Ch-ch-changes!

So it's Halloween! (No I didn't dress up as Bowie...)

I once sent this picture to a coworker. Best thing I've ever done at work.

Anywho, I finally finished Gone Girl and am going to see the movie this weekend! So I was perusing my Kindle library wondering what book to add to my currently overwhelming pile of reads. I'm trying not to overlap genres too much so I can keep it all straight, so I decided to revisit the ol' blog and chain to see what I had been reading as if that will help me unlock the secret of where to go next.

It didn't help.

But I think I'm due for an update anyway.

1. Big changes going on in the life stuffs that may make updating and writing and things more awesome. I can't talk about it yet but just now I will be super hardcore celebrating if I get the ok to go forward with THE PLAN. (dun dun dun!)

2. It's almost Nanowrimo time! Just counting down the hours! If you are on the fence, I suggest you jump in. It's not too late! It's never too late! I had outlined a whole fantasy tale over September, but now on the eve of Nanowrimo I'm contemplating changing it up to a contemporary YA comedy-ish. I hope waiting til the last minute to decide provides some clarity or I may be the only person dumb enough to try to write two novels in November. I'm so dumb.

3. GAH. The video games are trying to take mah money! So far Civ's Beyond Earth has released -- moly cow, so good! I got so engrossed in the politics of colonizing that Husband suggested I read Speaker for the Dead again. I tried once and got stuck very early on, but this time I plowed on and am enjoying the crap out of that book! SOOO GOOD. Anyway, video games. On the fence about the new Call of Duty. But we all know I will likely break down and buy it. It's just a matter of timing. Also, WoW's update comes out super soon. So that's going to rip away the rest of my free time. And lastly Super Smash Bros for Wii U kicks off end of November. As if I didn't have enough going on already!

Here's the latest and greatest list of books I'm current reading--

• The Hobbit - still. Ugh. It's soo good, but I can't stick with it for very long in one sitting. Not sure why.
• Harry Potter and the something after Goblet of Fire - I finally started actually reading it, and it's pretty good. I'm very nervous about being reunited with whiney-shithead Harry that shows up in this book. His tantrums drive me nuts.
• Sense and Sensibility - I've made crazy progress on this one lately! I'm almost done, but you wouldn't know it. I bought a collection to read so the percent read never changes. Super disheartening. 
• Iron Kissed - have I talked about this series before? I adore it. It's totally cheese, but it's smart and sharp so like Romano. 
• Speaker for the Dead - totally different from Ender's Game, but there may be nothing better than Orson Scott Card's understanding/conceptualizing of space and ethics.

Moly cow, is that it? No wonder I'm in the market for another book...

Which leads me to my last point -- 

I think I'm going to change this blog's format AGAIN. I don't want to clog blogger with half-a-dozen different blogs about all the things I like to talk about...and I do like to talk. But I'm thinking about changing this into a book review blog. I know, the kiss of death for blogging. EVERYONE has a book review blog. And I don't read any of them. So why would you read mine? Well. Because like everyone I have a unique perspective (LOLZ), and for the love of goodness that won't be the only thing I talk about. But you have to admit it would be an easy transition. Half of what I write about now is what I'm reading. And the stuff I watch on TV, which often is based on a book. Good gravy.

So anyway. I will probably be AWOL for most of November, but expect me to shake things up a bit when I return!

Random Musings After Far Too Much Time In My Hotel Room

So, I'm just hanging out in Dallas this week. And by hanging out I mean working.
The timing has been fantastic, what with the whole ebola thing. Good gravy.

It feels like zombies. I'm pretty sure someone on reddit called the poor guy that died "patient zero," which seems pretty appropriate. But the media, to be fair, makes it sound like it would be as easy to tell if someone was carrying the ebola virus as it would be to tell someone's a zombie. Flu-like symptoms? Maybe? Don't touch any of their fluids. Okay! Wasn't gonna anyway! ...But now they are all talking about how another person may have it, a cop or something? And it's like, dude! did you not see the signs? It's like the beginning of Zombieland. Anyway. It's super creepy. And I hope it gets resolved soon. A cure would be ideal obviously, but I hope too that the medical professionals here and abroad will be able to stop the spread and save lives! ...Meanwhile, all this talk about closing the borders (which frankly sounds unsympathetic as a country quite content with dumping ice on our heads to help people a mere month ago, even when that act didn't actually do anything...) and I just hope that I get home tomorrow without there being any issues. But last night, you should have heard me freaking out in my hotel room. I'm always less sensible and much more paranoid at night, and I was losing it while talking to the Husband. I wasn't sure the glass of water they brought with my room service last night was safe (I drank it anyway, because, you know - hydration...but whatever). And I'm fairly certain there is a police or fire station nearby, because there are sirens constantly.

