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ChocolateFrogs

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Blog Entries posted by ChocolateFrogs

  1. ChocolateFrogs
    I've just finished registering all the MOCs for BrickFair that people have sent me, and just in time too as MOCs submitted after today (ie in the next 20 minutes of typing this) won't have their MOC cards printed out and I'd have had to do that myself.
     
    And what dawned on me was how cool our fanbase is that we have art to go along with our MOCs. Aside from Greg Hyland's art here and there, I can't think of another theme displayed at conventions that have fan-made art accompanying their MOCs, aside from the MOCs themselves.
     
    And that is something for all you artists to pat yourselves on the back for.
     
    -CF
    (Five days! (My festivities start in 2!))
  2. ChocolateFrogs
    100% of you will probably know of at least one of these franchises.
    Bonus cookies if you're fond of both.
     
    First, some more Avengers figs:

    -Namor (doubtful he's still an Avenger), Maria Hill (technically not an Avenger, but she's in the Secret Avengers title), Rogue (an Uncanny Avengers--protip: Don't read anything by Rick Remender)
    -Ant-Man and Wasp (she'll be updated with wings once I get the pieces)
     
    Now, who's had the pleasure of playing Munchkin?

    If not, well hopefully I'll remember to bring it to BrickFair, and we'll all have a blast!
    I wish I could fit the lady munchkin with something on her back too, but the armor gets in the way. I tried stretching a scabbard over it, but ehhhhh... I'm sure other pieces will come to my attention.
     
    I think I'll put these two on my brickbadge.
     
    -CF
  3. ChocolateFrogs
    In a continuing endeavor to build more steampunk MOCs, especially before BrickFair, I bring you something that's been floating around in my head for a while now:
     


     
    Hopefully some more ideas will float my way before the con!
     
    -CF
  4. ChocolateFrogs
    I finally got around to digging for the pieces to build one of Marvel's favorite couples (until they weren't).
     
    I present, the Avengers ANT-MAN and WASP!
     
    I could do Wasp as black/yellow/black, but the brighter colors make her stand out more. My friend has suggested a clip and some head-dress feathers as wings. I'll have to look for a vendor selling some at BrickFair.
    These will go great with my other LEGO Avengers, both official sets and custom (but purist) minifigs.
     
    -CF
  5. ChocolateFrogs
    I've had the chance to start building (after a long lag period) so I can hustle and bring some new stuff to BrickFair. So far I've dabbled in Steampunk (I am the coordinator after all) and fiddled around with Brickbadge possibilities.
     

    I wanted to stray away from the stereotypical brown and slapping on gears, but I think the result is more post-apoc than giving two baddie Victorian ladies a buzz-saw tank. And as my brother pointed out I really should put a boiler on the back (with steam) to show off functionality. So I think this will be revamped with the top half in brown and a formidable engine on the back. But overall I'm happy with how this turned out for merely being an idea using treads and having two cockpits for figs I made last month. The buzz-saw is staying.
     

    And I might as well give you a tease of what I'm thinking of putting on my brickbadge. I've attended five conventions! Wow! I consider that a milestone, being able to have five convention bricks on your badge. BrickFair '13 marks #6 (and #8 if you include the two I visited), and I feel it's time to stray from the traditional straight up and down, 1x8 brick format. We'll see what I actually do once I put on a graphic tee and find this thing covering half my shirt.
    This year's theme is birds, though I might find room for a fig or two. Also, blurry: You didn't think I'd reveal the entire thing now, did you?
     
    Anyway, back to building! I've got a hot-air balloon to construct with Naboo!
     
    -CF
  6. ChocolateFrogs
    I have a question for everyone: What is your preference between hardback books and paperback books? And not just in general, but new books, older books, favorite books, read-it-once-then-donate books, etc.
     
    See, I work at a bookstore, and constantly I'll hand someone a hardback (because it's new or is still selling well even after being out for half a year or more) and they'll ask "Is it in paperback?" (Um, no, this new Dan Brown book came out yesterday. It's in hardback because they know they'll make more money by people who can't wait to read it.) (Rinse and repeat for Mockingjay, A Dance With Dragons, and Gone Girl, books that have been out forever.)
     
