Bookshelf Tour, Part Three
Your pal,
Angels
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Bookshelf Tour #3
Ooooh, we've got some good ones this time! And quite a few I haven't read yet! And still more on the shelves I haven't gone over yet!
Bookshelf Tour, Part Three
Your pal,
Angels
Bookshelf Tour, Part Three
Your pal,
Angels
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Reviews From an HBN (Ophelia - Lisa M. Klein)
In this reimagining of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queen's most trusted lady-in-waiting. Ambitious for knowledge and witty as well as beautiful, Ophelia learns the ways of power in a court where nothing is as it seems. When she catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and Ophelia's happiness is shattered. Ultimately, she must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life. In desperation, Ophelia devises a treacherous plan to escape from Elsinore forever . . . with one very dangerous secret.
Lisa Klein's Ophelia tells the story of a young woman falling in love, searching for her place in the world, and finding the strength to survive. Sharp and literary, dark and romantic, this dramatic story holds readers in its grip until the final, heartrending scene.
MY RATING: 5 STARS
My big issue at the moment is trying to categorize this. Is it historical fiction? Is it mystery? Is it teen romance? Then again, it's hard trying to categorize Shakespeare, period, even if it is a retelling.
I've got a weakness for retellings, especially alternate versions of Shakespeare, so when I first saw this one I knew I had to read it. My experience with Hamlet is limited to the Lawrence Olivier film, but having loved that I was eager for more in any way I could get it. This one didn't disappoint me. Ms. Klein has done her work well, so far as I'm concerned. She begins with Ophelia's childhood and quickly establishes her as an interesting heroine, making the character her own. I found her Ophelia to be clever, resourceful, brave, a bit rebellious...a far cry from the Bard's raving, misused young girl. She was more than a match for Hamlet. In fact, he didn't deserve her. He couldn't settle on anything, he was two-faced (there was a nice detail comparing him to the two-faced god Janus), and morally corrupt. She made up her mind and held her course, using her wits and courage to escape the tragedy at Elsinore alive.
The action of Hamlet, once it reaches it, flies by pretty quickly, but I pin that down to Ophelia's minimal involvement in it all. More time is spent on her romance with Hamlet and then her exile from Denmark, and it's the last half of the book that I enjoyed the most. I hate to say much more for fear of giving it away, but it was really good!
I also have to mention Horatio. I don't remember much about him in the movie I watched, but here, he was perfect. The soul of discretion and duty, which doesn't sound all that wonderful, but his quiet manner and his friendship with Ophelia, evolving into his determination to help her flee Elsinore safely, won me over. If anything, I would have liked to see more of him, as he was a much better contender for her heart than Hamlet. *raspberry* Gertrude was almost as great, but I liked her best in her final scene in the book, saying goodbye to Ophelia. I get the sense she would have been a decent mother-in-law, but alas, this is a tragedy, after all. Sadly, my favorite characters didn't appear until the second half of the book--the half I don't want to spoil.
You know, given the scene after Polonius's death, when struck-mad-with-grief Ophelia is talking about various plants and flowers (rosemary for remembrance and pansies for thoughts), it makes perfect sense for her to be made over into an herbalist and healer. I approve!
In fact, I approve of this as a whole! I liked it even better with rereading!
Your humble book nerd,
Angels
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Reviews From an MMB (Beowulf and Grendel)
How long has it been since I reviewed a movie, exactly? ....Let's just say too long and move on...
Copied from IMDB.com
The blood-soaked tale of a Norse warrior's battle against the great and murderous troll, Grendel. Heads will roll. Out of allegiance to the King Hrothgar, the much respected Lord of the Danes, Beowulf leads a troop of warriors across the sea to rid a village of the marauding monster. The monster, Grendel, is not a creature of mythic powers, but one of flesh and blood - immense flesh and raging blood, driven by a vengeance from being wronged, while Beowulf, a victorious soldier in his own right, has become increasingly troubled by the hero-myth rising up around his exploits. Beowulf's willingness to kill on behalf of Hrothgar wavers when it becomes clear that the King is more responsible for the troll's rampages than was first apparent. As a soldier, Beowulf is unaccustomed to hesitating. His relationship with the mesmerizing witch, Selma, creates deeper confusion. Swinging his sword at a great, stinking beast is no longer such a simple act. The story is set in barbarous Northern Europe where the reign of the many-gods is giving way to one - the southern invader, Christ. Beowulf is a man caught between sides in this great shift, his simple code transforming and falling apart before his eyes. Vengeance, loyalty and mercy powerfully entwine. A story of blood and beer and sweat, which strips away the mask of the hero-myth, leaving a raw and tangled tale.
