Ender's Game

An excellent book. I was captivated by what Ender was going through and how he adapted to each new situation. I found his character to be deep and real and interesting. I was never really sure what was going on with the Buggers or how Ender was going to fight them, so I was surprised by how things ended up. The intrigue going on with his brother and sister were interesting, although those parts of the book did not captivate me.

I actually listened to the audio cd of this book, and it was very well done. They used different voices for some of the different characters to the betterment of the story.

I would highly recommend both the book and the audio cd, and I eagerly look forward to reading the sequel "Speaker for the Dead" which is also supposed to be very good.

In the Woods

This book, written by Tana French, was a captivating and, I felt, a powerful book. This murder mystery is told from the point of view of Rob Ryan, and murder detective who relates to us his attempts to solve a murder and, hopefully, to solve his own mystery. When Rob was only twelve, his two best friends disappeared in the very place where this murder took place. Rob must struggle with his own personal demons while trying to find the killer of a little girl. The characters are very realistic and complex. As the story progressed, I became more and more emotionally involved in their lives, and increasingly pained as things went from bad to worse. When I finished this novel, I couldn't stop thinking about it for the next couple of days.

I actually listened to the audiobook and found that it was very well done. The reading was excellent, and I felt like the narrator, Steven Crossley, really was Rob Ryan and that he was telling me about the case.

An excellent book that I highly recommend but with a warning that this is not a "happy" book.

The best comic strip ever!

Brewster Rockit is the funniest comic strip out there right now. If you like science fiction, then this comic strip is for you. If you like movies like Hot Fuzz, or Evil Dead: Army of Darkness, then this comic strip is for you. The writer of this comic strip is Tim Rickard and he satirizes a lot of the movies, tv shows, politics, and just about anything else that has happened in recent years. Plus, any comic strip that features a catch phrase like, "Ahhh! My spleen!" is worth checking out, don't you think?

Movies that make me cry

So, I was watching Bridge to Terabithia the other day and I have to say that the movie is very, very sad. I had read the book a year or two ago, and I knew it was a sad story but I didn't realize the movie would actually make me cry. Indeed, there are only two other movies that I can think of that have made me cry.

3. E.T.
I have to say that when I cried during this movie, I was only eight years old, so this one doesn't embarrass me too much. Although it is probably why I haven't watched this movie since that first time I saw it back in 1982.

2. Angels in the Outfield
It's supposed to be a comedy, so why was I crying at the end? When the crowd starts doing the angel thing and Tony Danza finds it in himself to make that one last pitch...

1. Bridge to Terabithia
If you haven't read the story, the movie trailers for this one were very misleading. They made it seem like it was a fantasy movie but it is really a story about a kid who is alone and how he finds someone to connect with and then loses that person. It's a real tear-jerker and I was crying buckets. I was watching the end of it when my wife came home and I tried to hide my tears, but she noticed.

Kate Nash

What I'm into right now is Kate Nash. If you don't know who she is, she is a British singer/songwriter. In my very limited research about her, I learned that she had aspired to be a actress, but broke her foot after falling down a flight of stairs. While recovering, she spent much of her time writing songs. She eventually posted some of them to myspace, and thus began her rise to stardom. In the very few songs I have heard, I have enjoyed the lyrics and the stories she tells through her songs.

Latest book read

I have just completed "Charlie Bone and the Beast". It is the fifth in its series and it has been quite enjoyable. The author, Jenni Nimmo, portrays her characters very well so that I really come to appreciate them. It is more of a 7-8th grade read, but I definitely have enjoyed the series thus far and look forward to the next book as Charlie and his friends confront their enemies.I have described this series to others as "poor man's Harry Potter" but it is nonetheless very enjoyable and I look forward to what happens to Charlie and his friends.

Stories of degradation and humiliation

Homer - I wonder why stories of degradation and humiliation make you more popular.

Moe - I don't know. They just do

The Simpsons