Mara, Daughter of the Nile Book Review.

Title: Mara, Daughter of the Nile.

Author: Eloise Jarvis McGraw.

Gene: Historical Fiction, Suspense, Romance, Action/Adventure, Spy Thriller.

Plot: Mara, the blue-eyed sarcastic heroine of our tale, is a slave in Ancient Egypt during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut. One day Mara is out and about in the marketplace when she ought to be working, and she attracts the attention of two very powerful but very dangerous men who are on opposite sides to one another. When her cruel master finds her, he drags Mara back to his estate with the intention of punishing his sly slave; but a well-to-do man stops him from beating her and buys her. When Mara and her new master are safely out of sight and hearing, he tells her that he works for the queen and wants her to spy for him; he tells her what to do next, what he wants her to look for, and in no uncertain terms lays out what will happen to her if she proves useless or runs away. Mara, rejoicing at her chance of freedom and to achieve all her dreams of becoming free and rich someday, readily agrees and sets sail to meet up with the Canaanite princess the queen has given to her hotheaded step-brother Thutmose {who is actually the rightful ruler of Egypt of course} with instructions to serve as Inanni's {the princess} interpreter. But on board the ship of Nekonkh, Mara meets and befriends a mysterious but intriguing scribe. Nekonkh is already suspicious of the charming fellow and warns Mara to be on her guard around him; unfortunately for her, the scribe proves to be just as witty, if not more so than Mara herself, and she is pressed into his service as a spy for the imprisoned Thutmose, and threatened with death if she runs away or betrays him.

Now, with two dangerous and opposing forces to deal with, juggle, and keep supplied with information without getting herself killed or losing the confidence of either of the powerful men, Mara finds herself stepping very carefully and questioning her every action and word. As she processes, analyzes, and juggles, she also befriends the homesick but friendly Canaanite princess Inanni who, being smarter than she looks, quickly catches on that there's something more to the secret chance meetings in the garden with the scribe {whom Mara is shocked to learn is actually Lord Sheftu, one of the most powerful men in the whole empire and also one of the queen's most trusted advisers and nobleman}, and the brief meetings with Thutmose {who is furious at having to take a foreign bride} in which Mara and the prince communicate in Egyptian while Inanni asks Mara questions in Babylonian to which she gives distracted replies, much to Thutmose's secret amusement. And, against her will and better judgement, Mara begins to predictably fall in love with the dashing Lord Sheftu, building castles in the air without meaning to, and seriously doubting whether the queen's side is where she actually wants to be.

However, when a slip of memory occurs, Mara's life is thrust into grave danger and both men suspect her of being a traitor to either of their causes. By then, Mara has already decided to give her help and her heart to Sheftu, but that doesn't matter anymore. Nothing matters anymore, for she will doubtlessly be tortured for information and put to death by Nahereh, her "granite faced" master. Sheftu, however, is much more quick-witted than many believe, and he quickly accesses the entire situation and, realizing his mistake, he rushes straight to the palace ahead of his troops for a final, dramatic showdown with his archenemy and the wicked queen of Egypt.

A fast-paced, exciting and intriguing historical ride, this adventure will take you into the everyday life in Ancient Egypt and give you a glimpse into just one incident in the world's oldest country's troubled and colorful history.

Likes/Dislikes: While Mara is sarcastic, her humor is actually humorous; some of the situations she finds herself in or deliberately puts herself in are a little nerve racking, especially when she sweet-talks the dopey palace guard into letting her slip out the gate every now and then. However, aside from that, several brushes with death, and a beating toward the end of the book, this is a very good story and I recommend it to anyone interested in the above listed genes or in Egypt in general.

Rating: PG-13 and up, for reading level and content that might go over the heads of younger readers.

Date Report Written: December 30th, 2010.

Excerpt: The Silent Governess.

That evening, Edward stood in the doorway, amused by the scene in the drawing room. The carpets had been rolled back and some dancing master's text lay open on the floor. Andrew stood on a straight-back chair, face-to-face with the governess, who stood on the floor before him, hands in his. Audrey stood beside Miss Keene, an impish grin on her face. At Miss Keene's instruction, Andrew lifted one hand high, but before Miss Keene could turn beneath it, Audrey reached up and tickled him under his arm. Andrew doubled over and giggled.

Miss Keene sighed. It was clearly not the first time this had occurred.

Edward could not resist. He crossed the room to them, bowed, and asked formally, "May I cut in?"

With a whoop of relief, Andrew jumped from the chair and - after a running start - slid several yards across the polished floor in his stocking feet.

Shaking his head, Edward returned his gaze to Miss Keene and found her dubiously eyeing his offered hand.