Ah, so much easier than my having to sum it up for you...anyway...
I studied Beowulf, the poem, in high school, and if I may state the obvious, this isn't how I remember it. As with all things, this had some good points, and it had some bad points. It offered an alternative view on Grendel and his motivations as well as Beowulf and his morals, and some food for thought on how we as humans view good and bad, right and wrong, justice and vengeance. It also moved a bit slowly at times and had a few details that felt awkward, i.e. a lot of swearing and modern speech mixed in with old-world language. Yeah, little jarring at times. I had to translate half the dialogue for my mother and brother, and could only speculate with them as to why the other half was so, well, modern.
The easiest way I can think of to describe this one was something of a conglomeration of The Phantom of the Opera and 300. No, really. There are elements of both at play here. Grendel is dubbed evil by virtue of being different, and Beowulf is bound to destroy him in defense of kith and kin. To be honest, I was expecting more mindless action and less moral dilemma. It was a pleasant surprise, apart from a few slow spots.
Now, onto the actors. It would be easy to say that Ingvar E. Sigurdsson as Grendel had it easy. I mean, his character is quite literally a troll. There was a lot of grunting and yelling on his part, but the remarkable thing about it was that you could still tell exactly what was going on in Grendel's mind. He was intelligent, sympathetic, and had a surprising code of honor. I was pretty impressed with him. Stellan Skarsgård as King Hrothgar...not sure about this one. After the first OMG! It's Bootstrap Bill! moment, I was unfazed. He was responsible for eighty percent of the out-of-place swearing that made no sense in the setting, and even apart from that he didn't do much for me. An old man under attack from a seemingly invincible foe he doesn't understand and can't rid himself of should at least inspire pity, but it was only when everything was over and done with that I felt anything for him. In fact, I can give you the exact scene: after Grendel is killed (sorry if I spoiled it, but that's how the story goes), Hrothgar and Beowulf are drinking and laughing with themselves, and Hrothgar finally stops laughing and just breaks down, relieved that his ordeal is over, exhausted by said ordeal, and remorseful over his role in it all. I'm not made of stone, and that one got me.
I'm not very familiar with Sarah Polley (as I barely paid attention to the last twenty minutes I saw of Splice and didn't give her a thought), but Selma the witch grew on me, and I still can't pin down why. It might be in her attitude...she's sarcastic and sassy, she can't seem to give a straight answer, and she generally leaves Beowulf to figure things out on his own, occasionally giving next-to-useless hints and outright mocking him. She's not exactly devil-may-care, but she's pretty close. And then there's Gerard Butler...his Beowulf starts out confident in himself and his mission, but as things progress he's stuck with no clue as to what's the truth and who the bad guy really is, and he comes to question everything and everyone. There's an evident and believable character arc for him (and less shouting than in 300) and while he's still sworn to kill Grendel, he no longer sees it as a matter of honor but something merely necessary that has to be done.
Another element in the story is religion. As word gets out of Hrothgar's plight, in ventures an Irish priest bringing the gospel to the pagan Danes and offering salvation for all. As Beowulf points out, however, there is no way of knowing how many of the converts were sincere in their newfound faith, or if they do it merely in fear for their lives. That seems to be a theme here: shaken faith. The Danes turn from their gods who don't protect them. Hrothgar turns from the truth of Grendel and his own part in the drama. Beowulf turns from his own sense of duty, fulfilling his vow because he must and taking no pride in his actions.
Overall, certainly not a waste of my time and money (though that scene with the fisherman in the beginning was definitely expendable), and I got a laugh when my brother was able to point out the modern tread on supposedly medieval footgear. I'm sure someone else can pick it apart in greater detail, but I basically enjoyed it, which is good enough for me.
