AT LEAST. I feel like there’s a reading crisis out there, and I want to help it! People are choosing Facebook over a page of a nice book and it makes me sad. There’s nothing wrong with social media, we obviously use it all the time. However, we will never stop preaching moderation. Balance! Weigh one hand with a phone and another with a book! I’m not telling you what to read whether it be nonfiction, fantasy, romance, or another type of fiction! I’m just telling you to stop, drop, and read!
Part of being fit is having a healthy mind. I believe that’s done well by reading. They say the best way to learn how to write better is to read. This book could be one of the best cases for that. The Way of Kings, written by Brian Sanderson, is a wonderful, inspiring read. It’s a book in the fantasy genre, set in its own made-up world. The plot and setting are complex and gets more and more so as the story continues. Sanderson is impressive in the way he completely constructs this world, as if it truly did exist at one point in time. My favorite thing is when a fantasy book seems real. I hate spoilers so this won’t really give much at all.
It is slow-going at first. I must mention that I am listening to the audiobook, not reading the print. This helps me on my runs and is thoroughly enjoyable to listen to on my way to work. Once you continue reading, however, the pace certainly picks up. There are times where I simply couldn’t stop listening. Sanderson is obviously very smart. This is not something he’s written on a whim. Everything slowly starts become interwoven and people who seemed unconnected find themselves on the same path. This makes the story so very exciting.
The fantasy world is set in the age of sword and shield, in the world of Roshar. Knights, wars, and magic, too. There are a few unique parts to this world which I especially enjoy that I will mention. One part are the spren. Characters and history in the book have trouble defining what they exactly are (though it continues to be researched). Spren are little beings or spirits that represent emotions and nature. If someone is in pain, pain spren will wiggle up from the ground. Flame spren will dance as little red figures upon a fire. Creation spren will spark up if someone is deep in creating something (like art). And so on and so forth. This concept is so fascinating because each and every spren (and there are tons–think of every emotion and element) is shaped, colored, and behaves differently. Absolutely love it.
The story doesn’t just follow the path of one main character. You get to see all parts of this very complex world from many different perspectives. One from an inspiring slave, one from an honorable High Prince, and one from a girl trying to save her family’s fortune. Eventually, everything comes together. And even though the viewpoint is spread out, you actually care about each and every main character who gets the spotlight. Characters are far from perfect and like to meddle in gray areas, but they generate great loyalty from you and also from other characters in the book.
When you are reading this book, it feels like you are straying into a world in a constant war with very little passion left. The drawn-out feeling from the war gives you the sense everyone is tired of it, and that something big must be coming up to break the boredom. A tide starts to rise and bursts at the end. All the connections are revealed and you find the time you invest in this story is worth it. It is certainly a long book but, once again, it is worth the read.
If you want to get lost in a different world full of intricacies carefully planned out by the author, give The Way of Kings a try. It’s a fantastic read that promises to suck you in and hold you there. In fact, I’m reading the sequel right now! Can’t get enough of it. I love books that play out in a way that makes you respect the heck out of the author. The things that are planned out that you never expected. How it makes you appreciate the time and dedication to his craft to weave such a captivating story. I give this book a big thumbs up! And as always…stay hungry and fit!
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is a book I can read over and over again. I think the first time I read it I was either in middle school or high school. The last time I read it was about four years ago, so it wasn’t too fresh in my head but also I still remembered all the main plot points. I was very excited for this movie to come out, and it seemed to take forever for it to actually release! But that’s my anticipation talking. Let’s get to the review.
This movie had a solid amount of great actors: Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield (boy from Hugo, who was brilliant in that as well), and a grown-up Abigail Breslin. If a movie has Harrison Ford in it, I’m going to get excited. Leave me alone, I’m a Star Wars nerd. However, I was slightly anxious that they would botch it up when it is such a great and captivating book. It also made me nervous that by the time we saw it, it had only 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still Fresh, but not as high as I would’ve hoped. However, I was not disappointed.
I really thought I would be, honestly. However, the movie kept me engaged the entire time. The acting was superb by all involved and they were able to show the depth of Ender’s emotions. That’s what I was worried about. A lot of the book is in Ender’s head. Of course, the same complexity isn’t there, but I wasn’t expecting it to that degree. However, it surprised me with showing all the steps that led him to the end. I think it helped that Orson Scott Card (the author) was one of the producers.
For those who haven’t read the book, the basic premise is that the International Military is recruiting children to become the next great commander to defeat the alien race that previously invaded Earth. The story centers around one boy, Ender, a “third” (third-born), who has been chosen and pushed towards what the military wants from him. However, like many action flicks, it isn’t a straight-shooter. Ender is deeply conflicted at many levels, and the movie actually depicted that. Perhaps not as well as in the book, but it certainly came across. Ender is the world’s hope.
