I'm Meandering At Book Journey This Morning

While Sheila from Book Journey is away on vacation, she asked a couple of us to babysit the blog for her.  Today is my day, so please feel free to drop by and see what I'm up to today.

Wordsmithonia Is 5 Years Old Today!!!

I'm trying to remember back to July 18th, 2009, and I'm having a hard time doing so.  So many thing in my life have changed since then, I wouldn't even recognize the person I was then.  I had been hanging out on the Barnes & Noble Book Club pages, which are now defunct, for a year or two by then, and a few of my friends on there had started blogging.  My wonderfully talented friend, Deb of Book Magic, looked like she was having so much fun with it, that I felt I was missing out on something.  

When I first typed the words, Let The Maiden Voyage Begin, and hit the publish button, little did I know that I would still be doing this five years later.  I wouldn't still be here if it hadn't been for the wonderful reception I was given by fellow bloggers, both established and those who were just getting started themselves.  Everyone was accepting of the new kid on the block, and they were always willing to answer any questions I asked, no matter how small.  Overall the book blogging community is a terrific group of people, and I couldn't ask to be in better company.

Even when I hit my low point last year, and would disappear for weeks or months at a time, you guys were always here.  You gave me encouragement when I came back, and offered support when you found out the reason behind my absences. I couldn't be more thankful for you guys, if it weren't for you, I'm not sure I would have found the strength and energy to come back this year.  I love you all, and I hope we have each other in our collective lives for years to come.

I can't wait to see what the next five years has in store for the blog, and for me personally.  I'm hoping that the we both continue to grow, and that you guys continue along for the ride.

Since I've never shared my stats before, but I'm thinking after 5 years, I should share some of the raw numbers.  So that's the way I'm ending this Thank You Letter to all of you guys, showing off my crazy math skills.  Okay, maybe just my crazy being able to read numbers skill.

I've published 1,183 posts, and those posts have generated 10,120 comments.

There have been 431,760 page views.

The five posts with the most views are:

TV Guide Picks TV's 60 Nastiest Villains - 38,917 views
Simcha's Favorite Fictional Character --- Tom Sawyer - 15,807 views
10 More Of The Sexiest Vampires - 5,820 views
Favorite Fictional Character --- Pepe Le Pew - 5,445 views
Favorite Fictional Character --- Willow Ufgood - 5,194 views

I've reviewed about 383 fiction books, 43 nonfiction books, 20 movies, and 1 CD.

The five most reviewed authors are:

Agatha Christie: 32
Mary Roberts Rinehart: 22
Robert Jordan: 14
Mercedes Lackey: 14
Jacqueline Winspear: 9

I've done 177 Favorite Fictional Character posts, highlighting a total of 232 characters.

I've done 9 guest posts for other blogs, and I've had 29 posts written by other bloggers, posted to the blog.

How much I love you guys: To Infinity and Beyond!

Do I Have to Turn 37?

So I'm trying to figure out if I want to turn 37, but then I realized I really don't have a choice.

Wordsmithonia Turned 4 Years Old! (11 Days Ago)

So I'm not sure how I missed it, but the blog turned four on July 18th.  I'm really thinking I need to call it my three and eight tenths birthday though.  I just don't feel, well I know, that I haven't been around that much this year.  A lot of changes have taken place in my personal life, changes that have taken over my entire life, including my time to blog.  I feel as if I owe you guys an apology for not being around as much.  

I haven't had the time to post as much as I would like, and I really haven't had the time to comment nearly as much as I used to.  So for that, I'm sorry.  I keep thinking the time will come back to me, and in part, it has.  I need to recommit myself to you guys to do a better job over the next year, and give you guys a reason to keep coming back.

I also owe you guys a huge thank you for sticking with me over the years.  Your friendship and support means more to me than I can ever truly express.  I adore every single one of you and if I could, I would give you a huge hug to let you know how much I do appreciate you.  I hope you continue to stick with me, that you will keep coming back, and that you forgive my lack of comments on your own blogs.  I read more than I comment right now, and you guys never fail to teach or entertain me.  I love you all, and I hope you guys know how much.

One Last Break to Go Out of Town for Work......

I seem to be interrupting our regularly scheduling programing quite often this year.  So for that, I apologize.  As of yesterday I am out of town, training for my new job.  I'll be back in town for good the evening of the 7th, but I'll need a few days to catch my breath.  I appreciate you guys sticking by me as I keep leaving the blog on the wayside.  I promise that as soon as things settle down, I'll be back posting on a regular basis.

