Jared's Reads and Thoughts

Journal

2010-10-19T18:03:00.002-06:00

I've been weighing something for a while now and want your opinion. I'm thinking about converting my blog to private or simply eliminating it altogether.

I found a really cool website that I like even better than a blog. It is LDS Journal which does more of what I want and have tried to do. I've also been moving my books lists and soon to be my reviews over to Goodreads (you can see my profile and books here).

Please feel free to weigh in on the comments on what you think. Also, if you were writing a journal would bother to include your review of books in your journal?

Prayer and Scripture Study Aid Revelation

2010-08-05T09:44:00.000-06:00

"Many answers to difficult questions are found by reading the scriptures because the scriptures are an aid to revelation. Insight found in scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend some time in the scriptures every day. Daily prayer is also essential to having the Lord's Spirit with us. Those who earnestly seek help through prayer and scripture study often have a paper and pencil nearby to write questions and record impressions and ideas."

Julie B. Beck, "And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit," Ensign, May 2010, 11

Being a Husband and Father

2010-05-28T11:41:00.000-06:00

"Most men worry about succeeding in their life's work and spend much time and effort at their profession. But I've learned that the way to put one's professional life in order is to put one's personal life in order. How can we be adequate at anything professionally without being adequate as men, husbands, and fathers first?"

James E. Faust, "Brethren, Love Your Wives," Ensign, July 1981, 3

Growing Up

2010-03-15T15:54:00.001-06:00

Original Scheduled Date - 10/20/2009

Last night I sat down to my computer to get pictures ready for the annual calendar and as I was going through them, I was just amazed, first at the number of pictures we had taken over the past year, and then how many we had taken of Ethan. I always heard that parents seem to take fewer and fewer pictures of the younger kids and I never thought that would happen. Well, this past year proved me wrong! We don't have the professional pictures of Ethan like we do of Noah, but we definitely got a ton of Ethan pictures this year. What amazed me even more than the fact that we have pictures of our kids, is how they have changed over the past year. Ethan being so tiny as a baby and growing up so fast. Seeing Noah just little and how much he has grown. It never ceases to amaze me when I look at my kids and their picture how much they've grown up. I miss the little babies that I used to hold in my arms, but I love the little personalities that begin to emerge as they grow and when my son meets me at the door as I come home from work.

You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover

2010-03-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone has heard the saying that you can't judge a book by its cover. Brandon Sanderson had a cover release recently for his new novel "The Way of Kings" and I can honestly say, that the covers do make a lot of difference. As one commenter on the blog stated: "you CAN judge a publisher's OPINION of a book by it's cover". And just looking at the cover, this one looks like it's going to be a good one!

Head over to Tor to read the entire post.

Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime?

2010-03-10T00:57:00.001-07:00

Original Scheduled Date - 10/1/2009

Wow! All I can say is that it has been a crazy summer. Sorry to everyone for not being better about posting review of books and for keeping you up-to-date on family happenings. A lot has gone on so I don't even know where to begin. We've gone camping, been to Disneyland, went to the zoo, played in the pool, tried to keep cool in 110 degree weather, and on top of that somehow fit work in there. We've had a busy summer with the boys and have loved every minute of it. Ethan decided one day that he was ready to get up and walk and it's been a fun challenge at our house to see what he gets into and what we have to hide from him.

Old Posts

2010-03-09T09:40:00.002-07:00

This morning I logged onto blogger because I had a post that I wanted to write and found that I had started 2 post in Oct 2009 but never finished them or posted them, so look for those coming up in the next few days as well as a new post -- finally!

Faith, Hope, Charity

2009-09-25T11:25:00.001-06:00

"The things we hope for lead us to faith, while the things we hope in lead us to charity."

Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope, Ensign," Nov. 2008, 24

Becoming Provident Providers

2009-09-19T11:27:00.001-06:00

"We should regularly review our family income, savings, and spending plan in family council meetings. This will teach our children to recognize the difference between wants and needs and to plan ahead for meaningful use of family resources. . . . Whenever we want to experience or possess something that will impact us and our resources, we may want to ask ourselves, ‘Is the benefit temporary, or will it have eternal value and significance?’ Truthfully answering these questions may help us avoid excessive debt and other addictive behavior.”

Elder Robert D Hales, “Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually,” Ensign, May 2009, 9–10

Two Big Events Today

2009-09-15T15:53:00.002-06:00

So there are two big events happening today for anyone who's interested.

Today is the 100 day mark. Yes, you read that right, the 100 day mark. But to what you may ask? Well, as of today there are only 100 days left until Christmas!... but who's counting?

The second big event today is that it is my son's 1st birthday.. one year ago today, Ethan came into our family. We have loved having this little guy in our family and boy has he changed our lives. It's been a roller coaster with him and everything that has happened since he came into this earth with my new job, moving, buying a new house, unpacking, and getting settled into our new lives here in Arizona. He's done so well and is such a wonderful kid. I'm so glad he's part of our family. He has taught me a lot and and I am so grateful for his sweet spirit. Here's to your first year Ethan and a wish for many more to come. Love you tons little guy. Dad.

Quick Update

2009-08-25T12:57:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to post a quick update to say that we are all alive and doing well. It has been a busy summer (I'll write about it in another post eventually) and it seems like it is going to be a busy rest of the year. We miss our family in Utah, have survived record heat in Arizona, and have managed to have a little bit of fun in the process. I'm hoping that I can get some book reviews posted as well (but I have to read something good first!).

By the way, in case anyone is interested, there are only 122 days (or 4 months) remaining until Christmas. It's time to start planning and getting those Christmas cards and letters going!

David Eddings Passes Away

2009-06-03T15:50:00.002-06:00

David Eddings passed away yesterday. I am saddened by the passing of this giant of an author. His books were one of the first fantasy novel I read and really got me intersted in reading. I remember discovering his books in the 8th grade and loving them. The Belgariad and the Malloreon were two of my all-time favorite fantasy series. May he rest in peace.

Celtic Woman - O America

2009-05-27T12:26:00.003-06:00

Absolutely Beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEpX2BcB9As or http://celticwoman-oamerica.blogspot.com/

Review - Shop Smart, Save More by Teri Gualt

2009-05-25T10:50:00.000-06:00

Shop Smart, Save More by Teri Gault was a very good read about saving money on groceries. Teri Gault is the founder to "The Grocery Game" website which is a subscription based service to help you save money. I do not subscribe to the website, but the basic idea in the book and behind the website is not to buy things on sale, but to buy them when they are a bargain. Stock up on your bargain items and use your stock to make meals for your family. Add coupons to the bargain items, and you've got yourself a real deal! For example, if name brand peanut butter is at the bargain price of $1, buy 5-6 peanut butters and then use those until it is a bargain again rather than going to the store when you are out of or running low on peanut butter and it is only "on sale" for $2.50. She offers good advice on how often things are on sale, how to rotate the stock you will build, how to stack coupons, choose your grocery store, and play the grocery game. She also offers some easy recipies for cheap meals that you can make ahead and use throughout the week.

I enjoyed this easy read and if you are looking for practical advice on how to save money on groceries, this is a good place to start. Overall, the book didn't give me all that much information and had a lot of unnecessary chapters (like on on planning for parties). While it was not a marketing tactic for her website (those she does promote it), I have subscribed to her website (for the $1 trial for 4 weeks). I'll let you know how that goes in another post.

Overall grade: A-

Audio Review - Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

2009-05-11T10:51:00.000-06:00

The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan is another classic story in the Wheel of Time series. I was, as always, impressed by the readers Kate Reading and Michael Kramer. They do an excellent job a narrating the story and giving a unique voice to each of the characters. I can always tell which main character is speaking when they are narrating. That being said, this audio book was probably one of the hardest to get through. The book dragged on and on and I was wishing the whole time that it would just be over (especially toward the latter 1/4 of the book). The biggest problem I have with the series is the length devoted to people who just don't matter (like the cart driver in one of the books that got a full 5+ pages and his only purpose was to drive the characters from one place to another and then he disappears from the series). The plot is there, but just seemed to drag in this book. Again and again I wondered when this was going to end. I ended up reading most of the plot in the series at the Encyclopaedia-WOT and still feel like I wasted my time by listening to the remainder of the book. All that said, I'm anxious to listen to/read the next book in the series as the books finally might be starting to wind down. This book may just be the needed middle book of the series that ties things together, so off to Winter's Heart, assuming that my hold will come in sometime this year.

Overall rating: B-

Other thoughts on the Wheel of Time series: Since Robert Jordan has since passed away and left the series unfinished, Brandon Sanderson has been hired to complete them. Recent news was that the first of the three-part final book would be coming out towards the end of the year with subsequent parts arriving every year thereafter. I'm so glad that the series is going to be completed and that Brandon Sanderson was hired to do this. I really liked his novel Elantris and look forward to him completing this overwhelming work and legacy.

Prayer

2009-05-06T11:25:00.003-06:00

I saw this in my email and was touched.

"The object of our prayers should not be to present a wish list or a series of requests but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is eager to bestow, according to His will and timing. Every sincere prayer is heard and answered by our Heavenly Father, but the answers we receive may not be what we expect or come to us when we want or in the way we anticipate."

Elder David A. Bednar
"Ask in Faith," Ensign, May 2008, 97

How often I think I fall into the first category of giving Heavenly Father my wish list or requests. But when I do offer a sincere prayer, Heavenly Father answers them and I am uplifted. I hope that I can begin to be more sincere in my prayers and offer those prayers that will secure the blessings of God on my family.

Weekend Blues

2009-05-03T12:01:00.004-06:00

As I sit here this morning pondering the weekend, I must say that I have the weekend blues. No, not the blues about having to go to work again tomorrow, but the blues for things missed out on this past weekend. So what have I missed out on this weekend?

The baptism of my cousin's son
The blessing of my cousin's daughter
Seeing all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and their kids
Seeing my grandpa Cecil, grandpa George, and grandma EeDel
Seeing Stacie's family
Seeing my parents and brothers
Celebrating my dad's birthday

While not big things, I am missing one of the most important things in my life and that is family! So I have the weekend blues and just want to tell everyone how much I love them and miss them. We're glad that everyone is doing okay and miss you tons!

Review - Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind

2009-04-27T12:43:00.002-06:00

Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind is the prequel novel to his Sword of Truth series. This book takes place before the boundaries go up and follows the story of Abby who believes that the First Wizard, Zedd owes her a debt. She travels to the Wizard's Keep to make good on that debt and finds herself in the middle of a raging war. Zedd is trying to save the Midlands from the tyranny of Panis Rahl and has had unspeakable tragedy fall on his family. Abby is trying to save her daughter and family who have been captured by Panis Rahl and his minions. Well, the plot thickens and Zedd agrees to help by unleashing magic that has not been tested or seen since the great Wizard's war thousands of year prior but only after Abby inadvertently helps Zedd save his family.

This is a wonderful read if you have read other books in the Sword of Truth series. If you haven't then I think that some of the things in the book would be lost to the reader who would want a better explanation as to what is happening. Start with Wizard's First Rule and read it (and possible a few more in the series) before coming back to this one. You won't be disappointed.

Overall rating: A-

Back from Vacation

2009-04-22T13:26:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm back from vacation at Disneyland. It was a whirlwind trip with a lot of fun. I will get some pictures posted don't you worry. We had a blast seeing everyone in the family and just spending time together. The sad part was Stacie and I got colds while we were there and now the boys have them. Not fun--but that is sometimes the price you pay when you have too much fun and stay up way to late (not to mention the thousands of people constantly surrounding us with who know what diseases and germs touching everything).

