Book Haul!

Today we had a massive book sale at work (yay for working at a bookstore!) and I purchased the following books for only $1 each!!!  Talk about a killer deal!

Book Haul 2/22/2012

As you can tell, I purchased a lot of classics.  I don't read classics very often, and so I haven't collected them.  But who can turn down a steal of a deal?

Starting at the top:

"Heartfire" by Orson Scott Card
I mainly purchased it because it sounded interesting and it's Orson Scott Card!  I'll be honest, I didn't realize that it was book 5 in a series until I got home... oh well!  It will still be interesting, I am sure!

"The Count of Monte Cristo" byAlexandre Dumas
I absolutely love the movie and I have heard the book is better.  I look forward to reading this one!

"First Meetings In Ender's Universe" by Orson Scott Card
Purchased this one because it belongs with Ender's Game.  (Even though I still need to read that book--it's on my reading list for this year!).

"The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch
I have watched his lecture videos and I thoroughly enjoyed them!  Talk about inspiring!  I have been meaning to buy the book for quite some time now... I guess waiting for things you want really does pay off in the end, doesn't it? ^-^

"The Secret: The Power" by Rhonda Byrne
This is an addition to the acclaimed The Secret, which I have not read.  However, I do plan to purchase The Secret and I look forward to reading both of these books.  (The Secret was no included on this $1 sale.  Trust me, I asked!)

"Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Finally!!  A mythology book that I can get my head around!  I have been wanting a good ancient Greek mythology book for some time now (years in fact) that tells the stories of heroes like Hercules and many other classics!  Way excited about this find!

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain
What a great classic!  How can you not include this one in your collection?

"The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain
Another must-have classic.

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-smith
I've heard good things about this book, despite not being a huge zombie fan.

"The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
Yay for wolves!!  Excited to read this classic!

"White Fang" by Jack London
I remember vaguely having to read this book for an English class back in junior high, but I don't recall hardly anything about it.  Another classic I will enjoy reading!

"The Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens
I have never read this book, nor do I know much about the story (hence the reason I purchased it now).  But you can never go wrong with Dickens!

"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Another classic I have never read, but I enjoy Sherlock!  So this should be interesting!

"The Odyssey" by Homer
Started reading this and found it piqued my interests.  Again, another very well known classic I have never had the chance to read.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare
Yet another classic.  I've heard this is one of Shakespeare's works that is quite humorous.

"Complete Sonnets" by William Shakespeare
Beautiful.  Poems are wonderful things... (And did I mention, I have Alan Rickman reading sonnets???  I will definitely be listening to him while reading along now!!)

"Four Great Tragedies" by William Shakespeare
This includes: Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet.  What collection is complete without these timeless classics?

"Lovelock" by Orson Scott Card and Kathryn H. Kidd
This book simply looked interesting.  Kind of reminded me of Rise of the Planet of the Apes for some reason... But I am sure they are quite different. ^-^


Obviously there are other classics I did not buy, mainly because we sold out of them (I was a little late getting first dibs).  But I am content with what I bought, and to tell you the truth, I probably wouldn't have purchased some of these if they hadn't been so cheap!  But ONE DOLLAR?!  Of course I can spend that...

You can view the complete list (from above) here.
Or you can also view my complete library (which I continue to update).

New Reading Goal

As you may be aware, my list of "to-read" books for this year is ever growing and probably will continue to grow as the year goes on...

Therefore, I made the following decision today:

Instead of listing the books I am going to read this year, I will simply set a page/book goal instead, that way, it allows my creative brain to have the freedom of choice (which I very much enjoy--I hate restrictions, especially when I know there are other alternatives).

So, here is my newly revised goal for 2012:

Read 20,000 pages

OR

Read 25 books

As soon as I finish Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (which will be in this next week, I only have 200 pages to go), here are my current standings:

Total pages read: 3,142
Total books read: 6

**Also note, the above goal does not apply to academic reading for school.  So this goal is on top of whatever I need to read for school.

As quickly as I'm pouring through the Harry Potter books, I may slow down a bit as school continues to get more hectic.  However, I do plan to do a ton of reading this summer!  (Which is where I think I'll get the majority of my goal read).

