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Velox

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Blog Entries posted by Velox

  1. Velox

    Zombies

    By Velox,

    I've never been much of a fan of zombies. Never thought they were scary at all: slow, dumb, hands up in the air, etc. But then I started watching The Walking Dead a few weeks ago (and finished the first and second seasons). Gotta say, that definitely changes my opinion on zombies. The show isn't all that scary itself, but if it were real I would totally be freaking out. =P Still, the show is incredibly well done and very entertaining. I almost wish I hadn't started watching it so I wouldn't have so long of a wait until the next season.


     
    Oh speaking of awesome TV shows I don't think I've ever mentioned Sherlock here. Now that is an awesome TV show. Definitely one of my all time favorites, and I hate the creators for only having three episodes a year (though considering they are all ~90 minutes each and so well done, that does make up for it). The old PBS series with Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes is also very good, as are the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (though I have unfortunately only read a few...definitely need to read more soon). I also have several short story collections written by various authors with "fanfiction" of Sherlock Holmes, which are also enjoyable.
     
    And while I'm at it, the other TV shows I watch regularly: NCIS, Person of Interest, Hawaii 5-0, NCIS: Los Angeles, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, the Big Bang Theory, and occasionally CSI: NY or Miami.
     
    ~ Velox
  2. Velox

    Success!

    By Velox,

    I am now officially a library minion (in short stories)! Black Six is awesome for making me such. Oh, on the note of Short Stories, the SSC9 Polls are up -- go vote!
     
    So let's see...what else is new. Well I'm really happy right now because of who I'm going to prom with; I hadn't really talked to her much before, but I thought she was awesome and so decided to ask her. Now we've started talking a lot and she's even more awesome and we have a lot of the same interests/values and stuff. So yeah, basically I'm just really happy and excited (Prom isn't until April 27th, but we have two weeks off starting Monday so that's why I asked her now).
     
    I also saw Act of Valor a few weeks ago -- excellent, excellent movie, and definitely recommended.
     
    I re-joined the BZPRPG recently, too; feels good to be back. If you're not already a part of it, I definitely recommend it -- it's a fun experience and a good way to make sure you keep writing, even if just a little bit each day.
  3. Velox

    Old Story Ideas

    By Velox,

    Anyone remember that Core War Short Story Contest a while back? Well, I was going through all my various writing folders (my computer's a mess...I wanted to finally organize stories that I had finished, abandoned, are in progress, and ideas, etc.), and I came across my old Core War entry idea. I had forgotten how much I loved that; I think that may be the farthest I've ever gone into someone's character with the exception of two (or three) of my main characters for other projects. Unfortunately I also remember why I had never gone forward with that story: I never liked the plot I had planned nor could think of one I liked. =/ I'm definitely going to revisit that idea, though (and maybe not even as a Bionicle story, but definitely with the same character), as I love that character idea.
     
    I also found a small piece of a second-person narrative I was working on (I completely forget what I was writing it for, as all I have are about 10 lines of story...) that I also quite like, and definitely hope to finish. One problem is: "the creature is revealed in a brief instant as it steps into the light. The sight is horrible. You scream in unadulterated fear as knife-sized teeth tear you apart, look down to see that you have lost your legs."
     
    That's a problem because I don't like writing Bionicle stories any more (well, for most things...see, now I like to write because I want to be able to show people that I wrote it, but I don't want to show anyone anything that's Bionicle except here on BZP), and there's not really an animal that fits that description (if there is and I'm just not thinking, please let me know =P). I s'pose I could create some sort of fantasy creature (I haven't written anything in the fantasy genre besides Bionicle things, so maybe this is my time to...) or use some Mythological creature, though. And the other problem just being I'm not sure what else to do with this story...
     
    I found a few other cool story ideas, too, but these two are my favorite. Maybe I'll actually start writing again? (considering before Souvenirs I hadn't completed a short story in...a long time.) I hope so.
  4. Velox

    Shooting Range

    By Velox,

    Yesterday I shot a handgun for the first time; my sister's boyfriend owns one (S&W 9mm), and as such offered to take me to a shooting range. Was definitely awesome and quite fun. It's funny how easier it is. When I first tried it I was kinda scared and thought it'd be hard, but it's really not, and the blowback isn't bad at all (of course, it gets worse the bigger gun you go, but still). Now I really want to go shooting in the desert with a sniper rifle like he does sometimes as well. I also really want to shoot a Beretta 92 and some other handguns just to see the difference (a revolver would be cool, too). Anyway.



    So, promotion/transfer. Best part about it is definitely the new name color; I love this shade of blue. It's kinda funny, though; I haven't done anything staff-official yet due to inactivity in the forums I'm assigned to, Windy always stealing my closing topic chances in Q&A, and the good behavior of everyone. =P But still, it's definitely awesome.
     
    On the literature side of things, I'm currently planning a couple projects with some people...definitely hope to start writing them soon, as I am incredibly excited for both. One thing is re-joining the BZPRPG, which I've been planning to do forever (and attempted it back when the forums first came back, but only ended up posting once before leaving again =P), but due to basketball and school haven't been able to. But now that basketball is over, I should have enough time to stay active. Anyway, I'm planning a few things for that, so it might be a little while before I actually join again, but once I start posting I hope to not disappear again.
     
    I mentioned Kill Shot by Vince Flynn in my last entry briefly (I finished it the next day). An extremely awesome book and highly recommended. It also became the #1 New York Times Bestseller, which I'm very happy about. Anyway, that led me to wanting to re-read some of Vince Flynn's older books, so I re-read his first, Term Limits. Also definitely recommended, but I'd recommend American Assassin and Kill Shot more (because they, and all his other books, have Mitch Rapp; these two are prologues to all the other books, AA being first and KS being next, so to read them chronologically read those two then all his others starting with Transfer of Power; go to his website).
     
    Anyway, currently reading Locked On, by Tom Clancy. Another great book that I'd recommend. I really hope to go back and read all of the Tom Clancy books I haven't (I've only read Patriot Games, Dead or Alive, and Against All Enemies, all of which were fantastic).
     
    And that's about it.


  5. Velox

    Rick Santorum

    By Velox,

    I really need to use this more...Been quite busy as of late, but now that basketball season is over I should have more free time and not be as much of a lurker. I also think I lose my PMship soon; may or may not renew.
     
    Anyway, to the subject of this entry: The presidential candidate I currently support.
     
    Right now my favorite is definitely Rick Santorum as there's hardly anything I dislike about him.. Rick Perry was my favorite, but as he dropped out that now goes to Santorum.
     
    Newt Gingrich would be my next choice -- there's a couple of things I dislike about him. Then it'd be Mitt Romney (really wish I could talk about why I both like and dislike him) and Ron Paul.
     
    Again, really wish I could get into the whys, but there's the ranking of the current four Republican candidates for me. I'd definitely vote for any of them over Obama (excited -- I actually get to vote this November! I just wish I could vote in the Primaries but I'm not eighteen until July and the Cal Primary is June-ish), but I'd still rather have Santorum over the others.
     
    On that note I've found myself loving politics recently -- Government was my favorite class last semester, and I love discussing/debating politics. I also often listen to SoCal's AM 870KRLA -- conservative talk radio. Anyway.
     
