Poetry Friday (16)

To whom it may concern:

So it is Poetry Friday time, but as you may have noticed, Poetry has not been forthcoming on every Friday, so may I note for the future that Poetry Friday will most likely not be EVERY
Friday, but instead, some Fridays.

Sailboats

My dragonflies are mounted by wisps
whose ocher hair is made from the seas
of other worlds. Waves of grass,
and paper whales, float on a almond breeze.
These are my sailboats.
Vast acre sails spun of visions,
the bow is a fantasy, the rudder, a tale.
I want my wooden token, foggy dreams,
to play an arcade that is on the backs of
centaur's teeth, smiling like a fan,
spinning in the arctic heat.
I am on my sailboats.
Sextant at the setting sun,
floating in the sky.
I sleep in soulless rabbits, with pouches,
like the kangaroos, which are eating
vermilion cotton candy made from
viking maps of the universe, and
written on Balder's skull.
Come with me on my Sailboats.
The wake will leave you sleeping,
rocking in the crystal hammocks.
I say they say I'm crazy, but is it crazy
to know the world is upside-down, like
the thoughts in my head but backwards,
violet violas played with your toes, their
music is a sticky down, the kind
you take from the penguins of the state.
Welcome to my sailboats.
We set sail for sanity tomorrow,
with the first wind from the mind.

I hope you enjoyed it,
Until next I write,

Adam

Contest WINNERS!

To whom it may concern:

I know that it's a little late, but here are the two winners of my birthday contest! It took me a while to figure out how to choose a winner (I made a list and used random.org). I had 87 people enter in the contest (some people e-mailed me). I was amazed that for my 1st contest I drew such a large crowd. I also more than doubled my followers! In the end I decided on two winners.


Lady Vampire wins Fire and Suite Scarlett!

and

Marie wins Map of The Known World and Girl In The Arena!

I've sent you both e-mails. Please respond by Friday, otherwise I'll have to choose a new winner.

Until I next write.

Adam

To whom it may concern:

[CONTEST RESULTS WILL BE POSTED SOON][but not in this blog]

Guilt! oh dire guilt!

Why, you ask?

Because I have gained many times over the followers on my blog in the last few months and I have been the poorest of hosts, ushering in the newcomers not with abundant, glorious reviews and blogs, but with deafening silence.... oh woe is me, and all that other dramatic stuff.

So, to newcomers, welcome. Excuse my lack of postings.

I would like to say my summer hiatus was due to me being incredibly busy, but I could only say that if you define this as busy.

Alright, with my readers as witness, I hear-by usher in the school year with a proclamation: I will be more vigilant concerning the frequency of blog posts.

You may now begin taking bets on how long it will be before I break that proclamation. I will join the one week pool...

But seriously, I will try to be better.

Ok so, on the agenda today:
My summer
Robyn
Upcoming Blogs

Let us begin.

Since I last posted, a number of things have happened in my life, most importantly, I have acquired a new place of employment. Yep, Adam got a job. So guess where... Amusement park? Stand-up Comedian? Manager at a publishing company? Nope. At a small business known as the Water Store.
Yes, I sell water. I know, I know, you're laughing. Selling water is kind of like selling air, but hey, people sell politics, and thats just hot air, so give the job some credit. And actually, it is a good job, $9 and hour, part time, and flexible hours, I can't complain. But of course, complain is what I am going to do, because “My life is happy!” just isn't interesting to read about.