Your modest movie buff,
Angels
The blood-soaked tale of a Norse warrior's battle against the great and murderous troll, Grendel. Heads will roll. Out of allegiance to the King Hrothgar, the much respected Lord of the Danes, Beowulf leads a troop of warriors across the sea to rid a village of the marauding monster. The monster, Grendel, is not a creature of mythic powers, but one of flesh and blood - immense flesh and raging blood, driven by a vengeance from being wronged, while Beowulf, a victorious soldier in his own right, has become increasingly troubled by the hero-myth rising up around his exploits. Beowulf's willingness to kill on behalf of Hrothgar wavers when it becomes clear that the King is more responsible for the troll's rampages than was first apparent. As a soldier, Beowulf is unaccustomed to hesitating. His relationship with the mesmerizing witch, Selma, creates deeper confusion. Swinging his sword at a great, stinking beast is no longer such a simple act. The story is set in barbarous Northern Europe where the reign of the many-gods is giving way to one - the southern invader, Christ. Beowulf is a man caught between sides in this great shift, his simple code transforming and falling apart before his eyes. Vengeance, loyalty and mercy powerfully entwine. A story of blood and beer and sweat, which strips away the mask of the hero-myth, leaving a raw and tangled tale.
Ah, so much easier than my having to sum it up for you...anyway...
I studied Beowulf, the poem, in high school, and if I may state the obvious, this isn't how I remember it. As with all things, this had some good points, and it had some bad points. It offered an alternative view on Grendel and his motivations as well as Beowulf and his morals, and some food for thought on how we as humans view good and bad, right and wrong, justice and vengeance. It also moved a bit slowly at times and had a few details that felt awkward, i.e. a lot of swearing and modern speech mixed in with old-world language. Yeah, little jarring at times. I had to translate half the dialogue for my mother and brother, and could only speculate with them as to why the other half was so, well, modern.
The easiest way I can think of to describe this one was something of a conglomeration of The Phantom of the Opera and 300. No, really. There are elements of both at play here. Grendel is dubbed evil by virtue of being different, and Beowulf is bound to destroy him in defense of kith and kin. To be honest, I was expecting more mindless action and less moral dilemma. It was a pleasant surprise, apart from a few slow spots.
Now, onto the actors. It would be easy to say that Ingvar E. Sigurdsson as Grendel had it easy. I mean, his character is quite literally a troll. There was a lot of grunting and yelling on his part, but the remarkable thing about it was that you could still tell exactly what was going on in Grendel's mind. He was intelligent, sympathetic, and had a surprising code of honor. I was pretty impressed with him. Stellan Skarsgård as King Hrothgar...not sure about this one. After the first OMG! It's Bootstrap Bill! moment, I was unfazed. He was responsible for eighty percent of the out-of-place swearing that made no sense in the setting, and even apart from that he didn't do much for me. An old man under attack from a seemingly invincible foe he doesn't understand and can't rid himself of should at least inspire pity, but it was only when everything was over and done with that I felt anything for him. In fact, I can give you the exact scene: after Grendel is killed (sorry if I spoiled it, but that's how the story goes), Hrothgar and Beowulf are drinking and laughing with themselves, and Hrothgar finally stops laughing and just breaks down, relieved that his ordeal is over, exhausted by said ordeal, and remorseful over his role in it all. I'm not made of stone, and that one got me.
I'm not very familiar with Sarah Polley (as I barely paid attention to the last twenty minutes I saw of Splice and didn't give her a thought), but Selma the witch grew on me, and I still can't pin down why. It might be in her attitude...she's sarcastic and sassy, she can't seem to give a straight answer, and she generally leaves Beowulf to figure things out on his own, occasionally giving next-to-useless hints and outright mocking him. She's not exactly devil-may-care, but she's pretty close. And then there's Gerard Butler...his Beowulf starts out confident in himself and his mission, but as things progress he's stuck with no clue as to what's the truth and who the bad guy really is, and he comes to question everything and everyone. There's an evident and believable character arc for him (and less shouting than in 300) and while he's still sworn to kill Grendel, he no longer sees it as a matter of honor but something merely necessary that has to be done.
Another element in the story is religion. As word gets out of Hrothgar's plight, in ventures an Irish priest bringing the gospel to the pagan Danes and offering salvation for all. As Beowulf points out, however, there is no way of knowing how many of the converts were sincere in their newfound faith, or if they do it merely in fear for their lives. That seems to be a theme here: shaken faith. The Danes turn from their gods who don't protect them. Hrothgar turns from the truth of Grendel and his own part in the drama. Beowulf turns from his own sense of duty, fulfilling his vow because he must and taking no pride in his actions.
Overall, certainly not a waste of my time and money (though that scene with the fisherman in the beginning was definitely expendable), and I got a laugh when my brother was able to point out the modern tread on supposedly medieval footgear. I'm sure someone else can pick it apart in greater detail, but I basically enjoyed it, which is good enough for me.