     
    Other than that, something else I'm excited about: Kill Shot, by Vince Flynn finally came out on the 7th (was supposed to come out in November, but as Vince was diagnosed with cancer, that sort of got in the way). Got it yesterday and am almost done; quite excellent so far, as all of Flynn's books are. Highly recommended! The only bad thing about his books are that you buy them when they come out, finish them in a day or two, and then have to wait a whole year for the next one. =P
     
    ~ Velox
  6. Velox
    "Let us not, dear friends," says Nuile, "forget our dear friends the bi-weekly challenges! The time has come"--and passed, it might be added--"for another to begin!"


     

    Your theme this week is:


     

    Patience



    Nuile explains: "The capacity, quality, or fact of being patient; or solitaire if you're British. Interpret and incorporate it into your story as you fancy. I'd like to see how you can put a logical face on a team of Toa playing solitaire."



    If you are pococurante to this theme, perhaps you will find the details re your challenge more interesting:


     

    Span several time frames


     

    "Whether the interval between portions of your story consists of centuries, years, months, weeks, days, or hours, it qualifies; I'm not meticulous. Just excercise your own common sense. Skipping five minutes doesn't count."


     

    Augment Your Lexical Ken


     
     
     
     




     
     
     
     




     
     
     
     




     
     

    "See you next time!"


  7. Velox

    Such Relief

    By Velox,

    So this past week I was finishing all my applications and such [uCs (University of California) and CSUs (Cal State University) were due the 30th; UW (University of Washington) was due the 1st]. My advice to anyone who goes through this: Don't procrastinate and wait 'till the last minute like I did. Sure, you might get it done, but you won't get much sleep. =P Plus, it would probably be better if done earlier.
     
    I am glad I kinda thought ahead about my UC apps, though -- I was able to give my personal statements to a teacher at my school who corrected them for me. Unfortunately, I did not do the same for the UW app, writing all my stuff at the last minute right before I sent it in. =/
     
    Anyway, they're done! Finally! I'm so glad. Here's where I applied:
    UC Irvine
    UC Davis
    UC San Diego
    UC Riverside
    University of Washington, Seattle
    Cal State Long Beach
    San Francisco State University
    Northern Arizona
    St. John's University [this and Arizona were simply because they gave me an application waver and didn't require me to write an essay -- besides, it looks good for graduation when they list all the colleges I get applied to (the more the better =P)]

    My first choice would most-likely be UCI, followed closely by UW and UCDavis, then probably CSUSF.
     
    Other than that, I've had a bunch of homework, and will continue to have a lot until Christmas break [only two weeks!!]; that and basketball has been the reason for my some-what inactivity. Once Christmas break comes I hope to get all the things done I've been meaning to forever: get back into the BZPRPG, be more active here, specifically the library and LoA, review things for the SSCC, write more, etc.
     
     
    Oh, and I'll make another entry for this some time when I have more time, but I finished all of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. Man are they fantastic. Highly, highly recommended to anyone who wants a good first-person story.
     
    Lastly, would like to thank everyone [especially 5 5's, who helped plan and has done everything concerning the judging] who helped and entered SSC8 -- it was a great success, and I appreciate everyone bearing with me in my first attempt at hosting an official contest.
     
    ~ Velox
  8. Velox

    Brickfair Withdrawal

    By Velox,

    It keeps coming back. =[
     
    First I had it right after BFair itself, and then it subsided for a little while, but then I had BrickCon which brought on 'Con Withdrawal and brought back 'Fair Withdrawal. And now whenever I see BrickFair or 'Con mentioned anywhere it makes me sad. I miss you guys!
     
    We'll just have to make next year extra awesome.
     
    But it's still 9 months away... =/
  9. Velox
    Or Happy Halloween, I guess, but IMO the birthday of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is much more important. =P
     
    On that note, I've been reading the Dresden Files recently -- I forget when I started, but I've been reading them in order from Fool Moon [i read [i]Storm Front[/i] about a year ago] and am currently on White Night. I own every book with the exception of Changes, which I will hopefully get soon [or at least when it comes time to read it].
     
    They are definitely some of my favorite books ever. Jim Butcher is just a fantastic author, and Dresden is an awesome character, along with the whole slew of supporting characters [my favorite being Bob], well thought-out plots, and superb descriptions that make the Dresden Files a must-read.
     
    I'll write a full review of the series when I finish Ghost Story [and I'll also be doing individual book reviews], but for now I just wanted to give a shout out to an amazing series whose main character's birthday is today. I really must thank Aaron [Nuju Metru] for recommending the series to me; I probably wouldn't have ever heard of them if he hadn't. The only thing I can say is I wish I would've read them sooner. =P
     
    And on the subject of stories, Edgar Allen Poe is a genius. You must read one of his stories today, or you are not properly celebrating Halloween.
     
    And so with that: what's your favorite Poe story? For me, I don't know. It's really hard to choose, and I haven't read nearly as many as I should -- hope to change that, soon [but heck, I've got a reading list the size of Alaska -- so many books and stories I have on my shelf that I want to read (and some that aren't on my shelf)].
     
    Hope everyone has an awesome time, and don't forget to enter the Short Stories Contest in the library!
     

  10. Velox

    Homecoming

    By Velox,

    So, last week was homecoming week, which was the main reason for my some-what less activeness here [especially in the BZPRPG -- sorry Micah! I'll try to post soon].
     
    Throughout the week there were various fun things going on, but the really awesome stuff started Friday. I went to my friend's house after school and hung out with people until the Homecoming football game. We didn't win [we did horribly, in fact], but it was still really fun and most of the time we weren't even watching the game anyway, lol.
     
    The next morning I had to get up early for a basketball game, which we did very well in considering the team we played was in a higher league than we were [it's pre-season, so we can play whoever] and we had none of our good players due to football/ineligibility from grades. Later that day I got ready for the Homecoming Formal Dance and subsequently went to it. Went to my date's house first, hung out there for a while and took pictures, went to the dance and had an amazing time, then went to Denny's afterwards and then back to her house. Some pics:
     

     
    [Click thumbnails to enlarge]
     
    Overall it was a really fun [and busy!] week. Life is good [for now].
     
     
    And on a different note, this is also my first blog post here since the forums came back... welcome back, I guess? If anyone is wondering, the League of Authors, Short Story Critics Club, and banner shop run by 5 5s and myself will all be coming back soon. It's good to be back.
  11. Velox
    "Due to a bit of confusion over the past week, I am back again--in Velox's blog this time--to present you with your challenge for the next two weeks," says Nuile. "The theme this time around is:"
     

    Reconciliation 
    "The reestablishment of cordial relations; getting two things to correspond; represent it in whatever way you wish."
     

    Write a Songfic 
    "Pick a nice song with the Short Story you wrote, or vice versa. In whatever order, just write your songfic."
     
    "'But wait,' you might ask, 'What if I want to write an Epic chapter?' In that case, I'll let you tweak the challenge a bit: make one of your characters sing. That's feasible; people sing all the time. So pick a song that fits your character and/or the circumstances. You may modify it as needed to fit, for example I'm in Love with an Ostrich would have to be I'm in Love with a Nivawk in BIONICLE fanfiction, though I do not suggest you use that particular song.
     

    Augment Your Lexical Ken 

     

     

     
    Note that you may use any definition or parts of a given word, but only in the category given. For example, the word is the verb run; you may use it in past, present or future tense, you may use any defenition of the verb, but you may not use run as a noun, adjective, etc.
     

