Thursday, February 28, 2013

Follow Me Friday

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow 

This is the day of the week where we get to know each other better by answering a question devised by our lovely hostesses Parajunkee & Alisoncanread. We also gain new followers by joining each other's sites via GFC, so please let me know if you're a new follower. And now for this week's question....

Q. Confess your blogger sins. Is there anything as a newbie blogger that you've done, that as you gained more experience you were like-- oops

A.  Well yes.. at first I thought I need to post all the time.. and that I needed all these followers.  So I would participate in all the memes and do everything to be involved.  But then I realized that if people like my blog and they like me then they are going to follow.  And people who like me .. just might mention my blog by word of mouth.  So now I just post when I read something and only participate in meme's when I feel like it.  I don't want blogging to be like a job.  Also... I used to use google images on my blog and then I found out this was illegal and that people are even being sued for it.  SCARY! 

What about you???? 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Bernard Beckett stops by to answer YOUR questions!

I have another great Questions and Answer with author Bernard Beckett all the way from New Zealand!!  He is the author of the the Young Adult Books Club's  book club pick for March Genesis.   He will will be with the group all month long!

As some of you may know... any time there is a Q&A with an author YOU get to come by and ask the questions or leave comments for him.  Be sure to stop by here and welcome him!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Superman: Last Son of Krypton by Richard Donner



I love a good graphic novel.. and I love comic book superheros.  This graphic novel was amazing.  This comic is actually written by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner.  What makes that so cool is that Richard Donner is the writer of the Superman movie.  Here is the goodreads description:


Geoff Johns' (JUSTICE LEAGUE, AQUAMAN, BLACKEST NIGHT, GREEN LANTERN, THE FLASH) two most acclaimed stories of his now classic ACTION COMICS run are now collected here, for the first time together! Along with co-writer Richard Donner (director of the original Superman feature films), Johns will take us on a epic journey that will leave Superman re-examining everything about himself. A rocket lands in Metropolis containing a boy Superman thinks is from Krypton. Along with figuring out what that means to him, Superman must protect young Christopher Kent, who has become the most valuable child on the planet thanks to his immense power. Will Superman be able to protect him against both Lex Luthor and his new Superman Revenge Squad, as well as the Phantom Zone criminals General Zod, Ursa and Non? This all sets the stage for Superman's showdown with one of his greatest foes: Brainiac! With art by Adam Kubert and Gary Frank, this new collection contains ACTION COMICS #844-846, #851, 866-870, and ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #11

The story in these comics are really good.. and the art is incredible! I love that Lois and Superman look like how they did in the movies.

 In this comic.. a new Kryptonian comes to earth.. which just so happens to be superboy.  When then find out this boy is the son of General Zod who is released from the Phantom Zone.  By the way I love the Phantom Zone!!  So anyways... a battle happens and oh did I mention that we get to see some great villains (Bizzaro) and the JUSTICE LEAGUE???  Yes!! Who saves the day??  Well not superman but superboy.  It's a sweet story.

The copy of the book I got from the library also includes the story about Superman VS Brainiac.  Again great artwork!


Brainiac is actually really scary.  The art made me realize just what a scary villain he is.  In this story superman stupidly goes to find Braniac who has been looking for him for years and years.  Brainiac then captures Metropolis in one of his glass jars and it seems like superman won't escape.  But with the help of supergirl all is well.  This story arc is actually what the next DC Universe Animated Movie about Superman coming out in 2013 is going to be about. This was announced at Comic Con 2012.

This comics have made me even more excited for the new movie.  I know no one liked the last movie Superman returns, but I actually enjoyed it.  I thought it was a good build up to the next movie Bryan Singer was going to create but never got a chance to. 


But the new movie I am totally stoked about and yes... I'll be camping out over night for it as usual!!



The crystal ball says:


Sun is shinning!!!  Great day to go outside and read this book.
 

Monday, February 25, 2013

Sever by Lauren DeStefano-Review


As some of you may know.. I have made it a mission to finish up the series that I have been reading.  I end up starting them through the Young Adult Book Club, and then we keep reading new books every month and I wasn't ever going back and finishing the series.  Well now I am!  And this is the last book in the Chemical Garden series.  Here is the goodreads description:



With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them. 

 Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

 In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.



I really thought this was a nice wrap up for a trilogy. It did not end in a bow.. there were still things wrong in the world, but we at least felt satisfied with knowing what happens to the characters. One thing that really drew me to this trilogy is the cover art.  I have found some people to really not like it .. but I think the covers are amazing:




I love all the little clues in each picture for the stories.  Just beautiful!

