Friday 30 October 2015

Nanowrimo.

November is a month filled with the smells and tastes of fall. However, for a lot of people, myself included, it is a month filled with writing. Nanowrimo or National Novel Writing Month is an event that takes place all over the world, and people challenge themselves to write a 50 000 word piece of fiction in a month.

I have participated for so many years, but I have never won. But I have never wrote to win. This year, I am participating again. I did think about not participating, but reading about all of my friends planning their novels made me want to join them. So here I am.

The challenge is always a lot of fun, even if I have never won. It's a great way to push yourself, and actually come out with a first draft of a novel. Despite studying journalism, I have always wanted to be a novelist, and that is still the goal. I still want to make a living by writing, but I know that I need a side job.

As well, I want to do a blog post every week updating you with my nanowrimo progress. So on top of all of my other blog posts that I have been working on over the last few months. I'll be adding just a bit about my progress, with probably some tips and tricks along the way.

This years novel is a fantasy novel called All the Shattered Worlds. And is about young Kellan, prince of the fauns, who has become bored, and plain done with his life as a prince. He is forced to sit though boring diplomacy lessons, get married to some faun his parents picked out for him, while outside there is a conspiracy going on. Long extinct creatures are returning to their world, and humans are travelling into faun villages. After sneaking out to follow the humans on his quest for adventure, Kellan learns to be more careful what he wishes for. Trapped in the Lord's castle, Kellan meets Fyn the lords son. Fyn knows nothing outside the castle, and the little he does know is very distorted. It falls upon these two boys to save Kellan's people from human invasions and quest for power.

If you want to be buddies with me you can find me on the nanowrimo website here and search wanderingforestfairy.

I encourage everyone who loves writing to take this challenge. It doesn't matter if you hit the 50 000 words, you have more words than when you started.  I do want to create a secondary challenge for myself through the month of November. So, I am as well posting an image everyday on my instagram dictating my word count, and my goals.

If you are at all interested in seeing my word count, and challenging me to word wars, feel free to follow me @fairyprincebasil on instagram or at basil_boultbee on twitter. Happy writing. 

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Dealing with Depression, and a bit of a personal update.

Through the last little while, emotionally things have been hard. Really hard. I suffer from depression that varies in severity, and anxiety that does the same. And for the last little while, I've been finding myself getting worse and worse. And I am not sure why. I just kind of shut down.

I wanted to write a post about dealing with depression and anxiety for a long time. Ideally when I was in a good mood, and when I was happy. But I cannot seem to get the need to make this out of my system. So here it is. Some simple ways to combat depression.

1. Go out.
I know this one is so hard. It's so difficult. But even just getting out of bed, and going to the kitchen for a bit can be enough. Ideally you want to go outside, and get some sunshine. Natural sunlight is so good for dealing with depression, so just sitting outside for a little bit can do wonders. As well, try and socialize. Even if it's just calling a friend, and talking about the weather. Human beings are social animals. We need to socialize.

2. Get some exercise.
Just a short walk, or some gentle yoga is perfect. You don't need to go to the gym and break a sweat, but if you want to do that, then go for it. But just get your body moving a little bit. It'll release the endorphins in your brain, and make you feel a little bit better.

3. Do something productive.
Even if it's just taking a shower, or doing the laundry. Something productive will help distract you from dark thoughts. And allow yourself that feeling of accomplishing something. No matter what you did it was something. And that something means everything.

4. Pamper yourself.
Watch a movie, eat some chocolate, take a bath. What ever you do to relax and make yourself feel good is what you should do. Even if that is just watching a funny movie.

5. Be Gentle with yourself.
Remember this, you are sick. With physical symptoms and everything. No, not everyone gets the mental illness side of things. But regardless, science says your sick. So don't be too frustrated with yourself, and don't push yourself too hard.

Mental illness is such a difficult thing to treat, because it's so different for so many people. So, I cannot guarantee that all of these will work for you. These are just a few things I do to make me feel better after a hard day.

Friday 23 October 2015

Star Bright Review.

A few weeks ago I found this book sitting in my school cafeteria. If you missed that post you can find it: here. And after a little contemplation, I decided that I would do a review of this book, and here it is: Star Bright by Andrew Greeley.