    Story Submission Form 

    [url="http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=(whatever the id of your topic is)"](Name of Story)[/url] - [url="http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?showuser=(whatever your user id is)"](Name of author)[/url]
     
    "Thank you, Velox," Nuile adds, "For agreeing to host the LoA. Thank you Cherixon for hosting it while you could. To the members at large: all LoA entries will soon move to Velox's blog, but until then you are free to use them all over on Cherixon's blog."
     
     
    Addendum by Velox: The other entries will be up later today or tomorrow. For those that have posted your reviews, I've already calculated your points and they are all added up in the points entry which is currently drafted.
  12. Velox

    New Phone

    By Velox,

    Just got the EnV 3 yesterday. While I do kinda miss my ol' LG Chocolate [the screen only showed random lines of random colors, which is why I had to get a new phone], as it's awesome, I love the EnV. Qwerty keyboard! Which means that I'll now use Mobile IM, since it's a lot easier with a full keyboard. Which means you guys should hit me up on AIM. =P [just tomorrow or the next day or next day, etc. sometime, rather than tonight -- doesn't matter the time of day, as long as I'm on, obviously] bzvelox is my screenname, for those that don't know it [it is on my profile, but hey]. 'Cause yeah, I can be bored at school/after school while I'm waiting to be picked up, so why not chat on AIM?
     
    Also went to Borders today [as well as last week] as they're closing this week -- 50% off or more on their stuff. Got some of Stephen Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger [of which the first novel was made into the movie Shooter] series, which is about a retired Marine Corps sniper, as well as some of Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin, USMC (retired)'s Kyle Swanson series, also about a Marine Corps sniper. For the former, I really enjoyed the movie Shooter, and when I started reading Point of Impact [the book that Shooter was based off of (why can't they just call the movie by the same name as the book?)] I was instantly hooked, and decided to get the others in the series. For the latter, the writer himself is a retired Marine Sniper, so I figure it's gotta be realistic, and from the prologue that I read, he seems to be a good author, too.
     
    I also now have all of the Dresden Files, with the exception of Changes and Side Jobs [which I've been accumulating over the past couple months or so]. You should be happy, Aaron. I'll get the last two when I find them for a good price.
     
    Other than that, not much left to tell. Still debating on whether or not I should take summer school for art. I'm leaning toward yes because: 1) I hate art, so it's only 5 weeks instead of like 9 months; and 2) it looks better for college, as I'll be able to take Latin IV [or some other class] in addition to art, since I have to take art. Why not to do it: 1) There's only a couple of my friends taking it over the summer, and they're not really my "good" friends [all my close friends are taking it during school]; 2) it's summer school. Who wants to go to school over the summer?; and 3) I won't be able to do the Summer Seminar at the Annapolis Naval Academy, which I'm thinking about going to because it's free and I kinda want to join the Marines, but I definitely wanna visit the school first, and the only time is either finals week or summer school.
     
    So yeah. I don't really have to decide until near summer, but still. Of course the Annapolis thing also depends on me getting accepted for it, which I'll find out around Mayish.
     
    . . . And this entry turned out a lot longer than I thought it would.
     
    - Velox
  13. Velox

    Tolkien Fans? C.s. Lewis?

    By Velox,

    Okay, so, I have the following books by J.R.R. Tolkien:
     
    -The Hobbit
    -The Lord of the Rings
    -The Children of Hurin
    -The Silmarillion
    -Unfinished Tales
    -A Tolkien Miscellany [smith of Wootton Major, Farmer Giles of Ham, Tree and Leaf, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight]
     
    I've read the Hobbit a few times, though the only thing I remember from it is Smaug with his gold. =P I'm pretty sure I've read LotR at least once, but I'm not sure if I actually ever got through them completely. The rest I haven't read at all.
     
    So. I'm wondering in what order should I read everything?
     
    According to this one site, it seems like I should do:
     
    -The Silmarillion
    -The Children of Hurin
    -Unfinished Tales
    -The Hobbit
    -LotR
     
    Though it doesn't mention the stories in A Tolkien Miscellany [and I'm almost positive he's written other things, too], so yeah.
     
    Anyone read all [or most] of the above and have an opinion of what order they should be read?
     
    On the subject of books, I just finished Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn. Which means I only have Pursuit of Honor to read until I've read all of his works. I want to read them again, lol, but I'm going to read other stuff that I haven't read first, Tolkien's stuff being one of those things.
     
    Also! What do you guys think of the Chronicles of Narnia? This is the second thing I want to know. The only book I remember reading the whole thing [though I barely remember it] is the Magician's Nephew, though I think I read up to The Horse and His Boy, but don't remember. Anyway, I know there's a couple different orders for those as well, so once again your thoughts will be appreciated.
     
    Though I do wonder if I should even bother reading them? I've been seeing mixed thoughts -- some people say they're children's books, and that I liked them when I read them, but probably wouldn't like them now. Yet some people say they're great works and I'd still like them, so yeah.
     
    Has anyone read the Screwtape Letters, too? I'll definitely be reading that, but I just wanted to know if anyone's read it and if they liked it or not.
     
    Aaand that's about it [i hope I didn't scare people away with this long entry -- I'd really like some replies lol].
     
    Thanks, all.
     
    - Velox
  14. Velox
    Thanks for the posts in my last entry, guys. I'm still not quite sure about what order I'll read the Tolkien stuff in [i also hope to get more of his stuff], but I probably won't read them until summer anyway.
     
    So, a few days ago I finished the last of Vince Flynn's books. The only thing I can say is I wish there were more. =P Really, all twelve were the best books I have read. Though, I actually haven't read that much, as up until a few months ago I didn't do much reading. But still, I really, really enjoyed them. My favorite? Ah, geez, don't make me do this. =P
     
    I guess if I had to choose it might be the last three books he's written: Extreme Measures, Pursuit of Honor, and American Assassin. The first two because the second is a continuation of the same story as the first. And while you don't need to read them both [all books can be read on their own, though I suggest reading them chronologically], the story was quite good. Then American Assassin because it's Mitch Rapp's [the main character in all but one of Vince Flynn's books] recruitment, training, and first kill with the CIA. It's just so full of character and action and awesomeness. =P
     
    I must warn you, though; there is quite a lot of swearing. And violence, of course. So, basically, they're like the Clancy books.
     
    Anyway, so I'm looking for more book suggestions again [i'm looking back at my two previous entries, too]. Here are some books that I'm already planning on getting that were recommended outside of BZP:
     
    -Point of Impact -- Stephen Hunter [first in the Bob Lee Swagger series, which sounds cool]
    -The Moonstone -- Wilkie Collins [it's considered the first detective books in English]
    -Something by Brian Haig [no, that's not the book's name -- literally, I want to get something by him, as Vince Flynn is making a series co-written with him]
    -1984 -- George Orwell
    -War and Peace -- Leo Tolstoy
    -The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams
    -The Grapes of Wrath -- John Steinbeck
    -Of Mice and Men -- John Steinbeck [could've sworn I had this, as I've read it before, but I can't find it, so if I see it for cheap I'll get it]
    -The Kite Runner -- Khaled Hosseini
    -Dune -- Frank Herbert
    -Count of Monte Cristo -- Alexandre Dumas
    -Moby Dick -- Herman Melville
    -Les Miserables -- Victor Hugo [that's gonna take forever to read, if I ever do, but it'd be cool to have]
    -Whose Body? -- Dorothy Sayers [her first book, and supposedly it's good to read them in order for sake of character development]
    -Starship Troopers -- Robert Heinlein
    -Red Planet -- Robert Heinlein
    -Have Spacesuit Will Travel -- Robert Heinlein
    -Last Man Standing -- David Baldacci
    -The Sniper -- Nelson DeMille
    -Liars and Thieves -- Steven Coonts
    -Something Wicked Comes This Way -- Ray Bradbury
    -The Shadow of the Wind -- Carlos Ruiz Zafon
    -Heart of Darkness -- Joseph Conrad
    -The Bourne Series -- Robert Ludlum [i already have Identity, so I'll read that before I buy more]
     
    I haven't read any of those [except Of Mice and Men], so if anyone has I'd like to hear your opinions. And, as I said, any other suggestions would be great [i hope to read a book a week]. Some of them I probably won't read for a while [specifically War and Peace/Les Miserables/Count of Monte Cristo =P], but I think they'd still be cool to have and read at some point.
     