The main perks of the water store are: free water, and ... more free water. Although one unofficial perk is the customers, I probably would never get a chance to meet so many funny people, without working there. And by funny I don't mean Saturday night live funny (back when it actually was still funny), I mean funny looking, and funny I'm-laughing-at-you-not-with-you funny. For example, yesterday I had a woman come in and ask me if distilled water was sufficiently spiritual to add Chi to. She then proceeded to tell me about Guru Michael, who infuses water with the essence of his Chi, bringing out its inner energy to cure everything from pimples to diabetes. I informed her that distilled water is the most spiritual water I know of. Then I had an elderly gentleman later who decided that I was the perfect candidate to listen while he spent two hours explaining how the Obama health care plan was going to pay doctors to kill elderly people, and that next time he went to the doctor's he would be armed. I don't care where you stand on health care reform, a concept like that is either out of bad Sci-fi or worse comedy. Finally, the coup-de-grace, was today, a bearded man came in inquiring about storage bottles for a filtration system, and while that is not unusual, his eyes watching an invisible game of tennis the entire time we were talking, was. On top of that, he mentioned half-way through our discussion that he lived in the countryside was surprised “We at the complex” had not installed a second system because that way “We could have one for the kitchen and one for the... other place.” My inner horror movie character was screaming “CULT! DON'T DRINK THE COOL-AID!”

So at least I find my job entertaining.

The other new news in my life is about school: I am now officially in school (my second day of class is tomorrow), taking math at a college 60 miles from where I live, because of an issue with the assessment at the college 12 miles away, where I am taking the rest of my classes so I can transfer to a college 1 mile away. Geography is obviously not my major.

So if a train traveling 45 miles per hour leaves the first college, and another train leaves the third college, traveling 59 miles per hour, how long will it take for math to drive me insane?

Don't answer that.

Alright, it is growing late, so the next two agenda points will have to be cut short.

The reason it is growing late is that Genevieve and I are going tomorrow to see Robyn Schneider, our lovely author friend from BEA (which I still haven't talked about). Robyn, is in a word: awesome. So, look forward to a blog that is all about Robyn and how she is Robyntastic, and Robyniffic, and ... what? Ok, fine, I'll stop.

And that leads us into (drumroll) UPCOMING BLOGS (dum dum dum).

Ok, so we have upcoming,
A ROBYN BLOG!!!
A blog in which I finally say something about BEA.
A blog in which I review the book The Law of Nines which I am tremendously excited about, because I just got it today, and it is by my favorite author, Terry Goodkind (the guy whose series I reviewed and gave 5 stars), and it is signed!
Blogs in which I review the books "Going Bovine", by Libba Bray, "Fire", by Kristen Cashore, "Catching Fire" and "Hunger Games" both by Suzanne Collins, "Leviathan" by Scott Westerfeld, "Girl in the Arena" by Lise Haines, and others.
Blogs in which I review video games.
Blogs in which I review the movies.
Blogs in which I review the TV shows.
Some more poetry, though I doubt, every week.

I think that sets me up for blogs for quite some time, now all I have to do is write them...

Alright, time for bed.

Until next I write.

Birthday Contest!

***CONTEST IS CLOSED***

To whom it may concern:

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! I'm now 20 years old and I am having a contest.


What am I giving away? I am going to give away four books that I picked up at BEA back in May.

Fire by Kristin Cashore
(ARC--release date: 9/09)













Girl In The Arena by Lise Haines
(ARC--release date: 10/09)












Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
(Signed, Paperback)












A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell
(Signed, Hardcover)

How to enter:

1. Leave a comment and make sure I can a way to contact you via e-mail. No e-mail address, no entry.
   

How to get Extra Entries:

1. +2 entries for blogging about this contest. Make sure you give me the link. Sidebars are AWESOME. (2 entries per each place, no maximum number of places... Twitter, blog, sidebar, etc. Make sure I can see it)
2. +3 entries for being a follower or becoming a follower of Genevieve's Blog (she's having a giant contest for 15 books!)
3. +3 entries for following me (make sure you let me know)
   
   OR
   
   +4 entries for my current followers (as of 7/1) and let me know
   
4. +5 entries for joining my friends at the Five Awesome YA Fans Ning (make sure you let me know if you did, and what your user name is there.)

Open to: Open to addresses in the United States only (sorry, college student!)

