Update

Hey, guys!

Sorry that I haven't posted anything in a while. Unfortunately, I have to send my laptop back to the manufacturer for repairs. This in addition to approaching final exams means that I won't be able to post anything more until after finals.

Like I said, sorry about this, but a lot of stuff gets in the way sometimes and I'm sure you guys understand. I'll let you know on Facebook and Twitter when I've started posting again.

Until next time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another great movie

Hey, guys!

So, a few months back, I went with my best friend to see How to Train Your Dragon 2. I've never seen the first movie, but it didn't affect my viewing experience at all and I don't think you have to see the first one to enjoy the sequel.

What you need to know about the first movie, though, is that the Vikings of Berk hunt dragons. Hiccup, motherless son of the chief, believes that peace is possible between humans and dragons when he shoots down a dragon and discovers that the dragon he later names Toothless is a kind, intelligent, and gentle creature.

Bottom-line: he convinces everyone in Berk that there is no reason to fear dragons. By the beginning of the next movie, everybody has their own dragon and the shops that used to sell dragon hunting equipment now sell saddles.

With Toothless for help, Hiccup has been discovering new worlds, which brings him in contact with dragon hunters that are building a dragon army. For what, they don't know, but Hiccup is determined to find out.

Also (I should say spoiler alert, but this was in all the movie trailers), in his quest to stop Drago Bloodfist - the man behind the scheme to build a dragon army - Hiccup finds his long-lost mother, who is a dragon rider like him.

This movie is adorable and it made me want to cry a couple of times. Toothless reminds me of a puppy. This is just an overall feel-good movie. Great for kids, though I know that I am not the only young adult who enjoys a good Disney/Pixar or Dreamworks film. Just know that this movie comes highly recommended.

That's all for today. Until next time.

Happy viewing!!

Writing Prompt: Free-Write

Hey, guys!

Sorry, this post is late, but it's been a rough weekend. Better late than never, though.

Anyway, for this writing prompt, I thought that another free-write would be in order. That being said, open up your journal or a Word Document or flip a legal pad to a fresh page.

For this free-write, imagine that you were born as the opposite gender. What would you want to do as the opposite gender that you wouldn't be able to do now? As a personal example, I'm curious about how difficult it could possibly be to pee standing up.

How do you think your personality would have changed, if at all. Would you have been raised differently? Would you have different friends? Would you be treated differently by peers? How so?

This would be interesting as well: what would you look like as the opposite gender? Examples: hair length, physique, etc. For example, my hair is pretty short for a female because I prefer low-maintenance hair, so I don't think that would really change if I were a dude (fun fact: I'm mistaken for a man all the time!).

I thought this would be interesting, so have fun with it. Until next time.

Happy writing!!

Dragons: the Third

Hey, guys!

I know you've been waiting for this, so here's the review for the third installment of The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini: Brisingr.

Also, for those who have not yet read Eragon or Eldest: spoiler alert.

As a farmer turned Dragon Rider, Eragon is a pretty popular guy right now . . . he's also pretty infamous. To the Varden that is desperately trying to rebel against the tyrannical King Galbatorix, Eragon is their only hope of victory.

Galbatorix sees Eragon is a threat that must be disposed of. Although Galbatorix is also a dragon rider, he has exploited this sacred bond for his own gain and plot of revenge against those who killed his original dragon.

To Galbatorix's knowledge, Eragon and Saphira are the only Dragon and Rider not under his control. But despite the existence of a much older and wiser Dragon and Rider pair, Eragon and Saphira are the only ones who stand a chance against the evil king.

According to Roran, his cousin Eragon is the only one who can help save his bride-to-be, Katrina, from the horrible Ra'zac and the rest of their village from Empire soldiers.

Arya the elf princess, however, sees Eragon as a young, inexperienced underdog in puppy love with her. As an elf who has lived several years and seen so much more of the world, how could she take his affection seriously?

In fact, how can anybody take Eragon seriously? Because, in truth, Eragon is a young and inexperienced underdog who still has much to learn before he has any hope of standing a chance against Galbatorix.

But time is running out. The Varden and the Empire cannot remain at war forever and Galbatorix, though immortal, cannot hunt Eragon for the rest of time. Something has to give and something needs to happen soon. But with all these promises he's making, Eragon practically has his hands tied no matter what he tries to do.

How can Eragon maintain all these loyalties while continuing his training to defeat Galbatorix? He's just recently grown into manhood and still has much to see of the kingdom and much to learn. Will this underdog win the war?

