Tag! I'm IT!!!

I got a tag from Bettina to answer some questions about books! This is the first time I've been tagged for something, so tell me if I'm doing something wrong... or right.

Tell me about the book that has been on your shelf the longest...

On my dad's shelves, of which we've got four huge full ones (he had to give a bunch away when we moved to Seattle), I have no idea. We have hundreds of really old ones. He just told me that he thinks that he's had some old copies of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit for the longest.

On my shelves, I have a few books of my dad's that are really old, but of mine, I think that they are either The Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, the Young Wizard series, or some old Harry Potters. I remember reading Ga'Hoole in 3rd Grade, Young Wzards in 4th Grade, and the Harry Potters are just pretty old, and I'm not sure how long we've had them. Oh, and we've got some old Spiderwick books from when I was in 4th grade too.

Tell me about a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (i.e. a person, a place, a time, etc.)...

Hmm... This is a tough one. I'll go by the examples...

Person: I'm gonna trave back to the Young Wizard series by Diane Duane from the last question. For those who don't know what it is, the first book is called So You Want To Be A Wizard, and it is about a girl who, running into the library to escape from bullies, finds a book called So You Want To Be A Wizard. You know how there are those guide books for little kids, like So You Want To Be A Doctor, or stuff like that? Well, that was the kind of book Nita found. She takes it home, does what it says, and of course, she's learning how to be a wizard. I remember that this book got me into that same habit a long time ago. For maybe a year or two afterwards, whenever I found a guide book about wizardry or stuff like that, I would always get it and try to follow the instructions, hoping that somehow, against all odds, I'd become a wizard. It never worked, of course, but that main character reminds me a lot of myself, and how gullible I am a lot. Of course, it's not gullible if it's true. So, I guess it's only me. ^_^

Place: The Spine, in Eragon. Of course, where I went, it was sort of the opposite. Instead of mountains, it was a ravine. Close to Kathryn's house, if you go down her road, there is a huge ravine, covered in ivy, thorns, and loose dirt. One day, we decided to try to go down there, and it was hard to get there, but once we got there, it was almost like a sanctuary. No people, tons of wildlife, and pure quiet, other than a trickleing stream. That is how I always pictured the Spine. As a place where no one would venture because of the possibility of danger, but upon arival, there isn't much danger at all.

I'll skip time. I can't think of anything for that one.

Tell me about a book you acquired in some interesting way (gift, serendipity in a used book store, prize, etc.)...

I have a lot of books, and it's very difficult to remember the story of each one. There are a lot I got from my dad, one of his old ones, like the Belgariad, Ender's Game, and Calvin and Hobbes, there are a lot I got as birthday presents, some I had to get for school, and some I just happened to come into possesion of, but I think the coolest way I got a book was the ARC from J Scott Savage for Farworld: Water Keep. I was going crazy over it! I read it three times in a month, and wouldn't put it down. I was just eexcited to know an author.

Whoa!!! There was one other one I forgot! For my Bar-Mitzvah, my friend Alex tried to send out for a signed copy of Warriors from Erin Hunter. He sent her a letter, and thought she'd just passed it off or didn't get it. In fact, she didn't get it until two months later, when she sent back a signed copy of Eclipse (Warriors, not Twilight), and a letter back. He gave me both, the letter which is on my wall with the rest of my book related posters, and the book, which said, "Happy Bar-Mitzvah, Brian! Erin Hunter". I was freaking out over that one. I'm such a bibliophile, or I guess a better way to say it would be to say book fanatic, or book freak. Or Bookworm.

Tell me about the most recent addition to your shelves...

The most recent edition... I haven't been to a bookstore in a while, cause I've been rereading a lot of books lately. It was either Hunt for the Dark Infinity by James Dashner or The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan. Both were terrific, but DarkIn was more story like. It was terrific, by the way, if I haven't already posted about it. (Wow! I haven't!!!)

Tell me about a book that has been with you to the most places...

Like Bettina, I haven't been many place. I'd have to say that Eragon has been the most places. It's been to camp a few times, it's been to NY, Savannah, Atlanta, Seattle, Florida. Being my favorite book, I carry it around a lot. It's never been out of the country though.

Tell me about a bonus book that doesn't fit any of the above questions...

