Sine Nomine

Hey there! Remember me? If your answer's no, I can't really say I blame you. I disappeared a little bit. And I'm not officially back or anything, but it's November, which means it's NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which means I have a little bit of an announcement.

I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year! Well, sort of. I mean, the goal is to write 50,000 words over the course of November and I started November with 15,000 words already written, so I'm really using this as a motivational tool to get me to write a little more regularly than I have been, but whatever. Semantics.

Anyway, you may remember a full-length novel that I mentioned back in September when I declared my fic-writing hiatus. Well, this is the novel I was referencing. It's call We Behind the Curtain, and it's an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz story that I'm writing as a final project in my Wizard of Oz seminar that I'm taking this semester (you may all be jealous now that I get to take a class on The Wizard of Oz for college credit).

Anyway, I figure posting here fairly regularly might keep me a little more on schedule, since at 15,000 words, I'm about a quarter of the way through my story when, according to the deadlines I set myself, I should actually be about halfway through . . . yeah, I know. In my own defense, I've been directing a show. But that's done now, so my attention turns to this!

Anyway, below the cut I've put the Prologue, just in case you have a spare moment and would like to give me a little feedback on it. If I think it'll help, I may post more as I go (also, that will put it in a third place I can get to easily -- my hard drive also crashed about three weeks ago, so I've been dealing with that as well. Yay computer labs.). But I'm wasting time talking about it, so I'm just gonna post this and go back to my writing!

Good luck to any other novel writers this month!

Johans, if you still want this to be a surprise at the end, you probably shouldn't read the link. But see what I'm doing? I'm putting that in your hands now! :)

( We Behind the Curtain: Prologue )

So, I told midorichi that I hadn't procrastinated enough lately (which is totally and completely a lie, by the way, but isn't it always?), so now I have this meme to do! My letter was R.

Leave me a comment and I will give you a letter. Then, write 10 things that you love starting with that letter. Post the list in your journal.

1. Reading. I mean, obviously. Book Reviews through 70 should have given this one away pretty quickly. Reading is one of my all time favorite things to do, and unfortunately, what with the novel writing this semester, I'm not letting myself do as much of it as I'd like to.

2. Redone fairy tales. As far as it's a genre (which I know isn't terribly far), it's one of my favorites. I loved the idea of fairy tales as a kid, but so many of them just had so many problems! So while I still love fairy tales, I love people who rewrite them even more! If you want my list of favorites and recommendations, just ask!

3. River Tam. From Firefly. She's just an amazing character and I love her.

4. Renaissance Faires. I'm going to one this weekend, I'm going to spend much more money than I can afford, and I'm not going to regret it one bit. :)

5. Raspberries. Specifically, black raspberries, but that's a B, not an R, and I'm fond of all kinds.

6. Realm. I just really like the word. *points to username*

7. Rainbows. Yes, a highly girly answer, I know, but some of my favorite memories have to do with trekking outside in the rain to see an absolutely awesome rainbow or double rainbow. I think they're beautiful, and I love their rarity and their symbolism.

8. Roses. Another girly answer, but still entirely true. It's one of my favorite scents in the whole world, and I like a flower with some spunk. I also really like Rose as a name, and was super exicted when JK Rowling gave it to a NextGen kid. Which leads me to the last two that I'm sure you've all been expecting.

9. Rowling, JK. A fudged answer, maybe, but you couldn't really expect me to not include it, now could you? I think the reasoning for this one should be fairly obvious: this is the woman who had a large part in making me the HP-obsessed, fanfic-writing, Neville-loving slightly crazy Ravenclaw that I am today. And, speaking of . . .

10. Ravenclaw. My house of choice. And where I would absolutely end up, no question. I mean, if one of the highlights of DH for you was finding out how the Ravenclaws get into their tower, and if you geeked out over said method of entrance for five solid minutes, I think it's fairly clear where you belong. All I'm saying. :)

And that's that. 15 minutes of my life gone. And well worth it!

Title: One False Note
Author: Gordon Korman
Page Count: 174
Status: New read
Synopsis: The race is one to find 39 Clues that safeguard a great power, and fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan, are shocked to find themselves in the lead. The search seems to be taking them to Vienna, and they hold a coded piece of Mozart's sheet music that's key to finding the next Clue. But tailed by a pack of power-hungry relatives, Amy and Dan can't see if they are sailing toward victory -- or straihgt into a deadly trap.

