Traveler, by Greg Weisman, was a quick read, this novelization of World of Warcraft brought back memories of playing the game. Aramar Thorne, the son of a privateer, finds himself in an adventure that lands him in Feralas, the Thousand Needles, captured by Gordunni ogres, fighting pirates, making friends with a Murloc, Gnoll, Kaldorei, and Wyvern. The story left me hanging at the end, which I am sure will be continued in a future release, as well as wondering if his father, Greydon, is still alive. Even though it was published by Scholastic and written for young readers, the story brought to life the World of Warcraft, relieving memories of playing the game. It is important for novelizations to stay true to the game, and this novel did. I also enjoyed the sketches done by Aram that laced the book with visuals for the reader. I await the writing of a sequel, though I have not found it on any website, nor is there a forthcoming review of it. One of my favorite sketches was of the wyvern One-Eye and her cubs. The memories relived made me want to take up the game again, even though it took up so much of my time when I played it. I had made friends, joined quests, and raided with my guild.
Reading Challenge 2017: book with over 900 pages. I read The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien back in high school, and having seen the movies many times, have a very different perspective. There is so much more that the book has that the movies do not. They are endearing and full of wisdom and quotes that will long be enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed rereading this novel as I was tossed back to high school when I first learned of Tolkien's magical world. Everything I had read came back to me, like an old friend visiting in so many years. I used to write notes to myself in Tengwar, the language of the elves, and practiced writing the elvish letters. While the dwarvish runes were easier to translate, the elves always had a special place in my heart. I now noticed that there were very few female characters in the novels. Eowyn, Arwen, Galadriel, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, and Rosie Cotton would not stand up to the Bechdel Scale these days. I cannot imagine many females wanting to read these books though. After watching the movies numerous times, my perspective has changed greatly. The characters are solidified in my mind through the actors in the movie, not the descriptions in the books. The special effects and soundtrack add immensely to the story.
Reading Challenge 2017: Book with one of the four seasons in the title. Winter Bone, by Daniel Woodrell, was not as exciting as I thought it would be. I grew angry and sad at the conditions of Ree Dolly, although she surprised me and showed she had "sand" in order to stand up to the other Ozarkians who wanted her to keep quiet. They were hiding a secret that involved her father, and she wanted to know where he was, or else she and her family would lose their house and land. Most characters seemed rough and tried to hard to be rough. I knew either her father was dead or run off trying to avoid the law. I did not expect that the Milton clan had killed him and sunk him in a shallow lake, tied to an engine block.
I imagine it is that way in the Ozarks, giving me flashbacks of Deliverance, and the hillbillies that come together seeking vengeance. I almost expected Patrick Swayze and the Next of Kin to come out of the woods. Not people I would want to hang out with. It reminded me of a bar that reeks of stale cigarette smoke and warm beer, that hasn't seen a cleaning in years. I felt cold, hungry, and dirty while I read it, which is partly due to the writing style. I just wanted to shower after finishing it.
I decided to watch the movie, which was a much tamer version. Gail and Ree did not have any sexual encounters, nor did Little Arthur giving her special mushrooms and raping her appear in the movie. Jennifer Lawrence's performance was stunning though.
