I have been so slumpy lately... in all aspects of my life.
I haven't been particularly busy, yet I haven't really accomplished anything lately...
I finished maybe 4 books in April? And one was a play... and another a middle grade graphic novel.
I have started countless others... but I haven't been able to continue with them...
and then there's this whole blogging thing.... which I LOVE TO DEATH.
It's been a struggle to get myself to open this page, and type some words, and post them... and talk to people... it just hasn't been happening.
Why? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
All I know, is I still love all of you... and appreciate you all immensely. I really hope to be more active next month... I mean... I still have some reviews to write, so hopefully those will be written in May (or they will never be written...) and I hope that I will read more in May....
SPEAKING OF WHICH... I just put a few books on hold at the library!!!
1. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (I'm like number 42... it will be awhile.)
2. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh (Number 28)
3. The Love That Split The World by Emily Henry (#1 woot woot! I'm excited!)
4. The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter (#3 SO EXCITED)
5. The BFG by Roald Dahl (#3 I have been itching to reread this childhood favorite!)
Aaaaannnywwwaaaaaysssssss,
I'm typing this up at like 11:30, and I am exhausted... I'm also rereading Looking for Alaska... hoping it will get me out of Slumptown... (I MEAN ITS MY FAVORITE JOHN GREEN NOVEL BY FAAAAAAR!)
So, my goals for may include:
1. Stress less, read more.
2. Don't let them know that blogging scares you to your core.
3. I want to write more posts.
4. I'm almost graduating, don't mean to boast.
Yo yo yo yo yo What time is it? BLOGGING TIME! HEEEEYYYY! I'm C Roecker and the place to be, I'm spitting out my May goals, and I surely believe. I can do this son, I promise thee, that I will write, and I'll read, and i'll drink more tea?
I tried so hard to rap that I think I lost sight of the bigger picture... I WILL FIGHT THIS BATTLE. I WILL WIN THIS WAR!
Do you guys ever feel this way? What do you do to counteract your slumpy feels? Let me know down in the comments!!!!
P.S. If you have any book recommendations I would LOVE those as well!!!! :) :) :)
Cody @ Roecker Reviews <3
Love y'all!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
THE ISLAND RELEASE DAY BLITZ (BY THE LOVELY SUSH)
Prince Galian is third in line to the throne, but prefers his place as a resident at the Royal Kylaen Hospital. When his father urges him to join the military to help reclaim their colony, Galian is forced to put aside his oath to Do No Harm and fight a war he does not believe in.
Across the great Madion Sea, Captain Theo Kallistrate dreams of a day when she is no longer bound by conscription to fight for her country's independence. But when the Kylaens threaten, honor and duty call her to the front lines to fight off the oppressors.
When an air skirmish goes wrong, both Theo and Galian crash on a remote island hundreds of miles from either nation. Grievously injured, Theo must rely on Galian's medical expertise, and Galian must rely on Theo's survival skills, to live another day in a harsh and unforgiving terrain.
Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive? Or will the war that brought them to the island tear them apart?
Buy The Island for eBook, Paperback, and Hardcover.
- SGR-Pub Paperback / Hardcover / eBook
- Amazon Paperback / Hardcover / Kindle
- Barnes and Noble Paperback / Hardcover
- Book Depository Paperback / Hardcover
- iBooks
Before we get into the actual release day blitz.... can I say how excited I am to read this novel? Because I am! It just sounds phenomenal!!! I really hope this little excerpt you can read in a second helps you get as excited as I am!
Another thing: The author of this book is a lovely person! She is super kind and loves to talk to everyone she meets! I love seeing her posts on twitter discussing things she is passionate about, and seeing her in the Sush Street Team Chats are always nice because you get to see the person behind the author, and she truly does care about every single one of her readers and otherwise! I hope you all give her books a chance because she deserves all of the praise!!!
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveawayThe Island Sneak Peek
Theo
"Yep," he observed, with a smirk on his face. Up close, he was every bit as handsome as I'd seen in pictures. "You definitely got what you deserved. Shouldn't have shot at me." "You shouldn't have invaded my country." His eyes widened for a moment and I thought I'd finally done something to wipe that smile off his face. To my supreme annoyance, he tilted his head back and let out a throaty laugh. "Oh, you are witty," he said, nodding. "And technically right. But it wasn't my decision. I was, as they say, just following orders." "And I was just following orders when I blew you out of the sky." "Aren't we at an impasse then?" He seemed to be enjoying this conversation. He looked down at the side of my ship and read the inscription. "Theo, huh? Well, you must be a pretty high ranking pilot then. I hear the Ravens only allow you to put your name on your ship after you've survived plenty of battles." I moved out of anger, but the pain in my legs came roaring up my body. "Please let me die in peace," I asked, unable to look at him. "Oh, you aren't going to die today. But it would probably be safer if I pulled you out. I don't like the look of that fuel leak." He leaned into my small cabin. If I'd had half a mind, I could've snapped his neck, but it was hard enough just to breathe. He found my seat strap and unhooked it, then lifted me out by my arms. I couldn't help but scream. "Yeow, buddy," he said, stopping. He put one hand over his ear and muttered. "You sure got a girly scream." "My legs are caught. Just leave me here. I'm as good as dead anyway." "Naw, then who am I going to talk to while I wait to get picked up?" He sounded like he was waiting for dinner. "C'mon, we can get you out of here. Just take a deep breath. One…two…" I didn't hear him count to three as he yanked my legs out of the mess and I screamed again, the pain so bad I almost lost consciousness. But, blessedly, it subsided, and the next thing I knew, he was laying me on the ground. "There, now, Theo of Raven, let's take a look at you," he said, taking my helmet off.
Galian
Theo was a girl. A pretty girl. I'd always thought Raven women were more interesting looking than Kylaen women—with their olive skin and black hair, they seemed to draw my attention. And this girl, something about her made my head spin. Even with her mangled, bloody legs. They were a sight: dark red staining her gray jumpsuit. "Thank you, Dr. Maitland," I said, cracking open the bag he'd given me and sliding on the pair of latex gloves. She murmured something. The amount of blood she'd lost was a real concern, and she was most likely concussed. I would worry about the head injury later; it wouldn't matter much if she died from blood loss. "What are you doing?" she croaked. "Pardon the invasion of privacy," I said, flashing her my trademark smile. I unzipped her jumpsuit and pulled it down, exposing a white bra and underwear and nothing else. Immediately, her skin puckered with goosebumps as I tossed away the soaked dark gray suit. "Are you still with me, Theo?" She blinked, but didn't respond. "Okay, I'm going to examine you now," I said, leaning over her bare legs. I pressed my hands to her hips, and she reacted, swiftly, sitting up so fast she nearly whacked her forehead to mine. "Get your filthy hands off of me," she hissed, her breath touching my face.About the Author
S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a “real job” as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.
Evans is the author of the Razia series, Madion War Trilogy, and Empath, published by Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing.
Check her out on the below social medias:
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Science Comics: Coral Reefs Blog Tour: Review
Goodreads link
Synopsis
Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic--dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!
This volume: in Coral Reefs, we learn all about these tiny, adorable sea animals! This absorbing look at ocean science covers the biology of coral reefs as well as their ecological importance. Nonfiction comics genius Maris Wicks brings to bear her signature combination of hardcore cuteness and in-depth science.
REVIEW/THOUGHTS: So today, I get to talk to you all about the first of the Science Comics... CORAL REEFS!
This book is a very informative, very colorful graphic novel that discuss Coral Reefs and their importance to our way of life, how they affect us even if we are over 2000 miles away from them.
I learned so much about Coral Reefs that I never thought to think about! There is a lot that goes into things such as these, the system of lives that the reefs hold and protect. I loved learning about all of the different animals; all of the fish, the coral, the mammals, and all the other sea creatures.
One of the most fascinating things that I was unaware of before was that SAND DOLLARS ARE SEA URCHINS!!!! Just thought that was an interesting fact that you might enjoy hearing about!
