Read All the Books! Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

     I finished up the Mistborn trilogy at the beginning of this year. These were well crafted, engaging with characters I found myself crying over. 

     Bonus due to the fact that I live near BYU now I get to go to the occasional midnight release for Brandon Sanderson Novels. I love listening to the questions that come up. if I wait long enough normally one fan or another will ask the question that I've been wondering about myself. There is normally a reading for a unreleased book and a mini update about what's ahead.

     One of the best things to happen so far this year was that I got to volunteer at the Bands of Mourning midnight release. DragonSteel is an amazing company to volunteer with, you feel like you are apart of the crew. You get to help make an awesome experience for all the other amazing fans. Also if you have any sort of love for The Cosmere or Sanderson novels you get to be around like minded people. 

Spoilers Ahead!

Mistborn

     Mistborn is our introduction to a world where ash falls from the sky, the idea of green grass is foreign, and there is a incredible magic system based off folks ability to burn metals. Your lucky if you can burn one. If you can burn them all you are known as Mistborn. Burning the metals can give you different abilities strength, influence over emotions, increase physical abilities etc... 

     Then there is the social setup of the world. You have the Steel Ministry, the nobles and the Skaa. The Steel Ministry handles all the bureaucracy. This group also contains the unnatural Inquistors. The caste system continues with the nobles. Then finally the Skaa who are slaves for the nobles. This has all been setup by the Lord Ruler, who by the way doesn't die. 

     The first book in the series brought me Kelsier who I loved and adored. He is one of my new favorite characters in fantasy. Although he was mistborn. He was human and had he's strengths, prejudices and flaws. I'll probably mention this more than once, Sanderson builds characters, the characters are relatable and have flaws! 

     Unfortunately Kelsier played the part of the wizened old man to Vin. For those of you familiar with archetypes you realize this means he is removed from the equation so the young hero can come into their own. Vin I will write about in just a moment.

     Kelsier's crew is another element I love in these books. The friendship! I loved these guys. They all brought a different strength to the team. Why does Kelsier bring them all together? To overthrow the Lord Ruler the unbeatable supreme leader. Any rebellion that has happened is crushed. Also wordplay bonus. Club's house, is the clubhouse for the crew while they are planning the heist. 

    Vin has this amazing character arc that we watch develop. She is by no means perfect, which I love. There is a trend in some fantasy to either have women be a paragon or an object. Sanderson writes characters gender enhances the characters instead of being the sole focus of who they are.

     Also for those of you who are fans of the Cosmere. Hoid sighting! Who I've become convinced is the trickster figure of this universe. 

     When I watch a show I can normally call which way it's heading. It annoys my husband to no end. Once I dealt with the stunt that Kelsier pulled the crew does go on to defeat the Lord Ruler. I thought how is there going to be another two books? Lo and behold there is a whole other storyline that we don't really become aware of until the next book. However once we find out about there things all through the first book that make sense. Including the Lord Ruler's cryptic last words. 

    Mistborn Trilogy is a great read if you are a fantasy fan. If you love a great magic system. And if you have a love for great story arc and character development. 

Next time on Read All the Books! My favorite book in the Mistborn Trilogy. The Well of Ascension. 

Under Construction

In the past week I've put down about 7'000 words on a novel I've been toying with for about a year. It's finally starting to come together.
On top of that another 1'000 on a travel memoir and log about New Zealand. I wonder what people would like to know about New Zealand or traveling.

I'm a writer!

I've entered the NYC Short Story Competition which starts Friday. Anxious and excited and can't wait for the challenge and feedback. The last time I put something out there for critique was well my University days. At the point I wasn't in a place to really handle any sort of criticism constructive or otherwise. I'm hopping into a strange new world here as I learn to accept and use it.

I'll be heading to LTUE in February. The panels look good and I'm hoping to see some familiar faces while meeting some new folks. Can you imagine being a presenter on a panel? That has to be terrifying and awesome rolled into a pudgy ball of you have no idea what your audience is going to think and in some cases do.

Of course I continue to read. Reading has always been my great escape. Right now I'm lost in a steampunk world of Mechanized Masterpieces A Steampunk Anthology.

There is also a lot of back room things going on. Debating about what social media to get involved with or avoid, in some cases running, as quickly as possible in the opposite direction.
Self Promotion isn't a bad thing but it seems more genuine for me if you seek out meaningful connections.  I'm building a website and going through the great debate of building it myself which I have a shaky knowledge at best of, or wordpress which I am comfortable with but has it limits. The great thing about a website is you can do whatever you want, and that is also the danger.

Then the question of content... I'm thinking reviews, especially books and games. Challenges, Convention experiences. Suggestions welcome.

2016 is going to be amazing.

Read All the Books!