Hmm... I could do my favorite book, which would be Eragon, I could do the book I'm anticipating most right not, which would be Warriors: Sunset (5 days) or The Last Olympian (May 5, I think), I could do most read book, which could be Eragon, Harry Potter, Charlie Bone, or Lost Years of Merlin, there are a lot of possiblilites. I'll just go with all of that for now.

Oh, and I tag:

Anna, (and if they happen to read this, J Scott Savage and James Dashner) ^_^ Everyone else has already been picked!

Farworld: Water Keep 2008 Blog Tour Review and Q&A

Part of the Farworld 2008 Blog Tour was to write a review and Q&A. Here is my review.

After reading Farworld: Water Keep by J Scott Savage once, I loved it so much that had to I read it again. I had been waiting for a long time to read Farworld, ever since I first found Mr. Savages blog and was hearing about it. Now that I've read it, I am hungry for four more books titled Farworld… Even though Book One hasn't officially been released.

The characters in Water Keep were really amazing, and it was awesome to learn more about the characters origins throughout the book. Marcus, a boy found crippled on the edge of a desert as a baby, had advantages as well as disadvantages. As he learned about his powers, he was able to cope with his crippled arm and leg. Things only get better for him when he goes to Farworld and finds that he can use his arm and leg more easily. Kyja, a girl without magic in a world of magic, found by the wizard Master Therapass as a baby, thinks that she is a freak and an outcast. However, she learns that her disadvantage is her advantage. While she can't throw balls of green energy at her enemies, the ones they throw bounce harmlessly off. She also learns that she has one, very important power… One that makes her special. Throughout the book these two friends discover that they are two parts of the same whole. Together, they are powerful.

The characters on a quest to save Farworld can't exist if there aren't those trying to destroy it though. The Thrathkin S'Bae, evil wizards who can turn into huge serpents are being led by Bonesplinter to kill Marcus and Kyja. Bonesplinter's evil drive for power starts with their deaths, the deaths that will bring his master's trust and power to him. To make him even more dangerous, he is determined not to fail a second time. Just as dangerous is his master's second servant, the Summoner: A creature with the power to control the living and the dead. With so many enemies, Marcus and Kyja are sure to have some road bumps on their journey.

Marcus and Kyja must find search far and wide to find the elementals, creatures that are the masters of their element. First, they search for the Water Elementals. When they do find Water Keep, they find that convincing the elementals to help them might be harder than finding them in the first place. Each elemental has a different personality, but none of them think the same way as humans do. This idea was something that I really liked about the story.

Another idea that I liked in the story was the idea of the geographic relationship between Farworld and Earth. The concept of the geography in Water Keep was something that really made the story move along. If you are standing in Farworld, jump to Earth, take one step, and jump back, you will be about one step away from where you stood before.

The characters, the plot, and the ideas of magic and worlds really made this a great story. I am itching for Land Keep before Water Keep is even out.

Now here is my Q&A.

For my Q&A, I chose to go to Disney World with Scott. We are on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad during the fireworks show.

Scott- Brian, I’ve got to say, you have excellent taste in interview spots. I mean, Splash Mountain is pretty cool too, but you can’t see the fireworks, and getting wet at night can be a bad plan. So what do you say, shall we take the front car or the back?

Brian- How long did it take you to write the first draft of Farworld: Water Keep?

Scott- You know, typically a book takes me six months or so to write, but this book came so fast it was scary sometimes. I finished the first draft in under three months. I had a great time writing it. Well the rides starting. Are we going to see if we can both keep our hands in the air, the whole time?

Brian- Will the game of trill stones play a bigger role in the later books?

Scott- Let’s just say that we haven’t seen the last of trill stones. Oh wow, that last turn was intense. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten three churros right before we got on.
Brian- How do the trees talk? Do they have mouths or do voices just seem to come from nowhere? Do their words just pop into your head?

Scott- Oh, the trees. Tough to hear over the ride. I thought you wanted to know how fleas talked. I thought that was kind of an odd question. Listening to trees talk is a little like listening to a drum beat, but slightly more musical. At least that’s what the trees in the Westland Woods sound like. Other trees have different voices. The don’t have mouths though. At least not that you can see. But they do seem to have faces if you look closely.
Brian- Can magic affect other people from Earth or is Kyja different there too?