She said, "I was only trying to demonstrate the nine positions of the German and French waltz."

"So I saw. Shall we continue?"

"You need not . . . That is, I am sure my lord is much too busy to -"

"Not at all. It is for the children's benefit, is it not? Their education?"

She opened her mouth to protest further, but before she could, Audrey said, "Show us position four, cousin Edward. For neither Andrew nor I can master it."

Edward wondered if Audrey Howe fostered as many romantic fancies as did her stepmother. But he did not complain.

"You were doing fine, Audrey," Miss Keene said. "It was difficult without a proper partner. I am not very good at being the man."

Edward felt his brows rise.

"Please?" Audrey begged her governess.

Miss Keene sighed once more. "Very well. I shall be you, Audrey." She turned to Edward. "And you shall be the man."

He said dryly, "I can but try."

~ Excerpt from The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen.

Celebrational Post.

LET'S CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!



As of December 26th, this blog is officially one year old!! Granted, I didn't start posting till sometime in January earlier this year but I still created the blog in December 2009 the day after Christmas {it must have been an uneventful Christmas, or perhaps I was bored ;)}. I'd been interested for some time prior to creating the blog about doing said action and after doing a bit of research {no, I will not tell you what my definition of research is, you wouldn't understand it unless you're a homeschooler ;)} I unhesitatingly created a blog {E.J.'s Library} with a few clicks of the mouse, and then logged off my mom's computer because after a day of checking emails my poor eyes were killing me! Have I ever mentioned that I'm farsighted and have a need {sometimes more desperate than at other times} for new glasses? And driving lessons, and other essentials. ;)
Anyway, back to the celebration! My plans for this blog have changed somewhat since my first post {entitled unimaginatively as Introduction I think} but nevertheless, this blog is still centered around books. I'm a writer you see, and my instructors, my mentors even, are all the classic authors: Jane Austen {she's actually my role model}, G.A. Henty, Louisa May Alcott, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, H. Rider Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, even H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Zane Grey play a role in developing my writing skills though I have read fewer of their books than of the listed others. I've encountered many, many other authors {some good, some bad, some simply horrible at the beautiful occupation of a writer skilled with words}, the names of whom elude me at the moment. I've read a vast number of books, many of which were enjoyable, several were downright trash, and a select few were quite simply delightful and have remained my steadfast favorites, even when several years have passed since first reading them. I have not always been a good judge of books, but through trial and error, I have figured out more or less how to avoid the bad books and resist the urge to read them anyway. That was why I originally chose the verse from Philippians as my blog's motto, for if I can't be terribly wise in what I read and watch now that I've exposed myself too much, I can at least chose to review the suitable books and hopefully provide what others did not for me and spare some innocent young reader out there from encountering the same bad books as I. So, if perhaps you don't see in the archives a book you're interested in, that is because either I haven't read it, or I have and haven't reviewed it yet, or I have read it and found it wanting or worse.

Anyway, I want to assure you that I have no plans at all for discontinuing this blog ever and shall simply strive to post more reviews, more verses, more recipes, and whatnot, both for my enjoyment and yours.

Now, to the archives!!!! I have posted in the last year eighteen reviews on books {I promise I will double that in the next year, if not triple it!!} and the varied titles of those eighteen reviews are: The Honorable Impostor, A Knight of the White Cross, Pride and Prejudice, Out on the Pampas, The Last Battle, Prince Caspian, Persuasion, The Lost World, Do Hard things, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Beauty, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, Colonel Thorndyke's Secret, Sense and Sensibility, Riders of the Purple Sage, and Northanger Abbey. I posted a grand total of eight reviews on movies {yes, I love movies, no, I didn't originally want to totally devote this blog to them, yes, I will doubtlessly be posting more movie reviews in the upcoming year so you can see what I like to watch and blah, blah, blah ;)} and the titles are: Jurassic Park 3, Star Trek, Prince of Egypt, Prince of Persia, How to Train Your Dragon, Newsies, The Christmas Card, and The Ultimate Gift. I posted five favorite family recipes {okay, they're not hand-me-downs from grandma or great-grandma but they're still good!}: Chocolate Revel Bars, Chocolate Buttermilk Brownies, Coconut Macaroons, several small handy recipes like chocolate covered raisins, and Pumpkin Bars. Of Scripture I posted a grand total of six chapters: 1 Corinthians 13, Psalm 1, Proverbs 31, Psalm 117, Psalm 114, and Genesis 45. Of my own personal writing I posted four poems and two short stories: Dear Teenage Girl, Home is Where I Want to Be, In the Pages of a Book, Travel to Distant Lands, My Notebook, A Humble Fairytale, and Daily Routine. The last listed hasn't a single thing to do with my personal routine. I posted one link to a poem I liked, one post with some snow pictures back in November, and three posts containing excerpts from Pilgrim's Progress, Ivanhoe, and the eighth Ranger's Apprentice book. All in all, plus a few I'm-outta-time posts, total to over fifty posts. Lame, I know, but now that I've my own computer and can get on more often than on Saturdays, I fully mean to double that number.

