BookCon Chicago was a blast!

So i talked about bookcon before here and i went and so wanted to tell you about my fun! I went to bookcon with my friend Melissa and had a grand ole time. in no particular order here's all the fun i had that day:

-got to meet the amazing Lindy West, the author of 'Shrill'. when waiting in line to get her signature, they passed out these megaphones with 'Shrill' written on it.

-got to meet the amazing Sam Maggs, the author of 'The fangirls guide to the galaxy' and 'wonder women'. i love the stay rad in the book! hehe.


-colored on a wall with melissa. here's melissa doing it and the bird i colored. there was a bunch of coloring books for sale at the con. melissa got one of the books. as part of the selling it, there were a bunch of walls or floors like this that people could color. this was the only one that melissa and i stopped at. for it's harry potter. how could you not stop at the harry potter coloring wall?! hehe.
 

-got some cool book marks. one that says "shhhh. i'm trying to read." hehe. which i just think is perfect to have as a book mark. that way you can hold it up when someone tries to talk to you when you're reading. hehe.

-there were some cool signs hanging around the con. hehe.


-another cool piece of swag i got was an edgar allan poe doll that was knitted. that's right an edgar allan poe doll. hehe. i love it.  he stands on my dresser in my room right now. hehe.


-speaking of edgar allan poe, i got socks with edgar allan poe's head on them. so sweet! hehe.

-here's a picture of all the fun swage i got. i always got a glass of some sort when i go to a con. this con's glass was a tea/coffee mug with a spoon. i really like that a spoon came with it and that it has the bookcon logo on it. all the books i got. my fun 2 sets of socks i got. the poe doll. and my totally awesome atlas shrugged t-shirt (i love that book).


-the con was totally sweet. there were tons of authors there that you could meet (there were panels at the con, but i didn't go so i can't say anything regarding them. though i'm sure they were totally sweet!). and there were tons of booths selling literature and selling literature related things. hehe. overall i had a great time. i would totally go again, but sadly BookCon has already said that they are going back to New York next year. so i'm not going to be able to go to BookCon next year. but if you can go, you really should go!

bookcon 2016

so i live in the chicagoland area and recently found out that there is a book con here! which i think is totally awesome. for those of you who don't know, i'm a huge reader and always have been*. and so for me this is a huge deal and very exciting! the con is run by Reedpop who also does C2E2 in chicago every year and other conventions in the USA (twitch con, a bunch of the PAX cons to name a few).

so i'm totally excited about this book con! it doesn't have the most imaginative name of a con, it literally is called BookCon. but in the end the name doesn't matter. the authors that are going to be there are: the maze runner series, the princess diaries, avatar: the last air bender, the absolutely true diary of a part-time indian, the divergent series - to list a few. i didn't list their names, for i assume people know the books more than they know the authors name. so i'm totally excited about these authors being there!!!!!

so yeah, i'm totally excited about a book con being in chicago (one nice thing about chicago, there's always stuff going on here). these authors listed aren't small time authors. the books are famous books and have sold a bunch. so yeah, totally excited. if i haven't said that enough yet. hehe. TOTALLY EXCITED! hehe.

i have a sketch book that i just bought that i'm going to use to get signatures from any famous people that i meet (authors and other famous people that i might meet at cons and such). and i haven't been able to use it yet, so this will be the first time i will get to use it. i'm excited to see who's signature i can get in it. the book is cool, the cover of the book has wonder woman on it and it says 'not all princesses need to be saved'. when i saw it i just had to get it. so i'm going to bring it with me to the book con and have the authors i meet sign that book.

so for those who want to go, BookCon is May 14th at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. its only for one day and the cost for the ticket before the con is $30. which i think is totally reasonable. if you get your ticket the day of the con it's going to be $40. so yeah, if you go, send me a message and maybe we can meet up. otherwise i'll make sure i say how it goes after the con! hope to see everyone there!