Find out for yourself.

I said it before, but I was not really into the first book of the series (possibly because of my age). The more I read of this series, however, the more interested I become. Let me say right now that Brisingr is a long book . . . really long. But the action paced throughout the book kept those pages turning.

I would recommend this for high school or college level readers, especially fantasy fanatics. Dragons, old-time kingdoms, evil kings, sword fighting, a magical ancient language, dwarves, elves . . . this book has something for every nerd, if you ask me.

Definitely give this book (and the rest of the series) a try if it interests you. Until next time.

Happy reading!!

Writing Exercise: Free-write

Hey, guys!

Sorry, I don't really have anything planned for a post for today, but I won't leave you with nothing.

Instead of following an exercise or prompt for writing, this time just start writing. What are you thinking right now? What ideas are keeping you awake at night? What's your favorite song right now and why? What's your mental state? What stories/poems/scenes do you want to write? Try writing them.

Basically, write about whatever you want. I find that a free-write is a great way to get you thinking creatively about just about anything. Even if you're writing nonsense words or writing that you don't know what to write about, it'll still get you thinking.

Give it a try.

Happy writing!!

Love this movie!

Hey, guys!

I went to the movie theater last Thursday night with my friends for a late night showing of the new Disney movie Big Hero 6. As a total Disney nerd, let me just say how much I loved this movie.

On that note, for those of you who haven't seen it yet, let me tell you a bit of what it's about. Hiro is a super-smart kid living in San Fransokyo. He graduated high school when he was thirteen and now spends his time fighting and betting on robot battles. His older brother Tadashi, however, has bigger dreams for Hiro.

Tadashi and Hiro lost their parents when Hiro was only three. Now, Tadashi attends a renowned tech institute where the students work on inventing cutting-edge technology. Tadashi, for example, invented a health-care robot named Baymax.

After a suspicious accident involving an invention that Hiro created to get into the same institute as Tadashi, Hiro and Baymax must find who is responsible for such a horrible crime if Hiro is ever to have any peace again.

With some new upgrades for Baymax and his and Tadashi's friends from the institute, Hiro is ready to confront the villain so that he can understand why bad things happen to good people.

I will say right now that the movie gets a little sad and heart-breaking in some places (one of my friends cried when we saw it), but it is still such a cute movie.

Baymax actually reminds me of Wall-E's character. I mean, who doesn't love robot characters who portray human emotions. Baymax's human emotions are actually very subtle, which I applaud because it makes him so realistic. Besides, who would argue that Wall-E and the huggable marshmallow Baymax are not totally adorable. I ask you.

Any kid (or adult) who loves robots and technology or who loves cute and lovable characters, I would highly recommend this movie. I don't know how long I can wait to watch this movie again with my family.

Hope you'll see Big Hero 6 and that you'll love it as much as I do. Until next time.

Happy reading (or movie-going)!!

Writing Prompt:

Hey, guys!

Sorry this post is late, but I completely forgot that I needed to make a writing exercise for today. Oops.

So, keeping with the theme of forgetting, that's what this writing prompt will be about.

You can either create a character specifically for this exercise or use one that you've already made and really like (or really hate). Now, give that character something important for him/her to remember.

Now, create an obstacle for your character that will make him/her forget that important thing he/she had to remember. What are the consequences of this carelessness? How would this affect the plot of a story?

If you need an example, think of The Shining by Stephen King. Warning: possible spoiler alert. In the novel, Jack Torrence was the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel and the one thing he had to remember above all else was to knock down the pressure on the boiler every now and again so that it doesn't blow up.

However, Jack was distracted by everything going on with his wife and child and his need for alcohol. So, he forgot to knock down the boiler and this drastically affected the outcome of the entire novel. It actually aided the resolution for some of the characters.

Try to apply this idea to your own character. Don't forget to be creative and to have fun with this!

Happy writing!!

"The Bad Beginning"

Hey, guys!

I know that this post is late, but it's still Friday, so let's do this.

On another note, I know that yesterday I said that today I would post a review for Brisingr by Christopher Paolini, but I have finally had just enough time to start reading for fun again. Granted, they're children's books, but this series was my favorite as a kid, and a trip down memory lane is better than not reading for fun at all.

The book series I am speaking of is A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I was first introduced to this series when I was ten years old and in fourth grade. The teacher used to read to us every day. For the most part, she would read Lemony Snicket.

