Elijah David's Blog, page 18

December 26, 2016

Monday Musings: Quiet Joy and New Year's (Reading) Resolutions

... being a post in two parts

Part 1: Quiet Joy

Last week I wrote about my surprising disconnect from the Christmas season this year. Turns out I just had to wait a bit longer.

The joy came—unexpectedly—in a quiet way. First, my friend Stephen shared his article from last January where he quoted from C.S. Lewis' chapter in Mere Christianity on Christian marriage:

This is, I think, one little part of what Christ meant by saying that a thing will not really live unless it first dies. It is simply no good trying to keep any thrill: that is the very worst thing you can do.Let the thrill go—let it die away—go on through that period of death into the quieter interest and happiness that follow—and you will find you are living in a world of new thrills all the time.
At the time, I only took this passage to mind in the way Stephen originally used it—in regard to fandoms and not killing the joy of partaking in stories by always demanding the first and strongest thrill from every interaction. But God brought it back to my mind later.

Our associate pastor had asked me a few weeks back if I would write and read "a poem or something else" for the Christmas Eve service. I had written up a villanelle on a family trip two weeks ago, but the more I looked at it, the more it felt forced. As though I were trying too hard to get an old thrill instead of allowing the words to say what they wanted. So two days before the service, I reworked it into a "something else".*

This small (or large) act of revisiting a project served to lighten my spirits a great deal. When the service finally came, I found myself thinking back to Lewis' words. "It's the small, quiet joys," I thought, "that keep the thrill alive. Even at Christmas."

And it was a good Christmas after all.


Part 2: New Year's (Reading) Resolutions

One thing that usually happens around here at Christmas is that I get books. This year, despite my best efforts at making a wishlist for our parents that consisted of not so many books, I still wound up with quite a few:

Tolkien's Beowulf translationTolkien's Sigurd and Gudrun adaptationGlamour and Glass by Mary Robinette KowalLetters to Malcolm by C.S. LewisChristian Mythmakers by Rolland HeinGoldenhand by Garth NixI Don't Want to Kill You by Dan WellsSun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day GeorgeThe Celtic Vision by Esther de WaalA Life Observed by Devin BrownThe Book of Common Prayer (this edition, to be precise)

And most of these went straight to my bookshelf in our bedroom (also known as the "read this soonish" shelf). Once they did, I realized I had a problem. The shelf, already filled to overflowing, was now almost unmanageable. So I purged the shelf (i.e. I took the books that had moved down my priority list to the library downstairs). In order to keep myself from winding up in the same position next year (and in order to maintain my wife's sanity when it comes to my frequent book-buying urges), I am making a couple of resolutions.


I shall not buy a book (even at a library sale or McKay's) without first having read one I own. [This is a revision of a rule I used a few years back; originally, it was read two to buy one.]I shall not add a book to the bedroom shelf without first having read a book on the shelf (and removing it).
For the sake of transparency, here's what the bedroom shelf looks like now:











There are also a few books on the shelf that aren't included in the "read it and remove it" clause: the Bible (on the top far right) and the three large books on the bottom left: Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and A Dictionary of Irish Folklore (which is here partly to keep the shelf weighted on the bottom :P).

So what about you all? Any resolutions for the new year, reading or otherwise?

-----------------------------------
* Here, for those of you who are interested:

Christmas MusingsAbove Bethlehem, star and nebula, cloud and angel, from heaven to heaven,The universe was holding its breath. An unexpected arrival, long promisedLong looked for, long cherished and fearedThe Word had come to conquer death.Since Seth and before this entryHad been prepared, prophesied, plannedStill, the universe held its breath.Angelic glorias and humble praise, difficult journeys and worldly edictsPreceded His coming.Temple-dwelling Anna and faithful Simeon gave praise to GodFor the end of the nightFor the Messiah, this child, the Word made fleshThe Son of Man come to conquer our death.In the Jordan, with John’s praise and heaven's doveThe voice of the Father announcing His might,The Word revealed HimselfAnd the universe withheld a silent breath.Outside Jerusalem’s walls—continually before HimWho bears our names on His hands—on the skull-strewn heathDarkness—with nails and spear—put out the Light of the World.The Word, crowned with thorns, was conquered by death.But.But.But.The Son rose with SundayAnd above Jerusalem, star and nebula, cloud and angel, from heaven to heavenWith the joy it had reserved since His birth
The universe shouted for the Word had conquered death.
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Published on December 26, 2016 15:42

