I have a lot of books. I guess you could say that's one of my guilty pleasures. It's so hard to resist picking up a new book or adopting some from a thrift store. So I've gathered quite I few over the years. I'm sure it's not us much as some people, but it's enough where each shelf is stuffed with two layers of books instead of one, and I'm starting to stack books on top of the two rows as well. The thing is I haven't read a good chunk of them. I picked them up because they sounded good and I fully intended on reading them. I just haven't yet.
Here's my challenge: to read every book on my shelf that I haven't read (excluding nonfiction and some collections of short stories). I thought I should start in order as I do have most of them arranged by author. Any guesses as to what book number one is? I'll give you a hint. The author's last name starts with an A and ends with an lcott. That's right. Louisa May Alcott is the writer and the book is Little Women. I'll admit, I almost skipped over this one. I'm horrible right? I'm familiar with the story. I even read half of it once when I was younger. I read up until the point when Meg got married, and then I was so bored I couldn't continue.
Well, I'm pretty sure I've told you all about my belief that sometimes books deserve a second chance. I obviously thought this one warrented a second chance seeing as I did buy it at some point after I'd read that portion of it. I really do like the story. I'm thinking this time, now that I'm older and a little more used to this type of literature, that I'll enjoy it more. I'll finally be able to say I've read it through instead of just knowing the story from seeing the movie. Huzzah!
You'll get to hear about all my adventures too. It wouldn't be fair of me to leave you out of this. I'll keep you posted on the books I read and what I think of them once I'm finished. Feel free to read along with me and let me know what you think as well. I do love discussing a good book...or even a really bad one :)
When the movie The Prince of Persia came to theaters, I remember talking with some people about it at work. One of my coworkers commented how the storyline of the film differed from that of the video game it is based off of. Another coworker then said something to the effect of, "Video games don't have storylines."
Bless her heart.
I was thinking about this recently as I finished the aforementioned Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. (Side note: I love this series and you should to. Play it or die! Or don't and live I guess...) I would have to disagree with my coworker's comment. Even many of the simplest video games have some sort of plot. Want some examples and pictures? Good because that's what you're about to get.
Anyoone remember this beauty? I would remember it years later for it's theme that so easily got stuck in my head... Oh great. Now it's going to be there for awhile. Anyway, the gameplay pretty much consisted of you moving your little dinosaur around, blowing bubbles at enemies, and then popping them once the enemies got trapped inside. You only have to make it through 100 levels to make it to the end of the game! But why? Why would you spend quarter after quarter to make it to level 100 besides the obvious addictive quality of the game? What is your little dinosaur's motive for running around blowing bubbles from his mouth? Well, let me tell you in a very simple fashion. Your dinosaur is actually a guy who as been magicked into dinosaur form! And you have to get to level 100 to save your captured girlfriend and hopefully return yourself to normal! Although, given the choice, I might choose to remain a bubble blowing dinosaur, but that's just me.
My sister and I discovered Burger Island for the Wii a couple years ago. We were hooked. We played that thing night and day. Everyone knows that a fast food environment is much more fun when you're experiencing it from the comforts of your own home! This game isn't that hard to figure out--a customer makes an order and you fulfill it. Simple enough right? Well, it can get pretty tricky, but it's also addictive. At least, it seems to be addictive to the lady folk. Guys don't seem to understand the appeal. That's the case in my experience anyway. There was one part my sister always skipped over when we played: the bit in between levels where we were told (hold your breath) the story! It's something to the effect of you've crashed landed on the island, you take over the local burger joint, and you get help from the tiki gods to get new recipes.
Then there are games that get a little more complicated with their twists and turns and sidequests. And I bet you can guess one of the first ones that popped into my mind. Besides much loved titles like Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Secret of Mana, I thought of none other than Kingdom Hearts!
The following little clip is from Kingdom Hearts II but it's flashbacks from the first game.
The storyline can be a bit complex, but to put simply, the story follows Sora, a teenage boy who wakes up in Traverse Town after his world has been attacked. With the help Donald and Goofy, they travel from world to world in search of Sora's friends, Riku and Kairi, and King Mickey. At the same time, they must defeat the dark creatures known as heartless before they can take over other worlds and steal hearts.