( We were nobody. Suddenly we have a chance to shape the world. )

I am very interested in watching this story unfold. It's like a giant letter game, but with the same characters and each letter being an entire novel. But it's still out of an author's hands once it passes to the next. Fascinating, really. I'd kind of like to join . . . :)

Book 71 will be . . . who knows at this point?

( The Tally )

Title: Dragon Spear
Author: Jessica Day George
Page Count: 246
Status: New read
Synopsis: As far as Creel is concerned, all is finally right with the world. The dragon king, Shardas, and his queen, Velika, have made a comfortable home in the Far Isles. And with a tentative peace declared between dragons and humans, it seems the perfect time for Creel and Prince Luka to plan their wedding . . . or maybe not. Because when Velika gets kidnapped, Creel and Luka will join their dragon friends on their most dangerous adventure yet -- only to discover that the real enemy may be one of their own. And if the dangerous new foes and volcanic eruptions weren't enough to throw off the wedding, add in a bushel of unwanted relations and a little accident involving not one but two wedding gowns, and Creel's dream wedding might be turning into a nightmare.

( There really was no way around it: my aunt was dumber than two turnips in a rain barrel. )

I enjoyed this book a lot, and I like the way it finished up Creel's story, but I do have to say it was the weakest of the three. It's still worth the read, though, the whole trilogy.

I have no idea what book 70 will be. Sorry!

( The Tally )

Title: Dragon Flight
Author: Jessica Day George
Page Count: 255
Status: Reread
Synopsis: In her last adventure, Creel talked her way out of a dragon's clutches. Then she talked her way into a job as a seamstress, caught the eye of a prince, foiled a diabolical princess's plans to take over the country, and, oh yes, was named Heroine of the Dragon Wars for her trouble.

Now, with the Dragon Wars over, Creel is back to work as a seamstress. Business is steady and life is good, but it's also a bit . . . dull. So when word comes that a bordering country has been training dragons for an imminent invasion, Creel throws herself into the line of duty again. After all, joining forces with the dragons, rekindling a frienship with the prince who captured her heart, and maybe -- just maybe -- saving the day has got to be more fun than sewing dresses for some snooty duchess, right?

( There are three truths I have come to learn in the year since the Dragon War. The first is that both humans and dragons have the capacity to be good or evil. The second is that even if you're doing something you love, you can still become bored with your work. And the third truth is that my business partner, Marta, will never be finished with her wedding gown. )

The characters are just so rich and well written, and I love Creel's voice as the narrator. She's so snarky, it's amazing. Absolutely worth the read.

Book 69 will probably be Dragon Spear, the third in this trilogy.

( The Tally )

Title: Dragon Slippers
Author: Jessica Day George
Page Count: 321
Status: Reread
Synopsis: When Creel's aunt suggests sacrificing her to the local dragon, it is with the hope that a knight will marr Creel and that everyone (aunt and family included) will benefit handsomely. Yet it's Creel who talks her way out of the dragon's clutches. And it's Creel who walks for days on end to seek her fortune in the king's city with only a bit of embroidery thread and a strange pair of slippers in her possession. But even Creel could not have guessed the outcome of this tale. For in a country on the verge of war, Creel unknowinglypossesses not just any pair of shoes, but a tool that could be used to save her kingdom . . . or destroy it.

( Many stories tell of damsels in distress who are rescued from the clutches of fire-breathing dragons by knights in shining armor and swept off to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. )

This is a great book, and the great start of a trilogy that I'm really looking forward to finishing. New take on dragons, new spunky heroine, and new levels of annoying on this novel's antagonistic spoiled princess, what more could you ask for?

Book 68 will be Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George.

( The Tally )

Live, laugh, and love. Nothing is more important.

Hug without holding back. A real hug involves squeezing.

Appreciate each day for what it is, good or bad. If it's dark and dreary, if it's miserable and cold, make your own sunshine, make your own warmth, and remember that rainbows and snow crystals need the dark and cold.

Laugh, every day, no matter what.

Sing even if you don't know the words.

Be happy as often as you can. You may not have time to waste on sadness.