So, all the numbers tallied, my promises and reassurances made, I leave you to enjoy yourself, browse the archives, request reviews, and post lots of comments. God bless and have a happy New Year!!

The Ultimate Gift Movie Photos.

The Ultimate Gift Movie Review.

Title: The Ultimate Gift.

Starring: Drew Fuller {Jason Stevens}, James Garner {Howard "Red" Stevens}, Abigail Breslin {Emily Rose}, Ali Hillis {Alexia}, Bill Cobbs {Thesphilus Hamilton}, Lee Meriwether {Miss Hastings}.

Year of Release: 2006.

Gene: Drama.

Plot: When his grandfather dies, a "disillusioned" young man gets the reality check of his life: Jason Stevens has grown up hating his wealthy grandfather, blaming him for his father's tragic death in a plane-crash. When the will is read and the inheritance divvied up among Jason's colorful family members, he thinks he's being cheated when he isn't handed a big check and sent on his way. Apparently, his grandfather isn't finished with him yet and has one more surprise up his sleeve for his angry descendant. The deal: Jason must agree to undertake a series of monthly challenges or gifts, as his grandfather called them, in order to prove himself worthy to receive his inheritance.

Of course, Jason is none too thrilled with that arrangement. For the first gift, the wealthy hothead is shipped off to a ranch in the middle of nowhere in Texas, handed a pair of gloves, and told to drive posts and string up a fence. Still feeling very frustrated and having absolutely no clue what he's doing, Jason does a sloppy job at first, then he begins to get the hang of it and does a splendid job. Still confused over what's going on with the whole gift thing, Jason is sent back to the big city after a month's time where he must undergo the gift of friends. Everything he possesses is taken away from him and Jason is told to go find at least one good friend by the end of the month. Jason meets a young woman and her opinionated daughter Emily at the park one day, when he's despairing of finding any loyal friends. He befriends the duo and inadvertently walks into a heart-wrenching and hopeless situation with two girls on his hands to comfort, cheer, and fall in love with.

Progressing through his monthly challenges, Jason begins to display a change of attitude and character to those around him and those who knew him before are astonished and somewhat confused that the bad-boy of the family is suddenly humble and kind, even thoughtful and genuinely cheerful. But he still has one more gift to get through, and this will be the hardest of them all as he sets out to learn the truth of his father's death.

Likes/Dislikes: Aside from bad attitudes on Jason and Emily's part when first introduced, a scene in which a man is beaten off camera by South American bad guys, and a tragedy near the end, this is a very good, clean movie. Emily and her mother are Christians and in one scene Emily talks with Jason about God and asks if he knows Him {which astounds Jason of course}. All in all, I highly recommend this for family viewing; it's well on it's way to becoming a classic.

Rating: I don't remember the actual rating but my personal rating is PG-10 and up. Enjoy! ;)

Movie Photos: The Christmas Card.

The Christmas Card Movie Review.

Title: The Christmas Card.

Starring: Ed Asher {Luke Spelman}, John Newton {Cody Cullen}, Alice Evens {Faith Spelman} Lois Nettleton {Rosie Spelman}, Peter Jason {Richard}, Ben Weber {Paul}.

Year of Release: 2006.

Gene: Drama, Romance, Holiday Film, Family.

Plot: Sergeant Cody Cullen is ordered to get some R&R after the death of his best friend in the war, and takes leave to do so; heading first to Nevada City in snowy Northern California to deliver his dead comrade’s dog-tags to his grieving widow. That painful task completed, Cody heads into town and meets a beautiful woman at the local diner when he orders the exact same thing she did. His meal finished, the soldier checks in for one night and the hotel and tells the lady behind the counter that he is “thinking of attending church in the morning.” Jumping at this glad news, the woman tells him where it is and invites him to sit with her. Accordingly, the next morning, he sits beside her in church, and when the service is over he makes the acquaintance of Mr. Luke Spelman and his cheerful daughter Faith, who is the same woman he met at the diner on the preceding day.

