Wednesday Whimsy

By: Caelrona

Heya fellow geeks! It is Wednesday again, which means I’m back with another geeky blog for ya’ll. Nothing exciting has been going on this past week; well nothing exciting that I haven’t already covered like a hundred different times. New Walking Dead, new Vikings; but I’ve talked about those things already. So anyway, I thought that this week I would talk about something new. I went over my old posts and I noticed that I’ve seemed to totally skip over something I love to do; read. I mean, I’ve posted about manga, but that’s about it. So this week I thought I’d bring you some great and geeky books. Some of these I’ve loved for a long time, and others are recent reads that really caught my attention.

The Harper Hall Trilogy

The Harper Hall Trilogy was written by the amazingly talented Anne McCaffrey. It takes place in the world of Pern, and ties in with her Dragon Riders of Pern series of books. However, this trilogy breaks away from the Dragon Riders a bit, instead giving us a perspective of Pern from someone who is not a Rider, but more or less a normal person. The entire trilogy is brilliant, but then I am a huge fan of Anne McCaffrey. I literally learned to read with her books, and I truly believe that they played an integral part in my love of literature as I grew up. Her world is so beautiful and vivid, her characters so real and the stories so full of emotion and life that I will finish a book feeling like I’ve truly lived another life. It isn’t just the Dragon Riders series that I love; Anne McCaffrey was truly a talented woman and her other works (such as The Ship Who Sang, or The Rowan,) and those of her son Todd McCaffrey are excellent as well. If you’re into fantasy or science fiction then you should check her work out. I can guarantee that they will not disappoint!

Rot and Ruin

Rot and Ruin is the first in a series of four books by Jonathan Mayberry. They take place in a world 14 years after a zombie apocalypse ravaged the planet. People have banded together, cobbled together small towns and learned to live with the undead. So far three of the four books in the series have been released, though I have only read the first one, Rot and Ruin. It is a really excellent book if you are in to zombies, which I totally am. The world Mayberry creates of a post-zombie-apocalypse is really close to how I would picture it actually being. The different people, the towns and outposts, the paranoia and cult-like belief following that sort of disaster are really believable. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of this series, and if you are a zombie lover like me then I highly recommend this series.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter was written by the brilliant J.K. Rowling, but most people already know that. This 7-book series became so amazingly popular that it spawned 8 movies, countless video games and even a theme park! While I’m not particularly impressed with the movies (blegh, the second one was so bad I couldn’t bring myself to watch anymore) the books are incredible. There is a reason that these books have developed a cult-like following, and if you’ve not read them then I highly suggest you give them a chance. I re-read these books at least once a year, usually in a 2-day marathon that leaves me exhausted, but it is totally worth it.

Reading is something that I am really passionate about. I really enjoy reading because reading is not only a great way to learn and grow as an individual, but it can take you to so many places and be anything you want to be. It is a really fantastic way to expand your mind, and to escape reality and do things you may never get the chance to in real life. I read a lot of different things, even though I pretty much focused on Fantasy-fiction and Science-fiction works with this blog. In particular, I also read a lot of romance, but I figured that wasn’t quite geeky enough for a blog (although for those geeks who do like romance, try Gena Showalter, Christine Feehan and Jayne Castle. Their paranormal romance books are awesome!) Anyway, I’ll see you next week!

Until next time,

Caelrona – signing off! ❤

My Days Off : Reading

By Geeky Gem

There is nothing I enjoy more than curling up on the sofa with a warm drink and good book. I like dong this even more on my days off, I read a lot of books not as many as I would like but I always have at least one book on the go at any one time.

At the moment I am reading two book nd one graphic novel, i find that delving into a book brings me joy as I set off on an adventure in a new world. That world can be anything from Middle Earth to Hogwarts and back to Narnia. One of my current reads will be no surprise to some people but it is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Now many of you might know I am re-reading this book for only the second time. I have to say I am enjoying it just as much now as I did the first time. Its amazing just ho a book can grip you all over again and have you there for hours. There is just somethign about these books that keep me wanting to find out more about life at Hogwarts and having just come back from the Studio Tour it makes it all that richer. But I might tel you about that next week, if you good. The other book i am reading takes me to Middle Earth.

Now this one is little stranger, I was reading this book many years ago however I misplaced my copy of the book. At that point I had read up to the chapter entitled Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire. So when I got my new copy the first few chapters were a re-read the rest now is pure enjoyment. I can’t wait for the other movies and to reading The Lord of the Rings. The other thing I mentioned I like reading is graphic novels. the series I am most involved with at the moment is The Walking Dead.

This is the current volume I am reading, The Walking Dead my not be set in a fantasy world but it is set in a world that can get into. If I watch the tv show I love it, if I read the comic I love. Basically I love the walking dead. The art in this graphic novel just brings the writing to life and I cant get enough. It really is worth a read if you’ve never read it. Well untill next time happy reading.

