Monday, June 30, 2014

The Two Towers: Book 4 Discussion Post


Woo! We only have 1 more book to go!
This has been a fun read along!

Today's discussion post is hosted by Jenni
Make sure to link your answers over there!

Questions:

1.    Has your favorite character changed in The Two Towers? If yes, why?

No, Gimli is still awesome! I love the friendship that grew between Gimli and Legolas.


2.    Which do you like more, The Fellowship of the Ring or The Two Towers? Why?

This one is a toughie. I like both for different reasons. I think I enjoyed The Two Towers just a tad more though. It had more action, and that fight between Sam and Shelob was SO epic!



3.   Do you think Frodo and Sam should have killed Gollum? 

Yes! I think Bilbo should have killed him!
No! He had a purpose and a part to play in the overall story. 

4.    What do you think about Book Faramir vs Movie Faramir?

Movie Faramir is AWFUL!!!! WHY!? Why did they decide to change his character? It is my biggest complaint about the movies. Faramir was the opposite of Boromir, and they should have showed that!! They should have stuck with the book! You can't just change a character's personality! 

The actor for Faramir did a good job though. I liked that Faramir and Boromir looked like they could actually be brothers. 
Faramir and Boromir - faramir Photo

5.    Why do you think Frodo trusts Gollum?

I think Frodo should be more wary of Gollum. Sam has the right attitude. I think Frodo can feel a connection with Golllum on some sort of level. They were both bearers of the ring, and I think Frodo is afraid of becoming like Gollum, and he wants to believe someone who had the ring so long isn't completely corrupted. 

6.    If you were in Sam's place, would you have made the same choices if you thought Frodo was dead?

I would have taken the ring and tried to finish the quest, but I wouldn't have left Frodo out in the open like that. Shelob could have come back and eaten him. I would have hidden him somewhere. 

7.    Frodo is very blessed to have Sam with him on his quest. He is a great support and companion, and Frodo even admits he wouldn't have made if far without Sam. If you could choose one person to take on an epic quest with you, who would it be and why? (Choose anyone! They can be fictional, family, role model, etc.)

I hate narrowing this down to one! There are so many people to choose from! Normally I would say Batman, but for an epic quest like Frodo's I'm going to go with:



Sebastian Michaelis

He is simply one hell of a butler!

I'd always have good food.

He'd kill everyone in our way with no problem.

If he couldn't help me on this quest, what kind of a butler would he be?




8.    On the flip side, do you think Frodo should have had a different member of the fellowship with him instead of Sam?

Yes and No
I don't think anyone would have followed Frodo with the same determination and diligence as Sam, but Aragorn would have been more useful. Then again, Aragorn had his own role to play. I think things worked out the way they were supposed to. 

9.    What was your favorite moment in Book 4?

Like I said before, Sam vs Shelob is EPIC! I loved it! GO SAM!


10.    How has the ring affected Frodo so far in the story?

I don't think the ring is strongly influencing him yet. It is definitely a burden. The book talks about how heavy it is. I think the ring is constantly on Frodo's mind. At this point, I think Frodo is just exhausted. Once the ring wears him out physically, it will be easier to take his mind. 



Housekeeping Items:

We won't be doing a Twitter Chat, but keep following and using #LotRreadalong for thoughts, quotes, comments, and updates.

We'll be watching the Two Towers on Saturday, July 5 @ 6:00 PM.
We'll be pitching in for pizza, and there will be other refreshments.
Let me or Jenni know you want to come, and we'll get you directions to my place.

We'll be kicking off The Return of the King tomorrow!!

Sunday, June 29, 2014

How to Train Your Dragon 2



My Thoughts:

-    I loved the first movie, and I loved the second.

-    There is a part in the middle that made me sad (and a little mad), but it's okay. The movie recovers.

-    Toothless is a lot more playful in this one. I laughed a lot. 

-    The animators did awesome with aging the different characters. 

-    The story becomes a lot more complex, and I'm really excited for the 3rd movie!! I need to know what happens!

-    The music is really good (minus the bagpipes). I was tapping my foot a lot to the soundtrack.

-    Ruffnut is bit ridiculous. I rolled my eyes at most of her scenes. She is . . . ugh! There are no words. 

-    The CG was really good. DreamWorks has stepped up their game! The environment looked nice, and there were some really awesome visual moments. 

-    The voice actors were great! I loved them all! 

-    I want a dragon! 