December 19, 2016

Monday Musings: Confessions of a (Surprise) Christmas Curmudgeon


Before you start telling me about how wonderful the Christmas season is, believe me – I know. It's my favorite holiday season, just as autumn is my favorite season of the year.
But this year, it seems a bit more distant than usual. Autumn felt the same. My two favorite times of the year seemed to take forever to arrive this year, yet they have come and (in the case of Christmas, nearly) gone without much more than a whisper of my usual joy.
In autumn's case, the dissonance between this year and previous autumns lies in the delayed cooling of the weather (and our cold snap coming before Halloween). I also didn't have as much of a boost in my creative drive as I usually do. I made one cross stitch sampler and a pair of fingerless gloves this year (the former for Samwise's room, the latter out of necessity). 


Normally, I'm bouncing from project to project in the fall, both craft and writing. This year, not so much. Part of that probably comes from anticipating Samwise's arrival and our recent move. Now that I'm driving 40 minutes each way twice a day, there's a little less time in the day for leisure.
Don't get me wrong, the move was a good one, and in some ways necessary. But the shorter hours for writing, making, and reading are one side-effect of the move I'm still adjusting to.
But Christmas. Christmas is a season I hardly ever have to strive to be in the spirit. It's like putting on my fingerless gloves – muscle memory, hardly any thought. It just happens. I have to resist the urge to listen to Christmas music all year long (and I don't always resist). I love buying gifts for friends and family, and eagerly look forward to receiving my assignment for this year's Secret Santa months before we even put our names in the hat. I begin working on narration and drama for the church Christmas production no later than August. Christmas is at the heart of me. But some days this year I've felt a little too much like this Relient K song:


Now that we're 6 sleeps away from Christmas, I'm finally asking why it has felt so distant this year. And the answers came more quickly than I anticipated.
I'm a father of a two-month-old. That's new, and wonderful, and something we're all still adjusting to. (As a side note, Samwise loves staring at the lights on our Christmas tree; sometimes me rocking him near the tree is all that will calm him – and other times it has no effect. Babies. ;) )
I haven't been involved in the church Christmas as much as usual. In fact, all I did this year was write the narration, give a little direction, and let my wonderful drama team handle it. And handle it they did. Better than I could have hoped.
We haven't been in church as much, period. We've been to services twice in the last two months, slowly easing our way back into attendance because babies are fickle and immunosensitive and such. It's been great to be back the days we've been, but there's still a gap in our worship time I'm hoping we will bridge soon.
Life is just a little crazier than usual. We're celebrating with our parents and my brother and his fiancée this weekend. Then we're heading south for that same brother's wedding to said fiancée next weekend. There have been extra trips (which are bigger endeavors with a baby on board) and there are still changes to our schedules and lives we're figuring out post-Samwise.
All that to say, I'm trying to find the joy of Christmas I've been missing. Seeing the choir and drama team perform yesterday lifted my spirits a great deal. I expect that this weekend will do much the same as we celebrate on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family, church family, and friends. Sometimes, it pays to just rock and watch the lights go by. Sometimes the small moments make up the bigger experience.
Has anyone else experienced a strange shift in their experience and enjoyment of Christmas this year?
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Published on December 19, 2016 10:34

December 18, 2016

The End of One Year, The Beginning of Another

It's been a crazy couple of months since I last posted. Our little Samwise joined us, and our lives haven't been the same since.

I haven't been idle with my writing in those two months, though I'm still learning the balance of having a writing life with an infant in the house. I've been making a lot of progress with Albion Academy's publication. We have a cover, which I'll officially reveal in an upcoming post, and I'm a few chapters away from the end of the galley proofing, which means the official manuscript will be finished before long!

Some of you may remember the Almost an Inkling flash fiction contest I participated in last September and October. The winning entries in that contest have finally been released in an ebook from Oloris Publishing. You can pick that up in EPUB or MOBI format here.

In anticipation of Albion Academy's forthcoming publication, I'm going to be overhauling Inexhaustible Inspiration. This change will come in two main ways: one, I'll be redesigning the look and feel of the site, attempting to make it more streamlined and user-friendly; two, for the first time ever, I'll be setting myself a formal blogging schedule. That schedule will be as follows;

Monday Musings: Anything from writing issues to philosophical questions to book reviews; these will be posted every week.