Surprisingly enough, they hit all the major plot points I hoped for. Sure they skipped a few too many battle room scenes, but I understand. They kept it under two hours, impressively. The movie built up properly, from the beginning, until the very end. I am not one for giving spoilers, but the one of the most powerful scenes (the end battle), I feel, really captured the intensity and emotion from the book. That was what I was most concerned with.
Overall, I suggest to Ender’s Game fans to see this movie. It’s not going to be exactly as you imagined. It never is with book to movie adaptations, but this production gets close, at least for me. It gets a hearty thumbs up from me and I will most likely get it on DVD/Blu-Ray. The plot is captivating, the acting is believable, and you feel for Ender the whole way through. Use impending-doom-movies to stay hungry and fit!
BONUS KITTY PIC
Belly out!
Bryan Singer’s (director of Many recent X-Men adaptations and Superman Returns) Jack the Giant Slayer was our most recent trip to the movies. A trip was long due since we think we’ve only been to one or maybe two other movies this year. (We’ll have to double check that for our end of the year wrap-up.)
With some makeup it was difficult to tell who it featured, but we knew that Ewan Obi-Wan was the personal guard for the princess and Bill Nighy (Do you feaaaaar deathuuuu!) was the leader of the giants. It seems that Stanley Tucci (my ever so evasive uncle) was the fiancee of the princess. Ian McShane (why didn’t they use every captain from Pirates?) was the king and Jack was played by the guy who Alana recognized from About a Boy (also Beast from X-Men First Class… convenient casting). So it’s got a good cast and the princess did a great job… whoever she was.
If you know us, or if you’ve read this post, you know we are huge Tolkien/Middle Earth fans. So, obviously, we were at the midnight premiere of The Hobbit by the wonderful Peter Jackson & Co. Although we didn’t dress up (sigh), we were brimming with excitement. Finally! It’s out! So I was expecting to leave about 9:30/10PM to wait in line, my cousin said that there won’t be crazy lines. You never know, coming from Los Angeles and New York, we’ve both waited in hefty lines for big movies like this. So we left at 11 (took us ten minutes to get to the theatre).
We packed into the car and got there–no line. Yes! We didn’t have to wait in the cold. Plus, if we paid an extra $1 per ticket, we would get a free t-shirt. Uh, duh. So we got our shirts, our tickets, my smuggled popcorn and sat down for a 3D Dolby Atmos viewing.
Eventually, the movie started. Now with this insane amazing sound system, our ears kind of hurt. And it wasn’t just mine (I have sensitive ears, Chris calls me “wolf ears”), everyone’s was kind of ringing after. Especially battle scenes. The 3D was good, immersive, and not that silly “pop-out” kind of 3D that I hate. And for the picture…I believe it was a much faster frame rate. Now this was distracting. It looked like a filmed play, it was too realistic, and not theatrical enough. If you have an HD tv, sometime you can see this in certain shows. However, the action was pretty incredible and had a good flow. But…onto the story!
The story was pretty accurate to the book, though I haven’t read it in awhile. And he obviously split it up. I would give the Best Acting Awards to Martin Freeman (Bilbo), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), and Richard Armitage (Thorin). And of course, to Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee, though small roles in this movie they played. One thing I wished is that they made Thorin look more like a Dwarf and less like a Man. I know people were nervous about Martin Freeman playing Bilbo, but let me tell you, he was spot on. Seriously. And of course there’s Andy Serkis as Gollum who really just brings the caliber up. The riddle scene between Bilbo and Gollum was absolutely brilliant.
I started off unsure about it, how I felt, because it takes a little while to get rolling. There’s good humor with the dwarves and it’s fun to see Bilbo before he was an adventurer. By the end, after all the lore (which we love to see), fight scenes, troll scenes, and excellent dialog, I was happy. I want to see it again when it’s not 12 AM. Perhaps during Christmas week with the family.
Lastly…Howard Shore. What would the Lord of the Rings trilogy be without those held-close-to-heart themes that you know as soon as you hear them…the Shire…the Trio…Gollum’s music…It’s all Howard Shore. And he brings it back just as well this time. When we see the Shire, that familiar light-of-heart music comes on and you can’t help but smile. When Gollum comes creeping into the movie, so does his eerie music. And, with this new story (or old, if we’re talking timeline wise), he created a brilliant sound bit for the new adventure gang.
Rest assured, you will be laughing, gripping your seat, and holding your breath. Now stop reading this and go see it!