So, I'm Back.... Kinda, Sorta

Things are starting to calm down a bit down.  I've moved into my new apartment, finally found a new job (keeping my fingers crossed that nothing happens to mess that up), and I'm starting to feel a bit better about the direction my life is taking this year.

I had to leave the computer alone for a bit, mainly so I could focus on what was going on in my life.  I experienced a few setbacks earlier, and I needed to be able to get things back on track.  I'm hoping that that direction is finally turning and that I'll be able to focus on the things I enjoy doing again.

I have a review coming up later on today, and I hope I'll be able to get some other posts done and scheduled for later on in the month.  I'll be away for a bit, hopefully training for my new job, but I think once I get into the swing of things, the blog will come back into focus.

Thank you for sticking with me over the last few months.  Your support and encouragement mean more than you will ever imagine.

Real Life Is Taking Over

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know that I may be M.I.A. over the next week and a half.  Real life seems to be taking over again, which means I'm going to have to be away for a bit.  That probably means I won't be on Facebook either, but hopefully things will be in much better shape once I do come back.

If for some bizarre reason I'm not back within the next few weeks, I will find a way to let you guys know that it may take a bit more time.  I don't want anyone to worry about me, I'm hoping everything will work out and I will be able to resume my life right back the way it was.

Take care of yourselves, and I will see you on the other side.

So I'm Signing Up For Bloglovin

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3841370/?claim=cntfg52c7bg">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

With all the changes coming down the road in the next few months, I'm trying to find new ways for you guys to follow the blog.  I've seen quite a few bloggers sign up for Bloglovin, so I figured it may be an avenue to explore.  There will be a button on the sidebar as well for anyone who chooses to follow the blog this way.

If you guys know of any other ways, or anything else I can do to make it easy to follow, please let me know.

By the way, the stupid code at the top, I can't get it to where it creates a link, but it seems to be working all right anyway.  So sorry about the messy looking post.

10 Books + Island, With A Twist

The other day, my good friend Yvette of in so many words.... did a post on the 10 books she would want with her on a desert island, a different planet, or spending eternity at an empty diner.  Well I was able to answer that question pretty quickly, and we actually had two books in common.  We both picked Watership Down by Richard Adams and Dracula by Bram Stoker.  

My additional books were:  Omnibus edition of the Last Herald Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, Gillespie and I by Jane Harris, The Thief of Always by Clive Barker, and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

However, that's not the point of this post.  Picking your 10 favorite books, the only books you would want for the rest of your life, it's pretty easy.  I think most of us, though we would have to do some weeding, could come up with that list fairly quickly. 

The question I think is harder to answer, and the question I'm answering with this post is, of all the books you have never read, which 10 would you want with you the day you became stranded on a desert island?  I think our TBR lists, our wish lists, are way bigger than any of us would consider healthy.  So trying to narrow that list down is a bit harder, at least for me.  What makes it even harder is that, on any given day, a few of the books my change on us.

So with no further ado, these are the books I would pick, as of right now:

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis

Dragonwyck by Anya Seton

Curtain by Agatha Chrisite

Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie

Under the Sea-Wind by Rachel Carson 

Le Morte D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I'm Back

If you couldn't tell by the title of the post, or the lovely image above this sentence, I'm back and I would like to welcome all of you back to Wordsmithonia.

When I decided to take a break in January, I pretty much had it in my mind that I wasn't going to come back.  I was stressed out over how much I had not been getting down on here, I was annoyed by the whole job situation (which still has not be solved), I was just getting over the flu, and I was missing my reading habits and life before blogging.  What I did not count on at the time, was how much I would missing being here and interacting with all of you.

Even the decision to come back, wasn't easy.  For that matter I'm having second thoughts as I'm typing this, but I know that I'm not ready to say goodbye right now.  I can't promise that I'll be here in 5 or 10 years, or even that I'll be here next year.  What I do know, is that I want to be here, in this moment in time, keeping the blog going is the right decision for me to make.

Even though I'm coming back, I'm still going to be cutting down.  I will no longer be doing memes, so Mailbox Monday is gone, and even the feature I started, Favorite Fictional Character, will continue to be on hiatus.  I may, occasionally, still post one of my favorite characters, but it will not be every week.  Tyring to come up with that many characters, week after week, has been a lot of work.  And while I love every character I have highlighted, I still need a break from them.  I am open to resuming it as a weekly feature at some point in time, but I'm not sure when I'll be up to doing that.