This new goal will present a challenge for me (I originally intended to just shoot for 10,000 pages, but changed my mind).  I want to push myself, see if I can do it!  I have faith that I can!

The reason I mentioned "pages" as opposed to books is because some books can be the length of two.  Take Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for example: It's 870 pages... that's the length of two to three "standard" books.  But I also enjoy the challenge of having to read so many books, therefore I also included the "or 25 books" option.

My original plan is once I accomplish one of them, I will try to push for the second.  If I can get both goals met... well, I'm not quite sure how I will award myself... perhaps a new bookcase? ^-^

Also, there will be a change coming to my Books 2 Read page pretty soon, partly due to this new goal.

Nothing Smells Better

There are few things in life that smell as good as a new book...

Or, in my case, a new game.

And by "game" I mean board game.

Yes, I went shopping this weekend (for my birthday) and absolutely loved it!  Friday was spent at a [board] game store, Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Toys 'R' Us, Deseret Book, and a party store!

This is what I ended up with:

Birthday 2012

 So, as you can see, I obviously prefer getting things over clothing and such. ^-^

It boils down to 3 games (2 full games, 1 expansion), 2 CDs (both Kelly Clarkson), and 3 books...

Yeah, I spoiled myself... But we all deserve at least 1 day out of 365 to spoil ourselves!  Yesterday just happened to be my day!

The Harry Potter Clue was actually cheaper to buy from Toys 'R' Us than from Amazon (because of shipping) so I had to pick it up.  (Can you blame me?)  I've since opened it and analyzed the contents and how to play, and it looks awesome!!!  It is the game of Clue, but with some serious twists and turns!  I can't wait to play this game!

Agricola is a game I have heard a lot of good reviews about.  My dad offered to buy me either this game or Dominion and I opted for this game.  Granted, I have never played this game and I honestly don't know anyone personally who has, but it has great reviews and was listed on the "often bought with" recommendations from Amazon on other games I own and love.  After pulling everything out of the box and looking over the pieces and rules, I'm stoked!!  Those people over in Europe can make really good games!!  I only have two complaints about this game:  1) The box is not nearly sturdy enough to hold all the heavy pieces (my box already has a slight bend to it, causing a crease in the back image), and 2) I hate the blocks and round pieces meant to represent everything from sheep to bricks (they are simply different colors).  Are you kidding?  Luckily, Mayday Games specializes in making game pieces and I plan to order some from them (they have cute sheep and food, not to mention a way cute farmer set!!).  Unfortunately, the big combined sets on this site are only available for preorder, and I have no idea when I'd be able to get the (I assume the big sets are cheaper than trying to buy them individually).  Can't wait to get these ordered so I can do away with the cubes and round tokens and thus fixing my complaint problem.  This will make the game excellent in my opinion.

Moving on...

The last game I purchased was actually an expansion pack for Smallworld.  It's the Cursed expansion, which will spice things up a bit with the main game.  I look forward to implementing this expansion!

The two Kelly Clarkson CDs ("All I Ever Wanted" & "Stronger") I have been meaning to get for quite some time.  I saw those at a really good price (one of which was the same price as a used copy, which I couldn't figure out because they are the same CD!).  Also, the advantage to getting new music is adding to my writing playlist for my Destroyer Series.  The song, "Save You" will be added to the playlist. =D

Lastly, for the books...  (Not that I need more books to read this year... have you seen my current list of books I want to read this year already??)

"Ranger's Apprentice" has been screaming at me for quite some time.  When a book does that, it often means I need to read it because I will like it.  The reviews on Amazon were raving about it, so I decided to get the first book and try it.

"Of Grace & Chocolate" is an LDS fiction novel about a girl named Jillian, who lives alone and has her life in perfect order--the only messy part of her life involves a novel she is writing and chocolate.  Her life gets turned upside down when a guy pulls a joke on her (by taking a few critical things of hers) and her long-lost sister arrives on her doorstep holding a baby.  Her sister stays the night but disappears in the morning, leaving the baby.  Now, Jillian's world will never be the same...  This book appealed to me because I instantly related to the main character in certain ways, and the story seemed rather amusing.

