My Latest Obsessions- Dec. 2012

Writing another one of these again- don't know if this will be a regular monthly thing or not. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

Literature

~Calvin & Hobbes~ 

I freaking love this comic book series... a lot. I recently got back into reading the books that I've had since elementary school. So good! Bill Watterson is a genius. While Hobbes is my favorite character (naturally), I do like Calvin a lot as well as his alter-egos (Spaceman Spiff, etc.). Maybe one of these days I'll get The Complete Calvin & Hobbes edition.

~Call of the Wild & White Fang~

Along with reading "Soul of the Fire" by Terry Goodkind, I have also been reading Jack London's "Call of the Wild & White Fang" combo, and I have really been enjoying it. I think that my initiative to read more of the classics was a very good idea for me- especially since I have quite a few of them on my bookshelf as it is. I like London's writing style and his use of descriptive language, and in a way reminds me a bit of Rudyard Kipling's writing style (he wrote The Jungle Books, by the way). Not sure which one I'll read next, though I am seriously considering either one of Dumas' books (like "The Count of Monte Cristo" or "The Man in the Iron Mask") or "The Lost World" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Games

~Chrono Trigger~

With some of the money I received for Christmas this year, I bought Chrono Trigger for my DSi, and so far I am loving it. It's such a good RPG, and there are elements in it that I wish developers would remember and implement. So far, my favorite things about it are the fact that you can re-name all of the party characters, and the fact that there's no random encounters! Monsters do respawn every time you come back to an area, but if you don't want to fight for some reason, you can choose to avoid most of the potential conflicts. The combat is a refreshing idea for me in the fact that it (unlike most of the J-RPG games I've played) is not turn-based. It is set up a lot like Square Enix made the combat in Final Fantasy XIII.

~D&D~

I am still writing, working on, and fleshing out my D&D campaign. Lately I've been getting a lot more ideas for the main plot as well as dungeon and side quest ideas (otherwise I wouldn't have mentioned it in this post. I would certainly still be working on it, but it wouldn't warrant mentioning.) partially from stories/novels that I've been slowly working on (the world and a lot of the characters are directly out of a fantasy novel I've been working on in one form or another since 2001) as well as YouTube videos of D&D content. Hopefully one day I'll be able to DM a group through this campaign.

~Halo 4~

I got Halo 4 as a Christmas present, and from what I've played so far (basically the first 4 missions), I like it. The multiplayer aspect on the other hand... not so much. I like the fact that 343 Studios has given the multiplayer aspect a story/reason for being instead of the "Hey, let's play a game together and blow each other up" as it has been in past games. That's cool. I do NOT appreciate, in fact I HATE the fact that they are requiring you to purchase an Xbox Live Gold membership just to use multiplayer! It makes them out to be money-mongering you-know-whats! I hate that, and they aren't even the only ones who have done that (I'm looking at you Mass Effect 3 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood). If you have the option for multiplayer in your game, then you should bloody well make said option available for all players with the purchase of the game. If you want to require another purchase to use/run another feature, then sell it as a separate entity. If I buy a game, I expect to be able to fully enjoy all of it with the already outrageous purchase price of $60 (or around there). That, and they require you to level up unlock your emblem! That doesn't really make sense, especially since there's even less options than there was in Halo: Reach. They're making you get all the way up to SR-21 just to get the ability to unlock your emblem background for goodness sake! Anyway... *getting off soapbox now* At least the single player campaign is good so far. I'm really interested in seeing how it ends.

Music (and in this month's case, movies as well)

~Les Misérables~

Les Mis is by far my favorite musical of all time. Though, sadly, I have not seen a professional stage production of it (maybe I'll get to one day), I was involved in my high school's student production of it my freshman year (I was in the pit orchestra). This was actually the first time I had ever heard of it, and I quickly fell in love with the story, but more importantly the music. I bought the original London cast recording off of iTunes and I have many times blasted it in the car (when I was alone of course) belting along with the recording... and eventually getting hoarse because most of the male characters are tenors and it gets too high for me a lot. My favorite songs are "Master of the House" and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables". I bought the new movie soundtrack version, and as with what I did with The Hobbit soundtrack, I don't want to listen to the soundtrack til after I see the movie so I don't spoil anything. I have not been able to see the new movie version (with Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman) because I wanted to take my fiancee with me, but I will as soon as possible! I might even post a review! I'm so excited to see it!

