The High King

Goodreads Synopsis:    When the Sword of Dyrnwyn, the most powerful weapon inthe kingdom of Prydain, falls into the hands of Arawn-Death-Lord, Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, and Prince Gwydion raise an army to march against Arawn's terrible cohorts.  After a winter expedition filled with danger, Taran's army arrives at Mount Dragon, Arawn's stronghold.  There, in a thrilling confrontation with Arawn and the evil enchantress Achren, Taran is forced to make the most crucial decision of his life.

My Thoughts:

-    This book had a different feel from the previous books. It is more solemn.

-    I loved that Kaw got his own chapter. It was fun to see things through the eyes of the little trouble maker. 

-    Taran's bravery and loyalty is finally paying off! I was so happy for him when Gwydion made him a war leader. 

-    Gathering the troops and traveling covers most of the book. There are more slower parts, but it was all important. 

-    We finally get to see some of Dallben's powers! Hooray! It only took 5 books to see it! 

-    Despite the slow parts, the ending is worth sticking it out! 

-    The very end is a bit like the ending of Lord of the Rings. I admire Taran's decision and dedication.

-    I really liked finding out what happened to a lot of side characters, especially Achren and Dorath.

-    This was a very fitting end in the Prydain chronicles. Each of these books is special to me, and I think everyone needs to read these at some point in their life. 

Previous books in The Chronicle of Prydain Series

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)

  

Catching Fire

On Thursday, I went to see Catching Fire!!!! It was awesome, but first, I had a delightful dinner party with friends.

I'm going to be lazy and not name people. Although I will say, I totally whipped Jenni's hubby in a game of wits! It was fun, I haven't been able to banter like that for a long long time.

And now:

My Thoughts:

-    I enjoyed Hunger Games, but I loved Catching Fire. It was much better! They improved so much, including the monkey camera! It was more accurate, and OH the emotions! 

-    The casting was perfect!! All the new characters introduced were perfect for their roles. Finnick and Joanna were spot on awesome! 

-    The whole movie was intense and thrilling. There were parts where I was shaking. 

-    The ending is a HUGE cliffhanger! Luckily I was prepared because I've read the books. For those of you who haven't read them (shame on you), you are are going to be mad!

-    Jennifer Lawrence IS Katniss!! She is an amazing actor. Her emotions are so raw and real. I don't know how she does it. 

-    I really loved how they portrayed Prim. She is maturing, growing, and getting her own strength.

-    My only complaint was the kissing. Katniss was giving out kisses to Gale and Peeta like it was nothing. She might as well hand out some kissing to Finnick, Beetee, and Haymitch while she was at it. 

-    Overall, it was brilliant! Go see it! Watch The Hunger Games first though. 

Previous movie in the trilogy

(click on image to see my thoughts)

Marie Lu

Last Thursday, I went to the Provo Library to see Marie Lu! She is the author of the Legend trilogy! If you haven't read them, DO! They are really fun!

Here is Gene introducing the author.

Marie decided not to use the podium cause it was too tall for her. Hooray for short Asians!

She had a lot of interesting things to say about her book. The idea behind the series started when she was watching Les Miserables. The dynamic between Jean Valjean and Javert intrigued her, and she wondered what they would be like as teenagers, so she decided to write a story about a teenage criminal and a teenage detective. Originally they were both boys, but her boyfriend said it would be better if one was a girl, and Day and June were born! 

Here is the signing table!

It was a fun event, but I'm sad that none of my blogger buddies were there to enjoy the event with me!! Shame on all of you!

Ender's Game

My Thoughts:

-    The movie was a really condensed version of the story, but they fit a lot of the highlights in. Overall, I think the movie was a really good interpretation of the book.

-    I loved seeing the battles come to life on the big screen. The battle room was almost exactly how I pictured it, but bigger. 

-    The cast was perfect! I loved seeing all the characters, especially Ender's squadron. All those young actors did fantastic. Harrison Ford was SO good as General Graff. 

-    I saw this with my parents, and they were so intrigued that they want to read the book now, and I think that is a huge success for the movie. 

-    It bugged me that they didn't call the enemy Buggers. 

-    The movie focuses all on Ender, and it there isn't any of the political stuff with Valentine and Peter. I kinda liked that they left all the stuff out. 

-    I'm hoping for an Ender's Shadow movie now, cause Bean is such an amazing character and his story is WAY more intriguing.