For those of you who have not read this book, here's what it is about. The story is told from the perspectives of Violet (a fourteen-year-old inventor), Klaus ( a twelve-year-old bookworm), and Sunny (a baby who likes to bite), otherwise known as the Baudelaire children.

One day the Baudelaire children take a leisurely walk along the beach when they are approached by a city banker, Mr. Poe, who brings terrible news: Mr. and Mrs. Baudelaire have died in a terrible fire that also destroyed the Baudelaire mansion and everything inside of it. The Baudelaire children are now the Baudelaire orphans.

As the man in charge of the Baudelaire fortune, which is not to be used until Violet is of age, Mr. Poe brings the children to their new legal guardian: Count Olaf.

Count Olaf is an actor who lives in a dilapidated, disgusting house and is a despicable human being. Soon after being placed in his care, the children have been subjected to horrible chores and living conditions, as well as Olaf's quick temper. Everywhere they turn, the children feel watched by the ghastly eye tattooed on Olaf's ankle.

But there's more: Count Olaf has his eye on the Baudelaire fortune, and will concoct any dastardly plan to get his hands on it, with the help of his nefarious acting troupe.

With only their wits to keep them alive and uncover Count Olaf's horrible plots, the unlucky Baudelaire children's lives have changed forever with The Bad Beginning.

Reading this book again as an adult completely changed the way I viewed it. As a ten-year-old, Violet and Klaus seemed so grown up and smart, but reading it now, they seem so much younger. I can also see the dark humor throughout the book, though it's not too bad.

As Lemony Snicket warns in the very beginning of the book, and throughout the entire series, none of these books have happy endings. But I still enjoyed it as a fourth-grader and as an adult, so parents and kids could both enjoy this book (and teachers and students).

Next week, I will post the review for Brisingr and a review for a novel set in Northern Ireland, This Human Season by Louise Dean the following week. Until next time.

Happy reading!!

Dragons: the Sequel

Hey, guys!

As promised, here is a review for the sequel to Eragon by Christopher Paolini: Eldest. I'm not entirely sure, but it may either be because I was older when I read the sequel or that it just had more action, but I liked the second book in The Inheritance Cycle a lot better than the first, and the third even better.

Warning: this review may contain spoilers for Eragon. If you have not yet read the first book and plan to, I would avoid reading this review if I were you. All others may proceed.

So, this book begins after a long and hard battle in the Dwarf kingdom's capitol: Farthen Dur. Eragon and Saphira, with the help of the elf Arya, had turned the tides in the battle by slaying a Shade, leaving Eragon badly scarred and incapacitated.

After the battle, Murtagh (a friend of Eragon's) disappears along with shady twins. I did not mention this in the review for the first book, but trust me, it's important at the end of this book and in the third.

But now it's time for Eragon to move on and learn new things so that he stands a better chance of defeating the evil king, Galbatorix, and save his oppressed kingdom.

So where to now? I'm glad you asked. Eragon and Saphira must now journey to Ellesmera in Du Weldenvarden, the realm of the elves.

There awaits the Cripple Who Is Whole, the only other dragon rider in existence. His name is Oromis, and his dragon is Glaedr. Once there, Eragon and Saphira will continue their training. (For Eragon, sword-fighting and the ancient language for spell-casting; for Saphira, flying and fighting.)

Meanwhile, Eragon finds himself drawn to Arya. Is she the one he is to fall in love with? The one that the herbalist, Angela, predicted? I have to admit that I'm all for Team Aryagon (I wonder if that will catch on?). I'm such a sucker for romance.

While all of this is going on, Eragon's cousin, Roran, is back in the village trying to pick up the mess that was left behind by the Ra'zac, terrible monsters that destroyed half the village in the hunt for Eragon in book one.

But the Ra'zac haven't ceased their mayhem yet. Now that Eragon is on the run, Galbatorix wants to use anything he can to use as a weapon against Eragon. This puts a huge target on Roran and his fiance, Katrina.

It becomes clear that the villagers are in serious danger so long as the Ra'zac are around. Will Roran step up as a leader or will he just sit around and hope that everything goes back to normal?

And as for Eragon, how far will he come in his training? Will he be ready to defeat the evil king? Will Saphira? And what ever happened to Murtagh?

As I said, I liked this book a lot better than the first. I would recommend this for all you hardcore fantasy lovers out there. If you're into dragons, this book (nay, this series) should be at the top of your list.

Check back tomorrow for a review on the third book, Brisingr.