Another side note is that yesterday we reached our first day of the year with the temperature over 100 degrees at a balmy 102 degrees! I must say that I wasn't very impressed. I went outside a couple of times and while it was hot, it was not the unbearable heat that I was expecting (yet). Granted, I wasn't working outside or doing strenuous activity, but just going from my office to my car so don't put a lot of faith into what I say. Today is supposed to be 96 degrees and it looks lovely from my office window... just waiting for a change to go outside and soak up the sun.

Review - No Talking

2009-04-20T14:11:00.001-06:00

No Talking by Andrew Clements is one of those rare books that comes along that are so enthralling that you can't help but be pleased no matter what is happening. This is one of the true gems of children's literature. I admit to being an Andrew Clements fan. Since first reading Frindle where the character renames a pen, I have enjoyed his stories. Most take place in a school and have characters in 4th to 6th grade. No Talking is no exception. The basis for the book is that Dave reads a story about Gandhi and that he took a vow of silence and was able to think more and get in touch with life more. Dave takes this lesson to heart and decides on his own vow of silence. Well, pretty soon, the entire 5th grade becomes involved is a boys versus girls rivalry on who can say the least amount of words. The principal becomes overly concerned with the rowdy 5th grade class suddenly becoming quite-angel students. Another teacher thinks this is a great project and enjoys all the challenges as he's writing his thesis. Eventually everyone comes to terms and the book get across a great moral story.

If you're looking for an easy read with a great story, then this is the book for you. Your kids will love the quirky characters and it will be very personable to them.

Overall rating: A+

Review - The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

2009-04-13T22:13:00.001-06:00

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling is a follow up to her very popular Harry Potter series. Actually, it is a book of five children's fairy tales told to wizard children but penned with comments by Hermione Granger and Albus Dumbledore for the muggle world. I enjoyed them because of the tie-in to the book, but I was not overly impressed with them. In fact, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of content in them and the short length. My overall impression was that this should have remained part of the final book and not a book in and of itself. I will admit that this is a very quick read (30-60 min tops) and that it is something that doesn't take a lot of brain power, but still I didn't find the usual enjoyment that I found with the Harry Potter series itself. I guess nothing can measure up to the original series. (I've never found the published Harry Potter textbooks to be that interesting either). If you're looking for something light and easy for your kids and they love Harry Potter, then this is the book. If you're wanting to try something new, then stay away from this.

As far as content, the fairy tales did have some relevance and I did somewhat enjoy the commentary by Dumbledore, but I wasn't overly impressed and obsessed with the book.

"The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" was just stupid
"The Fountain of Fair Fortune" was really the one I liked the best
"The Warlock's Hairy Heart" is just downright creapy
"Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump" was amusing and funny
"The Tale of Three Brothers" was disappointing as it didn't live up to the hype generated in the book

So there you have it. Hope that you find some useful bit of info from this babble and come to your own conclusion on whether this is a good read or just a simple flop. As for me, I won't be rushing out to the bookstore to get a copy for myself--better to leave the series as it stands.

Overall rating: C-

Latest and Greatest

2009-04-08T22:53:00.004-06:00

Well the news from our homefront is excellent. We are really enjoying the weather, though it is starting to warm up a bit--not that this is a bad thing, I mean, who can complain about temperatures in the 80's?

Noah went in for surgery today for a cyst that he had on his chest. Everything went well and he is happy and running around crazy like always. We cut his hair a while back and it looks really cute! Actually I shaved his head really short and was a bit horrified, but it has grown back so it looks good now. I decided that I needed to shave my head too but didn't cut it quite as short as Noah's.

Ethan is doing good as well. He is cutting teeth so it makes life interesting here especially the multiple times up in the night. One of his favorite things to do is to just in his swing. He has even fallen asleep in there a couple of times. I don't know how he does it with all that bouncing, but he manages pretty good. He is almost crawling now too. He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth and then takes a tiny step forward and falls back to the floor. He is doing the inchworm thing across the floor.

Other than that we are all doing well. Stacie is working hard and has been hired as a unit manager at her building that is in Chandler. She loves the challenge it give her, but misses the extra time with the kids. I'm doing well at my job with the State--still auditing away. We did have a scare in March with job cuts at my office, but I was so thankful that I wasn't one of those cut. Budget cuts are never fun especially when most of the budget is for staffing. I know it was only through prayer (both ours and those of our family) that I still have a job (and a promise given during my setting apart as the Ward Financial Clerk).

We love and miss our family and can't wait for the vacation next week to Disneyland with Grandma Pennie and Grandpa James.

Review - The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck

2009-04-06T10:50:00.002-06:00

The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck was a wonderful read. It follow the story of Eddie who wants more than anything to have a bike for Christmas. Christmas comes and instead of a bike, he get a handmade sweater. He is mad at his mom for not having enough money to buy a bike. On the way home from Eddie's grandparent's house, his mom falls asleep at the wheel and dies. Eddie then goes to live with his grandparents. He blames a lot of people for what has happened in his life, meets a new friend with money who he envies, and becomes bitter. He generally screws up his life but eventually finds his way back.

Without giving too much away, Eddie's story is wonderful. A couple times I wanted to smack the kid up one side and down the other because he was over the top and out of line, but that made the story that much more enjoyable. There are many underlying themes in the book and I was very impressed with the story. Overall a great read for anyone who wants a heartwarming story with a good moral message.

Overall rating: A

Book-A-Minute

2009-04-02T15:26:00.003-06:00

So I was introduced to this very funny site today called Book-A-Minute where books (and movies) are summarized in a very short synopsis. Just for the amusement factor you need to check it out and enjoy the bare bones summaries of your favorite books!

Movie - The City of Ember

2009-03-30T12:18:00.000-06:00

We rented the City of Ember the other day and I must say I was very impressed on the whole. While it didn't exactly match the book as a whole, the movie was very interested and kept me on the edge of my seat, especially right towards the end as Doon and Lina figures out the puzzles that the builders had left and made their way out of the town. I was a bit disappointed at the ending that it didn't answer the questions, but then again, it does leave room for a sequel so I can't be too disappoint. Overall, if you are looking for a good movie, try this one.

Also, Orson Scott Card has an excellent review of the movie here.

Interesteding Reads and Thoughts....

2009-03-26T17:20:00.002-06:00

I'm thinking of changing some of the content on my blog. I have an app that list items I have shared from other blogs that I read. My question to you is: Do you spend a minute a look through the list? Did you even know it was there? Post your comments and I'll decide what I'm going to do. For those that don't know what this is, you can click here for the entire list of shared items or look down the page a bit and you'll see it off to the right.

Peace During Times of Distress

2009-03-25T10:35:00.003-06:00

"We know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep our heads above water. In fact, in our world of change, challenges, and checklists, sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to avoid feeling overwhelmed by emotions of suffering and sorrow."I am not suggesting that we can simply flip a switch and stop the negative feelings that distress us. This isn't a pep talk or an attempt to encourage those sinking in quicksand to imagine instead they are relaxing on a beach. I recognize that in all of our lives there are real concerns. I know there are hearts here today that harbor deep sorrows. Others wrestle with fears that trouble the soul. For some, loneliness is their secret trial."These things are not insignificant."However, [there are] two principles that may help you find a path to peace, hope, and joy—even during times of trial and distress. I want to speak about God's happiness and how each one of us can taste of it in spite of the burdens that beset us."
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Happiness, Your Heritage," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 117–18

What an amazing thought! I can't help but think about the times that I have felt uplifted, especially recently. Stacie and I had the opportunity to talk in Church last Sunday and I must say that I really could see the Lord directing our lives and helping through the trials we have faced in the last little bit. And the wonderful thing is that we have felt God's happiness and joy for us and that he has been by our sides the entire time--sometimes even carrying us. What a wonderful blessing it is to have a knowledge of the gospel.

Review - The Serpent Bride and The Twisted Citadel by Sara Douglass

2009-03-23T16:36:00.000-06:00

I have been debating whether to wait and post this once the entire series is completed or to post it now, and have decided that I want my opinion on this series know before the trilogy comes to an end. So without further ado:

The Serpent Bride and The Twisted Citadel by Sara Douglass are part of the DarkGlass Mountain series which takes Ms. Douglass other series, the Wayfarer Redemption, and two stand-alone novels, Beyond the Hanging Wall and Threshold, and combines them into one story. I had no knowledge of this when I started reading this series, but was not disappointed in the slightest for not having read the other books and knowing the back story of them.

I first have to say that these books are not for kids or teenagers. These books are dark fantasy with adult themes and immoral scenes in this series which were hard to overlook. All that aside, Ms. Douglass does an excellent job of world-building and writing with the ability to keep a multitude of characters straight and a very complex plot-line with a ton of foreshadowing.

The series begins with Ishbel and her family being killed by a plague. She is left in the house to die, but is rescued by a kind soul who takes her to the Serpent's Nest where she is trained as an archpriestess of the Order of the Coil, a religious group who worships the Great Serpent (the god of light or the god of water -- I can't remember which one it is). Ishbel has a vision that in order to save the world, she needs to marry Maximilian Persimius, king of Escator. She doesn't want to, but follows the wished of her god. Their relationship is strained because Ishbel lies about who and what she is and Max does not tell the entire truth about himself either, for he is actually the Lord of Elcho Falling, the decendent of a the line of magicians that saved the world by locking Kanubai (chaos) way for eternity. However, Kanubai is working on escaping his prison and is close to pushing through the Darkglass Mountain. Isaiah (one of the gods who sometimes appears as a frog) is watching over Darkglass Mountain and brings Axis Sunsoar to the world of the living to help in commanding the armies that Isaiah has gathered to re-establish the Lord of Elcho Falling and defeat Kanubai. Isaiah has Ishbel kidnapped and teaches her about her heritage, survives an assassination attempt and then heads with his army to meet the Lord of Elcho Falling and crown him king.

We meet the Lealfast in this mix who are a cross race bread of creature that appear to be loyal to Kanubai and the magic of Darkglass Mountain, but who are helping Lister and (in a round about way, Isaiah). Kanubai returns (by using Ishbel and taking her baby) but is taken over by the magic of Darkglass Mountain and becomes the One and moves the Skrealings against Max and Ishbel, there are a bunch of battles, where people die and the world is upset. Max restores Elcho Falling, but is not sure quite what power he has because the tower of memory is fairly empty. A man trapped is an idol is released and helps Max remember the items in the tower...

Okay, that is probably about enough plot for a bit. The characters can be a bit shallow--I got really tired of Ishbel and Max fighting about their marriage and how it is build on a foundation of secrets. I sometime think that people don't communicate ever! The books were very well written and ended very suspenseful with the Lealfast letting the One into Elcho Falling, Max being on his deathbed, and a mysterious cat at the memory tower.

You'll just have to read it for yourself but as I said before, be prepared for some adult themes and a very dark fantasy.

Overall rating: B- (only due to the morality issues previously mentioned)

On Being Busy

2009-03-20T08:35:00.000-06:00

On being busy...