    Also, one last question, for those fans of Tom Clancy: What order should his stuff be read in [specifically his Jack Ryan series]? Chronological, publication, or just random?
     
    Thanks everyone.
     
    Currently reading Path of the Assassin, by Brad Thor.
     
    - Velox
  15. Velox

    I Love Christmas

    By Velox,

    Well, just the whole winter season, really. It's cold, we get a break from school, and there just seems to be a perfect happy atmosphere. I dunno, just the music, the way people act, everything, just makes this season very nice.
     
    I wouldn't mind if there wasn't rain, though. =P I kinda wish we had snow, just a week or two in the year, but living in Los Angeles means no snow. Though of course I've only been in snow once, and it was like two inches, and I've never had to live in it, so I have no idea if I'd still like it then. But still. It'd be awesome to have a white Christmas, haha.
     
    Anyway, life is going pretty good I s'pose. Kinda has it's ups and downs, but recently it's been more up than down. Maybe it's just the season. ^^ Even the rain I like, as I can sit in front of the fire reading a book by Vince Flynn. I've just been unusually happy lately.
     
    I also hope to have a new short story written soon, but knowing me I probably won't finish it by Christmas, even if it is Christmas-themed [of course I hope to]. I actually might not be able to post it here, though -- kinda depends on how the story goes, since it'll have to do with soldiers [on that note, Black Hawk Down is a very moving movie] while they're fighting and such.
     
    Other than that, not much to tell. I'm just happy to have three weeks off so I can finally get caught up on some stuff [like the ECC/SSCC for starters]. How's everyone else been doing?
     
    - Velox
  16. Velox

    Monthly Update?

    By Velox,

    It seems like that's what it's come to. I'll try to do more of weekly updates, but who knows if that'll happen, lol.
     
    Anyway, quick update, as I have a lot of homework [funny how I always seem to update my blog on the days I have a lot of homework]:
     
    Basketball ~ We've had three preseason games so far. Lost two, one by three points and the other by four [boy is that frustrating]. The third, we won by sixty. Mhm. And we stopped pressing/playing our hardest once we were up by twenty, haha. Though I do feel slightly bad, but at the same time it feels really good, considering our record the last few years [let's just say it hasn't been all that good -- this year, however, looks quite promising].
     
    I actually wish there were more practices, though. I find myself going out on runs on my own 'cause the last couple weeks we've only been able to practice a few times, due to games, tournaments, and other things. But whatever. And I haven't quite decided if I like my coach or not yet this year. He's helped my shot, and seems to help, but at the same time there's some things I don't like about him, and he barely makes us run at all which means I have to run by myself if I want to work out.
     
    School ~ Yes, a very big part of everyone's life, isn't it? Well it's going alright . . . I only have this next week and then the latter half of the week after that [starting the 15th] I have finals. Which means I have ~a week to bring up my grades to what I want. Currently at a 3.5, but all of those Bs are high Bs [87 is my lowest, due to not doing homework/studying haha], so I hope to get at least two up.
     
    Life in general is going alright – don’t really feel like sharing that stuff here so I won’t. Has it's ups and downs. Even in one day, one moment will be awesome, and one moment will suck.
     
    Writing ~ Unfortunately, not going too well. The first week of November I was writing for NaNoWriMo a little, but after that I kinda stopped and haven’t written much since. Due to writers’ block, being busy, and just overall not feeling like writing. :/
     
    BZPRPG ~ Clean slate next year! I’m excited, if only for that, because I’ll finally be able to follow along. Plus, I have always wanted to write medieval stories, even though at the moment I’m writing more modern things. Anyway, I plan to have a “band of thieves,” or at least to join something if I don’t start something myself. Actually, I’m hoping that Nuju will be able to keep Uhuraz and he’ll have his whole mercenary “army” again. Or at least some that do stuff for him.
     
    Then I also want to start over with Velox/Jural [something that I believe Nuju also wants to do]. When I first started playing the BZPRPG, I loved it, especially the whole Velox/Jural stuff. But then it got kinda boring the more complicated it got. So, basically, I want to go back to how it was in the beginning.
     
    Reading ~ Currently reading Consent to Kill, by Vince Flynn [though I’m almost done]. I’ve been on it a while, but not because it is unenjoyable. Quite the opposite, actually, as it is very, very good. Quite sad, too. The reason is just being busy/tired all the time, as well as having to read The Great Gatsby, which was also a great book [though I like CtK better]. In fact, I’m going to be putting a quote from Consent to Kill in my signature because it’s so awesome [i would have put a quote much sooner, but most of the awesome ones include Mitch Rapp cussing out a politician or someone =P]:


    “Why is it that your solution always involves killing someone?”
    Rapp shrugged. “It tends to be more permanent that way.”
    Oh, and The Catalyst, by Linkin Park, is currently my favorite song. Man, that song is awesome.
     
    But anyway, that’s about it. How've you all been doing?
     
    - Velox
  17. Velox
    That is what American Assassin is right now. And it was only released on the twelfth this month.
     
    And let me tell you. It deserves it. Just finished reading it after getting it at that book signing on Wednesday [and with school and basketball, it wasn't easy to read it so quick -- but it kept me hooked, and I couldn't put it down]. Awesome lecture, too, that he gave. But anyway, back to the book itself.
     
    I will say it wasn't quite what I expected. But it was amazing. It delved into Mitch Rapp's character a lot, and just allowed for a fascinating read with fascinating characters. It kept me hooked the whole way. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say what specifically I liked, etc., etc. But I really don't think you'll be disappointed if you pick it up.
     
    And it's the best time, too! If you're new to Vince Flynn, this is the perfect time to start. Besides Term Limits, this is the first book in the Mitch Rapp series. Y'see, he wrote TL as a standalone novel, which didn't include Mitch Rapp at all. He then wrote ten novels with Mitch Rapp, which did include some characters from TL. Anyway, in AA, he tells the beginning of Mitch Rapp, how he became a CIA agent, his first kill, and more. So if you haven't read a Mitch Rapp book yet, why not read AA first? That's what I did [i've only read Term Limits besides AA]. And so you see, it really is the best time to start on Vince Flynn's stuff.
     
    Though of course go ahead and read TL first -- it's interesting to see some of the characters transfer over from that into AA.
     
    So yeah, I know I've been advertising Vince Flynn a lot lately, but really, he deserves it. #1 New York Times Bestseller just after one week of the book being released.
     