So, as I said, this book is beautiful. The artwork is consistent, and cute, and will definitely appeal to a middle-grade age group and shine with the vibrant colors and witty banter. Our narrator is a little Goby fish, and he is sarcastic and constantly breaking the fourth wall by bringing the author in (which I find very clever) and he made the whole experience much more enjoyable than if it was just written more like a research book. The addition of this fish as the narrator really added an heir of engagement that would have been missing otherwise.
Pretty pictures aside, I learned a crap load. I didn't know half of the things that were told me about coral and all these other animals and I am about to graduate high school. This book packs a lot of information in such a small book, but does it extremely well. I felt like every page had something for you to learn! (Especially in middle school)
Something I find important is exposing children to different things at a younger age, and middle school is a great time to have somebody find their passion! If I had this book when I had been in late elementary, early middle school, I may have enjoyed science a LOT more (because I really don't...) I do, however, really enjoy learning about the ocean and marine sciences and just science in the water... So this was right up my alley and I think everyone needs to read this!
My only real complaint was the immense amount of scientific vocabulary (most of which had no pronunciation guide which made it super confusing when I wanted to speak about some of the things I had learned. Whatever, but I think this could be annoying to some kids... Just food for thought!
I highly recommend this for everyone wanting to learn something new, but especially those with a love for oceans and science already. The vivid pictures, and information-filled words masked by an enjoyable narrator will surely appeal to people of all ages. This would do PHENOMENALLY in school classrooms and libraries!
I gave this 3.5 stars on Goodreads! :)
About the Author
Maris Wicks lives in sunny Somerville, Massachusetts. She is the author behind Human Body Theater, as well as the illustrator of New York Times-bestselling Primates, with Jim Ottaviani. When she's not making comics, Wicks works as a program educator at the New England Aquarium. She is quite fond of being in the water, whether it's swimming in ponds or scuba diving in the Atlantic Ocean.dotsforeyes.blogspot.com
Schedule:
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Cody Roecker
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Saturday, April 23, 2016
So I Watched The Last Five Years... And Now I'm Crying...
Okay, woaaaaaaaaah. I just finished watching The Last Five Years starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan!
(YAY FOR NETFLIX!)
Anyways, this movie adaptation of this musical is so beautiful. It is entirely *97%* done in song, and boy is it gorgeous and heartbreaking and lovely and the singing ahhhh the singing.... ITS SO DAMN GOOD.
If you don't know anything about this musical movie, It follows Jamie Wellerstein and Cathy Wyatt (I may have butchered the spellings, but hey...) over the Last Five Years of their relationship. But it does this with a twist....
It begins with Cathy at the end of the relationship.
And Jamie at the beginning of the relationship.
They then meet in the middle.
And god is it perfect! The entire concept is beautiful, in my opinion because it lets us see the many facets of this relationship while keeping us intrigued as to why everything happened the way it is. And no matter the decisions of these characters, and how frustrated you get, (at leas for me) I couldn't help rooting for them. The are fully fleshed out characters, and I want to see these kind of romances in YA fiction today, because it would allow us to see the struggles of a relationship that is trying so desperately to work out, and just isn't.
The music is so hypnotic, and has some of the catchiest songs I have ever heard, I just love them so much.
I particularly like:
Shiksa Goddess (Jamie)
Movin' Too Fast (Jamie)
The Schmuel Song ( Jamie)
Summer In Ohio ( Cathy)
If I Didn't Believe In You (Jamie)
Part of That (Cathy)
That one song at her audition I cannot remember.... xD
Anyways, I just felt the need to post about this.
The story itself is very moving, and soul crushing... It made me feel things I haven't felt in a long time.
I had the pleasure of watching this musical a few months ago at Aloha High School starring Emily Upton and Jerod Packard (keep their names in your head for they will be on broadway someday... I swear) and GOD I JUST CAN'T HANDLE THIS MUSICAL.
Playing these characters on stage, live, is practically impossible because you have to be able to switch inbetween the beginnings of a relationship unto heartbreak, and every little thing inbetween, and goodness that is difficult. This musical has destroyed me, and finally watching the movie version gave me an even better grasp on my love for it, and for Jeremy Jordan (whom I love in Supergirl!)
Please, do yourself a favor. GO WATCH THIS MUSICAL!
Now to go see Jungle Book, because I have been wanting to go see this since it released, and well, a lot longer than that!
Peace guys!
- Cody Roecker <3
(YAY FOR NETFLIX!)
Anyways, this movie adaptation of this musical is so beautiful. It is entirely *97%* done in song, and boy is it gorgeous and heartbreaking and lovely and the singing ahhhh the singing.... ITS SO DAMN GOOD.
If you don't know anything about this musical movie, It follows Jamie Wellerstein and Cathy Wyatt (I may have butchered the spellings, but hey...) over the Last Five Years of their relationship. But it does this with a twist....
It begins with Cathy at the end of the relationship.
And Jamie at the beginning of the relationship.
They then meet in the middle.
And god is it perfect! The entire concept is beautiful, in my opinion because it lets us see the many facets of this relationship while keeping us intrigued as to why everything happened the way it is. And no matter the decisions of these characters, and how frustrated you get, (at leas for me) I couldn't help rooting for them. The are fully fleshed out characters, and I want to see these kind of romances in YA fiction today, because it would allow us to see the struggles of a relationship that is trying so desperately to work out, and just isn't.
The music is so hypnotic, and has some of the catchiest songs I have ever heard, I just love them so much.
I particularly like:
Shiksa Goddess (Jamie)
Movin' Too Fast (Jamie)
The Schmuel Song ( Jamie)
Summer In Ohio ( Cathy)
If I Didn't Believe In You (Jamie)
Part of That (Cathy)
That one song at her audition I cannot remember.... xD
Anyways, I just felt the need to post about this.
The story itself is very moving, and soul crushing... It made me feel things I haven't felt in a long time.
I had the pleasure of watching this musical a few months ago at Aloha High School starring Emily Upton and Jerod Packard (keep their names in your head for they will be on broadway someday... I swear) and GOD I JUST CAN'T HANDLE THIS MUSICAL.
Playing these characters on stage, live, is practically impossible because you have to be able to switch inbetween the beginnings of a relationship unto heartbreak, and every little thing inbetween, and goodness that is difficult. This musical has destroyed me, and finally watching the movie version gave me an even better grasp on my love for it, and for Jeremy Jordan (whom I love in Supergirl!)
Please, do yourself a favor. GO WATCH THIS MUSICAL!
Now to go see Jungle Book, because I have been wanting to go see this since it released, and well, a lot longer than that!
Peace guys!
- Cody Roecker <3
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
WEBSTER UNIVERSITY
I have some super exciting news, which I posted on twitter a couple days ago....
THIS IS GONNA BE MY HOME THIS FALL!!!!!
I have officially committed to Webster University in St Louis Missouri for college! I will be majoring in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing (because that is where my real passion lies)
I hope to go from college to Boston/New York somewhere around there.... to work in publishing. Maybe I will get my graduates degree from Emerson (my original dream school...)
I want to work in publishing, and then become a full time writer, which is my plan and my hopes and dreams for my future. I KNOW I CAN DO THIS!
THIS IS GONNA BE MY HOME THIS FALL!!!!!
I have officially committed to Webster University in St Louis Missouri for college! I will be majoring in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing (because that is where my real passion lies)
I hope to go from college to Boston/New York somewhere around there.... to work in publishing. Maybe I will get my graduates degree from Emerson (my original dream school...)
I want to work in publishing, and then become a full time writer, which is my plan and my hopes and dreams for my future. I KNOW I CAN DO THIS!
This is completely insane, because I have never even been to Webster before... but it just feels like it's going to be home for me.... I have one friend that is going there already, and I KNOW I will be able to make LOADS of friends when I get there too!