"Most of you have discovered that your priesthood duties will stretch you to the point that you wonder if you can stretch that far. It may have happened when you were asked to speak in a stake conference before hundreds of people. For the recent convert, it may have been being asked to pray in public or teach a class for the first time. For some, it may have been trying to learn a language in a missionary training center . . . [or] on the streets of a strange city when your mission president charged you to speak to every person you met to testify of the Savior and of the Restoration of the gospel."You may have thought then, 'Once I finish my mission, being a faithful priesthood holder will get easier.' But in a few years you found yourself getting even less sleep at night, while trying to support a wife and a new baby, being kind and loving, scrambling to get some education, reaching out to the members of your elders quorum, perhaps even helping them to move their furniture, and trying to find time to serve your ancestors in the temple. You may have kept a smile on your face with the thought: 'When I get a little older, being a faithful priesthood holder will not require so much. It will get easier.'"Those of you further down the road are smiling because you know something about priesthood service. It is this: the more faithful service you give, the more the Lord asks of you. Your smile is a happy one because you know that He increases our power to carry the heavier load."
Henry B. Eyring, "O Ye That Embark," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 57

Yep, that about sums up what I feel. The more busy I get, the more I seem to have opportunities to serve--and I love it!

March Madness

2009-03-18T17:58:00.002-06:00

March madness is officially here! I have started to think about blogging again now that life has settled down a little bit. I have a bunch of books that I need to post reviews for, goals to share, cool and funny things, work items, and much more. So look for these books:

"The Serpent Bride" and "The Twisted Citadel" by Sara Douglass
No Talking by Andrew Clements
Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind
Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan
Buff Dad by Mike Levinson
The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
Shop Smart, Save More by Teri Gault

And you thought this post was going to be about basketball didn't you?

What Happened to February?

2009-03-05T12:14:00.003-07:00

So now that it is March 5, I thought I ask some very important questions.

What happened to February?
Where did it go?
Did I simple sleep through it?
Was it a dream?
Was it exciting? interesting? stupid? boring? crazy busy?

Well, my friends, the answer to these questions can be found on page ....

I'm behind as you can see. What's been happening? Well, we moved into our house the end of January and have been busy working hard to unpack. You would be amazed at the amount of stuff that you accumulate and then move and wonder why you didn't just get rid of it in the first place. We had Noah's birthday party and celebrated his turning 2 (is he really that big now?). Grandpa James and Grandma Pennie drove to St George and picked-up Grandpa George and Grandma EeDel for a visit. Work has been out of sight busy trying to get things finished up and ready to go. Our money goals have not worked out like we wanted them to (too many days at work buying lunch versus packing a lunch). I haven't made any progress on reading books or exercising and loosing weight, nor on keeping up reviews on the books I've previously read (which are just waiting for a review). I wake up at 5:30 and go to bed around midnight and wonder where the day has gone and what we've really accomplished. We had an emergency room visit after Ethan fell off the bed (everything ended up being fine). The boys were in and out of the doctors office with colds, earaches, thrush, bronchiolitis, and sinus infections which just adds to the being awake at night syndrome. Stacie and I both have new callings (she is the Ward Canning Specialist and I'm the Financial Clerk). We bought and setup bunk beds and toy shelves (after many weeks of searching). We've had a couple of parenting classes to help us be better parents (this is where the manual on kids is found). We had our 4-year wedding anniversary and spend an evening at the Cheesecake Factory. And on and on and on. There have been good times and bad times; hard days, and easy days; but through it all we have had our family there to support us and listen and help us out when needed.

Whew, here's hoping that March slows down just a little bit and we regain some semblance of order in our lives.

Newbery Award Books

2009-01-30T14:06:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know about the 2009 Newbery Award winners which include a Newbery Honor for Savvy by Ingrid Law (reviewed previously by yours truly). I have to agree with the committee on giving a Honor to Savvy. I really enjoyed it and found it wonderful. Now I just need to read the Award winner! Congrats to the all winners on their outstanding accomplishments.

Update

2009-01-26T12:10:00.003-07:00

I was hoping to have another review ready to go today, but I'm a bit behind on getting things posted like I wanted but for a very good reason! We were able to get out house and have started the whole get ready to move-in process. It shouldn't take very long because we don't have a lot to do just some cleaning, hanging lights/fans, and misc little projects. We plan on having a moving-in party on Saturday morning at 9am to unload the PODS, so if anyone wants to help, let me know and I'll get you the info about where.

Review - Savvy by Ingrid Law

2009-01-19T16:38:00.002-07:00

Savvy by Ingrid Law is about Mibs who is turning 13. Nothing too exciting about that year, except Mibs belongs to a family where on their 13th birthday they get a supernatural power or savvy. This savvy helps them as they go through their life. For example, Mibs mother's savvy is to be perfect. She bakes the perfect pies, irons perfectly, and everything always works out perfectly for her. One of Mibs brother's savvy is the weather and depending on his mood the weather changes. So the family has learned to deal with savvy powers and wonder what savvy will Mibs have? Well, on the eve of her birthday, her father is in a car accident that changes the whole world the Mibs has come to know. No longer a kid but not quite a grownup, Mibs struggles to understand what is happening and not long after runs away (well, goes to find her father because she believe that she can save him with her upcoming savvy). She drags along her brothers and meet up with some very interesting characters in the process including a van-driving bible delivery guy, a waitress who is sweeter than cherry pie, and many other odd characters.

Overall the story was very well written and didn't concentrate so much on the savvy, but on the character development and coming-of-age story of Mibs. Ms. Law provides one excellent read that I recommend reading.

Overall rating: A

My New Obsession

2009-01-14T12:45:00.002-07:00

My new obsession: Puffs Plus with the scent of Vicks. You wouldn't think a tissue would be that great, but let me tell you, when you've had a cold and the sniffles for over two weeks and try this, it is like a breath of fresh air.... ahhhhh... You wouldn't believe the number of people going around my work sniffing tissues...

Review - Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold

2009-01-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

I received this book from EOS Book as part of the promotion for the final book in this series. Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold is the first book in the Sharing Knife series and begins in an excellent way. A innocent and naive young girl named Fawn has run away from the farm where she has lived her entire life because she is pregnant. She runs into a Lake Walker named Dag who saves her from being kidnapped and the two of them have a series of adventures that culminates in Fawn killing a malice that is terrorizing the countryside but in the process the malice kills her baby. Faced with recovery and the heartache of the adventures, the remainder of the book has Fawn resting and recuperating while falling in love with Dag. Their relationship grows and when Dag finally escorts Fawn home, she faces her family and all the prejudice that the Farmers have against the Lake Walkers when he asks her to marry him.

While the overall concept of the story was sound and the book was a good read, I was disappointed that after the first 100 pages or so, the remainder of the book (over 200 pages) turned out to be nothing more than a long and drawn out cheesy romance novel between Dag and Fawn. I was not expecting this especially after being captivated for the first part of the book. The character development is excellent and there are some wonderful themes throughout the book about acceptance and getting rid of prejudice. The background that Ms. Bujold paints is excellent and there are many possibilities for where this series can head especially when you consider that only Fawn's world (the Farmers) knows and reluctantly accepts their marriage but Dag's world (the Lake Walkers) still have to be reconciled with. Ms. Bujold hinted at great things to come and left many questions still unanswered; however, after finishing Beguilement, but I'm not sure that I was impressed enough to read the sequel.

Overall rating: C+

Afterthought
See the review by E.A Lovitt on Amazon.com for more insight. It seems as if the most people that have reviewed this book and disliked it agree that this is not the usual standard for Ms. Bujold. While, I have never read any of her other books, this one was engaging enough that I would consider reading the sequel and her other books especially after reading other people's opinions.

My New House

2009-01-09T12:47:00.007-07:00

Front of the house

So I just wanted everyone to see a picture on my new house. It is really cool inside and very spacious and open. You should see the master closet!! Talk about room to put stuff. You could almost live in there. We are just waiting for the paperwork to be completed and will know our closing date sometime next week. I'm hoping that they can speed the paperwork and we can close on the 15th which would give us the long weekend to work on the house and move in, but I don't think that is going to happen. Hope you enjoy!

Back yard

Kitchen

Looking to the entryway

Looking from the entryway

Master bedroom

Den

Review - The Book of Time and The Gate of Days by Guillaume Prevost

2009-01-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

The Book of Time and The Gate of Days by Guillaume Prevost were a recommendations/request from my cousin Stacie. I picked these up from the library and a short time later had both of them finished. These are both easy reads geared towards the pre-teen/teenage audience. The stories center around Sam and his cousin Lilly and their adventures in time-travel. I thought the stories were a little predictable in some respects as far as I knew what was happening and the characters had no clue until much later, but it wasn't enough to distract from the story. I was actually really impressed with the writing that was captivating enough to tell a good story. The characters were believable and I really liked the family dynamics though I do have a suspicion about Aunt Evelyn's new boyfriend Rudolf and who he really is.... we'll have to wait until book 3 to find out if I'm right or not.

Sam has wonderful adventures through time and visits many different locations where he is able to learn a little bit about history while going through life-changing events and building a relationship with his cousin Lilly. Sam is searching for his father who has always been a bit eccentric but now has gone missing for over 10 days. Sam sets out to find him and discovers things about his father that trouble him, but through it all just wants his dad back as he knows he is trapped but does not know how to get to him.

The ending to The Book of Time was a disappointment as there were a number of chapters dedicated to Sam and his Judo tournament, but this was again easy to overlook as there were interesting things happening during the tournament that play a part in The Gate of Days.

I liked The Gate of Days much better than The Book of Time because we were able to see more character development and understand pieces of the time-travel puzzle a little better. I'm excited for the third book to be published later in 2009 and a satisfying ending to the trilogy.

Overall rating for series (to date): A

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2009-01-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and wishing you a very happy New Year! I'm looking forward to 2009 and the challenges and adventures it brings.

I look forward to reviewing more books and setting some goals for the upcoming year. It promised to be an exciting year with our new house and a whole new area to explore. The new year always brings a chance for you to reflect on where you have come from and where you are headed and set some goals to get there. So this weekend, I'll be spending some time figuring that out. In the mean time, if you have any suggestions on books for me to read, please leave a comment. I would love to read and review a book for you.

Libraries

2008-12-24T11:03:00.006-07:00

Having lived in American Fork almost my entire life and having worked at the American Fork Public Library, I know the value of a library to a community.

I have visited the San Dimas Library in California while on my mission and provided community service there.

I have visited the libraries of the neighboring cities of Lehi, Pleasant Grove, Orem, and Provo. (Highland just recently opened a library in Oct 2008 and Alpine and Cedar Hills do not have a library, but reimburse residents a portion of the non-resident fee at a library of their choice)

I was a card holder at the Salt Lake City Public Library when I was going to school in Salt Lake City and often visited.

While attending school, I often visited the school libraries including Westminster College Giovale Library, Utah Valley University Library, and even an occasional trip to the Brigham Young University Harold B Lee Library.

Since moving to Arizona, I have gotten a card at the Phoenix Public Library and the City of Mesa Library and have frequented these libraries often especially when my family was still in Utah.

I love libraries and the services they provide and feel they are a valuable part of any community they serve.

What disturbs me and why I am writing this post is that the City of Mesa Library is cutting back its hours. I think it is very unfortunate that the library is cutting it hours, but I understand that in light of budget constraints this may be a necessary measure. So I wrote to the City/Library and said the following:

"I wish to voice my opinion as a resident of Mesa that I would cut budgets in other ways rather than shortening the hours of the library. Libraries are the cultural and learning center of the city and cities are often measured by the success and vibrancy of the library. While it is understandable that the library must cut its hours due to budget concerns, what the city of Mesa, mayor, council, governing members, and others are stating is that the library is not important and thus are in fact cutting not just the hours, but a standard of measurement for the entire community. In addition, while I nor any or my children are currently in school, libraries are a haven of activity and research for school projects, reports, etc. and by cutting the hours of the library, the availability of information and the community access to it is severely diminished. Again, I urge those in government to reconsider the value that a library brings to the community and consider other alternatives to saving money than cutting the hours of the library."

While I don't expect my opinion to change anything, I could not stand by while something I love is taken away.