So that's been a gem, and I'm super excited to go home tomorrow.

In other news, I'm reading like six books right now. And I'm much more aware of that fact now since my routine includes waking up super early, working, and going back to my room for dinner and reading. I don't know why I can't ever focus on one at a time. I know it bothers people when I tell them I read multiple books at a time. It's not like I'm doing it simultaneously - like numerous versions of kindles surrounding me and I just read a sentence at a time from each (although I've done that before when I'm incredibly tired in-flight, since I can't sleep on planes). It's like watching a bunch of TV shows. You can totally remember the stories from each without getting confused, so it's not really that different.

Anywho, if you were wondering what I'm reading (who knows?) here you go:

1. The Hobbit - not a surprise after my last update.
2. Harry Potter and the something or other book that follows Goblet of Fire -- okay, haven't technically started it, but I'm mid-series. So it's always in my face like "read me, dammit!"
3. Sense and Sensibility - earlier this year I swore I'd read through all of Jane Austen's books because she's amazing. But I got stuck on this one - the first one - and it's not going very well.
4. Honor's Knight - remember that one book, uh, Fool's Pawn? That turned out to be flippin' fantastic. So I'm on the second one, and it's definitely my go-to book right now. Freakin' awesome. (haha, it's actually Fortune's Pawn. But I have terrible memory. Reading retention is not my thing apparently.)
5. Gone Girl - book club! my friend and I started a movie based book club, and this was our first pick (despite starting in like June...and we just agreed on it two weeks ago.) I got half-way through and stopped but I'm also out of town for most of the month so it'll be a while before I can even go see the movie. I've got time!

Okay so five books! That's not too bad, right??

(p.s. - I just picked up a copy of Rainbow Rowell's latest - Landline, and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson is free on amazon right now. So hopefully it will be seven books very soon! Wheee!!!)

Fool of a Took!

Let me just declare once and for all that my favorite series ever is Lord of the Rings. Star Wars may have an excellent story line (and Han Solo is the most badass ever!) but the characters and worlds of LOTR are so intricate and wonderful, and I love it.

It's funny to because once your branded as enjoying Star Wars, it's just assumed by all that it's your all-time favorite. I get so many meme's and shirts and videos sent to me because it's Star Wars. And it's great. But I don't think anyone has ever sent me something about Lord of the Rings. Maybe it's easier to hide LOTR fan-ness.

I'm watching Fellowship of the Rings tonight and it's the best. (Okay, Two Towers is really the best, but just to be watching Lord of the Rings is awesome). I watched Desolation of Smaug last night on DVD and I must say it's a heck of a lot better than the 1st Hobbit movie. It was quite enjoyable. But I wish Peter Jackson would watch his LOTR series so he could be reminded that a good movie doesn't require over-the-top effects. This is a beautiful movie, where the effects enhance what's going on, they don't try to compete with it. (I mean, applying CGI to Legolas in the Hobbit is inexcusable. He's flippin' gorgeous. What are you doing?!?!)

Anywho. This is awesome. And I'm so ready to be done with the Harry Potter series, so I can move on to the really really really really good stuff.

Harry Potter and the Time My Dog Escaped Azka-van

True story.

So when I was a youngin', my family took an epic camping trip. Not as epic as the camping trip that makes up most of the last book, but it was pretty darn exciting. I don't remember much of it. Well bits and pieces, but certainly the most vivid memory of this trip was reading the latest Harry Potter book at the time. Since it was summer, it had just released before we hit the road, and if I remember correctly my brother and I had to share a copy. It doesn't matter who was reading it really, just what happened one day...

My parents like wine. Who doesn't though? As an adult now, I can attest that I also am a fan. However, we were young kids who did not part-take for obvious reasons, and when my parents chose to visit a winery near the campground we agreed to tag along anyway because we definitely weren't going to be left behind at the camp by ourselves. Anywho, my parents are inside the winery and the weather being nice my brother, our dog, and I stay in the van. The dog, the legendary Fudge-- a chocolate cocker spaniel that could not have been any more high maintenance even without having the crazy long hair-- suffered from separation anxiety. He wanted to find our parents, while we were quite content to just read. Well, the windows had been rolled down in the van, because my parents are not cruel, and Fudge takes it upon himself to escape by jumping through said window.