Your modest movie buff,
Angels
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Angels Takes On Audrey
And we all know who wins, don't we?
Moon River cover
I consider it more of a tribute than a contest, and not just because I'm sure I would lose!
Your pal,
Angels
Moon River cover
I consider it more of a tribute than a contest, and not just because I'm sure I would lose!
Your pal,
Angels
Friday, January 4, 2013
Michelle Sings "Wishing"
Behold! Phantom Fridays return!
One of my favorite authors and a friend of mine, Michelle Gliottoni-Rodriguez (new to the blog? Remember the name, I use it a lot) gave a concert in July to promote her published works (haven't read them? Do so! I have reviews for you on the Bookshelf!), and being an opera singer and enormous Phantom fan, one of the songs she sang was "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from the musical. Friend Di was good enough to tape it and post it to YouTube so we all can enjoy it!
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Michelle Gliottoni-Rodriguez
Your pal,
Angels
One of my favorite authors and a friend of mine, Michelle Gliottoni-Rodriguez (new to the blog? Remember the name, I use it a lot) gave a concert in July to promote her published works (haven't read them? Do so! I have reviews for you on the Bookshelf!), and being an opera singer and enormous Phantom fan, one of the songs she sang was "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from the musical. Friend Di was good enough to tape it and post it to YouTube so we all can enjoy it!
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Michelle Gliottoni-Rodriguez
Your pal,
Angels
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Artist of the Month - Jan 2013
Here we go! Time for the first one of the new year!
*drum roll*
Lindsey Stirling
The Hip Hop Violinist herself! My fellow Americans might recognize her from the 2010 season of America's Got Talent, but my international audience may not be familiar with her. I first heard of her via her Phantom of the Opera medley, which I later posted on this blog, but I became a fan after hearing and seeing more of her work. She was voted off AGT, and the judges told her she was unmarketable and couldn't fill a theater in Vegas doing what she does...yet YouTube announced last month that the video for her song "Crystallize" was the # 8 top-viewed video of 2012. Ha-HA! She uses hip hop and dubstep in her own composing, but also has some awesome collaborations and covers. She recently went on tour in the US and released her first album (which I'm going to have to download ASAP!) She currently has over 1.2 million subscribers to her YouTube channel (and you're talking to one of them). And she has recently announced a possible European tour. You go, girl!
Song of the Caged Bird
My personal favorite of her original pieces.
Assassin's Creed III cover
Moon Trance
Game of Thrones cover with Peter Hollens
Elements
Phantom of the Opera medley
Crystallize
Happy listening!
Your pal,
Angels
*drum roll*
Lindsey Stirling
The Hip Hop Violinist herself! My fellow Americans might recognize her from the 2010 season of America's Got Talent, but my international audience may not be familiar with her. I first heard of her via her Phantom of the Opera medley, which I later posted on this blog, but I became a fan after hearing and seeing more of her work. She was voted off AGT, and the judges told her she was unmarketable and couldn't fill a theater in Vegas doing what she does...yet YouTube announced last month that the video for her song "Crystallize" was the # 8 top-viewed video of 2012. Ha-HA! She uses hip hop and dubstep in her own composing, but also has some awesome collaborations and covers. She recently went on tour in the US and released her first album (which I'm going to have to download ASAP!) She currently has over 1.2 million subscribers to her YouTube channel (and you're talking to one of them). And she has recently announced a possible European tour. You go, girl!
Song of the Caged Bird
My personal favorite of her original pieces.
Assassin's Creed III cover
Moon Trance
Game of Thrones cover with Peter Hollens
Elements
Phantom of the Opera medley
Crystallize
Happy listening!
Your pal,
Angels
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
2012 In Review
So, because I figured so many fascinating things have gone on around here this year *pause for hysterical laughter* I thought I might amuse myself by going over 2012's highlights. Let's just see how ridiculous things got, shall we?
January
Artist of the Month: the Corrs
reviews for Phantom by Susan Kay and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Angels already needs a pick-me-up...
...but she still has time for her favorite song ever
February
No artist this month...oops.
review for The Phantom of the Opera (Claude Rains version)
We establish that Angels is a motley hybrid
March
Artist of the Month: David Garrett (which was posted the last day of February, incidentally...)
review for Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and a chat about favorite re-reads
Angels nearly has a heart attack after discovering the Phantom of the Opera YouTube channel...
...hashes out AC/DC on violins...
...celebrates completing her fourth novel with some special music...