Joy to Everyone

2008-12-22T13:00:00.003-07:00

I watched this video sent by my cousin Sarah and thought that everyone might enjoy it and since the authors want it shared with the world, I'm putting it up here. It is really touching. Joy to Everyone

Getting in Shape

2008-12-18T14:08:00.003-07:00

I'm officially fat. Well, not really, but I have put on a few extra pounds over the years (especially over the last few months) and really don't like it so my goal is to lose about 20 lbs which would put me around the high end of the suggested weight for my height. Not a lot, I know, but I have to give myself somewhere to start. So what's a guy to do? Well, I have checked out a few books about getting in shape and have started to read them. First on the list is "Buff Dad" by Mike Levinson. I'll let you know how it turns out. Generally what I find is that I usually end up reading more about getting in shape than actually spending time getting in shape. Sigh. I guess that's what happens when you love books and writing and work at a desk job all day.

Review - Books of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

2008-12-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

The Books of Ember is a brilliantly written series by Jeanne DuPrau about the future of mankind.

In The City of Ember, Ms. DuPrau shows what happened after the world was destroyed. A city was build underground to save humanity and a number of people are living there now; however, they have been in the town too long and the city is dying a slow death as it was never meant to last forever. Doon and Lina embark on an adventure to save the town after discovering clues that point them in the right direction. This was a brilliant start to the series as the story is captivating, adventurous, and well planned with clues and puzzles to solve. Book grade: A

In The People of Sparks, the people of the city of Ember no longer live underground, but are now in the town of Sparks above ground and trying to adapt to the new life without the modern conveniences they were used to in Ember. This reminded me of pioneers setting out to build a life in a new an unexplored area. Some of the people above ground have survived and the people of Sparks and the people of Ember must find a way to get along and work together as both have hardships in front of them. Book grade: A-

In The Prophet of Yonwood, the third book of the series which happens before the rest of the series, Ms. DuPrau created a dismal look at our future where the world is at war and disaster looms. Althea Tower has a vision of fire and destruction and then collapses with a fever. The people of the city hail her as a prophet though anyone with common sense could see that disaster was looming as the whole world is at war. The town goes a little over the edge with the doomsday prediction and tries to reform their ways which results in overall chaos for the people. This was the least favorite of the series for me but works very well as a prequel. Book grade: B

In the final novel, The Diamond of Darkhold, the town of Sparks is headed for disaster as the food is never enough, medicine is lacking, and the harsh realities of the world descend on the people. Doon and Lina once again discover a clue that something was left for the people of Ember and they embark on an adventure to discover what it is and the meaning behind it hoping to provide some relief to the struggling people of Sparks. Along the way, they are met with disaster, kidnapping, and a new group of people who have invaded the city of Ember and taken over claiming it for themselves. This book concludes the series brilliantly. Book grade: A

Overall, the series was wonderfully well-written and is very age appropriate with well though out plot, good characterization, and the ability of the author to draw you into the story.

Overall series: A

Review - The Righteous Men by Sam Bourne

2008-12-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

The Righteous Men by Sam Bourne is an intensely good read. Mr Bourne offers a brilliant debut novel that combines an interesting plot with just enough action to keep the reader on the edge of his seat. The plot deals around Jewish mysticism and a prophesy that the world is held up by a number of righteous men who someone is killing. I found it to be reminiscent of Dan Brown, James Rollins, and Steve Berry but with an entirely new twist and new world to discover (since I'm not very familiar with the Jewish faith).

In reading reviews on Amazon, this book appears to be a hit or miss, but I found the story compelling and worth the time to read. This is not some of the same but an entirely new twist on good characters, good plot, and good puzzles.

Overall grade: B+

All is Well...

2008-12-12T11:11:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to mention that all is well. Two things to report today:

First, we were able to get everything moved out of our Utah house and get the PODS picked up gone. The trip down to Arizona was uneventful (though it was a long drive all night long for me). Stacie and the boys did great flying by themselves, and we were able to get things setup in our apartment. We will be there for a couple of months until we close on our new house.

Second, we sent the offer in last night so now it is just a matter of waiting to see what happens.

Also, thanks to everyone for their prayers on our behalf. It means so much to know that there are family and friends who love us. Thank you!!

Review - Body Double by Tess Gerritsen

2008-12-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

Body Double by Tess Gerritsen is an intensely good read that kept me on the edge of my seat. The medical examiner Maura Isles returns home from a vacation to find that a girl has been murdered outside her house that looks exactly like her. Dr Isles then goes on a trip to find out who this girl is discovering secrets into her past, falling for a detective, Rick Ballard, who helped the dead girl (Anna, who just happens to be Dr Isles twin sister). Throughout the book, another plot emerges that seems to have nothing to do with the rest of the story. A pregnant woman in a bad relationship with her cheating sleazeball of a husband gets kidnapped and put in a box. I wasn't sure what that had to do with the rest of the story, but Ms. Gerritsen tied everything up nicely at the end and everything fit perfectly. Not only was the writing well done, but the characters felt real and you experienced their pains. Well done Ms Gerritsen! Another winner!

Overall rating: A-

Moving - The Final Days

2008-12-07T19:11:00.002-07:00

Yesterday our families came over and helped us pack everything up. We are so grateful for the help! We can express how much it helped. We were going to take out all but a few items and then spend this next upcoming weekend finishing the packing and moving, but with all the help we were able to get everything out. We did leave the crib, play pen, air mattress, and TV/DVD because we still need somewhere to sleep, but with everyone's help the rest is gone.

It is finally getting real! We only have 3 more sleeps in the house and then we are out a couple days earlier than we thought. It's a bit crazy but I'm so glad that we are finally making the move. We scheduled the utilities to be canceled today and Stacie will work on a few more little things over the next two days. I'll fly back up on Wed and finish taking down the crib and air bed and then we will sign papers on Thurs. I'll head on the long drive down and Stacie and the boys will jump on the airplane. Then off to out new apartment!

NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month

2008-12-04T16:40:00.001-07:00

For those of you that didn't know, November was National Novel Writing Month, the time when crazy aspiring novelists and those that are not so crazy decide to spend 30 days writing away and attempt to complete 50,000 words. This is the second year that I've wanted to participate in this event, but alas, with everything going on at work and with the move, my writing stands at a dismal less than 100 words (okay actually more like 0). Pathetic huh? Well, I did think about writing for the whole month, enjoyed the weekly updates from famous authors to help motive me into writing, and attempted to sit down and have one night were I spent writing (it was crap so I scratched it completely). Now, I know the goal is not to write something extremely decent that will win prizes and awards galore, but to just write..., but there is something to be said for even having a good idea of what to write... which is the problem I had. So chalk up my totals for NaNoWriMo: 2007, participant; 2008, barely participated; 2009, already planning for another year of novel writing adventure after all I have a whole year to think about what to write about...(yea, and that's what I say after every Christmas when I promise that I will plan ahead and end up going out on Christmas Eve getting last minute something....).

Good News (Much to be Thankful for)

2008-11-30T15:45:00.005-07:00

Wow! What a week this has been. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Sam flew down on Tuesday night and was here for the week. It was so good to see my son. In the midst of trying to get him from the airport, we were working on getting papers signed to sell our house! That's right--we are under contract! Our house had sold! What a wonderful feeling to finally be able to get my family moved to Arizona. Well, that hasn't happened yet, but just knowing that it is pending is wonderful! We received an offer late Sunday night (Nov 23) and countered the next day. They countered back and we put in one final counter (due to not changing one of the dates--oops) and they accepted Wednesday night. My family flew down on Friday night and we had Ethan's blessing on Saturday morning. Stacie and I both celebrated birthdays this weekend. We had a lot to be grateful for over Thanksgiving.

So now it's a short time until we close on our house and get everything moved. Stacie flew back to Utah today (Nov 30) and will spend the week packing. Her dad and brother will drive up with a truck and trailer on Thursday (Dec 4)night, load the trailer on Friday (Dec 5) morning and head back down Friday afternoon. We are going to rent an apartment (well actually a former barn like my sister-in-law Kelli lives in) here for a month or two until we can get everything figured out with our new house (more details later) and so they are bringing what we need for the barn. We will have a place to be for Christmas and if everything goes well, we will have our offer on our new house accepted by Christmas!!! Merry Christmas to us!

I will fly up for the weekend like I usually do and help what is left in the house packed except for a few things that we need to live for the remaining week. Then on Wednesday (Dec 10) night, I will fly back up for the last stay in my house. Thursday (Dec 11) we sign papers, Friday (Dec 12) the sale records, and Saturday we drive back to Arizona and our barn. Sometime in that whole process, we will make on offer on our new house which I'm so excited about.

Wow!! What a week! I have so much to be grateful for. Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers. They really have helped!

No Good News ... Yet...

2008-11-18T15:16:00.002-07:00

Well, the Idaho couple decided that they wanted to see a few more houses before they make their decision. The good news is that we are still on the list, the bad news, we don't have an offer on our house. Just wanted to keep everyone up-to-date.

I also wanted to thank everyone for keeping us in your prayers. It really means a lot to us and we really appreciate it. Love you all.

House Troubles and Ethan's Blessing

2008-11-13T21:20:00.004-07:00

Well, our house still hasn't sold. It is getting very hard to be away from my family. Thankfully they are down here with me this week until after Thanksgiving. We are also going to have Ethan's blessing while they are here.

Yesterday was a really rough day and I was having a really hard time. After we said couple prayers, I went back to my room and started to read in the Book of Mormon. I have just started reading again. I came across 1 Nephi 1:20 which was a direct answer to my prayer. The very last line, "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." especially applies. We have been praying very hard for an offer and I know that the Lord will provide deliverance and give us an offer.

Today, as I was pondering about the getting an offer, I had an impression that we needed to pick a date to get an offer and felt that we should pick Monday. So we started focusing our prayers on getting on offer on Monday. Stacie called me just before I left to come home from work that the couple that is relocating from Idaho who looked at our house a couple of weeks ago wanted to come back on Monday to see our house again. This may be not only the answer to many prayers, but a direct result of our thoughtful prayers over the last couple of days. We will keep praying and asking Heavenly Father to send a buyer to our home that will make an offer, and will keep praying that we will get an offer on Monday. And as Nephi said, the Lord will provide deliverance because of our faith.

Prayers and Moving

2008-10-15T00:11:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to update everyone and let you know that life in Arizona is great... well, not if you consider that Stacie, Noah, and Ethan are still living in American Fork. So here's my simple request. Would you please remember us in your prayers and pray that our house sells quickly. While it's only been a little less than two weeks since I started my new job, the time away from my family has been hard. It's just not the same when your wife doesn't sleep in the same bed as you and your kids don't come up to you saying "daddy, daddy, daddy" a million time so you just want to scream and you're up two or three times in the night to changing diapers and trying to get everyone to go back to sleep. But then you go away and suddenly you miss those little things that seem like such a trial but really bring more joy than you can imagine. So please tell everyone you know that our house is for sale and please please please remember us in your prayers that we will find a buyer and get an offer on our home.

Ethan James

2008-09-15T22:16:00.003-06:00

Announcing the arrival of Ethan James Hansen. Born 9/15/08 at 2:30pm weighing in at 8 lbs 1 oz and 20 in long. Both Ethan and Stacie are doing wonderful!

Pictures of new baby

New Job and New Baby

2008-09-15T07:48:00.004-06:00

Well, things couldn't be better right now. Life definitely knows when to throw curve balls at you and I'm the lucky one trying to manage, bat, catch, and pitch at the same time!