This may be one of the most terrifying things I have done... I have some money I need to make (*cough* 13k *cough* EACH YEAR *cough*) yet somehow I know that everything will be okay, and that I will get the money I need, whether it be through loans, and paid later... Scholarships... or whatever else... I CAN DO THIS!
I am so excited to start this new chapter in my life and I cannot wait to meet a bunch of new people!
This takes away copious amounts of stress from my life, because I know what I am doing. I have a plan for my future. I have FOUR MONTHS EXACTLY until move in day (August 20th) and I couldn't be more excited...!!!!!!
Now, I am hunting for ALL OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS and summer jobs! Wish me luck!
Thank you for reading this and sharing the excitement with me!!!!!
- Cody Roecker :) :) :)
Saturday, April 16, 2016
March Wrap Up: Better Late Than Never!
First of all, I would like to apologize for not getting this up sooner. Life has been crazy hectic, and I am now in my final two months of high school.
I have less than half a month to decide where I am going to college.... and that is TERRIFYING.
School is so stressful right now, I have two AP tests coming up on May 4th and May 10th and WHAT IS LIFE. THIS IS CRAZY. THIS WILL SAVE ME MONEY IN THE LONG RUN BUT ALSO WHAT IS LIFE.
Okay, ranting aside, her is my March Wrap Up!
Going back and looking at what I read was insane! I read so much more than I ever expected!
1. I finished Mosquitoland by David Arnold
This quirky debut was well-written and such a comment on the importance of family (at least it was for me... not the main message of the book, or maybe it was?) Anyways, I really enjoyed it. ESPECIALLY the last 40 pages which murdered my feels.
4/5 Stars
2. The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Haddon
This was super interesting, but by the end I didn't feel like anything had really happened.
3/5 Stars
3, Fledgling by Nicole Conway
This book was really quick, and for the most part I enjoyed it immensely, although it was riddled with clichés.
3.5/5 Stars
4. Shadowlands
A quick play about Joy and C. S. Lewis which I highly enjoyed once I got into the story (which took a little too long for a play)
3/5 Stars
5. Fairest by Marissa Meyer
I really, really enjoyed this novel that allowed us to see Levana's motivations. Although shorter than expected, it offered a lot of important information.
4/5 Stars
6. Dreamology by Lucy Keating
I have talked about this book A FREAKING CRAP TON. It is beautiful, it is sweet, it is the stuff of dreams (literally) ;) I cannot recommend it enough.
4.5/5 Stars
7. The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil
Great commentary on societal standards. Loved it.
4/5 Stars
8. A Gathering of Shadows by V E Schwab (Review to come when Annelise finishes it...)
The much anticipated sequel to ADSOM, that was much slower paced, and just as character driven, and ended with an atrocious cliffhanger that has killed me in many, many ways.
4/5 Stars
9. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
I missed the point.
2/5 Stars
10. The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
This book was better than I was expecting for myself, but not as phenomenal as everyone gave it credit for. Don't get me wrong... I REALLY LIKED IT. But the hype was a little much.
4/5 Stars
11. The Misanthrope by Moliere
Quick, enjoyable, for the most part. I don't remember much.
3/5 Stars
12. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
Easily my favorite read of the month. Lyrical, gorgeous, swoon-worthy. My reviews says all. <3
5/5 Stars!
This, was a struggle to write because I have been feeling very, very slumpy lately. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this, and are planning on looking at my reviews as well!
Love you! I hope to have another post/review up soon! (I really, really, hope so.)
Love,
Cody Roecker
I have less than half a month to decide where I am going to college.... and that is TERRIFYING.
School is so stressful right now, I have two AP tests coming up on May 4th and May 10th and WHAT IS LIFE. THIS IS CRAZY. THIS WILL SAVE ME MONEY IN THE LONG RUN BUT ALSO WHAT IS LIFE.
Okay, ranting aside, her is my March Wrap Up!
Going back and looking at what I read was insane! I read so much more than I ever expected!
1. I finished Mosquitoland by David Arnold
This quirky debut was well-written and such a comment on the importance of family (at least it was for me... not the main message of the book, or maybe it was?) Anyways, I really enjoyed it. ESPECIALLY the last 40 pages which murdered my feels.
4/5 Stars
2. The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Haddon
This was super interesting, but by the end I didn't feel like anything had really happened.
3/5 Stars
3, Fledgling by Nicole Conway
This book was really quick, and for the most part I enjoyed it immensely, although it was riddled with clichés.
3.5/5 Stars
4. Shadowlands
A quick play about Joy and C. S. Lewis which I highly enjoyed once I got into the story (which took a little too long for a play)
3/5 Stars
5. Fairest by Marissa Meyer
I really, really enjoyed this novel that allowed us to see Levana's motivations. Although shorter than expected, it offered a lot of important information.
4/5 Stars
6. Dreamology by Lucy Keating
I have talked about this book A FREAKING CRAP TON. It is beautiful, it is sweet, it is the stuff of dreams (literally) ;) I cannot recommend it enough.
4.5/5 Stars
7. The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil
Great commentary on societal standards. Loved it.
4/5 Stars
8. A Gathering of Shadows by V E Schwab (Review to come when Annelise finishes it...)
The much anticipated sequel to ADSOM, that was much slower paced, and just as character driven, and ended with an atrocious cliffhanger that has killed me in many, many ways.
4/5 Stars
9. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
I missed the point.
2/5 Stars
10. The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
This book was better than I was expecting for myself, but not as phenomenal as everyone gave it credit for. Don't get me wrong... I REALLY LIKED IT. But the hype was a little much.
4/5 Stars
11. The Misanthrope by Moliere
Quick, enjoyable, for the most part. I don't remember much.
3/5 Stars
12. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
Easily my favorite read of the month. Lyrical, gorgeous, swoon-worthy. My reviews says all. <3
5/5 Stars!
This, was a struggle to write because I have been feeling very, very slumpy lately. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this, and are planning on looking at my reviews as well!
Love you! I hope to have another post/review up soon! (I really, really, hope so.)
Love,
Cody Roecker
Monday, April 11, 2016
5 Reasons You NEED Dreamology! + 2 CRAZY Dreams!
In honor of DREAMOLOGY's release I was going to create and release PART 2 to my playlist! (Alas, I never finished part two, but it was fun to create!) So instead I am going to link you to Lucy's BEAUTIFUL playlist!!!! for DREAMOLOGY (and boy, don't even get me started on how beautiful it is!!!)
I am also sharing two of my wildest dreams because the dreams that Alice and Max share are a little crazy themselves... :)
Also forewarning, these are OLD dreams, so oftentimes this may not make sense, but I am trying to remember these for y'all!
Dream #1
I awoke to an annoying buzzing near my head, and only noticed the sound to be coming from my phone after the sound had stopped. I turn over onto my side, rolling toward my desk and subsequently, where my phone lay. Picking it up, I check what I missed.
HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO DREAMOLOGY BY LUCY KEATING
Also, that cover! :) <3
Seriously this book... AHHH.
*swoons*
Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble The Book Depository
5 Reasons you NEED Dreamology by Lucy Keating!
1. Swoon-worthy Romance between Alice and the boy of her literal dreams
2. Supporting characters with so much depth and heart, Oliver, my baby <3
3. SUPER interesting Sci-Fi elements reminiscent of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind executed exquisitely.
4. Dream sequences that are beautiful, lyrical, gorgeous and artistic. (Sure, synonyms, but hey PHENOMENAL!!!!)
5. REAL CHARACTERS. REAL. SO REAL. DID I MENTION THE SWOON BECAUSE AHHH.
If those 5 reasons didn't convince you go back and check out my review and playlist, and Lucy's playlist (which I linked above!!!!)
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT NOW!!!!!!!!
Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble The Book Depository
5 Reasons you NEED Dreamology by Lucy Keating!
1. Swoon-worthy Romance between Alice and the boy of her literal dreams
2. Supporting characters with so much depth and heart, Oliver, my baby <3
3. SUPER interesting Sci-Fi elements reminiscent of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind executed exquisitely.