To be totally honest, I didn't have a lot of hopes for me liking this book. It is very Catholic as well as being a Christmas story. But I wanted to give it an honest try anyway, it was super short, and I had nothing to lose. And as much as I wished I wasn't, I was right, I didn't really enjoy this book. The book is about Jack a young Irish American and his story about falling in love with a girl. Nothing really original, but there are parts of the book that are heart warming I will admit. 

In my opinion the characters are very unrealistic, especially Odessa the girl Jack falls in love with. She is very flat, and boring. The most interesting thing about her is how pious she is, and even that gets annoying at times. She is described as being stunningly beautiful, and having no real flaws. Other than the fact that she apologizes a lot. 

There is one other big problem I have with this book, and its the 'instalove." I read this a lot in young adult books, so I am used to it. But that does not mean that I like it. Jack seems to fall in love with this girl instantly, and after knowing each other for only 2 months he thinks about marrying her. Now, I understand that scenarios like that happen in real life. But it's so rare, and when I read it, quite frankly I don't find it very realistic. If you and your partner got married within two months of knowing each other, and are still together, I applaud you.

Setting wise, the book takes place in the states, in December. But even so, I feel like the settings could have been described better. I'm pretty sure the book described almost all of Odessa's clothes or beauty better than some settings. It was hard to immerse yourself in a world that a writer scarcely provides you with.

There are a lot of really cute scenes in the book, I will give it that. I enjoyed reading Odessa's interactions with kids, and with Jack's family. And I find Jack's family to be really interesting as well. I honestly cared more about Jack's family than I did about Jack. 

If you are looking for something light and fluffy, this book is great for that. It reads fast, there are a lot of cute moments, the writing is really pleasant, simple, but pleasant to read. All in all, this is not something I want to read again. It feels like to me it's one of those books you keep on your table, and you just kinda have. 

So, I have released the book back into the wild, and hopefully it finds a reader who will really enjoy it. It just was not a book for me. 

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Thunderwoman Review.

So, where do I even begin with this book. Thunderwoman is by Nancy Wood, and I really wish it was something I had heard of much sooner. The book is pretty much a fictionalized telling of mostly the conquest of modern South and Central America by the Spanish. And how Thunderwoman, and Kobili tried to conserve their way of life, and their people.

This book is beautiful, but it is best to go into with an open mind. It begins with the birth of Sayah the daughter of the chieftain, who is Thunderwoman the Creator. And it goes to tell her growing up, and eventually falling in love again with Kobili the shaman of the village. However, dangers are beginning to appear. And of course, the Spanish begin taking over.

If you know a little history or just interested in the Spanish conquest of South America, this book is just amazing to read. This is from the point of view of the natives who lived before the Spanish, and how they tried to resist.

This book does not have a super happy ending, I am warning you now. The book as a whole is very sad. But it's still so incredible to read. It is a little tricky to get into at first, especially because the names are confusing, and there are no quotation marks through the entire book. It can get very hard to follow.

But I found once I got into it, the book was very face paced, and the prose is just beautiful. As well the book includes illustrations by Richard Erodes. These little illustrations are scattered throughout the book, and they are incredible. However, I can see how some people may find them a bit disturbing. I will leave that up to you to decide.

This book is not for everyone, I will say this now. It is a little gory, and disturbing in some places. As well as the book can be very difficult to understand. But at the same time, I feel like people should read it. I feel like the story it tells is very important for us especially those of us in North and South America. It is part of our past. And it's something that shouldn't be erased.

Between each part of the book, there is a poem, and the poem does help the reader understand what is going to happen. However, knowing a bit of history helps a lot too. I'm not saying you need to be an expert in the native civilizations of South America. I'm saying it helps to know about Cortes, and the horrors that the native tribes faced due to Spanish conquest.

This is not an easy book to stomach, but it is still harrowing, but beautiful. I don't know if I would be able to read it again, but certainly I would try. This book is not so much about the characters, but the messages it tells. But the characters are very full too. Sayah's changes through the book are very profound, but we do not get a lot of her husband or much of the other characters in the book.

