Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Having been to the theatre to see the musical and loving both the concept and the music i thought i should read the book to see what that was like.

Synopsis
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil? Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

So having finished the book i found it to be a lot darker than the musical but i loved the mix of classical tale retold for a defferent, in this case the ‘wicked witch’s’, Point of View. i loved the links between both the orignal and the new and the setting up of the story of the wizard of Oz and how it’s characters became as they were.

I found it to be a very interesting read and one i’m very glad i have read.

1. 8.8.08 crowd beijing, 2. group, 3. lake bakial, 4. trans mongolian, 5. Da Tong station, 6. friends, 7. lake bakial, 8. trans mngolian, 9. shunyl olympic canoeing park, 10. moat, 11. dragon, 12. sign, 13. idiot restaurant, 14. tree, 15. great wall, 16. flowers

A three week adventure round china, mongolia and Russia. i have caputured some of the parts in the above mosaic. Obviously three weeks is a long time and hard to capture in such a small amount of pictures but i have tried and these are some of my favourite ones. more will be coming soon.

The Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey

Killashandra Ree is a singer, but cannot attain her ultimate goal and become a solo singer. When the alternate option of joining the mysterious crystal singers appear, she take it – and so begins a wonderful science fiction story about something you don’t see very often: How the raw materials for all those fancy gadgets and machines they have in the future are acquired.

A book i have read many years ago and loved then so i really enjoyed re-reading it. Anne McCaffrey is favourite author of mine and she never fails to dissappoint with well constructed characters, worlds and storylines that will entice and draw you in (so much so i have been online to find out the next two books to read). Definately worth a read!

Serenity by Joss Whedon

Penned by Whedon and Brett Matthews Serenity follows a ship full of mercenaries, fugitives and one law-abiding prostitute in their pursuit for fast cash and a little peace along the fringes of space. The ragtag crew of Serenity take on a scavanger mission with the hopes of earning enough dough to disappear for a while. Only too late do they realize the whole gig is orchestrated by an old enemy eager remake their aquanitance with the help of some covert-operatives known only as the Blue Gloves. Artist Will Conrad (Marvel’s Elektra and Witches) and colorist Laura Martin (Astonishing X-Men and The Ultimates) paint a rough and wild world of adventure across a strange and dangerous universe, in this not-to-be-missed tale straight from the brain of pop-culture mastermind Joss Whedon!

Having watched both the firefly series and the film serenity i read this book thinking it would fill in the gaps between the two. i was left feeling more confused. i’m not sure comics are for me i loved the pictures and the colour but found it hard to keep track of the storyline.  I think i’m glad i tried reading it but don’t think i’ ever go for a comic again i like me black and white text to much.

10 Ideas for Launching a Journal

By someguy (1001 jounrnals)

10. Set a Theme
While it may seem constraining, this can often help contributors focus their contributions. Have everyone contribute a story of lost love, or add only things about life at work. The options are limitless… from current event topics like politics, entertainment, or war to fan clubs of all sorts, to more introspective ideas, like lessons learned in the 5th grade, or the value of family.

9. Launch it in a Group
Sometimes it’s nice to keep your journal among friends. This could be a classroom (or a whole school), a book club, an artist’s group, church group, prison cell block, or whatever.

8. Or, Virtual Group
You can do the same with online friends, such as fellow bloggers. On MySpace? Maybe the journal is limited to your friends list. Deviant Art? Friendster? There are so many community sites out there now, this is a great way to strengthen ties in your group, and create something together.

7. Launch it with Strangers
The flipside, is to start a conversation with complete strangers. Your journal will probably travel farther, and contain a wider variety of contributions, hopefully from different age groups and cultures. Reach out and make new friends.

6. Create a Narrative
LIke the original narrative corpse idea, you could use a journal to write a book. Start by writing the first two pages. The next person reads those pages, and then writes two more. The next person only reads the most recent two pages before adding their contribution. In the end, you’ll have a book full of twists and turns. For a bit of continuity, limit the number of writers, and have them each contribute 2 or more times, in the same order.

5. Start a Treasure Hunt
Add something to your journal, and then hide it somewhere. Make sure it’s somewhere an average person wouldn’t stumble upon it. Post clues to its location on the web site, and invite people to go find it. People that find it will add something to it, and can either leave it there for others, or, take it with them and hide it somewhere else.

