Read. Watch. Listen. Inquire.

Last night I watched Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close , the 2011  film starring Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock and newcomer Thomas Horn. I knew the film was going to be about September 11th, but I was not expecting this - a 9 year old's journey through New York City to find the lock to a key left by his father who died in the World Trade Center, is what the previews said, but it was a lot more than that. It was a sons struggle to find himself and cope with the loss of his father in his own way. Not only does he meet many different people of different backgrounds, but along the way he realizes that his father left him one great life lesson and that he can make it on his own without him. It could have done with more mother-son time, because Sandra bullock is barely in the movie, but I think that was the point. The son didn't need his mother, though she was there, in the background. He knew she was there and so did the viewer, but not until the end. The major role definitely goes ...

I've been a busy bee this past week/weekend. Last week I went to Six Flags Great Escape in New Jersey with my friend, Jay. Jay also took me to the Adventure Park at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport, CT. Its basically this obstacle course through the trees...I was a big baby about it. I'm not afraid of heights or anything, I LOVE ROLLER COASTERS, but when you're climbing through trees on a tiny tight rope or other crazy contraptions it gets a little scary. And of course there were kids younger than me whizzing right by, but they have been doing it for a while and that day was my first day. I'll probably try it again, if they have one closer to my hometown or I'll go visit my friend in CT again, because it may be scary, but I was hooked in the whole time and I should really conquer my fears and not let it win. So that was my adventurous week, and then it got into the romance category. My best friend since I was 8 years old is getting married in October, so we h...

So I finished the book Shadow of Night ...it was amazing! I can not wait until the third installment comes out and I hope that its soon. The character development of Matthew and Diana is great. Throughout the book they find out more about themselves and each other, even though they are decades in the past. Matthew, because he lived in that time period, has to revert back to his old ways and the reader can see how different was in the past compared to the present. When time traveling, you learn that you are not supposed to alter time. Matthew and Diana left an important mark on Elizabethan London and the rest of history. Historical figures come and go throughout the book, such as Christopher Marlowe, Walter Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth and a brief mention of William Shakespeare. Diana was there to learn more about her magic, but only developed her power towards the end when a surprising character appears and helps rid her of her fear of magic. There are plenty more characters in the book, ...

I'm almost done with Shadow of Night ...I won't give a run down of the book until I'm done, so instead I'm going to discuss a little show called Toddlers and Tiaras - some may be aware of this show as it has been on for a few years now on TLC. I watch this show on a regular basis - 1. Because I can't help watching a train wreck happen 2. Because there's nothing else on and reality tv can be pretty entertaining 3. I can't understand how some parents can put their children through something so grueling and cruel as a beauty pageant. Now, you may think that because I watch the show I condone this sort of behavior and in turn I am one of the many viewers that keep shows like this on tv. But, let me explain a little bit. My mind works in ways that make it attracted to things that I can not explain or understand - for example I'm fascinated by the Holocaust, beauty pageants and witches, vampires and werewolves (not the Twilight kind either). Beauty pageants ...

Though this is supposed to be about my thoughts on books that I'm reading, I also think this should be my thoughts about anything in particular that is going on with my life or in the world that I would like to reflect on. Today, or should I say last night, I received some news regarding my family that upset me. I won't go into detail, everyone is fine, but one of my family members made one too many mistakes and its hitting me hard. I love him and am sending all my strength out to him. <3 I wish I could be there with you. I wish I could hold your hand. But there is too many roads between us, I know you can understand. I am with you everyday, Although I'm far away, I think about you constantly But there's just no way To make you better, I can't always wipe your tears You can do this on your own now You can be strong. The strength is there inside you, I can see it through your pain. Believe in yourself And you will always find you...

Today I received the second volume in the trilogy by Deborah Harkness Shadow of Darkness in the mail. I was very excited because I had been waiting for this book to come out since reading A Discovery of Witches last year. How I usually come across a good book is by looking at the title and then reading for the first few lines of the first chapter and the synopsis of the book in a book store - I love book stores and books themselves and want to eventually have a room filled wall to wall with books.  For this book, however, I discovered it in a magazine, Glamour , I believe. When reading their review of the book I was instantly hooked and had to have it. When I finally read it, it certainly did not disappoint.  A Discovery of Witches is the first book of the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness . In this first book, the reader becomes acquainted with Diana Bishop, a historian who has tried her entire life to be normal after the sudden death of her parents when she was se...