So if you are looking for a book to make you reflect on the life you've been lucky enough to have, or are interested in reading about long gone native tribes. Then I would totally suggest Thunderwoman, but I suggest it with a warning that if you are sensitive like myself, you'll cry. But all in all, a good read.

I hope you all have a wonderful day. :)


Friday 16 October 2015

Some Small Changes.

As my reading week comes to a close, I have come to realize I need to make a few changes to my blogging life. No, I will not stop blogging, I love doing this way too much. There is nothing to worry about there. However, I feel like I need to blog less.

I want to give you guys the best content I can, and I am feeling like some of my posts are a little bit rushed. So, instead of posting nearly everyday, I will post twice a week. Tuesdays, and Fridays. Those are the days through the week I have off. So there is more time for me to make higher quality content.

My book reviews will be a little more in-depth, my posts can be a little longer, have more pictures. All of those things. But during my reading weeks, and my time out of school, I'll be able to make more content, and post more often than twice a week. As well as if there is something exciting going on.

Hopefully these little changes will make things easier for you guys to keep up, and for me to keep up as well. If there are any hiatuses I will of course let you know. I hope you all have a wonderful day. And thank you all for being so understanding.

Thursday 15 October 2015

Cecil Welcome to Nightvale Cosplay.

I have been aggressively listening to Welcome to Nightvale, and I did a post about it a while ago. If you want to take a look at it here is the link: link so feel free to read it. Anyway, I had stopped listening to it for a bit, and now, I have gotten back into it.

I listen to way too much of this series, but, I have fallen in love with it. It's funny, and weird, and just all around perfect. So, I decided to cosplay as one of the characters: Cecil. Cecil is the narrator of the podcast. And there is very little known about his personal life, other than he loves Carlos. And come to think of it, I feel myself beginning to fall for perfect Carlos, and his beautiful hair.

Now, there isn't an official design for Cecil, but there are a lot of fan designs. And as I was flipping through them, I realized, I can totally cosplay this. A thing cosplayers say a lot. And so, I debut my first finished cosplay in years.

I generally just used clothes out of my closet,  I was going to do the tattoos, but I didn't want to waste my eyeliner. However, if I decide to do this again, I am so going to get some purple face paint. And possibly purple coloured contacts. As well as try my hand at prop making.

I had so much fun taking these photos. Granted it was just me hanging out at home by myself. I still had so much fun. If you are interested in seeing more of my cosplay life, and cosplay work, follow me on cosplay amino at Prince Basil.

There are also a few extra photos at princeofthefairies.tumblr.com if you want to go check them out as well.


I hope you all have a wonderful day. :)

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Travelling Books.

Books just wanna be free. And book crossing does just that. Over the years, I have found two of these wandering books. One was an Agatha Christie novel when I was on exchange in Norway. The other I found just the other day at my college campus. The book is Star Bright A Christmas Story by Andrew M. Creeley.

Book crossing is an organization in which one takes a book, and just set it somewhere for anyone else to pick up. Inside each book is a code, and you go online put in the code, and you can find where the book as travelled. Then you read the book, and set it out in the world again.

You can track the books journey through this link and you can even see what other books people are "catching." It's such a great concept, and I feel really lucky to have caught two books through this program.

To register a book is totally free. All you have to do is register for a code, download the label, and set the book out. This is entirely free. There are different ways to send out the book, either by giving it to someone directly, leaving it somewhere totally random like at a cafe, or at official "book crossing zones".

The "book crossing zone" is just a specific location where a group of people continually drop books for one another. This kind of dropping usually has some organizing behind it. Regardless of how you find the book, finding one is always kinda special. Or at least to me it feels special.

When I finish this book, I will of course be dropping it somewhere for someone else to find. And I think this book may have slipped onto the bottom of this months TBR. I still haven't decided if I am going to review this book, but when I do decide I will let you know.




Monday 12 October 2015

Thanksgiving Weekend.

Here in Canada, Thanksgiving is in October instead of November like in the states. And this weekend was amazing. It started with a two and a half hour car ride back home from the city, and has ended with the most beautiful nature walk.

Today, my family and I went to the O'Hara Mill. The O'Hara Mill is a pioneer homestead, surrounding it, is a nature conservation area with a bunch of trails. The area is so beautiful, especially now that the leaves are changing colours. It's stunning.