Top 10 Tuesday: Once a month at least (probably the first Tuesday of each month), I'll bring out one of my Top 10 lists.

Watercolor Wednesdays: I'm taking up watercolors this Christmas, and this will be a place for me to share my trials and successes (but mostly the former, ;) ). I may also post pictures of sketches and such. No sense limiting ourselves to one art form. These will come at least once a month. More often if I can get the painting time in.

ThrowBook Thursdays: Once a month (second or third Thursday), I'll post a book I've read before that still means something to me. It may be one I've mentioned before (Narnia, anyone?) or something that surprises you all.

Saturday Snippets: On the last Saturday of the month, I'll post some snippets of what I've written that month. For the foreseeable future, these will most likely come from the second book in the Albion Quartet, as that will be my primary focus. The goal is to have that one ready to go to the publisher around the time Albion Academy comes out in July, so that we can release it a year later. Then it will be on to book 3! (But let's not get ahead of ourselves.)

Thank you all for sticking with me over the last few years. I can't wait to see where this next year takes us all!
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Published on December 18, 2016 11:54

October 16, 2016

The Elements of Me

Mirriam wrote about the little things from childhood that made her who she is this morning, and it was a fun and fascinating read. I usually feel like I should write something after reading Mir's blog posts, but this time she even said "Go for it!" in the post, so I am.

The following is a rambling (big surprise) list-ish thing of various influences from my childhood and growing up that have made me who I am today, with an emphasis on the things that make people say, "That explains a lot."


* My dad's humor: Dad has a strange mix of dry British wit and American slapstick. He introduced me to the Three Stooges and Mel Brooks and plenty of so-called "dad jokes" (which I honestly have never seen as being particular to fathers; they're just good humor). Despite that, it took me a long time to appreciate a good pun, but now that I do, I can joke with the best of them (aka Dad).

* The Smoky Mountains: This was our family's favorite vacation spot, and there's a large part of me that knows exactly what Lewis meant when he described the mountains of heaven in The Great Divorce because I've been there in winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Autumn is my favorite season, and the mountains are a large part of that.

* Merlin and all things magical: I actually should probably back up and say "Disney" because the Disney movies and fairy tales I grew up watching have shaped my imagination in lasting ways. Disney was my first introduction to other loves like Merlin and the Arthurian legends, and classic books like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

* Books, generally: My mom instilled a love of reading in my brother and me when we were very young and I've never lost it. I love reading, being read to, reading to others. Listening to books, watching movies adapted from books. Books on shelves, books in stacks. Kids' books, "grown-up" books, books of magic and imagination. Stories that grip the mind and soul and leave you changed.

* Narnia, specifically: While I came into the world of Narnia late compared to many of my Narnia-loving friends (I only read most of the books in 5th or 6th grade), it left a very noteworthy mark on me: I wrote my first novel because I wanted to write something as important as Narnia (achievable goal, yes?). While I had been writing small stories and creating worlds before, that novel was a gateway to a calling and I haven't stopped writing and plotting and imagining since.

* Moving: We moved a lot in my middle school, high school, and college years. I learned to adapt and be at home quickly.

* Myths: I don't remember encountering mythology before 3rd or 4th grade when I found a book of Greek myths in the school library. They took hold of my imagination and I've since discovered the tremendous wealth of folklore and myth the world has to offer.

* Heroes: Tarzan, Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker, Aladdin, Prince Philip, Miss Bianca, Cinderella, Merlin, Dorothy, Caractacus Potts - just to name a few. I grew up watching brave people fight evil and win in the name of love and truth. My idea of a hero has developed since then but it still owes a lot to those characters from my youth.

* Nature: Dad is an outdoorsman. He always took care to show us something new when we were outside and teach us the name and uses of plants and how to spot animals and their tracks. We watched storms and went crabbing on moonlit beaches. We hunted in early gray mornings and fished on hot afternoons. He taught me to appreciate the world around me.

* Quotes: Somewhere in my childhood I started relating to my family, friends, and the world at large via movie quotes (music and book references too, but mainly movies). It became a shibboleth of sorts for Wesley and me: we knew who our people were based on which quotes from our everyday conversation they recognized, how easily they slipped into our brotherhood.