Scott- That is a great question. I suspect that we will find out down the road. Look! There are the rattlesnakes. Glad they’re not real. I have a thing about snakes.
Brian- When will we next learn more about the leader of the Dark Circle?

Scott- Very early in the next book. Look up there’s the castle all lit up.

Brian- On the mark on Marcus's shoulder and Kyja's amulet, what is the second creature?

Scott- Sorry couldn’t hear you over the booming of the fireworks!
Brian- Is the mark on Marcus's shoulder a birthmark, or a brand?

Scott- It’s not a birthmark. It looks like a burn or brand.

Brian- Will we ever see Kathleen and Jerrick again?

Scott- It wouldn’t surprise me in the least!

Brian- Did the trill stones turn into real gems or was the pawn shop man right about them being fake? Scott- Uh, oh. There are the mountain goats. That means we’re in for a big dr-r-r-r-o-o-o-o-o-p! Wow! They were real gems. The weenie in the pawn shop was trying to steal the gem.

Brian- I thought so. I was just checking. Last question, why can only some people understand the Dawn Chimes? Scott- Whoo. What a ride! You look far too unruffled. Must be an age thing. I think that understanding the Dawn Chimes is a talent—like learning a language. But I think that anyone can improve at it if they practice. Maybe even Kyja can learn.


Brian- Thanks for answering the questions and thanks for the ARC Scott!

Scott- Thank you for taking part in the tour. And especially thanks for inviting me to Disney World. The rest of my family will be so jealous.

Brian- Thanks for coming. It was really fun.

FARWORLD WRITING CONTEST

I just finished reading my ARC of Farworld: Water Keep last night and it was phenomenal. I cannot wait for book 2. Sadly, I'll have to.

Either way, now that I've finished, I'll post the rules of my contest for someone to win a copy of Farword from J Scott Savage. Starting today, I'll be having a Writing Contest. Since Farworld is a fantasy book and because I love reading fantasy, to enter, you must write a short description of any fantastical creature. It can either be one that already exists (that doesn't mean that you can copy the description out of the book that the creature's in) or it can be one that you make up (I prefer those. Much more original.) The paragraph that I like the best wins a copy of Farworld. To send me a paragraph, email it to me at briantillinger at cs dot com. (Sorry, just piece that together.) You can send me the paragraph any time between today, June 7th, and some time in early July (I'll post the exact date soon.) You get that long because I'll be at camp for most of that time. In the email, you must also include your name and your blog URL. Also, it would be helpful if you would post a comment saying that you sent the paragraph.

Also, sadly there are rules about where the ARC can be sent. It can only be sent to adresses in the US or Canada. (Those aren't my rules. Scott said that they couldn't be sent to anywhere other than the US or Canada.) Luckily, J Scott Savage also said that he would hold a contest sometime for people in other countries to win one. Well, those are all of the rules. Good Luck!

Random Stuff: June

Sorry I posted this late. I've been very busy.

1. I have decided on my list of camp books. Check back on June 16th for my list.

2. My Culture Project on James Fontaine is finally done. I know that I got at least an A- on it. My presentation was supposed to be at least 10-15 minutes. Instead, it was 19 minutes long.

3. Hooray!!! School ends one week from today. And the last day is only 20 minutes per period. The second to last day is field day.

4. Hooray!!! Again! Next Saturday, the 14th is the day when I go to sleep-away camp. Sadly, starting then, I wont be able to post until early July. :(

5. I will soon be posting on two movies I've seen recently: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls and The Princess Bride. Both are great movies!

6. My brothers have both gotten new video games. It is very distracting when your working on school projects.

7. Speaking of school projects, I have another big project for school. It is a Baseball Statistics Project for school. We were supposed to pick a player and I chose Chipper Jones from the Atlanta Braves.

8. I can't think of any thing else to say.

9. Wait, one last thing. I'm going to have my contest to win a copy of Farworld: Water Keep by J Scott Savage soon, before I go to camp. I'll announce the winner when I get back from camp. Bye!

Farworld: Water Keep by J Scott Savage

Author J Scott Savage has just released the cover and 1st 2 chapters of his new book, Farworld: Water Keep on his website. Click here to visit his post. His book will be released this September. I am so excited to read the 2 chapters. Don't forget to sign up for the Farworld Blog Tour to win an ARC of Farworld: Water Keep.

