get replies that say something like, "You've lost this reader for good," or "I used to love your books but I'll never buy another one now." Obviously I don't want to run off readers. I think in most of these cases, something I've said has personally hurt that person, and they are trying to hurt me back in some way. That's a natural response, I think, and I can empathize. And they do succeed. But in general, I wonder, do we/should we only read and like books by people who share all or most of our same opinions?
Personal opinion of the author does affect me sometimes. I read a couple of books by an author (who I will never publicly name, but get a milkshake in me sometime and my jaw loosens), then I met him, and he was so sexist and unkind that I've never recommended his books to anyone since and doubt I'd pick him up again. For several minutes into our conversation I thought he was trying to be funny by being a parody of the chauvinist male writer, because nobody is truly that awful. I was wrong. His personality didn't change the words on the page, but I can't see past it.
But there's another author who is quite mouthy publicly and has said things I vehemently disagree with. But since reading his disagreeable opinions I've continued to read his books and would recommend them. So in some cases the personal affects me and sometimes it doesn't. Maybe it's a scale system? With the first author, his books weren't engaging enough to me to overshadow his unfortunate personality (his editor said to me, "Sorry, I can edit him on paper but not in person!"). But with the second, I liked and clicked enough with his books that I didn't have to think about him as a person as I read. I was able to merge with the story and forget the author.
What are your thoughts? Do you wish authors remained anonymous and you only knew them through the words on the page? (if you're reading an author's blog, then probably not?) Does an author's public persona enhance/diminish your reading? Those of us who are older grew up with books alone, and now social media allows us to feel we know the people behind the books. How has this changed your reading experiences?
And you can register now for my Oct 1 webcast. I'll be doing a live school assembly followed by questions I'll be taking from both the live audience and the virtual audience. Sign up your class to participate for free. I'm really looking forward to this.
This excellent author has followed up her successful futuristic trilogy with an exciting, fast-moving thriller for teens, also set in a future New Zealand. But the timeframe of this novel isn’t as distant as the one in the trilogy – it’s a New Zealand very recognisable to our current generations, with a few nasty political developments thrown in. Ashley’s life turns to chaos when his father (a trade unionist) is killed by a bomb. He has to take responsibility for his younger brother Mikey, who has Downs Syndrome, and also for his grandmother who has dementia and lives in a rest-home. To add to his confusion, he discovers that his long-lost mother is still alive, but caught up in a terrorist group called Muru. Ash sets off to locate and confront his mother at the Muru secret hideaway, along with Mikey and two other teen friends. Their expedition ends in disaster and they only just escape with their lives. Further developments reveal that Ash and his friends are being used as pawns in a game controlled by much more powerful players. The plot races on relentlessly, the characters are believable, and the New Zealand of a few decades from now is chillingly credible. I couldn’t put the book down. Recommended for teens, especially boys.
Red Rocks by Rachael King, Random House New Zealand
Having lived in Wellington, I am familiar with the coastline where Rachael set this story, and must congratulate her for using the landscape so well to create the wild and slightly threatening atmosphere. I also admired her initiative in creating a New Zealand version of the old selkie legend. The story is interesting and mysterious – and extremely well-written. Jake enjoys wandering the wind-swept beaches and rocks, but his life changes dramatically when he discovers a sealskin hidden in a rocky cleft and ta
0 Comments on Two excellent books published by Random as of 1/1/1900
After publishing Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack, one of the most common questions posed to me and my husband/cowriter Dean is: "What is it like to collaborate?" We made this 90 second film hoping to shed more light on that question.
So, does that answer your question? #helpful
We made this movie a couple of years ago for our talk at the SCIBA dinner (So-Cal indie booksellers). We also demonstrated our collaborative process through a Spanish telenovela and interpretive movement, as is our wont. I think it was enlightening--especially for those in attendance who had taken advantage of the open bar. Our dear friend An Dinh shot and edited it. He and his awesome wife Tamiyah make a random appearance. Shout out to Bugsy the Guinea Pig, the true star of this work.