Our new baby is scheduled for delivery on Friday. Wow!! Less than 4 days to go until a new addition to the Hansen family. AAAAAHHHHH!! I'm not sure how I'm going to manage 3 boys at the same time! But like I said, I've decided which pitch to throw, now it's up to me to swing the bat and make sure I hit a home run! Here's to being a new parent! And to the many sleepless nights and diaper changes, bring it on!

On top of the new baby, I'm now officially heading to Arizona. I have accepted a job with the State of Arizona in the Office of the Auditor General and begin my new adventure on Oct 6th. How am I going to juggle moving, a new baby, and a new job all at the same time you ask? Well, as soon as I figure it out I will let you know. All I can say is that there will be many many prayers, and that with Heavenly Father's help, I will make it through.

To my beautiful wife: I love you more than I can express. You make my life whole and complete and give me more strength than you can imagine. I'm excited to embark on this wonderful new adventure with you. Together we can meet the challenges of life. I love you so much.

Moving to Arizona

2008-08-20T09:42:00.006-06:00

Well, I guess I could say that it is official. We have decided to move to Arizona and are in the process of looking for a job, selling our home in American Fork, and finding a new home in Arizona. So for those interested, here is a link to the MLS listing for our home and a visual tour of the home. We have no definite plans yet, but are really excited for the upcoming change.

Wheel of Time 2009 Calendar

2008-08-05T15:18:00.002-06:00

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time 2009 Calendar has been released recently. I think it should be pretty cool as it . I think it should be pretty cool! Let me know if any of you order one. I would love to get your thoughts on the pictures. I may just have to order me one as well.

From my blog list:

In news, Tor Books is proud to announce that Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time® 2009 Calendar is now on sale.

Last spring, Robert Jordan announced a competition on his blog where artists would have the opportunity to submit original artwork based on the Wheel of Time® for inclusion in a 2009 calendar.

He wrote, “I know there is some really professional quality work because I have seen it. Style doesn’t matter in this. Manga, hyper-realism, current cover-art. Whatever. Anything and everything is acceptable as a possibility. It will be the quality that counts, not the style. If you want to try it the way you think Rembrandt would have done it, go for it.”

The competition ran from Tuesday, May 22nd through Wednesday, August 15th 2007, and the initial judging was conducted under the supervision of a panel of judges from several popular Wheel of Time® websites including:
http://www.dragonmount.com/
http://www.wotmania.com/
http://www.tarvalon.net/
http://www.ageoflegends.net/
http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/

Robert Jordan personally conducted the final judging and selected the 12 images that appear in the 2009 Wheel of Time® Calendar just a few days before he passed away on September 16th, 2007, from the rare blood disease, amyloidosis. The pieces chosen symbolize the devotion that readers have to Robert Jordan and to the rich world he created. They are (in alphabetical order):

Michael-James Anderson — “Into the Ways”
Susan Frech-Sims — “Aviendha in the Aiel Waste, Book 4”
James Keegan — “Mordeth Revealed”
Jared Magneson — “The Heart of the Stone”
Doug McCluer — “Couladin Surprises Mat”
Paul Pederson — “Night Stalkers”
Andrea Perurena — “Rand in The Fires of Heaven”
Matty Ryan — “Child of the Light, Galad Damodred”
Kevin Ed Tinney — “The Caemlyn Waygate”
Joseph B. Trimarchi — “Battle at Whitebridge”
Joni Warden — “Sedai, Among Us”
Tess Wrathall — “A Lily in Winter”

The July 2008 publication of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time® 2009 Calendar offers another new way to experience favorite stories and characters, and will be a must-have for Robert Jordan’s millions of fans.

Mr Rogers' Neighborhood (update)

2008-08-04T13:38:00.003-06:00

Here is the response from PBS to my email about Mr Rogers' Neighborhood:

Dear Mr. Hansen:

Thank you for writing to PBS regarding MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD.

This iconic series holds an extremely special place in PBS’s heart. Together, PBS and Family Communications, Inc. are committed to evolving the role this cherished series plays in today’s media landscape, ensuring future generations of children can experience this rich, unique content.

PBS will continue to distribute repeats of MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD to all member stations. PBS stations have the option of broadcasting the series everyday or once a week as best suited for their local community interests. For those that choose to air the series daily, PBS is feeding 185 episodes over the summer, allowing easy access to a library of episodes. For those stations choosing to air the series weekly, they can pick up the weekly feed this fall.

PBS continues to invest in the MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD Web site at pbskids.org/rogers, enriching content with new games, activities and resources for kids, parents and teachers. In addition, PBS and Family Communications, Inc. are planning to preserve MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD content and make it available on demand through Web streaming so families can access it 24/7. We will also engage Fred Rogers’ many active fans to vote for favorite episodes, share stories and more.

Kevin Morrison, COO of Family Communications, added, "We've been working with PBS on the details of the distribution of MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD in 2008-09 and are pleased that stations can choose to continue to show the series each day or once a week. Fred Rogers was one of the pioneers of public television and it's exciting that he will now be a new media pioneer on an expanded PBS KIDS Web service. Both PBS and Family Communications have some great ideas to make this a rich resource for children and parents for years to come.”

Our support for MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD reaches far beyond the TV series and Web site, including participation in comprehensive viral campaigns such as "Sweater Day" in March and various sweater drives across the country. PBS has carried on the legacy of Fred Rogers through his TV show, the Web and PBS station community outreach activities for years because of the incredible impact Fred has had on children.

Fred Rogers' values are embedded in all the work we do and have been an inspiration to new generations of children’s producers. Everyday, PBS KIDS is taking children on a journey to learn about themselves, others and the world around them, a philosophy that’s very much inspired by Fred Rogers’ work and his dedication to the betterment of all children.

We appreciate your interest in our programs and hope you will continue to watch and support your local PBS station.

Sincerely,
Mary
PBS Viewer Services

Mr Roger's Neighborhood

2008-08-01T12:30:00.005-06:00

I'm think I'm a very opinionated person about some things, but not often do I share those opinions unless people ask. This is one of those times when I feel the need to share.

It appears the Mr Roger's Neighborhood is going to get canned and only be on PBS once a week. I grew up with Mr Roger and his neighborhood and am simply appalled that a television show that promotes values, trust, imagination, feelings and addresses the concerns of kids would be taken off the air simple because it appears old-fashioned and out-dated. As one poster reported, "There are so FEW things in the world that are so honestly good, how could we let Mister Rogers slip away?" I agree completely. What is left for my children to watch? Nothing short of violence, intolerance, and profanity. I urge everyone to write their local PBS stations and the PBS organization to support Mr Roger's Neighborhood so that our children might have some wholesome entertainment more than once a week. While Mr Rogers may have passed on, his messages are timeless and our society desperately needs his example of love and acceptance.

See Brad Meltzer's blog for further discussion and thoughts (originally I quoted the blog, but due to copyright, I decided it best to just link to his post/site).

Review - Sandstorm by James Rollins

2008-06-16T11:17:00.006-06:00

After reading Map of Bones and Deep Fathom by James Rollins some time ago, I decided to try another book by this author and chose Sandstorm. That was my first mistake. Sandstorm is in stark contrast to Map of Bones and Deep Fathom which I really enjoyed. Mr Rollins seems to have gone downhill on this one. Not only was the plot so slow that I could have skipped half the book and known what was going on, the characters were laughable at best. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen and some reason to finish the book, but it never came. After taking months to work my way through this, I made my second mistake and finally decided that it was time to just be done with it. So I dropped everything else I have been reading and worked my way through a convoluted mess of plot, character, and outlandish science fiction and finished the book. There are very few books that I'm just glad when they are over, but this one is definitely at the top of my list.

Check out these reviews by Ava Stelteri and Yakfish. Both sum up my thoughts best and had me laughing when I read it because it is so true of this book. While I would recommend other books by James Rollins, this is definitely not one of them.

Overall rating: D

CPA License

2008-06-02T21:00:00.002-06:00

Well, I've done it! I am officially a Certified Public Accountant. I received my license in the mail and am so very ecstatic! It has been a long journey to get licensed, but I'm so happy that I've achieved this goal and can begin a lifelong career of public accounting. Now it is just a matter of deciding what I want to do with my license as the possibilities are endless!

Debt Reduction

2008-06-02T13:00:00.005-06:00

Stacie and I were recently features in the Utah Saves May 2008 Newsletter as Saver of the Month. I thought I would expound a bit more on that and give you a link to the article.

Stacie and I have made significant progress toward our goal of paying off our debts. What have we done?

1. We build a small emergency fund of $1,000 until we have paid our debts and can build up 3-6 months of expense.
2. We are paying off our debts using the debt snowball.
3. We have developed a spending plan (budget) that is less than our income.

I think the biggest thing that has helped in paying debt is knowledge of where our money is going. While unemployed, my Stacie and I were not worried about struggling to meet the bills each month because we have been diligent in getting debt paid off and having a spending plan (budget) that is less than our income. We didn't even need to touch our emergency fund!

While we still have a ways to go, we are diligently working towards our goal and look forward to the day when we can call "The Dave Ramsey Show" and scream, "We're debt free!"

For additional advice you can read my post on "Live Your Life for Half the Price", visit Dave Ramsey's website and Mary Hunt's website. If you're looking for a good place to start your own debt reduction plan, try Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps.

Audio Review - The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

2008-06-02T12:25:00.002-06:00

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is an extremely compelling thriller that offers a look into an alternative view of world history. Paul Michael does an excellent job as the reader and offers unique voices to each character that really make you feel you know who they are. Mr Brown offers puzzles, riddles, twists, and turns throughout the novel that keep the reader guessing.

I have read the book by Mr Brown as well, and feel that Mr Michael did an excellent job in the narration and presentation of the book. Since I had already read the book (and seen the movie), parts of the reading I was just ready to skip (like the list of the Grand Masters that has about 30+ names which mean nothing if you are listening - a quick summary of the important names would have been better). Since I already knew the solution to the riddles and puzzles, I was disappointed by the characters lack of knowledge guessing them and how obvious they seem when you know the answer already.

The story presents and alternative view of history and offers the proposition that Mary Magdalene was actually the one that Jesus Christ, who Mr Brown submits as just a person with great charisma, wanted to continue his church. Mr Brown show us the sacred feminine many references to the "Holy Grail" who is revealed to be Mary Magdalene, Jesus' wife. While I found the view somewhat far-fetched, myself a devout Christian, Mr Brown does have an excellent story which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Other books that Mr Brown has written are equally entertaining and offer similar puzzles, riddles, and clues of history and art. While I enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code", in my opinion, its predecessor "Angels and Demons" is by far the better written novel with better action and adventure.

Overall grade: B+

Review - Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell

2008-05-23T16:22:00.003-06:00

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell is an extremely entertaining book that reads more like a comic book than a novel due to the authors wonderful illustrations. My 5-year-old son love reading this and laughed at the crazy antics of the characters. This book is pretty short, but there is no lack of material, again due to the wonderful illustrations by Mr Riddell.

Overall grade: A-

Review - Gone by Michael Grant

2008-05-23T16:15:00.000-06:00

Gone by Michael Grant is a truly fascinating novel. One moment Sam is sitting in school listening to the teacher drone on and the next minute everyone over 13 has disappeared. Sam then takes a journey not only to find out what has happened, but a journey to overcome his own short-coming and fears. Mr Grant writing is very easy and I was hooked after just a few pages. Twists and turns abound, and I was left guessing up until the end which is left wide open for a sequel which I highly anticipate. Mature themes like leadership, death, growing up, survival, and others make for wonderful character development and an excellent story. I highly recommend this one!

