Some of you might recall a previous LOTR spoof video I once showed; here is another excellent one that was brought to my attention by Chayal.
It's the story of LOTR compressed into 60 seconds. :| Enjoy.
Chortling,
-whisper
April 22, 2011
Audiobooks
I have discovered something wonderful.
Audiobooks.
I learned a few weeks ago that I can simultaneously listen to a story whilst doing my job (shelving books) at the library. Earning money and reading at the same time! Can life get better!?! *dazed expression* The trouble with this voracious feat of multitasking is that it tends to turn my mind to mush after a while. >_> Four solid hours of carrying books and alphabetizing books and sorting books and shelving books and picking up books and thinking about books while listening to a story the entire while can mess with one's mind a bit. But I will triumph! I am a fiercely stubborn multitasker, and I will not desist until my mind is slipping like melted butter from my ears! (I'm sure you're grateful for that lovely visual.)
I have already consumed five books on the job thus far, and they are as follows:
Walk Two Moons
Sharon Creech
I liked this one. It was unusual and a sort of modern-classic. Surprising, funny, sad, and entertaining. It's the story of a girl (with an epic name, "Salamonca Tree Hittle", or "Sal" for short) whose mother has left her family. It's a story of the girl's wanting her back, and the story of her friend Phoebe Winterbottom, and the lunatic, and Sal's grandparents, and... it's hard to explain. It was a good story, well-written, clean, quoteable, full of good morals and interesting thoughts. Recommended.
A Wrinkle In Time
Madeline L'Engle
This is a fantasy story about three children who find three strange, friendly old ladies living in the woods, and that encounter leads to a world-jumping adventure of strangeness. The children battle to save a brainwashed alternate world of rythmn and fact controlled by an evil, mysterious source of blackness. Didn't like this book so very much. Perhaps because it was meant for younger readers... anyhow, I found it to be rather slow and dull. Plus, the protagonist bugged me, and it is difficult to enjoy a tale when you are constantly wanting to give the protagonist a hearty smack.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Victor Hugo
Was a whopping 17.5 hours long. *eyes cross* But I made it through. And I really liked it. The book was nothing like the movie (which I've not seen but know enough about); it was instead one of those basically-everyone-dies-at-the-end kind of books. Quite depressing, but I liked it... then again, I have morbid tastes. >_> I'm not quite sure what the moral of the story was meant to be; perhaps "Regardless of who you are and however innocent you are, you're still in danger of getting hanged." Or maybe, "Desert your friends, and you might not get hanged." Or perhaps the ever-encouraging, "If you're guilty, they'll hang you. If you're innocent, they'll probably hang you anyway." Or even the extremely uplifting, "Be a complete jerk and you might not get hanged." It's a very wholesome and inspiring book, as you can see.
M
agyk
Angie Sage
I did not enjoy this book, the first installment of the Septimus Heap series. It seemed to be an immense and shameless rip-off of the Harry Potter series (the correlations between the characters, plot, and setting were ridiculously and numerous). Oh, and Harry Potter was not the only book to suffer idea plagiarism; in Magyk there was also a magic ring (conveniently found by someone lost in dark tunnel) as well as a White Witch. :| I jest not.
The book is rather slow-paced; not very exciting or memorable. There were a few redemptive qualities - funny scenes or the occasional worthy line, but all in all I found it rather cliche and dull. Perhaps because, like A Wrinkle in Time, it's meant for younger readers.
The Cricket in Times Square
George Selden
I read this one just today. Unlike Magyk, which was a whopping 13 hours long, this little tale was only about 3. I finished it easily in one work shift. It was cute, more like a short story or a fable than an actual novel, telling of a little cricket from Connecticut who accidently ends up in New York and becomes the pet of a newsboy. Not particularly exciting or fast paced tale, but it's endearing and had a nice little moral.
And because this post just wouldn't be complete without a list, here is how I rank these five books, from most favorite to least:
1. Walk Two Moons
2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
3. The Cricket of Times Square
4. A Wrinkle in Time
5. Magyk
That's all,
-whisper
Audiobooks.
I learned a few weeks ago that I can simultaneously listen to a story whilst doing my job (shelving books) at the library. Earning money and reading at the same time! Can life get better!?! *dazed expression* The trouble with this voracious feat of multitasking is that it tends to turn my mind to mush after a while. >_> Four solid hours of carrying books and alphabetizing books and sorting books and shelving books and picking up books and thinking about books while listening to a story the entire while can mess with one's mind a bit. But I will triumph! I am a fiercely stubborn multitasker, and I will not desist until my mind is slipping like melted butter from my ears! (I'm sure you're grateful for that lovely visual.)
I have already consumed five books on the job thus far, and they are as follows:
Walk Two Moons
Sharon Creech
I liked this one. It was unusual and a sort of modern-classic. Surprising, funny, sad, and entertaining. It's the story of a girl (with an epic name, "Salamonca Tree Hittle", or "Sal" for short) whose mother has left her family. It's a story of the girl's wanting her back, and the story of her friend Phoebe Winterbottom, and the lunatic, and Sal's grandparents, and... it's hard to explain. It was a good story, well-written, clean, quoteable, full of good morals and interesting thoughts. Recommended.