4. Dream sequences that are beautiful, lyrical, gorgeous and artistic. (Sure, synonyms, but hey PHENOMENAL!!!!)
5. REAL CHARACTERS. REAL. SO REAL. DID I MENTION THE SWOON BECAUSE AHHH.
If those 5 reasons didn't convince you go back and check out my review and playlist, and Lucy's playlist (which I linked above!!!!)
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT NOW!!!!!!!!
I am also sharing two of my wildest dreams because the dreams that Alice and Max share are a little crazy themselves... :)
Also forewarning, these are OLD dreams, so oftentimes this may not make sense, but I am trying to remember these for y'all!
Dream #1
I awoke to an annoying buzzing near my head, and only noticed the sound to be coming from my phone after the sound had stopped. I turn over onto my side, rolling toward my desk and subsequently, where my phone lay. Picking it up, I check what I missed.
1 Missed Call from Lacie
I groan, and press the redial button, praying that she isn't asking me something annoying. It rings twice before I hear her on the other line.
"Hi Cody" She says. "Do you want to go to the mall with my Mom and I?"
"I... sure... I guess?" I say.
Next thing I know, we are all hopping in her maroon dodge caravan and we drove down the highway toward what I thought would be Washington Square.... turns out this mall was so much more!
We arrive and the mall itself was MASSIVE and a combination of every mall I have ever seen into one... which is absolutely insane. We walk inside, and decide to take the elevator located to the right of the entrance, down a long corridor and then a sharp left turn. Lacie and I, being quicker than her mom, arrived to the elevator first, and pushed the button to go up. The door opened with a ding and Lacie and I went inside, and stood in the threshold between the mall and the elevator itself.
Immediately, a robot security guard appears from outside the corner, and demands. "Close the door! It is forbidden for anyone to hold the door open!" He sounds human, but is most definitely a robot, or possibly an android. Finding this absurd, we chuckle.
"No, Lacie's Mom is right there!" I laugh at the robot's face.
"Disobeyance of our rules will result in termination." The robots eyes glowed red, and steam released from his many joints and hinges. "Failure to comply in five seconds will result in termination... TERMINATION!"
We thought this was a joke, and it went about our business, until the robot actually began firing at us. Lacie and I shoot off in different directions leaving her mom in the dust.
I run rapidly away from my assailant. The Robot Security Guard (RBS, from here on out.) I swiftly maneuver over ugly carpet that is reminiscent of the airport, through carts in the middle of the walkways, and through the various obstacles standing in my way. Oddly enough, there is nobody around me, anywhere. Just me and RBS. I continue running, until I am out of sight of the RBS, praying that he won't find me, I crouch down behind a See's Candy cart, occasionally peaking out to see if he is getting closer.
Ironically, the RBS looks and speaks human, except for the red eyes, and the fact that he floats silently through the air. Which is probably why I didn't notice him again until the cart I am crouching behind receives a generous hole through the center, just to the left of where I am crouched down.
My breathing becomes heavy, and fear strikes my core like a gong, radiating throughout my body, not ceasing. I begin to run again, hoping that I can escape this stupid RBS, I mean... C'mon... It's stupid enough that I have to deal with a security guard... but because we held open a door for Lacie's Mom? Pure idiocy.
Fast forward a lot of running around, and hiding later... A room covered in a bouncy house appears in front of me, about as big as a school cafeteria. I decide to use it to my advantage, hopping on top of the bouncy house instead of inside. The RBS follows me... hops onto the house as well, and I start to fly a little higher, and I put all my effort into really propelling the RBS away from me. With immense might, I jump harder, knocking the RBS into the ceiling, his head stuck, his body thrashing around attempting to escape.
After I defeated the RBS, I swiftly maneuvered toward the exit. I moved through a Hallmark store, and other stores (reminiscent of Paul Blart: Mall Cop) until I reach the exit. I finally notice the alarms blaring overhead, and other RBS's checking people as they go out, for Lacie, her mom, and I... Sweat glistens on my forehead, illuminating my pale skin.
The RBS near the exit goes to my church, and he is terrifying because his face, now mechanized shows no emotions, only cold, calculated determination.
Somehow I managed to sneak by him (Only heaven knows) and grabbed my phone out of my pocket and began to dial Lacie, to ask where she is, and if she made it out. I dial the number.
I hear the sound of someone on the other line. 9-1-1 What's your emergency?
This dream was INSANE when I had it, had quite a few more action scenes than I can quite remember, it was thriller, on the edge of your seat stuff (possibly because I had watched RED EYE the night before...) Hope y'all enjoyed it... keep reading for one more...
Fast forward a lot of running around, and hiding later... A room covered in a bouncy house appears in front of me, about as big as a school cafeteria. I decide to use it to my advantage, hopping on top of the bouncy house instead of inside. The RBS follows me... hops onto the house as well, and I start to fly a little higher, and I put all my effort into really propelling the RBS away from me. With immense might, I jump harder, knocking the RBS into the ceiling, his head stuck, his body thrashing around attempting to escape.
After I defeated the RBS, I swiftly maneuvered toward the exit. I moved through a Hallmark store, and other stores (reminiscent of Paul Blart: Mall Cop) until I reach the exit. I finally notice the alarms blaring overhead, and other RBS's checking people as they go out, for Lacie, her mom, and I... Sweat glistens on my forehead, illuminating my pale skin.
The RBS near the exit goes to my church, and he is terrifying because his face, now mechanized shows no emotions, only cold, calculated determination.
Somehow I managed to sneak by him (Only heaven knows) and grabbed my phone out of my pocket and began to dial Lacie, to ask where she is, and if she made it out. I dial the number.
I hear the sound of someone on the other line. 9-1-1 What's your emergency?
This dream was INSANE when I had it, had quite a few more action scenes than I can quite remember, it was thriller, on the edge of your seat stuff (possibly because I had watched RED EYE the night before...) Hope y'all enjoyed it... keep reading for one more...
Dream #2
This dream is significantly wilder, and many details of this one, and the last one are hazy, so I have added a couple things in here that make sense to the dream. (I don't know where this one began, so I'll write about the first part I remember)
My parents are kicking me and my brother out. They are putting us on the streets, to fend for ourselves... Because he has turned into a werewolf/bear and I have turned into something other. We are no longer human, and because of this, we can no longer live with them. They don't trust us, so we are alone, together, but altogether alone.
For some reason our house has two front doors, and I am sent through one, and my brother is sent through the other... I receive an apple on my side of the door, and decide not to eat it because I am not the biggest fan of apples. I quickly make the decision to investigate the other side, to see what my brother received, and all I see are crushed up bits of pretzel, and regret my decision to leave the apple behind, because when I return to the front door I exited from, the apple is gone.
My brother succumbs to the werewolf curse, turning into his full form the moment the moonlight hits him. Even though it's early in the morning, and light outside, he still shifts. I am a giant blob of I have no idea what but it's terrifying to think about. On the bright side, I now know all. I am capable of telling just about anything. I notice every little thing around me, and am able to figure it all out, all of the answers to anything asked of me. Or so I think.
Originally it was nighttime, but it becomes light outside, and my brother is still in his shifted form, snarling, teeth barred, dangerous. He takes off his shoes that the curse had already broken through, and as I attempt to communicate with him through telepathy Riley! Can you hear me? He throws one shoe at me, and roars followed by galloping away in a frenzy toward the park near our house. I follow him, almost floating, but more likely rolling.
Out of the sky, and giant rocket train falls down, propelling rapidly towards the ground, toward me, towards our home. And directly before it hits the ground and explodes, it jerks upward, landing safely. But it proceeds to fold in on itself. It is rapidly getting smaller length wise, making it difficult to hop onto the train, which my brain was telling me I needed to do, or else. It continued moving in on itself, and I wanted to hop on, but I was afraid. I finally managed to do so in it's final rotation.