Wednesday Whimsy

By Caelrona

Hiya all! Caelrona here.. but wait, it is Wednesday! For those of you who skipped the last Wednesday post, the short of it is that HMS has given up his Wednesday slot and passed the torch, so to say, on to me. That’s right; from now on I’ll be handling the Wednesday posts, and although I can’t be promising it’ll always be whimsical I shall do my best! HMS did a lovely little intro for me last week, which I encourage you to read if you’ve not done so already. As HMS has done, and dear GeekyGems did the week before last, I shall attempt to tell you about random geeky goings-ons from ‘round my way. Not entirely certain I’ll be any good at that sort of thing, and I will probably end up blathering on until you’re quite ready to swat me but we shall give it a go! Anyway, on to the post!

Recently I’ve found myself with an awful lot of time on my hands. Since I’m more or less am done with my PS3 for a while (I had some sort of skin reaction to the controller. What? My PS1 never did that! Different plastic maybe?) I’ve moved on to random computer games. I’m on hiatus from World of Warcraft, even though I seriously am wanting to play with the new Pandaren race (So much) and I managed to burn myself out on Sims, even with the new Supernatural EP and all my mods. What does that leave me? Don’t laugh, but it’s left me Minecraft and Maplestory. Not really a combination most people would consider, but I’ve been splitting some of my free time betwixt the two and have been thoroughly enjoying myself. Want cutesy adorable gameplay? Maplestory it is! Want to fight zombies and have my wits scared out of me by the creepers (and damn them anyway, stupid hissing noise!)? Minecraft it is!

But alas, even those cannot fill all my spare time – indeed, I’ve played neither for nearly a week thanks to a combination of unpleasant circumstances. For one, I lost my internet connection for a good while, which is why you’ve not seen me posting here at All Geek To Me. I shall spare you the boring details of attempting to restore settings to a nearly 10 year old router and get it to working. That nightmare was enough to put three very tech-savvy people into fits of rage that only geeks can manage in the face of uncooperative technology. Finally, I broke down and got a new router, which after a small hiccough, has been performing admirably well. The second setback is that I’ve been physically unable to play videogames – or, in fact, type particularly well. I’ve sprained my left hand rather badly and after three weeks of putting it aside I’ve been forced to visit a doctor about it, who wrapped it up quite well and set me to resting it. I feel like I’ve grown a flipper in place of a hand, and I’m sure you can see how this is quite the disadvantage for someone who wishes to type or play video games. I must admit, I’ve removed my bandages just to type up this post because typing one handed is incredibly bothersome.

Aside from all that, there are quite a few things I can do even with a bandaged flipper for a hand. Once such thing just happens to be one of my other favorite past times – reading. Among other books, I re-read the Harry Potter series this past weekend, and I must say; dearie me but it has been too long. I should really take a weekend to read them more often. Of course that sort of made it all the better. I couldn’t remember exact details; only my love – or hate – for certain characters and a general remembrance of the plot line. Thusly events were fresh and new for me when they happened, causing all the same (perhaps worse?) emotions and wrenching feelings that reading through the very first time brought to me. Of course not much has changed – I still find myself agreeing with James and Sirius that Snivellus – apologies, Professor Snape – was a despicable, whiny, pansy-assed, mean-spirited git who should’ve grown a pair of balls. I also still find myself mourning the loss of most of the characters you’d expect – Sirius, Dumbledore, Fred, Remus, Tonks and the like.

Luckily for my poor strained eyes there is something else besides reading that doesn’t require the usage of two good hands. That would be watching television. Not something I do very often, admittedly, but when I do I make it count. Recently I’ve been watching the new season of Walking Dead, which is quite excellent. Mostly I love how Lori is getting treated like dirt because I never particularly liked that skinny little cheater anyway. Every single episode something happens and I hope she’ll get bitten, but does it happen? Of course not. However, I have to say I’m super excited about the possibility of a zombie baby – Holy cow wouldn’t it be amazing if it ate its way out of her stomach?! – but I have a strong feeling that the series won’t be going that direction. Not only because it would be wonderfully morbid, but also because the graphic novel doesn’t go there. Although it certainly wouldn’t be the first diversion the TV series took. Carl is turning into a disrespectful little pervert, but I suppose that is what happens when you go through puberty during the zombie apocalypse with Lori for a mother. I’m also enjoying the way Carol’s character has developed – the weak simpering crazy lady from the comics is much improved in the television version.

Ah, but it pains me to write this (no, seriously =P ) this post must be coming to a close now. Hopefully by this time next week I’ll have my bandages off for good and regained full usage of my poor hand.

Until next time;

Caelrona – signing off! ❤