~The Hobbit~

I have been waiting and excited for this movie since I first heard of its existence back in 2010. As you can probably guess from my other posts as of late, I liked it a lot, though I don't think it was perfect (it had some big shoes to fill and expectations to make from The Lord of the Rings films). I bought the soundtrack on iTunes the day after I saw it on the midnight release. Howard Shore did a fabulous job, and I'm excited (and to be honest a little nervous) to see what Peter Jackson and Howard Shore do with the other two films. I'm sure they will be good, even if they're as good as the first one. I will at least give them a chance and see them in theaters when they are released.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Reading

GREED

What is your most expensive book? What is your least expensive book?

• My most expensive book is "Civil War Almanac" by John C. Fredriksen ($26) and my least expensive one is "The Lost World" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (free)

WRATH
What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

• Robert Jordan. I love his books, but they're so long, often hard to get through certain parts, and dear Lord do I hate Nynaeve as a character!

GLUTTONY
What book have you deliciously devoured over and over with no shame whatsoever?

• "The Swiss Family Robinson" by Johann David Wyss and "Rocket Boys" by Homer Hickham Jr.

SLOTH
What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?

• "Sabriel" by Garth Nix and "Winter's Heart" by Robert Jordan

PRIDE
What book do you most talk about in order to sound like a very intellectual reader?

• "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck and "The Iliad" by Homer

LUST
What attributes do you find most attractive in characters of the opposite sex?

• She has to be kind and caring as well as strong enough to fend for herself

ENVY
What books would you most like to receive as a gift?

• "The Lord of the Rings" (50th Anniversary One Volume Edition) by J.R.R. Tolkien and "1356" by Bernard Cornwell

Be The Cure!

Electronic Circuit Art

Hobbit Critics Have It All Wrong!

Seth Abramson Article from Huffington Post

This is a link to an article written by Seth Abramson from The Huffington Post. I agree wholeheartedly with his opinions. I believe that people who dislike The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have either A) Not read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (or at least The Hobbit) or B) Do not have the right frame of mind about the movie's purpose. It is NOT specifically a direct movie adaptation of the book. It is partially that, but it is also a venue to give important back-story to the history of Middle Earth as well as a bridge to connect the gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which I believe we will see more of in movies #2 and 3. I think it will help one's enjoyment immensely if they don't see this film as just a movie adaptation, but really as one complete story that they have made out of chronological order.

Tchaikovsky... Wynton Marsalis Style!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

*SPOILER ALERT- YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*

While this movie was not what I was expecting, and certainly not what I would call "perfect", it was still an amazing movie, that I already want to see again. It is definitely worth your time whether you've read the book or not! Let me get the not-so-good out of the way and then I'll talk about the good stuff. I also want to preface this by saying that I have read The Hobbit more than once, but it has been a long time since I re-read it last, so please don't jump down my throat if I don't remember something exactly how it happened. Okay... here we go!

The one thing that was bugging me almost the entire movie, is that Gandalf tells Bilbo that since his blade was of Elvish make from Gondolin, it will glow when orcs are about. The problem with that is that it only started glowing when goblins were around. That, and why didn't Orcrist and Glamdring glow? They were made from the same Elves from the same city! It's not a big deal, but it was really bothering me.

Okay... I like the fact that they added Radagast the Brown to the movie, but did they have to make his wig have bird poop all over it? He's supposed to be weird- not freaking insane! And the rabbit/hare sled? I'm not sure that's Tolkien kosher, but I could be wrong...

To me, there was too much comedy in the film. Most of the time it was welcome, but it made the balance of epicness, suspense, drama, and funny bits off-kilter. I think it would have been better if they had made the jokes less frequent. That would make them more memorable and special. I think this was just another case of "Gimli-fying" the movie. By that I mean that they made characters that were pretty serious in the book the comedic relief. Don't get me wrong- it doesn't usually take away from the movie, but I feel like it was taken a bit too far in The Hobbit.

Alright Peter Jackson... if you're going to put pictures of Beorn in the posters, pictures, and ads for The Hobbit #1, then PUT HIM IN THE FREAKING MOVIE! I know that he's going to be in #2 (especially since the rock/outcrop/thing that the Dwaves, Bilbo, & Gandalf gets dropped off of at the end by the eagles strongly resembles a bear's head), but why put him in posters, and then not have him in the movie your advertising partially using him. I just don't get it.

