Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 37

#MondayMotivation - #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 06-07-20

In truth, the heart must crack open if the soul is to become free. And you simply cannot think your way into that.
~Terry Patten

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
~Thich nhat Hahn

A smile is the lighting system of the face, the cooling system of the head and the heating system of the heart.
~Unknown

There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.
~John Holmes

Sometimes the greatest messages come out of the greatest messes.
~Steve Maraboli

Because anger and hostility destroy our peace of mind, it is they that are our real enemy. Anger ruins our health; a compassionate attitude restores it. If it were basic human nature to be angry, there’d be no hope, but since it is our nature to be compassionate, there is.
~Dalai Lama

People inspire you, or they drain you. Pick them wisely.
~Hans F. Hansen

Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.
~Roy T. Bennett

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
~George Bernard Shaw

You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.
~Bob Marley

Everything happens for a reason & a purpose, & it serves you.
~Anthony Robbins

Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.
~Pema Chodron

Artemis The #Tortoise On Being In A #Pet Themed Colouring Book

Hi everyone.  This is Artemis the tortoise.
Did you see the post Mummy did on Wednesday?? The one about how I'm featured in a colouring book... Well, actually, I'm technically featured in two of them, because there are two versions of it.  Pretty cool, don't you think?
Me and Mummy plan to work on a story or two about me in the future, and Mummy's already written a couple of poems about me that she'll put in a future pet poetry collection, but it's nice to get some attention in the meantime.
It's called "Magnificent Pets" - which I think is an appropriate title, because I am magnificent - and was officially released on June 27th 2020.  There are two versions, like I said, and you can get both versions of it (a children's version, and a mandala one for adults) from Praise My Pet.
So, if you like colouring books, or know someone who does, and would like to get your hands on a copy of one of them - whichever version you'd prefer - you can do so via Praise My Pet.  To save you some time though, I've got the direct links for you, so just click here for the Colouring Book For Children or click here for the Mandala Coloring Book For Adults.
Artemis the tortoise

#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 02-07-20

Some books you read.. Some books you enjoy. But some books swallow you up, heart & soul.
~Joanne Harris

 
Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!
 
*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.
 
Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything which may happen as a result of failing to do so.
 
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
 
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
 
Unless otherwise stated, all music videos are via YouTube.
 
~
 
OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right? 
~ 
Reading:This week I read one book, and started another I haven't finished yet. So, here's what I read, along with my book review.  City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was loads better than the first in the series; I still didn't quite enjoy this book enough to give it a five star rating, but definitely enjoyed it more than book one. The plot is more solid, with plenty of scenes that were either filled with emotion, action-packed, or entertaining - sometimes more than one of those at once. Also, it was wonderful to see some excellent character development, which we got to see a great deal of in this book. I look forward to seeing what will happen in book three, and how the characters will continue to develop throughout the rest of the series. ~ Watching:This week I watched the rest of "Game Of Thrones" season 6, which I've been slowly watching on DVD for several months now.  I'm still enjoying it, but still don't think the TV series is as good as the books.  Of course, I'm now at the point of the plot where it's gone beyond what's happened in the books, but still.
 
I also started watching the "Outlander" TV series on Amazon Prime.  If you're a fan of historical romance with a time travel element, or interested in 18th century history - especially that of Scotland and America - I recommend you check it out too.  I'm really loving it, though again think the books are a little better.  Still, "Outlander" does so far seem to be one of those shows that actually comes incredibly close to being as good as the book it's based on, so I give it five out of five stars.
 ~
 
Listening:This week I've been listening to 90s pop music, since apparently I'm in the mood for some of that right now.  So, let's have some Westlife, which was one of my favourite bands in the 90s, and their version of "I Have A Dream" - one of my favourites that they do.  Enjoy!! 

Magnificent Pets; #Pet Themed Colouring Books Featuring My #Tortoise

If you - or anyone you know, be they children or adults - happen to be a fan of colouring books, especially those with an animal theme, you might be interested to know that my Hermann's Tortoise, Artemis, is featured in two versions of the "Magnificent Pets" colouring book from Praise My Pet.
You can find Artemis in both the Colouring Book For Children and the Mandala Coloring Book For Adults, which were officially released on June 27th 2020.
About the Colouring Book For Children:"Magnificent Pets: A Coloring Book for Children showcases over real pets (photos of whom were submitted to us by our pet-loving community) in coloring book form. The perfect gift for creative children!"