Long weekend ahead! I’m really looking forward to enjoying the freedom that I’ve inherited (remembering those who died in the Armed Services) by putting some final touches on my not-so-new-anymore apartment, like hanging pictures on the walls and getting that last set of curtains up. I should probably put the AC in as well. And finally see all those movies I’ve been meaning to see, like Avengers and Hunger Games. And all those manuscripts I’ve been meaning to read but haven’t gotten to yet. Not to mention published books.
I’m starting to exhaust myself just planning the weekend.
I also need to give the house a thorough spring cleaning because I’ve been fostering a kitten.Not that he’s gone yet—he still needs to find a home—but having three cats in this house is making the place stink, even when I’m vigilant. I’m sure there are things I can do to streamline the cleaning process while he’s here, but it’s going to mean some organizing over the long weekend.
At any rate, it occurred to me that I haven’t posted anything about this here, and that I should, just in case anyone is out there ready to give this little guy a forever home (and I’ll probably do the adoption through a local pet rescue just to be sure, perhaps Kitty Kind, to be sure the home he goes to is committed to him). Three cats is okay for temporary measures, but it’s just too much for this little apartment long term. Cute as the little guy is, I can’t commit to him long-term—it’s not fair to the two I already have, and he needs someone who can.
Here’s the info I’m giving to the rescues as I try to figure out how to list him so that potential owners can find him (Petfinder doesn’t do classifieds anymore and Craigslist feels kind of sketchy for pets, but I could be wrong):
Name: Harlem (because that’s where he was found)
Age: 10-12 weeks
Found: at 7 or 8 weeks in a laundromat at 149th and Broadway in Harlem, where he was dirty and starving, probably abandoned by a human because he didn’t have fleas or other signs of having been on the streets all his life, though he did have a distended belly; he hadn’t eaten for long enough that it took him 3 days to poop after being given appropriate food and water. He is now healthy and happy after a vet visit in which he was tested and came out FeLV/FIV/Heartworm negative, and after antibiotics for his cold and some deworming. Personality: Lively and hilarious, kind of mischievous! He loves to cuddle–though not when romping about the house, of course. He loves to dash from hiding place to hiding place so you can’t catch him, but he’ll come out for his favorite toy, the ball that runs around in a track. He’s just at that kitten age where he’s discovering all th
Last year, Dean and I wrote a piece for a John Carter of Mars young adult anthology. Writers were asked to write their own stories of Barsoom. We chose to look at a scene in Princess of Mars where John Carter fights some white ape beasts. Very little is known about the white apes, so we chose to retell that scene from their point-of-view...in our own special way. That way was a little too special, I think, as our piece was not included in the anthology.
With the movie John Carter out in theaters now, I thought some of you might get a kick out of our story anyway, so I've posted our Barsoom-inspired piece First Date on my site. It was very much a collaboration between me and Dean. He wrote the first draft this time, and then I went in and helped the story make some sense, adding my own touches. Then he went back and added some more Dean touches, then I polished and voila.
In answer to your previous questions, will Palace of Stone ever have a painted cover to match the Princess Academy hardcover? Answer: I don't think so. I truly do not know, but I would not bet on it. And in answer to the Austenland movie questions, I'm not holding out on you, I swear! I don't know when we'll see a trailer or have a release date or anything. As soon as I know, you'll know too. I am VERY excited about the movie. I think it's going to be amazing.
These days I find I'm sharing my favourite things via my Facebook page and Twitter more than on my blog, but I realize that for the most part, I have completely different followers of each platform, so I will be sure to post some here, too, with more of a discussion as to what I like about them.
I created this blog mostly to share what I am working on, and share my latest news - however there are times, like now, when I go into a long incubation period and I'm not quite ready or able to share my current project.
I am currently working away on new concepts and characters (with minimal time but much enthusiasm). Creating my own works in private and without deadlines brings the freedom of being able to play with processes and styles, open my mind to new options and platforms, and generally daydream about where I'd like this creative journey to take me next. It's crazy fun - this is when I'm in my element.