* Horror: I love watching black and white horror films (or old films in general). They can, at their best, evoke all the right emotions of fear, love, anguish, righteous anger, and triumph. They have true heroes and clear villains. Struggling people stuck in the terrible place between saved and lost. And best if all they expose human nature in all its depravity without reveling in that depravity.
So that's just a glimpse into the things that make me who I am. What would your list look like?
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Published on October 16, 2016 17:12

September 20, 2016

Carrying Peace

I've been trying to write this post for the better part of two months. But I never quite bring myself to sit down and type.

This year started out with an exhausted and creatively weary me. I'd just come off of NaNo and the Christmas season in which I'd been in two separate church dramas with three total performances. I needed a break.

And then the break became more of a hiatus. I did some revision work on Albion Academy, and I toyed with finishing There's No Place like Home?, but really I just took a break from everything.

Then the Year of Major Life EventsTM started rolling. We learned we were going to be parents, we started looking for a house. We had weddings and birthdays, anniversaries and funerals. My brother's wedding date was moved, and we were now both in the wedding. We found a house. I was elected as a deacon at our church. I signed a contract to have Albion Academy published.

Oh yeah. That was the original reason for this two-months-in-the-making post.

I'm having a novel published.

It still feels like it's happening to somebody else. (So does the reality of my impending parenthood, for that matter.) But there are a thousand tiny details to arrange in the next few months to get the gears of the publishing machine rolling.

And through it all, I've felt like I'm still on that break from the start of the year. This is always the fear underlying the creative urges when I start or pause or resume anything I'm working on: that I'll pause it someday and never resume, or that I'll "resume" but behave as though I were still on pause.

For months now I've been trying to figure out why I haven't been writing consistently if at all. Where my creative drive has gone. I've been reading (and now we've got a library card again, listening) as much as ever, perhaps more. But I also have a writing nook set up that I haven't used since I put everything in its place. The problem is me, no doubt about it; but what about me? It could just be the stress and chaos that precede and follow all the changes we're going through this year.

But if I think about it, a large part of the problem is that I go through most days without any goals in mind. I am here to survive the day, to get to the end when I can sit on the couch with Jeana and watch TV and just exist for a bit. And while occasional days like this are okay, I shouldn't be spending every day feeling this way. It might feel like I need a break, but really what I probably need is a break from my break. I need to move.

In Jeana's counseling courses, she was taught to make and keep a wellness plan -- a holistic scheme by which she ensures her own wellbeing so that she can be better prepared, enabled, and equipped to guide others in caring for themselves. I think I need to establish my own wellness plan of sorts. One thing that will definitely go on there is keeping myself to a writing habit; another will be to take breaks from the Internet and TV. I'll probably have to adjust it now and after the baby arrives. That's okay. Life (as this year has been making every effort to prove) is a journey -- a peregrinatio as the monks call it. And while we're told to be still and know God, sometimes that peace isn't a lack of movement as much as it is an inner stillness. We can carry peace with us on the road.
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Published on September 20, 2016 11:53