For the most part the blog will focus on reviews, mainly of books I want to read for myself, not because I agreed to review them.   I have decided to accept review requests from only two sources, and will be taking fewer of them.  I want to get back to reading the books for the love of reading, which means I will get to reread more often, and spend more time with my favorite authors, genres, and characters.

When I first made the decision to come back, I was not going to write reviews for the books I read over the break, and I read quite a few.  But I figured that since I'm more often to watch a movie right now, over reading, I will go ahead and write those reviews, so you guys have posts to read.  And speaking of movies, it's been a long time since I've done a movie review, and I will probably start doing them again.  Not often, but whenever I watch an old favorite, or see a new movie, that I have something to say about.

So I will stop myself from rambling any further, and would like to finish by saying Thank You.  Thank you for being patient with me, thank you for allowing me the time to find my love of blogging again, and thank you for giving me your support, checking in with me over the last month and a half, and just being there.  It means more to me than I can ever truly express.  Thank you.

Time To Say Goodbye.... Hopefully Not For Forever

I guess there is no easy way to start this post off, so I guess I just have to jump right into the thick of things.  For a while now, I've had a war raging within my head on whether or not to continue this blog after almost 3 and a half years.  I don't love it anymore.  A lot of the time, I'm not enjoying it at all.  It's been feeling like an unpaid job for a while now, but I've been fighting against that feeling.  I kept telling myself that my lack of enthusiasm or enjoyment, were temporary.  That the love would come back to me all at once.  Sadly, that hasn't been the case.  I'm not feeling that love, I've actually been avoiding other people's blogs because of that.  It's hard to read blogs, knowing I have posts to write, posts I almost dread doing.

Then the last 2 weeks happened, which helped cement my decision to do this.  Some of you may know that I got the flu last week so I spent a lot of time in bed, watching Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and just vegging out.  It's been over three years since I've done that.  I didn't realize what other interests I had been ignoring because I had books I needed to read, or felt as if I needed to write reviews for every book I read.  I miss just watching TV, not reading a book.  I miss reading a book for the simple pleasure of reading, not thinking about what I'm going to say about it once I'm done reading.  I miss reading not being a job.

To add to the confusion, I've also just been dealt a blow at work, so I need to get out and start figuring out what I'm going to do.  There are some things going on at home that need more attention and may affect me greatly in the months to come, not in a good way.  I feel as if I need to get my life back, and cutting the blog out for now, is a step in that direction.

Now I'm not willing to say that this is over, that I'm done for good.  The plan right now is to take the rest of this month and all of February off.  Within the first few days of March I'm going to reevaluate the way I'm feeling and what I'm willing to do with the blog, if anything.  If I'm still in a holding pattern, I'll do the same thing for the next two months.  I'm hoping that won't be the case though.  Hopefully, by the end of Feb. I will know for sure, whether or not I want to keep Wordsmithonia going, or hang up the closed for business sign for good.

I appreciate and love the community I have found over the last three years, and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.  I have met some wonderful bloggers, many of whom I count as friends now, and I hope to continue those relationships, regardless of the final outcome.  I would love for anyone that I'm not already friend with on Facebook, to send me a friend request.  If you can't find me, email me and I will send you the direct link to my page.

I thank all of you for the support and love you have shown me over the years.  I will never be able to express how much your comments and feedback have meant to me.  I will say you won't be getting rid of me all together though.  I think this decision will allow me to blog read and comment, without feeling guilty about my own blog, so I will be visiting a lot more often.

Hopefully this won't be goodbye for forever, either way I will be back here at the beginning of March to let you know what's going on.  For now, take care of yourselves and I will see you around the blogosphere.

Love you all,

Ryan

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

Well it's that time of year again.  The weather is getting cooler, the Christmas decorations have been up in the mall for weeks now, and I've been listening to Christmas music for about as long.  Christmas is made even better by the wonderful books I get to read.  Whether the book is about the meaning of Christmas, the retelling of a favorite Christmas tale, or even peppered with the occasional yuletide murder, I like nothing more to curl up on the couch, sip some hot chocolate, and delve into the pages.  Of course if it's snowing outside, all the better.  