4. Begin a Dialog
The inspiration behind The 1000 Journals Project was bathroom wall graffiti, and the conversations that would take place, anonymously, in public spaces. Your journal could be the same, by encouraging conversation between participants. You might start the journal by posing questions, or offering your opinions on controversial topics. War. Drugs. Sex. Abortion. American Idol. There are plenty of topics that get people talking… the key is starting the dialog.

3. Create Layers
I tend to enjoy artwork that’s created by more than one person. It’s a simple method to employ in a journal, so long as participants know it’s ok. Add a bunch of half complete artwork, foundations or backgrounds. They could be writing as well. The next person adds to them by drawing on top, or continuing your piece. In the end, you’ll have a mix of styles and techniques, and a journal full of art no single person could have created on their own.

2. Use a Journal as Correspondence
The Griffin & Sabine books (though just a fictional story) are a great example of this. Use your journal as a record of the correspondence between you and a penpal. I recommend picking a smaller journal, as sending it back and forth so many times is likely to get expensive. In the end, you’ll have a wonderful keepsake documenting your friendship.

1. Start with a Book, not a Blank Journal
Find an old hard-bound book, and use that as your journal. Alter pages, paste in things, or white wash the pages so others can write on them. This is a great way to add texture and depth to your journal. No one likes staring at a blank white page.

Through a glass, Darkly by Jostein Gaarder

It’s almost Christmas. Cecilia lies sick in bed as her family bustle around her to make her last Christmas as special as possible. Cecilia has cancer. An angel steps through her window. So begins a spirited and engaging series of conversations between Cecelia and her angel. As the sick girl thinks about her life and prepares for her death, she changes subtly, in herself and in her relationships with her family.

An interesting and serious book although one i’m not sure i understood fully. Having read other books with more obvious message’s i would choose those over this one. It’s not a bad book just not one that grabbed me. It was well written and like other books by Gaarder it contained very deep, philosophical messages.

The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kay

I have really enjoyed this series so far but found this book hard to get into. I read half and struggled to read the second the half. After reading it to the end finally i found it a good ending to the series but not one i would hurry to read again. For such a book i struggle to write more of an article as it seems to have slipped from my mind.

i have swapped journals with a partner on swap-bot to create an art journal for her but am struggling with having the space and time and inspiration to do any pages. i have done about 4 so far over the space of a month and keep collecting things which i think will be great but haven’t put any of them to use. i keep blaming things for getting in the way but i think my life is far to cluttered and chaotic to journal at the moment. I have been researching journal prompts and have quite a collection now that i can use just need to find the time to use them and the space to do something in.

Looking back over the last few months I feel like i have been on pause in completing things for my list of 101 things but looking at it i am waiting for a lot to happen over the next month. I will be able to cross off a lot of things to do wit travel and have had my passport returned with 3 visa’s in which counts to another item to cross off. I need to start working on some harder and others i think need reviewing and possibly changing. I am allowing myself to change them as this list was really hard to write and my goals change monthly let alone over the 1001 day period. Small changes to items off my list, in my view, is fine. Others may disagree but i don’t care my list, my rules.

The Wandering Fire by Guy Gavriel Kay

Synopsis
The second volume in Guy Gavriel Kay’s stunning fantasy masterwork, now reissued with the beautiful original cover art by Martin Springett. As the evil of Rakoth Maugrim threatens the very existence of Fionavar, the five from our own world must cross over once again to play out their given roles: Kimberly to summon the dead from their rest and the undead to their doom; Dave to take his place in battle among the Dalrei of the Plain; Paul, Lord of the Summer Tree, once more to weave his own bright thread through the tapestry; Jennifer to become the agent of a timeless destiny; and Kevin to discover finally the part he is to play in the struggle to save the Weaver’s worlds from the Unraveller. Guy Gavriel Kay’s classic epic fantasy plays out on a truly grand scale, and has already been delighting fans of imaginative fiction for twenty years.

The second in the trilogy i thought was as good as the first and i read it, couldn’t put it down, and finished in the space of days. Another great book, well written and just as enticing as the first. By bringing in many different mythological creatures and character Kay adds to the plot another dynamic and interesting element. The sacrifice of one of the main characters is quite a surprise, but it provides an opening for the story to progress further.