Harrison Ford as Colonel Hyrum Graff

Harrison Ford was born on July 13, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois.  Ford first took an interest in acting in only his senior year of high school, and calls himself a "late bloomer".  Although Ford has been in many other films, he will always be known for his performances in both Star Wars and the Indiana Jones film series.  Ford received the top spot in Empire magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" in 1997, and it looks like he is not going anywhere.

Harrison Ford's character in Ender's Game is Colonel Hyrum Graff, who is basically the the recruiter for the Battle School.  In this story, Ender and Colonel Graff have their ups and downs, and they never become "close".  However, at one point, Colonel Graff is the only friend Ender has within the confines of the Battle School and they must work together to reach their main goal: train Ender to save humankind.  When I read the book, I imagined Colonel Graff as a younger man that was a little less hardened and a little more unpredictable.  But, as always, I am interested to see how he takes this one on.  Ford does have that sci-fi, deep, announcer-like voice.  Go out and see him tomorrow!!

1 More Day!

Hailee Steinfeld as Petra Arkanian...and a Little Something Extra

Hailee Steinfeld was born on December 11, 1996, in Tarzana, Los Angeles.  She started off at the age of eight with small roles in various films.  But, Hailee's performance in True Grit as Mattie Ross was the role that got her lots of attention and fame.  Bevause of this stunning performance, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.  Hailee also portrayed Juliet in the 2013 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.  She was cast for this role when she was only 14, so the script had to be cut down a bit to cater to her young age.  The most recent character that she is slated to play is Petra Arkanian, the close friend of main character, Ender, in Ender's Game.

In the book, Petra is said to be a very tomboyish character that is hardly indistinguishable among the leagues of boys attending the Battle School.  I am curious to see how she takes this on, because she seems like a very feminine young woman.  I am also looking forward to seeing the bond of friendship between her and Ender.  There is really no question on how her acting skills will measure up, so I can't wait to see her performance in this movie!

Today is also National Candy Corn Day, so I picked this picture especially for this occasion.  Doesn't she kind of look like a candy corn?  A pretty one, at least?

2 More Days!

Sir Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham

Sir Ben Kingsley, born Krishna Pandit Bhanji, was born on December 31, 1943 in North Yorkshire, England.  He was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000 and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on his 58th birthday.  Kingsley has starred in a host of films portraying characters like Mohandas Gandhi and the villain, The Mandarin, in Iron Man 3 (my favorite movie).  

Ben Kingsley is playing Mazer Rackham in Ender's Game, and I must say, he is not who I pictured in the role.  But, I think that he will do a great job.  This character very different from the other one that I have seen him as, The Mandarin.  He will have to be demanding and proud, but still have enough of a soft side to guide Ender on his path to greatness.  I think it's really interesting what they did to his bald head in this movie.  It's like a giant tattoo or something- very futuristic, but unlike anything that I would imagine a celebrated commander to have on his head.  However much his head decoration puzzles me (hehe), I am excited to see him tackle this role.

3 More Days!

Abigail Breslin as Valentine Wiggin

Abigail Kathleen Breslin was born on April 14, 1996 in New York City.  She started her acting career when she was three years old in a Toys 'R Us commercial.  Abigail has gone on to star in Little Miss Sunshine, Nim's Island, and My Sister's Keeper.  Even from a young age, the adults that she worked with on set couldn't believe her level of purpose during filming. Abigail has also voiced a role in Rango and was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role Young Actress.

Her next big film about to hit the big screen is Ender's Game, in which she plays Valentine Wiggin, the gentle sister of the main character, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin.  Valentine acts mostly as the one thing preventing Ender from completely letting go of his past when he moves on to the Battle School.  She had always been his favorite sibling (compared to Peter, that's not surprising) and they had always cared deeply for each other.  But while Ender is away, Valentine becomes closer to Peter in a way that she never thought possible.

I am curious to see how Abigail Breslin tackles this role.  She has to be sweet and gentle, but firm enough to steer Peter in the other direction when he goes on one of his rants.  I hope she won't go too far in the passive direction, because Valentine is a strong person who has to make some hard decisions.  But, she can't go too far in the other direction either.  She was rejected by the Battle School for being too compassionate. However, there is more to her than what meets the eye.