My fabulous friend, Michelle of the True Book Addict, has had a Christmas Blog, The Christmas Spirit, for years now. For the last few years, she has hosted a Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge, that I look forward to every year.  Needless to say, I'm on board once again.  I'm going to be signing up for the Mistletoe Level and since Christmas would not be Christmas without the wonderful movies, I'll be doing Fa La La La Films as well.  So I will let Michelle tell you all about it.

It's the fourth year of theChristmas Spirit Reading Challenge! Like last year, there are multiple levels for participation, like children's books and watching Christmas movies.  So, something for everyone!

Now, on to the details and sign up:

• challenge will run from Monday, November 19, 2012 through Sunday, January 6, 2013 (Twelfth Night or Epiphany).
• cross over with other challenges is totally permitted AND encouraged!
• These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and for the first time...a children's Christmas books level!
• visit this POST for a list of new Christmas books for 2012.  There are a lot of good ones coming out this year, including the new Richard Paul Evans novel, A Winter Dream (I just got it yesterday!).
• Levels:

            --Candy Cane:  read 1 book
            --Mistletoe:  read 2-4 books
            --Christmas Tree:  read 5 or 6 books (this is the fanatic level...LOL!)
          Additional levels:
            --Fa La La La Films:  watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies...it's up to you!
            --Visions of Sugar Plums:  read books with your children this season and share what you read
          *the additional levels are optional, you still must complete one of the main reading levels above

• the most important rule?  Have fun!!!
• I will have a review linky posted as a page the day the challenge starts.  You will find it at the top of the left sidebar.
• Sign up in the linky below (link to your post with your reading list...you can change up your list during the challenge...I just want to be able to stop by to welcome you and see what you plan to read).

One final note:  I am going to do a giveaway of a mystery box of Christmas books to participants in the U.S. (At the moment, I'm not sure on an International prize because of finances, but if I find that I can afford it, I will pick an International winner and they can choose a Christmas book (under $10 or three bargain books for $10, if they're running the promo at the time) from Better World Books.  Giveaway will end at the end of the challenge.  

Word Verification.... Sorry But I Have To

I didn't want to do this.  I've held out putting it back on for a while now, but I can't handle the spam anymore.  It's gotten to the point that I'm receiving almost three hundred spam messages a day.  I've tried to be patient with it, but it's taking too much time to delete them from my email and from the spam filter on the blog.  I'm hoping if I use the word verification for a few months, that the spammers will give up and I can go back to not using it.  I know it's a hassle, especially now that they have added the number, but I hope you guys are patient with me.

Happy Halloween

I Hope Everyone Has A Safe And Fun Halloween!

By the way, I have a guest post at Castle Macabre, the horror blog that my good friend Michelle has.

Carol's Favorite Fictional Character --- Miss Scarlet

We have reached the last guest post of the year, and Carol of Carol's Notebook, has chosen to present a truly fabulous character.  For those of you who may not be familiar with Carol or her blog, you are really missing out on something great.  She is such a warm blogger, one who's personality oozes off the screen.  She brings us into her life and allows us to share in her daughter's artwork, share a favorite meal, or go on vacation with them.  She writes terrific book reviews, I can't even begin to tell you how much she has added to my wish list.  She also features her own writing, folk tales, and board game reviews, which I must admit to being one of my favorite features.  It's that love of games, that makes this guest post shine even more.  So please, after  reading this post, head on over to her blog, and say hi.

It’s hard to choose a favorite fictional character, the list of potentials is just so long, from distinctive detectives to a talking frog, from vampires to all-American girls, but there’s one character I’ve loved since childhood, the first femme fatale I knew – Miss Scarlet, from Clue. First, you have to know that I love mysteries, and have for as long as I can remember. My family and friends, both when I was a child and now as an adult, have always played board games and it only makes sense that Blue was one of my favorites. You get to be the detective, trying to figure out who killed Mr. Boddy before anyone else solves the case.  Of course, there’s always the potential that you yourself are the murderer, but that just adds to the suspense. And the character I always chose was Miss Scarlet.

Miss Scarlet’s mysterious, sexy, dangerous, a woman who keeps her own secrets. And her color in the game is red, of course, to match her name, but it also fits her personality, at least in my mind, passionate, more than capable of killing Mr. Boddy, either in moment of rage or as part of a calculated plan.