Along the way, I'm listening to lots of inspiring podcasts, videos, and reading and learning new things. And throughout a lot of these things, I am starting to sense recurring themes and messages: about happiness, following your passions, being true to yourself, and playing to your strengths. And I think I should share them here, in the hope that they will help or inspire you, too.
I will start with this awesome, entertaining TED video, The Happy Secret to Better Work (found via Tristan Bancks) about happiness, positivity and success. Really good, informative, funny stuff.
Grab a cuppa' tea. Watch it. It's only 12 minutes long.
Life is crazy, isn't it? Blog taking a back seat to kids and books. Can't seem to find anything extra to devote to thoughtful blog posts. Here's just a general update.
I don't have any Austenland: The Movie news, but here's a short video that shows the set and interviews with Bret McKenzie, JJ Feild (who, I just read, is expecting a baby with girlfriend Neve Campbell!), Ricky Whittle, and Georgia King. I don't even know who did this video. Also, Stephenie Meyer put an update about the movie on her website. I think I tweeted both these things but never blogged them.
Sending a 5th-ish draft of my current book to my editor today. She and Dean read 2/3 of the first draft several years ago, and then I put aside this one (formerly called Daisy Danger Brown) to work on Midnight in Austenland and Palace of Stone. I'm really liking it right now. I love working on it. It's getting huge, though, at 145,000 words. I've been cutting like crazy, having trimmed 40,000 words in large chunks and many thousands more in smaller chunks. Add and delete, add and delete. I'll do at least seven more drafts before its done.
Princess Academy: Palace of Stone will be out in August. There's a cover out there somewhere but its not final, so I'm waiting for a final version to post it. It will have a photograph to match the style of the Princess Academy paperback.
I'm very excited about The Princess in Black! No illustrator yet, but I will post as soon as the publisher makes the choice. This book series was directly inspired by our kids. It's been fun to write for them for the first time.
Writing for Charity was amazing! Thanks to all who came. We raised a good amount of money and will be able to buy a lot of books for kids in disadvantaged areas. There will be another conference next year.
Dean and I revamped the blog, in part so it'd be easier to upkeep. It had a Facebook "like" button (as one squeetuser smartly suggested) but it was buggy. I just removed it after a few days of 0 likes and generally feeling like a junior high student again. Is it the braces? The stringy hair? Bad breath? Is something hanging out of my nose? You can still "like" individual posts but not the whole blog. Typepad, can you fix that please?
Working this week on copy edited manuscript of Palace of Stone. It's still kind of thrilling to me to write that title! We have lots of cool stuff planned for it this year, I can't wait. But just two more days to check the copy edits so I must go.
Lots of signings coming up. I'll be at Dolly's in Park City on Friday night and Deseret Book in both Layton and Bountiful on Saturday. Check my events page for details. And Utah writers, don't miss Writing for Charity this year! A real bargain and going to be so great. Thanks SO MUCH to all who came to the King's English launch! I want to post pics when I get a sec.
I was just checking my spam filter, as I occasionally do, to be sure that I haven’t overlooked some real people making real comments. Some of these bots are getting to be nearly indistinguishable from real people if you weren’t really paying attention to the URL attached to the comment and weren’t that great at English to begin with. But sometimes they’re just a work of passive aggressive art, and I thought you’d get a kick out of the best specimen or two.
I haven’t checked in here for some time because I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are great quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend
I love how I “deserve” their attention now that I’m no longer boring.
Exactly. I imagine it is. Very good stuff, I agree totally.
Exactly what “it” is this spammer is agreeing totally with, I have no idea. But they think I’m dumb enough to approve their comment so they can link to a spammer directory.
The one below that was a comment telling me that Apple was much preferable to the Zune… which Microsoft killed how long ago??
And in the “flattery will get you nowhere, especially when you make no sense” category:
Im a huge fan already, man. Youve accomplished a brilliant job generating positive that people have an understanding of where youre coming from. And let me let you know, I get it. Excellent stuff and I cant wait to read extra of one’s blogs. What youve got to say is significant and needs to be read.
And, of all things, a new one is trying to tell me they posted certain posts on Reddit! Really?