When Cody heroically saves Luke minutes later, his planned trip out of the town is postponed until further notice. The grateful Spelman family invites Cody to spend Christmas with them and Luke offers him a job at their family owned wood mill; having nothing better to do, no family waiting on him for the holiday, and liking the idea {and the Spelmans}, Cody agrees. Cody meets Rosie Spelman’s widower brother Richard, who also works at the mill, and the two men hit it off splendidly; they both turn into fellow conspirators when Cody brings up the subject of a little woodworking project he has on his mind. Luke, Rosie, and practically everyone else in the little, snow covered town all like the friendly, helpful, polite, and humble soldier; while he’s working at the mill one day, he unconsciously causes his bosses to all stop and watch him work, with Luke commenting to his wife that “he’s a good worker.”

Cody and Faith instantly like each other, and begin to unknowingly {at least, on her part} to fall in love. But when Faith’s “very long distance boyfriend Paul” arrives, things begin to get tense around the little town, with Paul trying to outdo everything Cody does and not succeeding very well {especially when the guys head out to cut more Christmas trees out in the forest}. When Cody kisses Faith, she gets very upset because she suddenly realizes that her feelings are all topsy-turvy; when Richard and Luke pay the expected post-incident visits to Cody, he isn’t in trouble as one would expect, because neither of these two gentlemen care a fig for Paul and don’t want Faith to marry him. Faith, however, hasn’t realized this yet.
A very fun, family-friendly Christian movie, I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. It’s a classic worth seeing again and again!

Likes/Dislikes: While there is prayer, church, and good clean humor displeased by the characters, there are about four or five kissing scenes. They aren’t graphic nor is the camera shoved right into their faces as the actors kiss, yet I believe we would’ve gotten the general idea without all the kissing. Or, at least, the kisses shared by Faith and Paul. ;) Other than that, I couldn’t find anything objectable in this film.

Rating: I don’t recall the professional rating, but my own is G. Family viewing is recommended, though romances don’t generally appeal to boys, poor things. ;)

Date Report Written: December 11, 2010.

Pumpkin Bars Recipe.

With the return of snow and lots of time indoors {which can sometimes be pretty interesting around here but more on that some other time}, comes the return of favorite family recipes; I just made this recipe for the first time yesterday and it was an instant hit. ;)

What you will need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt {I personally put two in because we love salt so much}
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 eggs, beaten
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil {I used saffola oil}
1/2 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting {remind me to post that please}

The Directions:
1. In a bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves. Stir in the eggs, pumpkin, and oil until combined. Spread batter into an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean {we don't currently have any toothpicks so I used a butter knife ;)}. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours {yes, your siblings will be going nuts by the time the two hours are up so I recommend a movie or some long-term distraction for this stage}. Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting and cut into bars. Enjoy!

Prep: 35 minutes {I didn't time myself}. Bake: 25-30 minutes. Oven: 350 degrees. Cool: 2 hours. Makes: about 48 bars, though I doubt ours was properly divided. ;)

The cookbook has an applesauce variation you might like: simply substitute the pumpkin for one 15-ounce jar of applesauce. :)

Quote.

"Well, it's a bit of a surprise, Halt. I'd never thought of you as. . . well, being royalty, I suppose."

Halt's baleful gaze turned to focus on the tall young knight riding beside him.

Oh, really?" he said. "I suppose I'm just so unroyal in my bearing, is that it? Too coarse and common altogether?"

Will turned away to hide a smile. Horace seemed to have a real knack for getting under Halt's skin with his attitude of innocence.

"No, no, not at all," Horace said, realizing that he'd annoyed the Ranger but not sure how it had happened. "It's just you don't have the. . ." He hesitated, not quite sure what it was that Halt didn't have.

"The haircut," Will put in.

Halt's glare swung toward him. "The haircut." It was not a question. It was a statement.

Will nodded easily. "That's right. Royalty has a certain sense of fashion to it. It has to do with bearing and behavior and. . . haircuts."

"You don't like my haircut?" Halt said. Will spread his hands innocently.

"Halt, I love it! It's just that it's a little Rufus the Roughnut for the brother of a king. It's not what I would call. . ."

He paused, leaning across in his saddle to study Halt's salt-and-pepper hair more closely, ignoring the drawn-together brows and the dangerous look in Halt's eyes. Then he found the word he was looking for.

". . . sleek."

~ Ranger's Apprentice book eight: The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan.

Snow Pictures.

In exchange for not having had the time this week to write a review on anything, I'm posting some snow pictures I took today. Enjoy!!


The road looking to the right of our driveway. It's a one-lane ride in the winter.

Ivanhoe Excerpt.

"The assailants have won the barriers, have they not?" said Ivanhoe.

