winter dance

It snowed a little while ago, and while watching snowflakes fall outside the window, I wrote this poem:

snowflakes giggle and
chase each other,
following gusts of wind and
swooping through the air,
performing their own ballet.

the choreographer is displeased.
they calm down and tumble quietly
to the snow-softened earth.

the music strikes up again.
frenzied, the winds roll
nimbly in the sky,
snowflakes spinning
around
caught up in their own
winter dance.

Another CSN Stores Giveaway!

For those of you who aren't familiar with CSN Stores, it's an online store that sells a variety of products, from children's luggage to rugs to stationery. If you're looking for holiday presents, CSN Stores is a great option to get all of your shopping done. I just hosted a CSN gift certificate giveaway, and I've received the chance to host another one!

More info:

• One person will win a $65 gift certificate to use at any of the CSN Stores!
• Open only to US and Canadian residents (sorry!), and the gift certificate will not cover international fees to Canada.
• Giveaway ends on Friday, December 10th, 2010.

Because this is a bigger giveaway than the last one, and because it's the holidays, I decided to add in the opportunity to earn extra entries! I want to thank all of my followers and everyone who has supported me so far on this blog. So here's how that will work:

• +1 for simply filling out the form below and entering the giveaway.
• +2 for being a follower of this blog, Book Crumbs
• +1 for every time you link to this giveaway in a blog post, tweet, blog sidebar, etc. (So for example, if you link to this giveaway twice, you will get 2 extra entries.)

To enter, please fill out the form below. After the 10th, I'll randomly select a winner. Good luck!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 in Imax yesterday! I have to congratulate the director for finally sticking close to the book! I was glad that there were no big changes to the story, and the minor changes fit well and weren't awkward or weird at all.

One thing that disappointed me was how much sitting around there was. I know that most of the first half of the book was just sitting around and going from forest to forest, but I'd hoped that they would add more action in the movie. The action scenes were few and far between, and they were quite short and abrupt as well. Most of the movie focused on the emotional trauma and difficulties that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were going through. The only reason why I wasn't bored was that I knew what was going to happen next, so I could eagerly anticipate it.

I didn't like the casting for Yaxley at all (he was blond, I thought he should have had darker hair and a sharper face), the guy who played Mundungus Fletcher was weird and totally unexpected, but he still kind of worked. The casting for Bathilda Bagshot was spot on and even creepier than I imagined! The scene with her in Godric's Hollow was awesome.

Also, the scene where Dobby dies was so sad! I thought the dialogue in that part was absolutely perfect, especially what Dobby says right before he dies.

I thought that the decision to portray the Tale of the Three Brothers as a creepy animation was a great one - the animation definitely served its purpose and enhanced the story so much!

For those who have watched the movie, I also LOVED the scene with Hermione and Greyback, when she can see him and he can smell her perfume, but not see her due to the protective enchantments! Amazing!

One word of caution for people who are planning to see it - if you haven't read the books, then the movie is probably going to be confusing and/or boring (at least, that's what I think). The storyline can get complicated at times - before the movie, I was trying to explain the story to my dad and it took forever because I had to keep backtracking and explaining side stories of why this character would do this and how Horcruxes are different from Hallows, etc. I know that if I hadn't read the books, I would have had a tough time understanding what was going on. Especially since sometimes, with their British accents (as wonderful as they may be), the actors can be a bit hard to understand, and sometimes they swallowed the words at the end of their sentences.

Overall, though, HP7 Part 1 was a good, dark, and tense buildup to the last movie, which I can't wait to see!

Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday weekend. :-)

CSN Stores Giveaway WINNER!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in my CSN Stores Giveaway! I used a random number generator to pick the winner, who is...

Evelyn!

Congratulations, Evelyn! I've already sent you an email. If I don't get a reply after 48 hours, I'll pick another winner.

If you didn't win, I'm planning on hosting another CSN giveaway soon, so you'll have another opportunity to win a gift certificate. Keep your eyes peeled for that!

Dangerous Neighbors

by Beth Kephart

Katherine and Anna are two peas in a pod, two sisters that are so close together than only death can really tear them apart. After Anna's tragic death, Katherine is so filled with sorrow, anger, and guilt that her desire to live fades away; it takes a series of surprises and near-disasters for Katherine to find her way. As we ride through Katherine's memories and current life, the story of her and Anna is slowly unraveled, until the thing that we've all been dying (pardon the pun) to know about is finally revealed.

Dangerous Neighbors is a quietly powerful and poignant novel that kept me enthralled the whole time. It's a lot shorter than I expected it to be - only 166 pages - but I feel that its brevity only enriched the story. Once again, the main thing that stands out in this novel - and all of Beth Kephart's novels - is the writing. All of the words were so deliberately picked, the descriptions were like poetry, and awkward phrases were nonexistent. Kephart can put things into words that the rest of us cannot, and in such a beautiful and touching way as well.