By the way, the new version of WordPress has a nice preview feature when you hover over a URL in the spam filter, so you don’t have to click on the link and worry about infecting your computer with a virus or something. VERY nice feature, WP!
This is so cool. I've already decided that my future son's full name will be James Tiberius Kennedy. Unfortunately, my fiancee doesn't have Kirk for a last name.
Book Geek-that's awesome! My husband proposed on July 9 (7 of 9) so we'd have a Star Trek date. And in our wedding my dad said "Make it So" when he gave me away and our wedding ended with "Live Long and Prosper" :)
I've been battling a cold turned sinus infection and it's made me take a dip in blogging, which I hate! It also got me thinking about a post I wrote a couple of years ago about sick day comforts.
I still love Anne and would happily re-watch and re-read Anne of Green Gables sick day or not. But my sick day feel good book comforts have changed a bit as I've gotten older. I've noticed that as an adult I tend to use sick days to try and make a dent in my TBR instead of going for an old favorite like I would as a child. I think part of that is because I don't have as much free time to read as adult, so I take what I can get. As a kid, I could spend all weekend reading and it was OK, but I don't always have that luxury as an adult.
I've also noticed that I like reading picture books when I'm sick. I usually have a large stack of them checked out from my library and spending the afternoon reading nothing but picture books is a wonderful comfort for me. I think it takes me back to my childhood. And it makes me feel like I read a ton of books! :)
I think books are the best way to feel better. It takes your mind off things, you can curl up anywhere and read, and you can be transported anywhere you want.
What about you? Do you find books to a comfort when you're sick?
2 Comments on Sick Day Re-Deux, last added: 11/2/2011
I always find books to be comforting and read every chance I get. When I was a kid and got sick my mom would get me comic books and popcicles. She and my hubby now get me magazines to go with my popcicles when I'm not feeling well!
While brainstorming a last-minute Halloween costume, I thought it would be fun to go as Nancy Drew circa 1930. Using the original covers as inspiration, I created this Polyvore set to brainstorm a costume in an ideal world.
Have you used literary characters as inspiration for a costume?
Okay, so Princess Bookie is hosting Contest Craze, a fun event at her blog full of fun mini challenges by other bloggers. One of the mini challenges is the lucky number 7 challenge by Jessi from The Elliott Review.
So what exactly is the lucky number 7 challenge? Well, you open up to the book you are currently reading, go to page 7, look at the 7th word (if it is an article like a, an, the you go to the next word)and type that word into the Google search bar.
The book I picked is Sweetly by Jackson Pearce. The seventh word happens to be witch.
So here is my picture and my book! !
VS.
I though it was pretty cool that it came up with a Puritanical witch image. Kind of Salem Witch Trials -esque.
Anyways, make sure to go see the other mini challenges and do your lucky number seven!
Summers been so good to me. Been really busy. Caught up with old friends. Working on new illustrations (although not enough). Seen a lot of the sea side this summer. So grateful for that. Wish I brought my sketch book in all occasions but it’s nice to just get away from the pencil, tablet, and paper every once in awhile. Will update soon! With visuals. Until then hope everyone is having a great summer. Looking forward to fall!
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of Maggie Stiefvater. You know... she wrote Lament and Ballad, and her ever-so-awesome Wolves of Mercy Falls Series? No, doesn't ring a bell? If that didn't ring a bell... then get out from under your rock, get yourself on Goodreads or Amazon and look up the books. Then come back here and watch Maggie Stiefvater's amazing (as always) trailer for her upcoming new release, The Scorpio Races.
A bit about the Scorpio Races...
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
And now the book trailer...
Looks awesome, right?
Well... to pre-order it click HERE . It will also be available for purchase wherever books are sold on October 18, 2011.
You can also pre-order autographed copies of The Scorpio Races HERE.
Enjoy!
Love always,
Amanda
0 Comments on The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater book trailer as of 1/1/1900
Here's a first, I'm reviewing another author's book. Normally, I am working hard to get a reviewer to read my books. Then there's the whole "raising four kids" thing. Rarely do I have time for leisure reading. I literally have a stack of books waiting for me.