Phew I thought, quickly looking at my surroundings. The inside of the rocket-train was reminiscent of a RV with chrome insides, and the front of the bus looking like a cockpit of an airplane, technologically sound and fancy.
Inside the rocket-train besides my brother and I are two twin girls, witches of a sort, who have this book, a tome almost, that hold the power to control destiny. Whatever they write in the book, comes true. Tricky thing is, each copy is completely unique, and morphs to the person that grabs it, feeding off of their energy. There is a snarky old man, with horns, and a tail. Quite wild.
The driver/pilot/whatever-you-want-to-call-him's voice blares over the loud speakers above our heads. "Welcome, my dears. I would like you to know that I am taking you to a facility/factory where we will be testing each of you to help understand what is going on in your genetics, and how you turned out the way you are. It will be painful, but don't worry..." He pauses.
We all start raising a commotion, the girls eyes light up in purple hue. The old mans horns light on fire, and my body turns a bright blue, from it's usual clear blubber.
"Oh wait," He says. "You should worry." And we hear maniacal laughter from the cockpit area.
A different voice appears after. "Thomas, stop taunting out guests." The voice booms, deep. "Treat them kindly, they are the last people you will ever see."
"W-what?" He stammers. "Dad, what are you talking about?"
He realizes what's happening. "Dad, I don't have control over the vehicle anymore. What's going on? Dad? Dad?" Still no answer. "DAD?!?"
"I had to dispose of you somehow, Thomas, you disgrace of a son, you meaningless piece of shit."
"B-b-but... D-d-dad! I'm doing this for you! Let me continue to help you!" Thomas pleads.
"It's too late, son." And he cackles like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Thomas opens the door to the cockpit, screaming in fear, in pain, his world flooding in emotion, pure feeling. "I'm sorry." He speaks to us. "I didn't want to hurt you. Please forgive me."
The rocket-train continues upon the path that we were going on, going slightly to the right. We were heading on a runway, like an airplane (somehow magically, this is a dream its not supposed to make sense) until we went over a bump and slid farther to the right, sliding down into a ravine. We hit the bottom, and we were on another planet, crashed, stuck, immobile.
My world went black, and when it came back to me, Someone had released my giant blubbery butt from the rocket-train onto this planet, where there were goblins that were working on building some special contraption.... (Enter World of Warcraft looking Goblins that you battle if you are a Night Elf on that one shore... with the fisherman and stuff... ) and if you moved they would attack you. So we were quiet, staying away from them.
I hooked my magic tentacles (What? turns out I have those too) and hook them onto the rocket-train in attempt to learn more about where we were and provide power to the rocket-train, but as more of my tentacles connected, the more I learned, the brighter I glowed. and I drew their attention....
They turned in unison, and fired.
I know I left out quite a few details, but this was fun for me to write. I hope y'all like it! Let me know down below!!! :) GO READ DREAMOLOGY NOW!!!! (PLUS, THE DREAMS ARE SO GOOD. SUCH BEAUTY.)
- Cody Roecker :) <3
Originally it was nighttime, but it becomes light outside, and my brother is still in his shifted form, snarling, teeth barred, dangerous. He takes off his shoes that the curse had already broken through, and as I attempt to communicate with him through telepathy Riley! Can you hear me? He throws one shoe at me, and roars followed by galloping away in a frenzy toward the park near our house. I follow him, almost floating, but more likely rolling.
Out of the sky, and giant rocket train falls down, propelling rapidly towards the ground, toward me, towards our home. And directly before it hits the ground and explodes, it jerks upward, landing safely. But it proceeds to fold in on itself. It is rapidly getting smaller length wise, making it difficult to hop onto the train, which my brain was telling me I needed to do, or else. It continued moving in on itself, and I wanted to hop on, but I was afraid. I finally managed to do so in it's final rotation.
Phew I thought, quickly looking at my surroundings. The inside of the rocket-train was reminiscent of a RV with chrome insides, and the front of the bus looking like a cockpit of an airplane, technologically sound and fancy.
Inside the rocket-train besides my brother and I are two twin girls, witches of a sort, who have this book, a tome almost, that hold the power to control destiny. Whatever they write in the book, comes true. Tricky thing is, each copy is completely unique, and morphs to the person that grabs it, feeding off of their energy. There is a snarky old man, with horns, and a tail. Quite wild.
The driver/pilot/whatever-you-want-to-call-him's voice blares over the loud speakers above our heads. "Welcome, my dears. I would like you to know that I am taking you to a facility/factory where we will be testing each of you to help understand what is going on in your genetics, and how you turned out the way you are. It will be painful, but don't worry..." He pauses.
We all start raising a commotion, the girls eyes light up in purple hue. The old mans horns light on fire, and my body turns a bright blue, from it's usual clear blubber.
"Oh wait," He says. "You should worry." And we hear maniacal laughter from the cockpit area.
A different voice appears after. "Thomas, stop taunting out guests." The voice booms, deep. "Treat them kindly, they are the last people you will ever see."
"W-what?" He stammers. "Dad, what are you talking about?"
He realizes what's happening. "Dad, I don't have control over the vehicle anymore. What's going on? Dad? Dad?" Still no answer. "DAD?!?"
"I had to dispose of you somehow, Thomas, you disgrace of a son, you meaningless piece of shit."
"B-b-but... D-d-dad! I'm doing this for you! Let me continue to help you!" Thomas pleads.
"It's too late, son." And he cackles like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Thomas opens the door to the cockpit, screaming in fear, in pain, his world flooding in emotion, pure feeling. "I'm sorry." He speaks to us. "I didn't want to hurt you. Please forgive me."
The rocket-train continues upon the path that we were going on, going slightly to the right. We were heading on a runway, like an airplane (somehow magically, this is a dream its not supposed to make sense) until we went over a bump and slid farther to the right, sliding down into a ravine. We hit the bottom, and we were on another planet, crashed, stuck, immobile.
My world went black, and when it came back to me, Someone had released my giant blubbery butt from the rocket-train onto this planet, where there were goblins that were working on building some special contraption.... (Enter World of Warcraft looking Goblins that you battle if you are a Night Elf on that one shore... with the fisherman and stuff... ) and if you moved they would attack you. So we were quiet, staying away from them.
I hooked my magic tentacles (What? turns out I have those too) and hook them onto the rocket-train in attempt to learn more about where we were and provide power to the rocket-train, but as more of my tentacles connected, the more I learned, the brighter I glowed. and I drew their attention....
They turned in unison, and fired.
I know I left out quite a few details, but this was fun for me to write. I hope y'all like it! Let me know down below!!! :) GO READ DREAMOLOGY NOW!!!! (PLUS, THE DREAMS ARE SO GOOD. SUCH BEAUTY.)
- Cody Roecker :) <3
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Excerpt #2: The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler
ABOUT THE QUEEN’S POISONER:
As usurper of the throne, the rule of King Severn Argentine’s is already highly contested. To keep his power, King Argentine rules with an iron fist and destroys any opposition. In a failed coup attempt the Duke of Kiskaddon loses his son as a permanent prisoner to the king to ensure his loyalty.
THE QUEEN’S POISONER follows the Duke’s young son Owen on his journey for redemption and revenge as he figures out how to survive the court of Kingfountain. In order to keep his head and gain the merciless king’s favor, Owen must delve deeper into the world of mystery and secrecy that surrounds him. Readers will be clamoring for the next installment of The Kingfountain Series.
Excerpt 2: Chapter 17
A sound whispered from the corridor behind him. It was a footfall. Not the sound of a boot in the corridor beyond the wall. The sound of someone approaching within the tunnel. It was coming from behind him.
The queasiness blossomed inside Owen and a cold sweat started on his brow. Going back was no longer an option. The tunnel was narrow and there was no place to hide, so Owen hurried forward, hoping to find an escape into the main palace corridor. It would be infinitely better to be punished for wandering the hall at night than to be caught in the Espion corridor. His little heart started to hammer wildly in his chest and the blackness in front of him became even darker somehow.
