Happy Birthday, Elijah Wood!

Or should I say, Happy Birthday, Mr. Frodo Baggins? Anyway, today is Lij's 32nd birthday, approximately 3 years older than me since I just celebrated mine! I remember the first time I ever saw him in a movie. It was Huck Finn and he was only about 13. I saw it a few years after the release, so I probably saw it when I was 13, and I just absolutely adored him. I think it was those big blue...

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The Awesomeness of Liam Neeson!

  Liam Neeson actually challenges Bourne for the coolest action flicks out there, starring a hero who's a conflicted killer. Of course, Liam is just awesome regardless, so any movie he makes is prone towards excellence, with the possible exception of The Phantom Menace. This time, the family members of the men he killed in the first Taken, are out for vengeance. On a business trip to Istanbul,...

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Book #2 for CCLRC: Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (1926)

Read for the Children's Classic Literature Challenge. As impossible as it might be to believe, I never read Winnie-the-Pooh as a child. Sometimes I actually have a hard time remembering exactly what I did read  that didn't comprise of The Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. However, that is neither here nor there.There's no need for a summary since practically everyone, whether they've read the books or...

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Happy Birthday, Orlando Bloom!

Orlando is better known as Legolas of Mirkwood, Thranduil's son from The Hobbit. He is the blonde-haired elf from The Lord of the Rings with an insane fandom of teen girls that threw me off him completely. It is only now, over 10 years later, that I'm starting to appreciate Legolas. So, Happy Birthday, dear Orlando. I'm excited at the prospect of seeing you appear in The Hobbit for old times...

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Library Loot - 2nd Week of January

Yes, I'm on a young adult fiction kick, and really loving it. Not that I have all that much time to read, what with school, but I snatch a few chapters here and there. I really should read that Death in the Air book from last week. I started it, but got distracted by the Classic Children's Lit Challenge that I'm doing. My bad! New Loot: Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke A Wrinkle in Time by Madelaine...

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Women in Tolkien's World

Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan The age old complaint has reared its head again. "Why didn't Tolkien write women in his stories?" "Why aren't there any women in 'The Hobbit'?" Or rather: "Why does Tolkien's world lack women characters?" Here's my answer. It doesn't. Tolkien wrote Arwen, the elven princess who Aragorn loved so much his heart nearly broke over her, and who gave up her immortality...

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Book #1 for CCLRC - Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (1936)

 Read for the Children's Classic Literature Challenge.Ballet Shoes is the story of three orphans all adopted by the same man when they were babies. Pauline was brought home to Gum's (Great Uncle Matthew) ward, Sylvia, to keep her company. He'd found her during one of his excursions for fossils, in a shipwreck without parents and no identification. The adoption was finalized and Pauline became...

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Spring in January

I tend to get bored with my decor, so last year I made an effort o try something new. I went with pinks and blues and greens. It's amazing how just that little change can lift a person's spirit. I love my retro decor, but I think that will wait until it can go in a guest room. I just can't use it in my bedroom anymore. It's too loud, or something. This was changed out just after the new year. I love...

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Classic Children's Literature Challenge - Jan 2013

Host: Simpler PastimesEvent/Challenge: Classic Children's Literature ChallengeSpecifics: Must be written before 1962. When: January 2013# of books: Undecided at this point. We'll see what college has planned with assigned reading.I totally doubt that I'll get all of these read, but it gives me a goal.1) The Princess & the Goblin by George MacDonald2) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle3) A...

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Library Loot - 1st Week of January

Weird, they're all teen books. The Boy Sherlock series is pretty cool, I must admit. It almost makes sense that Sherlock might have some Jewish heritage and be ostracized because of it.New Loot:•Boy Sherlock Holmes: Death in the Air by Shane Peacock•The Curse of the Toads by Rebecca Lisle•Enchanted Inc. by Shanna SwendsonLibrary Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive...

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