I'm just gonna come out and say it... Nori's hair is freaking ridiculous and I hate it! His beard and moustache are cool, but his hair is stinking dumb. Ugh! Honestly, at first, when I first saw the character design for the Dwarves, I wasn't really all that impressed, but most of them kind of grew on me. Nori did not.

This one isn't really a bad thing or a complaint, but I found it very strange that Bombur said absolutely NOTHING the whole movie... it was kinda weird. Not bad, just weird. Also- he uses a huge spoon/ladle thing as a weapon... not sure how I feel about that yet.

...And now to the good stuff :)

OH MY GOSH, THE MUSIC!! I freaking love Howard Shore, and he did an amazing job with An Unexpected Journey. Also, the Misty Mountains Cold song/theme is my favorite part of the movie- don't ask why because it just is. I love it! Totally going to buy the soundtrack!

Without seeing the movie, I was really nervous about the characters themselves, specifically the Dwarves. After seeing the movie, I have no problems with any of the characters, personality-wise. My favorites are Balin and Bofur. I actually was surprised myself, but I actually like Kili and Fili as well (explanation of this in the next paragraph)! The characters I'm still nervous about- at least in personality and/or execution- are the ones entering in the later movies. Those characters being Tauriel, Bard, Thranduil, and Legolas.

I love the explanations to things I read and understood in the book, but never really thought about how it might have come about, like when Gandalf brought the sunlight about to turn the trolls to stone. I also like the reasoning behind why Kili and Fili don't have beards (which really bothered me before- I thought that the reason why they did that was to create a man-candy character for girls to drool over like they did in Lord of the Rings *cough*Legolas*cough*), but I like the idea that they haven't grown their beards out yet due to the fact that they are at least 50 years younger than all of the other Dwarves in the party (and that's a fact from the book!). That and they played well off of each other in the movie. I also dug all of the Lord of the Rings, appendices, and Silmarillion references throughout the movie.

The 3D is great, and this is seriously how it should be done from now on. No more crappy, post-production afterthought, wallet fattener 3D, but good, intentional 3D. This is coming from a person that is not a fan of 3D at all, and has said that it's just a money-mongering gimmick. The only movies that I've seen that have had good 3D effects in so far have been Avatar and The Hobbit. That's it, and that's a crying shame. More movie makers should be following Peter Jackson and James Cameron's lead- at least in the realm of 3D movies.

I will be seeing this movie again, so I may come back to this review and explain things further, change my mind, etc. Also keep in mind that while I did gripe and nitpick about a few things, they certainly did not detract from the movie as a whole, I'm just a huge nerd who loves J.R.R. Tolkien's books!

Overall, it was a great movie, and a good film adaptation to the book. I give it 5 out of 5 stars! GO SEE IT ALREADY!!

Important Thoughts via Ben Stein

*Sorry about the format- Blogspot is being a jerk*

Apparently the White House referred to Christmas Trees as “Holiday Trees” for the first time this year which prompted CBS presenter, Ben Stein, to present this piece which I would like to share with you. I think it applies just as much to many countries as it does to America . . .

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, “Merry Christmas” to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crib, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her: “How could God let something like this happen?” (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said: “I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?”

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, Part 2

So here is part two of my Christmas music sharing, and these are all modern pieces. Again, I will link you to the song rather than putting the music video in this post. If it's too big of a hassle, just let me know, and I will consider putting the videos in. Hope these bring good memories and the warm fuzzies of Christmas :)

• I Celebrate the Day- Relient K

If you are a Christian, like me, I would not be surprised if you cried or felt like crying from this song. It has a nice melody, and the lyrics hit home for the religious among us. Wish I could play the acoustic guitar part as well as Matt Thiessen does, but I'll get there eventually. (I Celebrate the Day) I also really like the song In Like A Lion (Always Winter) from that same CD. It's inspired by C.S. Lewis' book The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe.

• You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch- Thurl Ravenscroft

This song is one of the coolest Christmas songs from the older movies. While I'm kind of sick and tired of the actual Grinch movies, I love the music from the original- this song in particular. GO BASSES! If a tenor sung this song, it wouldn't be the same. The lyrics are so interesting, and I like the clarinet parts underneath Thurl Ravenscroft's voice. Even his name fits the tone of the song!