He heard the footfalls again, coming closer.
The boy was starting to panic. Ankarette had warned him this could happen. She had told him it was dangerous to wander the tunnels alone and that he needed to be very cautious and always listen for sounds that were out of place. Such as the footfalls behind him.
The narrow pinch of the corridor suddenly filled in ahead of Owen, the walls closing like an arrowhead. It ended abruptly and finally. It was a dead-end.
WANT MORE INFORMATION? Here's the first post where I introduced the book!
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Monday, April 4, 2016
Excerpt #1: The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler
ABOUT THE QUEEN’S POISONER:
As usurper of the throne, the rule of King Severn Argentine’s is already highly contested. To keep his power, King Argentine rules with an iron fist and destroys any opposition. In a failed coup attempt the Duke of Kiskaddon loses his son as a permanent prisoner to the king to ensure his loyalty.
THE QUEEN’S POISONER follows the Duke’s young son Owen on his journey for redemption and revenge as he figures out how to survive the court of Kingfountain. In order to keep his head and gain the merciless king’s favor, Owen must delve deeper into the world of mystery and secrecy that surrounds him. Readers will be clamoring for the next installment of The Kingfountain Series.
Excerpt 1: Chapter 28
The wild frenzied feeling of plummeting reminded him partway down that he should be terrified, but then the shock of cold water met his face and he plunged into its depths. His feet touched the bottom of the cistern. His hand still gripped hers.
Owen opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by a pile of treasure. He felt a huge burst of excitement in his ribs as he stared at the sword hilts, the jewels and necklaces. The Mortimer girl was tugging at his hand and trying to swim up, but he pulled back, not wanting to lose sight of the treasure. There was so much! But then he noticed something awry. There was a gap in the treasure, as if someone had dragged a rake through it. No, that wasn’t it. One of the chests appeared to have been dragged back towards the stairs. The dragging motion had cleared a path through the bounty and knocked other bits over.
His companion was yanking hard on his hand now, and when he looked up, he saw bubbles were coming out of her mouth, obscuring her face.
Owen wanted to stay down and figure out what had happened to the treasure, but they both needed to breathe. He pushed with his legs and they started towards the surface. As they moved through the water, a loud grinding noise filled his water-soaked ears.
When Owen’s face broke the surface, he gulped in a chest full of air to stop his lungs from burning. The Mortimer girl was spluttering and paddling on the waters.
“Owen! Did you hear that noise?”
Owen looked and saw they were farther away from stairs. In fact, they were gliding away from it at a fast pace.
“What’s wrong?” Owen asked, kicking around. The water was tugging them deeper into the dark cistern.
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Sunday, April 3, 2016
State Thespian Festival: State Wars!
This is the first time I have missed a Sunday for my Poetry sequence on the blog, but sadly, I do not have any poetry I find worthy of showing at all.... So maybe I'll continue it next week, maybe I'll start a new sequence... Are you all interested in something? Let me know!
From March 31st to April 2nd I went to Oregon's State Thespian Festival in Salem, Oregon and got to have loads of fun at my final conference of my high school career, and most likely my last one ever.
Not only does that bring some sad thoughts to the forefront of my brain, it really allows me the opportunity to reflect on the future and that's terrifying... but before I get to that... I am going to tell you a little about my little weekend! :)
First, we all piled onto the bus at 8:30am on Thursday morning... from Hillsboro to Salem... on the bus ride, we had a jolly good time and such and we stopped at IHOP (The International House of Pancakes, for those of you who do not know what IHOP is.) And I got to eat my FAVORITE pancakes ever... The Cinna-Stack pancakes, which is basically a cinnamon roll in pancake form, so duh I LOVE IT.
I mean LOOK at it! The structure is so beautiful and the designs are intricate and awestrucking.
There we watched our first show which was entitled Radium Girls and this was from Ashland HS in Southern Oregon! :D
I really liked this one. If you don't know, Radium Girls were female factory workers that contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with self-luminous paint. The production was well acted, even if the script itself wasn't terribly interesting. The history behind it all really made me like it more than I would have if this was a hypothetical thing. The reality makes it more meaningful and impactful. I thought it was phenomenal. Amelia Sorenson, pictured in the center below, played Grace Fryer and was showcased many times throughout the festival... She was PHENOMENAL, and I cannot wait to see where her talent takes her!
After the show, half of us went back to the hotel while the other half went to the dance. Me, being who I am, went back to the hotel... and played Cards Against Humanity... And basked in the inappropriate things and everyone's glorious reactions. :)
We didn't get to sleep until about 2 in the morning that day, but it was well worth it, even if we had to get up to leave at about 7/7:30.
We ate a "continental breakfast" including yogurt, danishes, and oatmeal, plus coffee or orange juice. Although it was minimal, it was enough.
That morning April 1st we returned to the Elsinore and got to watch another fantastic show!
Middletown from Sunset High School! My goodness, did I LOVE Middletown. It reminded me of Our Town by Thornton Wilder... and I LOVE Our Town, so getting to see this was phenomenal and it killed me in all of the best ways, I shed more than a few tears.
I honestly cannot explain the show to it's justice, and I recognize that it is not for everyone, but it was entirely for me. :) I think that the show can be well received if seen by the right audience, sadly I am not sure how large that audience actually is.
Middletown deals with some harsh topics and makes jokes to lighten depression and suicidal thoughts/attempts, and I can see why some people could get easily offended by it... But there was something mesmerizing about the entire thing... Maybe it was because the characters wholly reminded me about one of my best friends, Mike, but it could be for other reasons as well.
Honestly, I just connected with it, and I thought it was INCREDIBLY acted.
After that beautiful show, that about a quarter of our troupe liked, the other 3/4 hated... We went to watch Lydia's (a girl from our troupe that placed in script writing) one act entitled Ten Minutes. And it was so great to watch Lydia's genius be performed on stage! During that section of the festival we also got to watch a few others... I feel it is very important to recognize the accomplishments of Liberty High School's The Labyrinth that was also student written, and portrayed a controlling, abusive relationship between two teenagers PHENOMENALLY. Sahara is such a great actress that will no doubt go far in anything she puts her mind to, I respect her, and think she is such a kind person.
There were a couple of other shows during the one act sessions that I loved the messages from.
We went out to lunch afterwards and we ate Sushi at O'Sushi! I found my favorite roll, (It's called the Vegas roll, if you care... :) And it was so much fun! I also got to try more of the Japanese Soda, which I appreciate!
Dinnertime I ate at this Middle-Eastern place that I do not quite remember the name of... Al Aqsa (I think) And I had a Falafel Gyro WHICH ARE WONDERFUL HOLY CRAAAAAP.
The night show was a musical entitled Once On This Island. <3 And this was presented by Clackamas High School. They can SIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGG! OH MY GOD!!!!
I couldn't help thinking of one of my friends, and it made me really enjoy it. It felt like a very folksy fairy tale and I highly enjoyed it. It was extremely well sung and acted and the entire message was beautiful.
Here's a poster for it... and instalove aside, it was really, really good!
Put me in a really good mood!
I am going to fast-forward to Saturday and skip the rest of that night because it was practically the same as the night before....
We watched one acts (and they were super good!) again, including our one act entitled Bite Me! (It was funnnyyyyy!) I then won my Neighbourhood tickets! (and that was hassle. I thought someone stole them pretending to be me... I ended up getting them so I got stressed and angry for nothing!)
We later got to watch the 2016 State Showcase including some WONDERFUL scenes, a hilarious scene from Parallel Lives about the creation of men and women (I died laughing), two GREAT large group musical numbers, Toledo Surprise from The Drowsy Chaperone and A Musical from Something Rotten!
Honestly, State is just one of my favorite experiences and I wouldn't trade it for Hamilton tickets.... (AND THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING) I just love all of the people I get to meet... :)
And as I finish writing this post, I am just so happy to have experienced all of this, and am so happy to know so many more wonderful people!