I first became interested in the idea of storyline and plot in video games after playing the first game of the series. I blame it on studying English in college. All those books and poems and articles you read trying to dig out all you can get and then use it yourself in your own papers! It made me see stories differently. I evaluate movies, books, and even video games differently now. And the reason Kingdom Hearts has stuck with me is for some of the same reasons some of my favorite books remain my favorite. I love the characters, the messages I take from their struggles, the fact that I can relate to them. I love their story, their struggles, their triumphs. I love being a part of it.
It made me think of how much we as people love the concept of "story." We gossip. We tell people about our day. We watch movies and read books. We watch the news. We listen to music which has a story all it's own. Our whole lives are filled with story. A part of us thrives off that I think.
So in case you were left with any doubt, video games like books, movies, and even music have a story. This is not me giving you permission to spend your entire life playing World of Warcraft or any other titles I've mentioned. But perhaps a little video game time in your life isn't such a bad thing.
It's a new year and it's been over a month since I've updated! I apologize. One of the most recent things to consume a good portion of my time:
That's right. I've set aside my love for books temporarily for my love of Kingdom Hearts. But in my defense, one of the reasons I love the Kingdom Hearts series is the story. That's one thing that it has in common with books! They both have a plot :)
Well, I hope you enjoy the new year as I continue to endeaver to save the world! More updates soon!
Hello, everyone! Can you believe it's already December? Crazy! I hope you are all jumping into the holiday spirit! How'd you guys do on NaNoWriMo? I have a confession. I didn't win this year, but that's okay! I had some other things that needed to come first so my novel got put on hold for about a week, and by then, I just couldn't catch up. Am I still going to finish the novel? Of course! I don't regret taking part in NaNoWriMo. Even though I didn't complete it, I learned some things. But that is a story for another post.
I wanted to be really cool and recommend a book with a Christmas setting this month, but I, uh, didn't read one... Every year on Christmas Eve, my family watches "A Muppet Christmas Carol." I absolutely love it! Michael Caine as Mr. Scrooge was a brilliant choice. You should all watch it yourselves this holiday season if you haven't seen it already! For awhile, I've been wanting to read the book, but I just haven't got around to it. So my goal for this month is to read it. Perhaps that will be next month's recommendation!
Instead of reading new books, lately I've been rereading some that have been sitting on my shelf untouched for quite some time. The lastest of these was Gail Carson Levine's "Ella Enchanted." (I told myself I needed to recommend more than young adult fiction too. Don't worry. I'll get some other recommendations for you.) I decided to reread the book because I remembered liking it, but I could only think of how the story was told in the movie (which was okay, but lacking in some aspects... but definitely not my favorite movie). So while I was traveling back from Colorado, I read the entire thing.
I enjoy the book much better than the movie's adaptation. There are quite a bit of differences. Don't get me wrong. I'm not comparing the two mediums to say the movie sucked because it wasn't the exact picture of the book (again, that's a subject for another post). What I'm saying is if you're decided whether to take the time to read the book or save some time by watching the movie, you should definitely go the book route.
Here's a Peek:
That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift. When I cried inconsolably through my first hour of life, my tears were her inspiration. Shaking her head sympathetically at Mother, the fairy touched my nose. "My gift is obedience. Ella will always be obedient..."
Ella of Frell must always do as she's told, for that is the "gift" that was given to her at birth. Strict obedience doesn't seem like that bad of a thing... not until you really think about it. If someone told Ella to jump, sing, dance, clean, or hold still, she must do it. She tries to get around the spell, but things still continue to get worse and worse. When her mother dies, Ella's father remarries, and Ella gets two new step-sisters, one of which discovers her need to always be obedient. At the same time, she becomes friends with Prince Char. With horror, Ella realizes that danger she is to the prince. If someone were to order her to kill him... Ella sets out with determination to find Lucinda and demand that she remove her "gift." But what if Lucinda won't take it back?
