The Fireside

Earlier today, Brandon Sanderson sent out a sample chapter from book 3 of Stormlight  ( Stones Unhallowed? Skybreaker?) via his newsletter. I have copied and pasted it from his newsletter into a post below.

Yesterday's post got out of my hands. There are some tales and stories that I was interested in, and wanted to share with you, so I did.  Today, however, I would like to tell you about two collections (both by Penguin) that belong in that post. Since they are collections, I thought it best to give them their own spot here. THE SAGAS OF THE ICELANDERS In Iceland, the age of the Vikings is also known as the Saga Age. A unique body of medieval literature, the Sagas rank with the world’s great literary treasures – as epic as Homer, as deep in tragedy as Sophocles, as engagingly human as Shakespeare. Set around the turn of the last millennium, these stories depict with an astonishingly modern realism the lives and deeds of the Norse men and women who first settled in Iceland and of their descendants, who ventured farther west to Greenland and, ultimately, North America. Sailing as far from the archetypal heroic adventure as the long ships did from home, the Sagas are written...

It is neat how influence and inspiration work, and how an interest in one thing can lead to an interest in another.  As I said many times before (and will do so here again, although very briefly) I have Peter Jackson to thank for discovering, reading, and appreciate Tolkien and his works.  However, in doing so, I have to appreciate something else because of Tolkien: poems. 

The second last Wheel of Time  book now has information, in the new style of trade paperbacks.  ISBN - 10: 0765337843 ISBN - 13: 9780765337849 The release date for this one is June 9, 2015.  So be sure to hold onto the ISBN I gave you above to get the new edition of the book.  There is only one left to come now - book 14, A Memory of Light... The rest in the new style:  http://insurrbution.blogspot.ca/2012/09/new-editions-for-wheel-of-time.html  

There was a lot more to Professor J.R.R. Tolkien than just The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , as evident in my most recent post which showcases The Children of Hurin . Even, there was a lot more to him than the realms he created. Tolkien was a great lover of poetry, and old myths (Anglo-Saxon, Old English, Norse, Icelandic, etc...)  This post I shall talk a bit about something different from his usual material : The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun . 

I know I have been talking about Tolkien a little bit the past few posts, I am attempting to create an awareness of some of his underrated and overlooked works. I won't delve into too many or all of them, expect the next few posts to do that. This go-around, I shall give a little info about what could very well be the last piece of the Middle-earth canon ever released [I hope not, but one should assume so as not to get hopes up. That way, any new entries, aside from special or anniversary editions of existing works, will come as a surprise.] which is The Children of Hurin.

Whenever a 'new' Tolkien book gets released or published, I (as selflessly as possible) always wonder: "What else is there left? What could they publish next? Is this book I have potentially the last new Tolkien item? Excluding anniverary, deluxe editions etc." 

Egil's Saga is the 10th-century Nordic equivalent of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Translated from the Icelandic with an introduction, notes and an essay, this is the first time Eddison's version of this epic heroic saga has been published in paperback. The saga of Egil, son of Grim the Bald, tells the exciting tale of a medieval warrior-poet and his many Viking adventures. Challenged by his ugly appearance and haunted by rumours that his grandfather was a werewolf, Egil devotes himself to Odin, god of kings, warriors and poets, and determines to avenge his father's exile from Norway. With action ranging across Iceland and Scandinavia down to Scotland and England, Egil's thrilling encounters include kings, sorcerers, berserkers and outlaws, as the story follows his transformation from youthful savagery to mature wisdom. Sometimes considered the greatest of the Icelandic sagas, Egil's Saga is the 10th-century Nordic equivalent of The Iliad and The Od...

The new Warriors game starring Legend of Zelda characters (this is not, and I repeat not a Zelda game) is coming later this month, and there quite a few pre-order DLC bonuses. Here is a listing of what some of them are, that give you bonus in-game content.  This info is courtesy of Nintendo: Here’s a nice offer involving a (usually) not-so-nice guy: if you buy Hyrule Warriors for Wii U and register the game with Club Nintendo between 9/26/14 and 10/23/14, you can receive a free download code for the Demon King Costume Set DLC: two costumes for Ganondorf that you can use in-game. You must be a Club Nintendo member to participate, and the offer is available only in the US and Canada. A little unfortunate for those hoping to get the game for Christmas but worth mentioning!  If you pre-order through EB Games (or Gamestop), you get the Ocarina of Time costume set.  If you pre-order through Amaz...

What I like about TV dramas is that they tell a story. Same with drama films, however I found lately movies for the most part have not been as good. TV seems to be the 'go to' area for entertainment on film these days. There are some movies out there I like and have interest in seeing but that is for another post.... Anyway, I find some TV dramas are much like a novel in terms of pacing, writing, character development...some series on TV are just so rich. Some of them 'original' others are 'adapted' but I enjoy taking about 12-16 hours per year to tell a story, or part of one, than approx 2 hours.  So in this post, I shall list my favourite TV dramas that are still running / ongoing (example: I can no longer mention Breaking Bad , as the series is now complete.)   Sherlock (BBC) Sherlock Holmes on TV and film has been around for as long as the formats existed. Indeed, if you were tow atch all the Sherlock Holmes serials, series, and f...

It's fall beer season - means Oktoberfest! There are quite a few great offerings available.  first and foremost, is this year's Beau's Oktoberfest Mix Pack, pictured above. It should be on sale anytime now, depending on which LCBO you go to, as well as directly at the brewery and through BYBO.ca. I mentioned previously about the beers, but here they are again: Oh, and you get one of each. 1) Happy Pilsner Bohemian Pilsner • 5.3% alc/vol The Bohemian pilsner is a staple of the German diet, and we're happy to include one for you in the 2014 Beau’s Oktoberfest mix pack! Pale blond in colour, Happy Pilsner’s light floral, herbal and honey aromas take your senses on a trip to their happy place: the ever-enjoyable taste of a crisp, clean traditional lager. Traditional to the style, the flavour has some yeast-derived soft sulfur notes. The hopping provides medium bitterness that balances the malt profile without harshness. 2) Dark Helmüt Imperious ...

In a previous blog post, I mentioned how I associate fall reading with fantasy (especially with Tolkien and Harry Potter.). It was thanks to both Tolkien and Harper Collins (for putting various editions of his works) that got me into books. Not "reading" but "book buying" (different than 'collecting'...somewhat). So make sure you read up on some Tolkien now that school is back in session, and it is now the beginning of the ideal reading season.   This post is a brief run-down of Tolkien's works, as well as some quality cost-effective editions worth checking out.