*i've been a huge reader since i was a kid. when i was a kid, my mom would get me to go shopping with her by saying we will go to the book store. she would literally bribe me by taking me to the book store. hehe. and then she would have to limit me on how many books i can get. hehe. and as i've grown up, this hasn't changed. hehe. you want me to go do something that i don't want to do, bribe me by saying you'll take me to the book store. hehe. or by saying you'll get me a chill-cheese dog. hehe. that always works too.

books on tape

So on my phone/kindle i have the amazon app audible where you can listen to books on tape (well they aren't on tape anymore but you know what i mean). and i have to say that i love it.

i wasn't really that big into books on tape until this past year. and i just want to read more and more this way. don't get me wrong, i love having a book in my hand and reading the 'regular' way. nothing can take away the awesomeness of feeling a book in my hand, the smell of an old or new book, the satisfaction of turning a page over and over again. but i have to say i like the 'books on tape' way of reading too.

where i work, they let me listen to something while i'm working. and i'll listen to documentaries or a book on audible. or when i'm driving to and from work or well driving just about anywhere, i like listening to a book. instead of listening to the same old cd or radio show in my car. and i have to say, i just love it. i've listened to a couple different books now this way and i think it's a great way to 'read' a book.

some authors read their own books. some have other people read their books. neil gaimon has a great voice to listen to narrating a book. roy dotrice is amazing at it. felicia day is so animated when narrating a book.

so if you do a bunch of driving or hobbies that aren't using your ears or really doing anything that lets you listen; i'd say you should try listening to a book on tape. it doesn't have to be through the audible app, i'm sure there are plenty of other apps out there that let you do this. but reading is always good for the mind and this is just another way that lets you do this. :)

a hidden message

So I've mentioned before that my sister has a book out called fashion drawing for dummies. I also mentioned that in the example drawings she did in the book she put hidden messages. I just wanted to share one of the messages she did to me. If you cant read it, it says 'I love Mollie'. She has other messages to friends and family. Mainly her just sharing her love to the people in her life. I just thought it was awesome that she put me in there. I love you too marianne.

the wheel of time

so on jan 8th the last book of the wheel of time came out, a memory of light. and i of course i got to barnes and noble and waited for it to open so i could get the book. i finished it yesterday and i have to say i thought it was great! i've been reading the series since i was in like 5th grade (i don't remember exactly when i started reading it) and it is the series that really got me into fantasy literature. i thought i would share different things about the last book of the series and just things about the series that i loved.

i love the series so much i have two tattoos that are from the books. the first tattoo i ever got is on my neck and it is a picture that is in the books. it's some leaves with vines. you can see a picture of it in my last post showing my steampunk outfit. the second tattoo i have from the series is the last tattoo i got that is on my arm. here's a picture of it. it says 'dovie'andi se tovya sagain'. which means 'it's time to toss the dice'. it's in a language from the books. sorry the picture is backwards, stupid mirror. hehe. i liked the idea that you have to take a chance if you want different things in life. and so i wanted that idea with me always. always to remind me to take chances and see where my life goes. 

needless to say i'm in the love with the series. when robert jordan died i was worried what would happen to the series, but i'm really happy with what brandon sanderson did. he once described taking over the series as if another director was making the same movie. i thought that was a good description of him taking over. i thought brandon sanderson did a great job. and i just wanted to say thank you to him for all that he did for the series.

on jan 9th i got to see brandon sanderson, harriot (robert jordan's widow) and a helper (who sadly i can't remember her name. but she she helped with the series from the beginning). it's the second time i got to see brandon sanderson. there was a book signing and that's how i got to see them. i didn't get a booked signed (i have a different book in the series signed by him) but i listened to the Q&A that was done. i always like listening to those for you get to see how different parts of the series was done. here is a picture brandon sanderson and company from that night.

the last book was wonderful (spoilers alert). i really like how not everyone lived at the end. it made it seem more real. for it is just impossible that every character is going to survive this great last battle. a battle that is for the survival of mankind. as much as i would love all the characters to survive, it just doesn't seem logical that they would. too many times in series do all the characters survive and for me it's just hard to believe. now there are main characters that survive the last battle, not everyone dies. and i'm glad for that too. i want the characters i love to survive.

i like how the book ends. it ends how every book in the series starts. in the beginning of every book robert jordan (and then brandon sanderson) started it with the wind blowing through different parts of the world. blowing around and taking the reader all over. the end of the book (the last two paragraphs) go back to the wind and have it blowing again. to me, it shows how the world continues to move on. for also at the beginning of every book it says something to the lines of: the wind was not the beginning. there are no beginnings nor endings to the turning of the wheel of time. but it was a beginning. the end of the book, the last two sentences, went right back to that. it said: 'there are no endings, and never will be endings, to the turning of the wheel of time. but it was an ending.' i thought it was a great way to end the book/series.

