Day Two of the Kingkiller Chronicles: The Wise Man’s Fear
The Wise Man’s Fear
As you may have read I recently finished the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy. I was so impressed that I finished the second book; The Wise Man’s Fear, shortly after and have been trying to put into words what I thought about it. Kvothe develops greatly in this installment and it is hard to sum up because he feels like different people throughout the story.
To recap this trilogy is based on the true telling of the main hero Kvothe’s life. He recounts his life over three days (three books) to Chronicler, a traveling scribe, in order to have the truth out in the world instead of the lavish exaggerated tales. The world in which Kvothe lives contains science, magic and adventure. He attends the university (there is only one) and learns sympathy; a form of alchemical magic. This magic proves most useful in many of his adventures and helps to mold his legend.
This particular installment is filled with Mercenaries, the Fae, Sympathy and so much action you feel a bit dizzy at times. This story has a great message that is used to further the story and helps to develop Kvothe. The thing that keeps this story exciting is that Kvothe is one person in the present who is obviously lost spiritually and in the past is just a boy who is learning about life through his mistakes and amazing adventures. Neither one of these versions of our protagonist is fully realized and it is exciting to ponder where he may end up by the end.
What I got from this story… (Spoilers ahead) Read More…
No Doubt (Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, and Adrian Young,) is back. They have begun promotion for the new album Push and Shove by releasing a teaser for their new music video to accompany their first single: Settle Down.Muse – Survival
I heard this song on the radio yesterday and for some reason Shazaam was totally useless. Then I came across this link that provided me with the name and huge news for a favorite band of mine… MUSE. This song has been chosen to be the official song for the 2012 Olmpics in London. Muse has truely outdone themselves this time, this rock-opera-queen-esque sound is perfect for olympians and us mere mortals alike. Have a listen….
Addictive Apps: Temple Run
As many you may know when you download the Amazon Appstore on your smart phone they offer a free app of the day. Recently the free app of the day was this little game called Temple Run. It is currently available for iOS systems, including the iPhone, iPad, and Android. It used to be .99, but as of this morning it is still being offered for free in the Appstore. I downloaded it mainly because it was free and a few Facebook friends had mentioned that it was an entertaining game. Typically this means it is of the Farmville variety and I steer clear, but while waiting for a movie to begin that night I peer over and both Danny and Ricky are playing this game. I start it up and somehow I am 3 days in with no clear recollection of where the time has gone. If I have a spare moment to kill I find myself running this endless maze and being chased by demonic monkeys.
This game is highly addicting for the mere fact that it is small bursts of increasingly difficult twists, dramatic drops, and multiple obstacles. They keep you motivated by having objectives that you can complete in order to increase your score and unlock power-ups and other characters. I have been more of the Angry Birds player in the past, but I appreciate the short-burst entertainment of Temple Run. This is a game that should be easy, I mean, you see a turn coming up you swipe and clear it, see a chasm you jump! Well, after a dozen or so turns you realize that it is not that easy and the game refreshes fast enough that you can try to redeem yourself almost instantly. That is what makes this game so addictive.
For you Disney fans there is a variation of this game to promote the newest Disney Pixar movie: Brave. 
Sacre Bleu: A Comedy D’Art
In July 1890, Vincent Van Gough went into a cornfield and shot himself. Or did he? Why would an artist at the height of his creative powers attempt to take his own life… and then walk a mile to a doctor’s house for help? Who was the crooked little “color man” Vincent had claimed was stalking him across France? And why had the painter recently become deathly afraid of a certain shade of blue?
A magnificent “Comedy d’Art” from the author of Lamb, Fool, and Bite Me, Moore’s Sacré Bleu is part mystery, part history (sort of), part love story, and wholly hilarious as it follows a young baker-painter as he joins the dapper Henri Toulouse-Lautrec on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the supposed “suicide” of Vincent van Gogh.
Click to read what I thought.
Album of the Week… Linkin Park loves listening to Skrillex
Linkin Park’s newest album Living Things has finally arrived.
The reviews I have seen so far have been pretty brutal, but after first listen it is exactly what I have come to expect from Linkin Park.They deliver their album with an easy flow that links each track together and Chester Bennington breaks up the heavy guitar rifts with his seemingly softer tenor that scream sings you through the song transitions.