Spoilers to come:
OK... so as you know with the last book I was really disappointed that we left the mansion only to end up back at the mansion.  Well to tell the truth when I picked up this book from the library I couldn't remember for the life of me what exactly happened at the end of Fever.  I looked all over the internet trying to find a summary of the 2nd book.  Wikipedia didn't even have one! (shocker!!).  Sooo I just had to wing it off my memory.  

At the beginning of the book we are starting to find Rhine's brother finally... and forget about Gabriel.  It's like the people in the book don't really care about him.  We'll go find him when everything is all over Rhine decides.  Well he is a boring character anyways.  I feel we never really get to know him. This book I really have grown to love Cecily.  I think she has really matured and found out what the world is really like. Vaughn is still a good villain but now I am not so sure if he really was a villain or not.  Clearly he found the cure for everyone. And yes he went about it in terrible ways, but he did it.  I am not sure if he had just told the truth would the twins have just participated and helped the world?

Now Linden... Linden is a character I love sooooo much.  He is so in the dark .. but yet comes to the light.  I hate (big spoiler don't read ANY further if you haven't read the book).

when he dies.  I was so shocked and surprised, and yes I was surprised when Vaughn dies too.  But Linden I really wanted to see happy.  I wanted to see him and Cecily and their son live happily ever after.  The end of this book was nuts!  

I love how the carnival gets mixed up in the story again.  I thought that was important because I knew that somehow after reading Fever that the carnival had to more then one story.  The twists and turns and the fate that the carnival location brings is amazing.   I do wish we could've learned more about the virus.  Why only the US?  Where was the rest of the world?  Was no one helping?  Why would Hawaiians not even know that the continental US had a virus.  Vaughn said that the people there didn't know.  Too many questions here for me. 



The crystal balls says:
Clouds are covering! A read that lets me down every now and then but peaks out of the clouds!


Friday, February 22, 2013

Project Disney-Cinderella

Parajunkee Design



Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories. Inspired by Project Disney at Picture Me Reading.



This week's movie and book is Cinderella. Cinderella is my all time favorite fairy tale character.. EVER!!  I have loved her since I can remember.  The book is Cinderella by Charles Perrault , and also the version by The Grimm Brothers.   So obviously as most people know the Disney versions are never anything like the original story.  And Cinderella is no exception! In the Grimm version entitled Aschenputtel there is no fairy godmother, only doves from a graveyard where her mother is buried.  There is even blood and gore in the Grimm story! After Cinderella loses her slipper the price goes looking for the girl who lost it (just like in Disney's) BUT the stepsister cuts off her toes in order to fit in the slipper.  I love it!!  The other stepsister cuts off part of her heel to fit in it!!  MAYHEM! Then.. when Cinderella gets married at the end of the story those same doves come and pluck out the eyes of the stepsisters as punishment.  It's like a Stephen King novel!

Now the story of Cinderella by the original author Perrault is much more like the Disney version.  There is a fairy godmother, she does change things into objects (pumpkin into a carriage), and she gives Cinderella a beautiful gown. Turns out in both the stories I have mentioned here that there is more then one ball, and both having her return by midnight.  She loses her slipper and the prince finds it and brings it to her house for the stepsisters to try out.  They won't fit in it and Cinderella does.  The Stepsisters ask for forgiveness and Cinderella lets bygones by bygones. Well the second story is almost exactly like the Disney version.. but I can't help but love the Grimm version.




I actually have some fun items in my house from Cinderella! I have several nice Disney items in my bedroom that I have collected.. along with other memorabilia that I will post as we talk about the different books/movies.




And here again for you Disney fans out there... if you have not checked out Annie Leibovitz photos for the Disney campaign you must do!!Here is her vision of Cinderella, I know it's hard to see on my blog because of the way it's formatted.. but that is Scarlett Johanson!   I have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to Disney if you want to check it out!





My other Project Disney:
Treasure Planet
Snow White
Peter Pan
 Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio 
Fantasia 
Lady and the Tramp
Beauty and the Beast
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Tangled
Oliver and Company
Mulan
The Little Mermaid
Bambi
101 Dalmatians
Frozen
Fantasia 2000
The Jungle Book
The Emperor's New Groove
The Sword in the Stone
Aladdin
Atlantis
The Aristocats
The Lion King
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh (2011)
Robin Hood
Hercules
Pocahontas
Dumbo
The Black Cauldron 
Mary Poppins
Lilo and Stitch  
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Make Mine Music
Tarzan
Fox and the Hound 
Melody Time