Sunday, 9 January 2011
The Weeping Angels
Although you probably won't encounter any of these ancient aliens, I wanted to write about them anyway, and you'll be prepared if for some strange reason you do.
Weeping Angels. The Lonely Assassins.
But they're not weeping. They're quantum locked, which means that when you observe them, they simply cease to exist. They cover their eyes because if they see each other, they're frozen in place as statues for all eternity, unable to blink, unable to look away. Their greatest asset is their greatest weakness. If they touch you, you go back in time to live yourself to death, while they feast off your lost days. But if you look at them, they're stone. To use the words of the Doctor, "And stone can't kill you. But then you look away, and oh yes it can."
So don't blink.
The Doctor: Listen—your life could depend on this—don't blink. Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you could believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink. Good luck.
(Seen in Doctor Who episodes Blink, The Time of Angels, and Flesh and Stone)
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Books of 2010
How many books read in 2010?
I didn't keep track exactly...but over two hundred.
How many fiction and non fiction?
Mainly fiction, but I read non fiction too.
Male/Female author ratio?
About half and half.
Favourite book of 2010?
Definitely the hardest question! Probably The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver, Unwind by Neal Shusterman, and Maximum Ride by James Patterson.
Least favourite?
That would have to be Pride and Prejudice.
Newest?
Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, and The Lost Hero by Rick Riodan.
Longest and shortest books?
Les Miserables was the longest, and the shortest was Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
How many books from the library?
The majority was from the library.
Any translated books?
Les Miserables and most of the Tsubasa manga series.
Most read author of the year, and how many books by that author?
Probably Kathryn Lasky when I read The Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf, and Chasing Orion.
Any re-reads?
I re-read some of The Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Lord of the Rings, Inkheart, Harry Potter, and many others.
Favourite character of the year?
I don't know....that's too hard.
Which countries did you go to through the page in your year of reading?
Italy, England, and many others as well as different planets and worlds.
Which book wouldn’t you have read without someone’s specific recommendation?
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.
Which author was new to you in 2010 that you now want to read the entire works of?
A lot, but the only two I can think of are Scott Westerfeld and Neal Shusterman.
Which books are you annoyed you didn’t read?
Shadow Wolf, the sequel to Lone Wolf. I read it on the first of January.
What books are you planning to read in 2011?
Dune, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Xenocide, and many others.
I didn't keep track exactly...but over two hundred.
How many fiction and non fiction?
Mainly fiction, but I read non fiction too.
Male/Female author ratio?
About half and half.
Favourite book of 2010?
Definitely the hardest question! Probably The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver, Unwind by Neal Shusterman, and Maximum Ride by James Patterson.
Least favourite?
That would have to be Pride and Prejudice.
Newest?
Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, and The Lost Hero by Rick Riodan.
Longest and shortest books?
Les Miserables was the longest, and the shortest was Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
How many books from the library?
The majority was from the library.
Any translated books?
Les Miserables and most of the Tsubasa manga series.
Most read author of the year, and how many books by that author?
Probably Kathryn Lasky when I read The Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf, and Chasing Orion.
Any re-reads?
I re-read some of The Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Lord of the Rings, Inkheart, Harry Potter, and many others.
Favourite character of the year?
I don't know....that's too hard.
Which countries did you go to through the page in your year of reading?
Italy, England, and many others as well as different planets and worlds.
Which book wouldn’t you have read without someone’s specific recommendation?
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.
Which author was new to you in 2010 that you now want to read the entire works of?
A lot, but the only two I can think of are Scott Westerfeld and Neal Shusterman.
Which books are you annoyed you didn’t read?
Shadow Wolf, the sequel to Lone Wolf. I read it on the first of January.
What books are you planning to read in 2011?
Dune, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Xenocide, and many others.
Sunday, 26 December 2010
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
A few weeks ago, I went to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader with my family.
I've loved the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis since I was five or six, so I was excited about seeing the movie.
