Cynical Optimism

Happy Halloween!

World War Z-  Definitely had some problems with this one specifically because the source material was so great.  but because Brad Pitt is so pretty it gets a 4

Men in Black 3: funny, sweet in parts, not bad at all.  definitely better than part 2.  a 5. 

Upstream Color: ugh ugh ugh....random shots, worm weirdness, pigs?  definitely didn't like it at all.  a 2!

 Europa Report: Very cool Science fiction.  a found footage-type movie in space.  scary and claustrophobic but not because of human evil but because of the amazingness of exploration.  a 6. 

Because Europa Report involves space exploration, B says I should plug his Youtube channel where we have some videos up of us playing Kerbal Space Program.  28 minutes of pure excitement!  ;)  actually, it's just me messing around.  Enjoy!

I finished 3 books during the readathon last week and i really should write them up! 


The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. I heard at some point, that this book was "like Harry Potter".  It is, if Harry was significantly more arrogant, there was no Hermione, and the plot of all 7 books took up 200 pages.  It actually reminded me more of The Magicians by Lev Grossman, though I liked Wizard MUCH better.  I loved that the characters were not Caucasian and hated that women didn't learn magic.  overall, a 5.  


Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause.  I have mixed feelings about this one.  I liked that the female lead, Vivian, was strong and self-willed and wanted to make her own decisions.  I disliked that, even with the above, the man had to save her. I have to read some things that don't tick me off due to the portrayal of women.  It definitely isn't a bad book, I just didn't like the turn at the end.  Since this one is about werewolves and murder it…

So here's what I made it to last night.

Pages: 353
read but not finished: 1 chapter of my Ed Psych texbook
books finished: The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin, Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause, and The Unwritten Volume 7: The Wound.
Time I went to bed: about 2 am.
Homework finished: My Ed Psych questions, 2/3 of my archives project that's due Tuesday.  

I would have liked to have done a little better but I am glad i focused on things that I had partially read as it made me feel I was accomplishing something and making some good progress.  Maybe next time i will fix it so i have half a dozen half-finished books to work on! 

What I've read so far:

pages: 149 
what I've read from: 1 chapter of my Ed Psych texbook, part of the Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K.Le Guin.  
books finished: The Wizard of Earthsea.
Homework finished: My Ed Psych questions, 2/3 of my archives project that's due Tuesday. 

I am already sleepy!  I'm going to keep on a bit longer and work on Blood and Chocolate...hmmm, maybe some sugar would help?

What I've read so far:

pages: 29 (a single chapter of my Ed Psych textbook)

Bookish things i've done:
went to Southern festival of books, bought 4 books (3 for me, 1 gift), saw a panel on March: Book 1 where I heard Congressman John Lewis speak and one on Sherlock Holmes. Also ate an amazing Brie-Apricot crepe and had some great ice cream.  

Now I'm going to do some more homework!

I signed up for Dewey's Read-a-thon tomorrow but I already know I won't read the whole time or be up for the 24 hours.  The Southern Festival of Books is this weekend and I want to get out to that.  Also, I have a good bit of homework to do.  And I am completely off of caffeine for the moment which doesn't bode well for staying up past 1.  

So anyway, I'm going to do a bunch of reading related stuff tomorrow, even if not as much actual reading takes place as I would wish.  Here's my pool to choose from.



Don't worry, I don't intend to read those school books, just a few chapters.  I'm almost done with Blood and Chocolate and about halfway through The Wizard of Earthsea so hope to finish that one too.  If it goes anything like past read-a-thons, I'll start and finish a book that's not even on this list!

What will you be reading for the Read-a-thon?