So my oldest daughter came home from school (yes, several months ago) carrying a book with the most intriguing cover. It was Dan Poblocki'sThe Stone Child. She read the thing in two days flat. She said it was the creepiest book she'd ever read and this is coming from an Official Member of the American Chillers Fan Club. After she finished, that cover kept calling to me. Mostly black with a hint of blue light surrounding the statue of a child. She holds out a book, beckoning the reader to peak inside. It wasn't until after I had a few chapters down that I noticed the creatures wrapped around her feet.
This cover pulled me in, much the same as the pendant pulls in the two different authors in the story. For a writer, I am one of the slowest readers you will meet. It took me more like two weeks to finish the book, as opposed to my daughter's two days.
Don't take that the wrong way though. I completely enjoyed The Stone Child. Basic plot: the outsider, Edgar Fennicks, moves to Gatesweed, an unfamiliar world. We get to know Eddie over the first couple chapters as he is set up to be the classic underdog. We get several hints that things are not right in this town and Eddie discovers an unusual book, hand-written in code, by his favorite author, who also happens to have vanished from this very town. The story begins moving once Eddie meets Harris, the son of the quaint, local bookstore owner. Eddie and Harris embark on a quest to unravel the code and hopefully find the missing author. With the help of another outsider, the quirky Maggie, the three junior detectives encounter a menagerie of creative monsters.The Woman in Black is the most effective as her vagaries torment both Eddie and the missing author whether they are awake or falling through a nightmare.
Things that worked for me: The suspense; The monsters; The Lilith mythology; The setting came alive and I could feel Poblocki's passion for the North Eastern countryside, especially when they went to pick apples; And a genui
0 Comments on The Stone Child Review as of 1/1/1900
Today is Day 3 of the Week o' Random Entertainment, and today's feature is actually book-related. Sort of.
Have you heard of the Harry Potter Puppet Pals? Probably a lot of you have. But if you haven't, and you're a Harry Potter fan, this is definitely a group of videos you should see. Today I present my favorite of the Harry Potter Puppet Pals features: The Mysterious Ticking Noise
0 Comments on Random Day 3: Harry Potter Puppet Pals as of 1/1/1900
Today for our Week O' Random Entertainment... how it should have ended!
I know I've mentioned HISHE before on here, but for those of you who are new, this is an animated series that features ideas on how various movies should have ended. What would really happen if you strip away all the Hollywood drama? Well, the results are pretty humorous.
About a month ago my brother talked me into watching Inception for the first time. And it made my brain hurt. A lot. But I did ultimately enjoy the movie. So here for your viewing pleasure today, how Inception really should have ended:
1 Comments on Random Day 2: How It Should Have Ended, last added: 5/31/2011
Welcome to Day 1 of the Week o' Random Entertainment!
Today I have a video my brother tipped me off on from his blog post last week. If you're a longtime blog follower, you know I'm a huge Disney fan. And one of my favorite things about Disney is the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The new Pirates movie came out just a week ago (I've already seen it) and it is awesome!
For those of you who aren't on the west coast, Disney's California Adventure (sister park to Disneyland in Anaheim) has a new nighttime show called World of Color. I haven't seen it in person yet (my brother has, lucky kid) but the videos I've seen look super epic-y awesome! And they just added a new section for the new Pirates movie. It's pretty neat, so here's a video so you can see. This actually goes through the end of the show too, just to give you a glimpse of how amazing it is. And it has the princesses too, which next to pirates is my favorite Disney thing. :)
So without further ado, check out this Pirate awesomeness. It begins with the new mermaid section from the fourth movie (and mermaids are scary!) moves on to feature the new villian Blackbeard, the one-of-a-kind Captain Jack Sparrow, and the pirates music you all love. Oh, and fire too. Lots and lots of fire...