The characters were also a strong point in this novel. I could relate so much to the main character, especially since I have a sister as well, and even if you don't have a sibling, the characters were so endearing. The variety of people was wonderful.

In addition, I loved the setting. I learned so much about the Philadelphia Centennial Fair of 1876 and so much about Philidelphia in general too. The scenery was breathtaking and the events that occurred in the book felt so real to me, just because I knew that many of them had actually taken place in history.

Beth Kephart has this fantastic knack for details that is hard to come by in authors, and her attention to the little things - the meeting of eyes, simple gestures and words - is what truly makes her an exceptional writer.

Autumn

A couple weeks ago, my sister and I took a walk around the neighborhood and snapped a couple pictures of the autumn leaves before they fell. Maya's posted a couple up already; here are some more:

The Lost Hero

by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero is the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series, which is the successor to the wildly popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. In The Lost Hero, we get to see new demigods as well as old. Percy, Annabeth, and their friends are still in the series and play major roles, but we have new main characters: Jason, Piper, and Leo (all demigods). And they have major obstacles coming ahead - an ancient enemy worse than Kronos is rising, and bringing the dead and all kinds of monsters with her.

The Lost Hero, although it didn't quite match up to the previous Percy Jackson books, was still a good beginning to the series. Riordan has made several huge leaps in his story, and although I'm not too fond of them, they did keep me entertained. The writing was just as good as usual - the humor felt a little forced, but I'm putting that down to the new narrators, who are a lot more flawed (and a bit more annoying) than Percy. There were a lot of twists in the book, and the ending was a depressing cliffhanger that will probably make everyone go, "What??? Noooo!!!"

It probably sounds like I didn't like the book very much, because I'm pointing out all its problems, but I really did enjoy it. I can't wait for the second book and if you're a Percy Jackson fan as well, this is a must-read.

CSN Stores Giveaway!

You've probably heard me mention CSN Stores before in previous posts - it's an online store that sells almost everything! Contemporary coffee tables, handbags, artwork... you name it, they've got it. A few months ago, I got the opportunity to review a few CSN products. Now, as a CSN Preferred Blogger, I was given the opportunity to host a giveaway!

So here's how it goes:

• One person will win a $45 gift certificate to use at any of the CSN stores.
• Open to everyone *eta: Open only to US and Canadian residents (and gift card won't cover international fees to Canada) ... sorry for the mess up!
• Giveaway ends on Saturday, November 20th, 2010.

Since this is my first time hosting a giveaway, I've decided to keep it really simple - there won't be any extra entries or anything. To enter, please fill out the form below. A winner will be randomly selected after the 20th.

Boo!

(Image credit)

Happy Halloween!

Hello again

I'm so sorry for not posting in so long! October was a very hectic month for me, especially since I was preparing for a Level 8 piano exam (which I took yesterday). Things are calming down now and I should be back to regular blogging in a few days!

On another note, a friend and I were doing Indian art (Rangoli) demonstrations at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) last weekend! It was a fun experience and we got to see the Pablo Picasso exhibit which is on display at SAM as well.

The art of Rangoli is an old and important tradition in India. The word “Rangoli,” which signifies colorful art in Sanskrit, refers to a drawing, pattern, or arrangement made on the floor. Traditionally, Rangoli is drawn in front of houses and front doorways, usually on religious festivals and occasions. However, more recently, Rangoli has also been drawn during birthday celebrations, weddings, and more. In certain parts of India, especially South India, drawing Rangoli is a daily practice.The main purposes of Rangoli are for decoration, to welcome guests, and to bring good luck.

If you're interested, here are some pictures from the event (all taken by my friend's mom):

My Rangoli design (done with flowers) :

My friend's design (done with lentils and colored rice) :

Interview with Janet Lee Carey

Yesterday, I reviewed The Dragons of Noor by Janet Lee Carey. Today, Janet kindly consented to answer a few of my questions, so here she is!

In The Dragons of Noor, we get to see more of the amazing cultures and landscapes of Noor and Oth. How did you come up with such diverse and fascinating worlds? How did you create their language?

As a fantasy writer I’m always aware that I’m working within an ancient storytelling tradition. Many of us write of wild woods, strange creatures, fairy folk, and dragons. The challenge is to bring freshness to each new tale. World Building happens through a process of daydreaming and determined exploration. I put myself into the story; walk in it and through it as any explorer does. The world comes alive as I enter with my senses open. The practical side of World Building comes later as I try and create a consistent, vivid world. However, I’m keenly aware that the world doesn’t have to make complete rational sense. Our natural world is wild. Not perfect or neat. A perfect world is a sterile one. The worlds that evolve in my stories have to feel real.

You asked how I create the languages. I’m a very auditory writer. Language is music. In the beginning I hear the new words as a kind of music and spell them as I hear them. Language building like world building is a very slow process. I hope readers will enjoy writing messages using the Othic Alphabet in the back of the book. The letters correspond with our own so you can write coded messages in it.