    Now, I can understand that a paperback is lighter to hold and easier to take on trips, despite being cheaper. But whenever someone asks that my first thought is that they are cheap and can't appreciate the work the are holding in their hands. But customers have revealed that they prefer paperbacks due to being lighter, usually thinner, and easier to travel with.
     
    For me, I love that I have some gems in hardback, because I know in 20 years they won't look like they'll fall apart ala The Time Machine. I'll definitely want to reread Neil Gaiman, JK Rowling, or Douglas Adams multiple times between now and my death, and these books will need to take a beating between my hands and friends borrowing them.
     
    But I can understand wanting to pay less for a book you're unsure about or if money is tight. An $8 pocket paperback is more alluring than a $26 hardback for an impulse buy.
     
    So, does anyone feel how I feel, or do you strictly buy a paperback, even if it means waiting 8 months to two years to read the new Neil Gaiman or George RR Martin?
     
    (And don't get me started about graphic novels. Only the best of the best need to be in hardback to stand the test of time, dust, and rereads, but those have already been out so long they're only in paperback. And the new stuff most likely doesn't need to be in hardback.)

    -CF
  7. ChocolateFrogs
    Don't misunderstand me, I'll buy a paperback book out of necessity most of the time. I just bought Redshirts and will probably buy Mistborn soon too, in paperback. Usually that's all that is around if I'm buying something new because by the time I get around to buying it to read it's in paperback.
     
    But when a book as wonderful as American Gods comes into my life, I want to make sure it will stay with me for decades and still be intact with every read.
     
    -CF
  8. ChocolateFrogs
    -Build some (like 4) steampunk stuff for the cool steampunk minifigs I've made
    -Make sure I use more than just brown. Use gears and functionality. (As if that needs saying.)
    -Build something for the Pharaoh's Quest collab, because Greg is part of WAMALUG and super-cool.
    -Build my secret Galaxy Squad idea which only works this year.
    -Build a 16x16 Micropolic thing because that theme is super-cool and I keep forgetting to.
    -Mope about not building any new Bionicle stuff since 2010, but bring all my old stuff anyway to fill the theme.
    -Pack.
    -Realize I won't get much pleasure reading done like I have in most recent months, but it will be worth it.
    -Register MOCs.
    -Be awesome.
     
    If this list didn't exist I'd just time-travel to August and hang out with you lovely people.
     
    -CF
  9. ChocolateFrogs
    Funny how many customers who I've never met assume I'm asking about their well-being and reply, "I'm good," when I'm merely saying "good morning" to them as they come into the bookstore.
     
    And by golly the amount of snark I repress could fill a swimming pool. (Or a book...hehe.)
     
    And no, we're not going out of business. (And even if we were, what are you going to do about it?)
     
    -CF
  10. ChocolateFrogs
    My LUG gets to display at the LEGO Store(s) in the area, and April was my month for Tysons Corner's LEGO Store in Virginia. While Marvel's Avengers Vs X-Men comic event was mediocre in the summer of 2012, I can't deny the inspiration it gave me:
     

     

     

     
    Topic here. Brickshelf gallery here.
     
    Can you guess which part is my favorite?
     
    The Avengers are fighting the X-Men because they want to apprehend a mutant (Hope Summers) who they believe might cause destruction to humankind if the Phoenix Force, currently on its way to Earth, has the chance to posses her, due to then nature of her powers. The X-Men would rather the Avengers stay out of the way and let them deal with one of their own kind. Things get nasty for 12 issues, which was about 5 issues too long (not to mention all the tie-ins).
     
    Still, the chance to make some X-Men minifigs that LEGO hadn't and then pair them up with several Avengers was something I couldn't pass up for the display. The kids visiting the store wouldn't care some of this stuff didn't happen or didn't look perfect like the comics, and the adults that might have read the comic series would get a kick that I made it out of LEGO in the first place. The LEGO employees there that night knew what it was and loved it.
     
    The next goal is to show off my SHIP at Potomac Mills, because their display is visible from all 4 sides and will fit a 103-stud long spaceship.
     
