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Book Reviews, Fantasy, Home, Short Stories

Selections from “Tapping the Dream Tree”, Part I

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(Photo credit: Ben Gwilliam)

After my recent enjoyable experience of reading Charles de Lint’s novel, Spirits in the Wires, with Kailana, we both felt that more de Lint needed to occur during this year’s Once Upon a Time Challenge. So here we are, along with fellow reader Susan, savoring a trip through de Lint’s short story collection, Tapping the Dream Tree. We will be reading three stories each week and will be answering one question having to do with each story. The idea is to talk about the stories without, hopefully, spoiling too much of what is written. Be warned that there may be some spoilers all the same. Kailana asked the questions for this week’s selections.

Charles de Lint is an author whose works feature, among other things, artists and other creative folk. And to honor the spirit of that I will be including images I find online, and crediting their creators, that in my mind fit thematically with each of the stories. I thought it would be a wonderful way to introduce you to other creative people and to honor, in some small way, the magic that Charles de Lint weaves within his stories.

Continue reading Selections from “Tapping the Dream Tree”, Part I →

Home

May I…

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…approach each and every day of my life with such unabashed joy.

O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90:14

And may I face any fear with a bold spirit of adventure.

Welcome to another week, everyone. My wish for you is that your week be filled with unexpected joys and pleasures that bring a smile to your face.

Home

Be who you are

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(Image–sans quote–used by Creative Commons license, property of IRGlover)

Quote found on this passionate and very excellent post by Al Harron that discusses critics, marekting, A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs and the recently released film John Carter.

I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful weekend filled with the pursuit of your passions.

Home

Mistborn: The Final Empire Group Read Part 1

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“Sometimes, I worry that I’m not the hero everyone thinks I am.The philosophers assure me that this is the time, that the signs have been met. They say I will hold the future of the entire world on my arms. What would they think if they knew that their champion–the Hero of Ages, their savior–doubted himself? Perhaps they wouldn’t be shocked at all. In a way, this is what worries me most. Maybe, in their hearts, they wonder–just as I do.When they see me, do they see a liar?”

(Paperback cover illustration by Chris McGrath)

Thus begins the first novel in the Mistborn Trilogy which a group of fellow adventurers have chosen to experience together for the first time. Along the way we hope to be joined by others who have already traveled this path as we discuss Mistborn: The Final Empire.

A thousand years of ash has fallen. A thousand years of oppression has befallen a people. A thousand years of rule by a “divine” ruler has gone unchallenged. That span of uninterrupted years is about to come grinding to a halt as Kelsier, bold thief and one of the Mistborn, gathers to himself a group of talented rogues and fellow allomancers to pull off his biggest job yet: the toppling of Lord Ruler’s reign.

For this first week we read through the prologue and chapters one through six. I took first week duties upon myself and came up with a handful of questions to kick this things off. Potential for spoilers does exist beyond the jump.

Continue reading Mistborn: The Final Empire Group Read Part 1 →

Gaming, Home, Music

Oh What a Day

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(Image Credit)

If there is a mantle for Goddess of Geek Culture, it rests squarley on the shoulders of Felicia Day. With her role in Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and later Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and her own creative online sensation, The Guild, Day has become a household name for the geek set. Her nearly 1.9 million Twitter followers, for example, demonstrates that she has struck a cord. And not just with those guys who dream of finding a cute girl who shares their geek passions. She is also a hit with the girls who are coming out of the basement, so to speak, to proudly proclaim their own geek status. For Felicia Day is the real deal.

A Juliard-accepted violinist (she opted instead to attend UT at Austin) she double majored in math and music (wiki). And if that wasn’t enough to fill her time she was also the avid gamer that provided the inspiration for her web-hit, The Guild.

So why all the Felicia Day love on this Friday morning? Well come along and I’ll tell you.

Continue reading Oh What a Day →