She has evolved over the years. I guess in 1949, the first British version of the game, she was actually a blonde, but the two versions I’m must familiar with are the original American Scarlett and the Master Detective version from 1988. I still own that game, although no one ever wants to play it with me- more rooms, more suspects, but not as “strategic” as a lot of the newer games out. Miss Scarlet’s personality is even more flushed out in Master Detective.  She’s known as the “Mercenary of Macao,” and is willing to do anything for money. And she’s still smoking here too, which kind of surprises me.  Of course, I guess that was 15 years ago, and we were a little less politically correct when it comes to smoking in kids shows and, apparently, board games.

Through all her incarnations, though, Miss Scarlet is deliciously charming, alluring, and deadly. She’s the kind of woman who could lure you into the library and then shoot you point blank. Or maybe poison. I never thought she would be one to bash Mr. Boddy over the head with a candlestick though or beat him to death with a pipe – just too messy.

Now that I’ve got Miss Scarlet and Master Detective Clue on my mind, I may have to play tonight. I wonder if I can convince my daughter and husband. She can be Miss Peach and he can be Professor Plum.

Terri's Favorite Fictional Character --- Girl at the Window

Whenever I have a hankering for a well written review by someone who I admire and respect, I head on over to Terri's blog, Alexia's Books and Such.  I'm pretty sure I've been following her blog from the very beginning, though I could be off by a week or two.  I don't remember what brought me to her blog, but I've been grateful for it ever since.  Terri has become a good blogging friend, someone who's opinion I will take to heart. She has shown me nothing but kindness, and I thank her for it.  And for this post, she is breaking a boundary that has not been crossed before on this blog.  She is charting new territory when it comes to Favorite Fictional Character posts, and I have a feeling it's territory I will be visiting myself someday.  So please go by her blog and say hi and great job.

This is a Salvador Dali painting, most commonly known as "Girl at the Window."

Seems an odd choice for a Favorite Fictional Character post, doesn't it? A moment in time captured in a painting. An unknown character with an unknown story. How can this be a Favorite Fictional Character? Glad you asked!

When Ryan asked me if I'd be interested in doing one of these posts for him, he said that there were no limitations on where the character could come from and that books, movies, TV shows, poems, songs, or even artwork were all on the table. Artwork? Color me intrigued! And what better artwork to feature than one of my favorites?

I found a poster of this piece many years ago, lying on the floor, at a warehouse sale. Had no idea who he artist was or the title, but I knew that I had to have it!  It "spoke" to me (plus, it was blue and I knew it would look good in my bathroom).  It quickly became my favorite poster!

As you might have guessed from my avatar, there's something about staring out a window that I love....the longing for what's out there....wanting to explore new horizons...wondering if the grass is really greener over the next hill? I have spent plenty of time staring out windows over the years, so I identify with this unknown girl.

I love this picture. Who is the girl? Is she longing for far horizons? I think that she's been at the window for awhile and didn't just stop by to check the weather, as she looks like she's settled in. See how she's leaning on the sill and one of her legs is bent? Like she's shifting her stance to find a more comfortable position. Like she's spent hours at that window....

I think that she certainly qualifies as a FFC, in that I'm able to come up with my own stories for her. Has she had a rough day and wants to escape? Is she just a daydreamer? Does she have itchy feet and longs to travel? I see all of that....and more. Am I nuts and it's just a girl standing at a window? Can you feel her longing? What do you see when you look at this picture?

Guest Post At The Christmas Spirit

My good Friend Michelle of The Christmas Spirit, and tons of other blogs, asked me to come by and talk about some of my favorite Christmas Cards, Edward Gorey fans will love my choices.  Please come on by and check it out.

Peanuts or Romance? Why Pick Only One!

Can I just say I think it's really funny of me to write about something I haven't done yet.  It's now day 5 of my staycation, and I have no clue what I'm going to do.  I would like to say that I will sit back, relax and take it easy, but I'm pretty sure that won't be what I do.  Today will probably be the day I get caught up on the house cleaning I avoided the day before.  I may end up doing laundry, always a good time.  For that matter I may break down, fire up the computer, log into my blog and write a review or two that are due later this week.  Either way, I'll probably start getting myself ready for returning to work on Thursday.  I love my job, so by now, I'm probably itching to get back to it.  Though I do understand the need to step away from it for a few days and recharge.

