Book Review: Airborn

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel is my very first venture into the steampunk genre. (I've known of steampunk for several years, but hadn't been interested in it at all--until now.) The book is set on an airship called the Aurora, which gets its lift from the fictional gas hydrium. The main character (and narrator), fifteen-year-old Matt Cruse, is the ship's cabin boy. He is an extremely likable character--funny, daring, and easy to relate to. This last point deserves a bit more attention, as your average fifteen-year-old probably isn't a cabin boy, and he certainly wouldn't one on a luxury airship. Oppel has done an especially good job with this particular character, as well as the other main and support characters (I enjoyed the Captain and crazy Chef Vlad in particular).

It's been long time since I've read a new book that appealed to me as much as this well-written adventure. It's fast-paced, with action scenes in just the right places, and the technicalities of the airship aren't done to the point of incomprehension. The excellent way that Oppel has penned Airborn makes Matt Cruse's story completely believable, as well as a must-read (and for me, a must-own!).

Book Review: A Fairy Went A-Marketing

This beautifully illustrated version of Rose Fyleman's original poem is a nice change of pace from the ordinary. The artist, Jamichael Henterly, draws his inspiration from nature and creates a beautiful fantasy world. This is one of my favorite books from my childhood, so I'm a little biased in its favor... but if you can find it, the illustrations are wonderful!

Book Review: When the Sun Rose

This was one of my very favorite books as a child, and I still love it now because the illustrations are beautiful. The storyline is simple but very sweet: A little girl invites a lovely friend overy to her playhouse for an afternoon of painting, tea, and dolls. The illustrations are rich, vibrant, and colorful, and you can almost feel the warmth of the yellow roses and sunlight that are shown in the book.

knitting: first scarf

Shortly before Thanksgiving, I took up knitting and started on my first project: a blue scarf. (I was only on my first skein when this picture was taken; it has grown considerably since then!) I'm using a nice, soft-feeling yarn called Sugar 'n' Cream, avaliable at most craft and hobby stores. Knitting is an especially great project in the winter!

Book Review: Briar Rose

This haunting (and I do mean haunting) tale is very well-written. Jane Yolen's use of parallels is amazing, utilizing the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty throughout the book to contrast with a moving account of the Holocaust. The main characters are fictional, but the storyline is based on real events. That said, this book is a fairy tale meant for adults only, as several parts are not child-appropriate. (I read this book originally in high school and disliked it so much that I'd blocked out the storyline entirely-- it gave me nightmares.) This book also has a pro-homosexual agenda, which I did not appreciate. Re-reading it now, I can appreciate several aspects of this retelling, but it's still not a book I really want on my bookshelf.

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comments on the "New Moon" movie

I saw New Moon tonight. My friend and I arrived at the theater an hour and a half early with advance tickets, expecting the show to be sold out (it wasn't). Because we'd waited a day, the fangirl insanity wasn't nearly as bad as when we went to see Twilight last year. My friend absolutely loved every second of the movie, but I left the theater with mixed feelings. I thought that the werewolf parts were very well done, and I enjoyed them. The vampire parts were mostly just cheesy. Overall, I wasn't sure what the point of the movie was supposed to have been, but it seemed mostly an excuse to showcase the non-explicit "porn for girls" of extremely good looking, muscular, shirtless young men. Easy on the eyes, to be sure... but I'm not sure I like the idea of seeing guys that way. I am a Christian and I'm not afraid to say so, and I couldn't help wondering how my future husband (should I get one) would feel. I'd rather save myself in all ways for my wedding night, and to me, that includes not feasting my eyes on the perfect-looking men that Hollywood favors. I rather think that by doing so, a wife could possibly negate part of the love that should rightfully belong to her husband. (Why would I want to wastefully lust after the guys on the silver screen-- when I could reserve my eyes until I'm married to someone I truly love, and have those feelings be a new experience to me then?) Just as pornography will destroy the love a husband has for his wife, I think that this also can be destructive to a relationship. (And what of the young stars who are being made into sex objects-- what kind of horrible lifestyle is that? Oh, don't believe me? Just how many relationships and lives in Hollywood have made it through the fame? Almost none!) Get more at http://www.pluggedin.com/.