After living in the city for a few months, I begin to miss nature. I miss the stars, and the trees, and the fresh air. I hope to do something like this every time I come home for a holiday. Being in the fresh air is so meditative. I have little else to say, all I have is these stunning photos.

I am rather exited about the rest of my reading week. I have other plans, and I will of course share these adventures with you. 

Tonight, I'll be heating up some apple cider, and sitting out enjoying the stars. Everyone needs a chance to slow down from the busy city life.


 

Saturday 10 October 2015

Ender's Game: Review.

Ender's Game is the first book in a trilogy by Orson Scott Card. The book is about 9 year old Ender and his journey through Battle School. But, like with so many governments, there are conspiracies, and things kept in the shadows.

As well, recently they made a movie based on the book too with Asa Butterfield, and Harrison Ford. I do want to do a book to movie comparison, so keep an eye out for that.

In this world, there is a race of creatures who have attacked the Earth. In their second invasion, many of them were killed. This event was humanities fight back against these creatures. But time is running out. The Battle School recruits the brightest, and cleverest children to be a part of their program. And all of these kids are competing for a chance to be in Command School and lead the human race to victory. Ender is one of these kids, but he doesn't know that he is humanities only hope to end the war.

I fell in love with most of the characters, however there were a few I didn't care for. Namely: Ender's older brother Peter. And I don't think you were supposed to care for them. Ender himself is so fascinating to read about. He is very clever, but at the same time you do see the child inside of him. At least in the beginning of the book. In Battle School, all of the children are forced to grow up in a matter of months. Seeing Ender's transformation from pinprick, to star student is just amazing to see.

The way the teachers of the school turned Ender into this leader however, is scary. And reading it, you feel so much sympathy for Ender. You really understand how alone he feels in this school. And it's no fault of his, but planned by the General Graff.

Even Ender's siblings on Earth take incredible transformations, and their plans are just as interesting as what is going on up in space with Ender. Valentine and Peter were both contenders to be in Battle School, but were rejected for different reasons. And both plots converge together really well. However out of the two of them I am personally more scared of Valentine, but Peter definitely has his moments.

I do kinda wish we got to see how the other kids from the battle school changed a little bit more as well. I feel like towards the end of the book, we lose a bit of their personalities. Especially those Ender was allowed to get close with. I did love exploring Ender's relationship with them as the book went on.

The world is a little bit hard to understand at times because of the technical jargon. But when you get a handle on it, the world is full and complex. However it does make it a little too easy for the characters to do controversial things, but it speaks for the desperation of their society as well. So there are good and bad points to it.

I personally felt like a lot of the battle sequences were a little hard to follow. And it did switch perspective and point of view at random times with very little indication of why. However the more you get into the book, the clearer the other point of view is and the better you learn how to read it.

The plot is so intriguing, and there is so much going on. The twists though are a little bit obvious are still really well done, just because how they were written, and how the plot played out. I really wish we got a little more back story on the buggers, but perhaps in the other books in the series will explain the buggers a little bit more. As well as how the world changes at the end.

If you really like science fiction books, child prodigies, or just books that make you think, then Ender's Game is perfect for you. I feel like this book can teach young people about compassion and how the adults don't always know everything. As well, I loved reading about the adults treatment of Ender, but that could be just because I'm weird.

So would I read this again? Yes in a heart beat. Would I recommend it? Yes I totally would. Would I finish the trilogy? Of course, I am on the hunt for the next book now.

Wednesday 7 October 2015

Utterly Exhausted.

Until at least Saturday, this will be the only post I make. I have a lot of work to do, and I am simply struggling to keep up with it all. I am so tired, and my head hurts so much it's hard to focus. I really wish I could keep churning out blog posts everyday like usual, but right now that isn't the case.

Don't worry though, I have a few super exciting things up my sleeve. As well as a few posts started, but not finished. And during next week, I'll be posting a lot more content. Including a book review, a book to movie comparison, a recipe thing, some writing news, and a possible big project.

If there is anything you guys want to see more of, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you all for waiting, and dealing with me.

Monday 5 October 2015

Welcome to Night Vale Impressions.