    -CF
  11. ChocolateFrogs

    Coming Up Next

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    Velox continually posts interesting blog entries about books and what he's reading/has read/will read. Which reminds me that I have such topics to blog about. But my blogging has been sparse, and I need to make such an entry interesting. But I hope that if you share my enthusiasm of reading that you will chime in.
     
    Without further ado, a glance at my to-read list from now until May:
     
    1) American Gods by Neil Gaiman--I'm currently reading this and loving it! Gaiman crafts a story so well that simply reading his tale is a joy. (Also, I have the 10th Anniversary hardback version, which looks as magnificent as it reads.)
     
    2) Uglies by Scott Westerfield--A teen dystopia book/series that I'm borrowing from a friend. I'm seeing her next week, so I figure I might as well read the first one now and decide if I want to hold onto them until we visit again or just return the rest of the series if the first book doesn't hold up to my tastes.
     
    3) Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton--I've seen the movie, but with it being released in IMAX 3D in 2 weeks, I might as well read it before seeing it. (Because, as much as I hate 3D (and post-conversion), if there was one movie to see in 3D, it's this one.)
     
    4) Best of All Possible Worlds (Don't feel like looking this up)--I'll be borrowing this new sci-fi with a touch of romance from work in a few weeks. It's been getting great reviews.
    (4.5--I wish I had time to also sneak in A Great North Road, another sci-fi geting decent reviews. But I think I'll have to borrow that from the library in a few months so I can keep on track reading things on my shelf that I own.)
     
    5) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline--Gosh I just need to read this already! Have you seen the bombardment of positive "read now!" reviews on every geek site that gives it a paragraph of recognition?
     
    6) Gone Girl by Gyllian Flynn--Another book I'll borrow that has been getting rave reviews, has been a bestseller since its release early last summer, and so is something I should read soon.
     
    7) Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly--Borrowing from a friend due to her recommendation. I'm looking forward to it. Will probably read it on my lunch break while reading fiction at home.
     
    8) In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson--I heard this wasn't as good as his book The Devil in the White City, which is on my list for this year too, but since my grandma liked it she lent me her copy, since it's still being well-received.
     
    9) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson--I'm sure you've heard of this. My friend got me it for my birthday 1.2 years ago and I've been putting off reading it because other books catch my eye. But I'm tired of waiting. Plus I bought the other two in the trilogy for $4 total.
     
    10) Iron Man, Extremis by Warren Ellis--The graphic novel gets a rerelease in April right before Iron Man 3 hits theaters. Ideas from this story arc have inspired events in all 4 of the films Iron Man is in, so I'm looking forward to this bit of comic history.
     
    Right now I'd better get back to American Gods.
     
    -CF
  12. ChocolateFrogs
    I threw this together in about 40 minutes:

    -----
    I haven't built a Bionicle thing in a few years. I threw something together back in 2010, and I'm pretty proud of the toros/head/arms, but the legs need work. I'm out of touch with the constraction medium.
     
    But I am displaying at my LEGO Store's "Window Into the Community" display in April and decided upon one of two themes: Avengers Vs X-Men (based on last year's comic event) or Bionicle, because nothing sticks it to the man like displaying a 3-year-dead theme (as our LEGO conventions prove by being one of the biggest themes). (I've done this twice before. Once with Bionicle (with a WAMALUG kid) and another with space (with a friend). This time I'm getting the spotlight all to myself.)
     
    AvX is only happening if I can craft a few things quick and cheap, like overturned cars and a building (sideways plates instead of brick by brick, methinks) for scenery, the Phoenix Force vs Iron Man's Phoenix Force mecha, the X-Men Blackhawk (vs an Avengers jet?) and then various bits of the two teams fighting.
     
    That's if I get my creative juices flowing in the next couple of days. Otherwise I'm going to build a few Bionicle non-humanoids (I have 7 of those) and display Bionicle, because Bionicle is awesome.
     
    Bigger things to come?
     
    -CF
  13. ChocolateFrogs

    So Many Names

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    There comes a time every year where I must place some words on a badge for BrickFair. Luckily my name and location is not required, and not necessary for me because I already have engraved bricks with my name(s) on them.
    So now it's just a matter of putting some cool text there.
     