    Anyway, since my last book entry, I have gotten a few other books. This is because I was looking for The Third Option -- the last Vince Flynn book I need -- and so I went to several used bookstores where I unfortunately did not find it, but did pick up some other stuff [i decided to order TTO on Amazon]:
    Agatha Christie's Detectives. Five Complete Novels: The Murder at the Vicarage, Dead Man's Folly, Sad Cypress, Towards Zero, N or M?. Hey, it's five Agatha Christie novels, so no explanation necessary [though unless I find another "collection" (more than one novel in a book) I'm done with buying mystery for now, since I'm reading more thrillers at the moment -- once I finish everything I have I'll start buying again, lol]. Marine -- Tom Clancy. No, not a novel. But a non-fiction reference book. And by Tom Clancy. So I thought it'd be good reference, considering two of my characters are Marines. Velocity -- Dean Koontz. I enjoyed Night Chills [though I actually didn't quite finished, because I got American Assassin and started reading that instead =P] and this one sounded cool. Separation of Power -- Vince Flynn. The second-to-last book I needed. And it was hardback, so I was very happy [i only have two of his books that are paperback, the rest are hardback]. The Complete Guide to Middle Earth -- J.R.R. Tolkien. Do I really need an explanation to this? Fool Moon -- Jim Butcher. Next in the Dresden Files series -- I loved Storm Front, so decided to get the next one. Mirror Image -- Tom Clancy. This and the three below are the first in their respective series. After I'm done reading a bunch of other stuff, I thought that I'd try all of Clancy's series, so I got the first of these three. Hidden Agendas -- Tom Clancy Politika -- Tom Clancy Portraits of Murder -- Alfred Hitchcock. 47 murder short stories, picked by the great man himself. Of course I got it. The Bourne Identity -- Robert Ludlum. Heard this series was really good, and finally found the first one [i've seen Ultimatum and Supremacy a lot, but not Identity]. Will look forward to reading this some time. Path of the Assassin -- Brad Thor. Another thriller writer that I've heard is very good, and this sounded like the most interesting out of what they had. And now for the last topic of discussion: NaNoWriMo. Am I doing it? I really do hope so. However, I am not doing the 50k. Think whatever you want of me, I don't care. The fact is that I haven't written a single story over ~5k. Furthermore, I've been extremely busy lately, with school, basketball, and just life in general. Lastly, I haven't written in a long time. I don't think I've written a thousand words with this month and last month combined [basically the only fiction writing I've been doing is for school]. And so, I'm starting small. This is the first time I'm doing this after all. And if I can get over 20k, I will be extremely proud of myself. 
    What will I be writing? That novel I've been talking about for over a year now. I've got it pretty much all outlined, I have the prologue and part of the first chapter written, I like what I'm doing with it, and I know what I'm going to do with it. The last thing that remains [and has been remaining since ~summer] is for me to write it, which I hope NaNoWriMo will offer sufficient motivation to do so.
     
    Oh, and this year [school-wise] is really gonna suck. Especially because in my favorite class [English] I have one of the worst teachers and she hates me. Ah well. I don't like her either. =P I just wish I had my Freshman English teacher, who I still talk to a lot just because of how awesome he is and how good of a teacher he is. Which is actually another motivation for my novel. He likes my writing, and so I really hope to be able to show him my completed novel before I graduate. Which gives me a little more than a year and a half.
     
    But anyway, enough of my rambling on [no one likes to read these long entries, do they?] -- gotta go clean and do some other stuff, and then I'll start Transfer of Power, aka the first of the Mitch Rapp series after American Assassin.
     
    - Velox
  18. Velox

    American Assassin

    By Velox,

    The anticipation is going to kill me.
     
    THREE MORE DAYS.
     
    For those that don't know [like, everyone, probably], this is Vince Flynn's newest book, just released in stores everywhere October 12th. I'm getting it on the 20th at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library book signing by Vince Flynn where I get to meet him and, obviously, receive an autographed copy of his new book, as well as listen to a talk by him. Even cooler is that he'll sign any other hardback books I have, which means that I'll have nine signed books by him [his other three that I have are paperback, unfortunately].
     
    But anyway I'm so excited because I've been waiting to read all of his books since I read Term Limits last month. I've been waiting until I get all of his books so that I can read them all in order, and now I have all of them besides AA.
     
    Though! Even more more awesome is that AA is actually a prequel to all of his other books, meaning I can read it first and then read the rest, which will be the chronological order!
     
    Which is so awesome because AA sounds so amazing. It's all about Mitch Rapp's [his main character] beginning -- how he became an assassin, his first kill, etc.
     
    So yes, because of my excitedness, I put you through reading my ramblings. And I probably made a bunch of confusing sentences but I don't care because I'M SO EXCITED and I'm sick so yeah [which is also the reason I haven't been active lately --with school, basketball, homework, and sickness, that basically means school, basketball, dinner, bed]. Will be more active soon.
     
    But enough of that. I'm off to bed.
     
    - Velox
  19. Velox

    More Books?

    By Velox,

    Indeed, indeed. I was running errands today and thought I'd stop by a used bookstore that I had never been to before and only ~five minutes away from my house.
     
    I only got seven things [lol only -- you'll see why later, but there was actually a very good selection there], mostly due to the price/quality of books. Though I'm being unfair, because these are actually pretty good prices [i'll list the prices] for a used bookstore. It's just that Book Off has really good prices. A row of $1 paperback; a row of unspecified paperbacks, which the most is usually $4 at most, usually less; a row of $1 hardback; and lastly a wall [and a little more] of $5 hardback books. And all of them are in really good condition. Some are a little used, but most are like new [they must get them from various publishers or something]. So yeah, I'd say these prices are pretty good for a normal used bookstore:
    Memorial Day -- Vince Flynn. $6.95. Definitely worth the price -- it's a hardback, and even though it's not five bucks, it's still good and is in good condition. Transfer of Power -- Vince Flynn. $6.95. Good condition, price could be a little less, due to being paperback, but that's probably just me. Got this and the one above because they're two of the four that I need [they had a third that I still needed, but it wasn't in very good condition] until I have all of his. The Children of Hurin -- J.R.R. Tolkien. $6.95. Oh my goodness, yes! I've been looking for this for a while now [heard it's good, and Tolkien is awesome], and it is in VERY good condition, as well as hardback. A Tolkien Miscellany -- J.R.R. Tolkien. $6.95. Another that I guess could be cheaper, for being paperback, but is in very good condition. And this I've never seen before, and looked awesome. Includes Smith of Wootton Major, Farmer Giles of Ham, Tree and Leaf, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Night Chills -- Dean Koontz. $0.25. Haha, definitely worth the price. But it was on a special section, so yeah [and is in fairly good condition]. Anyway, I've been told this guy is good, so thought I'd try one out [and it's only twenty-five cents, so why not]. Sniper -- Adrian Gilbert. $2.95. This is the main one that I think should have been a lot less [like $0.25 or a dollar at the most], but they wouldn't make it lower than this [it was originally a dollar more, but I talked them into this =P]. I guess it's not that bad of condition, but if was a normal book I wouldn't have bought it. Only got it because it's a reference on snipers, and since two of my main characters are snipers, I thought it'd be good reference. So yeah. I would have gotten more if it had prices like Book Off [like, a LOT more], but it's understandable, and this wasn't bad -- I'm actually incredibly pleased with what I got. For the Vince Flynn books, those [and two others] I haven't been able to find at Book Off, and the two Tolkien I haven't seen before either. So yes, I am very happy.  
    Not much else to talk about. I hope to finish the book I'm currently on today or tomorrow to keep up with the book-a-week thing I've been doing. Oh and if there's any books that I -have- to read, let me know and I'll look into them.
     