Overall grade: A

Review - Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

2008-05-22T15:52:00.000-06:00

I decided to read Elantris by Brandon Sanderson after it was announced he would be completing the Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan. I read information about him and started with another of his books, but decided to read this one first. This ended up being a wonderful decision as this is an excellent book. The story follows three people and their interactions with a mysterious city called Elantris which was once a great city full of power but has since become a place of outcasts.

Roaden, the Prince of Arelon, is the first character we meet just as he discovers he has contracted the Reod. (for further explanations of the terms you can visit Mr Sanderson's website at www.brandonsanderson.com) We're next introduced to Sarene, Princess of Teod, who has come to Arelon to marry Raoden. The third character is Hrathen, a leader in the Shu-Dereth faith. The story follows these three characters as Hrathern prepares for the invasion of Arelon by converting everyone in the kingdom to Shu-Dereth faith while Sarene uses every trick she know to stop him and Roaden tries to make the most of a cursed life in the city of Elantris and figure out what has happened to Elantris and everyone who now lives there.

Mr Sanderson does a wonderful job of character and plot development. He devote one change for each character and often you see the same events from each of the three character's viewpoints. Adventure, political intrigue, and magic (that doesn't work) all combine in this book to give the reader a satisfying novel. The plot did seem to get a little slow towards the middle of the book and I found myself wanting the book to get on with it, but overall an excellent book. Elantris is a stand-alone fantasy novel that delivers!

Overall grade: A-

Oven Troubles

2008-05-16T13:36:00.003-06:00

The other day when I went to cook something for dinner, I couldn't get the oven door to open. Stacie and I have been keeping the "self-clean" handled locked so that Noah doesn't open the door and try to climb in like he does with the dishwasher. Stacie said we can't live without an oven so I scheduled a service technician to come and check it out. Of course there is the adage, "they'll be there between 9am and 5pm" so you never know when there will actually show up. Since Stacie works a couple of blocks from the house, it is very easy for her to run home when they get there. There is also an automatic service call fee of $65 for the tech to show up at the house. So we are planning at least that much.

So after I get home from work the next day, the bill totals $150 and the door is still broken! Well, not really broken, but out of commission. The oven will work and the door opens but the lock is no longer functioning. Apparently, the service tech was only going to charge the show up fee but he had trouble getting the lock to open and ended up dismantling the back side of the stove so he charged for labor. Then he discovered that the solenoid for the self-clean was broken. Since the stove is so old, they don't have replacement parts handy and it would cost about $300 to order a new one. Stacie promptly refused to have them order one. So do we go buy a new stove or just make due with the one we have?

Well, we decided that for right now, a new oven is not what we need. It has been fun teaching Noah not to climb on the oven door, but I think he's finally learned. Oops, I gotta run, I just heard someone opening the squeaky oven door...

Audio Review - Ravenspell Series by David Farland

2008-05-16T13:22:00.000-06:00

Ravenspell by David Farland is a series about a kid named Benjamin Ravenspell who magically gets turned into a mouse. Two books are currently published, "Of Mice and Magic" and "The Wizard of Ooze". Both were read by David Walker who did an amazing job with the voices and the singing (yes there is singing in the audio version).

I was impressed by "Of Mice and Magic" where Amber turns Ben into a mouse together they save the world from an evil bat who may or may not be Edgar Allen Poe. The adventure is excellent as well as the story line. I didn't find myself lacking at all though it was definitely written for younger children. That being said, the characters were believable, but I found myself wanting them to just grow up a bit especially the relationship between Ben and Amber. The author introduces several plot lines and some are not resolved until the second book. Overall, it was an excellent story that I thoroughly enjoyed. My grade: B

I was not impressed by "The Wizard of Ooze". It seems that you are taken back in time in the relationship between Ben and Amber and they have to figure out everything all over again. I was confused as to why the author would do this. The Wizard of Ooze is a "Darth Vader" character and he does have a son named "Luke Slimecrawler". I was really annoyed by the movie reference and the whole "let's take over the world" story. Yawn, where have we heard that before? Again, the magic in this book seemed again to be "I don't know what I'm doing with my magic" even though in the prior book Amber had seemed to figure it out. While there was some humor in the book and because I wanted to see how the author resolved the plot, I kept listening to this; however, I was really just glad to finish this book. My grade: C

Overall, the series was enjoyable but quickly got old. I wouldn't buy this for my family or put it on my bookshelf. It just wasn't that memorable for me. Overall Grade: C+

Movie - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

2008-05-16T12:23:00.003-06:00

Last night, at the lovely hour of midnight, I went and saw Prince Caspian. After it was over (at 2:30am), I was talking with my brother about it and realized that I didn't remember anything from the book which also prompted a discussion about the entire series. I have read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe many time. It is one of my favorite books, but the series seems to stop there for me. I don't remember much of Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, or The Last Battle. I know that I have read at least some of these. I seem to vaguely remember something from Magician's Nephew and that I didn't end up reading it because it was not like the other novels. Maybe that is why I don't remember anything from the series other than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. However, after seeing this movie, I really want to re-read this entire series which presents a daunting task considering my currently reading list has had some books on it for months now and I can't seem to get through them.

Prince Caspian was a wonderful story with great actors/actresses and the CG effect were spectacular! There was a ton of humor throughout the movie that I though was brought out extremely well. On the flip side, there were some pretty intense scenes in the movie where I was holding my breath. I found a lot of similarities in this movie to other contemporary fantasy movies and wondered how many of C.S. Lewis' ideas have been "borrowed" over the years which again adds another reason I need to read this series. I highly recommend this movie to anyone.

Audio Review - A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan

2008-05-01T14:29:00.005-06:00

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan continues to be an amazing series. Each book seems to draw reader along and allows you to better understand the fantasy world Mr. Jordan has created, while providing a "mini" story within the series as a whole. I admit that I have never read any of these books; rather, I have listed to the series on audiobook with readers Kate Reading and Michael Kramer who do a wonderful job at bringing the characters to life.

A Crown of Swords (book 7 in the series) is another masterwork by a brilliant author. This books seems to drag a bit more than the others in the series. Not much happens that move the overall storyline along, and some parts were very long indeed (think of the quest for the Bowl of the Winds....I just wanted to be done with that), but it was again another well written book with many conflicts, characters, and intricacies I have come to expect from Mr. Jordan. Thanks goodness for the Encyclopaedia WOT to help sort out and keep on top of the confusion and characters. I look forward to listening to the next book in the series.

Overall rating: B-

Behind

2008-04-28T15:54:00.011-06:00

So I recently reviewed over the items that I need to post. I'm creating quite a list of book and audio books that I need to post on as well as some other thoughts and musings. It seems like time just ends up passing by sooner than later. Oh, if only we could take a vacation from our vacation, then we might have a day to catch up on things.

One thing that does constantly get updated is the list of shared items from my favorite blogs. I manage to go through my Google Reader pretty faithfully and share those items I find interesting. Hope you enjoy them as well this list of things to come.

Things to look forward to:

1. Review of Brandon Sanderson's Elantris
2. Review of Robert Jordan's A Crown of Swords (audiobook)
3. Review of David Farland's Of Mice and Men (audiobook)
4. Review of Dan Brown's DaVinci Code (audiobook)
5. Vacation happenings
6. Notes from the oven
7. Debt notes
8. CPA licensing

Until later. Enjoy the reading!

Cookie Dunking Technique

2008-04-24T13:10:00.004-06:00

The other day on www.dearreader.com (a site I highly recommend), there was a cookie giveaway contest. Besides getting an email with a quick 5-min read each weekday (multiple genres to choose from or get them all), Suzanne, the author and owner of the Dear Reader blog and club, loves to giveaway lots of fun stuff. She has a recipe list of both her family recipes and reader recipes and a monthly cookie giveaway. Her daily column or blog is a favorite of mine and I look forward to it each day.

For the monthly cookie contest, Suzanne asked readers to describe the prefect cookie milk dunking technique. This got me to thinking about how life is a lot like dunking cookies in milk. Here is my entry to for the giveaway about my perfect dunking technique.

"The perfect dunking technique isn't simply dipping your cookie in milk; rather, it's about the experience. It's not a moment when you quickly dip in and take it right out. It's about taking time to stop what you are doing and savor the experience. Think of it like the old adage, "Stop and smell the roses." That is what cookie dunking is about. Taking time to enjoy each bite, making sure it has just the right amount of milk, and enjoying the taste. You can't rush yourself during the process, but you can't take too long letting the cookie soak in milk, just as you can't spend all of your time smelling the roses — especially when you have allergies!! Dunking should be a relaxing process; a moment where you slow down and get away. Reality still exists and you can't spend all your time away, but buy working on getting the perfect dunk, you end up will the delightful moment of bliss."

While not the best thing I've written, it did give me a moment to reflect on life and habits. If it wins me some good cookies as well, then all the better. Wish me luck!

Review - Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern

2008-03-19T23:38:00.002-06:00

Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern is one of those books packed with useful information on how to organize every aspect of your life. I do have to admit that I did not read the book in its entirety. In fact, I barely even read half of the book. Why you may ask? Because Ms Morgenstern offers some great suggestions on how to get organized in every room in your house in great detail for more than 2/3 of this book. The rest of the book is about evaluating yourself which Ms Morgenstern believes is the key to getting and staying organized. I really enjoyed the parts I read about evaluating myself and how her idea of organization works, I just wasn't interested her suggestions for applying that. Does that make me a less educated reader? No, because I didn't need some of the suggestions. Am I completely organized in every aspect of my life? No, but I don't feel that I need to be. So there, you have a biased person giving a book review. Ms Morgenstern does offer wonderful guidelines on correcting those areas you need help in organizing, and I believe that it will work. She has sound theory and is very easy to read.

Overall Grade: A-

Review - Live Your Life for Half the Price by Mary Hunt

2008-03-19T23:14:00.003-06:00

Live Your Life for Half the Price by Mary Hunt is a wonderful book. Mary has gathered almost 300 pages of ways to save money and help yourself get out of debt. She has a very easy way of writing and does not talk down to readers, but rather offers practical and everyday suggestions on ways to save money. Need some examples? How about saving money on your car, home, insurance, groceries, fees, and a whole bunch more! Mary uses this book in connection with her other book Debt-Proof Living which I also highly recommend to help you get a plan in place for your money. No longer should your money dictate what it should do with you, but you should dictate what you do with your money! There should me more money than month and Live Your Life for Half the Price offers practical solutions to this. Mary also has a daily email list that you should subscribe to if you are serious about saving money and getting out of debt. For more information visit her website at www.debtproofliving.com.

While you're at it and if you're interested, you should also look into Dave Ramsey and his books The Total Money Makeover and Financial Peace. Both are also great books with practical advice on getting out of debt and managing your money. Dave is a bit more extreme than Mary, but has excellent advice with his "Baby Steps". He also has a nationally broadcast radio show that you can listen to online. Mary adds a little bit of the human touch to the getting out of debt equation and her daily column is excellent and well worth getting every day.

Not trying to compare Mary Hunt to Dave Ramsey can be difficult, since I can't really separate the two in my process to get out of debt. Both have given advice that has helped me tremendously and are well worth reading!

Overall Grade: A (especially when read with the other books mentioned)

Comments on MyBlog

2008-03-19T23:09:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it! I signed onto my blog account tonight and there was a message that I needed to approve a comment! This is my very first comment and I'm thrilled that someone somewhere is reading my thoughts and book reviews. Thank you to whoever you are! Look for more reviews and thought in the near future.