    But I don't know what I want to put on them!
     
    My first thoughts were "From Outer Space" for the location badge, but that's not nearly clever enough.
    I was also thinking of having "DFTBA" be one of the bricks, but I'd probably frame it between some ~tiddles~ if possible.
    I'm the Steampunk coordinator, so maybe something like "Captain Steam" might be cool. For a name.
    Or maybe "Stormagedddon, Dark Lord of All" hmm?
    And of course I can put some geeky things down, like "Don't Panic" or "Vworp vworp vworp" if I felt so inclined.
     
    I have two bricks to fill, remember.
     
    Ideas?
     
    -CF
  14. ChocolateFrogs
    A few weeks ago I visited New York City for my first time with one of my best friends! It was amazing in all kinds of ways, but mostly because I got to geek out at various appropriate times and take in sights I had never seen before. It was all pretty fantastic.
     
    Throughout our trip I got to visit many places on my "to do if I visit NYC" list, including... (pictures)
    Going into the Times Square Toys R Us LEGO section
    Seeing the outside of the [Will Smith alien movie from 1997] building entrance
    Stopping by Midtown Comics
    Visiting Forbidden Planet, the amazing geek emporium
    Peeking into Obscura, from the Science Channel show Oddities
    Going to the amazing independent bookstore Strand (I got a $28 hardback Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio-edited collection of stories for $8)
    Wandering into The Way Station, the steampunk bar (I had a Skywalker Margarita) with a TARDIS bathroom (and signed!)
    Eating some pork buns in Chinatown
    Strolling through Central Park
    Having some New York pizza
     
    What incited the trip was the fact that our favorite vloggers were going to be "playing" Carnegie Hall Tuesday, January 15. The author John Green and his brother Hank are internet celebrities and have amassed quite a fanbase of "nerdfightes"--enthusiastic people of all walks of life that fight for the nerd and towards various efforts of decreasing "worldsuck" (basically we want to make the world a better, more awesome place, especially one where liking things to a fanatical extent is no longer shunned by popular opinion of what is the "norm"). Penguin Publishers sent the two on a book tour last year when John's latest and most popular book The Fault in Our Stars was released, and this show was in honor of that one-year anniversary. The book has remained a New York Times bestseller since its release.
     
    That was "An Evening of Awesome," and it truly was. Lizzie Bennet Diaries cast members read from TFIOS, The Mountain Goats played some songs, other surprise guests came out and shared the stage, which included Neil Gaiman who said something hilarious not repeatable on BZPower, John and Hank answered questions ranging from life to writing to enjoying life and not "growing up", and Hank sang some songs about Harry Potter, science, and angler fish.
     
    Overall, it was tons of fun and unforgettable!
     
    -CF DFTBA!
    (Total trip (travel, food, goodies, Carnegie Hall ticket) cost me under $200, because we stayed at my friend's counin's place both nights!)
  15. ChocolateFrogs

    90s LEGO

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    I got a blast from the past tonight as I tidied up my room a bit, which meant taking the instructions from the recent LEGO sets I've gotten and putting them in the box with all my other instructions.
     
    Normally that would just mean I'd toss them on top and move on, but the box was a mess. So I took everything out, arranged the instructions by paper size, and put them back in an orderly fashion that will leave room for more instructions throughout the year (but probably not much longer).
     
    Whilst organizing, I quite enjoyed sifting through the instructions, with their pictures of the sets and the memories that came with. And a few "oh right, that was a set. And I had two because I really wanted those couple distinct pieces" moments.
     
    Now, I had some cool sets since the new millennium, but the nostalgia factor kicked in as I kept finding instructions for sets from the 90s. Exploriens, Insectoids, Throwbots, Outback, Hydronauts--I even have the large plastic stringray I need to eventually fit into a MOC. Definitely some cool stuff there.
     
    Maybe I'll even go back and rebuild a few of those sets.
     
    -CF
    Fun fact: I do have an old 90s set still built. The Robo Raider, from Roboforce. That minifig is awesome, and considering I don't have anything older than recent stuff built, I never have the heart to take it apart.
  16. ChocolateFrogs
    Spoiler alert: Once you graduate college you suddenly find plenty of time to read books that have been on your list for years, because homework is nonexistent!
     