Today, I would like to turn the blog over to a blogger that I'm had pleasure of knowing from almost the beginning, and if I had a long lost sister out there, Michelle would be her.  Michelle of The True Book Addict, and about a million other blogs, has truly become one of my favorite people on the face of the planet.  She is an amazing blogger, writer, mother, and friend who has the energy of a hundred other people going at full steam.  She juggles more than I can ever fathom, and she never drops a ball.  I admire and respect her and I hope we stay friends for years to come.  Now that I'm done gushing about her, go on over to her blog and say hi.

I'd like to thank my good friend, Ryan, for having me as a guest today.  Now, since it's summer, I thought I would share a bit of nostalgia from the summers of my past.  When I was a preteen, and in my early teens, I went through a period of habitual summer reading.  Summer used to be my favorite season (until I moved to the South with the sweltering summer climate) and I looked forward to it every year.  My main focus in the years I mentioned above was getting plenty of sun and doing lots of reading.

My first order of business was to pull out my set of Peanuts books by Charles M. Schultz.  I had the whole set and they looked just like this image.  The books were full of the comic strips that Schultz wrote and I would spend hours reading these and laughing my butt off.  Snoopy never failed to crack me up.  I usually managed to read the whole set every summer and, you know what?  I still have this entire set.  My mom saved them and they have been enjoyed by my sister's kids and now mine.  Who knows...maybe I'll get them out this summer and bring back a tradition.

My other young adult summer reading habit is a bit strange to me now because I really have not had much use for romance novels for a very long time.  But back then, I had a thing for....Harlequin Romances.  Eek! I'm serious.  I had a stack of those books (I think I ordered them from a book club or something...they had one back then) and I used to read at least one or two of them every summer.  I guess I was like other girls that age.  Full of romantic ideas and illusions.  Not that I'm faulting anyone that still enjoys the romance genre, but, in my case, what a difference a number of years has made.  Now I'm just a cynical old adult.  I found this cover image and it is exactly like those books I used to read all those years ago.  When I look at that cover, it brings back memories of myself as I soaked up the sun on the patio, reading away in my romance novel, and dreaming of my future Prince Charming.

What was your summer reading habit when you were young?

Aliens Invade, Summer Vacationers Beware!

I was thinking of going to Chicago for days 4 and 5 of my vacation this year, but I decided a few weeks ago that I really didn't want to drive and flying is really not my thing.  It's not that I hate flying, I just can't say as I enjoy it either.  There was always the train route but it leaves from Newton, KS (just north of me) at two in the morning and I really don't want to stay up that late just to catch a train.  If I was going to go for a longer period of time, it may have been worth it, but for two days, I'll skip it as well.  So for day four, I'm still in Wichita, KS and by now I'm probably doing everything I can to avoid cleaning the house.  I'm not one that really enjoys down time, though when I decide to do it, it always sounds like a good idea.  So today I may drive up to McPherson to visit my old college and take in lunch at the Main Street Deli, best broccoli and cheese soup in a bread bowl I've ever had. And since I've gone that far, I may drive up to Lindsborg to visit Coronado Heights.  What, you guys have never heard of it?  Well supposedly, it's the hill that Francisco Vasquez de Coronado gave up on his journey for the Seven Cities of Gold.  There is a castleish structure on the hill now, but the view is amazing.  It's another place I haven't been to in a while, so a trip may be in order.

Now I hope the post title didn't make you guys panic too much.  Aliens really aren't invading, at least not that I know of.  But the title does foreshadow the post you are about to read.  Yvette of in so many words... was gracious enough, though I'm sure she has no other way of being, to step up and write a terrific post about one of her favorite summer movies.  Now for those of you who don't know Yvette, let me tell you that she loves her movies.  Her blog is one of those that is a feast for the eyes every time I head on over.  Besides being a book blogger, Yvette posts movie reviews (especially older movies that deserve the recognition), and has an art feature that I never miss.  Her blog is one of those that even if I'm tired and just worked a 13 hour shift, I know that I will be perked up by her newest post.  I'm pretty sure that if you visit her blog today, it will quickly make your list of favorite blogs.

Last year Ryan asked me to do a guest post on his blog while he was away living it up on holiday. I was only too happy to help. I must not have done a bad job because he’s asked me again this year and here we are. The theme is summer in any way shape or form so, I’m writing about what is to me, the quintessential summer movie: INDEPENDENCE DAY starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum and directed by Roland Emmerich.