Review - First Truth by Dawn Cook

2008-03-11T11:40:00.003-06:00

First Truth by Dawn Cook was a refreshing and wonderful book. The book centers around two main characters Alissa and Strell with a couple of other minor characters that take importance towards the end of the book. I found this quite the change from the "high fantasy" that I normally read--however, it was a good change. Rather than spending time of building an intricate world with a complex magic system, Ms. Cook instead focus on the two main characters and their journey towards understanding and love.

The plot is easy to follow. Alissa is a latent Keeper, one of the few who can wield magic through tracings. One day her mother sends her away to find the Hold where she can be properly trained. Along the way, Alissa meets Strell who is struggling to find himself after learning that his entire family has died in a natural disaster. The two are at odds with each other throughout the book because of their upbringing and race. Alissa is from the foothills (though she has mixed heritage due to Father, also a former Keeper) and Strell is from the plains. Foothill people and plains people have a long prejudice towards each other and Alissa and Strell exhibit some of those same ideals. Ultimately, they overcome some of their prejudices and fall in love. Along the way they learn that the Hold is empty and that the Masters has all been killed by Ballic who becomes the evil villain. Despite the warnings of someone who calls himself "Useless", Alissa and Strell continue on their journey toward the Hold and eventually meet Ballic who takes them in the hold for the winter.

Alissa finds out about a book of magic that her father once had and she and Strell set about to find that book. They remain aloof of Ballic who knows that one of them is a Keeper but can't tell which. Ballic tricks them left and right to showing which one can find the book, but never does discover which is the Keeper. Strell discovers that "Useless" really is a Master and that Ballic has locked him up so he can't really help Alissa or Strell.

The characters in the book are very believable and you really feel part of the story. Ms. Cook seems to take a back-door approach to magic rather than making it the focal point of the story. The book does start off very slow and it took me a bit to get into it, but it was not for lack of plot, but rather a tendency to be a bit wordy in the journey to the Hold. Once at the Hold, things picked up quite a bit. Overall, this is a very fun and easy book to read. The ending leaves room for a sequel which I'm currently reading so look for that review in the future.

Overall Grade: A-

Books to Screen (TV, Movies, Mini-Series)

2008-02-29T07:17:00.001-07:00

Thinking about a few books that have made their way to screen, I have to admit that some I enjoy while others I do not. I think that Terry Goodkind said it best: "If you love the book just the way it is, then enjoy the book for what it is and come to the TV series prepared to enjoy the show for what it is." That is what I try to do with movies based on a book. They are separate medians and have a different method of trying to convey a message. While each is enjoyable, there are some things that just can't some across in a movie that that can in a book; however, movies bring to live what you only read about and imagine.

Here are some books made into movies that I like and some I don't enjoy:

Don't enjoy list:
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (the movie with Johnny Depp)
"Eragon" by Christopher Paolnini

Enjoy list:
"Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien
"Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis (both the Disney and the BBC version)
"Bridge to Teribithia" by Katherine Paterson
"Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt
"Holes" by Louis Sachar
"Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling

Wizard's First Rule TV Series

2008-02-28T11:33:00.003-07:00

From www.terrygoodkind.com

A Message From Terry
Posted: 2/21/08

Dear Readers,

Now that the announcement about the TV series has been officially released, I would like to take this opportunity to put it in perspective and fill in some of the details. (Please keep in mind that some of this might change as things evolve.)

The first season will be 22 one hour episodes, on Saturday evenings, probably at either 8 or 9 pm. Since this is a syndicated program you will need to check your local listings for the station in your area.

The first season will cover the story of WIZARD’S FIRST RULE. Along with exciting opportunities afforded by the air time in which we have to tell the story, the TV series also brings unique challenges. All film formats — TV series, mini-series, or feature films — must, to a greater or lesser extent, alter the novel in order to translate the story from words to pictures. A feature film has severe limitations of time, requiring major parts of novels to be cut out. Sam Raimi knew that a feature film of WIZARD’S FIRST RULE could never work to tell the story. That’s why he wanted to do a long format TV show. I’m especially pleased that we are going to be doing 22 one hour episodes to tell this epic story — much more time than a mini-series would have afforded. That said, there must still be changes, yet within those changes lie exciting opportunities.

You may have noticed in the press release that Sam Raimi said “produced with compelling, self-contained episodes.” The nature of TV syndication requires that each week’s episode be a story in itself, meaning that while the TV series will follow the background story of the book, it will not be able to follow the book exactly because there would be parts that would make an incomplete episode.

Therein lies the opportunity. The TV series, being visual, will actually require that we expand on the book in order to make each of these episodes work. Since each episode will have to be able to stand alone, some places will require additional material, so, as an example, we may incorporate some of the backstory into the show, showing, say, George Cypher going to get The Book of Counted Shadows. This means that the series will actually have more story content than the novel.

No series (or mini-series, or feature film) can follow the underlying book exactly. Sam Raimi and his team want to keep the TV series true to my vision, so rest assured that I am going to be intimately involved in the writing of each of the episodes. If you love the book just the way it is, then enjoy the book for what it is and come to the TV series prepared to enjoy the show for what it is.

Besides Sam Raimi, Josh Donen, and Rob Tapert, (see their credits in the press release) Disney ABC Domestic Television was excited by the prospect of the series and they wanted to be involved. Besides being involved with producing the series, Disney also wants to be able to develop WIZARD’S FIRST RULE and the characters into a franchise. To that end they have bought all the rights to my work (except book rights, of course). That means everything from merchandising rights to game rights to feature film rights all based on the books and the characters. Like many studios, Disney will not become involved in any project of this nature unless they can obtain all the rights, and those rights must all be clean. This is the reason I’ve never allowed any portion of the rights to be sold or used. To maintain the value of pristine rights it was necessary not to allow, for example, anyone to make copies of the Sword of Truth, or to buy game rights. In order to make a deal like this the rights had to be virgin.

With Disney now on board we have some of the most gifted people in the world working to make this project not just exciting but successful.

All this said, I would like to interject a note of caution. In projects of this nature involving vast sums of money there are always things that can go wrong. For example, while the rights to many books are sold or optioned very few of these ever see the light of a bright screen. Many books, even though there is initial enthusiasm, in reality are simply not a good fit for film. Announcements of book rights being sold are quite common; having such rights ever end up as a finished product is actually exceedingly rare. Because so much money is involved in the production of films there are countless stages at which a project can be stopped cold.

In this series for WIZARD’S FIRST RULE, for instance, the production team may come up with a great script, and I may love it, but Disney, because they are financing the project, could for any reason decide to kill the show. Because of the quality and skill of the people involved I don’t think that will happen, but I want you to understand that it is always possible. The fact that we have gotten this far, and that production is being put in place, is a testament to how much this book is sincerely loved by everyone involved, right up to Sam Raimi, Josh Donen, Rob Tapert, and the top executives at Disney.

Also, keep in mind that while Disney is excited and wants to possibly do a lot more with my books and characters, it may take quite some time for those other things to develop — if they ever do. The more popular the TV series is the better the chances there will be spinoffs, feature films, video games, and merchandise. Disney now has the rights to all those things and we will all have to wait and see what comes of it.

For now we have the TV series starting production and that’s very exciting.

By now I’m sure you have noticed the beautiful accompanying art. This is the preliminary art for the show. Because I think it looks great I wanted everyone to see it, to see the beautiful work done by the people at Disney, so we were able to obtain special permission to post it. Keep in mind that this is preliminary artwork. The kissing couple, for example, will eventually be replaced by the actual actors playing Richard and Kahlan.

The series is going to be filmed in New Zealand. American actors will have the major parts, while some of the minor parts may be actors from that part of the world.

While the first cuts of the auditions will be handled by casting people, Sam Raimi assured me that he and I will both be involved in the final selections of the actors.

If I know in advance when the auditions will be held I will try to get permission to post that information on the website. Keep in mind that this is a professional production, not American Idol. Sam Raimi will not be casting parts based on how much a person loved the books, or that I got a scribbled letter begging that they please, please, please be allowed to play Kahlan. That’s simply not how these things are done. If you want to try out for a part, then ask your talent agency if they can get you an audition.

I have heard from a lot of people appealing for my help in everything from getting them in front of a camera to getting them a job working on the set. I have a big part to play in this production but it is in the creative area, not the human resources department. I hear all the time from people who tell me things like how they simply must play the part of Richard because no one loves the books more than they do and all their friends tell them that they think just like Richard. Well, let me tell you, none of you love the books as much as I do and no one thinks more like Richard than me, and they still aren’t going to let me play the part of Richard. The part is going to go to an actor who is right for the part, period.

If you want a part in the series, or a job with the production, please do not waste your time writing to me imploring my help. I’m not the person to contact about such things. I have no involvement with those aspects of the series. Please be advised that with all I have to do I can no longer answer letters about acting parts, auditions, or production jobs. If it’s all right with the casting people I will post audition information as it becomes available. With as tight as the time schedule is that may not be possible.

This is a professional production. If you want to be involved, and you are a professional, then you already know what you need to do.

I’m truly fortunate to have the opportunity to help shape this series. It’s humbling that such experienced and talented people want my creative input. It’s an exciting time and I promise to work my hardest to make it not just the best show on TV but to keep it true to the spirit of the book and especially the characters.

I must confess that to a degree it’s rather daunting to have other people now developing a TV series from my work and possibly doing a great deal more with it. However, there is no way I could have more talented and visionary people than those now involved with the filming of WIZARD’S FIRST RULE. I look forward to being able to tell more of the story than just what is in the book.

I know that I have the support and best wishes of my readers, and even though I rarely get the chance to tell you so, it sincerely does mean a great deal to me to have your support and encouragement. You all give me strength. Without all of you I would not be able to do any of this. Through your love of the books you have helped make this next step possible.

As things progress and there is any news I will try to keep you all informed. Stay tuned . . .

All best wishes,

Terry Goodkind

Review - Obedience by Will Lavender

2008-02-22T13:46:00.006-07:00

Obedience by Will Lavender is very interesting. I found myself intrigued by the story and the characters and at times was impressed by this page-turner; however, I did not like the language used in the book. It was totally out of place and offered no relevance for the plot or character development and at times I'd just shake my head and say, "Okay, what was the point of that?" and try not to let it detract from other elements of the novel.

The story was well told and kept you guessing right until the end. The characters were likable and you really felt like you were right there with the characters. The story had wonderful description and an ability to really feel what the characters were feeling and experiencing. Mr Lavender did a superb job with Mary, the female main character, and you really felt part of her life. But the characterization was a bit lacking in some of the supporting main characters, especially Brian. I felt that Brian had so much more to him than what was written and was disappointed with the end of his story as it just didn't seem to do anything for the character.

There were a number of plot twists that lead you in wrong directions but then the characters would figure things out and take you in a whole different direction. I was trying the whole story to figure out what was happening.

The title of the book, "OBEDIENCE" had nothing to do with the story until the very last chapter when you get an idea of something that is relevant to the title, but is not the main focus of the story. It didn't really make sense and I was trying to understand the choice of title. Even after finishing the book, the title doesn't make sense.

Maybe this is a book that needs discussion with others to see the hidden meanings in things, but after reading it, I'm left with the overall impression that while it was a page-turner in some places, the story does not really seem to resolve and I probably would not read it again.

Overall rating: C+

Pres. Thomas S. Monson Called as President

2008-02-11T13:21:00.002-07:00

Okay, so I'm a bit behind on posting news. Pres. Thomas S. Monson has been called as the new Pres of the Church. see official announcement

Pres. Monson is a spiritual giant and has a grandfatherly wisdom that I really enjoy. His sermons/talks are always wonderful and I am excited for the changes that he will bring to the Church.