The last book is entitled, "Unearthly".  Now, first of all, can I just say that this cover looks amazing?  I love the artwork and the font is great!  As I read the back of the book, I went... Wait a minute!  This sounds a LOT like my Destroyer Series!!  The story did sound interesting, but I think I bought it more to compare it to my own story than anything else.  I'm a little nervous, because if this story is too similar to mine (which I pray it is not), there's no way I would get Destroyer Series ever published because the publisher will know the story has already been told.  *face plant*  Here's the summary from the back of the book:

"When Clara Gardner learns she's part angel, her entire life changes.  She now has a purpose, a specific task she was put on this earth to accomplish, except she doesn't know what it is.  Her visions of a raging forest fire and a mysterious boy lead her to a new high school in a new town but provide no clear instruction.  As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between the boy in her vision and the boy in her life, between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil... When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?"

- Cynthia Hand, "Unearthly"

So, with that, let me tell you a few similarities I see between the "Unearthly" story and my own (keep in mind, I have not yet read "Unearthly" but I am simply sharing my first impressions):

• Both stories involve a young girl realizing she's an angel
• Leah (my character) has her powers awoken within her, for she is chosen instead of having been sent to Earth for a specific purpose.  But she also has to come to the realization she is an "angel" and she does have a purpose.

• Both stories involve a fire
• However, Leah's fire is a village burning, not a forest.  But it's a fire nonetheless... one which makes Leah realize exactly what she is and the power she is capable of--power which she does not want.

• Both books deal with facing the main character's "Destiny"
• This is a big deal with Leah, especially in the third (and final) book of my series.  She is constantly questioning her destiny and if it really is something she can choose or if it is per-determined for her.

• The phrase: "As [enter character name] tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make..."
• This could be easily applied to my own story as well.  Leah is literally thrown into a world she does not understand and as new characters are brought into the picture, there will be critical decisions that need to be made.

• There appears to be a love triangle
• This is not new to the YA genre (especially since Twilight entered the scene), so I can't hold this against the author in any way... but my story also has a love triangle, and if that boy that Clara sees in her visions is a demon or can shape-shift into a wolf... I might just cry...

So really, I guess the series will be different enough (I hope) that it won't cause problems.  I am a bit interested to see how this story evolves and turns out.  Unfortunately, I will have a little critique in the back of my head constantly comparing this book to my own, but I will try to control it... =D

Until I get around to reading my books, I plan to play my games and keep listening to my new CDs!  This birthday has been amazing and I am truly grateful.  After all, this last year has not been an easy one, and there has been a lot of growth that has occurred.  I am truly very blessed to be in this life.

And nothing smells better than new books and new games... <3

Game Nights

Recently, I got together with a friend and we played the game Dominion.

I don't know how many of you out there have played this game, but according to Rio Grande Game's Official Site (the publisher of the game), it is their #1 selling game.

After having played it, I now see why it's so popular.

It is a strategy card game that is different every time you play it, which is one of the draws to the game.  There is a great amount of strategy involved, but there's also a fair amount of luck since your strategy will depend on what you draw out of your pile of cards.

This specific game piqued my interests when I stumbled across a review on YouTube who simply raved about it.  I was hesitant to purchase it because, being a "Euro Game" (made in Europe) the game isn't exactly a $10 game you can pick up at your local Walmart store.  These types of games are often more complex than your traditional Sorry! or Clue, and are extremely well built!  The playing pieces for any Euro Game I have come in contact with are usually a very sturdy cardboard and beautiful artwork.

I recently became interested in board games (like "Euro Gaming") a couple years ago when I first played the game Carcasssonne.  I simply fell in love with it, and since collecting is something I enjoy doing, I made it a point to collect the expansions, and currently have nearly all of them (aside from the Cardcassonnne and other "side" games).

Carcassonne opened the door for gaming into my life.  And since that fateful day I bought my first Big Box, I have loved gaming ever since.