My brother and I both quickly get out of the van and start to try to corral poor Fudge and get him back inside. But before we can, two big bulky lab-sized dogs show up, and start chasing Fudge around the van, who for the record does not enjoy other dogs at all. And at this point I sympathize with him and am convinced these bigger dogs want to eat him. I run like the wind and grab Fudge, while yelling at my brother to get in the van. I swing open the door with one hand, Fudge flailing about in my arms, and make a dash for safety. But I bang my head against the top of the door frame and fall back letting go of Fudge. He doesn't get very far, and I pick him up and manage to get inside. (Meanwhile, I later learn that on the other side of the van in what I thought was surely danger, my brother is petting one of the lab-like dogs, who had been barking "play!" not "kill!". Silly me...)

Fudge and I are safe. My brother gets in the car sure enough, and in the chaos and fear that my poor dog had experienced he just starts to take a dump...on our brand new hard cover copy of Harry Potter (and probably the Goblet of Fire. The green one?)  SO gross. And so upsetting as a young kid who prizes books above all else. And one shitty present for saving the day. (Heh, puns.)

Thank goodness for dust jackets, amiright???

A Date with ....Destiny!

So I'm watching Husband kill some Dregs (drags?) on Destiny. We pre-ordered last minute and have put some time into it yesterday and today, and I thought I should talk about it before I forget and before it's not new anymore and no one cares.

If you haven't heard of it, it's a new science fiction game from the people/company behind Halo (I think?). And in many ways it's very similar. Powered armor, fancy weapons, aliens. Yup. Most importantly, kickass graphics and marketing designs that totally sucker you in.

And while it's new and exciting and fun to play of an evening, I do kinda feel like a sucker.

It's a First Person Shooter World of Warcraft... and here are the reasons why that's not as great as it sounds, despite being a WoW fan that loves FPS games too...

1. The story. Oh dear goodness. WoW can get away with not having the story as the focal point, because it's so task oriented. I don't need to know why I'm killing ooze or whatever, to have fun doing it. And honestly, fantasy can hold it's own without a story. Just the elements are sufficient, obviously magic being a large part of that. But Destiny isn't really pulling it off. The writing is terrible. I know Peter Dinklage has been taking shit for his voice work, and really it's not great, but I believe it has to do with the writing first and foremost. If what he's reading is crap it's never gonna work well anyway. Nothing is explained, and the few moments of revelation are stilted and lacking. So we've pretty much lost the story element, which bums me out since science fiction stories are often my favorite. And I thought that when building my character that I would get a character, I was pretty disappointed to not really experience any of the RPG aspects of a MMORPG (which I suspect heavily influences this game). The cinematics are brief, and there are no dialogues - not with the little guy that follows you everywhere, the leader role, or with vendors. If it wanted to be like other First Person Shooters that just gave you a gun and a place to run around killing things, that would be okay, but they seem pretty proud about the story they do have, so you can't really ignore it like you can on a game like Call of Duty where the story is 100% optional.

[Also, if you are going to rip us off on a physics engine that matches what we know about gravity on moons, please at least acknowledge it with a blurb in the already-forced story about why, so I don't get all grumpy cat about not being able to jump leaps and bounds because the developers didn't want to write another set of code.]

2. It's pretty damn weird to be leveling solo and have all this stuff on your own heads up display or whatever, and then you start a quest/objective with a handful of people that pop in and out depending on where you are. It's irritating enough in WoW when I'm used to it, but in this gaming environment it's just weird to spawn somewhere and not have any enemies because a group ahead of you got to them already. If my only objective is to shoot, even if I don't know why, then don't rob me of that opportunity. It's not like there are other skills I can level up while I wait.

3. Multiplayer. I get it - online FPS are making bank in the video game industry. I love them too. But so far, the mechanics don't work. I already mentioned shared objectives, which is just different, but I could get used to it. Husband, however, tried to play what in WoW would be a battleground/arena set-up. Capture the flag was the style, I think. That's cool. What's not cool is no pairing system that puts you against people in the same range. He was level five. The other team was level twenty. That's pretty disparaging, and not very fun.

4. I think that's it.

The pros so far still outweigh the cons enough that we haven't stopped playing. I think the best asset of this game is the AI. I've not seen enemies behave like they are in Destiny. It's almost unreal how real it is. They dodge, hide, charge, retreat, flank... they are damn complex and hard to fight. It's a good thing! It makes this a step above other FPS games, where they just kind of hide, pop-out and shoot. Period. This is so much better, so much more challenging, and more rewarding when successful. The adrenaline rush is effin' insane.

If you're not very good at FPS games, the good news it that the respawns are helpful. I prefer it to the old style of Call of Duty. There isn't a single respawn point, unless you're in very specific areas, but rather it settles the enemies and drops you in just close enough to start firing when you resume. It's like it rewinds the game (but not really).