A Wrinkle In TimeMadeline L'Engle
This is a fantasy story about three children who find three strange, friendly old ladies living in the woods, and that encounter leads to a world-jumping adventure of strangeness. The children battle to save a brainwashed alternate world of rythmn and fact controlled by an evil, mysterious source of blackness. Didn't like this book so very much. Perhaps because it was meant for younger readers... anyhow, I found it to be rather slow and dull. Plus, the protagonist bugged me, and it is difficult to enjoy a tale when you are constantly wanting to give the protagonist a hearty smack.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Victor Hugo
Was a whopping 17.5 hours long. *eyes cross* But I made it through. And I really liked it. The book was nothing like the movie (which I've not seen but know enough about); it was instead one of those basically-everyone-dies-at-the-end kind of books. Quite depressing, but I liked it... then again, I have morbid tastes. >_> I'm not quite sure what the moral of the story was meant to be; perhaps "Regardless of who you are and however innocent you are, you're still in danger of getting hanged." Or maybe, "Desert your friends, and you might not get hanged." Or perhaps the ever-encouraging, "If you're guilty, they'll hang you. If you're innocent, they'll probably hang you anyway." Or even the extremely uplifting, "Be a complete jerk and you might not get hanged." It's a very wholesome and inspiring book, as you can see.
M
agykAngie Sage
I did not enjoy this book, the first installment of the Septimus Heap series. It seemed to be an immense and shameless rip-off of the Harry Potter series (the correlations between the characters, plot, and setting were ridiculously and numerous). Oh, and Harry Potter was not the only book to suffer idea plagiarism; in Magyk there was also a magic ring (conveniently found by someone lost in dark tunnel) as well as a White Witch. :| I jest not.
The book is rather slow-paced; not very exciting or memorable. There were a few redemptive qualities - funny scenes or the occasional worthy line, but all in all I found it rather cliche and dull. Perhaps because, like A Wrinkle in Time, it's meant for younger readers.
The Cricket in Times Square
George Selden
I read this one just today. Unlike Magyk, which was a whopping 13 hours long, this little tale was only about 3. I finished it easily in one work shift. It was cute, more like a short story or a fable than an actual novel, telling of a little cricket from Connecticut who accidently ends up in New York and becomes the pet of a newsboy. Not particularly exciting or fast paced tale, but it's endearing and had a nice little moral.
- - -
And because this post just wouldn't be complete without a list, here is how I rank these five books, from most favorite to least:
1. Walk Two Moons
2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
3. The Cricket of Times Square
4. A Wrinkle in Time
5. Magyk
That's all,
-whisper
April 15, 2011
Fields of Fireflies
Speaking of Fireflies, am I the only one who is inexplicably saddened by this song?
But I digress. *shakes head to clear it* I have a gladsome announcement! The Underground elf Rowan has (deja vu!) launched herself into the world of blogging! Please visit her lovely establishment:
Lost in Fields of Fireflies
Already Rowan has covered interesting topics such as spring, Legend of the Firefish (epic; read it), and modern-day slavery (atrocious; don't support it.)
*frowns* This was supposed to be bigger. Ah well. You get the idea. Fantastically lovely color scheme.
But I digress. *shakes head to clear it* I have a gladsome announcement! The Underground elf Rowan has (deja vu!) launched herself into the world of blogging! Please visit her lovely establishment:
Lost in Fields of Fireflies
Already Rowan has covered interesting topics such as spring, Legend of the Firefish (epic; read it), and modern-day slavery (atrocious; don't support it.)
*frowns* This was supposed to be bigger. Ah well. You get the idea. Fantastically lovely color scheme.Perplexed by an excess of inexplicability,
-whisper
-whisper
"It was a dark and stormy night..."
"It was a dark and stormy night – well, not so stormy as it was dark. Actually, it wasn't stormy at all, but the roads were slightly damp, and maybe the clouds were the ones drowning out the stars instead of the city lights. In any case, it was Tuesday."
- - - - -
Those are the opening lines of my college essay. My mighty brother Sting inspired them and I composed. I like them, and so did the teacher.
They make me happy.
Have you written some sentences lately that you're particularly pleased with? Have you invented a key phrase or clever metaphor that makes you smile when you read it?
Hoping to read it,
-whisper
April 5, 2011
The Ink and Quill of Hark
*cacophonious fanfare of trumpets* Hear ye, hear ye! Mine younger sister, the illustrious Hark, spy of the Duke of Then, has created for herself a blog! Please welcome the famed spy of Askervat to the blogosphere! *wild applause, confetti, drumroll, and tossing of spoons*
If you'd care to see the ramblings, pictures, and drawings of this illustrious elf, I direct you to
The Ink and Quill of Hark
Not only does it have a smashing layout, but it's also well-organized, random, entertaining, and colorful. Oh, and there's a cool picture of our Mini Schnauzer, Jack, wearing a hat. >_> I direct you there at once.
Without further ado,
-whisper
If you'd care to see the ramblings, pictures, and drawings of this illustrious elf, I direct you to
The Ink and Quill of Hark
Not only does it have a smashing layout, but it's also well-organized, random, entertaining, and colorful. Oh, and there's a cool picture of our Mini Schnauzer, Jack, wearing a hat. >_> I direct you there at once.
Without further ado,
-whisper
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