...and cracks up over stand up comedy and drunk Canadians
April
Artist of the Month: Emmy Rossum
reviews for the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, The Devil's Galley by Michelle Rodriguez, and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Angels tries to find a winner...
...shares Def Leppard, Styx, Alvin and the Chipmunks and another playlist...
...tells some jokes...
...gives a lecture on character development...
...tries to find courage and has a revelation...
...and passes on some Phantom hilarity
May
Artist of the Month: John Owen-Jones
Character of the Month introductory post: Elinor Dashwood
reviews for The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Due Date and The Phantom of the Opera (Robert Englund version)
Angels hates herself but loves violins, her mom, Rod Stewart and more playlists...
...tells another joke...
...feels overwhelmed...
...gets inspired by a sloth...
...implements Phantom Fridays...
...begins the Gargantuan Novel Re-Write...
...which is a lot trickier than she realized...
...finds goofy pictures...
...goes to war...
...does the hula...
...pits Michael Jackson against David Cook...
...wants to go to the movies...
...really bad...
...goes past the point of no return...
...shaves a llama...
...makes her YouTube debut...
...has the roadhouse blues...
...and has her breath taken away
June
Artist of the Month: the Beatles
Character of the Month: Erik
reviews for The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Ten Things I Wish I'd Known--Before I Went Out Into the Real World by Maria Shriver, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, It by Stephen King, If You Ask Me by Betty White, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, The Phantom of the Opera (Gerard Butler version) and Love Never Dies
Angels dreams of angels and Ewan McGregor...
...doesn't use maps...
...watches Vertical Horizon and Gary Allan duke it out...
...tells yet another joke...
...takes some pictures...
...idolizes Gina Beck...
...has fun with Phantom captions...
...throws a birthday bash...
...drools over the Cape Twirl of DOOOOOOM!...
...tries to keep calm...
...asks why is the rum gone?...
...and ships Erik and Raoul
July
Artist of the Month: Carlene Carter
Character of the Month: Éowyn of Rohan
reviews for Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind, Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold by Terry Brooks, The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth and Eden's Root by Rachel Fisher
Angels learns the true meaning behind "Down Once More"...
...shares The Phantom of the Opera in 15 Minutes...
...confesses to being an addict...
...ships Erik and Christine...
...mixes coffee with Red Bull...
...gets burned...
...and tours her own bookshelf
August
Artist of the Month: Hadley Fraser
reviews for The Black Unicorn by Terry Brooks, Wizard At Large by Terry Brooks, The Tangle Box by Terry Brooks, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Witches' Brew by Terry Brooks and Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
Angels compares the Phantoms...
...tears down walls...
...feels shameless...
...stays alive...
...visits Her Majesty's and the Majestic...
...enjoys random editing...
...trots out an old favorite...
...idolizes Michelle Gliottoni-Rodriguez...
...tells a stupid nun joke...
...and listens to DarthxErik's monologue
September
Artist of the Month: Daughtry
Character of the Month: Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny
reviews for Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind, Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
Angels feels goofy...
...shares Frollo's solos...
...and some SYTYCD favorites...
...and some Phantom fan fiction...
...and some Phantom on the violin...
...and some more of her own books...
...and some more of her own singing...
...and some whistling
October
Artist of the Month: Danny Elfman
review for Manifestations of a Phantom's Soul by Michelle Rodriguez
Angels actually listens to Eminem...
...watches POTO on SNL...
...is a superhero...
...goes to the Classical Brit Awards...
...makes a very important reblog...
...and marvels over Donna and the Doctor
November
No artist this month--it's NaNoWriMo!
reviews for First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Angels passes on a lullaby...
...and phan art
Maid of Iron chapter one...
...and excerpt
The Phantom's Phoenix chapter one...
...and excerpt
The Phantom of the Chagnys chapter one...
...and excerpt
December
Artist of the Month: Bon Jovi
reviews for The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory, Mr. Darcy, Vampire by Amanda Grange, The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind
Angels tells more jokes...
...survives the apocalypse...
...recaps her 2012 reading challenge...
...and chooses one for 2013
Whew! Interesting year! Here's hoping that this year is even better!
Your pal,
Angels
January
Artist of the Month: the Corrs
reviews for Phantom by Susan Kay and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Angels already needs a pick-me-up...