"They have - they have!" exclaimed Rebecca - "and they press the besieged hard upon the outer wall; some plant ladders, some swarm like bees, and endeavour to ascend upon the shoulder of each other - down go stones, beams, and trunks of trees upon their heads, and as fast as they bear the wounded to the rear, fresh men supply their places in the assault - Great God! hast thou given men thine own image, that it should be thus cruelly defaced by the hands of their brethren!"

"Think not of that," said Ivanhoe; "this is no time for such thoughts - Who yield? - who push their way?"

"The ladders are thrown down," replied Rebecca, shuddering; "the soldiers lie grovelling under them like crushed reptiles - The besieged have the better."

"Saint George strike for us!" exclaimed the knight; "do the false yeomen give way?"

"No!" exclaimed Rebecca, "they bear themselves right yeomanly - the Black Knight approaches the postern with his huge axe - the thundering blows which he deals, you may hear them above all the din and shouts of the battle - Stones and beams are hailed down on the bold champion - he regards them no more than if they were thistle-down or feathers!"

"By saint John of Acre," said Ivanhoe, raising himself joyfully on his couch, "methought there was but one man in England that might do such a deed!"

"The postern-gate shakes," continued Rebecca, "it crashes - it is splintered by his blows - they rush in - the outwork is won - Oh, God! - they hurl the defenders from the battlements - they throw them into the moat - Oh men, if ye be indeed men, spare them that can resist no longer!"

"The bridge - the bridge which communicates with the castle - have they won that pass?" exclaimed Ivanhoe.

"No," replied Rebecca, "the Templar has destroyed the plank on which they crossed - few of the defenders escaped with him into the castle - the shrieks and cries which you hear tell the fate of the others - Alas! I see it is still more difficult to look upon victory than upon battle."

New Schedule and Announcements.

This morning I had a few good ideas and have decided to share them. All week, at the back of my mind, I've been brainstorming over what to do with this blog and how to get more followers; I haven't figured out the follower bit yet but the results from the rest of the brainstorm look fairly interesting.

So, here they are!! The new posting schedule first off. On Sundays {if I get on at all, which I might not regularly, it is the Lord's day after all} I will post Bible verses and chapter excerpts; on Wednesdays {I've always liked Wednesdays :)} I'll post any neat or interesting quotes I've come across or excerpts from a favorite book or the current book that I happen to be reading; on Saturdays I'll post either a book or a movie review for your enjoyment. On other days of the week, I'll possibly post a poem I've written or one of my few short stories or maybe even an excerpt from my latest novel; tantalizing tidbits from a writer's work desk!! Or, in my case, the dining room table via my laptop {which is still new, though I have gotten the keys broken in, so to speak ;)}.

Now, here's the bit where you, the followers, come in. First, I've never been very good at forming habits so I might need your help to remind me of the new, above schedule and my promise to post more regularly. :) Second; after scanning the archives, if you don't see your favorite book or movie listed and you'd like a review done on it, or any other book or movie; please, please feel free to request reviews! I sometimes draw blanks when it comes to what to review so requests would be helpful. I must warn you, however, that if the book or movie contains graphic violence {blood and guts squirting out everywhere}, rape or other sexual scenes {even if there's a high amount of kissing or describing how pretty the girl looks in certain clothes}, foul language {especially God's name being taken in vain}, or evolution {it's stupid and unproven, why review it?}, then I won't review the book or movie; chances are good that I won't even read or watch it either, or if I have then I won't review it. My guideline for this can be found at the top of the blog; the verse form Philippians. Other than that, do please request reviews!! :)

And now, for some exciting announcements!! Coming soon will be comparing a book and movie reviews {ya all know how books are made into movies right? Ever wanted a comparison review of them both?}, and multiple-versions reviews {if you've seen any or all of The Christmas Carol films then you'll know what I'm talking about ;)}! And, as a special holiday celebration or acknowledgment or or however ya call it; all December long will be reviews of Christmas movies, both classics and some newer ones!! {Plus, it's not like there's very much else on in December, right?} :)

See? I did have a few pretty good ideas, didn't I? ;)

Newsies Movie Review.

Title: Newsies.
Starring: Christian Bale {Jack Kelly}, David Moscow {David Jacobs}, Luke Edwards {Les Jacobs}, Ele Keats {Sarah Jacobs}, Gabriel Damon {Spot Conlon}, Marty Belafsky {Crutchy}, Bill Pullman {Bryan Denton}, Ann-Margaret {Medda Larkson}, Robert Duvall {Joesph Pulitzer}, Kevin Tighe {Snyder}.
Gene: Musical, Action/Adventure, Family.
Release Date: 1992.
Plot: The newspaper boys of 1899 are a ragged, unruly lot of orphans and poor kids with no leader. One day, as they set about their daily routine of selling papers, the owner of the paper, Joseph Pulitzer, discusses with his chief employees on the very important question of how to get more money. That evening, a solution is found, and the next day, the newsies are outraged when the price of the papers is increased by ten cents {which is a lot to them}.