Happy reading!!

Writing Exercise: First Sentences

Hey, guys!

How about another writing exercise? If you can't figure out what the first sentence of your story or scene should be, maybe I can help you get started.

Hope these help! They can also be reworded to accommodate works in the third person.

1) In a fair and just world, the love of my life wouldn't have perished mere hours after I met her/him for the first time.

2) Anyone can learn how to tie a proper knot, and I wish I had.

3) It was on a sailboat that I learned everything I needed to know about life.

4) I am a firm believer that elephants are the wisest beings on Earth.

5) Ice cream doesn't heal all wounds, but it hastens the process.

6) One can create a weapon out of any mundane object.

7) Tears are the best medicine.

8) The most ideal way to end a relationship is while strolling through a park.

9) Dear Reader, I hope you can forgive me when no one else has.

10) Monkeys are at once the loveliest and the ugliest creatures ever.

Happy writing!!

List: Favorite Movies

Hey, guys!

I know Halloween's over, but I'm a fan of Tim Burton all year round. That's why I thought I would make a list of all my favorite Tim Burton movies of all time.

After reading this blog post, feel free to name your favorite Tim Burton movie in the comments below.

Here's the list!

1) Coraline

This is probably my favorite Tim Burton movie. Kid-friendly for the most part, if not a little bit disturbing. Basically, a girl moves into a new flat with her parents and finds a portal to a fantastical dimension in which everything was created for her enjoyment and her other parents pay attention to her . . . and everyone has buttons for eyes.

Coraline's other mother wants her to stay forever in that world, but there's a catch: Coraline would have to sew buttons in place of her eyes. The other mother won't let Coraline go until she does so, now Coraline must find a way to escape.

2) Corpse Bride

My favorite Tim Burton movie until I saw Coraline. The main character, Victor, is betrothed to Victoria, a virtual stranger chosen by his parents. Despite not having known each other, Victor and Victoria seem to have a connection. Unfortunately, when a nervous Victor botches his vows at the rehearsal, he takes a walk to try to collect himself.

Victor wanders into the wood where he recites his vows to perfection and places the band on an old branch that is actually a corpse's hand. This corpse was once a beautiful bride murdered by her fiance for her riches. Now Victor is transported to the land of the dead where he is expected to live the rest of his days with his new bride. There's some dark humor, but overall a good movie in my opinion.

3) Alice in Wonderland

A classic tale by Lewis Caroll retold by Tim Burton. An older Alice falls back down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland. Believing it's all a dream, Alice joins the Mad Hatter and the White Queen to overthrow the Red Queen's tyranny. To do this, Alice must slay the Jabberwocky.

4) Edward Scissorhands

I didn't see this movie until recently. For some reason, the concept of a man with scissors for hands didn't sit right with me when I was a kid. But after seeing it, I fell in love with Johnny Depp's character, Edward. Edward was created by a man who gave him scissors for temporary hands but died before his real hands could be added.

Edward is found by a lady from a local suburbia and taken in. Edward is such a kind and innocent spirit that it is at once heart-warming and heart-breaking to watch him struggle to fit in in this new modern world and even more heart-breaking to watch almost everyone shun him because of his lethal hands. So many feels.

Don't forget to comment about your favorite Tim Burton movie(s)!

Happy reading!

Writing Prompt: Preventing Disaster

Hey, guys!

The semester will soon be over, meaning that once winter break rolls around, I may have more time to read for fun and to post to my blog. Hopefully there will be no more of this cancelling posts nonsense.

But for now, time for a writing prompt. Ready?

Imagine that you know ahead of time that a disaster is going to happen. This can be any disaster: a car accident, plane crash, hurricane, flood, the beginning of a war, anything. This can also take place anywhere: at a school, the office, a small town or big city, an imaginary world, etc.

Knowing who, what, where, when, and how something bad is going to happen, what are you going to do with that knowledge? Do you stop it? Do you get there to help however you can? Do you make sure someone is there so that they will not live to tell the tale? Your choice.

The means by which you make this choice are endless as well. For example, say you were going to try to stop a car accident from happening because you know that someone you love will die. You could use superpowers (i.e. super strength, telepathy, or mind control) to prevent the accident from happening.

Oh yeah, be sure to include how you know that this event will occur. Can you read minds? Are you psychic? Did someone visit you from the future?

Plot twist: someone is suspicious that you knew something would happen and wants to know why . . . how do you deal with this?

Have fun!

Happy writing!!