Tis done!

Last night I submitted my capstone project for my Master's program. It may not have been a thesis, but it was a challenge. I'm finishing my last class, which looks like it ends at the end of July, and then I'll be done. That is assuming that everything is satisfactory.

This project was really stressful for me. I had less than a month to complete it, which is a fair amount of time. The difficulty arose when I started working on one of the choices and couldn't figure out how to do it. I knew what I needed to do but just couldn't conceptualize it. I contacted my advisor after a week and a half of trying to figure it out and while I got the answers I needed, he mentioned that the time might be too short to continue that option and suggested doing the case study review. I didn't really want to do the case study review, but I conceded that it would be easier to plan.

I must have been really bad at reading instructions because I didn't see that each case study review (we had to choose three) could only be 1200 words (about two single spaced pages). My response to the first case study was over 1800 words and my second was 1600. Luckily I read the instruction again before starting on the third, so that on is closer to 1000. It didn't take long to cut the other two back to just under 1200 by chopping a couple of paragraphs and cleaning up the others. In the long run it was good. I finished up the other components of the project Monday night and spent last night just doing a final proofreading before sending it off a day early.

I will gladly and willingly acknowledge divine intervention in this case. A week and a half before the deadline I was stressed beyond breaking. At one point I was hyperventilating so bad that my fingers went numb. I just felt like I was getting pulled so many directions (I had a big project due in my class, was trying to give my family the time they needed, and was feeling pressured in my church responsibilities. Angel helped me calm down and reminded me that I had her full support. I couldn't have done this without my wife. I also took it to the Lord in prayer. I can attest that every time I started my nightly work with a prayer I was able to focus better, remember resources, and was generally vastly more productive than when I didn't. As my mother always taught me, "Pray like it's all up to the Lord than work as if it's all up to you." It works. This capstone project is proof. Ten days ago I was a wreck and was considering taking off work in order to finish it. Last night, I watched Ocean's 11 with my wife a still had time to play a game before bed after submitting it.

And the greatest blessing in regards to my Master's. No student debt. Never let it be said that God is not mindful of his children.

Crazy three weeks

Tomorrow my final capstone paper for my masters is due. Needless to say the last three weeks have been a little crazy. I'm happy to say that I finished the paper last night, despite what I thought would happen last week, and will be proofreading and submitting it tonight. This will free up my time so I hope to return to my blogs (and finish my last class).

I do have two books that I've listened to and need to review, but I've decided to wait until I finish the third book (I'll be getting it on the 26th). That way I'll be able to review the series and not worry about giving spoilers. I'm currently listening to The Three Musketeers and enjoying it quite a it. However, I'm not quite half way through and almost everything that usually happens in the movies has already occurred, so I'm excited to see how it will go.

Father's Day was good. I got a new battery for my phone and a new cookbook - America's Test Kitchen's complete cookbook. I'm very excited. I've already made cream cheese brownies and they were GOOD!!! I need to find some more recipes to make. I'll be uploading some pictures of the worksheets the kids did at church that talk about how awesome I am. Last year's were great and this year just about keep up.

Book Review - The Seventh Sigil. The Dragon Brigade book three by Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes

It's rough when you have to wait for a book to come out. While I'm not likely to be one of those that swears off reading a series until it's done, I know a fair number that claim to have. I was very pleased when my usual trip to the library was rewarded with seeing this one on the shelf. Truth be told, I had forgotten a lot of what had happened in the last book, but it quickly came back to me as I started in. The book went well and I enjoyed finishing the trilogy. The conclusion was satisfying, although I'm sure that some may take issue with it. A lot is left open but this story is concluded. I would enjoy reading more in this world - it was creative and different. All in all, I enjoyed the book and was glad I was able to get to it between classes.

Plot: As the world goes to pieces so are the people and institutions upon it. The Bottom Dwellers are preparing to launch a full out war with the countries above and don't seem to care that their actions may destroy the world. Our heroes are faced with the option to sink into the Breath or unite with their enemies to save what and who they can. Stephano is tasked by the king who disgraced his father with leading the assault on the sunken island home of the Bottom Dwellers while Dubois and Sir Henry plot together, trying to find a way to save Freya from "falling without a shot." What's more, Brother Jacob has learned the secrets of contramagic, despite it being considered heresy, and in the process may destroy the very church he left his country for. What's more, Miri and Gytha, Stephano's fellow memebers of the Cadre of the Lost, have been taken to the sunken island along with the royal Rosian princess. But not far behind is the Countess Cecile de Marjolaine is not far behind.

My personal favorites: The characters continue to be awesome, each with their shining moments. Not to mention we get to see Brother Barnaby again and he is just as angelic and refreshing as before. Like I mentioned, I liked the ending of the series, including the way the relationships resolved themselves. All in all, it was a great trilogy.

Considerations: There was a lot of references to the blood magic and the unpleasant nature of it. Again, though, the descriptions were not gratuitous or too graphic. There was no sensuality to speak of, so if you were okay with the first two books, you won't find any surprises in this one.\

I enjoyed the read and while I am glad to have the story line resolved I wouldn't mind seeing other stories in this world. Definitely give it a try now that all three are out. To the total length was 528 pages.