    - Velox
  20. Velox

    Whoa

    By Velox,

    I posted and saw a Huna next to my name. Totally forgot about that, lol. Which means I don't have a three-year anniversary special.
     
    Let's see if I can type something up really quick:
     
    A darkly clad figured panted as he stumbled down a black, wet alleyway. He grabbed on to a smooth, concrete wall, attempting to catch his breath but started running again as the footsteps behind him neared. He side ran into a tin trash bin and he cursed in pain, but kept on, pushing himself off of the rusted metal. He willed himself on, yelling at himself in his mind to keep going. His feet ached. His legs ached. His arms ached. His lungs ached. His head throbbed. But he continued on. For that is what one does when he knows the end is near.
     
    He turned the corner onto a sidestreet, hoping to gain the attention of the cops. But there was no one there. No one to save him. He looked behind him; tears and sweat visible on his face. He tripped as the sidewalk jutted up from a tree root, falling hard onto the rough sidewalk. His hands and knees burned. His body screamed at him to just lay down and say "Screw it" but he kept going. He had to.
     
    Death was the only other option.
     
    He lifted his head up, the globules of sweat falling from his strands of wet hair. He pushed up with his scratched palms and took off running again. His breath was heavy, and his lungs felt like they were about to explode. He couldn't go on further.
     
    No, he cried, I must go on. I must.
     
    He turned down another alley where he met a dead-end. There was no where to go; this was where he would die.
     
    Running up to the wall, he pounded on the hard surface, trying to get away from his impending doom. His hands clawed away, giving one last attempt to save his life when a loud, sharp bang! was heard.
     
    A bullet impaled his body as he was thrown against the wall, only to be hit with two more. His body slumped to the ground, lifeless.
     
    -----
     
    Lol, that started out because of basketball conditioning and all the running we did, so I had the idea of someone panting and running for his life. Then I thought I'd do a "spinoff" of Hope, in a way, since like both are trying to stay alive. =P And there's the result.
     
    I need to do more bursts of writing like that more often. I actually haven't written in a while . . .
     
    So let's see here. Not much else left to say, really. I did go to Book Off again to get some more books yesterday, which was cool:
    The Big Four -- Agatha Christie. They just got a fairly large Agatha Christie section [like twenty books or more] and I wanted to buy them all, but they were $3.50 so I decided on just the four I thought sounded the coolest. Crooked House -- Agatha Christie The Clocks -- Agatha Christie The Mysterious Mr. Quin -- Agatha Christie The Complete Stories -- Dorothy L. Sayers. I've had Sayers' works recommended to me [she wrote crime novels], and I haven't been able to find anything until now, so I decided to try it out. Plus, I love short story collections. The Big Bad City -- Ed McBain [87th Precinct series]. Same as above. I was really surprised I found two authors that I hadn't been able to find before, lol. Pursuit of Honor -- Vince Flynn. Only four more left of his books to get! Unfortunately they didn't have those four or else I would have bought them without thinking twice. The Cardinal of the Kremlin -- Tom Clancy. Another Tom Clancy book. You can't go wrong with him. Executive Orders -- Tom Clancy Marine Sniper -- Charles Henderson. Tells the true story of the Marine Sniper Sergeant Carlos Hathcock; Marine legend. This I literally saw on the way out [the "MARINE SNIPER" is hard to not see, especially when in bright red letters =P] and thought it looked cool, especially since my two main characters [Vince and Ivan -- aka Velox and Iavo] are both Marine Snipers, so it's a good resource book. The War of the Worlds -- H. G. Wells. I've heard Wells is really good, and I also heard that this book in particular was really good, so I got it. Remember Me -- Mary Higgins Clark. I enjoyed A Cry in the Night, so decided to get a couple more of her books for just a dollar each. We'll Meet Again -- Mary Higgins Clark Really the only reason I'm doing this is because I'm trying to reach my goal of how many books I have -- I have four small shelves still open [it's a big bookshelf with a bunch of little box cutouts -- maybe about a foot or a foot and a half wide], and I want to fill all of those. If anyone is interested, I actually did make a list of all the books I have in my room right now, just because I wanted a list of all my books on the computer [don't ask me why =P Though I guess mainly just so I can keep track of how many books I've read/not read (not that this is all the books I've ever read)]: 

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «• The Improbably Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Various -- Partially Read • Oresteia – Aeschylus
    • Persuasion – Jane Austin
    • Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austin
    • Trophy Hunt – C.J. Box
    • Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury -- Read
    • Flags of Our fathers – James Bradley
    • Death Comes for the Archbishop – Willa Cather
    • O Pioneers – Willa Cather
    • The Complete Father Brown – G.K. Chesterton
    • Father Brown of the Church of Rome – G. K. Chesterton
    • The Ballad of the White Horse – G.K. Chesterton
    • And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie -- Read
    • The Big Four – Agatha Christie
    • The Clocks – Agatha Christie
    • Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories – Agatha Christie
    • Crime Collection: Peril at End House, The Body in the Library, Hercule Poirot Christmas – Agatha Christie -- Partially Read
    • Crooked House – Agatha Christie
    • Five Little Pigs – Agatha Christie
    • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd -- Agatha Christie
    • Murder on the Orient Express -- Agatha Christie -- Read
    • The Mysterious Mr. Quin -- Agatha Christie
    • Poirot Investigates -- Agatha Christie -- Read
    • The White Mountains – John Christopher
    • The Cardinal of Kremlin – Tom Clancy
    • Clear and Present Danger –Tom Clancy
    • Debt of Honor – Tom Clancy
    • Executive Orders – Tom Clancy
    • The Hunt for Red October -- Tom Clancy -- Watched the movie =P
    • Patriot Games -- Tom Clancy -- Read
    • A Cry in the Night – Mary Higgins Clark -- Read
    • Remember Me -- Mary Higgins Clark
    • We’ll Meet Again -- Mary Higgins Clark
    • Artemis Fowl – Eoin Colfer -- Read
    • Mr. Blue – Miles Connolly -- Read
    • Lord Jim – Joseph Conrad
    • The Red Badge of Courage and Four Stories – Stephen Crane
    • Timeline – Michael Crichton
    • 165 Days of Combat – James Cutter [my grandpa; a collection of letters he wrote when he was in combat] -- Partially Read
    • A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens -- Read
    • A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
    • A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
    • Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
    • Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Hound of the Basklervilles – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, adapted by Malvina G. Vogel -- Read
    • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
    • The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- Read
    • Silas Marner – George Eliot
    • Murder in the Cathedral – T.S. Eliot
    • The Waste Land – T.S. Eliot
    • Time Trap – Greg Farshety -- Read
    • Island of Doom -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • Dark destiny -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • Power Play -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • Legacy of Evil -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • Inferno -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • City of the Lost -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • Prisoners of the Pit -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • Downfall -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • Shadows in the Sky -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • Swamp of Secrets -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • The Final Battle -- Greg Farshety -- Read
    • The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • Term Limits – Vince Flynn -- Read
    • Executive Power -- Vince Flynn
    • Consent to Kill -- Vince Flynn
    • Act of Treason -- Vince Flynn
    • Protect and Defend -- Vince Flynn
    • Extreme Measures -- Vince Flynn
    • Pursuit of Honor -- Vince Flynn
    • The Poetry of Robert Frost – Robert Frost, Edited by Edward Connery Lathern -- Partially Read
    • Lord of the Flies – William Golding -- Read
    • The CORPS: Semper Fi – W.E.B. Griffin -- Read
    • The Federalist Papers – Alexander Hamilton, John Madison, and John Jay
    • The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorn
    • CliffNotes: Hawthorn’s The Scarlet Letter
    • The Sun Also Rises – Earnest Hemingway
    • The Old Man and the Sea – Earnest Hemingway
    • The Short Stories of Earnest Hemingway – Earnest Hemingway -- Partially Read
    • Marine Sniper – Charles Henderson
    • Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz
    • A Separate Peace – John Knowles -- Read
    • To Kill A Mocking Bird – Harper Lee -- Read
    • The song at the Scaffold – Gerund von LeFort
    • The Screwtape Letters – C.S. Lewis
    • The Screwtape Letters – C.S. Lewis
    • Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet; Perelandra; That Hideous Strength – C.S. Lewis
    • The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Capsian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; The Last Battle – C.S. Lewis -- Read
    • The Big bad City – Ed McBain
    • Paradise Lost – John Milton -- Partially Read
    • The Princess Bride – William Goldman
    • The Complete Stories – Flannery O’Conner -- Partially Read
    • The Violent Bear – Flannery O’Conner
    • Batman Begins – Dennis O’Neil
    • Animal Farm – George Orwell -- Read
    • The Scarlet Pimpernel – Baroness Orezy
    • The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe – Edgar Allan Poe -- Partially Read
    • Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe – Edgar Allan Poe -- Read
    • The Raven and Other Poems – Edgar Allan Poe -- Read
    • Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls
    • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J.K. Rowling
    • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J.K. Rowling
    • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J.K. Rowling
    • The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
    • The Complete Stories – Dorothy L. Sayers
    • Ivan Hoe – Sir Walter Scott
    • The Complete Works of William Shakespeare – William Shakespeare -- Partially Read
    • King Lear – William Shakespeare
    • Macbeth – William Shakespeare -- Read
    • The Merchant of Venice -- William Shakespeare
    • A Midsummer Night’s Dream -- William Shakespeare -- Read
    • Romeo and Juliet -- William Shakespeare -- Read
    • Frankenstein – Mary Shelly -- Read
    • A Light in the Attic – Shel Silverstein -- Read
    • Falling Up -- Shel Silverstein -- Read
    • Where the Sidewalk Ends -- Shel Silverstein -- Read
    • The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and other stories – Robert Louis Stevenson
    • Air Raid-Pearl Harbor – Theodore Taylor -- Read
    • The Hobbit x2 – J.R.R. Tolkien -- Read [only one version, since I have two sets -- same for the LotR series]
    • The Fellowship of the Ring x2 -- J.R.R. Tolkien -- Read
    • The Two Towers x2 -- J.R.R. Tolkien -- Read
    • The Return of the King x2 -- J.R.R. Tolkien -- Read
    • The Silmarillion -- J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Unfinished Tales -- J.R.R. Tolkien
    • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
    • The Prince and the Pauper – Mark Twain
    • Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea – Jules Verne -- Read
    • Helena – Evelyn Waugh
    • The War of the Worlds – H.G. Wells
    • The Importance of Being Earnest and Four Other Plays – Oscar Wilde -- Partially Read
    • The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde -- Read
    • The Bridge of San Luis Rey – Thornton Wilder
    • Our Town – Thornton Wilder -- Read
    • The Glass Menagerie – Tennessee Williams -- Read
     