Ends: July 31^st at 11:59 PM PST**


** There has to be a minimum of 60 people entering in this contest. I've seen some of the contests for Fire ARCs so I know that there is a demand. If I don't get 60 people by July 31st, I'll keep this contest open until I get 60 different people.


I haven't decided on how many winners there will be so list all of the books that you would like to win. There might be just one, two, three or four winners. We'll have to wait and see what the turnout is like.


Until I write again,

Adam

***CONTEST IS CLOSED***

Poetry Friday (15)

To whom it may concern:

So, I was in NYC, and I have now returned. I have a huge amount of things to say about the Big Apple, so expect a few blog's from me soon. If they don't come soon, come pester me, because I will confess right now that the sheer amount of blog text I need to write is intimidating the trousers off me.

Oh, and here is my poetry Friday poem:


Sunrise of a Thousand Smiles

Sunrise of a thousand smiles
like the bright eyes of a morning
as if velvet beneath silken skin
or angel hair of cloud splitting rays.

Ocean eyes in glimmering night
like the midnight embers of the heart
as if passion played on patience
or the happy tail at a returning door.

And in this splash of repose
he turns in the warmth and
yawns, stretching on the sun-
bleached carpet, splashed with
dark stains rubbed now only to
another Persian pattern.

And a soft panting in the evening,
gives way to embracing sleep, and
dreams of sunlit days before, safe
in the knowledge that this will
last beyond the ivy stones,
and red cave buffaloes, and
geometric mountains in the Egyptian
sand.

Sunrise of a thousand smiles
like the blessing of an autumn breeze
as if forever was stuck in a day
or all the heart was one moment.


Until I next write,
Adam

Poetry Friday (14)

To whom it may concern:

Every Friday I'll post one poem that I wrote. Here's my poem for this Friday.

Mention Her

Mention her at the end,

because you can,

or want to leave it open.

If the sighs content,

or hurried weary glances,

forget her, every silken thought.

Share trinkets here and there,

keep kisses like a one way street,

never let a secret out of sight.

Stroke the buried embers,

alone and in the dark,

lest sparks land in the eye.

Wish for empty smiles,

hide looks in the corner,

just remember,

Mention her at the end.

Later guys,

Adam

Poetry Friday (13)

To whom it may concern:


Every Friday I'll post one poem that I wrote. Here's my poem for this Friday.


Loosing the Edge

A split tongue, the bitter slice,
choosing sides in Double Dutch,
or teeth dust.
Black sand, and tepid toes,
shale that snaps like toffee,
or snake fronds.
The road ahead spoons,
and my foresight 50/50.
But there are so many tomorrows,
until there aren't.
Thus conscious makes cowards of us all.


Later guys,
Adam

Poetry Friday (12)

To whom it may concern:


Every Friday I'll post one poem that I wrote. Here's my poem for this Friday.


Judgement Day Generation

Open the chasm to the fleeing flock,
wish well our muddied conscious,
prey to God and hope for handouts
of illumination and a better world.

Of what life is at the brink of death
so many say many varying things.
But reapers and saints are locked away
in dusty dank closets in the ground.

A blackness beyond, not a blackness within,
and the tunnel of light should be life.
Don't turn aside the foulest plights
for love of the eternal dead ideal.

Open heart for an open end is closed,
when good comes knocking locking
doors will shut out wishes and fears.
Don't break us all for your happy ending.


Later guys,
Adam

BEA and NYC

To whom it may concern:

I'm heading off to NYC! On the 27th of this month, I will be on my way to the Big Apple. I will be traveling with my girlfriend, Genevieve (Thursday of FiveAwesomeYAFans and Genevieve's Blog), and meeting up with Devyn (Monday from FiveAwesomeYAFans and The Faerie Drink Review) and Korianne from Korianne Speaks. We will be hosting the Teen Author Carnival at Jefferson Market Branch Library. I'm looking forward to meeting up with fellow book bloggers and visiting New York. I wont be updating while I'm in NYC, I don't know if I'll have any internet access. Expect some pictures when I get back, maybe even some video footage.