Audible Book Review: Sky Raiders, Rogue Knight, and Crystal Keepers, by Brandon Mull; the Five Kingdoms, books 1-3

Fablehaven, and Beyonders are two excellent young adult series. Brandon Mull does a good job of putting his characters in incredible situations and taking the reader for a ride. Five Kingdoms doesn't disappoint. Which similar to the other books in that our main character is experiences a "fish out of water" experience, the world (or worlds) of the five kingdoms gives Mull a chance to really tell different kinds of stories with each book. Here are links to the Audible pages for Sky Raiders, Rogue Knight and Crystal Keepers. They are all ready by Keith Nobbs who does a good job of it.

Plot: Cole is your normal Arizona teenager who likes to hang out with his best friend, Dalton, and has a worked his long time crush, Jenna, into a good friend (but he DOESN'T have a crush on her). Life is normal, but normal lives make boring stories. Halloween night sees them checking out a local haunted house when nightmares become real. Captured by slavers from a strange world called The Outskirts Cole, Dalton, Jenna, and a couple dozen of their classmates are hauled off to a place out of dreams. Their dream, however, is more of a nightmare. The Outskirts consists of five kingdoms, each with its own kind of magic - called shaping, and its own cultures. It turns out that people from our world tend to have extraordinary shaping abilities and the High King has a big interest in collecting those with power. Cole, however, will not meet the High King because he is bought by a representative for the Sky Raiders, a group of wild individuals that scout out and ransack floating sky castles on the edge of the world. The job is dangerous - Seriously. Cole is nearly killed in his first mission and they say it only gets worse from there.

But Cole is not only determined to survive but to find a way to free his friends. While with the sky raiders he learns of the nefarious deeds that the High King perpetrated on member of his own family that enabled him to seize control of the five kingdoms. Cole joins forces with the rebellion in an attempt to help establish a government that will stop the slavery of outsiders and free his friends. As he and his new friends travel the five kingdoms in search of those with the power to challenge the High King they uncover a hidden layer of power that is more threatening then the High King. Along the way Cole catches hints of where his friends may be and despite the challenges he is determined to free them and find a way home.

My personal favorites: Sometimes it's hard to put my finger on exactly what I like about Brandon Mull's books. His characters are good, his world building is fantastic, and his magic if fun. the same can be said of many other authors as well. As I ponder on Mull's writing I come to the conclusion that he is one of the few authors that can really pull off "surprising, yet inevitable." That is, the art of plotting a twist that comes at you sideways but leaves you saying, "I should have seen that coming." I'm never sure what to expect when our heroes come to a tight spot. He writes young adult, but is not afraid to throw more mature concepts and conflicts into his writing, while keeping the books age appropriate. He writes in an unapologetic style, meaning you may not like the ending but your desires are not going to interfere with his story. With that said, I like the direction his stories go and while Beyonders tends to garner the most ire from readers, I personally really liked it.

Considerations: Nothing in the writing itself is questionable or objectionable to young adult readers. Some of the themes of loss, death, being unable to return home, and slavery may be lost on younger readers (older middle grade). The characters don't always act their age - a common issue I have with the vast majority of young adult. But let's face it, an honest portrayal of teenagers would be hard to get through. For evidence I submit Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - It took me three tries to get into that one.

Brandon Mull has another great series with Five Kingdoms. I was a little hesitant at first, I think because it sounded too much like Beyonders, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm looking forward to the last two books (Mull has mentioned that there will be five books). The first book was just over 12 and half hours, the 2nd was just over 13 and a half hours, and the third was just over 13 hours.

Audible Book Review - William Shakespeare's Star Wars: The Jedi Doth Return by Ian Doescher

A long, long time ago, in a playhouse far, far away.... And we have the conclusion to the original trilogy of Star Wars by William Shakespeare (as written by Ian Doescher). The Jedi Doth Return was a lot of fun and, like the other two books, does a great job of mixing 15th century with sci-fi. Here is a link to Audible's page for the book. The usual cast returns and continues to do a great job. Ian Doescher tries to make each book bring something new to the story. I liked the way he did Jabba and the ewokes. I also like the depth he gives us into the characters, as dramatic as it is. All it all, I enjoyed the production.

Plot: Luke and his friend have two missions. First, to rescue Han from the nefarious gangster Jabba the Hutt, a task made difficult by Jabba's cunning and resources. Second, thwart the empire in completing their second, more powerful Death Star. Along the way Luke comes to embrace his heritage and seeks his father's redemption. Everything hinges on the actions and success of a few brave souls and their drive to see evil destroyed.

My personal favorites: Jedi continues the excellence in the performance, giving us heroic heroes and dastardly villains - all portrayed as if on stage. I like trying to identify the different styles that Doescher uses for the different cultures and characters. The battle of the fools is great as well - using the Shakespearean understanding of "fool." This is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy and I appreciate the commentary at the end.