While the book was more of an exploration and search for the seven lords, the motion picture focused more on the Dark Isle, the island that turned your worst nightmares into reality. Caspian, Lucy, Edmond, Eustace, and the crew of the Dawn Treader were given a quest by Coriakin (A wizard charged by Aslan to rule the Duffers): To defeat the Green Mist and the Dark Isle, the protagonists were required to unite the swords of the seven lords on Aslan's Table. All the characters grew throughout the course of the movie, Eustace most of all.
Even though the plot differed from the book, it was a very good movie and I can't wait for the next one, The Silver Chair, to be released.
I've loved the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis since I was five or six, so I was excited about seeing the movie.
While the book was more of an exploration and search for the seven lords, the motion picture focused more on the Dark Isle, the island that turned your worst nightmares into reality. Caspian, Lucy, Edmond, Eustace, and the crew of the Dawn Treader were given a quest by Coriakin (A wizard charged by Aslan to rule the Duffers): To defeat the Green Mist and the Dark Isle, the protagonists were required to unite the swords of the seven lords on Aslan's Table. All the characters grew throughout the course of the movie, Eustace most of all.
Even though the plot differed from the book, it was a very good movie and I can't wait for the next one, The Silver Chair, to be released.
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Spinning Christmas Trees
In The Christmas Invasion, the first Doctor Who episode featuring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, a Roboform Christmas Tree (sent by the Roboforms, a people traveling with the alien Sycorax) wreaked havoc on Earth during the invasion that took place on Christmas. This remote-controlled tree could spin at extremely high speeds and rip apart everything in its path.
This year, my family's Christmas tree is mounted on a rotating base. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on the way you look at it), it does not spin fast enough to cut its way through a wall or hack a dining room chair into splinters.
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| The Roboform Christmas Tree |
![]() |
| The Tenth Doctor Sonics the Roboform Christmas Tree |
| The Christmas Tree |
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 1
Finally, after months of waiting, I went to see the first installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows dressed as a character from the series.
Surprisingly for a book-based movie, it stayed almost completely true to the book. With a darker and more ominous tone than the other six movies, it was fast-paced and intense the majority of the time as Harry, Ron, and Hermione searched for the Horcruxes. This was my favorite book in the series, and there's no way they could have gotten it all in one installment. Part One was amazing, and I expect Part Two to be even better.
Xenophilius Lovegood: [draws a line] The Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever made. [draws a circle] The Resurrection Stone. [draws a triangle] The Cloak of Invisibility. Together, they make the Deathly Hallows. Together, they make one master of death.
![]() |
| The cover for Part One |
Surprisingly for a book-based movie, it stayed almost completely true to the book. With a darker and more ominous tone than the other six movies, it was fast-paced and intense the majority of the time as Harry, Ron, and Hermione searched for the Horcruxes. This was my favorite book in the series, and there's no way they could have gotten it all in one installment. Part One was amazing, and I expect Part Two to be even better.
Xenophilius Lovegood: [draws a line] The Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever made. [draws a circle] The Resurrection Stone. [draws a triangle] The Cloak of Invisibility. Together, they make the Deathly Hallows. Together, they make one master of death.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Doctor Who Marathon
What do a time-traveling police box, a sonic screwdriver, and bow ties all have in common?
All are possessions of a certain Time Lord known by most as the Doctor.
On Saturday the thirteenth, I watched the Season Five Doctor Who Marathon with other fans of the show. Starting with the Christmas and New Years Specials from 2009, we watched up to the Season finale of the current season. Here's one of my favourite quotes from the show:
All are possessions of a certain Time Lord known by most as the Doctor.
![]() |
| Taken from the Doctor Who BBC Page |
On Saturday the thirteenth, I watched the Season Five Doctor Who Marathon with other fans of the show. Starting with the Christmas and New Years Specials from 2009, we watched up to the Season finale of the current season. Here's one of my favourite quotes from the show:
- The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case, always use force!
- Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
- The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
- Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
- The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!
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