Therefore, I would love to have a big game night and simply play tons of games--some new, some weird, some favorites, etc.

I have another friend who used to do a weekly game night.  Her and a group of friends got together once a week and played Killer Bunnies.  They did this for nearly three years before they had to quit due to people getting married (some of which met at this weekly game night!), people moving away, and life getting busy.  I attended a couple of these game nights and they were a BLAST!  Granted, they all knew how to play the game and I easily became lost and confused, but it was way fun!

And talk about a good wholesome activity to get people together!

I would gladly (and seriously) host a weekly game night, but unlike my friend, I would probably vary it up and play different games.  My only problem (and the reason I haven't already done it) is because of spacing reasons.

But perhaps someday I will host a weekly game night!  After all, what better way to play new games and socialize than once a week with friends?

What type of games would you play at a weekly game night?

Conquering the Dragons In Life

What would you do if you came face to face with a dragon in your real life?

They are often large, incredibly difficult to defeat, breathe fire, and cause all kinds of chaos.

Have you seen one?  Are you currently facing one at this very moment?

Well the truth of the matter is, you probably have already faced at least one dragon in your life.  And the best part?  You have defeated it.

Now I'm talking about the fluffy pink dragons from Dragon Tales or even the big ugly ones in Harry Potter.

No, I am talking about those all-too difficult challenges we face in this mortal existence.

Lately I have been awoken to the many changes that have taken place in my life over the last year.  Combined with new stress, these changes have felt overwhelming.  In general, we as human beings do not like change, especially a lot of change all at once.  For me, this last year has been a tremendous stage of growth in my own life, and an awful lot of change.  However, at the end of the year, the change didn't stop.  If anything, it became worse.  Compounded with getting back to school (with all the homework that it brings), with drastic changes to my work environment and home life, I started to panic last night.

And then I realized something.

For me, the personal "dragon" I am facing right now is learning to deal with the changes that are coming.  This Dragon of Change was pressing down hard last night, and I felt like a trapped knight trying to desperately fight for freedom, but with little success at piercing this dragon's tough scales.

There were two choices that I could make:

One: Run away and hide from this dragon, praying it never finds me again.

or

Two: Stand and fight with all my might, mind, and strength.

Sure, running away and never having to face the problem would be easy, but would it be the right thing to do?  I certainly wouldn't be counted among the "heroes" of my story if I ran away like a coward.  It was a wise old wizard that once said,

"Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."  

[Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie, 2005]

And so, running away would not be the best option.

As I finally stood my ground, facing the dragon, I quickly became overwhelmed with its size and power over my life.

It was then that I realized one thing...

I am a knight, preparing to face this incredible dragon.  And I am scared.  Scared at what this dragon may do to me and my life now that I have decided to fight.

But unlike so many other fairytales, I do not fight alone.

I have at least three other knights on my side, helping me to conquer this dragon.  Sometimes I forget they are even there, though they are always present.

Those three amazing knights in shining armor are my Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.  They will always be by my side, helping me fight every evil, nasty dragon that comes my way.  They will travel with me along these many journeys, and will aid me whenever I become downhearted, sick, or simply need company.  For sometimes, these journeys seem incredibly lonely.

Together, we can conquer any dragon that comes my way.  I can face any opposition because of the strength and power of my fellow comrades.

Dragons can take on many different forms in this life.  They can be big or small, completely engulfing or simply taunting.  They can leave a trail of destruction, with many signs of defeat and hopelessness posted along the way.  But when you see a dragon, realize that it can be taken down.  First aim for perhaps a claw (just one claw) and then attack another claw once the first has been overcome.  Slowly you can conquer your dragon by taking him down a piece at a time.  It reminds me of the old addage:

"How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time."

This is the exact same concept.  You can defeat any dragon in your life.  And you have already done this in your own life, I am sure of it!  Even if it was just a small dragon, you have overcome the opposition in one form or another, and you can do it again by destroying it a piece at a time; whether it's addiction, the loss of a loved one, change, stress, choice, anxiety, depression, anything... you can defeat it!

And with the help of your fellow knights, you will not be alone in your conquest.