-    I still like the book better, but the movie was pretty good. I recommend seeing it!

Hubby's Thoughts:

-    I liked it overall. I thought they did a goo job putting a complex book into a condensed movie. 

Fan Art Friday

I had the opportunity to see Marie Lu at the Provo Library last night. The last book in her Legend trilogy came out! Woohoo! If you haven't read these books, there is no excuse now! Read them! You'll love them!

Today's Fan Art Friday will be showcasing...

Legend

Is it still considered fan art if the pictures are drawn by the author? Whatever, I thought it was cool!

My favorite is the 3rd one. It is a picture of June with the Legend insignia on her uniform.

What is your favorite?

In case you missed them, here is a link to previous Fan Art Fridays:

The Book Thief

The Chronicles of Prydain
Divergent

Top Ten Tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Covers I Wish I Could Redesign

(Covers are linked)

 

 

 

 

 

The Schwa Was Here

Goodreads Synopsis:    Anthony, also known as "Antsy," is fascinated by "The Schwa Effect"--the fact that no one ever sees Calvin Schwa. Even when acting weird and dressed like a total freak, The Schwa is only barely noticed. The two boys form a partnership and get away with all kinds of mischief, from conducting experiments at school to confounding opponents on the basketball court. When The Schwa senses that even Antsy is beginning to lose sight of him, he vows to do something that will make him so visible, no one will ever forget him. Any kid who's ever felt unnoticed will identify with Schwa and Antsy and their quest for notoriety.






My Thoughts:

-    HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Awwwwww!

-    This book was freakin' hilarious, but it also had it's tender moments. After I started the book, and was laughing out loud, the tender moments surprised me. I just wasn't expecting that from this book.

-    I loved all the characters! Each one was so unique with different struggles to overcome. 

-    Sometimes I felt bad for the Schwa, but other times I wanted to smack him!

-    Antsy is a good friend. He tries to do the right thing, and he often thinks of others.

-    When Antsy would get sidetracked, it cracked me up! I loved his comparisons and how he describes things. 

-    I want to make "The Schwa Was Here" shirt, and I kinda want to start putting it in random places. 

-    The writing was really great! It felt like Antsy was writing in a journal, but he wasn't. It was really well done! 

-    This was a really cute and fun story! I highly recommend it to everyone! 

My New Obsession

I'm still kinda geekin out over Anime Banzai, and during my geeky online surfing, I've discovered perler beads!! I've played with them as a kid, but I never realized how awesome these things are in the geek world!! People are making crazy awesome stuff!!!

For instance: check out this freaking huge metroid!!

Insane right? 

Well, I want to get in on the perler bead action, and I've been pinning like a mad person on Pinterest. I've also bought some starter supplies and started making creations of my own. 

Aren't they cute!?!?

I ran out of black, so poor Samus is incomplete. I've ordered some more though.

I've never been interested in getting a tablet, but now I really want one for that Bead It app!!

I'm slightly obsessed!

I'm thinking of starting up an Etsy shop, and maybe even getting a booth in Artist Alley at the next Anime Banzai!!

Like I said...obsessed!

Top Ten Tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Seven Sequels I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On

 
 
 
 

Taran Wanderer

From Goodreads:    Taran has been both Assistant Pig-Keeper and warrior, but his heart is troubled. Who are his parents? Where does he come from? In a quest to learn who he truly is, Taran travels Prydain seeking secrets long buried by time and silence. Accompanied by his loyal friends, Taran begins his search. Maybe, if his parents are as noble as he hopes, Princess Eilonwy with the red-gold hair will think as often and as fondly of Taran as he finds himself thinking of her.









My Thoughts:

-    I don't remember this story as much as I do the previous books, so it was almost like reading it for the first time, and I loved it!

-    Taran grows and learns so much in this tale. He finally makes that transition from boy to man. Not only does Taran learn from everyone he encounters on his journey, but he also teaches them things in return. 

-    There are a lot of good messages and morals taught throughout the book, not just for the characters but for the readers as well. 

-    Gurgi's friendship is priceless. He is so loyal and steadfast. Gurgi is always happy and willing to sacrifice whatever and follow Taran in anything. 

-    Taran really proves how hard working he is. He does honest work, and he never does it half heatedly. He does a good job. I wish I had that kind of diligence in everything I did.

-    While there isn't a lot of action, there is a lot of value in this book. 

Previous books in The Chronicle of Prydain Series

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)