 ‘On July 2^nd, they arrive. On July 3^rd, they strike. On July 4^th, we fight back.”

I’m not usually a blockbuster kind of gal (most especially a ‘let’s see how many ways we can destroy the earth’ type of blockbuster), so my liking for this movie continues to amaze me. But summer is the season for blockbusters and 1996 was no exception. At the urging of my daughter, I reluctantly went to see INDEPENDENCE DAY and damn if she wasn’t right: it’s a terrific movie. I was completely won over by Will Smith and the rest of the exceptional cast. Most especially the occasionally odd-seeming Jeff Goldblum, a quirky actor with his own unique screen presence and Bill Pullman whose ‘white bread’conservative look served him perfectly as the hesitant President of the United States who eventually shows his mettle and helps win the day.

I’m actually surprised that here it is, 2012, and so far no sequels forthcoming, but maybe that’s just as well - turns out though that a re-mastered 3-D version of the original film will be out in theaters in July of 2013. Just recently found that out online.

When I think of Will Smith in his original television show, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it’s still hard for me to imagine how he morphed into this larger than life leading man in one of the more iconic movie extravaganzas ever made. But there he was (and still is) – up on the screen, a commanding presence owning every scene he’s in. It is his insouciant charm, I believe, which makes Smith such a likable actor.

 The plot: When aliens decide to colonize earth, death and destruction follow. The aliens’ powerful space ships flash death-dealing rays which turn everything in their path into gigantic fire balls. The end of the world as we know it seems all but a done deal. These aliens are as different from us as we must appear to the earth’s insect population. They are definitely not E.T. nice guys.

The exceptional and truly rapacious special effects showing the aliens’ destructive powers are very well done, frighteningly so. Particularly good is the blowing up of the Capital and the White House – two events guaranteed to raise the ire of even the most lackadaisical American movie-viewer. I admit it, my hair stood on end. I mean, how DARE they!? And over the July 4^th weekend, too.

The President and his advisors barely escape with their lives but unfortunately, the President’s wife (played by Mary McDonnell) isn’t as lucky. Just when all hope is lost and it appears as if most of the population of earth will be burnt to a crisp even while the few pockets of humans that remain frantically try to come up with a workable defense – in steps Jeff Goldblum’s character, David Levinson, a disgraced scientist turned cable technician who thinks outside the box and can’t help getting in trouble because of it. He’s figured out a way to stop the invasion if only he can convince the authorities. His theory is a bit silly and simplistic, but what the heck, it sounds good and what have they got to lose?

He’ll need the help of a fearless pilot to fly the alien ship lying in stasis in, of all places, Area 51 – that mysterious western site where it is rumored the government has secretly stashed a space ship. Guess what – it’s true, at least, in this script. That’s where the President and his remaining cabinet and advisors head and where we run into a crack-pot, wild-haired, loony-toons scientist played by Brent Spiner – ex Lieutenant Data on Star Trek, The Next Generation.

The fearless pilot is, of course Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith), who volunteers to man the alien ship. He and David will have to dock with the giant mother ship (she controls the alien forces) and slip the mother a mickey. Basically, that’s it. Of course, there’s a lot of impressive footage of jets flying about and being blown up as convoys of air force pilots make futile attempts to fight the aliens with conventional weapons. Even the President - once a pilot always a pilot - flies into the fray. But the build-up to the final KAPUT is nail-bitingly impressive and even, in spots, oddly amusing.

INDEPENDENCE DAY is a lot of fun, the humans are likable, the aliens are not. It’s all preposterous but perfectly in keeping with the idea that summer is for flip flops, blowing things up and popcorn.

Now that I’ve written this, I’m suddenly in the mood to watch INDEPENDENCE DAY yet again. Time to adjust my movie queue.

Sheree's Top 5 Australian Summer Memories

Well, it's official, it's day three of my vacation and I have nothing planned so far.  Since it's the midway point of my vacation, I'm hoping I'll take it easy, but I get bored really easily.  I will probably end up going to the flea market at some point in time.  I don't know if many of you know this but the Sedgwick County Zoo is one of the highest ranked zoos in the United States and attracts around half a million visitors each year.  It's been a few years since I've been there, it's only about 10 minutes from my house, so I'm thinking it may be on my list of things to do today.  I'm sure that no matter what I'm doing, I'll enjoy myself.