August 20, 2016

The VIC (Very Important Characters) List

A friend of mine recently did a list of characters that she had obsessed/was obsessing over and I thought I'd do a similar list. These are in no particular order and the list is not exhaustive (by a long shot).
1.      Olorin/Gandalf from LotR2.      Galadriel from LotR3.      Glorfindel from LotR4.      Hazel-rah from Watership Down5.      Fiver from Watership Down6.      Samwise Gamgee from LotR7.      Aslan from Narnia8.      Reepicheep from Narnia9.      Edmund from Narnia10.  Shasta from Narnia11.  Puddleglum from Narnia12.  Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist13.  Greed/Greedling from Fullmetal Alchemist14.  Pinako Rockbell from Fullmetal Alchemist15.  Hoenheim from Fullmetal Alchemist16.  Winry Rockbell from Fullmetal Alchemist17.  Rumplestiltskin from Once Upon a Time18.  Regina Mills from Once Upon a Time19.  Charlotte A Cavatica from Charlotte’s Web20.  Jonathan Strange from Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell21.  Stephen Black from Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell22.  John Childermass from Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell23.  Bartimaeus from the Bartimaeus trilogy24.  Matthias from Redwall25.  Martin the Warrior from Redwall26.  Pau Zotah Zhaan from Farscape27.  John Crichton from Farscape28.  Steve Rogers from Marvel comics/Captain America films29.  Kermit the Frog from the Muppets30.  The Great Gonzo from the Muppets31.  Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island/Muppet Treasure Island/Treasure Planet32.  The Doctor from Doctor Who33.  Luke Skywalker from Star Wars34.  Leia Organa from Star Wars35.  Dick Grayson/Nightwing from DC comics/TeenTitans36.  Raven from DC comics/TeenTitans37.  Beast Boy from DC comics/TeenTitans38.  Riku from Kingdom Hearts39.  Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager40.  The Doctor/EMH from Star Trek: Voyager41.  Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation42.  Spock from Star Trek43.  Jadzia Dax from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine44.  Worf from Star Trek: TNG/DS945.  Aladdin46.  Beast47.  Belle48.  Bernard from The Rescuers49.  Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland50.  Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz51.  The Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz52.  Merlin from Arthurian legend53.  Sherlock Holmes54.  Lucy Pevensie from Narnia55.  Zuko from Avatar: the Last Airbender56.  Iroh from Avatar: the Last Airbender57.  Minerva McGonagall from Harry Potter58.  Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter59.  Remus Lupin from Harry Potter60.  Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts/Harry Potter (Ok, this is cheating a bit, but he’s already my new favorite.)61.  Scorpius Malfoy from Harry Potter62.  Albus Potter from Harry Potter63.  Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader from Star Wars64.  Qui-Gon Jinn from Star Wars65.  Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty66.  Inspector Jacques Clouseau from The Pink Panther67.  Molly Carpenter from The Dresden Files68.  Molly Weasley from Harry Potter69.  Hermione Granger from Harry Potter70.  Death from Discworld71.  Rory Williams from Doctor Who72.  Tarzan73.  Westley from The Princess Bride74.  Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride75.  Robin Goodfellow/Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream76.  Ariel from The Tempest77.  Mr. Halloway from Something Wicked This Way Comes78.  Jane Bennet from Pride and Prejudice79.  Ender Wiggin from Ender’s Game80.  Will Stanton from The Dark is Rising81.  Merriman from The Dark is Rising82.  Willy Wonka from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory83.  Igor from Young Frankenstein84.  Atreyu from The Neverending Story85.  Falcor from The Neverending Story86.  Thursday Next87.  Jean Valjean from Les Miserables88.  Sophie Hatter from Howl’s Moving Castle89.  Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird90.  Meg Murry from A Wrinkle in Time91.  Dr. Elwin Ransom from Out of the Silent Planet92.  Deth from Riddle-Master93.  Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables94.  Mina Harker from Dracula95.  Jonathan Harker from Dracula96.  Professor Van Helsing from Dracula97.  Binabik from The Dragonbone Chair98.  Cory Matthews from Boy Meets World99.  Ginger from Chicken Run
100.                      Darkwing Duck
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Published on August 20, 2016 17:25

July 21, 2016

Something Wicked This Way Comes: What I'd Want in a Musical Adaptation

I was listening to the soundtrack for Finding Neverland (the musical) today, and when I reached the song "Circus of Your Mind" a thrilling idea occurred to me -- this is the sound I would want in a musical version of Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. It's possible that the idea was slightly influenced by my listening to the soundtrack for the Addams Family musical recently as well. In any event, I started wondering about what else I would like to see in a Something Wicked musical.



The Story
For those of you unfamiliar with Something Wicked This Way Comes, it is the story of two friends, Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway, who were born within minutes of each other on the night before Halloween. Their friendship is tested when a traveling carnival run by the mysterious duo Cooger and Dark comes to town. The carnival (true to its trope) brings the citizens of the town face to face with their deepest desires and fears, usually with messy results (such as the traveling salesman who is made one of the carnival's attractions). The biggest temptation facing Will and Jim is the carousel that will make anyone who rides it age. Jim, the younger of the two, wishes to be older for once in his life, even if it breaks his friendship with Will. Will is content to be as he is, having seen the effects of age on his older-than-average father. They also have to deal with the darker effects of the carnival's presence in the town when Mr. Dark decides that they have seen too much and starts combing the town for them.