Jack "Cowboy" Kelly is unanimously looked to as the leader of the boys, as they crowd around him, hoping for a way to deal with this latest problem. Inspired by the recent trolley strike and being naturally inclined to the wilder side of life, Jack promptly suggests the newsies form a union and go on strike. David, a new boy whom Jack has befriended, is opposed to this plan, but when he sees how for it everyone is, he becomes the brain behind the strike, and Jack becomes it's voice. Jack rallys the boys and David, then the group sets out to spread the word all over New York; when a key player, Spot Conlon of Brooklyn, doesn't throw his lot in at once, it's David's turn to rally the troops and his co-leader. The boys attract the attention of Denton, a reporter for a different newspaper, and he starts out to cover the story but ends up becoming one of the boys' few allies in their struggle against the powerful. The whole thing almost comes undone when Jack is arrested and threatened by the newspaper owner; when his friends are put in jeopardy because of his decision, Jack reverts to his true self and rescues them in fine style, and together, they come up with the final blow to the newspaper men that wins their battle.
Likes/Dislikes: The music and dancing are very well done and very moving, the villains are convincing and the heroes are noble, inspiring one to reach higher for what one believes in. About the only dislike I can mention is a kiss at the end of the movie which seemed a bit overdone, and some families might not like all the violence in the film; fist fights every which way, and boys being knocked out by the police in one scene. All ends well, however, and no one dies.
Rating: PG, and I completely agree with this rating.
Date Report Written: November 7th, 2010.

How to Train Your Dragon Movie Review.

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Title: How to Train Your Dragon.

Starring: Jay Baruchel {Hiccup}, Gerard Butler {Stoick}, Craig Ferguson {Gobber}, America Ferrare {Astrid}, Jonah Hill {Snotlout}, Christopher Mintz-Plasse {Fishlegs}, T.J. Miller {Tuffnut}, and Kristen Wiig {Ruffnut}.

Gene: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Animation.

Release Dates: Theatrical: March 26^th, 2010; DVD: October 2010.

Plot: Vikings have always and will always be known for their ferocity in battle, their gigantic muscular proportions, their fierce personalities and their big red beards. However, this family-friendly movie will make the Vikings known for their ability to make you laugh {now that they’re all dead and the threat of being carried off by one is severely lessened}.

How to Train Your Dragon takes us back in time to an imaginary island inhabited by Vikings who do the classic Viking things: raid, pillage, plunder, make weapons, break weapons, play catch-the-spear with their children, build big ships and carry on the general existence of Vikings. However, there is one small difference: instead of normal pests, they have dragons who swoop down in great flocks and carry off their sheep and cattle. The Vikings, being a breed of tough warriors, enjoy battling with the scaly, annoying lizards. All except for Hiccup that is. Different from all the other Vikings in muscle mass and thinking {“brains over brawn my dears”}, Hiccup dreams of one day killing one of the elusive, feared Night Furies; black dragons who, under cover of darkness, swoop down and burn the village but never carry off any sheep. When his father {who is head of the Viking village by the way}, and the rest of the villagers are distracted during one hectic night-attack of the dragons, Hiccup sneaks out and, using a contraption of his own invention, shoots a Night Fury.

When nobody believes him when he says he shot it, Hiccup runs out the backdoor of his house and goes looking for his catch; finding the dragon alive but helplessly tangled up in a mass of ropes, Hiccup raises his little knife to end the dragon’s life in hopes of gaining respect from his father and fellow Vikings. Looking into the dragon’s eyes, he sees something that causes him to change his mind and release the dragon who, surprisingly, doesn’t kill him. Stoick, Hiccup’s father, believes that if they find the dragons’ nest and destroy it, then the continuous attacks upon the village will cease, so he enrolls his troublesome son in dragon training school and sets sail for the dragons’ island. Hiccup, meanwhile, begins to swap his time between dragon training where he is suppose to learn how to kill dragons, and dragon training, where he befriends Toothless, the Night Fury he shot down, and learns to ride said dragon.

When Hiccup’s secret double-life is discovered by Astrid, the tough Viking girl he secretly has a crush on, he doesn’t think too much of it; but when, in fine, dramatic style, the rest of the village and his father learn his secret, Hiccup’s world comes crashing down around his head. When he’s at his lowest point, Astrid asks him what he’s going to do, and, suddenly getting inspired as he replies, Hiccup says, “Something stupid and something crazy,” before running off to put his plan into action. Meanwhile, Stoick and his men have taken the captive Toothless to his island in hopes of destroying the dragons once and for all, but they encounter something none of them ever thought even existed before and Stoick finally learns what his son has been trying to tell, and, how much Hiccup really means to him.