I'm sure that as soon as you saw the title of this post, you knew who the wonderful guest blogger was.  For most of you, Sheree of The Eclectic Reader needs no introduction.  Sheree is one of the reasons I'm so grateful for what the book blogging community has done to enrich my life.  In what other forum would a guy from Wichita, KS, dead center of the United States be able to connect with such a passionate mother and reader in Brisbane, Australia?  This community has allowed some wonderful relationships develop between people who never would have otherwise never met.  I know I don't need to say this but I think Sheree is one of the kindest bloggers who always has a nice thing to say and can put a new blogger at ease.  I think she is amazing and I would hope that you guys, if you don't already know how great her and her blog are, to go on over and say hi.

I was delighted when Ryan asked me to guest post on Wordsmithonia while he’s enjoying a much needed summer holiday. Woohoo, permission granted to wreak havoc and swing from the chandelier do a civilised post on his blog and here I am Pina Colada in hand. 

 Being winter in Australia (the season I loathe) I’m in serious need of a dose of sunshine and warmth and as my fairy godmother is neither fairy-like nor godmotherly (I think she took her mean pills) and refused my Tahiti vacation request the next best thing is My Top 5 Australian Summer memories

1.      BBQ’s

Summer is BBQ season and despite all the international throw-another-shrimp-on-the-barbie advertising, in Australia it’s just not a barbeque without snags (sausages). A sausage in bread with or without onion and tomato sauce is standard fare at any Aussie BBQ. And it’s just not summer or a BBQ without flies. I honestly don’t know why it is we insist on having BBQ’s at the height of summer … are US flies particularly sticky or is that a talent reserved only for Australian flies? Flies that stick in your eyes (and in little kids snot) or flies on steroids and if you’ve ever had one of those fly up your nose (in search of god knows what) you’ll know exactly what I mean. They say you aren’t a true blue Aussie until you’ve swallowed a fly … I am, I have and I can tell you I fervently wished as I gagged (you never know where their feet have been *see Open Air Cinema section below*) coughed and raged indignantly that I was anything but.

Back to the BBQ … does anyone feel like eating now?

2.     Coconut Reef Oil

This is one of my favourite summer smells, I immediately think of white beaches, swaying palm trees and the new Old Spice man glistening in coconut oil

 … oh where was I

Coconut oil replaced good old cooking oil or baby oil as a means of turning glow-in-the-dark white skin to beef jerky. As a teen it was the ‘done’ thing to baste oneself in cooking oil and lay in the sun rotating, front, back, side, side … repeat, baking complete when you’re the consistency of crispy bacon . With increased skin cancer awareness, the Oompa-Loompa look surged in popularity, glow-in-the-dark white became the new tan and SPF was added to coconut oil. I wonder if they make scratch and sniff thingies to feed my coconut smell addiction? J

3.     Beaches

We really do have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world in Australia and for many Australians beach culture is very much a part of our lives. Our lifeguards and volunteer surf life savers do a fantastic job keeping Aussies & visitors safe on our beaches. What more could you ask for – sun, sand, surf, and for the most part the scenery isn’t bad.

4.     Water Fun

Set up the sprinkler in the back yard, add a giant length of plastic and a bottle of dishwashing liquid and you’ve got a  home-made water slide and hours of fun for kids and the young at heart. Or my favourite, the sprinkler going full pelt under the hills hoist clothes line, hang on tight swinging round and round in the water spray. And when you get your bottom smacked for making the clothes line sag and squashing the family dog as you land (not that I’m speaking from experience) you decide the stinging bum is worth one more go.

 With drought and water restrictions now very much a part of everyday life in many parts of Australia, home-made water fun is a thing of the past. We now have water theme parks; double the fun, safer for pooch and the sting is one to your wallet.

5.     Open Air Cinema

Only open during summer. Pull up a bean bag, deck chair, a patch of grass, picnic rug. BYO picnic, bring your favourite take-away or grab a typical movie treat on-site. Furry friends can see a movie too however disruptive canine guests will be asked to leave and unwelcome ‘deposits’ are frowned upon. In the case of untended deposits the offending pooch and owner will be evicted from the cinema without a refund (ok I made that last bit up but it sounds like it should be a rule and I mean … think of the flies!! *refer to BBQ section above*)

Ryan I hope your holiday is full-on R&R and you return refreshed and ready for anything.

So who’s got a favourite summer memory to share?

Teddyree aka Sheree