This was so much fun to write, and I really hope you guys have learned about a new show! I highly suggest them all. I love talking about theatre and I really want to judge competitions at some point!
Love all of you!
- Cody :)
From March 31st to April 2nd I went to Oregon's State Thespian Festival in Salem, Oregon and got to have loads of fun at my final conference of my high school career, and most likely my last one ever.
Not only does that bring some sad thoughts to the forefront of my brain, it really allows me the opportunity to reflect on the future and that's terrifying... but before I get to that... I am going to tell you a little about my little weekend! :)
First, we all piled onto the bus at 8:30am on Thursday morning... from Hillsboro to Salem... on the bus ride, we had a jolly good time and such and we stopped at IHOP (The International House of Pancakes, for those of you who do not know what IHOP is.) And I got to eat my FAVORITE pancakes ever... The Cinna-Stack pancakes, which is basically a cinnamon roll in pancake form, so duh I LOVE IT.
From there we drove to our hotel, a very shifty, all-kinds-of gross motel that probably didn't even get a half of a star... But it was cheap, so whatever. There we drop our luggage off, spend a little time relaxing, and headed over to the Salem Convention Center (also the location of the expensive, comfortable hotel...)
We watched some tech design presentations, and a plethora of other things including group acting, duo comedic acting, duo dramatic acting, duo musical, small group musical, large group musical, pantomime and a few other things as well. They were PHENOMENAL!!!!
We spend the vast majority of the day there breaking for dinner, where I got to eat at a DELICIOUS barbecue place in Salem. I ate a Philly Brisket Sandwich with Hushpuppies and Sweet Potato Fries, and boy was that filling and wonderful in every single way!
After dinner we walked about a mile over to the Elsinore Theatre, which is GORGEOUS
After dinner we walked about a mile over to the Elsinore Theatre, which is GORGEOUS
I mean LOOK at it! The structure is so beautiful and the designs are intricate and awestrucking.
There we watched our first show which was entitled Radium Girls and this was from Ashland HS in Southern Oregon! :D
I really liked this one. If you don't know, Radium Girls were female factory workers that contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with self-luminous paint. The production was well acted, even if the script itself wasn't terribly interesting. The history behind it all really made me like it more than I would have if this was a hypothetical thing. The reality makes it more meaningful and impactful. I thought it was phenomenal. Amelia Sorenson, pictured in the center below, played Grace Fryer and was showcased many times throughout the festival... She was PHENOMENAL, and I cannot wait to see where her talent takes her!
After the show, half of us went back to the hotel while the other half went to the dance. Me, being who I am, went back to the hotel... and played Cards Against Humanity... And basked in the inappropriate things and everyone's glorious reactions. :)
We didn't get to sleep until about 2 in the morning that day, but it was well worth it, even if we had to get up to leave at about 7/7:30.
We ate a "continental breakfast" including yogurt, danishes, and oatmeal, plus coffee or orange juice. Although it was minimal, it was enough.
That morning April 1st we returned to the Elsinore and got to watch another fantastic show!
Middletown from Sunset High School! My goodness, did I LOVE Middletown. It reminded me of Our Town by Thornton Wilder... and I LOVE Our Town, so getting to see this was phenomenal and it killed me in all of the best ways, I shed more than a few tears.
I honestly cannot explain the show to it's justice, and I recognize that it is not for everyone, but it was entirely for me. :) I think that the show can be well received if seen by the right audience, sadly I am not sure how large that audience actually is.
Middletown deals with some harsh topics and makes jokes to lighten depression and suicidal thoughts/attempts, and I can see why some people could get easily offended by it... But there was something mesmerizing about the entire thing... Maybe it was because the characters wholly reminded me about one of my best friends, Mike, but it could be for other reasons as well.
Honestly, I just connected with it, and I thought it was INCREDIBLY acted.
After that beautiful show, that about a quarter of our troupe liked, the other 3/4 hated... We went to watch Lydia's (a girl from our troupe that placed in script writing) one act entitled Ten Minutes. And it was so great to watch Lydia's genius be performed on stage! During that section of the festival we also got to watch a few others... I feel it is very important to recognize the accomplishments of Liberty High School's The Labyrinth that was also student written, and portrayed a controlling, abusive relationship between two teenagers PHENOMENALLY. Sahara is such a great actress that will no doubt go far in anything she puts her mind to, I respect her, and think she is such a kind person.
There were a couple of other shows during the one act sessions that I loved the messages from.
We went out to lunch afterwards and we ate Sushi at O'Sushi! I found my favorite roll, (It's called the Vegas roll, if you care... :) And it was so much fun! I also got to try more of the Japanese Soda, which I appreciate!
Dinnertime I ate at this Middle-Eastern place that I do not quite remember the name of... Al Aqsa (I think) And I had a Falafel Gyro WHICH ARE WONDERFUL HOLY CRAAAAAP.
The night show was a musical entitled Once On This Island. <3 And this was presented by Clackamas High School. They can SIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGG! OH MY GOD!!!!
I couldn't help thinking of one of my friends, and it made me really enjoy it. It felt like a very folksy fairy tale and I highly enjoyed it. It was extremely well sung and acted and the entire message was beautiful.
Here's a poster for it... and instalove aside, it was really, really good!
Put me in a really good mood!
I am going to fast-forward to Saturday and skip the rest of that night because it was practically the same as the night before....
We watched one acts (and they were super good!) again, including our one act entitled Bite Me! (It was funnnyyyyy!) I then won my Neighbourhood tickets! (and that was hassle. I thought someone stole them pretending to be me... I ended up getting them so I got stressed and angry for nothing!)
We later got to watch the 2016 State Showcase including some WONDERFUL scenes, a hilarious scene from Parallel Lives about the creation of men and women (I died laughing), two GREAT large group musical numbers, Toledo Surprise from The Drowsy Chaperone and A Musical from Something Rotten!
Honestly, State is just one of my favorite experiences and I wouldn't trade it for Hamilton tickets.... (AND THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING) I just love all of the people I get to meet... :)
And as I finish writing this post, I am just so happy to have experienced all of this, and am so happy to know so many more wonderful people!
This was so much fun to write, and I really hope you guys have learned about a new show! I highly suggest them all. I love talking about theatre and I really want to judge competitions at some point!
Love all of you!
- Cody :)
Book Blitz: The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler
Today I get to bring to you a book I am personally super excited for and it released just two days ago on April 1st! Not only does is the cover GORGEOUS, but the book sounds so intriguing and offers a promising world with rich characters....
And below is a whole lot of information regarding The Queen's Poisoner, an excerpt, and even a little giveaway for all of y'all :)
ABOUT THE QUEEN’S POISONER:
As usurper of the throne, the rule of King Severn Argentine’s is already highly contested. To keep his power, King Argentine rules with an iron fist and destroys any opposition. In a failed coup attempt the Duke of Kiskaddon loses his son as a permanent prisoner to the king to ensure his loyalty.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Wheeler took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to become a full-time author. He is, most importantly, a husband and father, and a devout member of his church. He is occasionally spotted roaming among the oak trees and granite boulders in the hills of California or in any number of the state’s majestic redwood groves. He is the author of The Covenant of Muirwood Trilogy, The Legends of Muirwood Trilogy, the Whispers from Mirrowen Trilogy, and the Landmoor Series.
Excerpt from THE QUEEN’S POISONER:
I hope you all are as excited about this as I am! I will be posting another excerpt tomorrow sometime so lookout for that! Let's buy this book guys! It sounds phenomenal and I cannot wait to get reading!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And below is a whole lot of information regarding The Queen's Poisoner, an excerpt, and even a little giveaway for all of y'all :)
The Queen’s Poisoner
Book 1 of The Kingfountain Series
By Jeff Wheeler
Book 1 of The Kingfountain Series
By Jeff Wheeler
“Wheeler (the Covenant of Muirwood series) [takes]a long, deep look into a young character and his circumscribed world—an unusual move for a first book in a series…the emotional range and insight he convincingly portrays in his child hero make for a political drama that can entice adult and teen audiences alike.”