I had one class left to finish, I had put reading for fun and other pursuits aside. But know all the class work is done. After a final I will have my diploma. Which means... READ ALL THE BOOKS! I've missed reading for fun.

Warning SPOILERS AHEAD!

I started with Alyson Grauer's "On the Isle of Sound and Wonder" A delightful adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Shakespeare can be a tricky thing to adapt, taking on something like the Tempest can be a daunting task. Is it a comedy? Is it a tragedy? There are a lot of different conflicting elements in the play. However I was thrilled with many of Grauer's decisions and portrayals she handles the subject matter with grace and in an entertaining way.

Setting the novel in a steampunk universe makes the magic plausible and interesting and the exploration of the different possibilities whether mechanical or magical was wonderful and engaging.
To find out what else Alyson Grauer is up to be sure to check out her website. Recently she has been on a Disney Odyssey watching and writing responses to Disney's animated classics.

Next time on READ ALL THE BOOKS; Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Series.

Get Lost! Episode 2 Loveland Living Planet Aquarium

I first discovered The Living Planet Aquarium because I was googling for Zoos and Aquariums in Utah. We were up visiting friends and family during the holidays and looking for something to do. I liked the old location because it looked like a run down pet store, square shaped, and design wise had an early 90's feel.

The new location does not have any of this vibe, it's modern, new and impressive. The creatures are divided up by region. Ocean Explorer, Antarctic Adventure (I'm still a little confused what the Jellyfish are doing in this section, but better than no jellyfish), Journey to South America and Discover Utah. The price is reasonable considering all the time and effort that has to go into maintaining exhibits, creatures and a building of that size. It is definitely kid friendly, weekends and holidays are crazy. I've found quieter days tend to be earlier in the week.

On the agenda first was Crocodiles. K.T. and I spent 10-20 minutes observing the caiman crocodiles. The crocodiles don't like to be seen they move slow and with purpose and when you aren't looking.

The Caiman Crocodile K.T.'s all time favourite and her P.O.V.

The river turtles also reside with the Crocs and where having a grand ol' time picking fights with each other and zooming around the tank. 

We had a particular order we were following, next was Sharks. In the video the Shark with the spots is a Zebra Shark. Which I've always called a Leopard Shark. Turns out when this species is young they have stripes, which they lose as adults. Either way they are fascinating to watch. For me it's therapeutic.

300,000 gallon Shark Tank. 

Around the corner from this viewing zone they have a tunnel. The first time I went through this tunnel Jaws 3 came to mind. I would like to reassure you there are no oversized great whites with a vendetta against man in the tank. We waited but seriously, no Jaws. Even though K.T. sang the theme song while in the tunnel.

This Grouper was having a good time.

I like to observe, aquariums and other places where people gather are great opportunities to watch creatures and people alike, to see how they operate. That came out a little creepy. What I mean to say is it doesn't hurt to take a moment to watch what is going on around you and see what you can learn.

Amongst the tanks I found some unique souls. The garden eels still make me think of Ursula's Grotto from the "Little Mermaid" The Octopus was in the exact same spot the last time we visited, squished in the top corner of his tank so you can barely see him. I wonder about whether or not he's happy in the tank. There is enough room, food and enrichment but sometimes a tank is still a tank.

Poor Unfortunate Soul!

The Nautiluses as always were chilling up against the glass. There was a Eldritch horror vibe going on with the new lighting in the section, it was awesome. They are master floaters thanks to their chambered shells.

                                                     

                                                                  The great old one.

The Aquarium is continually updating and coming up with new exhibits, displays and enrichment activities for guests and critters. They are also really good about partnering with community business so they can be sustainable. If they keep up all the amazing work they will be around for a while. 

This conversation looked pretty intense.

Did I mention the penguins? The Gentoo Penguins at the Aquarium have recently had some chicks. They are grey, white and fluffy, oh so fluffy. They have been doubling in weight every week since they hatched. If you can't make it to the Aquarium you can watch them here.

But seriously, penguins!

This is a great day trip. If you are local and Zoos and Aquariums are of interest it's worth considering an annual pass which means you can visit year round. Of course you can find the Aquarium online at their website or facebook page.

Indicate or crash!

I woke up to rain this morning. Beautiful grey skies, crystal clear rain drops. That strange smell that I can't explain but I wish I could bottle and save for sunny days. I love the rain!
Until I got out on the road. My sister had been in town visiting and we went to drop her off at the airport. I got in the car did the normal routine of seatbelt and mirror check, as we got on the I15 the rain started falling a little heavier, visibility dropped and the haze that comes off of the road from other vehicles had started to fly. So on came the windshield wipers and my headlights. This was a visibility thing. So I could see and be seen.
Not everyone else on the road thought headlights were necessary. I watched several vehicles slam on brakes and swerve out of the way of cars, vans and trucks who just seemed oblivious to the chaos they were causing. Which leads me to the other pet peeve of the day. Why weren't these folks indicating? When I was in high school there was a campaign for road safety. A couple of phrases stuck with me, "Indicate or crash!" and "Merge like a zip!"
Last one I promise, If you are driving the speed limit and folks are passing you, move over. It makes sense to stay in the right lane, and use the left lane for passing. Just as a general rule of thumb in the U.S.
I'm not the best driver. Seriously, town driving is not my forte'. Every once in a while I've renewed the faith of a lost soul in god. But even I know to indicate.