Gail Carson Levine has crafted wonderful characters just like she does in her other books. It's character is unique and you'll love each of them (even if you love to hate some of them!). It's a great story of an ordinary girl with a not so ordinary gift. Ella feels real as do her problems, making her relatable even though none of us have been cursed with the gift of obedience.
Overall, it's a delightful story. I always love to read these sort of "fairy tales revisited" stories. What's great about this story is that even though you can see the connection with the traditional "Cinderella" story, it is so completely unique that it stands on it's own. It's a completely different story, one that I feel deserves it's Newbery Honor.
As a special welcome to the Christmas season, we are going to have a free giveaway! That's right. You can get your own copy of "Ella Enchanted" right here! Here's what you have to do. Just follow this blog by hitting the follow button in the left hand margin. Then leave a comment to this post. Those who are already followers but wish to enter just need to write a comment to this post. The comment should just be something simple like, "Hi! I want to win the free book giveaway!" I will then pick a name randomly using a random name picker from classtools.net. That person will be the winner! I'll announce the winner at that time. The deadline to follow and leave a comment is December 31st! Good luck!
Want to write next month's recommendation?
Here's how it works. Send an e-mail to spiral.staircase.books@gmail.com with your recommendation (put it in the body of the e-mail, not as an attachment). Make sure the subject of the e-mail is something to the effect of "Book Recommendation" so I don't mistake it for junk mail. Your review should be at least a couple paragraphs long and should include a short description of the book and why you think others should read it. Then include a short biography of yourself and a picture to go along with it. If you wish to remain annonymous, that's fine as well. I need all entries by December 28th. Depending upon how many entries are received, your recommendation might not show up right away. If I decide to use yours, you will receive an e-mail telling you so. Thank you for your contributions!
Hello everyone! I'm spending a few days in Colorado with a good friend of mine, so if you don't hear from me in a bit, that's why. Also, I've been devoting a lot of time to NaNoWriMo (which I'm now behind in again since I'm having too much fun).
Speaking of NaNoWriMo, for all of you writers out there (whether it be creative, technical, analytical, or just a paper assigned for class), have you ever paid attention to your ideal writing environment? It's different for every writer. If you find out what works best for you, it can make the writing process more enjoyable and more easily...flowable? That's right. I'm making up words.
The environment in which you write can encompass a few different things: place, music, food, time of day, etc. As far as place is considered, I generally hide away in my room, sit on my lovely padded swively chair, and my computer and I get to work. I've heard of a lot of people liking to write in cafes or coffee shops. Seems like a good place to go, but if you have trouble focusing in that sort of atmosphere, it's probably not the best choice for you.
Music is another thing that varies. The first thing that came to my mind was how Muse was on Stephanie Meyer's playlist when she was writing Twilight. When I write, I try to stay away from music with lyrics just because it can be very hard for me to control the urge to sing along. So for me, I choose to listen to movie soundtracks--and I don't mean Disney movie soundtracks either. Once again, far too distracting for me. Instead I listen to things like the Stardust soundtrack or the Robing Hood: Prince of Thieves soundtrack. I'll also listen to things like Enya, William Joseph, and occasionally, if I can cope with the distraction, I will listen to things like Goo Goo Dolls or whatever else I'm in the mood for. But in general, I stick with the soundtracks.
I like listening to music while I write because it seems to help me focus, especially if I've got my earbuds in. It helps me go into my own world that I'm creating and ignore the distractions around me. Some people might not like to write with music on at all, and that's fine. Just find what works best for you.
I don't pay as much attention to food or time of day. I like to have a water bottle handy, but that's about it, and I'll write pretty much any time of day. The real challenge is just getting myself to do it and not getting distracted by the internet...
Good luck discovering what works best for you. And happy writing!
Alas, Halloween is now officially over. Today marks the beginning of November, which means a couple of things. First, we have now entered NaNoWriMo! You better all be scribbling away! Second, the deadline for our Shakespeare Short Story Contest is drawing near. I hope you will all take some time to submit something. Third, it's time for a new book recommendation! This month's recommendation was submitted by the lovely Beth Adams. Take a look at what she's got to say.