Until I write again,

Adam

Poetry Friday (11)

To whom it may concern:


Every Friday I'll post one poem that I wrote. Here's my poem for this Friday.

iWish

First is not necessarily strongest.

Only time can really tell

Right from wrong

Because

I

Don't think I

Didn't want

Everything I don't have. I

Never thought I would want what i do, or

Like the way this tearing feels.

One with, one wanted.

Valor vs vanity.

Everyone is better off not knowing.

Right?

Later guys,
Adam

Share the load!

To whom it may concern:

Hello everyone. It seems as though it has been awhile since I last posted, I don't actually think it has been that long in terms of days, but I have had a lot going on. It's getting near the end of the semester and everything seems to have piled up. It's weird how sometimes when you have so much going on it seems as though more time has past than really has. So I suppose if all of you are busy too, then it has been awhile since I posted.

Actually, on the topic of people's concept of time I will share with you a tidbit of wisdom from one of my English teachers. Bit of an odd fellow actually, but he had some funny, and some wise things to say. We were discussing immortality as a theme in literature, and the blessings and curses of living forever, and mentioned the he had determined the best way to live a long and happy life. All of his students wanted to hear this secret so he told us this: “You know how it feels like time moves more slowly when you are bored” class: “yes” teacher: “Well that's the secret. If you live your entire life being bored, it will feel like it is going much much slower than everyone else's. The only trick then is to find a way to be happy being bored, and you will live a long an happy life.” Take that as you will.

So I was talking to one of my friends yesterday, and we were reminiscing about a Lord of the Rings marathon we had had a while ago. It was a ten hour Lotr-fest complete with pizza and blankets, and with 12 good friends some of the random things that were said that night will go down in inside joke history. In our discussing this event we were talking about one of the inside jokes, a line we all found to be particularly funny, for no particular reason: Samwise Gamgee's “Share the load.” Of course there is no way to convey through writing the hilarity contained within this overly drawn out plea to help Frodo with the burden of the ring. In any case, I come to the reason I brought this up: to show you my work of art, referencing this line:



It is okay if you don't think it's funny. I do.

Anyway, I will have another review soon, until then,
Adam

Poetry Friday (10)

To whom it may concern:

Every Friday I'll post one poem that I wrote. Here's my poem for this Friday.



In Sevens

Is it dark where you are?

Are you standing in the shade?

Will your heart discover?

Can your smallest dreams be made?

Evil has a mistress.

Darkness has an only son.

You will be in distress,

when it all is said and done.

In the heated moment,

hopes and wishes fall like rain.

The closer to hellbent,

that much closer to the pain.

Are you frightened by me?

Am I feeding on your fears?

Should I set the truth free?

Will it cause too many tears?

Later guys,
Adam

The Sword of Truth review

To whom it may concern:

Hey guys,

Um... A bit tired today, so I'm going to cheat.

"How's he going to cheat!" they ask


Two ways-- One, I will be reviewing a series instead of one book. Two, It's a series I started a while ago.

Okay, here we go:

Today I am reviewing the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. And I guess I have to say right off the bat, one of the reasons I've wanted to review this series is that I want to have atleast something on my blog that gets five stars. If you haven't read it, read it! If you have read it, love it!


Summary from Barnes and Noble.com (for book one):

"In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher's forest sanctuary seeking help ... and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence.

In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword-- to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have
just changed ... or that their time has run out.

This is the beginning. One book. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend."



The first book starts off this action packed series with a resounding bang that left me realing. And for the most part, the books only get better from there on out. You fall in love with the characters. You feel swept up in the events and it is almost as though you are transported to Goodkind's beautifully described landscapes and settings. Not only is the series an excellent example of premier fantasy but it is thought provoking and deep and has themes that almost every person in the world can associate to.