First Movie
(click on cover to see my thoughts)

Saturday, June 28, 2014

United We Spy

13580951From Goodreads:    Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.








My Thoughts:

-    This was a good and fitting ending to the Gallagher Girl series. This series started out as a silly and fun, but it turned into a thrilling spy adventure. It never lost the silly and fun though. 

-    I wonder how Cammie and her friends graduated with missing so much school, but I suppose what they were doing more than qualified them.

-    I loved the sisterhood of the Gallagher Academy. I want to be a Gallagher Girl.

-    I'm glad a few of the men came out as good guys. Not all boys are bad.

-    I love the relationship between Cammie and her friends. They are so loyal and fun. 

-    I loved Cammie's growth throughout the series. She became an amazing person and spy. I loved all the other characters development too. It was fun to watch them all grow up.

-    I'd recommend this book to my daughter, and I'm kind of excited for the day when I can share books like this with her. 

Previous Gallagher Girls Books
(click on cover to see my thoughts)

97783 568645 5267365
 

Friday, June 27, 2014

Fan Art Friday

showcasing

825248

It goes with our Read Along. Enjoy!


















I love them all! These people are so talented!

Which is your favorite?

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Out of Sight, Out of Time

15821269




My Thoughts:

-    Best book in the series by far!!

-    This book was more intense and mysterious. It was more of what I expect out of the spy book. I couldn't stop reading. 

-    The story reminded me of the Bourne Identity movie. 

-    Cammie is definitely not the the same girl she was at the start of this series. She has experienced a lot, and it has changed her. 

-    I LOVE LOVE LOVE that this book ties into the previous books. I want feel like I missed so many clues that became important. I want to re-read the series to catch everything. Very clever Ally Carter!

-    I'm glad I stuck with the series. It wasn't really going places, but things have changed! I wish it had gotten this good earlier, but I understand the build up now. 

-    Jury is still out on Zach. I think he is trust worthy, but I'm still not sure. 

Previous Gallagher Girls Books
(click on cover to see my thoughts)

97783 568645 5267365

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

I Need Advice

Dear Friends,

I don't know what to do. Because of my crazy reading habits, I am now a month ahead with book review posts. I have them scheduled through July, and a little into August. The books I am reading now, will not be reviewed until August. I don't like this. I like being current. Plus August in Utah Book Month, and I want to read and review Utah books that month. Right now I'm only posting book reviews twice a week. 

What should I do?

Should I move up all my reviews and bombard the blog with book reviews until I'm all current again? Should I just keep scheduling into the future and not worry about being current?

Share your wisdom and opinions with me! 

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Fault in Our Stars



My Thoughts:

-    I really enjoyed this movie! I don't say this lightly either. I'm not a chick flick person, but this was good. It was a great adaptation of the book, and it was really accurate. 

-    I actually enjoyed the movie more than the book! I felt a lot more emotions while watching the movie. The book didn't make me cry but the movie did. I laughed a lot more too.

-    Ansel Elgort made this movie! His portrayal of Gus was SO good! He had so many great moments.

-    I really liked Isaac. He was like a reincarnated Ducky from Pretty in Pink! It was awesome!

-    I don't know what it is about this Woodley chick. I like her, but she isn't amazing. I felt the same way about her being Tris in Divergent.

-    I think the casting timing was not good. Ansel and Shailene play siblings then lovers then siblings again. It's weird.

-    This was a very heartfelt and cute movie. I recommend getting to a theater and purchasing a ticket for this. 

Monday, June 23, 2014

The Fault in our Stars

11870085Goodreads Says:    Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.












My Thoughts:

-    This book was sad, but I didn't cry or anything. I think the sadness of the book is hyped up a little too much. 

-    The ending was predictable. Shortly after meeting Gus, I knew what was going to happen. 

-    Despite the previous two thoughts, I liked the book. I thought it was good. It had a lot of good lines and awesome dialogue, and I mean AWESOME dialogue. 

-    Some of the words were big, and I didn't understand them all.

-    Gus and Hazel made me laugh. I liked the way they viewed and described things. 

-    The author guy was interesting. He was a jerk, but I didn't hate him. I thought his character was interesting.

-    I think the movie will be harder to watch than the book was to read. I'm still excited to see it though! 

Friday, June 20, 2014

Fan Art Friday

showcasing

9460487

I didn't think I'd find anything for this book, but there is actually a lot out there.
























I love the one with Emma and Jacob running through the woods. I also like the 3rd one down. It is a fun picture of Miss Peregrine.

Which is your favorite?