Teaching and Birthdays

2008-02-11T12:53:00.001-07:00

As everyone might or might not know, I am teaching an accounting class at Utah Valley State College, soon to be Utah Valley University. I really enjoy teaching, it is very fulfilling to see a student grasp the material. When the "ah hah" or the light bulb goes off, it is amazing to see. Since accounting is the language of business it is useful for everyone who has anything to due with business. Okay, that may be a little biased because I love accounting, but if you run a business, work for a business, or invest in any business, you should know a little bit about accounting because that is how you better understand the company from a financial perspective. The hardest part of teaching is all the extra work that comes with it: preparing tests, grading tests, preparing homework assignments, grading homework, creating lesson plans, figuring out the technology associated with the course, etc. It is the most time consuming part of teaching as well. For every hour spent in the classroom, I probably spend at least 1-2 additional hours outside of the classroom figuring out how best to help my students and getting everything ready for the students. It is not easy, but when that light bulb turns on it makes it all worth it.

That is not only true about teaching though. Take parenting for example--I plan an activity for my kids and they have a fun time, but if I just leave it there, then nothing is gained. Instead I spend time thinking about the activity, what happened, what I as a parent could have done better, how we can improve the activity in the future, and what I learned from the activity.

Case in point: birthday parties. I never had a "birthday party" as a kid other than a few family member coming over for my favorite dinner, cake, and ice cream. Most people would say that is boring, but that is what I did and I don't feel deprived. So when Stacie asks me if I want to have a birthday party for Sam or Noah, I think of a tradition party and we end up doing what I did as a kid (with a couple modification thanks to Stacie being a party person). Now as a parent, I don't let it go from there. I ask: Did everyone have fun? Was there enough for everyone? Did it go too long? Was it too short? Did the kids have enough activities? Was the cake good? Did Sam/Noah feel special on his birthday?.... and so on. Not only was there prior planning, but then the follow up and evaluation. The most rewarding thing though, is during the party, when you look at your son and see a big smile on his face and you know the light bulb moment has happened. And then as a parent you know you've done a good job and it was worth it...

Reading

2008-02-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

I realized last night as I was putting my book away and heading for bed that I'm back to my old routine of reading multiple books at one time. It was a wonderful revelation that I'm finally able to enjoy reading again and that I don't have tests or studying to do to keep me from it. What a wonderful feeling!! Stacie always asks me how I can be in the middle of more than one book at a time and keep things straight. I'm not sure how I do it, but I'm still able to do it and enjoy it. Maybe it comes from reading multiple genres at the same time? I'm not sure, but I'm sure enjoying it!

Review - The Dark is Rising Series by Susan Cooper

2008-01-31T14:19:00.003-07:00

I recently finished reading "The Dark is Rising" series by Susan Cooper. While I admit that I have read the first two books, "Over Sea, Under Stone" and "The Dark is Rising" many times, I can't say that I remember reading the rest of the series. So here are my thoughts:

Over Sea, Under Stone (OS): Wonderful beginning to the series. Very believable character and an interesting plot line. The book never seems to drag and before you know it, you are finished. Characters are very good and you really feel a part of their quest. My rating: A

The Dark is Rising (DR): The second book in this series garnished a Newbery Honor and it is well deserved. While a bit more on the darker side, this book introduces a new character and finally clues us into the struggle that is happening in the world we were introduced to in OS. The plot is excellent and there are many mysteries that need to be solved which draw the reader into the story. Again, excellent characters and character development. My rating: A

Greenwitch (GW): Here is where the series gets interesting and where I start having a hard time. We see character from OS and DR come together in this story. While the story is intriguing, it doesn't really seem to fit with the series as a whole and seems to have been an afterthought to bridge the gap between DR and GK. However, there is one crucial piece of prophecy that is given that is essential for the remaining books. My rating: C+

The Grey King (GK): This story takes an even darker route than DR and GW and introduces us to a new character that is part of the remaining struggle between the light and the dark. While this story won the Newbery Medal, I can't see why. The book introduces many Welsh and Arthurian customs, terminology, and mythology that makes the book hard to follow. While it does use the prophecy given GW, the overall book seemed to be lacking and I was ready to give up on the series but pushed on as I was only one book away from the end. My rating: C

Silver on the Tree (ST): The conclusion to the entire series started off dragging and again I thought about giving up on the series. At first, the characters seem to be going nowhere, there is nothing to move the plot, and the story is rich again in Welsh mythology and Arthurian legend. The characters from OS, DR, and GK all meet up in this story for the final battle between the light and the dark. The story did pick up toward the end of the first part and then took a twist that I had a hard time with. Will and Bran are whisked away to the mysterious "Lost Land" for the second part of the story. It almost seems as if they are in a dream the entire time in the lost land. I had a very hard time with this part. While there are important things happening in the lost land, it just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. Once out of the lost land, we enter the final rising of the dark. Suddenly we are pulled through multiple times and locations in the matter of a couple pages and then expected to bring it all together as they finally enter into the final struggle. While the final struggle was very believable, I just didn't have the background in Welsh and Arthurian tradition to understand everything. However, it end up being a good read. My rating: B-

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this series to children. While well written, there is too much outside the books that readers are expected to know as they read the series. especially in regards to Arthurian and Welsh legends. The series had a good moral and when all said and done was a good read. I would definitely recommend OS and DR to anyone. They were my favorites in this series.

Overall series rating: B

Happy reading!

Announcement - Christopher Palonini "Brisingr"

2008-01-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

From Christopher Palonini:

I am pleased to tell you that the title of Book Three in the Inheritance cycle is Brisingr. Sometimes one’s first thought is best, and so it was with naming this book. After many months of trying to sum up a complex story in a single word, it struck me that I had had the name all along. For reasons that will become clear when you read Brisingr, this title is perfect.

Brisingr is an Old Norse word for “fire.” As you may remember, in Eragon, Brom uses the word brisingr to start a fire. This is the first time Eragon hears an ancient language word, a word of magic. Later, when Eragon is cornered by Urgals in Yazuac, he shouts “Brisingr!” to great effect (see Eragon—chapters "Revelation at Yazuac" and "Admonishments").

Both elements of the cover, the gold dragon Glaedr and the title, touch on Eragon’s inheritance. With his painting, John Jude Palencar has captured the dignity and wisdom of Glaedr, and Random House has again designed an awesome book cover.

Offical Press Release

A Tribute to Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

2008-01-29T08:02:00.001-07:00

For those that do not already know, Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley passed away on Sunday. See the official announcement. I thought it would be appropriate to offer my condolences and a tribute to Pres Hinckley. He was a spiritual giant that I really admired. He was tireless in sharing the gospel and promoting the work of the Lord. He was a pillar of strength and determination in the face of adversity. He was a man who truly loved his fellow men and strived in everything he did so show that love.

As Elder Richard G. Hinckley said, "As I have thought about this subject [Prophetic Priorities], it has occurred to me that all of our modern prophets have been optimists. That certainly is true of President Hinckley. Virtually every time he speaks, he leaves us with a sense that the future is bright, and we feel optimism, hope, and the desire to do a little better. He manages to do so even while warning of the dangers and pitfalls that beset us and even while, at times, chastising us." (BYU Devotional, May 15 2007)

I will miss Pres. Hinckley; however, I know he is with his loving wife, his family, and with Heavenly Father and that the work of God will continue forward. May God bless his family and all us members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the loss of a truly inspirational leader.

It's Off to Mesa We Go

2008-01-18T06:53:00.002-07:00

I'm very excited today. We are going homethis evening after Stacie gets off work at 10pm. We are headed down to Mesa, AZ. It will be a long drive with us getting there between 8 or 9 am, but we're excited for the mini-vacation over the longer weekend. We won't be back until Tues afternoon, so it's an extended holiday weekend (due to my flex schedule with the Utah State Tax Commission). This is a spur of the moment trip. We only just started talking about it yesterday at about 2pm, then finally decided that we would go at 7pm. So we're on our way home to Arizona where it will be much warmer and where there will be no snow. We'll go outside and look at cars and not have to worry about being cold. Okay, we will take a light jacket just in case, but no heavy coats for us.

Auditing Blues

2008-01-15T07:24:00.001-07:00

You know what constantly amazes me? I work for the Utah State Tax Commission as an Income Tax Auditor and inevitably when I tell people where I work, the first thing that they say is "Don't audit me."

First off, if I was auditing someone I knew, there would be a conflict of interest. I couldn't be a good auditor and maintain independence if I knew the person I was going to audit.

Second, if I really was going to audit someone I knew, why in the world would I tell them where I work? Not only does it put me in a bad position (who knows what they might do to me on the chance that they do happen to get audited), but they are essentially asking me to turn my back on whatever problems I see with their tax return and where is the integrity in that? Doesn't that erode the trust the public can place in an auditor to be fair to everyone?

Finally, tax audits are really not that scary. Most people panic when they see something from the Utah State Tax Commission or the IRS saying that they are being audited. The thought of an audit is associated with a negative connotation. The world has come to an end! I've been audited! Oh no! I've done something wrong!They don't think I'm being honest! Quick, find the nearest cliff so I can jump off of it! You get the picture. In actuality, most of the audits I do are just because something doesn't make sense (i.e., match with the IRS tax return) and I need further clarification or because the IRS made some changes to a tax return and the taxpayer failed to file an amended return with the state. Yes, a lot of times people do owe additional taxes, but are paying taxes really a bad thing? I mean, your 100% of income tax goes towards education and that isn't a bad thing! Taxes also pay for roads, environmental quality, public transportation (including an airport), parks and recreation, public safety, and many other things.

That being said, audits still scare people. My name is Jared. I work as an Income Tax Auditor for the Utah State Tax Commission and I'm watching you....

Weekend Review

2008-01-14T07:10:00.002-07:00

What a wonderful weekend! I really enjoyed the time with Sam at Cabela's feeding the fish in the big tank. He didn't fall in, though he didn't really like touching the live goldfish and worms. We ate a special daddy-son dinner at the Cabela's cafe. Sam wanted pizza and onion rings which he really enjoyed.

One thing to note about the weekend (which Stacie pointed out to me) is that our choice of eating was not the best. Lots of takeout, fried, fatty foods, and few vegetables. Sunday dinner was better with some homemake Chicken and Rice in the Crockpot. Now there is a wonderful invention!

On Sunday I got to sing "Come Thou Fount on Every Blessing" in Church. It was beautiful and the Spirit was there. I'm really impressed with Sally DeFord's music and recommend her site to anyone who wants free sheet music. It is at www.defordmusic.com

Now, it's Monday and we're back to the work-week.

Weekend on the Horizon

2008-01-11T08:33:00.001-07:00

Well, we made it to Friday.

Noah has strep throat and was throwing up last night. Just as I was about to walk out the door this morning, he threw up again. Poor kid, I feel so bad for him. He can't keep anything down and just doesn't feel well. It has been a rather long week with sick kids.

I am looking forward to the weekend because Sam will be celebrating his 5th birthday! We are planning to go to Cabela's and feed the fish in the big tanks there (my cousin works there so it is not something that everyone can do). That will be really fun!

Have a great weekend!

My First Blog Entry

2008-01-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. This is my first blog entry. Doesn't the title of this entry sound like a kids book? Can you just imagine the list:

My First Book of Shapes
My First Book of Colors
My First Blog Entry
My First E-mail
My First....

Well, you get the point. So enough said about blog entries. My biggest hangup with blogs is what do I even write? Well, I've figured out something. I'll tell you my thought process as I continue to write, but first I've got to figure out how to back date this message so that I can post a couple entries that I wrote in the last few weeks. Hmm... hope this works.