    While I read a lot over the summer, fall and winter, I have only just recently been pushing through books left and right. Being ambitious, I hope to read 40-60 books next year, including, but not limited to:
     
    The Cassandra Project
    NW
    American Gods
    Ready Player One
    Gone Girl
    Cloud Atlas
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    World War Z
    Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
    Redshirts
    Robopocalypse
    Night Circus
    The Dresden Files
     
    Any strike your fancy? What in particular is on your list for next year?
     
    -CF
    (New year's resolutions include the usual: read more and build LEGO more)
  17. ChocolateFrogs
    I'm going to copy Velox (again) by listing my favorite books and authors I read in 2012. I've read an incredulous amount of books since graduating, compared to how little time I had to read during college overall. It also helps to keep reading, and to have a few different genres worth of favorites in the back of my head, due to my employment at a bookstore.
     
    My top author, if you hadn't guessed, is John Green. I got to meet him at the National Book Festival in DC in September, which was awesome. His books are realistic teen lit, which is a far stray off from my usual sci-fi and fantasy leanings, but each novel is incredible and has shining moments. My top two books are Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars. Crying is expected. I never thought books would make me cry, and then it happened. Good times.
     
    I also enjoyed Every Day by David Levithan, the story of someone who swaps bodies with a different person every day, but must deal with that fact in a whole new way when they fall in love. Well-written and very impressive for Levithan's first solo novel.
     
    I got a blast from the past when I read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, a book my teacher recommended to the class back in 7th or 8th grade, but I snuffed it out of mind. But my best friend said it was one of her favorites, so I gave it a shot and found myself unable to put it down, being moved with various feelings, yelling at the main character for his bad decisions and loving Stargirl.
     
    I just recently read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, and my praise of this off-beat treasure hunt just enough out of reality for geeks but realistic enough for the everyday reader will make it my go-to book recommendation for anyone.
     
    Finally, the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman has been a work of brilliance, and I can't wait to read more (and finish it in time for the prequel comic's release in November) in 2013.
     
    That's 2012. But let me tell you, my 2013 reading list has about 60 books on it! More about that tomorrow-ish.
     
    -CF
  18. ChocolateFrogs

    Best Books of 2012

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    I'm copying Velox in examining the books I've read in 2012. It allowed me to look back at what I've read this year, and a lot of that happened after I graduated. But I still got a few books in during my last semester in college.
     
     
    Best Books in 2012
    1) Best Book You Read in 2012? Like Velox, I can't choose just one. I like his system of choosing the top five, which is also hard:
    ~The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS), by John Green--It's like Green takes all these wonderful ideas you had floating around in your head and didn't even know it and then placed them perfectly on paper to amaze you at how marvelous human conscousness is.
    ~Mr.Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan--Such a wonderfully written narrative with plenty of popular culture references for geeky Easter eggs. It's also nice to break away from the space operas, laser blasts, and teenage-death-love-triangles every once in a while but still read something not rooted entirely in reality.
    ~Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli--The characters are so drawn out from every day individuals you know (including yourself), I started to wonder what I would do in the main character's shoes, hoping, believing I was different enough at his age to make the right decisions.
    ~Sandman series, by Neil Gaiman--I restarted this series (having barely read volume 1 a while back) and am now 3 volumes in. It's absolutely fantastic the way Gaiman writes and crafts his stories.
    ~Every Day, by David Levithan--While not perfect, this book had me growing with the character, understanding the situation so well, feeling the pain and joy as they jump into a new body, and a new life, every day.
     
    2) Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn't?
    ~Matched, by Ally Condie--I dropped it halfway through. John Green recommended it I picked it up and was surprised at how enthralled I was with it. Then I had to wait a week or so before picking it up again, and it was at that point that the story slowed down from the excitement I had in the first few chapters and lost its glamour. The pacing was off and things weren't happening, so I decided to take my useful time elsewhere.
     
    3) Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?
    ~Stargirl--I had been resistant to reading this back in 8th grade, then picked it up this year and couldn't put it down!
    ~Mr. Penumbra's--I didn't know what to expect at first.
     