Tell the people you love that you love them every chance you get. Don't assume they already know and don't assume you can just tell them next time. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow.

Make today worthwhile.

Play games and eat chocolate.

Remember that everyone in your life has something to teach you, if you'll let the lesson come.

When things get hard and you're afraid you're about to hit the bottom, let go and let what will come, come. Chances are, you'll bounce.

Smiles and laughter can chase away the scariest demons.

Never give in to expectations.

Remember that the most beautiful sunsets come when there are clouds on the horizon that get in the way of the light.

Dream every chance you get.

Music makes life worth living.

Never worry that you might not be old enough or big enough or important enough to make a difference. You are.

Your family may be crazy, insane, and imperfect, but they're yours. Cherish every moment you can spend with them.

Remember the good along with the bad. Pain is lessened when you laugh.

Never forget.

Never give up.

Always, always, always have heart.


Thank you, Ethan, for all you have taught us.




Ethan Robert Lillard
July 28, 1995 - September 28, 2005


If you have a free hour or so today, and can get to a Chili's restaurant, go. Eat something. A meal or dessert, or anything. What you spend will go 100% to St. Jude's Research Hospital. Help the kids whose light and laughter can only take them so far. Let's make childhood cancer, in all its forms, a thing of the past.

Title: The Maze of Bones
Author: Rick Riordan
Page Count: 220
Status: New read
Synopsis: What would happen if you discovered that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What if you were told that the source of the family's power was hidden round the world, in the form of 39 Clues? What if you were given a choice -- take a million dollars and walk away . . . or get the first clue? If you're Amy and Dan Cahill, you take the Clue -- and begin a very dangerous race.

( If you so choose, each of you may walk out of this room with one million dollars and never have to think of Grace Cahill or her last wishes again. Or . . . you may choose a clue -- a single clue that will be your only inheritance. No money. No property. Just a clue that might lead you to the most important treasure in the world and make you powerful beyond belief. )

So, yes. I am definitely going to continue reading this series (though I don't know that I'll get into the interactive online aspect of it) because I'm intrigued by it. Each book (I think there will be 10) will be by a different author, who Rick Riordan will give a clue and a location and then pretty much let them go to town. I think I'm going to have fun seeing how this story plays out in the end.

Book 67 will be Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George.

( The Tally )

That I will never actually send. But I can pretend, yes?

Basically, I'm a youth theatre major and I'm a senior, and one of my graduation requirements is a course called Treehouse Troupe, which is an auditioned class that puts together a performance and tours it to local elementary schools, OR two puppetry courses, puppetry craft and puppetry manipulation. I just found out that my school decided not to offer Treehouse Troupe in the spring.

Dear BGSU Department of Theatre and Film,

Thank you so very much for cutting Treehouse Troupe for the spring. After all, those senior youth theatre majors who had to take it next semester due to not getting cast the past TWO years when they auditioned can always take the two puppetry courses that are the equivalent for the graduation requirement. Except, wait. You're not offering those classes in the spring either. And haven't. For about the past fifteen years. But I guess your youth theatre majors aren't THAT important. They're only working with kids after all.

Sincerely,
A Youth Theatre major trying to graduate in a reasonable amount of time who will either have to find a way to stretch her 12 hours of required classes left to fill three more semesters of college or design an independent study in youth theatre performance for next semester and hope you decide to see it as an equivalent to the classes you've decided are no longer necessary

So . . . I just found out that one of my professors has read some of my fanfiction.

. . .

I'm not 100% sure how to feel about that at the moment.

If I were more technologically competent, this would be big and sparkly and eye-catching, but since I'm not,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, thesteppyone!!!

I hope it is a truly wonderful day for you, and, in your honor, I have this:

Title: Better Than a Superhero
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Ron, Bill, Ron/Hermione, Bill/Fleur
Word Count: ~5200, give or take
Summary: Sometimes, being a brother is even better than being a superhero.

Enjoy! :) And much love to you!

( Better Than a Superhero )

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Page Count: 550
Status: Reread
Synopsis: By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she pickes up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing forster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found. But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.