...but she still has time for her favorite song ever
February
No artist this month...oops.
review for The Phantom of the Opera (Claude Rains version)
We establish that Angels is a motley hybrid
March
Artist of the Month: David Garrett (which was posted the last day of February, incidentally...)
review for Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and a chat about favorite re-reads
Angels nearly has a heart attack after discovering the Phantom of the Opera YouTube channel...
...hashes out AC/DC on violins...
...celebrates completing her fourth novel with some special music...
...and cracks up over stand up comedy and drunk Canadians
April
Artist of the Month: Emmy Rossum
reviews for the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, The Devil's Galley by Michelle Rodriguez, and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Angels tries to find a winner...
...shares Def Leppard, Styx, Alvin and the Chipmunks and another playlist...
...tells some jokes...
...gives a lecture on character development...
...tries to find courage and has a revelation...
...and passes on some Phantom hilarity
May
Artist of the Month: John Owen-Jones
Character of the Month introductory post: Elinor Dashwood
reviews for The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Due Date and The Phantom of the Opera (Robert Englund version)
Angels hates herself but loves violins, her mom, Rod Stewart and more playlists...
...tells another joke...
...feels overwhelmed...
...gets inspired by a sloth...
...implements Phantom Fridays...
...begins the Gargantuan Novel Re-Write...
...which is a lot trickier than she realized...
...finds goofy pictures...
...goes to war...
...does the hula...
...pits Michael Jackson against David Cook...
...wants to go to the movies...
...really bad...
...goes past the point of no return...
...shaves a llama...
...makes her YouTube debut...
...has the roadhouse blues...
...and has her breath taken away
June
Artist of the Month: the Beatles
Character of the Month: Erik
reviews for The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Ten Things I Wish I'd Known--Before I Went Out Into the Real World by Maria Shriver, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, It by Stephen King, If You Ask Me by Betty White, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, The Phantom of the Opera (Gerard Butler version) and Love Never Dies
Angels dreams of angels and Ewan McGregor...
...doesn't use maps...
...watches Vertical Horizon and Gary Allan duke it out...
...tells yet another joke...
...takes some pictures...
...idolizes Gina Beck...
...has fun with Phantom captions...
...throws a birthday bash...
...drools over the Cape Twirl of DOOOOOOM!...
...tries to keep calm...
...asks why is the rum gone?...
...and ships Erik and Raoul
July
Artist of the Month: Carlene Carter
Character of the Month: Éowyn of Rohan
reviews for Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind, Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold by Terry Brooks, The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth and Eden's Root by Rachel Fisher
Angels learns the true meaning behind "Down Once More"...
...shares The Phantom of the Opera in 15 Minutes...
...confesses to being an addict...
...ships Erik and Christine...
...mixes coffee with Red Bull...
...gets burned...
...and tours her own bookshelf
August
Artist of the Month: Hadley Fraser
reviews for The Black Unicorn by Terry Brooks, Wizard At Large by Terry Brooks, The Tangle Box by Terry Brooks, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Witches' Brew by Terry Brooks and Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
Angels compares the Phantoms...
...tears down walls...
...feels shameless...
...stays alive...
...visits Her Majesty's and the Majestic...
...enjoys random editing...
...trots out an old favorite...
...idolizes Michelle Gliottoni-Rodriguez...
...tells a stupid nun joke...
...and listens to DarthxErik's monologue
September
Artist of the Month: Daughtry
Character of the Month: Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny
reviews for Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind, Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
Angels feels goofy...
...shares Frollo's solos...
...and some SYTYCD favorites...
...and some Phantom fan fiction...
...and some Phantom on the violin...
...and some more of her own books...
...and some more of her own singing...
...and some whistling
October
Artist of the Month: Danny Elfman
review for Manifestations of a Phantom's Soul by Michelle Rodriguez
Angels actually listens to Eminem...
...watches POTO on SNL...
...is a superhero...
...goes to the Classical Brit Awards...
...makes a very important reblog...
...and marvels over Donna and the Doctor
November
No artist this month--it's NaNoWriMo!
reviews for First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Angels passes on a lullaby...
...and phan art
Maid of Iron chapter one...
...and excerpt
The Phantom's Phoenix chapter one...
...and excerpt
The Phantom of the Chagnys chapter one...
...and excerpt
December
Artist of the Month: Bon Jovi
reviews for The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory, Mr. Darcy, Vampire by Amanda Grange, The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind
Angels tells more jokes...
...survives the apocalypse...
...recaps her 2012 reading challenge...
...and chooses one for 2013
Whew! Interesting year! Here's hoping that this year is even better!
Your pal,
Angels
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