Were any parts of the story based on old stories or myths?

The World Tree is an symbol used in many cultures and traditions such as Yggdrasil from Norse Mythology. You can see an illustration of Yggdrasil on this website [or on the right here]. Other Indo-European traditions and Native American tales feature a World Tree.

In the Noor books the World Tree, Kwen-Arnun, has its own cosmology. Kwen-Arnun is both male and female. In the second age a great quake shook NoorOth breaking Kwen-Arnun in two and splitting the worlds apart. The damage caused by the broken tree and the separation of the two worlds sets up The Dragons of Noor.

What is your writing process?

I do a lot of daydreaming before I ever go to the page. Once the story idea is strong and the characters are facing trouble, I dive in to see how they’ll handle it. I already knew Miles, Hanna, and Taunier from The Beast of Noor. This adventure had to challenge each of them in a new way. Once the first draft is finished, I circle back and read it to see what’s missing and what’s needed to strengthen the story. Later when I’m working with my editor, I rewrite it numerous times adding new scenes and cutting scenes (and characters) that no longer fit. I don’t toss out the cut scenes. An entire scene sequence from The Dragons of Noor ended up in another novel.

Which character do you relate to the most?

I’m close to Hanna. I felt unsure of myself growing up and somewhat out of place. Hanna is reluctant to take on a leadership role in this novel, but she’s challenged to do just that. She steps into her power. I learned something about how to step into my own power through her.

What was the most fun part of the book to write? What was the hardest part?

I loved writing the early scenes when the ancient forest is toppling down. I wrote those chapters in the hospital while my son was having surgery – they took me away from the hospital setting and the story seemed to echo in those places. Later I loved writing the scenes with the Dragon Queen who is powerful, frightening, and driven to do what she has to do to save her dragon pack.

You often do some kind of outreach along with a book launch. What are you doing for The Dragons of Noor?

Loss of the ancient trees is central to the book, so I looked for just the right charitable organization to celebrate the launch. I found a perfect fit with The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees.

Plant a Billion Trees' goal is to restore one billion native trees to Brazil's highly endangered Atlantic Forest over the next 7 years. “Tropical forests are the lungs of the earth, filtering out ten million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. Every day these valuable trees help reduce global warming.”

Readers who want to help restore the forest can check out the “Giving Back” page on my campaign page.

What can readers expect from you next?

I’m working on the sequel to Dragon’s Keep. In this medieval tale, currently titled Tess of Dragonswood, an abused girl charged with witchcraft escapes in leper’s garb and challenges powerful fey magic to craft life and love on her own terms. We’re in the final revision stages now and hope to see it hit the shelves in fall 2011.

Thank you so much for the interview, Janet!

For anyone in the Seattle/Kirkland area, Janet's launch party for The Dragons of Noor will take place at Parkplace Books in Kirkland on Saturday, October 23rd, from 7-9 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend!

The Dragons of Noor

by Janet Lee Carey

The old and ancient trees of Noor are dying, and the worlds of Noor and Oth are slowly tearing apart. Magic has started to disappear from Noor, and a mysterious and fierce wind has been picking up young children and carrying them away. Miles, his sister Hanna, and his friend Taunier, determined to find out what's going on and save Noor and Oth, travel to the forests of Jarrosh. There, they find the exiled dragons, who aid them in their quest to preserve the trees and "break beyond the boundaries of self to discover the ancient magic joining all to all."

The Dragons of Noor was one of the best books I've read this year. What I love about Janet Lee Carey's writing, and this series in particular, are the imaginative and fantastical worlds that the reader is introduced to. In this book, we get to see more of Noor and Oth as well as explore the ancient history between the two. The scenes are so magically and culturally rich, with original creatures and foreign words, songs, and customs.

The characters really developed a lot in this book as well. The dragons were amazing and so much fun to read about! I also enjoyed learning more about Miles, Hanna, and Taunier, especially the hidden powers they possess. I never found any of the characters annoying or unlikeable at all.

Janet is an absolute genius for coming up with such lovely ideas! The Dragons of Noor is such a unique and pleasurable read, and I strongly encourage everyone to run to the bookstore and get a copy NOW.

P.S. And that is one of the best covers I've seen so far. :-)

(Copy provided by publisher.)

Paranormalcy

by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy is not your typical paranormal book - it's wayyy more creative and original. I'd seen nothing but good reviews for this book, so I decided to try it out. My opinion? I loved all of the characters as well as the overall concept behind it. The only thing I didn't like was the plot. Paranormalcy didn't seem to really have a strong story line, and I felt that nothing really happened by the end. A lot of the events that occurred were kind of random and I was a bit dissatisfied at the end.

It was still an entertaining book, but not as great as I'd expected it to be. I would still recommend it though, and I will definitely check out future books by this author.

Autumn

(photo credit)

This year's autumn leaves

glow like winter candlelight,

still warm from the forge.

Happy October!

(Poetry Friday roundup here.)