Make sure to go out and see Abigail Breslin as Valentine Wiggin on November 1!

4 More Days!

The Dictionary Definition of a Dilemma

dilemma- a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, esp. equally undesirable ones

Whew, does America have a hard choice to make.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

America Singer is a Five.  Not a Two, not even a Three, but a Five.  So when she receives an application for the Selection in the mail, everyone in her family is ecstatic.  Except for America.  She has no desire to live in the palace, be the future Queen of Illéa, or marry the stiff prince, Maxon Schreave.  America wants to be with Aspen, who is a caste below her.  When he encourages her to enter the Selection, she does, not knowing that her life will change forever because of it.  In the end she must choose between the new life that she is imagining and the life she has always wanted.

The first thing about this book that caught my attention was the cover.  I mean, how gorgeous is that dress?  Then I decided to get the free sample, because it sounded extremely interesting.  I read the sample and had to show it to my friend, who promptly bought the book on her tablet.  The whole time she was reading it, she couldn't stop gushing about how great it was, so I finally snatched it up as well.  It was a great cross between the vintage beauty of monarchy and the blunt futuristic notion of the castes.  This is definitely what I would call a girly-girl book, but its not all sunshine and rainbows.  America has to deal with friendship problems and relationship problems, all while trying to make sure that her family is cared for in the financial arena.  This is a great book that all teenage girls will love!

Age Group: 13+

Concerns: none

Rating: 9.5

Reminder

I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow starts Ender's Game Countdown Week!

Make sure to come and check out the talented actors and actresses that will make this movie great!

Change of Plans

When I checked out The Alchemyst, by Michael Scott, my original intent was to read through the entire series without breaks.  But, the change of plans happens to be my fault (indirectly).  About a month ago, I showed my friend a sample of this book called The Selection, by Kiera Cass, that I was thinking about reading.  Since she is also a book fanatic, she gobbled it up and decided to start reading it as soon as she finished the Divergent series (another series I got her hooked on).  She finished reading it almost 3 days ago, and ever since then, she has been BEGGING me to read this book.  Last night, I gave in an bought it on my NOOK for $5.  It had been an interesting sample, so I was definitely up to it.

Long story short, it is really good so far, and you should be looking for an official review pretty soon.

I guess The Alchemyst and the series that follows will have to wait! :)

A Nod to the British

I really love the British.

They have great fashion sense, great personalities, and AMAZING accents.  So, when I came across this word, I had to use it in the first....

TREMENDOUS TERM THURSDAY!!!!

This was inspired by Dictionary Day, which, I believe, can spread its magic more than once every year! Every Thursday I will choose a really cool (or thought provoking) word, define it, give some background info, and so on and so forth.  The template is as follows:


scrump (v.) [SKRUMP] — British: to steal fruit from an orchard or garden

Did you know that when they say "fruit", they are most likely referring to apples?  So, if you stole some peaches from an orchard in Byron, you would not be scrumping.  But, if you picked an apple off of your neighbor's apple tree, then you would be guilty of this first-class felony.  Shame.

Ok. Scrump doesn't quite count as a word.  It's really a "dialect variant" from the word "scrimp", which means: to be economical or sparing in the use of.  It's like saying that chillax is a real word in our language.  We know what it means, but if someone hadn't lived in our country for very long heard it used in a conversation, they wouldn't have the slightest idea what we were saying. 

Don't scrump, ladies and gentlemen!

Dictionary Day is Most Definitely Today

Guess what today is?

It's Dictionary Day!  

Two hundred and fifty-five years ago today, Noah Webster was born in what is now Hartford, Connecticut.  After the Revolutionary War, he was among the Patriots that believed that American children should learn out of American-made books, not those supplied by Britain.  He released his first textbook in 1783.  Later in life, he focused on bridging the gap between English words and phrases and things that Americans said.   His first dictionary, published in 1806, was called A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, and included around 37,000 words.  At the age of 80, he published another dictionary, titled American Dictionary of the English Language, which took him 22 years to complete and included over 65,000 words.  

Here is an awe-inspiring word that you can use to impress your friends:

lethologica (lee-tho-LO-gi-ca) — 1. the inability to remember the right word. 2. a psychological disorder that inhibits an individual's ability to articulate thoughts by temporarily forgetting key words, phrases, or names in conversation

That word is pretty genius. 