    As you can see, most of the stuff I have I actually haven't read. I hope to read most [ if not all] of what's on there, plus more. Right now I'm at ~a book a week, which I hope to continue all of this year. Currently reading Storm Front -- Jim Butcher [you happy, Aaron? =P].
     
    . . . And that's about it. Time to eat and then go to sleep! =P
     
    - Velox
  21. Velox

    Book Review

    By Velox,

    So I finished Vince Flynn's book Term Limits yesterday, after having started it on Monday. Which is fast for me, as while I'm not a slow reader of actual pages, I do normally take a fair amount of time to read through a book. This, however, was so entertaining that I read over 600 pages in four days, one hundred and two hundred pages a day, depending on the day. Is it bad to neglect homework if you're reading? =P
     
    But anyway, back to the subject at hand, that book really was amazing. I just love how he is able to describe things so vividly, but at the same time creates a page-turning read, not allowing the descriptions to slow the pace of the book. Perhaps even more amazing is the author himself. He has dyslexia, and was diagnosed in gradeschool. When he wrote Term Limits, he was initially rejected by over sixty publishers over a course of five years, finally resorting to self-publishing his first novel, which later became a New York Times Bestseller after a publisher saw how well he was selling as a self-publisher. Two other of his novels have become the #1 New York Times Bestseller. And, furthermore, I believe some of his books are being made into movies.
     
    Which, really, is just extremely inspiring. I know this sounds crazy, and maybe I'm crazy for thinking this, but it's made me want to finish and publish the book I'm writing rather than post it here. Though, I doubt I'd be good enough to find a publisher to accept it [especially if his Term Limits was rejected by so many], and so would have to self-publish if I really wanted to.
     
    Back to the book itself, it's an awesome political thriller, complete with assassins, politicians, FBI, Secret Service, CIA, Navy SEALS, Marines, military commandos, bodyguards, snipers, and more. I just love how he made all of his characters -- some of his characters I loved, and others I absolutely hated, wanting to just be a part of that scene and slap them in the face. =P Which is really good writing, IMO. I really do think this is perhaps my favorite book that I have read [though, it is true that I haven't actually read all that many things -- I plan to, now, though, especially since I can get so many books for just a dollar at Book Off, even hardback (the most for hardback being five dollars)]. There also is a fair amount of language, but I don't think it was used excessively, and nor was it distracting from the story.
     
    Enough of my rambling. The tl;dr version: I definitely recommend Vince Flynn's Term Limits.
     
    After I finished it I just had to go to Book Off again to try to get more of his books [really, that store is so amazing. There's an isle of $1 fiction paperback, another isle of $1-5 fiction paperbacks, an isle of $1 fiction hardbacks, and a wall of $5 fiction hardbacks, all of which are in really good condition]. Here's everything I got:
    Protect and Defend -- Vince Flynn. Extreme Measures -- Vince Flynn. Consent to Kill -- Vince Flynn. Timeline -- Michael Crichton. I've heard this guy is really good from many people, so I finally just decided to pick up one of his books to see how it is, and this one sounded kind of interesting. Debt of Honor -- Tom Clancy. Just another Tom Clancy book that sounded cool. Flags of our Fathers -- James Bradley. Heard this was both an awesome movie and book, and having not seen/read either, I wanted to get it. Stormbreaker -- Anthony Horowitz. I can't remember where I've heard this name before, or who said he was a good author, but when I was looking for some Heinlein stuff [which, unfortunately, they didn't seem to have at a quick glance] I saw this and decided to get it. Unfortunately, they only had the three Vince Flynn books above besides the other three I already have [Executive Power, Term Limits, and Act of Treason]. Which, even more unfortunately, are not the ones I wanted right now [of course, I still do want them =P], 'cause I want to read them in order, even though you don't have to. But that's okay, as I want to read stuff from other people first, anyway, so that I can possibly buy more from them as well depending on how much I liked them. 
    Currently reading: Patriot Games, by Tom Clancy.
     
    - Velox
  22. Velox

    Decisions

    By Velox,

    Hmm, okay, so. I know I've probably bored you all to death with every thing I write about my murder story here, but once again I'm having trouble deciding something, so I'm posting my thoughts here. Besides, sometimes just writing things out helps me decide something.
     