A new edition of Get Lost is coming soon. I'll be writing about some trails I've checked out since moving up to Utah. 

Just Keep Shambling...

When I was a kid I use to run a lot. I loved it. My favorite time of year in elementary was track and field.  In Minnesota the best time to run was Autumn, the grass crunches under your feet, you can hear the wind, fall leaves abound and it was crisp you could feel your lungs when you breathed in. At least that's how it was when  I was young.
I don't know what happened in high school, but I didn't run as much. I felt like everyone was better or faster. I spent a lot of time at block 8 in the dark room. I will forever be grateful to Brother Coffey for being a patient intro to arts and photography teacher, and high school is a blog for another day.
When I got to Hawaii there was the ocean, I spent a lot of time in the water or near the water. I wasn't some super athlete by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a good place to be. I still didn't run regularly and if I did it was down the beach in short sprints.
I've always felt better after a run. There is a whole lot of science to explain why someone feels better after exercise. I don't think we are meant to sit still. Yet for a multitude of reasons I feel into the trap of sitting still.
I haven't been running in a while, and I'm trying to start up again. As I write this I've gone out running two days in a row. However, when I say running I more mean shambling. A combination of sprinting, walking, jogging and putting one foot after the other. Consistency and me have never been bedfellows.
I've decided this is something I will do and need as a part of my life. I may not be consistent but I am stubborn. One thing that has been helpful for me is a running app I discovered a little while back, Zombies Run!  The premise of the game is you are a runner in a post apocalyptic world you go out gather supplies and complete missions. Then from those supplies you get to build your base. The story line is engaging the characters endearing. It's broken down into seasons and they are working on season 4 at the moment. In season 1 there was one cliff hanger that got me and I ended up doing a second mission that day. It also keeps pretty decent stats, how far you've gone, where you've been, how long your average mile or Kilometer was over the course of the mission. You can also choose to share as little or as much information from the app on whatever social media platform you happen to use. Today's mission will consists of rescuing some folks from a cruise ship. Works for me.
Do you shamble, Run, Walk briskly? Tips on getting moving are welcomed. There is only so much I can find out from google.

Get lost! Episode 1 In which I finally go to The Museum in Fillmore.

Recently, I was driving up from Southern Nevada to Utah Valley. I got back into an old habit that I had been neglecting, getting lost. Getting lost is where I take some time to go explore or see something I haven't seen before. I normally find out something new about the area I'm in and it helps me learn a little bit about myself along the way.

Fillmore Utah

So while passing through Fillmore Utah my daughter and I spotted a playground. I think we both felt a little better after mucking about on the playground. Then we went down the road and stopped at the old State capitol which has been converted to a state park you can check out their website here, Territorial Statehouse Park.  I love finding out about the history of an area. I use to run a heritage museum and you find out a lot about a community and where they come from when you get involved in the local history.
One thing I loved about the museum is that on the ground floor was quite a few original photos of the settlers of the area. I appreciate the museum had them somewhere were there was little to no natural light hitting the photos. U.V. light is death for photos. Many institutions are switching over to L.E.D lights to help prevent damage to artifacts and photos.

I found one of my Husband's relatives on the wall. 

Also coming up in November I get to go to Teslacon! This year's theme is Wild Wild West. While I was wondering through the museum all the inspiration hit. From civil war era guns to finding out what a cooper is (-a barrel maker) and  it got me thinking about how to piece together my own medical kit for a character I'm developing.

  

However a toddler's attention span only lasts so long. So we got back on the road and slept in our own bed's for the night. We woke up the next morning and got on the road again. We were heading to Thermopolis Wyoming for a dear friend's engagement party. 

Somewhere in Wyoming...

We took WY 28 to get where we were going. Not the loneliest road in the U.S. but felt close to it. I wish I had taken more photos but I was distracted by getting where I was going. Earlier in the trip we saw antelope, prairie dogs, deer, and lots of unidentified roadkill.  Thermopolis itself seems to be filled with the nicest people on the planet and I appreciate all the hospitality and kindness that was shown to me. It is also home to Wyoming Dinosaur's Center and Natural Hot Springs.

I'm going to start making a habit of getting lost and exploring what's around me. See you out there.