– Publishers Weekly
– Publishers Weekly
ABOUT THE QUEEN’S POISONER:
As usurper of the throne, the rule of King Severn Argentine’s is already highly contested. To keep his power, King Argentine rules with an iron fist and destroys any opposition. In a failed coup attempt the Duke of Kiskaddon loses his son as a permanent prisoner to the king to ensure his loyalty.
THE QUEEN’S POISONER follows the Duke’s young son Owen on his journey for redemption and revenge as he figures out how to survive the court of Kingfountain. In order to keep his head and gain the merciless king’s favor, Owen must delve deeper into the world of mystery and secrecy that surrounds him. Readers will be clamoring for the next installment of The Kingfountain Series.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Wheeler took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to become a full-time author. He is, most importantly, a husband and father, and a devout member of his church. He is occasionally spotted roaming among the oak trees and granite boulders in the hills of California or in any number of the state’s majestic redwood groves. He is the author of The Covenant of Muirwood Trilogy, The Legends of Muirwood Trilogy, the Whispers from Mirrowen Trilogy, and the Landmoor Series.
To learn more about Jeff Wheeler visit his website:
www.jeff-wheeler.com
www.jeff-wheeler.com
You can follow him @muirwoodwheeler
Excerpt from THE QUEEN’S POISONER:
“But the king’s army prevailed after all,” Eleanor said weakly. “And now he thinks you a traitor.”
“From where I sat, it looked like Horwath would be destroyed. The men were fighting slothfully. No one’s heart was in it to defend Ceredigion from the invader. But then the king summoned his knights and rode into battle himself. The conflict was raging below them when they made their charge. I watched it, Eleanor. There were only twenty . . . maybe thirty knights in all, but they came like a flood. As if the very Fountain were driving them. They clashed with lances and swords. The king himself unhorsed his enemy and then jumped from his injured horse and killed the man with his own sword. The invaders swarmed him, but he fought as if he had the strength of a dozen men. They fell away from him, and when they saw his triumph, Horwath’s men became demons!” His eyes were wide with shock and amazement. “Severn defeated them by himself. Even with his twisted leg and his hunchback, he was unstoppable. I rode hard to join the fray and helped capture the fallen army. The king’s crown had fallen from his head during the fighting and I found it in a hawthorn bush. I told him . . . I told him that I was loyal.” His face went white.
Eleanor felt her knees losing strength. She clutched to her husband, as if they were alone on an island and the waves of the sea were crashing around them, trying to drag them into the surf. Her ears were ringing with the words.
“The king ordered Jorganon’s death. He mocked me, saying perhaps I still had sons to spare. And so he sent Horwath with me to bid you the tidings. Thus sayeth King Severn Argentine to the Lady Eleanor Kiskaddon: Choose you another son to be hostage, to live in the palace of Kingfountain under His Majesty’s wardship. Prove your good faith and obedience. Pick the son who will stand as surety for your house.”
Lady Eleanor would have fainted, but she somehow managed to keep her feet. She looked up at her husband. “I must trust that man with another of my children?” Her heart hammered violently in her chest and she quailed under the weight of her grief. “That . . . that . . . butcher?”
“Stiev Horwath has come to bring the child to Kingfountain,” her husband said, his look full of misery. “If we do not choose, he will execute our entire family for treason now.”
Lady Eleanor sobbed against her husband’s chest. It was a choice no mother should be forced to make. Should she sacrifice one child so that all the others might live? But King Severn was ruthless and cunning. Would the child she selected be the only of her children to survive?
She wept bitterly, swallowed by grief and unable to think. Who could she part with? Why had the choice even been given to her if not to make her suffering more acute? She hated the king. She hated him with all her passion, all her grief. How could she decide such a thing? How would she hand one of her boys over to a man who had murdered his own brother’s sons? The king’s hands were so wet with blood a trail probably dribbled wherever he went.
In her grief, she did not hear the door open or the soft padding of feet. She did not notice until Owen’s arms wrapped around their legs.
He squeezed them both so hard, and though she could not hear any words, she could imagine his thoughts, his childlike attempt to comfort them. There, there, Maman, Papan. There, there! It will be all right, Maman, Papan. There, there!
She stared down at her son, her innocent son. And then a memory stirred.
A memory of the royal midwife who had saved his life.
Her chest became tight with anticipation. Perhaps she could get a secret message to the sanctuary of Our Lady, a plea to protect her son, the boy who had been saved once before. She could endure the separation, the despair, so long as she could cling to a thread of hope.
She knew that a thread was all she could expect.
“From where I sat, it looked like Horwath would be destroyed. The men were fighting slothfully. No one’s heart was in it to defend Ceredigion from the invader. But then the king summoned his knights and rode into battle himself. The conflict was raging below them when they made their charge. I watched it, Eleanor. There were only twenty . . . maybe thirty knights in all, but they came like a flood. As if the very Fountain were driving them. They clashed with lances and swords. The king himself unhorsed his enemy and then jumped from his injured horse and killed the man with his own sword. The invaders swarmed him, but he fought as if he had the strength of a dozen men. They fell away from him, and when they saw his triumph, Horwath’s men became demons!” His eyes were wide with shock and amazement. “Severn defeated them by himself. Even with his twisted leg and his hunchback, he was unstoppable. I rode hard to join the fray and helped capture the fallen army. The king’s crown had fallen from his head during the fighting and I found it in a hawthorn bush. I told him . . . I told him that I was loyal.” His face went white.
Eleanor felt her knees losing strength. She clutched to her husband, as if they were alone on an island and the waves of the sea were crashing around them, trying to drag them into the surf. Her ears were ringing with the words.
“The king ordered Jorganon’s death. He mocked me, saying perhaps I still had sons to spare. And so he sent Horwath with me to bid you the tidings. Thus sayeth King Severn Argentine to the Lady Eleanor Kiskaddon: Choose you another son to be hostage, to live in the palace of Kingfountain under His Majesty’s wardship. Prove your good faith and obedience. Pick the son who will stand as surety for your house.”
Lady Eleanor would have fainted, but she somehow managed to keep her feet. She looked up at her husband. “I must trust that man with another of my children?” Her heart hammered violently in her chest and she quailed under the weight of her grief. “That . . . that . . . butcher?”
“Stiev Horwath has come to bring the child to Kingfountain,” her husband said, his look full of misery. “If we do not choose, he will execute our entire family for treason now.”
Lady Eleanor sobbed against her husband’s chest. It was a choice no mother should be forced to make. Should she sacrifice one child so that all the others might live? But King Severn was ruthless and cunning. Would the child she selected be the only of her children to survive?
She wept bitterly, swallowed by grief and unable to think. Who could she part with? Why had the choice even been given to her if not to make her suffering more acute? She hated the king. She hated him with all her passion, all her grief. How could she decide such a thing? How would she hand one of her boys over to a man who had murdered his own brother’s sons? The king’s hands were so wet with blood a trail probably dribbled wherever he went.
In her grief, she did not hear the door open or the soft padding of feet. She did not notice until Owen’s arms wrapped around their legs.
He squeezed them both so hard, and though she could not hear any words, she could imagine his thoughts, his childlike attempt to comfort them. There, there, Maman, Papan. There, there! It will be all right, Maman, Papan. There, there!
She stared down at her son, her innocent son. And then a memory stirred.
A memory of the royal midwife who had saved his life.
Her chest became tight with anticipation. Perhaps she could get a secret message to the sanctuary of Our Lady, a plea to protect her son, the boy who had been saved once before. She could endure the separation, the despair, so long as she could cling to a thread of hope.
She knew that a thread was all she could expect.
I hope you all are as excited about this as I am! I will be posting another excerpt tomorrow sometime so lookout for that! Let's buy this book guys! It sounds phenomenal and I cannot wait to get reading!
Have a great day/night guys!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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