    4) Book you recommended to people most in 2012?
    ~I suddenly fount myself telling many customers to buy Mr. Penumbra's, because it's fiction with a hint of mysticism. I am also always recommending Looking for Alaska by John Green (which I read less than a year ago, at the end of 2011). It was the first book that got a few tears out of me (Stargirl being the second), and is excellent.

    5) Best series you discovered in 2012?
    ~The Giver Quartet, by Lois Lowry--I had read The Giver back in 8th grade (by choice, no class assignments to make me hate a book) and loved it. I bought the second and third "companion novels" to it in the summer of 2011. With the fourth novel, Son, having come out to wrap it all up in October, this was a great chance for me to reread a favorite book and catch up on the series too. Each one was wonderful in its own right.
     
    6) Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?
    ~Technically I hadn't read David Levithan's work until this year. I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Every Day, and am open to reading whatever else he's put out. But really, I started John Green's books around Christmas last year and he's definitely my favorite author. And I've met him!
     
    7) Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
    ~Stargirl, because I didn't think I'd enjoy it, avoided it in 8th grade when my English teacher recommended it (I thought it was a girl book--surprise! It has a male voice narrating, and at my age I stop caring about that anyway), snuffed it when my best friend a few months ago said it was her favorite, and then picked it up anyway to see what the fuss was about. Now I can't stop thinking about how much it's touched me.
     
    8) Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?
    ~Every Day, TFIOS, Stargirl--Because they're so good!
     
    9) Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
    ~TFIOS--I'd been wanting to reread it every since I finished! Actually, my best friend and I are having a sort of "John Green book club," where we'll read Paper Towns, TFIOS, and then Looking for Alaska together (she hasn't read PT or TFIOS, or An Abundance of Katherines).
     
    10) Most memorable character in 2012?
    ~Stargirl--I'm in love.
     
    11) Most beautifully written book read in 2012?
    ~The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman--Between the art and the story, it's a work of brilliance.
     
    12) Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?
    ~TFIOS, Stargirl--Both had me thinking, choking up a little, and Stargirl especially left me emotionally scarred, in a good way that only a book can.
     
    13) Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?
    ~Stargirl, Sandman--I explained my delay for Stargirl, and I wonder what kind of effect it would have had on me had I read it in 8th grade. I feel like I was meant to read it now. It had been hard to get into Sandman because I had to borrow them from the library, but now that I'm not in school that's easier. Plus they take longer to read than most comics.
     
    14) Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?
    ~Presently on my mind is a line from Green's The Fault in Our Stars: "I am not in the business of denying myself the pleasure of saying things that are true." Seems like a good philosophy.
     
    15) Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?
    ~Stargirl was pretty short. Everything else was around the 300-page mark, give or take. I'm about to read The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George, which is over 400 pages.
     
    16) Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a huh moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!
    ~There were moments when I wanted to call my friend up to discuss how Stargirl was ripping my heart out and stepping on it, then giving it back, only to repeat the process. But I wanted to keep the fact that I was reading it a surprise.
     
    17) Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc)?
    ~There are lots of solid friendships in John Green's books. I really liked the budding relationship in Stargirl.
     
    18) Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously?
    ~TFIOS
    18a) Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Had Not Read Previously (and not solely recommended as seen in 19)?
    ~A Princess of Mars--Very different and cool to read.
     
    19) Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else?
    ~Stargirl.
     
    looking ahead...
     
    1) One Book You Didn't Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?
    My top unread books of 2013 include: NW, American Gods, Ready Player One, Gone Girl, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and V for Vendetta. (Also Redshirts and Robopocalypse. (And The Dresden Files.))
    2) Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?
    The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, and The Goliath Stone by Larry Niven.
    3) One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging in 2013?
    Read more! I've made an Excel spreadsheet
     
    -CF
    (Final note: The Batman graphic novel Hush by Jim Loeb is absolutely superb and the epitome of the Batman comics I have read so far (which includes Scott Snyder's Court/Night of Owls this year and The Killing Joke).
  19. ChocolateFrogs

    Rancor pit!