This series gets a solid five stars from me. Because it really did change the way I look at life. Some of the books themselves are not five star worthy but as a collected whole, the series is probably some of the best literature I have ever read.










One Star:


The story line. It is hard enough to write a story that is interesting and cohesive in one 600 page novel. But Goodkind did it in eleven. And it is not as though there are eleven separate but interesting stories, all of the books have one overarching storyline which is epic, endearing, exciting, and lasting.







Two Stars:

The Protagonist. Richard is the most respectable, interesting, and all around awesome character I've ever read. And on top of that, he is never annoying. Ask me about annoying protagonists sometime and I can give you a two hour rant that ranges from Luke Skywalker to Harry Potter. But you never want to smack Richard upside the head, for not seeing something you saw in the plot line or for making irrational emotional decision that you as the reader would never see anyone doing. And most of all, he doesn't whine about having to be the hero.





One Star:

The other characters. Not only does Sword of Truth have an amazing protagonist, but the rest of the cast of characters are so lifelike and full fill their roles perfectly. From the comical ever hungry wizard Zedd to the stunning, intelligent and charming Kahlan, and the terrifying, blood chilling characters of Darken Rahl and Jangang. The characters of The Sword of Truth are the stuff of dreams (in a good way).





One Star:

The philosophical aspects. I mentioned in my Paper Towns blog that John Green's books are like philosophy in a bottle. And the reason I like that style of writing is because of The Sword of Truth. I found myself, while reading many of the books, stunned that the book could be a fascinating story and a, at times, chillingly accurate social commentary.





I've read books that have philosophy in them but most of them tend to include the philosophy of the the narrator and shove their opinions down your throat. But The Sword Of Truth allows its philosophical concepts to be expressed by the characters in situations, allowing you to form your own opinions about what is happening. By the way, does anyone know a synonym for philosophy? Because I've used a variation of the word 'philosophy' seven times in the paragraph and a nice synonym would do me a world of good.









I suppose this post is going to have to be long than I originally thought that it was going to be. I guess 'cheating' did me no good. But I can't justify writing a blog about The Sword of Truth without mentioning the new television series, Legend of the Seeker, that is based on The Wizard's First Rule (the first book in the series if you didn't catch the title from the picture).





The Legend of the Seeker suffers from based on book syndrome as do many other popular movie or television adaptations from literature. If you read the books, and then proceed to watch the TV show, you will be either slack jawed in disbelief or angrily throwing things because the writers for the show use the plot of Wizard's First Rule like Barbarossa uses the Pirates Code: it's more of a guideline than actual rules (Pirates of the Caribbean reference!). The only thing that maintains some accuracy to the books are the characters but Legend of the Seeker Richard (Craig Horner) falls short of my expectations for Richard. Kahlan (Bridget Reagan) and Zedd (Bruce Spence) are good. If you know the books well, you'll be very disappointed. However, that being said, the series in itself is interesting and well paced. If you view it as a standalone piece, separate from the books, it is quite good.




Okay, that's all. Please do read Sword of Truth if you haven't (a tall order for all of you slow readers out there, sorry!).


Until my next blog.


Best Wishes,


Adam

Poetry Friday (9)

To whom it may concern:

Every Friday I'll post one poem that I wrote. Today's poem is a shorter one, but I hope you like anyways. Here's my poem for this Friday.



Ideas

The most brilliant idea came to me today.
A story that will drop the softened jaws of critics.
A tone and mood that would play the virtuosos' strings.
It fell through my memory like black sand through a sieve.
I don't have it anymore.


Later guys,
Adam

My Girlfriend

To whom it may concern:

My girlfriend, Genevieve, has been wondering why I haven't mentioned her on my blog. It's not that I wasn't trying, I did put up a poem last week that I wrote for her, but it was more like it never occurred to me. So here's her first video (from November, I helped edit it) for FiveAwesomeYAFans, an YouTube group that reviews five books a week via videos.




Later guys,

Adam