Considerations: There is nothing in this production that I consider questionable or offensive. However, if you don't like Shakespearean language, you might have a problem with it.

This was a great listen and while I have seen the books, I will probably keep to the audio. Shakespeare wrote for a performance, and even I struggle to read him. The total production, with afterwards, was just over 3 and a half hours.

Audible Book Review - Dracula by Bram Stocker (Audible Edition)

I haven't read a lot of classics. It's a major failing. However, one of them was Jane Erye, by Charlotte Bronte. When I asked my mother if it was considered a Gothic novel her reply was, "It's what Gothic novels aspired to be." With that said, one of the other classics I've read was Dracula by Bram Stocker. It may be considered the epitome of the Gothic novel. I know it wasn't the first story about vampires, but it was a rather defining one. I read it for a class in college and while I was hesitant I came to love it. With my over active imagination I never read it after 3:00 pm (yes, I was a 20+ year old college students), but I loved it. I've re-read it a couple of times since then. This last time I found a free copy on the kindle store, and said, why not? Come to find out, with some books, if you own the kindle version, Audible (which is owned by Amazon as you probably know) will give you a deal on the audio version. I scooped it up for 99 cents and while I didn't listen to it at once, I enjoyed it when I did. Here is a  link to the Audible page for the book. There are several versions of the book on Audible - let's face it, it's a classic and has been done several times. The version I got was a multi-cast recording, with each character having their own unique voice which helped add to the story. Led by Alan Cummings and Tim Curry (who doesn't have many lines), the other narrators were: Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Susan Duerden, John Lee, Graeme Malcolm, Steve Crossley, Simon Prebble, James Adams, Nicola Barber, Victor Villar, Mare Vietor, and John Lee. They all did a great job and I really enjoyed the production.

Plot: Johnathan Harker is a new solicitor in his firm and has been sent to Transylvania (a mountainous region of Romania) to meet with Count Dracula. The Count wants to come to London and experience modern 19th century life. However, Johnathan begins to believe that the Count is going to imprison and eventually kill him as a way of keeping some deep secret. Anxious to see his fiancee, Mina Murray, Johnathan chances a daring escape. Mina herself is having difficulties with her best friend, Lucy Westenra. Lucy, always a restless sleeper, has wandered from her bed several nights now and appears to have caught a disease that leaves her pale and weak. Three men who have all courted her and loved her have donated their own blood to help her, yet it does not appear to be enough. Something is afoot and Mina is worried because she has not heard from Johnathan for a while as well.

My personal favorites: It is important to remember that the people who first read this book probably had little idea of vampire lore like we do today. Putting aside the current romantic idea of the vampire, Dracula is an awesome force of nature whose tells and give-a-ways. The first time I read the book I was screaming at Johnathan to pay attention to what was happening and to run, but of course the characters have no idea the danger they are in. I also find the character of Renfield interesting. The production was well done as well.

Considerations: This is a story about blood and death. There are some disturbing scenes but nothing related is over the top. As the story is written in the forms of letters and journal entries the descriptions are those of someone reflecting on the situation. I wouldn't have a problem recommending it to anyone who feels comfortable with Gothic novels or the idea of vampires.

I look forward to re-listening to this during Halloween or other times when the mood takes me. the production was well done and the story is still one of my favorites. The total length was just under 15 and a half hours.

Book Review - Scorpion Mountain by John Flanagan, Brotherband Chronicles book 5

My wife is about ready to start the latest book by John Flanagan, Scorpion Mountain, so it's probably about time that I review it. One thing I like about Flanagan is that his books are clustered in shorter story lines that cover a book or three and then they jump to the next interesting part in the characters' lives. Scorpion Mountain finishes out the Heron's time as duty ship to the Araluen king. It appears that Flanagan is ending these the Heron's story lines with a saga, written by the crew and sung at a feast. I like it as it matches the culture and enhances the world. I will agree with Hal about the quality of the sagas, but Erak is too much fun to watch during them that I hope he continues doing that way.

Plot: Hal and the crew are back from Socorro with the freed slaves in hand when they finally have a chance to present themselves to the king. While there they happen to meet Princess Cassandra and save her life. The adventures of her young earned her some enemies (see Erak's Ransom, Rangers Apprentice book 7). There is a group of assassins that won't rest until they've killed her and that is has got to stop. Gillian is charged with the mission as the usual candidates are managing something else. Hal and the Heron's are to take him to Arridia as well as provide him with any military support he needs. It's a big job but they've got to do it somehow.

My personal favorites: I love how the characters keep evolving. This book gives us a look into Invgar's mind as the nearly blind strong man, as well as let's Jasper have some fun. Sometimes it's easy to forget the other characters with Hal, Stig, Thorn, and Lydia, but Flanagan gives us some good reminders that the rest of the crew is just as cool as our four commanders. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the way they figured everything out.

Considerations: Like Flanagan's other books, this book is a great middle grade/young adult book that I don't have any difficulty in recommending to anyone.

I enjoy Flanagan's books and look forward to reading this one to my kinds when they are just a little older. The total length was 480 pages.