The graphics are pretty sweet too, as I said above. And the art direction is fantastic. I saw the intro's compass rose for a second before I was like "OMGOSH I LOVE IT I CAN HAS TATTOO????" I won't, but it's beautiful. The little loading symbols are neat too. Props art guys.

If you were on the fence about this game, I say go for it, just be aware of what it is. My brother did not want the game, but broke down and got it too, and he seems to like it more than he thought. Maybe it still has room to improve, since it's still so damn new.

...

If you're bummed the story sucks, the good news is that my work-around is reading Fortune's Pawn . It's science fiction / military / adventure. I was reading it when Husband was playing Destiny and it was pretty neat. I haven't gotten very far in it, but I've enjoyed it to be sure. The main character has awesome powered armor, so that alone was exciting! Plus the characters are interesting (think Firefly), the universe intriguing, and it takes place on a ship. Sweet!

Is it fall yet!?

I would just like to declare that there are few things better than the following combination:

Warm yummy coffee
Soft Husband's hoodie
A thunderstorm
Incense
Lord of the Rings Soundtrack

I might make it through this work week after all!

Yer A Wizard!

I've started re-reading Harry Potter.
I don't know what made me do it. I'm going to blame tumblr.

I have a love/hate relationship with these books. I grew up loving them, but in my college years started to hate them. But then I still liked the movies... But I was grateful to J.K. Rowling for writing the series, but resented how she always claimed to be a victim of the stories emotional trauma just like us readers. And I dare say no, do not trivialize what I am feeling because of what you have written by saying you feel the same way. You can cry because you killed off a character, but let's never forget that you did it, and you didn't have to -- hat you decided it was more important to make a point about some social issue (as apparently they all were symbolism). I'm much more appreciative of George R.R. Martin's style of -- yeah I did it, and i'll do it again, just wait! you think this was bad, you don't even know! mwahahaha! *giggles*

So that's why I wasn't reading Harry Potter...even when I took a class in college about Harry Potter. Yeah, that was a thing. I compared Harry's invisibility cloak to Plato's Ring of Gyges to determine that Harry would probably stop at a stop sign even if there was no one around. Woo college!

But anywho, I've been on tumblr a lot lately and seen a lot of posts about the world of HP, and Rowling released the new update on his life or something, and a musician that I don't remember, and I was like "hey, maybe I should give it another try?" So I did, and was quickly engrossed. And I rewarded my read-a-thon of the 1st book with a viewing of the 1st movie. Husband noticed what was happening and quickly jumped on board. So we're now reading the books in order, and watching the movie whenever one of us finishes the next book -- which is always when Husband finishes the book now, since he's a crazy fast reader.

The books are wonderful. I admit it. They are incredibly crafty and witty when Rowling wants/needs to be, and I can't help but get suckered into it. I definitely like the lighter side, and am slowing down the darker the books get. But I do enjoy being able to read at my own pace. It's not a competition (although it does kind of sound like one...) and it's not the release of any of them. There are no spoilers to look out for, and I don't need to be the first kid in class to finish them either. It's kinda nice. In just a week or so I leisurely made it to book four, and well stopped. (I had a craving to read some Sherlock Holmes.) But that's settled and I'm back at it trucking along. I'm super excited to take the time to continue to appreciate all the stuff that gets ignored in the movies. Particularly Hermoine and the house-elf stuff. That stuff was totally skimmed when I had a little brother anxiously waiting for his turn to read the book and we were sharing a copy. But Hermoine is a badass, was totally my role model growing up, and I'm excited to read it and actually appreciate it.

I've also enjoyed watching the movies. Can't help it. And it's been funny to see them so close together. Not having years between a book's release/read and the movie. They are pretty cheesy. Don't get me wrong, great fun. But kind of terrible. Harry is a character that needs an omniscient narrator, so you really get a feel for what's going on in that kid's young little head. (a.k.a - what is wrong with Harry Potter??) It really makes no sense after reading the books which are so thorough in explaining stuff and his motivation for doing stuff. By comparison the movies are now like high-quality Potter Puppet Pals. Not a dig on their acting (they're just kids!) but in how frenzied the action and pacing is. And he just seems daft, like all the time! And without understanding the nuances of his rivalry I actually started to feel bad for Malfoy at the end of the last movie (Prisoner of Azkaban). I'll have to explain why in another post, but if you think about it, it's not a stretch of the imagination...besides the whole, father is a death eater thing...

If you want a good late-summer read, I recommend giving the books another go. And if you want a great laugh, watch the movie immediately after... which reminds me, I owe someone a viewing of Goblet of Fire...

'til next time!