Use it well.

Just Go Along with It.

So, I was super pumped about Dictionary Day.  I was going to do this amazing post with a mind-blowing definition and you all were going to be using this word to impress your friends and I was going to do the same.  It would help us all extend our vocabularies and be better, more intelligent human beings.

Dictionary Day was yesterday.  Sigh.

I am going to pretend that today is October 16, Dictionary Day.
I am going to put up a really cool post after I am done with this one that includes all of the cool things mentioned above.
And you are going to go along with it.

If you think this is really lame, I apologize. You are lame.

Ender's Game Countdown Week

To celebrate the release of Ender's Game, there will be a special Ender's Game countdown on the week of October 28.  Each day, I will feature an actor/actress playing a main role and give you some background on their career and their character in the film.

Who will be in the spotlight first?  

Who will be last?

What Kind of Holiday Is That?

I bet that none of you know what holiday it is.  (And if you do, you are either really weird or you have too much free time.)

It is Be Bald and Be Free Day.  I mean, what the heck?  What were they even referring to when they thought this up?  The fact that bald people are free from having to buy shampoo?  Or combs?

Really.

So, in honor of Be Bald and Be Free Day, here is a little insight into my brain:

Yeah, I just thought of a bald guy and Free Willy.

Do they celebrate both things (being bald and being free) on this day?

Ugh.  So confusing.

Sigh.

Do you remember how I said that The Maze Runner was premiering on February 14, 2014?  Well, it looks like they have pushed the release date back significantly.  I am positive that it is coming out sometime in September of 2014, but IMDB has changed the release date on their website to September 19, 2014.

I'm not sure just how credible IMDB is, so I apologize if this is the wrong date.  If I get any other hints of a more "official" release date, I will make sure to let you guys know.

Sigh. I was really looking forward to this one.  Now we'll just have to wait a little longer...

(This change will be reflected in The Maze Runner's official pre-premiere review from back in September.)

Answers? Or More Questions?

Said to be the "last Maze Runner book forever", The Kill Order provides us with answers...and (in my opinion) with more questions.

The Kill Order by James Dashner

Before Thomas was born or WICKED was even an idea, the world was at peace with each other and with nature.  Until the sun flares struck.  Mark and Trina were living in New York City, a hub of people and technology alike.  But all of that changed.  Forever. A switch was flipped, and things were never going back to what they were before.  They finally got to a settlement in the Appalachian Mountains with their friends and tried to get their new life to seem normal, but that didn't last for very long.  Since they were some of the few that survived the sun flares, who was to say that they couldn't survive anything?  But they didn't know what was coming next.

When I read this book, I was ready to get all the background information on the sun flares, the origin of the Flare, the formation of WICKED, and some details on where all of the immune came from.  Two out of those four were satisfied.  I really liked how Dashner chose to reveal the way that the Flare was released and how he described the sun flares.  In all of the other Maze Runner books, I didn't exactly get a good mental picture of the sun flares.  I mean, ball of fire falling from the sky was pretty much as far as I got.  But, this gave me an idea of what he was going for.  When it came to the third question, there was one character that ended up being immune, but they don't give us any details as to how she passed down this trait, or how others discovered that they were the same way.  It was kind of cliff-hanger-like in this aspect of the book.  Also, during the book, I was looking for characters that could be part of the future WICKED organization.  There was no closure on that either.  

However, the biggest disconnect I had was the epilogue. Yay! Thomas and his mom! Ok, how does that tie in with the rest of the story?  It is something that we kinda knew already.  Thomas mentioned seeing his mother in his dreams in The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, so you had to assume that he was taken away from her by WICKED at some point. There weren't any clues as to who this woman might be except the "Two Years Later" at the top of the page.  When I saw that, I ruled out all of the important characters in the book.  So, where is the bridge between those two parts?  As soon as I got home today, I did some research on Goodreads, in a thread about the ending of this book.  There were so many out-of-this-world explanations.  I actually saw one that said, "The Barnes and Noble copy had an extra chapter at the end, which told you more of what happened in the end."  Not that I don't believe them, but that seems like a pretty stupid thing to do.  

Besides all of that, I really did enjoy the book.  It was written beautifully and the plot was extremely engaging.