• The 12 Days of Christmas- Straight No Chaser

I think everyone's heard this song/medley by now, but to me it doesn't diminish the fact that I still like it. The a'capella is done very well, and it's funny. If you haven't heard it, you should give it a listen here. Definitely worth your time. 

• The Christmas Song- Nat King Cole

There are a ton of different versions of this song out, but I still come back to this one every time. Nat's voice and phrasing is just so smooth. The version with his daughter. Natalie Cole is also good is as well, but I kind of prefer the original.

• White Christmas- Bing Crosby

Even though I've lived in California my whole life and have never had a real white Christmas, I still like this song. I think it's more about the mentality the song puts you in, rather than it being correct for the area you live in. And of course, you can't go wrong with Bing Crosby singing it either. The Drifters version is also very nice as well.

• Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas-Michael Buble

I like Michael Buble's voice, especially since it reminds me of Frank Sinatra's voice before the smoking and drinking got to it. This is a slower rendition, which is nice. Michael's voice is nice, and has a more baritone sound (i'm not sure whether he's a tenor or a baritone... if he is a baritone, he's got a great range- or at least a better one than mine). I also enjoy listening to Relient K's version, which is more fast paced and "rock-ish".

• Cool Yule- Louis Armstrong

I had to add a jazzy Christmas song, and who better to add than good 'ol Satchmo himself? I liked this one better than his version (or any version for that matter) of "'Zat You, Santa Claus?". Good for a Christmas party, especially if you like to dance.

• Milk & Cookies- Clint Black

Yes, this is country, and yes I like it *surprise, surprise*. This has been a part of every Christmas since I was a small child. This one is on Clint Black's CD titled "Looking For Christmas". I also like the song The Coolest Pair from the same album.

• Wizards in Winter-Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Definitely the most epic Christmas music out there. Wizards in Winter is my favorite on their album, but I also like Wish Liszt (Toy Shop Madness) as well. The Wizards video is of someone's Christmast lights that they have synced to the song, which is pretty cool- I would have no idea how to do that myself.

• Run, Run Rudolph- Chuck Berry

This is another rock-ish Christmas song, and I definitely dig the 50's rock style. Chuck Berry is awesome! I wouldn't mind a rock 'n roll 'lectric guitar for Christmas either :) 

Words To Live By

Welcome to my World...

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, Part 1

So I have decided to start a new series that involves music, since most of my content revolves around video games, fantasy, and reading. Music is a big part of my like, it's what I majored in in college, and I want to share it with you. Basically what I'll be doing is sharing songs I enjoy listening to, talking a little bit about it, and then linking you to a video of the song itself (putting it into the actual post will clog up my blog). Since Christmas is right around the corner, I thought that I would start off with some of my favorite Christmas songs/carols. These are ones that are more traditional- I'll post another one in a day or two with more modern Christmas songs. Hope you like these!

• Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht/Oiche Chiuin

This is absolutely my favorite Christmas carol of all time! While the English version (a.k.a. Silent Night) is nice, I prefer the original German version a lot more. The Gaelic version is also very nice. Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht is the German and Oiche Chiuin is the Gaelic, in case you were wondering, and the links are performed by the St. Thomas Boys Choir & Enya, respectively.

• Carol of the Bells

Whether it's the instrumental or vocal version, I love this song. Both the Celtic Woman & the Philippine Madrigal Singers versions are good.

• Coventry Carol

This song is a traditional English song, I believe, and it is so haunting to listen to. It's even better when sung in a cathedral where the sound just echoes. I like the Hayley Westenra version, but especially the Westminster Cathedral Choir recording.

• In the Bleak Midwinter

Another Engish traditional song, but this time performed by the Gloucester Cathedral Choir. Very pretty song.

• The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71A

There should be no explanation as to why I enjoy this one. Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

• O Holy Night

Was originally a French Christmas carol called "Minuit Chrétiens", but was translated into English by John Sullivan Dwight. Just a typical Christmas carol, but I like the fact that the chorus is so powerful, lyrically and dynamically. I couldn't find a version on YouTube that really caught my interest, but the Josh Groban version isn't too bad.

• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Another traditional English carol first published in 1833. I really like the Annie Lennox- it's pretty cool.

• Still, Still, Still

This song originated in Austria, so it is highly appropriate that I'm linking you to the Vienna Boys Choir recording.

• O Tannenbaum

Another German song, my fellow Americans would recognize this song as "O Christmas Tree". This, as with Silent Night, I feel like the original German is better than the English translation. Nana Mouskouri sings it in this recording.