Captain, I'd like to report a mutiny. I can name fingers and point names. Classic. I love it. :)
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So, responses from my Round 2 judges have been coming in slowly but surely, so I'm still organizing the shortlisted books into brackets. Hopefully after this week it will be all done. :) So if you haven't answered my email yet, you're not too late. And in the same vein, if you didn't get an email, but think you should have, let me know. Also, a few people have dropped out, so if you're still interested in being a Round 2 judge, check out this post for all the details to sign up.
So what to do in the meantime? My poor little blog has been so neglected as I've been busy organizing things this past few weeks. I spend all my free time behind the scenes rather than posting much content. So to make up for it, I'm holding a special event all week long. I call it:
The Week O' Random Entertainment
What is that, you say? I'll tell you. Pretty much what it sounds like. But here's where it came from. One of my favorite things to do (other than read) is to watch random clips on YouTube. Things my brother finds, things I've seen posted other places, etc. I usually plan to do a random post about various videos, but oftentimes my plans get off track (for whatever reason). But not this week!
Every day this week (starting Monday) I will be posting a random video for your entertainment. It gives you something to watch while I'm busy setting things up for Round 2, and I get to share some stuff I've been wanting too. Two birds with one stone.
Some come back tomorrow to see what random video is in store. And if you're not up for this sort of thing, feel free to completely ignore the blog this week. And we hope to see you back here on the 5th for the Round 2 kickoff.
Have a great week everyone!
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I’ll have some pictures from BEA, hopefully, if my phone hasn’t corrupted them all, but until I figure all that out, here’s a fun one for you. I’ve posted before about how I’m currently in a Korean drama phase. Here’s one that will have enough action/sword fights/political intrigue for any fan of epic fantasy (though this is realistic) and enough romance for those who like their epics with love triangles. Set in the Joseun period of Korea’s history. I hadn’t realized before seeing this that Korea had a history of slavery, so that adds an extra layer to all the other things I’m learning (of course, taking everything with a grain of salt, given that any historical fiction will take artistic leeway and not necessarily be a true reflection of what really happened in real life).
The fight scenes are particularly cool to watch—integrating this fast-beating metal sound that’s completely anachronistic, but doing it so much better than, say, A Knight’s Tale, which I know a lot of friends loved.
Don’t believe the Hulu description, though—it conflates the brother of the heroine and the former-army-general-turned-slave. Here’s the DramaWiki description, which is a lot more useful.
Chuno follows the story of Lee Dae Gil, a man of high birth whose family was ruined when Won Ki Yoon, a slave, burnt down his house and escaped with his sister, Un Nyun, who was in love with Dae Gil. Driven by his desire for revenge, he survived his harsh years on the street and made his name as a slave hunter, dedicated in his pursuit to find Un Nyun, his first and only love. Song Tae Ha is a General of the Army who became a slave after being falsely accused of a crime he did not commit, and finds himself on the run from Dae Gil’s relentless pursuit. Both men become entangled in a love triangle with Un Nyun, who is no longer a runaway slave, but Kim Hye Won, a nobleman’s daughter.
Wikipedia’s description is a lot more detailed, if you are a little lost at the beginning. At first it was hard to keep certain characters straight, because it is definitely EPIC—but I’d suggest referring to Wikipedia only if you don’t mind a few spoilers, because some of what’s revealed in the Wikipedia description is only revealed in episodes 5, 6, or 7.
So, if you need another TV show to watch (as if any of us do, I suppose), check this out.
This won’t work on LJ or FB, so if you’re reading it there, click to my main site to see the first episode embedded right here:
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. She read the thing in two days flat. She said it was the creepiest book she'd ever read and this is coming from an Official Member of the 
It's funny that you should mention this, because I just finished the Trekkies documentary and have had Star Trek on the brain. LOL!
Too funny!:)
This is so cool. I've already decided that my future son's full name will be James Tiberius Kennedy. Unfortunately, my fiancee doesn't have Kirk for a last name.
Book Geek-that's awesome! My husband proposed on July 9 (7 of 9) so we'd have a Star Trek date. And in our wedding my dad said "Make it So" when he gave me away and our wedding ended with "Live Long and Prosper" :)
Oh and Sharon-You changed your name! I'm glad you're back blogging!! :)