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As stated when I wrote up House of the Dragon , I was extremely unsure about any Game of Thrones spin-off series. While the world created by George RR Martin is endlessly fascinating, there's also that whole mess (gestures in the air). The author, who I'll refer to as GRRM, talented as he is, is at this point most defined by his greatest skill, creating ludicrously complex storylines. His plotting is so complicated, in fact, that even he doesn't know how to untie all the pr

Over the last year plus, I think that's right, the kids have showed more and more interest in Pokemon. And, let's be honest, how could you not? The cards are popular again and all our oldest kid's friends seem to have them. There's a trickle down effect even infecting the three year old. The creatures are cute, or cool. This interest thus far has mostly revolved around the cards, the only media they've consumed. We haven't watched any of the anime nor up until recently played

While the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings are by far the most well known of JRR Tolkien 's stories, that's not actually where he started building his world. Way back during WWI, as a young man, Tolkien started working on his own grand myth, including the creation of the universe , the rebellion of the most powerful of the gods , the birth of the children of Ilúvatar and much tragedy that followed. What's called the First Age began with the awakening of the first Elves, saw

This year, in the days leading up to Christmas, I read Dickens' A Christmas Carol to my kids, particularly my oldest but all who would sit for it. I got started on it later than intended, who isn't overly busy this time of year, but we were able to line it up and read the last chapter (or 'stave') called 'The End of it' on Christmas Day morning. This is when Ebenezer Scrooge joyously reveals his changed attitude and expresses it all around town. It was glorious and I want to

We all want to share the things we love with our children as they grow, hoping they'll take on those interests for themselves. We also instinctually know reading to our kids is overwhelmingly positive, to bond with them, to stimulate their brains, and at night to help them sleep. Reading has always been something I've enjoyed, in particular when it comes to old, classic stories. There's usually good reason something's lasted decades, or centuries, and I want to be part of tha

READ THIS BEFORE YOU WATCH THE TRAILERS! Next year a sci-fi movie called Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling will hit theaters. It's an adaptation of another book by Andy Weir, author of The Martian. That book came out in 2011, the film in 2015. Project Hail Mary the book released in 2021 and will be a movie in early 2026, about the same timeline. I never did read The Martian but have to say I enjoyed it on screen, my desire to dislike (Team America voice) Matt Damon

The Lord of the Rings has been a borderline obsession since I first finished it in 8th grade. The timing worked out great too, as the next year was the release of Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), the beginning of the movie trilogy. On my blog here I've written about Tolkien's legendarium on a number of occasions. As part of that I've kinda sorta been making my way through the main Lord of the Rings story, with several detours along the way. So far I've cov

I don't often say movies change my life, but it's possible that can actually be true. Before we get far down that line of thinking, however, right now I'm referring specifically to the music I seek out. Music has never been an obsession, like movies or books might be, but obviously I do like it. My tastes just don't shift all that much. The last example of this, I think, was Walk the Line (2005) . I remember when Johnny Cash died a couple years prior, and knew it was a big d

At this stage of life I didn't think I was a big fan of fairy tales. That's something you grow out of, right? Well this spring I was...

As a kid, in middle school probably, I read the first two parts of C.S. Lewis ' Space Trilogy. Then, for some reason, I could not get...

A couple years ago, when I picked a favorite movie per year , a great experiment btw, there was one recent choice that, at the time,...

Kindergarten, and 'real school,' is when most kids truly start learning to read. It's a crazy process to watch, and one that's certainly...

Marvel's Daredevil , as a super hero, is less popular than the characters of the cinematic Avengers like Spider-Man, Iron Man or Hulk....

I can't remember the last time I read something as quickly as I read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . For one it's an engaging, amusing,...

I started reading the Iliad (Fitzgerald translation) last year, well before learning about Nolan and the Odyssey , part of a prolonged...

In 2001 HBO put out a show called Band of Brothers following a real-life paratrooper company through most of the major events of WWII's...

After watching True Detective: Night Country, aka s4, it brought back an idea long in the hopper. This'll be a short list of single...

As you likely know, I love Dune . As a much younger person I read all the books that were then out, I still have a bunch of them, and...

In 2016, when Stranger Things debuted, it immediately became a favorite show of mine . Arguably #1. Mix a bit of Stephen King, a bit of...

This year I started reading some longer, more advanced books to our eldest (and the two others if they sit still and be quiet), who's...