About the Mandala Colouring Book For Adults:"Magnificent Pets: A Mandala Coloring Book for Adults showcases over 100 real pets (photos of whom were submitted to us by our pet-loving community) in coloring book form. Studies show that adult coloring books -- and particularly those in the mandala style -- are excellent for stress relief. It's the perfect gift; especially for yourself!"

To get your hands on a copy of whichever version you'd prefer, Click here for the Colouring Book For Children or click here for the Mandala Coloring Book For Adults.
If you grab a copy of either version, I hope you enjoy colouring Artemis' photo, as well as those of the other pets featured.

The Mid-Year Freakout Tag - #AmReading

I've seen this one in several places, including on this YouTube channel, which is where I eventually grabbed it from. 
As is usually the case, I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to play along, feel free to do so.  If you do this on your own blog - or YouTube channel - make sure to let me know though, so I can be sure not to miss your post or video. 
For now though, here are the questions, along with my answers: 
1. Best book you read so far this year?
 "Outlander" (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon.
 
2. best sequel you read this year? "Dragonfly in Amber" (Outlander, #2) by Diana Gabaldon.
 
3. New release you haven't read but want to? 
"Viper's Daughter" by Michelle Paver.  Amazon cancelled my order, because they couldn't get a copy, so I still don't have a copy of it.  I'll be trying again to get a copy soon. 4. most anticipated books of 2nd half of year? "Peace Talks" (The Dresden Files, #16) by Jim Butcher, "Warriors" (Hell Divers, #7) by Nicholas Sansbury Smith, and "Immortal Angel" (Argeneau, #31) by Lynsay Sands.
 5. Biggest disappointment?
 "The Dancing Bear" by Michael Morpurgo.  The ending was a huge disappointment... His books are usually better.
 
6. Biggest surprise?
 "City of Bones" (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare.  I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, so am glad I picked it up after all.  I'm now working on the rest of the series.
 
7. Fave new fictional crush? Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series. 
8. Fave new character? Brianna from Diana Gavaldon's "Outlander" series.  I wasn't interested in her at first, because I wanted to just hear about Jamie, but she's really grown on me, and become one of my favourite characters. 
9. Book that made you cry?
 "Survive" (Atlantis Grail, #4) by Vera Nazarian.  So many emotional scenes...
 
10. Most beautiful book you recieved or bought?
 This one's impossible to answer.  All good books are beautiful in one way or another. 
11. What books do you need to read before the end of the year?
 The main ones I really want to get to are Nyxia Uprising (The Nyxia Triad, #3) by Scott Reintgen,  the second half of the "Artemis Fowl" series by Eoin Colfer, the rest of Cassandra Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series, and Darlene Foster's "Amanda Travels" series.  But there are several others too... I have a very long to-read list.

#MondayMotivation - #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 29-06-20

The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.
~W B Yeats

Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.
~Edith Wharton

I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.
~Mahatma Gandhi

I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.”
~?Emily Dickinson

I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable...but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.
~Agatha Christie

Its good to leave each day behind, like flowing water, free of sadness.
~Rumi

Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.
~Helen Keller

The way we choose to see the world creates the world we see.
~Barry Neil Kaufman

Growth itself contains the germ of happiness.
~Pearl S. Buck

Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. However difficult life may seem, there's always something you can do & succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up.
~Stephen Hawking

We are here to uplift not to outshine. The sky would be very dark with just one star.
~Unknown

May you grow still enough to hear the splintering of starlight in the winter sky and the roar at the earth's fiery core.
~Br. David Steindl-Rast

#Pet #Photos: A Beach Trip For Lilie The #Westie And Logan The #Cavapoo

Hi everyone.  This is Logan the Cavapoo.
Me and Lilie went to the beach a few weeks ago.  It was nice out there: not wet and windy, but not too hot either.  Well, we went other times too, but I wanted to tell you about this time, because it was slightly different.  Anyway, like I said, it was a few weeks ago.  Well, almost a month ago now.

Mummy and Daddy took us.  Although, Daddy left us there and went away for a long time.  That's what was different.  I don't know why he did that.  He usually doesn't leave Mummy by herself with us outside for long, but this time he did.  We were out there for ages and ages, and only Mummy was with us.  Mummy tried explaining, but it makes no sense to us.  Whatever the reason, Lilie was upset that Daddy went away - I wasn't too pleased myself, but Lilie made more fuss about it - but Mummy said it was OK that he did, which made us both a bit confused.  Mummy promised Daddy would come back, and we were really worried she was wrong, but he did come back for us, so it was all OK in the end after all.
We weren't upset the whole time though.  In fact, even Lilie mostly forgot to be upset after a short time, though she kept remembering and looking in the direction Daddy had gone and whining from time to time.  But nobody could stay upset when being called cute by other humans that were on the beach and wanted to say, "Hi," to us and even pet us.
That's right: people are talking to us again.
For ages and ages - much more time than Daddy left us on the beach with just Mummy; for so long that I found it strange and scary at first that people were doing differently - people wouldn't talk to us, and definitely wouldn't pet us.  Mummy and Daddy said it wasn't our fault but because of that Avirus thing they keep talking about.  But now they want to be friends again.  Mummy says to tell you they did so from as far from her as our leads would allow though, so it was fine.  I don't know why that matters, but she says it does, and you'll be glad to hear it.  I'll have to take her word for that.