As far as the script for the musical goes, Disney's film (scripted by Bradbury himself) would be a good starting point. The script covers the plot and themes of the book very well and, with its shorter running time, still leaves room to add songs and maybe even restore some of the scenes from the book that were dropped (such as Will and Jim's shared nightmare of the Dust Witch searching for their houses).

The Music
As I said, the sound of Finding Neverland's "Circus of Your Mind" would be perfect for this book, particularly in any songs involving the carnival and Mr. Dark. For the Dust Witch, I'd think something sultry and exotic. Jim and Will's songs should reflect their innocence and disconnectedness from life. The lyrics surrounding the carnival and its members (whether sung by them or other members of the cast) should have a mythic quality. I'd especially love something dark and lyrical sung by Will's father as he researches the history of "the autumn people" as he calls them. There should be room for light and joy in the songs, but the bulk of the musical would have to take on a dark, brooding tone ranging from Jim's determination to be older to Mr. Dark's desire to collect the people of Green Town. Speaking of Mr. Dark, he and his partner Mr. Cooger (largely absent from the film) could have a rousing (if chilling) intro number along the lines of "Marley and Marley" in The Muppet Christmas Carol, although their song would likely have a much darker shade of humor like something from Sweeney Todd.

The Cast
I'm not very well-versed in the stars of Broadway and other theatrical venues, so this will be focused more on what qualities I'd hope for in the characters than specific actors.

Jim and Will are the main characters, so if the show keeps them at their proper ages (almost 14), there will need to be a group of strong child actors in these roles. I would hope that any show would try to keep these two young because it would kill half of the conflict to make them much older than they are in the book. While both of them are white in the book, I don't think race need play a part in their casting, so long as the light and dark dynamic of their hair/personalities is carried over. (It's a pretty big part of the novel's imagery.)

Will's father should be someone like Joel Grey who can portray a frail man with a strong spirit. He should be bookish rather than physically imposing (although if he were someone with a strong physical appearance who could somehow appear to be frail and old, that would be astoundingly wonderful to see).

Mr. Dark was portrayed by Jonathan Pryce in the film, and I think he'd still be a good fit for the role. It needs a certain gravitas and chilling threat in its portrayal, someone who can play a refined businessman when the need arises but has a deep well of darkness and violence waiting beneath the surface to swallow the unsuspecting. Mr. Cooger would need to be someone who has excellent chemistry with the actor for Mr. Dark and who could hold his own when playing opposite such a large personality.

For the Dust Witch, there will need to be an actress who can express herself as everything from a creepy old witch to a young seductress. She will likely be a woman of color, in keeping with her description in the book.


So what book, movie, or other story would you like most to see turned into a stage musical?
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Published on July 21, 2016 17:23

July 17, 2016

Top(-ish) 100 Books

My friend Melissa recently shared an article detailing the author's Top 10 lists of the Top 100 books and asked everyone what their top 100 would look like. I'm not sure this is an iron-clad Top 100 for me, but it's a rough list (in alphabetical order for the sake of clarity). To no one's surprise, it's primarily fantasy books, and there are lots of repeated authors (mainly C.S. Lewis).