( He made three separate formations that led to the same tower of dominoes in the middle. Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would all smile at the beauty of destruction. )

Simply put, read this book. It is one of the few that I recommend universally, to every person, regardless of age, interest, creed, anything. Read this book, period. Not because it will change your life, though I think it might, and I hope it will, but because we as a people need to. We need to read this book, all of us, and I don't say that very often. It is the very highest recommendation I can give.

Book 66 is yet to be determined, but will probably be Persuasion by Jane Austen or The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan.

( The Tally )

Title: Princess of the Midnight Ball
Author: Jessica Day George
Page Count: 272
Status: New read
Synopsis: Princess Rose is the eldest of twelve sisters condemned to dance each night for the wicked King Under Stone in his palace deep within the earth. It is a curse that has haunted the girls since their birth -- and only death will set them free. Then Rose meets Galen, a young soldier-turned-gardener with an eye for adventure and a resolve that matches her own, and freedom suddenly begins to seem a little less impossible. To defeat the king and his dark court, they will need one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all -- true love.

( 'Remember, Galen,' she called over her shoulder. 'When you are in the palace, you will have great need.' )

I absolutely recommend this book to any fairy tale lovers because yes, happily ever after comes through at the end like we'd expect, but it's just so much more satisfying than it is in the original tale because George has filled in all those irksome little plot holes, developed the characters to three full dimensions, and written us into a world we love to view as our own.

Book 65 will be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

( The Tally )

Title: Because I Am Furniture
Author: Thalia Chaltas
Page Count: 352
Status: New read
Synopsis: Anke's father is abusive. He attacks her brother and sister, but she is ignored, forced to be an invisible witness in a house of horrors. Believing she isn't worthy of even the worst kind of attention, Anke feels about as significant as the living room sofa. Until she makes the volleyball team at school. In a sport where ou have to yell "Mine!" to play the ball, Anke learns for the first time how to make herself heard. As her confidence on the court builds, she finds a voice she didn't know existed. And it's not long before she realizes tht if she can make people hear her while she's playing volleyball, then maybe she can heard at home, too.

( People are more honest when they don't know you're listening. ) Having finished the book, I think poetry is really the only way this story could have been so powerfully told, and though it may have a slightly unrealistic ending, it stands as the ending we should be making sure all these stories really have. I recommend it, definitely.

Book 64 will be Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George.

( The Tally )

Title: This I Believe
Author: edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman
Page Count: 271
Status: New read
Synopsis: Based on the NPR series of the same name, the bestselling This I Believe features eighty essayists -- from the famus to the previously unknwon -- completeing the thought that begins the book's title. Each piece compels us to rethink not only how we have arrived at our own personal beliefs but also the extent to which we share them with others. The result is a stirring and provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of people whose beliefs -- and the remarkably varied ways in which they choose to express them -- reveal the American spirit at its best.

( This I believe . . . )

I do recommend this book, very much, as well as the project in general. But even beyond encouraging you to read it, I encourage you to think about what it is you believe, and how you might express it. I'd love to read your essays.

Book 63 will be Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas.

( The Tally )

( This I Believe )

Title: Slay and Rescue
Author: John Moore
Page Count: 208
Status: New read
Synopsis: It's not easy being a prince, and Charming has had just about enough of it: dragons to slay, villains to fight, and one beautiful princess after another demanding to be rescued from a fate worse than death. But in the Slay and Rescue business, you're always on call . . .

( The wizard was evil. Really evil. Evil with no redeeming qualities. . . . He even pulled the wings off butterflies. NOt for any magical reasons. Just for fun. )

Moore's form of fairy tale storytelling is not for everyone. He can be a little vulgar and the innuendos run quite rampant, so if those are things that bother you, you should look elsewhere for your fairy tale entertainment. But it's a good story, a fun story, with a lot of fun characters. I'm partial to Wendall, Charming's page, who just wants to get away from all these girls and fight some dragons, for goodness sake!

Getting a hold of a copy might prove your biggest obstacle -- the book is all but out of print for no reason I can tell. But if you can find it, it's worth the read, I think.

Book 62 will be This I Believe, edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman.

( The Tally )

Title: East
Author: Edith Pattou
Page Count: 494
Status: Reread
Synopsis: Rose has always been different. Since the day she was born, it was clear she had a special fate. Her superstitious mother keeps the unusual circumstances of Rose's birth a secret, hoping to prevent her adventurous daughter from leaving home . . . but she can't suppress Rose's true nature forever.