• Don Oiche Ud I mBeithil

The last one for this post is a Gaelic Christmas song that I think is truly beautiful. In this version, The Chieftains play the instrumental parts with Kevin Conneff singing the lyrics.

The Hobbit Behind the Scenes #9- Post-Production

Lord of the Rings Music- Piano Guys Style!

Pretty Much...This Weekend's Gonna Suck

Late Medieval Humor

My Favorite Book Designs

With the holiday season upon us, this blog is probably going to get very...uh, techy, with all the video game stuff coming out, so I thought I would post something a bit more literary before all that comes up. This is another YouTube inspired video (there's gonna be a lot more of these in the future- I think they're good for getting ideas to write about), but this time I got the idea from Sanne of Books and Quills. I'm not going to rank them, for one- because I find it really difficult to definitively rank things, and two, sometimes I just want to share things with people without making it some kind of contest. Anyway, here are some books/series that I really like the art style and/or the design of the cover and spine. To be honest, it's mainly about book series, but there are a couple standalone books in there

The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

This is not because Terry Goodkind is one of my favorite authors, but it certainly makes the experience of reading his books more enjoyable. Even though the design is pretty simple, in this case I just like the art that is on the covers. My favorite ones of the series are "Wizard's First Rule", "Stone of Tears", "Soul of the Fire", "Faith of the Fallen", and "The Pillars of Creation". After book 7, the artwork got really boring- I think they hired a different person. I will say that as much as I like the covers, I do think that they could have done a better job of designing the spine. The publishing company basically copied the cover for the spine- it has the same picture on it, but smaller. Not that that's necessarily bad, it's just...well, boring.

The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

This is another one of my favorite authors, but where Goodkind's art kind of lacks, Jordan's cover art shines. The art is very good, but my favorite part is that the whole books is one art piece. By that I mean that the art wraps around the whole book, so the spine and the back side are just as interesting. The main characters might be on the front cover looking awesome, but on the back side, you might see some shady characters following them, watching in the shadows. Very cool. I love all of these covers, there isn't a single one I don't like.

The Legend of Drizzt series by R.A. Salvatore

The art of this series is also very well done, and like The Wheel of Time series, there's unique art on the back side as well. Is it just me, or do fantasy (and to some extent, sci-fi) have the best book art in literature? A lot of other book genres have good book design, but the art to me isn't always as good (there will be an exception to this later in the list though). My favorites from this series (of the ones that I own- there's a LOT of these books now) are "Exile", "Sojourn", "The Crystal Shard", and "Streams of Silver".

The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tokien

Here we go- finally a single novel and not a series! This is the only book of Tolkien's that I have where I like the book art for. As much as I love Tolkien's books, I seem to have all of the ugly versions of it, and still haven't replaced my movie tie-in copies of The Lord of the Rings (gasp!). I'll definitely upgrade in the future, but for now I'll just have to make do. How can you not like the art of this book!? It was done by Alan Lee himself! I shouldn't have to explain myself further.

The Chronicles of the Cheysuli series by Jennifer Roberson

This series was originally eight books, but I have the omnibus edition, which pares it down to 4 books- each with two of the original books inside. This series, and this author for that matter, should be getting a lot more attention than what it has been receiving. They're wonderful books and I highly recommend that you pick them up if fantasy lit. is your thing. Anyway, I like the artwork of these books (duh, that's why this is on the list!), but I don't really have a good reason for it... I just do.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

This may be a little weird, but as good as the cover art for the Harry Potter books is, the main reason I like them (other than the incredible writing of course!) is the design for the spines. I have the full set- I think it's called the treasure box set? The front cover art is good, especially for The Goblet of Fire (which also happens to be my favorite book in the series). What I like about the spines is that they have a cool diamond patter, almost argyle-like in complementary colors. The spine for The Half-Blood Prince for example has diamonds of forest green down the middle, and the sides are of a more lime/avocado color.

The Iliad & The Odyssey by Homer

Now for these two books, I'm talking about the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition- the ones translated by Robert Fagles. Mainly I just like the design and the color scheme of the covers. The art on the top half of the book is cool, but mainly I just like the combination of the blue, white, and beige parts of the cover. That, and I feel like they make my bookshelf look a bit more sophisticated. I'm not really sure why- I just do.