1984 by George OrwellA Midsummer Night’s Dream by William ShakespeareA Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’EngleA Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le GuinA Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’EngleAbhorsen by Garth NixAcross the Wall by Garth NixAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass by Lewis CarrollBeowulfCastaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques
Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne JonesDescent Into Hell by Charles WilliamsDracula by Bram StokerDreams Underfoot by Charles de LintDune by Frank HerbertCollected Poems by Dylan ThomasHangman’s Curse by Frank PerettiHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. RowlingHeaven by Randy AlcornHogfather by Terry Pratchett
Holes by Louis SacharHow Harry Cast His Spell by John GrangerHow the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. SeussHowl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne JonesI am NOT a Serial Killer by Dan WellsIf You Give a Moose a MuffinInkdeath by Cornelia FunkeInkheart by Cornelia FunkeInkspell by Cornelia FunkeInnocents Aboard by Gene Wolfe
James and the Giant Peach by Roald DahlJonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna ClarkeLirael by Garth NixMacbeth by William ShakespeareMarlfox by Brian JacquesMeet the Austins by Madeleine L’EngleMistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon SandersonMonster by Mirriam NealNeverwhere by Neil GaimanOrthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
Othello by William ShakespeareOutcast of Redwall by Brian JacquesPaper Crowns by Mirriam NealPerelandra by C.S. LewisPiercing the Darkness by Frank PerettiPlanet Narnia by Michael WardPlenilune by Jennifer FreitagPride and Prejudice by Jane AustenPtolemy’s Gate by Jonathan StroudRichard II by William Shakespeare
Riddle-Master by Patricia McKillipRozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom StoppardSabriel by Garth NixSaga of the VolsungsShades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette KowalSomething Wicked This Way Comes by Ray BradburyThe Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan StroudThe Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela CarterThe Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin, Jr.The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd AlexanderThe Cleric Quintet by R.A. SalvatoreThe Eyre Affair by Jasper FfordeThe Four Loves by C.S. LewisThe Giving Tree by Shel SilversteinThe Golem’s Eye by Jonathan StroudThe Great Divorce by C.S. LewisThe Harp of the Grey Rose by Charles de LintThe Hero of Ages by Brandon SandersonThe Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Illustrated Man by Ray BradburyThe Jungle Book by Rudyard KiplingThe King of Attolia by Megan Whalen TurnerThe Last Unicorn by Peter S. BeagleThe Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman AlexieThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienThe Martian Chronicles by Ray BradburyThe Paper Magician by Charlie HolmburgThe Pawn by Steven JamesThe Place of the Lion by Charles Williams
The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank BaumThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisThe Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson BurnettThe Silmarillion by J.R.R. TolkienThe Spooky Old Tree by The BerenstainsThe Tempest by William ShakespeareThe Velveteen Rabbit by Margery WilliamsThe Weight of Glory by C.S. LewisThe Well of Ascension by Brandon SandersonThe Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank BaumThe Young Unicorns by Madeleine L’EngleTill We Have Faces by C.S. LewisTo Hold the Bridge by Garth NixTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeTree and Leaf by J.R.R. TolkienWar in Heaven by Charles WilliamsWatership Down by Richard AdamsWolf Moon by Charles de Lint
Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
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Published on July 17, 2016 17:51

June 30, 2016

ThrowBook Thursday: Paper Crowns by Mirriam Neal

Look at that cover art. Love it. Adore it.
Last year, my friend Mirriam passed along a draft of her WIP, Paper Crowns, after I'd expressed an interest in reading some of her writing (specifically one having to do with wyslings). I flew through it, loving every minute. When she announced its imminent publication, I was overjoyed. I knew this was a book to be shared with the world, and now it would be.

I've just finished my reading of the final, published version, and I'm pleased to say that I loved it even more the second time through.

My initial impression of Paper Crowns, in summary, was "this is a fun, wild romp through Faerie." That impression still holds true.

So why should you read Paper Crowns?
The main characters are vibrant (both in the sense of being three-dimensional, and in the sense of Hal being a blue-furred cat).

The secondary characters are worthy of their own books. (At least one gets his own sequel, still in the works.)

There's magic and mayhem and snark abounding.

There are wizards without hearts and wizards with hearts.

There are Celtic gods and elementals with large voices.

There are good guys and bad guys and several whose moral positions you won't ever be sure of until the last pages.

There are living creatures of ice and paper. Imagine origami on a grand, Gandalf's fireworks scale.

You will not want to abandon this book because it always keeps you laughing.

Basically, if you enjoy fantasy, humor, or faerie stories, you should try this book.
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Published on June 30, 2016 04:00

June 21, 2016

Top 10 Tuesday: Fairy Tales

Beauty and the Beast

I'm a sucker for true love conquers all and the transforming power of love. The Disney version of the tale was one of my favorites as a child and I've only grown to love this story's heart even more since then. Till We Have Faces, Lewis' retelling of "Cupid and Psyche" (itself an earlier form of "Beauty and the Beast"), is one of my favorite books of all time. I can't get enough of seeing people learn to love others more than themselves, especially when the other person is unlovable. That's Christ-like love, and it's powerful.


The Six Swans/Seven Ravens

I first encountered this story in an old VHS of fairy tale retellings (it also had a Robin Hood retelling and others I've forgotten). I remember the love of the heroine for her brothers and her perseverance in fulfilling the prescriptions for breaking the curse drawing me into the story like few I'd heard before. I certainly couldn't have kept utterly silent for such a long time. While I've not seen many adaptations of it, it's still one of my favorite tales.