Like I said, I wasn't sure what to think of it at first, and was kind of scared when people were suddenly wanting to come say, "Hi," and pet me.  OK.  Fine.  I was a lot scared.  But only at first.  Then I saw how happy Lilie was, and how much she was enjoying it, so decided I wanted to be a part of that.  I hate being left out, and I do love attention, it's just that I'm only a little over a year old, and most of my walkies months it's either been such bad weather everyone is in too much of a hurry to get out of the wet to be friends, or they've not wanted to because of Avirus, so this wanting to be friends with me thing was new, strange, and real scary.  I think I do like it though, and hope they'll want to keep doing it from now on... Especially if they're going to be giving Lilie attention, because I want to be included if she is.

Anyway, Mummy played with the flashy thing while we were out there, so here are the photos of me and Lilie it made:    

Lots of licks,Logan

#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 25-06-20

Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier.
~Kathleen Norris

 Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post! 
*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.
 
Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything which may happen as a result of failing to do so.
 
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
 
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
 
Unless otherwise stated, all music videos are via YouTube.

~ OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right? 
~ 
Reading:This week I read two books, one of which was a short collection of poetry I was given in exchange for a review. So, here's what I read during the past week, along with my book reviews.
 
Light and Shade; serious (and not so serious) poems by K. Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is another enjoyable collection of poems by this author, where the poems are split in to a couple of different sections: one for more serious and thought-provoking poetry, and another for humerous poetry. As is generally the case with collections like this, while I liked all the poems, I did enjoy some of them more than others, with “The Point of Poetry” and “The Weather Was Chill” being my favourites from the first section of this collection, while “Vanity” and “When a Young Lady Named Leigh” were my favourites from section two.
*Note: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of the book or the contents of this review.
 
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thought this was a great read, but not as amazing as many have made it out to be. I also saw some of the things revealed near the end coming early on, which is perhaps partially responsible for me not finding it as amazing as some people I know have. Still, I did really enjoy it, and look forward to finding out what happens in the next book.
 ~ 
Watching:This week I watched some new episodes of "Fuller House" I discovered were on Netflix - excellent series ending! I also watched "Artemis Fowl" - a movie which was very recently released, and I'd been waiting to be able to watch.  For those who don't know, it's a movie based on a series of books.  Now, I did have the books all read to me when I was younger, but I don't remember much about them.  However, I've also read some of the books more recently.  Because of this, I noticed a few places where the facts of the book were ignored.  Things like - to use something that's not a spoiler - Butler's name, which wasn't supposed to be widely used (Artemis' knowledge of the name is something only revealed a couple of books in to the series, and he's rarely called anything but "Butler" in the books).  So, as a representation of the books, it was only "OK" - good, but not great.  On the other hand, as a movie in its own right, without giving consideration to how they've changed things from the books, it was excellent; action-packed, and thoroughly enjoyable, with some entertaining scenes.  Anyway, if I was rating it based on how it compared to the books, my rating wouldn't be all that high... Just three stars.  But, since I try not to base my reviews of movies based on books on how well they compare to the books, I'll be doing so this time again, so I give this movie four out of five stars.
 ~
 
Listening:This week I've been listening to quite a variety of music again, including "The World Goes On" by Jamie O'Neal, which is the song I'm going to share with you this week.

"Snowlilie's Brother" Is Now Available In #Paperback - #KidLit #AnimalStories #Pets #Westie #Cavapoo

Getting a little brother is a good thing... Right?

 

When Snowlilie the West Highland White Terrier first meets her new little brother – a Cavapoo puppy, who tells her the humans call him Rascal - and realizes having a little brother means having a new doggy friend to play with, she’s excited. That is, until she realizes it also means sharing everything with him – including her favourite ball, some of her food, and Mummy and Daddy’s attention.