Lastly, Ezra (and I) are still sick from Saturday. It's probably the Stomach Flu. That's going around here on Mercer Island. I hope we get better soon. I'm missing so much school. Catching up is going to be almost impossible.

Random Stuff: May

Sorry I'm 2 days late with this. I'll get the hang of it in a while. Either way, even though I'm having a bad day, here is this months random stuff floating around in my head.

1.) Crud. My brother just threw-up again. This time it was on the carpet. Poor Ezra! At least my dad's pulling into the driveway now. Now my mom won't have to help Ezra alone.

2.) I hope we can go and see "Iron Man" next week. We had just gotten to the big, intense scene at the end when Ezra started barfing up his Icee. (Sorry. I've been repeating my earlier post all over again.)

3.) I have finished Warriors: The Power of Three: Outcast by Erin Hunter and I'm back into The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, both of which I've/I'm enjoyed/enjoying.

4.) I need to delete my 2 polls. Then I'll need to think of a new poll to make. Do you guys think I should use Vizu polls? I hear they're pretty good.

5.) My culture project is going great! I completed the outline Thursday night. It is 2 1/2 pages long, which is way longer than anyone else's outline.

6.) OUCH!!! My cat just cut my finger. That hurt!

7.) Crud. AGAIN! Ezra threw-up again, this time in his closet. Mom and Dad are angry that they'll have to pay to replace that carpet now too. That's pretty much every carpet in the house.

8.) I can't wait for J Scott Savage, Author of the upcoming Farworld series to post the cover of Book 1: Water Keep. I especially can't wait for him to send out the ARCs.

9.) I am tired. It's been a long, bad day. I think I'll go upstairs with dad to watch a movie.

If anything else random pops into my mind, I'll post it here, but I'm to darn tired right now to continue. Good Night! Crud. I think Ezra's throwing up again. I hope he gets better.

Future Fantasy

First of all, I have just finished Ranger's Apprentice: The Battle for Skandia. The actual battle took up a lot of chapters. It was a great book.

Today, I'm going to talk about upcoming fantasy books that I am jumping out of my pants to read:

Fantasy author T.A. Barron has just released the cover and description of his upcoming trilogy, Merlin's Dragon. Merlin's Dragon is set right in-between The Lost Years of Merlin and The Great Tree of Avalon. To visit his website, Click Here. If you haven't read any of his books and you have no idea what I'm talking about, your missing out. Both The Lost Years of Merlin and The Great Tree of Avalon are amazing stories. If you have read them, post a review (if you want) here. I want to here what you think of the book. Also, if you have read The Adventures of Kate by T.A. Barron, tell me how it is. I'm thinking about reading it.It is being released in Fall of 2008.

Another fantasy book I can't wait to read is Warriors: The Power of Three: Outcast. This one is a little closer than Merlin's Dragon. It is coming out on April 22, 2008, a few days from now. This is the 3rd book in The Power of Three series. I've been waiting for it to come out ever since the 2nd book came out. On the same day, I'm pretty sure two other Erin Hunter books are being released. They are Warriors: Manga edition: Warrior's Return and Seekers: Book 1: The Journey Begins. I am a little less excited for these two. To visit the Warriors website, click here. If you've read any Warriors books, pick your favorite and post a small review here. (If you want to.)

Next, Charlie Bone and the Shadow by Jenny Nimmo is being released this Fall 2008. Jenny Nimmo has also posted the new cover recently. A lot of people haven't heard of Charlie Bone, but it is a very good series. If you have read it, once again, post a review here on your favorite. (From now on, their all if you wants.) To visit Jenny Nimmo's website, click here.

Wow!!! I just found out that Ranger's Apprentice: Book 5: Sorcerer in the North will be released in the US in November of 2008. Just a few more months! If you have read any Ranger's Apprentice books blah blah blah, blah blah. You know what I was going to say. To visit John Flanagan's site, click here. To see the cover of book 5, US edition, click here.

And then of course, there are the upcoming books we all probably know about. There's Brisingr by Christopher Paolini, Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan, and mot importantly, Farworld--Water Keep by our friend J Scott Savage. Sheesh. I just listed out almost all of the books that I'm dieing for. Maybe this wasn't the best idea.

By the way, WASL testing days: 3 down, 3 to go.