Cinderella

"Cinderella" is one of those fairy tales that gets a lot of grief. People cry out that she has no agency, that she just sits back and takes the maltreatment she receives from her stepfamily, that she relies on others (the prince, the fairy godmother) to save her. While she does seem very passive, I've read some brilliant analyses of the tale that argue her role is actually quite active -- she actively chooses compassion, to turn the other cheek, to not respond to evil with evil. Cinderella embodies meekness and humility while still preserving her kind spirit. For that reason, this tale ranks among my top 10.


Aladdin
I'll admit that the biggest draw to this story for child me was the abundance of magic. There are genies and magicians and tricksy cleverness aplenty. But it's also a valuable story in that it demonstrates the necessity for wisdom in judging the character of others and in what you wish for. Not only that, the story places as much value on hard work and (depending on your version) honesty as it does having a magic class-crossing genie in your pocket.


Diamonds and Toads

This is one of the stories Disney hasn't got their hands on (yet). Probably because there's no romance in it. It's in the vein of "Cinderella", but rather than focusing on the treatment of Cinderella and her escape from that abuse, it emphasizes the difference in the two daughters' hearts. One daughter is kind to an old beggar woman (truly a fairy) and receives the blessing of having diamonds fall from her mouth when she speaks ever after; her sister, less kind and also greedy, refuses to show kindness to the same fairy, now disguised as a young and beautiful woman. In return, she is cursed to have toads fall from her lips whenever she speaks. It's a simple tale but the message resounds in Scripture: treat others as you wish to be treated, speak only such words as are good for building up, etc.


Billy Goats Gruff

This is one of those stories everyone seems to know in childhood, but it falls by the wayside when we're a bit older. Like a lot of childhood stories, it features clever heroes outwitting the bad guy. It's not one that pops up a lot for me now, but it was a childhood favorite, so I'm sticking it in here. If you get a chance, check out Terry Pratchett's and Neil Gaimain's stories that are sort-of retellings of it, both called "Troll Bridge."


Hansel and Gretel
I'm not really sure why I wanted to include this one; it's one of the darker fairy stories, even in the sanitized versions. Maybe it's the image of a house made out of gingerbread. Maybe it's Gretel's intelligence saving her brother. Maybe it's because it gave us the Looney Tunes character Witch Hazel, the exquisite running gag of "Hahn-sel" (like Hans, as opposed to "Hansel" like "hands"), and the wonderful insult, "Ah, your mother rides a vacuum cleaner." Who knows? But it is a fun story to come back to with different elements emphasized or explored.


Little Red Riding Hood
This story has so many retellings out there it either has been reworked to death or has untold depths to explore. I tend to argue the latter, especially when I see fantastic takes on the story like Once Upon a Time's from its first two seasons. There are variations to satisfy any fairy tale lover, from Red saves herself to the Woodcutter rescue, happy endings, sad endings, and ending in between.


The Snow Queen
My penchant for "The Snow Queen" stems from two Hallmark-produced miniseries, one based on Andersen's fairy tale and another based on "Snow White" that borrows elements from Andersen, namely the shattered mirror and its effects on those who find a shard of it in their eyes. It's a beautiful tale of love and friendship conquering everything from emotional coldness to laziness to outright wickedness. It also features one of the best heroines in all of fairy tale lore: Gerta.


Bluebeard
"Bluebeard" is a weird story. It features locked doors, prohibitions, and mysterious bridegrooms (a bit like Cupid and Psyche, but not so happily ended). While its original is most likely a cautionary tale about curiosity (a la Pandora) its variants feature the bride saving herself as well as being saved by brothers, sisters, and mothers. It's a creepy story but worth the read if you find the right version.


Sleeping Beauty
Here's another tale rife with magic, but the magic isn't necessarily what brings me back to this story again and again. The things I love about this story include the prince's efforts to win through the forest of thorns, the sober view of evil as that which twists what is good into what is misshapen, and the necessary concept of good turning even the deeds of evil people (and fairies) for the better. "Sleeping Beauty" has some wonderful images of love (even beyond the romantic kind) conquering all.


*All images found via Pinterest.
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Published on June 21, 2016 05:00