    So anyway, I started out of having the team of investigators be NCIS Feds, but the more I think about it and the more I read other books, I'm not sure if I want to do that any more. Here are the pros and cons of using NCIS or the FBI [which is the other choice I've considered doing]:
     
    Pros:
     
    NCIS
    -I "know" more about them through the TV show, but of course that's not necessarily accurate so it's also a con.
    -There aren't many [if any] NCIS novels. I could be wrong, but I haven't seen any myself. So this could possibly be a pro, but may be a con.
     
    FBI
    -It has more cool things [like helicopters, a SWAT team, a lot more of... everything, basically, more funding, etc.]
    -I could have it based in Los Angeles, and they could probably still investigate Marines [which is what the first novel is based on] as the nearest NCIS place is in San Diego. I could be wrong, but I just think that the FBI would be able to take over a case. If not, I can always just change the victim to a non-Marine very easily.
     
    Cons:
     
    NCIS
    -My only information on them is basically from the TV show.
    -As there aren't many NCIS novels, this will seem [iMO] like a piece of fanfiction for the TV show.
    -NCIS is a lot smaller than the FBI, having less "toys" to work with [helicopters, etc.]
    -The team could only investigate Marines/Navy
    -It wouldn't be completely accurate if I did what I wanted [i want it set in Los Angeles, but, unless I'm mistaken, there's not a real NCIS in Los Angeles, the closest being Sand Diego]
     
    FBI
    -I possibly "know" less about them, but considering all I know about NCIS is through a TV show and there's much better sources for the FBI, I could probably know more about the FBI than NCIS [making this kinda a pro]
    -I wouldn't be able to have my main character have as much a connection to the FBI as he would with NCIS as he's a Marine. But that's really just minor and I can definitely see him wanting to work for the FBI instead.
    -One of the main scenes could -possibly- become less-realistic [i have everything outlined], as with NCIS agents it has them go somewhere before SWAT would get there. However, since the FBI has their own SWAT, that wouldn't be very likely. Then again, I could make some other reason why they go without SWAT, like they don't think there'd be much danger or something.
     
    ...And that's about it. So yeah. Your opinions would be much appreciated. Thanks, everyone. [Oh and thanks to everyone that replied to my short story. If you haven't yet, you should! =P]
     
    -Velox
  23. Velox

    It's Time To Say Goodbye

    By Velox,

    It's been a good [nearly] three years here on BZPower, but unfortunately my time ends here. School is just way too busy and I no longer like BIONICLE or BZPower -- I mean, this is a kids site after all.
     
    Thanks to everyone for such a great time. =]
     
     
     
     
     
    >>
     
    <<
     
    Or not. =P
     
    But I do still have to say goodbye, just not to you guys. Today my brother entered the Norbertines [a religious order of Catholic priests -- in other words, he joined the Seminary]. Which basically means that he'll only be able to visit us like once a year and we can only see him about once a month [we have to drive down to the Abbey].
     
    Cool trivia: He's entering with Grant Desme, aka the Oakland A's MVP.
     
    I'm definitely going to miss him [my brother]. Though, I have to say, I'm glad to finally have my own room. =P I mean, even through college all his stuff was still there but now it isn't.
     
    So we dropped him off at St. Michael's Abbey today, and on the way back we stopped at Book Off again [i tell you, I'm like addicted to that used bookstore now =P]. What I got:
    And Then There Were None -- Agatha Christie. Probably my favorite book that I've read, and definitely my favorite of hers. The White Mountains -- John Christopher. 55555 has been bugging me to get this for a long time [as well as the rest of the Tripods Trilogy, but I couldn't find those] so I finally did. Batman Begins -- Novelization by Dennis O'Neil. Hey, the movie was awesome, it'd be cool in book form, too, I think. The Corps -- W.E.B. Griffin. Just sounded awesome. I love the Marines [and am kind of thinking of joining, but I really have no idea]. Trophy Hunt -- C. J. Box. This was recommended by Hugh Hewitt [a conservative talk show host I listen to], so I thought I'd check it out for only a dollar. Storm Front -- Jim Butcher. Nuju Metru has been bugging me to get this for a long time as well, so I finally did [it's the first of the Dresden Files]. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes -- Arthur Conan Doyle. I actually already have a version of this book, but this one is nicer, hardback, and was only one buck. The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This was interesting. It's not written by Doyle, but rather a lot of people [including Steven King, and I've been wanting to read something by him for a while], so I thought it was cool. Act of Treason -- Vince Flynn. Just another Vince Flynn book because it sounded interesting. And was cheap. And I want more books on my shelves. =P So yeah, I definitely have a lot to read, but I'll have fun with it all.  
    [Oh, and if you guys didn't get it, I'm not leaving BZPower, and I still do like BIONICLE/BZP. =P]
     
    - Velox
  24. Velox

    Oh No

    By Velox,

    School starts in less than 11 hours!
     
    Where has the summer gone?
     
    Sigh.
     
    So uh. Yeah. Expect my activity to lessen from now on. =P
     
    Also, ready . . . set . . . book suggestions!
     
    I was looking through that old entry of mine, and realized that I still haven't read most of the books people recommended there. Well, I hope to go to a used bookstore soon [book Off], and supposedly they have a lot of books for like a buck each, so I hope to buy a bunch.
     
    - Velox
  25. Velox

    Score!

    By Velox,

    So I was talking to my friend a couple weeks back about books and writing and such. Then we got in to used books stores and how a bunch were closing and all that [a few within several minutes from my house]. Anyway, he knew of a good one like twenty minutes from where I lived that had really cheap books and a really good selection [and also good quality].
     
    Well, I finally went there today. I got ten books for ~$12:
    A Cry In the Night -- Mary Higgins Clark. Got this because she spoke at my brother's [college] graduation, and so he wanted me to see if she was good or not [and it is mystery, which is a genre I like, and it was a dollar, so why not]. The Hunt For Red October -- Tom Clancy. The movie was awesome, why not the book? Besides, it was only a dollar. =P Patriot Games -- Tom Clancy. I just heard Tom Clancy is good, and this one sounded cool [and have not seen the movie, so that'll help with my possibly biased attitude when I read it =P]. Clear and Present Danger -- Tom Clancy. Again, this one just sounded good, and is huge and hardback and still only one buck. Unfinished Tales -- J.R.R. Tolkien. It's by Tolkien. Enough said. Artemis Fowl -- Eoin Colfer. I loved that series, and so when I saw the book, I bought it, as 1) it was only a buck; and 2) I wouldn't mind reading it again, along with the whole series. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd -- Agatha Christie. It's Agatha Christie. I love her works. This is one of them. Enough said [and also because I haven't read it yet, so that's a plus]. Five Little Pigs (Murder in Retrospect) -- Agatha Christie. See above. Term Limits -- Vince Flynn. Yes, I know, this is only nine. That's because I bought two of this one, lol. No, I did not mean to -- I wasn't really paying attention and just saw the different covers xD. It's okay, though -- they buy/trade books, too, so I'll just exchange it some time since they have more from him. All are in very good condition.  
    In short, I am very happy. And I have a lot of reading to do, lol [still have three library books, the used books from my blog entry a few entries down, these, and then a few that I already have at home that I haven't read yet].
     
    And first day of school went well I guess. I can already tell all of my classes are gonna be hard [except maybe Latin, which will only be semi-hard]. Ah, well. At least I'll have good books to flee to. =P
     
    - Velox
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