So, I have been on this weird HP Lovecraft, creepy kick. It began with the Disney Channel series Gravity Falls, then moved to Over the Garden wall, now, I am listening to Welcome to the Night Vale for the first time.

So, I went into this, knowing only two things. One: it's weird. Two: it's a fictional podcast. So, I listened to the pilot. The pilot talks about a new dog park that opened in Night Vale. And the listener is just kind of introduced to the world of Night Vale.

I honestly had no idea what to expect from this series, but I am really liking it. It's weird, and Cecil's (the narrator) voice is super soothing, and wonderful to listen to. The stories themselves are interesting, and weird. At times a little creepy, but still so good.

One of the things I love is when Cecil announces the weather, they play an indie song. Which is great for those looking for new music to listen. I haven't listened to a lot of it, but I know, what I have listened to, I like. A lot.

If, like me you find yourself zoning out through podcasts, there is a tumblr blog with all of the transcripts of the podcasts. I'll put the link right here so you can go check it out. This link takes you to the last page of the blog, so you'll find the first podcast.

This series reminds me of another blog I wanted to create. Something similar to the idea of the Night Vale. Just a little town, which has weird creatures visiting it, but it all is very normal to the writer. I never got around to creating that blog. But it's still interesting to recall my old ideas.

So, do I recommend Welcome to the Night Vale? Yes, I do. And with this, I have to leave you. So good night readers, good night.

Episode one of Welcome to Night Vale: Link

Sunday 4 October 2015

Cosplay: What is it? Why I do it? And What am I working on?

Cosplay to put it in very basic terms, is Halloween anytime you want. It's the art of creating costumes, and even acting as a character. This art form has been around for quite a while, but I am not going to include any facts that you can easily find with a quick google search. Cosplayers spend hours, and sometimes even thousands of dollars to create beautiful costumes, and bring characters they love to life.

Cosplays have no limit to the creativity, you can dream it up, you can build it. I have always been interested in fashion, and sewing, and just dressing up. Putting on a costume always felt like I was putting on a different persona. I could literally be anyone. It was the same reason I fell in love with acting and writing. I had a chance to escape the hardships of life, and come back to them when I felt a little more energized and confident.

However, due to a lot of personal things, I did stop cosplaying for a number of years. I stopped wanting to make costumes, I stopped dreaming up different characters I could be. I stopped wanting to be a part of this amazing community. However, as of last year, that has changed. And in May of 2016 I am going to my very first convention here in the city: Anime North.

Anime North is a three day anime convention, with panels, fashion shows, workshops, art, and of course amazing cosplays. Usually when you go to an anime convention, you cosplay as anime characters. And though my love for anime is strong, cosplaying as an anime character is difficult. So I have decided to do cartoon characters instead.

The first cosplay, that I have already started is: Wirt from the series Over the Garden Wall. If you've read other blog posts, you'll know how much I love this series. And Wirt is one of my favourite characters. And his costume is super simple. Something I can create in a matter of a few hours.

The next character is of course: Mabel from Gravity Falls. Mabel is a bright bubble of sunshine. She is cute and into all things sparkly. Her costume is also very easy, and I have part of it already in my possession. Or at least something that will work. The only downside is I am going to be kinda hot in a sweater.

The final character isn't so much a character, but a j fashion coord inspired by a character as he is not human. But turning the coord into a cosplay wouldn't be hard. And the character is again from Gravity Falls: Bill Cipher. Bill is such an interesting character. He is evil without being scary, he is actually kind of charming. And there is so much mystery behind this character. This one will be the most work, but I do not need a wig for this one.

I will keep you updated mostly through instagram if you want to follow me @fairyprincebasil that would be awesome. My question for you is, if you are a cosplayer, why do you cosplay? And if you aren't what are some of your favourite characters from books, tv, movies ect?

Saturday 3 October 2015

Over the Garden Wall.

Alright, so I have been debating doing this post for a while. Not for any particular reason, just because I didn't think anyone would be interested in reading about it. Now, I cannot help myself, I have become obsessed with Cartoon Networks mini series Over the Garden Wall.