One of my favorite albums of all time, Hybrid Theory, has been ranked as one of the best albums of the 00’s and has been awarded Diamond status. This band has a distinctive sound that has lifelong fans. I think that Linkin Park would really have to pull a miracle to surpass Hybrid Theory’s success, but I will keep listening just in case. Living Things is a bit heavier on the electronic feel than usual and for a workout album it is not bad. Loyal Linkin Park fans will not be disappointed with this bass-heavy album.
Day One of the Kingkiller Chronicles: The Message
So as you may have seen previously I am reading the Kingkiller Chronicles Trilogy. I finished Day One yesterday and was so impressed with the whole story. Instead of recounting the story I thought I would tell you what I got from it. So yeah…. here we go.
Thar’ be spoilers ahead…
Fleetwood Mac Tribute Album
Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
Summer is a great time for new music, but what about your favorite classic hits? Best Coast, MGMT, Lykke Li, The New Pornographers and more have covered some of the best Fleetwood Mac songs as a tribute to an iconic band. Fleetwood Mac has been around since 1967 and continued to perform since give or take a couple years. This band has had its share of troubles and more than a few changes in its roster, but all that drama just made the music better. This album is not the first tribute that Fleetwood Mac has seen and most certainly it will not be the last. Even the new generation is getting into their music, perhaps in big part due to Glee‘s own tribute this past season. The most well known songs are from their Rumors album (1977) which stayed at the top of the charts for 31 weeks. The kills will have the honor of covering Dreams.
Here is a copy of the tracklist so you can get hyped up for the album’s August 14th release:
- “Albatross” – Lee Ranaldo Band Featuring J Mascis
- “Landslide” – Antony
- “Before The Beginning” – Trixie Whitley
- “Oh Well” – Billy Gibbons & Co.
- “Rhiannon” – Best Coast
- “Think About Me” – The New Pornographers
- “Angel” – Marianne Faithfull
- “Silver Springs” – Lykke Li
- “Gold Dust Woman” – Karen Elson
- “Storms” – Matt Sweeney And Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
- “Straight Back” – Washed Out
- “That’s All For Everyone” – Tame Impala
- “Sisters Of The Moon” – Craig Wedren with St. Vincent
- “Dreams” – The Kills
- “Gypsy” – Gardens & Villa
- “Tusk” – The Crystal Ark
- “Future Games” – MGMT
What is your girlfriend reading?
Let’s talk about the fifty shades of Grey….
Once in a while I enjoy picking up a book from the current best sellers list and since I am almost finished with the Kingkiller Chronicle book 1 I have been watching the New York Times best sellers list in preparation for my next read. However, the past few weeks this list has been dominated by the Fifty Shades Trilogy of E.L. James.
For those of you living under a rock this is a popular series that began as a Twilight Fan Fiction where you switch Vampires for Dominants and Submissives.
The plot traces the relationship between recent college graduate Anastasia Steele and manipulative billionaire Christian Grey. Steele is required by Grey to sign a contract allowing him complete control over her life as well as a non-disclosure agreement, something that he’s required from all of his previous submissives. Upon learning that she is a virgin, Grey agrees to have sex with her in order to prepare her for later encounters, fully intending that the contract would be signed. As she gets to know him, she learns that his sexual tastes involve bondage, domination, and sadism, and that childhood abuse left him a deeply damaged individual. In order to be his partner, she agrees to experiment with BDSM, but she struggles to reconcile who she is (a virgin who has never previously had a boyfriend) with whom Christian wants her to be, his submissive and a to-do-with-as-he-pleases partner in his “Red Room of Pain”
Yes, I read this trilogy, mainly out of a sense of morbid curiosity. Read More…
Green Day’s Official Trailer For ¡Uno!
It seems that everything now-a-days has a trailer, or a teaser for a trailer…
Movies, video games, music videos, books, and albums.
Most of us grew up with Green Day as one of our go to punk bands and it is always good news when they come out with a new album let alone a trilogy of albums.
“We are at the most prolific and creative time in our lives… This is the best music we’ve ever written, and the songs just keep coming. Instead of making one album, we are making a three album trilogy. Every song has the power and energy that represents Green Day on all emotional levels. We just can’t help ourselves … We are going epic as f—!”
Green Day is no stranger to staying on top of trends and so here is their trailer for their new albums: ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, & ¡Tre!
The first of these albums,¡Uno!, is set to drop on September 25, 2012. Keep your ear out.
Call Yourself A Nerd 