From the far away land of War Drobe

In the culmination of almost thirty years of fandom, I along with millions of others, went to go see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Something very surprising happened in the darkened room where I sat. I saw a glimpse of a land far, far away and it had nothing to do with George Lucas, or John William's sweeping scores. What I saw left me stunned and breathless, and my movie hadn't even begun! It was the trailer for the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew they were making a movie of my all time favourite children's books, and I dreaded it. I'd heard Disney bought the rights and though I love the company, I hated the thought of them trying and failing to make a good movie. If you've seen the old BBC version of the series, you'll know why I didn't think it was possible to do things well. Even after seeing Lord of the Rings, I didn't really think a quality live action version was possible, and an animated one would be a travesty. Then there were the deep religious overtones imbedded in the story: surely they wouldn't make it past Hollywoodization.

I have never been so wrong about a film. Not only have they made the movie, but it appears that they have made ONE HECK OF A BEAUTIFULL, FREAKING AWESOME movie! I sat in that dark theatre this morning, thinking not one thought about Star Wars. My jaw was hanging open and my eyes teared up to the point that tears were streaming down my face... in a happy sort of way. Man, if that's how all of the Tolkein freaks felt when they saw the Peter Jackson's movies well, WOW!

I did enjoy Star Wars. In fact, it was wonderfull. Once the Fox drumroll began I was able to remember why I was there. The green Lucasfilm log induced a shiver from me as always. My breath caught at the opening fanfare of the title sequence and I was transported to that glaaxy far, far, away one last time. In fact the emotions raised for Narnia carried over into the movie and left me teary at unexpected moments and boo-hooing by the end of the film. I'm sorry the saga over, in someways it seemed like, with the closing credits, that I left my childhood behind at last. A bittersweet farewell.

Even with such melancholy ruminations, I can't help but think: Boy, is it going to be fun stepping through the Wardrobe this fall.

Books for June

I've posted my book suggestions for June.

Black Rose is new as of May 31st. The first book in the trilogy is called Blue Dhalia. It was wonderful, and I look forward to reading this second entry. My grandmother enjoyed the book as much as I did. It is always fun to find novels we can share.

Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series are always fun. You can start with her newest one, or while away the heat of the summer with the whole series.

Zorro is a retelling of the classic version of this Robin-hood type hero. I spent many a summer afternoon thrilling to Guy Williams as the black-clad fox during my childhood. If you've only seen the movie, you owe it to yourself to give this book (or the old series and movies) a try.

Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel in paperback contains her two novels "Crown Duel" and "Court Duel" as well as a new short-story. They may be categorized as young adult, but I'm thirty-mumble and regularly thrill to rereading them. They are chockfull of adventure, fabulous story telling and detailed character studies.

Last but not least, as if these weren't enough, I'd like to suggest a few things to re-read this month. Five things actually. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits bookstands and mailboxes across the country on July 16. Why not re-read the first five books as a delectable way of preparing yourself for the return to Hogwarts?

Confessions of a Blogging Book Addict

I have a confession to make to you, my reader (yes we figured as much from the title, you say):

The books to the right are hopelessly out of date. I am obviously not able to keep up with myself here. I read, approximately, two books every three days. Keeping the blog that updated is a little silly, and while I enjoy most everything I read (otherwise why finish?) I doubt that you really need a complete rundown of what I've brought home from the library every week.

So, I'm going to change "What I'm reading" to more of a monthly reccomendation. Only the better books will make it over there, and I won't feel so guilty about not updating it more often.

First of May

Traditionally the first of May was the begining of the circus season. With indoor arenas and the demise of the big top, the connection is not what it once was. Alas. Still, the circus is what I think of when May first rolls around, that and the Kentucky Derby.

Now I realize that I haven't updated things here in almost a full month. If you think that's bad, wait till you hear that I still haven't finished my son's rocking chair! This is just a little entry to let you know I'm still kicking, and if you need something to keep you busy here's some ideas:


The Greatest Show on Earth DVD (1952), directed by Cecil B DeMille

Circus Shoes by Noel Streatfield

Cirque Du Soleil : 20 Years Under the Sun - An Authorized History by Tony Babinski

Cirque du Soleil - Fire Within (TV Series) DVD ~ Andrew Atherton

Modoc : The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer

http://www.ringling.com/

There's more where those came from. Check out all of the Cirque DVDs, shows near you and the non-fiction section of your libary for tons of fun books and autobiographies that tell the tale of the greatest of shows.