one of the characters in the book is named aviendha. she was a great character and one of my favorites. i've been in love with her name from when she was first introduced. i really want to name my daughter aviendha rose (rose being a family name for the child's middle name). another character in the book was matrim. my brother's name is matthew and from time to time i would call him matrim (as a side note, my brother is the person who got me into the books, so he knew what i was talking about when i called him that).

these are just some of the things that i love about the books. i'm sure i could go on forever about them, but i don't want to bore you. in the end, i love everything about the series. i'm very happy with how it ended. i'm sad that there isn't anything else that will be coming out for the world of the wheel of time. at least not any time soon. everyone should go out and read the series. it is some wonderful literature. let the dragon ride again.

things and stuff

hey everyone. sorry it's been so long since i've written. i do apologize. things have been a little crazy for me. i will do my best to update much more often, like the old days. hehe.

i must write about dragon con a little bit. it was awesome as always. this was my second year going and i have no thoughts of stopping. there were some awesome costumes (as always). this year one of the guests of honor was RA Salvatore! sadly i didn't get to meet him, i tried but the line was too long and i never made it. but i did get to see him up close and personal. i did something new this year, i went to the walk of fame. which is where the celebrities go and you can get their signatures. saw katee sakof, jonathan franks, levar burton, michael dorn and felica day (just to name a few). i didn't get any of their signatures but, i did get lou ferigno's. if you don't know who he is, he played the hulk for the tv series. he is huge! and he was very nice to me. last year i had gone to his panel and he was so positive i couldn't help but like him. so i just had to get his signature this year. i made some new friends this year. so that was cool. and thanks to twitter, i get to stalk them. hehe. no one wanted to take my picture because of anything i was wearing, but at the Ta'veren tee's booth (wheel of time), they took a picture of my two wheel of time tattoos. that was pretty awesome. the girl recognized matt's saying on my arm right away and asked to take a photo. then when she was done i showed her my neck tattoo and she asked to take a photo of that. so that made me smile really big and feel all cool. so over all, dragon con was tons of fun! go to my flickr page and you'll see all the pictures i have.

so i posted about being on twitter and instagram now. yeah i'm addicted now. i check it all the time. i've already posted on twitter over 200 times. hehe. whats cool is when people i don't even know follow me on there. makes me feel like what i have to say is important. i know it's really not, but it makes me feel that way.

the wheel of time's a memory of light prologue came out for everyone to read. you had to pay like 4 bucks, but you could read it in full if you wanted. so of course(!) i did. it rocked! i can't wait until the book comes out. i'm really sad it comes out the day AFTER my birthday, jan 8th 2013. but, you better believe i will be buying it on 1/8. i actually might take the day off so i can read it all day. that may seem silly to you, but i wouldn't be able to handle working when i could being reading that book. that is how much i love those books. i can't believe they are coming to an end. i love the books so much, two of my tattoos are from the series (as mentioned above). i'm debating whether i should pre order it or not, i've never done that. so i don't know. but i WILL have that book. hehe.

cubs sucked this year. bears are rocking it. sadly i have nothing to say about hockey for they are locked out. and i don't think we will have a hockey season at all. so i'm going to go to a college hockey game at soldier field. notre dame, wisconsin, minnesota and miami ohio are going to be playing. so that should be fun. all of those school's have a history of having good teams. at least i'll get some kind of hockey. and i get to go to soldier field. i haven't been to it since i was like 8. so i'm excited for that. but sadly that game isn't until February.

well that's all for now. i will do my best to update more often. 

published!

as i've mentioned before, my sister co-wrote a book called fashion drawing for dummies. well it's out in bookstores now to be bought. so everyone should go out and get it! hehe. this weekend my family had gone out to barnes and noble and my sister found her book on the bookshelf. she was so excited. here's a picture of her with her book in the bookstore.