 

Will Snowlilie be forced to tolerate a little brother she doesn’t like? Or can she learn to like Rascal, and accept the changes having a little brother means?

 

Having been released at the start of this month, but previously only made available as an eBook - links for which you can find in this post - "Snowlilie's Brother" is now also available in paperback.  If you'd like to get your hands on a copy, you can buy the paperback version from Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, Amazon US, and various other Amazons, as well as places my books get distributed to, like Barnes & Noble. 
An audio version will become available as soon as one can be arranged. 
Regardless of your prefered format, if you're on Goodreads and want to add the book to your shelves, it does have a Goodreads page where all formats currently available are listed.

The #Disney #Book Tag - #AmReading

I found this tag among those on The Sassy Geek, and with my love of Disney movies, I knew I had to do it. Well, that and I'm totally obsessed with these tags. Basically, with the theme and the fact it's one of these tag things, I just had to! I know you're not surprised. *wink*

Anyway, like I always say, I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments section, or on your own blog. Just make sure to let me know if you do the latter, and tell me where I can read your answers, because I'd love to know what you'd pick. For now though, here are the questions, along with my own answers:

1. The Little Mermaid – A character who is out of their element, a “fish out of water.”

I'm going to have to pick Harry Potter. Why? Because, quite frankly, though I'm a huge fan of the series, there's one thing I know for sure: Harry would not have survived if it wasn't for a combination of luck and his friends. He was completely out of his element, and had no idea what he was doing. Like I said, if it wasn't for a combination of luck and his friends, he wouldn't have even survived to see the end of the first book.

2. Cinderella – A character who goes through a major transformation.

There's a character who goes through a physical change in almost all of the books in Lynsay Sands’ "Argeneau Vampire" series, but it's a different character each time, because the whole point of it is that the vampires find their lifemates, which often results in them finding a mortal lifemate who then needs to be turned. There's a lot more to the series than that, and trust me when I say it's a lot more exciting than the first sentence in this paragraph made it sound. It's a series that's most definitely not for children though, so I don't want to be giving too much detail (especially not in a Disney themed tag). But if you enjoy vampire themed paranormal romances with some... Erm... Descriptive intimate scenes, you might want to check it out. Assuming you're old enough to be reading that kind of thing (thought I better add that part, in case there happens to be someone under age reading this).

3. Snow White – A book with an eclectic cast of characters.

"Fatemarked" by David Estes. In fact, all the books in David's "Fatemarked" series.

4. Sleeping Beauty – A book that put you to sleep.

There aren't any. Books don't put me to sleep. Some end up being less interesting than others, but a book has never been the cause of me falling asleep, even though I do usually fall asleep listening to an audio book. It's not the book in question though, since I can listen to the same book when feeling more alert and it won't do that.

5. The Lion King – A character who had something traumatic happen to them in childhood.

"The Bad Beginning" - the first book in Lemony Snicket's "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" series. In fact, the whole series deserves a mention here, since the point of it is about all the terrible things that happen in the lives of the three Beaudilaire children, starting with the deaths of their parents.

6. Beauty and The Beast – A beast of a book (a big book) that you were intimidated by, but found the story to be beautiful.

I've never been intimidated by the size of a book. I'll read anything from drabbles (I think that's what they call the flash fiction that's only like 100 words or something these days) to huge 1000 page novels, and anything in between. Got something longer? I'll read that too! As long as the book description makes it sound like something I might potentially enjoy reading, I'll read it eagerly, regardless of length.

7. Aladdin – A character who gets their wish granted, for better or for worse.

I'm going to go with "Be Careful What You Wish For..." (one of the books in the "Goosebumps" series) by R.L. Stine. It's definitely well titled, and is a perfect example of why you should be very careful what you wish for.

8. Mulan – A character who pretends to be something or someone they are not.

Besides Mulan herself - and I can't use her anyhow, because I've seen the animated movie, but not read any book version of her story - the first that comes to mind is Polly Perks from "Monstrous Regiment" (book 31 in Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series) who pretends to be a boy so she can join the army to look for her brother.

9. Toy Story – A book with characters you wish would come to life.

Oh, WOW! Where do I start? There are so many! But, if I have to pick just one book/series, you know it has to be the characters from the "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling. I need to be friends with Luna Lovegood and Hermione Granger, and go to Hogwarts, and... Well, you get the idea.

10. Disney Descendants – Your favorite villain or morally ambiguous character.

I'm going to be giving a shout-out to the "Harry Potter" books again, because my pick for this one is Bellatrix Lestrange. I didn't even need to give it much thought. She's evil and crazy, and such a great villainess!