Over the Garden Wall is about half brothers Wirt, and Greg (as well as Greg's frog) and their journey through the Unknown trying to get back home. Now, not to give too much away, but in the first episode the boys are warned of a monster simply called The Beast who lives in the woods. The ten episodes show Wirt and Greg's journey trying to find their way home and the people they meet.

At first glance this show isn't all that much. But if you watch it all the way through, you will find so many beautiful moments. The story is bitter sweet, and the characters are endearing, and the animation is beautiful. The series to me is like a fairy tale, folklore, Beatrix Potter mixed in with something out of either Neil Gaiman's head or Tim Burtons. I could honestly go on about this series for hours. But there is just so much to it.

I feel like this series has a lot to offer a wide range of audiences. It has some cute elements for children, darker moments and recognizable cast for the adults. But it also grows deeper than that. There is a mystery element, and a fantasy element, and a psychological element. And there is so much more.

The main protagonist Wirt is so relatable to me. He is awkward, and timid, and can't really talk to girls. But at the same time, he cares so much about those he interacts with on a personal level. And he is clever, and kind. Greg on the other hand is a big goof ball, but so intelligent in his own special way. He is cute, and charming and he just brings a smile to your face. Greg I believe is the braver of the two, and easily the more optimistic. Despite the dark elements of the show, Greg is always there to create some light moments.

Another important character is Beatrice the bluebird. And I love her so much. She is sassy, and driven, she is someone who knows what she wants. But she does take it too far, and I think that's what I love about her character. I don't want to give too much away, so all I'll say is this: she doesn't really do what's right until it's too late. It's hinted that she wants to, but she doesn't do anything about it. And for some strange reason, I adore that personal struggle with her character.

Finally, there isn't a good show without a good villain. And The Beast is terrifying! Even though we never see more than just an silhouette of The Beast, the design is just so creepy. There is very little that we as an audience know about The Beast. And personally, I think that makes him even scarier.

I cannot stop thinking about this show, and I recommend it to any one who just needs something new to watch. Over the Garden Wall is really a breath of fresh air.

Friday 2 October 2015

My Feelings on Audiobooks.

Disclaimer! Disclaimer! The following post is just my opinions. You are totally entitled to your opinion, just as I am entitled to mine.

Through audible.com, you can get you first audiobook for free, so I decided to get one. It was free, I honestly had nothing to lose. This was the very first audiobook I had ever listened to. Now, before I listened to any sort of audiobook I always thought I wouldn't like them. And, I am finding that I was right.

The audio book that I chose was Steven King's memoir called On Writing. The audio book is narrated by Mr. King himself, so I know it isn't the narration isn't at fault. Steven King is amazing to listen speak, and him reading his own book is a beautiful thing. Or so I had thought. I find myself listening to the audio book, zoning out. I feel like I would get so much more out of the book if I read it. I feel like I had missed so much of the story.

However, I can see a lot of benefits of audio books. I do enjoy sitting here listening to the book as I do my homework, or draw. As well, as it's perfect to use as background noise for time on the internet. And for people who have long commutes, I can totally understand why people love audio books. But I still prefer sitting and reading.

Story telling will always be a passion of mine, and I want to experience all forms of it. If you are at all curious about audiobooks, go ahead and try them. It's something different, and there are a lot of pros and cons. I don't know if I will be getting any more audio books, but if I do, I will certainly review them.

Thursday 1 October 2015

October TBR.

Happy first of October! I am really beginning to feel winters icy chill, and I am not at all ready for that. But here are the books that I will be reading through the month of October. 

The first is Enders Game by Orson Scott Card. I'm already half way through, but during the month of October I will be finishing it. You can also be on the look out for a review of this book when I do finish it. 

The next book I will be reading is Thunderwoman by Nancy Wood. I picked this book up at a used book store close to my school. I honestly know nothing about it, and I cannot wait to start reading it, and see what this book has in store for me. I will also be reviewing this book as well. 

Those are the only two books that I want to get finished this month. Things are getting pretty busy with school, and I don't want to over work myself. As well as when I moved here, I was only able to bring four books with me, and one that I bought here. So my book collection is very small. 

Of course when I have more time and more books, you can for sure be looking forward to more reviews, and more book related content. I hope you all have a wonderful day.