Likes/Dislikes: A very well drawn film, with good, fun music, and well developed characters. The voice talents were well chosen and Toothless’ animated facial expressions set my family and I to laughing. Hiccup and his father have communication difficulties between them, but thankfully, Hiccup doesn’t lie to his father and they become fast friends at the end. Hiccup’s fellow classmates, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, Snotlout, and Astrid are also very funny and provide good sidekicks. All in all, a good, clean, funny family movie that I highly recommend.

Rating: PG; I’d say a G but some younger children might not like the big dragon’s ferocity.

Date Report Written: October 29, 2010.

Explanation {sorta}.

I know I haven't posted anything lately; I haven't had time to write a review but this week, I'll do better and will, for sure, have something to say.

I posted a poll at the bottom of the blog but I noticed that not too many people noticed it; either I should put it in a different location, or I need more followers! Any suggestions on that? :) God bless!!

Genesis 45.

“The Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

And Joseph said unto his brethren, come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did s end me before you to preserve life.

For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith they son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:

And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.

And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.

And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.

And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;

And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.

And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.

And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.

And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,

And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.

And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:

And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.” ~ Genesis 45, KJV.

Pilgrim's Progress Quote.

I didn't have time this week to write a review so instead, I'm posting an extract from the classic novel, Pilgrim's Progress, for your enjoyment. It's from the second part of the book {my favorite half}, it has my favorite character in it doing what he does best and it's one of my favorite scenes!

“But now Great-heart replied, ‘I am a servant of the God of heaven; my business is to persuade sinners to repentance. I am commanded to do my endeavor to turn men, women, and children from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; and if this be indeed the ground of thy quarrel, let us fall to it as soon as thou wilt.’

“Then the giant came up, and Mr. Great-heart went to meet him; and as he went, he drew his sword, but the giant had a club. So without more ado they fell to it; and, at the first blow, the giant struck Mr. Great-heart down upon one of his knees. With that, the women and children cried out. So Mr. Great-heart, recovering himself, laid about him in full lusty manner, and gave the giant a wound in his arm. Thus he fought for the space of an hour, to that height of heat, that the breath came out of the giant’s nostrils as the heat doth out of a boiling cauldron.

“The they sat down to rest them; but Mr. Great-heart betook himself to prayer. Also the women and children did nothing but sigh and cry all the time that the battle did last.

“When they had rested them, and taken breath, they both fell to it again; and Mr. Great-heart with a blow fetched the giant down to the ground. ‘Nay, hold, and let me recover,’ quoth he. So Mr. Great-heart fairly let him get up; so to it they went again; and the giant missed but little all-to-breaking Mr. Great-heart’s skull with his club. “Mr. Great-heart seeing that, runs to him in the full heat of his spirit, and pierceth him under the fifth rib. With that the giant began to faint, and could hold up his club no longer. Then Mr. Great-heart seconded his blow, and smote the head of the giant from his shoulders. Then the women and children rejoiced, and Mr. Great-heart also praised God for the deliverance He had wrought.” ~ Pilgrim’s Progress.

Prince of Persia Movie Review.

Title: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal {Dastan}, Ben Kingsley {Nizam}, Gemma Arterton {Tamina}, Alfred Molina {Sheik Amar}, Steve Toussaint {Seso}, Toby Kebbell {Prince Garsiv}, Richard Coyle {Prince Tus}, Ronald Pickup {King Sharaman}.
Release Date: Theatrical: May 28, 2010, DVD: September 14, 2010.
Plot: Dastan, an orphaned peasant boy, is adopted by the king of Persia after he witnesses a display of Dastan’s tremendous courage {and agility} in the marketplace one day and fifteen years pass. Dastan, though a prince of Persia, still hangs out with the poorer class and his cohorts are composed of wild, rag-tag, rough men of that class, but they love their prince and follow him everywhere, even into a night attack on Alamut when the crown prince forbade Dastan to lead the main attack. He, of course, didn’t listen and, leading his secondary attack, captures the city and a strange dagger that catches his eye.

Tamina is the princess of that peaceful city. The crown prince wants to make a union between the two peoples with the beautiful but fiery princess and asks Dastan the next day {and while said prince is drunk and celebrating the victory with his men} to give their father a gift for him and present Tamina to him. Dastan agrees and the king takes him by surprise by giving Tamina to him as his first wife. Tragically, the king is killed just minutes later and, being suddenly accused of the murder, Dastan flees, taking Tamina with him {she wants the dagger he has and spends a good deal of time trying to get it back}.