So when an enormous white bear shows up one cold autumn evening and asks teenage Rose to come away with it – in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family – she readily agrees. Rose travels on the bear's broad back to a distant and empty castle, where she is nightly joined by a mysterious stranger. In discovering his identity, she loses her heart – and finds her purpose – and realizes her journey has only just begun.

( All I intended to do, when I began the journey, was to set things right. They say losing someone you love is like losing a part of your own body. And eye or a leg. But it is far worse – especially when it is your fault. )

This book is absolutely recommended to anyone who has ever loved reading fairy tales. I encourage you to read the original, and then to read this book, because what Edith Pattou does to a story already wonderful on its own is simply breath-taking.

Book 61 will be Slay and Rescue by John Moore.

( The Tally )

Title: The Fire Rose
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Page Count: 433
Status: Reread
Synopsis: Heiress Rosalind Hawkins was a thoroughly modern medieval scholar whose future was taken away from her when the family fortune disappeared upon her father's death. Now Rose must make a new life for herself, one that ventures away from academia and toward a position as a governess. Ut when she arrives at her employer's mansion overlooking San Francisco Bay, Rose discovers that she is to be a governess in a house without children, or even a wife. Furthermore, it seemed that she was never to meet her employer face to face but merely to read to him through a speaking tube from ancient manuscripts in obscure and foreign dialects.

As time passes, "governess" and employer learn first respect and then affection for each other. At last they do meet face to face, and Rose learns Jason Cameron's terrible secret, and despite, or because of it, she comes to love him. And – the earth moves . . .

( Dear Miss Hawkins. Now I must make a confession to you. You have been brought here under false pretenses. )

Set against the backdrop of the Great Earthquake of 1907, the historical research put into this novel is astounding. The characters are rich and flawed, and I guarantee it's Beauty and the Beast like you've never seen it done before. And for those of you who are averse to Lackey's style, this earlier novel is simpler and more direct in its storytelling. It is absolutely recommended.

Book 60 will be East by Edith Pattou.

( The Tally )

Title: The Wizard of Oz
Author: L Frank Baum
Page Count: 155
Status: Reread
Synopsis: In a terrifying instant of darkness, a tornado snatches up young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto, whirling them on the wild wind straight out of Kansas and into Oz. In this wondrous world of sorcery and danger, Munchkins, flying monkeys, talking mice, and fighting trees, all Dorothy wants to do is go home. Together with the Scarecrow who wants a brain, the Tin Man who wants a heart, and the Cowardly Lion who wants courage, Dorothy and Toto must follow the Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard of the Emerald City. But before the Wizard of Oz will grant their wishes, Dorothy and her friends must do the impossible -- destroy the all-powerful Wicked Witch of the West.


My Thoughts: Except, not really, because I'm not actually reviewing this book. Not yet. See, I'm taking a class on this story and the many ways artists and authors have revisioned this world, so I'll be reading the book in much more depth then, and my review will be much more interesting. Also, this read was more of a skim read, undertaken solely for the purpose of the book's overview so I can begin creating my own revisioning, also known as the class's final project.

So, Book the Fifty-Eighth, The Wizard of Oz, Part Two, coming soon to a blog near you . . .

Book 59 will be The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey.

( The Tally )

Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Page Count: 324
Status: Reread
Synopsis: Spirited Elizabeth Bennet is one of a family of five daughters; with no male heir, the Bennet estate must someday pass to their priggish cousin Collins. Therefore, the girls must marry well -- and the arrogant bachelor Mr. Darcy is Elizabeth's elusive match.

( It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a large fortune must be in want of a wife. )

If you haven't read it, go and read it. If you've only ever seen a movie, go and read it. If you've only ever seen the 2005 movie especially -- go pick up this book! The way the story is told can be a little dense and may not be for everyone, but wade through it. It's worth it. Especially the last two chapters. I know things have to be cut in movie plots for action and time purposes, but I wish every once in a while that someone would include those two chapters -- they're hilarious, and people are missing out. Go read Jane Austen! You'll be glad you did!

Book 58 will be The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (except, not really, but I'll get to that in the review).

( The Tally )