The Hangman's Row Enquiry: A Must Read for Any Mystery Lover
The Hangman's Row Enquiry by Ann Purser is a spin off of the Lois Meade Mysteries, one of her more well known series, and it is the first book in the Ivy Beasley Mystery Series.
Ivy Beasley, a character threaded throughout the Lois Meade Mysteries, is a cantankerous spinster. She wants to be seen as a proper lady, to be in control of her world, and to be able to do things, but now she's been put into an exclusive assisted living home at the insistence of her cousin, Deirdre.
Perhaps the back of the book introduces the story best:
Ivy Beasley may have been moved to assisted living, but she has more interest in assisting her new partners in an amateur-sleuth business. She teams up with Gus, a mysterious newcomer who can't resist a little excitement even as he strives to keep his past secret, and her own cousin, a widow with time on her hands and money in her purse. Together they're determined to solve a local murder...
In one of the houses on Hangman's Row, Gus's elderly neighbor has been found with a bread knife sticking out of her chest. Local gossip has it that there was no love lost between the victim and her daughter, but Ivy and her fellow sleuths soon discover no shortage of suspects--or secrets--in the small English village of Barrington...
All of Ann Purser's books are well developed and contain engaging mysteries. In this particular book, it is a delight to be able to watch these new characters develop friendships and reveal their personalities to the reader as they join together in a common goal to find the real killer. This book is labeled a British Cozy, which makes me think of a good book to read in a cozy little corner on a rainy day whilst sipping my hot cocoa with little marshmallows in it...and maybe a side of toast!
I love this particular Ann Purser story, especially at this time of year, as it allows me to take a much needed mental vacation in between the hectic moments in preparation for the holidays..
Although this book's plot is centered around solving a murder, there are moments of great humor and camaraderie between the characters. There's cleverness throughout the pages. You're still left wondering about certain characters, such as Gus who never has a full explanation as to why he showed up in the first place (something that will hopefully be answered in later books). But those little mysteries just make me want to jump into the next book of the series and join the characters once again in an engaging, fun, and thrilling mystery.
I love mysteries! I so enjoy the little puzzles you get to piece together along with the characters as you make your way through the story and to the end. What makes a truly enjoyable read, no matter what the genre, is that you end up with friends by the end of the book. Such is the case of The Hangman's Row Enquiry.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!
Beth Adams is the mother of four fabulous children. She's been involved in her church programs, PTA, school board, band and choir, and whatever else her children decided to try out. Her father was in the navy, serving in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, while her mother was a teacher. She enjoys her life as a stay at home mom. She currently resides on the rainy side of Washington state, where we need to read a lot of books so we can escape the stormy whether and our longing for a bit of sun! Some of her favorite activities include: spending time with family, going on walks, going to the movies, and visiting with friends. She also enjoys a clean house...although she doubts she'll ever have one!
Want to write next month's recommendation? You can be featured just like Beth! Here's how it works. Send an e-mail to spiral.staircase.books@gmail.com with your recommendation (put it in the body of the e-mail, not as an attachment). Make sure the subject of the e-mail is something to the effect of "Book Recommendation" so I don't mistake it for junk mail. Your review should be at least a couple paragraphs long and should include a short description of the book and why you think others should read it. Then include a short biography of yourself and a picture to go along with it. If you wish to remain annonymous, that's fine as well. I need all entries by November 25th. Depending upon how many entries are received, your recommendation might not show up right away. If I decide to use yours, you will receive an e-mail telling you so. Thank you for your contributions!
Well, I'm pretty sure I've told you all about my belief that sometimes books deserve a second chance. I obviously thought this one warrented a second chance seeing as I did buy it at some point after I'd read that portion of it. I really do like the story. I'm thinking this time, now that I'm older and a little more used to this type of literature, that I'll enjoy it more. I'll finally be able to say I've read it through instead of just knowing the story from seeing the movie. Huzzah!