The Nathaniel Starbuck series by Bernard Cornwell

Even though there's about 6 different fonts on the cover of these books, I still like them. The pictures behind the text are cool as well as give it a more "old-timey" feel for lack of a better description. The gold behind the title also makes it stick out against the brown and black background (it looks kind of brown in the picture, but it's really more of a gold color in person). My favorite cover in this series is for book three, which is called "Battle Flag"- pictured above. The red and blue really pop out at you in comparison to the otherwise dark background. Really cool covers!

Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell

Honestly, whoever Bernard Cornwell and/or his publishing company gets to do the cover art for his novels is freaking amazing! You should really check out his books, for both the art and the awesome writing! I like the close-up of the knight's armor, but (it might be too small to see here) there's also flecks and blotches of red all over the cover and the spine, making it look like it was sprayed with blood, which I think is a cool effect.

Borders Classics/Barnes & Noble Classics

A lot of people have the Penguin Classics or Oxford Classics books, but I have been buying the Borders Classics and the Barnes & Noble Classics series (since Borders went out of business). I do like the Borders Classics a little more in their design, like the fact that the author's name at the bottom looks handwritten, and the two different pictures that give it texture. Other than that, they're pretty similar. They both have a colored bar where the title of the book goes, and a cool work of art that applies to the story itself. Hopefully one day I'll be able to have a full set, minus the authors I would never read (*cough*Bronte & Austen*cough*).

My Latest Obsessions- Nov. 2012

Lately I've been trying to write more content for this blog and not just post links or videos of things I think are cool. I hope to be adding more content in the future, and this (hopefully) series is a start. I got the idea for this from Kristina Horner (italktosnakes on YouTube) with her "Things I'm Into" videos that she posts every month. Mine will be set up a lot like hers, but since we're two completely different people (duh!), the content will be quite varied. So, here we go!

Literature *This will include books as well as comics (web-based or otherwise)

~The Sword of Truth series~

As you can probably guess from my "What I'm Reading" posts, I have been reading this series by Terry Goodkind for a while now- and I love it! Yes, the books are ridiculously long, but I think that it's a good thing. Why would you want something that is fun, engaging, and high quality to be really short? The depth that Goodkind goes into is great, and he tackles more complex and sometimes adult issues, and does it in a careful, respectful way. The only complaint I would make about the series is that Goodkind has the annoying habit of reminding the reader of past content... a lot. If I read the previous books, I already know this content you're "reminding" me of, and don't need to hear it again. An occasional reminder is good, especially if you're pretty far in a series and you're referring to an event in a much earlier book. It just seems like it was put there solely for the purpose of growing the word/page count. Honestly, other than that, I really like this series of books, and I would highly recommend them to any avid reader- especially if you love fantasy!

~Questionable Content~

Holy moley, I have spent so much time on this web comic lately, it's not even funny! This comic has been around for a while (they have over 2000 comics- and counting!) and I just found out about it last week. The characters are awesome (Pintsize is my favorite, of course *pictured above*) and the story is engaging. All in all it's a delightful way to use my free time :)

~Dumbing of Age~

This is another recent web comic find from tumblr that I've been getting into as of late. Set on a college campus, and has a wide variety of characters, with an art style that doesn't make me want to gouge my eyes out. By that I mean that I can tell what the heck the author is trying to portray in each frame, it's cleaned up, and the text is large enough and clear enough for me to read. Tackles some intense topics sometimes, and I think that the creator pulls it off- most of the time. Sometimes when religion comes into play it gets taken a bit too far, but it doesn't take away from the comic much- the fact that I still read it proves that. You should at least give it a try! While I don't like this one as much as Questionable Content or the other web comics I read (blog post on those to come), I still really like it.

Games *Video or otherwise

~Dungeons and Dragons~

Back in college, my friends got me into D&D, which I had wanted to play for a while. Now that I've graduated, I haven't really found anyone to play with yet, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying this awesome hobby! For the past couple months I've been working on creating a campaign that is based in the world of a book I was working on a while back. I wasn't having much success with writing the book, but I loved the world I created (and which I'm still working on), so I decided to make it into a D&D campaign! It's been working out pretty good so far. The main things that I've been focusing on lately have been the plot (main quests as well as side quests) and fleshing out the map. Lots of fun!