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    Finally, after 14 years, we finally get a Rancor pit LSW set!
    It's just a little... small.
    The rancor, the set, but certainly not the price ($60, 380 pieces).
     
    I've been in favor of something made from constraction pieces, and then of course something larger. This guy is Hulk/Troll sized, nowhere near the size of the Rancor.
     
    At least we finally have one.
     
    -CF
  20. ChocolateFrogs
    Is listening to a book on CD versus reading the actual book cheating?
     
    Basically, it took me 5 or 6 years to read The Fellowship of the Ring. I didn't pick up The Two Towers for about 3 years later, and I'm still reading it off and on a year and a half later.
    I'm a big believer in reading the book before seeing the movie, but my roommates had other plans. (But boy are the extended editions awesome.)
     
    I figure I can spend about $35 on the trilogy on CD and take about 13 hours listening to the books. Though I realized this is the BBC dramatic reading for the radio and not the word-for-word unabridged edition (which is 50 hours and $70). But I like this idea because what is taking me so long are the long descriptions.
     
    But a little bit of me dies at the thought of not actually reading the books. But at this rate I won't finish The Return of the King for a decade.
     
    Thoughts?
     
    -CF
  21. ChocolateFrogs
    I've made it a point to get 2 of every helmet seen in the second wave of Space Police III (grey), the white and pink spacemen, the black cyborg, and Alien Conquest (weird light blue) (is that all?) in recent minifig history.
    So if i want even just one of all the pretty Galaxy Squad helmets, looks like I'll have to get each set.
    Which sounds like an awesome idea!

     
    -CF
  22. ChocolateFrogs
    Just kidding. I haven't shaved for over a week.
     
    -CF
     
    Speaking of November, I'm having a really hard time being motivated to start NaNoWriMo this year. I just have so much other stuff going on that I don't want to neglect by insisting I type on my computer for a few hours each day. That, or I don't have a story formed yet. If I did I'd probably want to jump right in. I was thinking of retrying one of two stories I've tried for the past two years, one steampunk and one sci-fi. And now I'm thinking I might just try both in one story! Maybe. *Sigh*
  23. ChocolateFrogs

    Stargirl

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    I just finished reading Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli! The feels! Such a fantastic piece of literature, it spoke to me in ways that reflect my appreciation for similar John Green books. It tore out my heart and broke it and put it together and ripped it up again and and and... uggg the feels!
     
    Heartbreaking moments, happy moments, moments where you jump up and down in joy and others where you want to punch the main character in the gut because he's being a typical high school boy that cares more of what his friends think even though he's dating the coolest girl ever but the school hates her.
     
    Though I am probably biased because I don't care what other people think of me, and even then in high school I didn't and I knew that in his shoes I would have made different decisions than he, even back then.
     
    But the feels!
     
    I avoided reading this back in 7th or 8th grade when my English teacher recommended it to the class, because at that age I didn't want to read what I thought was a "girl book." That being said, it's a boy narrator and the girl is awesome. But I don't think I would have appreciated that back then, whereas now I absolutely revel in young adult fiction that decides to toy with my emotions and ask the BIG QUESTIONS and have BIG IDEAS (see my John Green comment above. His books do that and I love them to death).
     
    -CF
  25. ChocolateFrogs
    I am sending out the second batch of BrickFair MOCs today before work. Sorry it's taken so long--between two people receiving MOCs for two conventions, there was a lot to sort through and a lot of addresses, usernames, and MOCs to match up. And return shipping.*
     
    So if you sent something to BrickFair or the convention in May/June, expect your MOC to arrive soon (unless it already did!).
    Unless these are your MOCs, in which case I have no idea who they belong to and I need you to PM me. (Otherwise I get free pieces!)

     
    Everyone has a prototype piece in their box. I wish some of you could get more than one (two arms of one color, etc) for having such cool MOCs, but alas that wouldn't be fair.
     
    -CF
     
    *New rules for next year: Cash (rounded up to the nearest $5 increment) or paypal only. No checks, exact change, or stamps. Gosh stamps are the worst. And I don't like worrying about if the stamps enclosed are enough to get it back. Just one of many reasons it's taken this long.
    And be sure to follow the procedure of pictures, name/username, address, please.
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