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

Poetry Friday (8)

To whom it may concern:

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


Genevieve

I tell you

I love you

I mean it

I do

In the same

haunting way

that “somehow

everything I own

smells of you”

everywhere I go

you follow

filling my head

with memories

and happy wishes.

When you smile

it makes me cry

and it makes me laugh

but most of all

it reminds me

of the day i

held your hand

of the day i

first kissed you

of every time

I told you

I loved you

I meant it

I still do

Later guys,

Adam

A Picture is worth 1,000 words

To whom it may concern:

I felt lazy today, so I decided to write a 4,000 word novella... get it, four pictures, a picture is worth a thousand .... ok you get it. Yes, I know its not that funny.













For the inquisitive people out there--- All of these pictures were taken by me or my girlfriend. I think that they are an interesting look at parts of my life. Maybe I'll put up some more later.

Write more later,

Adam

Poetry Friday (7)

To whom it may concern:

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

What Happened on Wednesday

Like all storms, calm before.

Then heat behind the eyes,

the brewing bile boils in the

cold chambers of the heart.

I hear it. The growling at

the mouth of it's bitter-black den.

Blood pushes through tightened veins.

So fall the floodgates.

A fury-red hell-borne thunder-breaking rage

the roaring-vortex tunnel-vision hate

froth-at-the-tongue burning-world

charred-love-soul-eating holocaust.

NO!

Fie! Fie! I defy you wrath!

You vile tempter, you black incubus!

The hollow fruit in hand, I defy you!

But lost.

Free-wrought by open tongues of flame,

the copper taste still poisoning my teeth,

I have, inebriated, lain waste to all I love.

And now stare on this desolate plain,

still miraged by swirling madness,

thrown off from embers cast by this

malignant tempest.

It rumbles; not yet lost over the horizon.

Leave me Wrath... Begone...

Realization. Sadness. Embitterment. Acceptance.

Nothing.

Emptiness.

Like a calm before a storm.

Later guys,

Adam

Paper Towns review

To whom it may concern:

Hi everybody.

Well I thought I would pop in a review before bed. But first I wanted to share an important piece of my life. My sister was watching Must Love Dogs tonight on TV, and I occasionally poked my head in to see what was going on. I gleaned two important thoughts from what I saw of Must Love Dogs, number one: TV movies are destructive to brain cells, an number two: dogs are awesome. So instead of frying my brain trying to understand the plot connections of TV movie writers, I played with my pooches. And then I dug up some pictures of them to share with all of you.

Aren't they cute?

Anyway, tonight I am reviewing Paper Towns, by the one and only John Green, our Nerdfighters figurehead.

Paper Towns by John Green

Summary form Barnes & Noble:

"When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night-dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge-he follows her. Margo's always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she's always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they're for Q."

Here's my take on it:

So, I will tell you right off the bat that I went into reading this book with expectations. I had some definite preconceived notions for what it would be like, thanks to Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines. I must say, I wasn't disappointed.

Paper Towns was fantastic. It was another book that, like John Green's other two, somehow magically glue themselves to your hands, you just can't put it down until the very last page. And also like Alaska and Katherines, Paper Towns was like a philosophy class in a book. The breadth and depth of the thematic elements, and the remarkable realistic way that the characters deal with them, is inspirational and compelling. It really is like philosophy in a can, just add water (don't actually add water. Water damages books.)

I give Paper Towns a whopping 4 stars. I would give it a full 5 if I hadn't read Looking for Alaska first, and as it is it probably deserves a 4 ½ . Unfortunately half a star is just an irregular hexagon.

One star: Margo Roth Spiegelman. Another fictional woman that I now have a crush on. Thank you John Green, you make my fantasies so much more ... fantastical.

One star: Florida. The armpit of the USA, and yet, by the end of the book, you actually like it, kudos to John Green, only he could make a place like Florida appealing.

One star: The idea of paper towns, paper people working paper jobs, in paper buildings. Creepy, deep, awesome. Also, the actual definition of a paper town, quite cool as well. Trust mapmakers to do crazy stuff like that.

One star: The road trip. Funny, so true, well written. Makes me wish gas was less expensive.

An invisible ½ a star: The feeling you have right after finishing the book, usually summed up in this exclamation: Woah.

Alright, with that, I am calling it a night. I'll go give my dogs a pat on the head for all of you.

Until next I write,

Adam