Along the journey the next day, Tamina complains about his “long, stomping strides” and he gives her a shock by telling her he has no royal blood in his veins and that what she sees is “the walk of a man who has just lost everything.” That’s when Tamina does a double-take and deep inside, her opinions about the “Lion of Persia” change. Through the various adventures that follow {dodging soldiers, discovering the real murderer, meeting a man who races ostriches, trained assassins whom no one is equal to except Dastan, and a sandstorm}, the twosome grow lass sharp with each other and fall in love. And then they face the toughest test of all.
Likes/Dislikes: A very good movie, with lots of action {thankfully no shaking-camera stuff} and fairly impossible but certainly impressive stunts, and an epic battle of good-verses-evil at the height of ancient Persia. Objectionable content would include Dastan being drunk after the battle {though that is actually a funny scene}, several people telling each other lies {the truth comes out later}, mention of the false Persian gods {no big deal if you can handle the Greek and Roman gods}, lots of battle scenes though not much blood and the plot-twist of murder within the family. All in all, I recommend this movie highly!
Rating: The movie is rated PG-13 for violence and action and I will agree with this rating only because younger children might not understand some of the plot and the action scenes might be too intense for them.
Date Report Written: September 21, 2010.

My Notebook Poem.

A collection of thoughts,
Mystical and romantic,
Rushed and frantic
Is my notebook.

A collection of verses,
Sweet and sad,
Ill-writ and bad
Is my notebook.

A collection of stories,
Humorous and happy,
Strange and snappy
Is my notebook.

A collection of notes,
Beautiful and wondrous,
Lovely and ponderous
Is my notebook.

A collection of lists,
Of multiple subjects
And varied objects,
Is my notebook.

Scribbles and doodles
Adorn the cover,
Written in the fervor
Of my animated mind.

Worn out and old,
The edges frayed,
Tis often mislaid,
My notebook is.

Through thick and thin,
My best friend
Till story’s end,
Is my notebook.

Sad will be the day when,
Your pages full
And my pen dull,
Upon the shelf I put you,
For a day, a year, and more,
Till research I begin,
And find I need you,
My faithful notebook.

Psalm 114.

“When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? Thou Jordan, that thou was driven back?

Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.”
~ Psalm 114, KJV

Prince of Egypt Movie Review.

Title: The Prince of Egypt.
Voice Talents: Val Kilmer {Moses}, Ralph Fiennes {Ramses 3rd}, Michelle Pfeiffer {Zipporah}, Sandra Bullock {Miriam}, Jeff Goldblum {Aaron}, Patrick Stewart {Pharaoh Seti 1st}, Danny Glover {Jethro}, Helen Mirren {Queen Tuya}, Steve Martin {Hotep}, and Martin Short {Huy}.
Released: 1998.
Gene: Animated, Classic, Retelling, Biblical, Musical.
Plot: Raised as a prince of Egypt, Moses has led a good life. He and his brother Ramses are best friends and Moses is notorious for getting his more responsible older brother into and back out of trouble. The boys enter the story in dramatic style and wreck a temple when their good natured chariot race goes too far. Criticized for being the “weak link,” Ramses leaves in a huff and we are allowed a glimpse of the brothers’ non-competitive relationship. In the midst of their goofing around, they completely forgot about a banquet their father is holding and arrive late but in time for Pharaoh to pass his power to his son. As a gift, a desert-girl is presented to Ramses who gives her to Moses. Zipporah has no desire to be held against her will and escapes, Moses follows her through the city and sees her to the gate then meets, for the first time since he was an infant, Miriam and Aaron, his older siblings.

Refusing to believe the truth of his birth but knowing, deep down, that it is true, Moses becomes unusually thoughtful and sees with new eyes the suffering of his people. When he comes across a slave-driver beating one of the Hebrew slaves, Moses kills the Egyptian and flees for his life out into the desert. There, he is rescued by Jethro and his daughters, the eldest of whom is none other than the fiery strong-willed Zipporah who at first tolerates him and then falls in love with him. They’re married and live a happy life till one day, a bush is found by Moses that is surrounded by fire but which doesn’t burn the bush. God speaks to him and sends him back to Egypt to deliver His people from Pharaoh and lead them out of bondage.
Likes/Dislikes: Using colors, music and skillful drawing, the story of Moses is brought to life. While some artistic license is used, the story sticks to the Biblical account and is a masterpiece. Very highly recommended.
Rated: PG. My rating; G.
Date Report Written: August 6, 2010.