~The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim~

If you've read my blog at all- even in the past couple days, you could probably guess how much I freaking love this game. I've been getting back into playing it again after a short hiatus due to mods conflicting with the Hearthfire DLC (which I still have yet to play on my PC copy!). Now that I believe I've fixed the problem and started over with new characters, I think I'll be playing this more often. This will especially be true when the newly announced Dragonborn DLC hits the shelves (I posted the trailer for it on my blog today). I am SUPER excited for this DLC, as it looks to be bigger than Dawnguard was (and I loved Dawnguard!).

~Minecraft/Tekkit~

I think I will always play this game- it only gets boring if your imagination runs out of ideas! Plus, the Technic Pack mod collection adds a TON of new content and possibilities of play. While my ideas aren't the greatest (and certainly aren't very original), it is still very fun to build things and beat up creepers and endermen.

Music

~Lake Street Dive~

I recently heard about this group from a friend of Facebook who had posted a video of one of their performances. I liked it so much that I bought both of their albums and one of their EPs. The lead singer's voice is freaking gorgeous, and the musicianship is top notch. I absolutely LOVE their cover of "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oates! Go listen to their cover of I Want You Back by The Jackson 5 and you'll fall in love with them like I did!

~John Williams~

John Williams is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest name in film composing these days, and there's a reason why he's at the top. I've known about his music for a long time, but I just recently got back into listening to his soundtracks on my iPod. His ability to create wonderful and memorable melody lines is uncanny. I had the opportunity my freshman year of college to see him conduct the San Diego Symphony live. It was so awesome- one of my favorite concert experiences of all time! It would be hard for me to pick a favorite of his, but I guess if I had to, his Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Amistad, and Harry Potter soundtracks would be my top 5 picks. Also, John Williams Is The Man!

Skyrim Dragonborn DLC Trailer

Just Ignore The Flautist's Hands

Awesome!

Facts You May Not Have Known About "The Lord of the Rings"

1. Gandalf's original Maiar name was Olorin, but has also gone by Tharkun and Mithrandir.
2. There are three more wizards in LotR besides Gandalf and Saruman that weren't mentioned in the movies. They are: Radagast, Alatar, and Pallando.
3. Every single character in LotR wears a wig, except for Peter Jackson's son Billy, who was a hobbit extra in Fellowship of the Ring.
4. There were 144 guests at Bilbo's birthday party in the book, but there were only 100 at the party in the movie.
5. The portraits of Bilbo's parents in Bag End over the mantelpiece are modeled after Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh.
6. In Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring cameo, he's actually "smoking" a carrot because the pipe made him sick.
7. The goblin forges of Orthanc are real... they were built in a foundry and the goblins working it are actually foundry employees in costume.
8. The ringwraith's screams are based on Fran Walsh's scream with a throat infection.
9. The ring that is shown after Frodo drops it in the mountains is actually 6 inches across.
10. Bill the Pony is actually played by a pantomime horse in some scenes.
11. Glamdring (Gandalf's sword) is also supposed to glow in the presence of orcs like Sting, but because of budget cuts, never happened.
12. Orcs were originally elves that Morgoth (Sauron's master) corrupted.
13. The shot of the fellowship mourning Gandalf's death in Lothlorien was shot before Sir Ian McKellen had even arrived in New Zealand to work.
14. The Numenorean ruins at the breaking of the fellowship scene were actually re-purposed from Weathertop.
15. Aragorn wears Boromir's bracers throughout the second and third films as a tribute to him.
16. The warg attack in The Two Towers was originally supposed to be a night attack on Edoras, but since they couldn't light it properly they had to change it.
17. The young Rohirrim that Aragorn talks to at Helm's Deep in The Two Towers is Philippa Boyen's son.
18. When Gandalf returns to help at Helm's Deep, the Riders were supposed to be led by Erkenbrand, not Eomer.
19. The Fangorn Forest attacking Orthanc was Tolkien's response to his disappointment that the forest in MacBeth was fake.
20. The Black Gate is shown as two gates in the movie due to a typo in the script given to the art department.
21. 6 million feet of film was shot for the film... that's about 1,100 miles of film.
22. Howard Shore had to write 7 minutes of music a day to keep up the pace.
23. Christopher Lee is the only cast member to have actually met J.R.R. Tolkien.
24. Galadriel's gift to Frodo- the light of Earendil- is actually Elrond's father.
25. Elijah Wood had Alka-Seltzer tablets in his mouth so that it would foam when Shelob stabbed him.
26. Elrond's brother was the first king of Numenor, so that makes him very distant relatives of Aragorn's.
27. Arwen is Galadriel's granddaughter.