- a cool thing in the book is that in some of the illustrations my sister did, she wrote some peoples names. so there is a drawing of a woman and in her leg it looks like there is a squiggle. but if you look closely it says, i love mollie. look on page 236 and this is written on the womans leg. i thought that was pretty cool and nice of my sister to do.

the pen is mightier then the sword

e-readers

for those of you who don't know me; ever since the e-readers came out i have said i would never get one unless i traveled all the time. if you travel all the time it makes sense to get one. it would take up less space in your suitcase. it's just practical. but otherwise i would never buy one for myself. and i haven't. i have seen all the different kinds you can get and they do look nice. it's cool you can get games and newspapers/magazines also. but to me, there is nothing like a good paperback/hardcover book. plus if i ever meet an author what are they going to sign? my e-reader? no, i'll have a book that has been read and loved for them to sign. so when i saw this comic i smiled and just knew i had to share it here.

books into tv shows/movies

so literature doesn't always translate great into movies or tv shows. but it can be done if it's done correctly.

i am a fan of the books the sword of truth novels by terry goodkind - some of them are a little like 'alright i get it, lets get a move on', but over all i liked the series. i only have one major complaint about the series, is that love drives the story. i like having a love story in a book and there is nothing wrong with having a love story in the story, but to have it be the driving force in the books, not my cup of tea. i'm not a love story kind of person. i do have one more complaint about terry goodkind, he can be very preachy. VERY. he hits you over the head with what he thinks is right or wrong. but other then that, it is good fantasy and an original world.
 - as a side note my favorite characters in the book are the mord siths. they are great. just a bad ass bunch of women.

here's an image of some people cos playing as the mord siths at dragoncon 2011. just so awesome!

now this series was made into a tv show called the legend of the seeker. it went on for 2 seasons and then was cancelled. it's on netflix and i tried to watch it twice now and just can't get into it. i can't get past the first episode. this second time i tried to watch it i get further in the episode, but still couldn't finish it. i just can't get past the things they changed from the book in the show. i understand changes will be made. and normally i am ok with the changes and understand it's a movie and not the book. but this time i just can't do it. they make richard - the main character - out to not know anything and be somewhat of a weakling. where in the books, he doesn't know everything that is going on, but he is smart and definitely not a weakling. and that's what bothers me the most - is the changes they did to richard. i just can't get over that. you can change the story a little bit but don't change a characters character.

so yeah. not a fan. i understand i haven't watched all of it and maybe it gets better. but i just can't do it right now. so it's still saved in my netflix, but i won't watch it for awhile. but what it has wanted me to do is go and read the books again to remind myself that the books are good. so that is what i'm going to do.

my weekend

this weekend i went to my dads and it was a nice weekend. i did a bunch of different things.

friday i got a new tattoo (check my flickr for the picture). it is my fourth. the tattoo says: dovie'andi se tovya sagain. which is from the books the wheel of time. one of the charactors says it all the time. it means: it's time to toss the dice. the idea is that it's time to take a chance. i like it for, if you don't take a chance you won't get very far in life. i have the tattoo on the outer side of my arm. also on friday i planted my very first traditional letterbox. i have a traveler out there but i hadn't planted a traditional one yet. i found a tree that had three trunks growing together and so there was a spot in the middle of the trunk. i hide the letterbox there. here's the link i have for everyone to go and find it. if you click on the clue button, it... well tells you the clue. hehe.

saturday was a calm day with no big adventours. went shopping and just relaxed.

sunday we celebrated mothers day for ryan and i won't be there on actual mothers day. i will be with my mom and ryan will be back in AZ. during the day we went fishing. george and diana caught a fish (check my flickr for pictures). i didn't go fishing for i don't have my license yet. but the next time i'm up there i will. so i just sat on the dock and watched everyone else and took photos.

fashion drawing for dummies

i'm proud to announce that my sister marianne has co-authored a book called FASHION DRAWING FOR DUMMIES. it is now available on amazon.com. in the thank you's she wrote a line to me, and i thought it was very sweet of her. the line she wrote to me was: my dreamer sister mollie (what a year!). so go and check the book out! and if you want to draw for fashion, go and pick one up!

banned/challenged books

here is the list of the 10 most banned/challenged books in 2011 as according to the ALA (american library association). some new books and some classics. 

1)      ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

2)      The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
Nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

3)      The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
Anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence

4)      My Mom’s Having A Baby! A Kid’s Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
Nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

5)      The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

6)      Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint

7)      Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit

8)      What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
Nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit

9)      Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit

10)  To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Offensive language; racism

chicago zine fest

so i got an email today stating that chicago is having their 3rd annual zine fest this weekend. i'm very excited about it and will definitely be going! the authors that are reading on friday, i don't know any of them, but it's always exciting to hear new material and meet writers. so if anyone wants to go with me, just give me a call/text.

beauty and the beast

so i found this and it's so true for me. hehe.

today in history

in 1865 alice's adventures in wonderland was published: Lewis Carroll's fun-house novel was published on this date. Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Oxford lecturer in mathematics Charles L. Dodgson.