If you have any answers at to the end of this book, they will be greatly appreciated!  But please make sure to notify readers if there are spoilers in your comment!

Age Group: 13+
Concerns: Minor Violence
Rating: 9

Resolution

Finishing out the series, The Death Cure brings what we all have been waiting for: resolution.  Or does it?

The Death Cure by James Dashner

Thomas thought he would be done with WICKED when he got out of the Maze.  When that didn't happen, he thought that at least he would be out of their control after making it across the Scorch.  Boy, was he wrong.  Right now, Thomas is sitting in a completely white room, and has been for over three weeks.  His time in solitary confinement has led to a lot of contemplation over WICKED and their motives.  Once released from the white room, he and the other Gladers receive some devastating news.  Some of them are immune to the Flare, and some are not.  Thomas is starting to rapidly regain his memory, but not in the way WICKED would like.  All of the things that is he is discovering don't exactly support the statement "WICKED is good".  Throughout the course of his journey, Thomas has to make a lot of hard choices regarding his friends and his survival.  Will WICKED find the Cure?  And where will they draw the line when it comes to saving the human race?

Wow. Truthfully, I am very impressed with the ending of this series.  It had to be hard to come to a conclusion with all that is going on in the plot.  Its really interesting how the author keeps the story moving, with the different conflicts and locations that all seem to intertwine.  But, as you delve deeper into the story, you start to realize that common detail that lurks in the shadows of the plot.  By the end of the book, I wasn't all that surprised with how it ended, but not in a bad, predicable-sort-of way.  It was what I would call inevitable.  Does the story really end there?  I guess you will have to be the judge of that.

I hope you enjoy the last installment in the Maze Runner series!

Age Group: 12+
Concerns: none
Rating: 9.5

Is WICKED All That Good?

Here is the official review for The Scorch Trials, as promised!

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

So Thomas and a good number of the Gladers have made it out of the Maze alive.  But, they aren't prepared for what they are about to face in the real world.  The Earth is in shambles thanks to the sun flares and a quickly-spreading, fatal disease called the Flare.  The Gladers are taken to a dormitory where they believe that they are all safe.  The next morning, they wake to a surprise beyond anything that they could imagine, and discover that Teresa is missing.  An official from WICKED gives them a proposition: they must cross the Scorch, a barren wasteland, and reach the safe haven in two weeks.  Little do the Gladers know, the heat of the Scorch will be the least of their problems.

As you already know, I had to read the first book in this series, The Maze Runner, for summer reading.  I really enjoyed it, so I grabbed the next one as soon as I could.  I am so glad that I did!  Truthfully, this one wasn't my favorite in the series, but it wasn't terrible.  Also, it's not like you can just skip it altogether, because the plot and character development in this book is vital to the understanding of the next one (which is AMAZING).  

A new group is introduced in this book- Group B.  It turns out that WICKED put another group in a Maze identical to the one that Thomas and the Gladers went through.  However, the genders were flip-flopped.  Instead of it being all boys and then one girls, it was all girls and one boy.  There is also a few new characters that you get to meet in this one (aside from Group B).  Pay attention to what they do, because I can already tell you that you will be referencing it when you read the next one, The Death Cure.

Age Group: 12+
Concerns: none
Rating: 8

Catching Up

Ok, so I was doing to do a review on The Death Cure, which is the last book in the Maze Runner series.  But, I just realized that you guys haven't even seen an official review for The Scorch Trials, which is the second one!  To get you guys back on track, I have decided to re-educate myself on The Scorch Trials and put up an official review tomorrow.  Then I will go about putting up one for The Death Cure.

Good that.
(Those of you that have read The Maze Runner or any of the other books in the series know what I mean when I say this.)

Smile!

Guess what today is?

If you said October 4th, then you are correct, but...

ITS ALSO WORLD SMILE DAY!! :-)

To honor this important day, I am going to put some book covers up that represent this quite well:

This one was just a duh.  I mean, right?  It is called Smile and has a SMILE on it.  No brainer!

When I saw this, I burst out laughing.  My dog, Brody, really does smile when he is upside down.

Truthfully, I think this is a legit question.  Do dolphins really smile?  Hmmm...

Happy World Smile Day! :-)