From the Mouths of...Hot Chicks...

True 'Dat

(*I'll probably post a more intelligent response to this later, but for now all I have to say to this is "I really freaking agree with her!")

Skyrim Inspired Minecraft

11 Incredible Skyrim-Inspired Minecraft Builds

Also, Minecraft for the Xbox360 is getting an update soon- with creative mode! Yay update 1.8.2!!

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen DLC Trailer

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trailer #2

Dragon Age III: Inquisition

I feel like I should be way more excited for this game than I am. I loved Dragon Age: Origins, and though there were many flaws and changes I didn't care for, I liked Dragon Age II. I will buy DA3 when it comes out, it's inevitable, but I want to find out more information before I can geek out about it. BioWare's panel at PAX East this year helped to explain some things and assure me that they're at least trying to not screw this up. I think that they will be able to combine the good parts of both DA:O and DA2 to make an amazing game. BioWare is totally capable of that (as long as EA isn't involved). Here is a link to a couple videos of their PAX panel. One is a brief overview of their panel, and the other is a Q&A video. Pretty interesting info should be coming out soon!

BioWare PAX East panel

I Can't Decide...

So I am close to finishing one of the books I'm reading and I'm having trouble deciding on which book I should read next. Let me know what you think! Should I...

A) Continue on with the series I'm currently in?

Faith of the Fallen- Terry Goodkind

B) Read another fantasy novel?

The Name of the Wind- Patrick Rothfuss

C) Continue with a previous series?

The Templar Salvation- Raymond Khoury

D) Read a historical fiction novel?

1356- Bernard Cornwell

E) Re-read a favorite book from my childhood?

The Swiss Family Robinson- Johann David Wyss

What I'm Reading- 9/16/12

Wow, it has been a long time! Even though it has not been as often as I would have liked, I have been reading since my last update in January. My last semester of college and the current job search have made that more difficult, but I'm managing. Here's what I've been getting myself into as of late:

Soul of the Fire- Terry Goodkind

Yes, I'm still reading this book... a bit shameful, yes, but it's a long book! My last semester was VERY busy (...and I admit, I read The Hunger Games trilogy instead of this for a while...). I did get a chance to read quite a bit this week while my girlfriend was visiting. She just got around to reading The Hunger Games, and I worked on finishing this one. While I'm not done yet, I am 617 pages in on a 788 page book. So that makes me 78.3% through the book with  only 171 pages left. I can do this! It is an enjoyable read, and I am looking  forward to how it ends, as well as the next book of this series (Faith of the Fallen) when I finish Soul of the Fire.

Call of the Wild and White Fang- Jack London

I decided a while back that I wanted to expand out of my reading rut. While I love reading fantasy novels, it's pretty much all I read. I wanted to read more of the classics. This is fortunate because I have a shelf full of them, and I haven't read most of them! I resolved to read one fantasy novel and one classic at a time, and started out by reading The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling (which was during my 9 month long-time-no-post period), which I liked for the most part. I have read some of the classics (or at least books I consider classics), like The Iliad, The Swiss Family Robinson, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc., so it's not like I'm some uncultured ingrate or anything... I just really enjoy fantasy. I haven't gotten very far with Call of the Wild, since I just started reading it, and I have been trying to finish Soul of the Fire. The reason this book piqued my interest is because I watched the 1991 Disney version of White Fang (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103247/) when I was little and really enjoyed it. It will be interesting to see the similarities and differences in both mediums.

The Crystal Shard- R.A. Salvatore

Yeeeeeep, still "reading" this one. Definitely putting this one on the back burner for a while. Not that it's a bad novel, it's just that there are other books I'd rather be reading right now. I'll get around to finishing it one of these days- I promise :)

My Favorite Dreamworks Movies

So, to hopefully motivate/stimulate me into blogging more (sensing a trend here...), I thought I would continue with the last list series I started a while back: animated movies. Yes, I know I do a lot of lists on this blog, but it's what I do- I make lists... a lot. So here are my top 10 Dreamworks movies! Feel free to laugh, cry, or disagree in a comment.

10. Shrek Forever After (2010)

9. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

8. Prince of Egypt (1998)

7. Road to El Dorado (2000)

6. Chicken Run (2000)

5. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

4. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

3. Shrek (2001)

2. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

1. Kung Fu Panda (2008)