The Fireside

On this day 20 years ago, The Philosopher's Stone , the first book in the 7-book Harry Potter series was published. I cannot say what others have already, or say it any better. I'm just going to acknowledge that thought in my post. There really is nothing to say; other than thank-you to my sister, for persuading me to give them a try, to Jo for writing 7 amazing books, and for Bloomsbury / Raincoast for publishing them (and for putting out those nice, sleek, black dustjacket editions). And:   If you never read the books before, or are in dire need of a complete set, let me help you: (search by copying + pasting these ISBN's) - 7 book paperback boxed set ISBN:    9781408856772 - 7 book hardback boxed set ISBN:  9781408856789

Hey all. So, this is sort of a pet-peeve of mine: anniversary editions of books in an incomplete book series. This isn't targeted at any series or author in genera;, but today I'm going to showcase one such example: The Name of the Wind  10th Anniversary Edition by Patrick Rothfuss. Here's why. And, no, it's not because "it's not book 3." Pat has outlined the details about the book in his blog post here:  http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2017/06/10th-anniversary-edition-cover-reveal/ . My problems with books like this, come from three different angles, as someone who likes complete and matching sets: 1) Will the second book, The Wise Man's Fear , also be release din this format?? If not, why have a book that will stick out like a sore thumb, compared to the other two? 2) Why not wait and do an anniversary set for the entire series? If there's an anniversary edition of The Lord of the Rings , guess what - you'll get all three parts in that style...

The Elder Scrolls VI  is still a ways off. By now, most likely anyone who has had an interested in Skyrim  ( The Elder Scrolls V ) will have played it by now. It seems that Bethseda has been giving that game everything it's worth. The game originally launched in November 2011 on PC, X360 and PS3. It followed with DLC later on with Dawnguard, Hearthfire  and Dragonborn . And, not to mention the hi-res texture pack for PC as well. Naturally, all this was eventually collected into a 'complete' release; as is usually common with games once developers are completely finished with them. In the fall of 2016, to celebrate its 5th anniversary, the game was remastered. This was primarily for the console players, as the game out on XBONE, and PS4. Steam users that already have the game and all of its content got the remaster added to their library free of charge. Because the PC users had the hi res texture pack (plus, not to mention mods) the remaster seemed unneccesary for PC g...

Next up on my "I'll Netflix That" series is a movie that I wanted  to see in cinemas, but misse dout on. Maybe it was a busy time in my life? Maybe there were quite a few other movies in cinemas, and this one made the cut....either way, Big Hero 6  became a Netflix title for me. But not for the 'usual' reasons. I quite enjoyed it! I'm somewhat glad I didn't pay the big bucks for the cinema experience but it was what I expected: the origin story reminded me of Iron Man  a bit, the 'fun' element reminded me of The Incredibles  or The Avengers , and the humor of Meet the Robinsons . It's definitely a "Disney movie" in the truest sense of the word, while also being "Marvel Lite." If you enjoyed The Incredibles  as well as Dragons  from Dreamworks; you'll most likely find something to like here. There's something for everyone if you like animated films and / or superhero movies. It has an adventure element seen in such ...

Well another E3 has come and gone. This is the big annual event where developers and designers get to showcase upcoming major releases for all the video game platforms. There were some surprises, both good and bad. The systems I have, and follow, are PS4, PC (Steam) and 3DS. I have a wii u, but that's been discontinued in favor the Switch; which I don't have. Nintendo has unveiled two  upcoming Metroid games: Metroid: Samus Returns  for 3DS, and Metroid Prime 4  for the Switch. We also got a look at some of the Zelda DLC. The first of two, coming on June 30, is called The Master Trials.  The final set, The Champions' Balad, will be out "Holiday" 2017. Of interest to me from Playstation, is the first set of DLC for Horizon: Zero Dawn  called Horizon: The Frozen Wilds . It's of interest to me because I'm looking forward to playing Horizon , but will await the 'complete' edition. Bethseda has announced Wolftenstein 2 , which will be a sequel to Wolfen...

Well, it's about that time again! One month to go! In a few weeks I shall age. In fact, following Tolkien's custom of a hobbit, I will come of age [33]. I definitely don't think I feel, or act, that way....try closer to 27-29. I've always been glad that my birthday is in the summer. Summer is generally a fun time, despite the occasional heat and humidity. I usually opt for something BBQ'ed in the traditional sense: meaty, sticky, and smoky! It's also about half-way through the year. Anyway, I try not to make a fuss. I don't expect much. A few close people, some good food, some good drink. Truly, I'm not fussy about the gifts. There isn't anything I "ask" for; but there are some things I have my eye on. I'm trying to move past making and giving out wishlists. So this post will showcase a few items that I have my eye on' so that my readers may "connect" with who I am. Please note that I am saving up for, and inten...

One thing that I'm doing, is starting up a blog series titled "I'll Netflix That." Whenever I use that expression on social media etc, some people take that as "that movie looks like crap." or "I don't want to see it." Neither is true...well, fully. Here's the thing. Cinema prices are expensive. (9/10, I see a movie with my lady. We usually do the IMAX version, and do snacks and/or supper out beforehand. Its fine financially every now and then. But for every single movie we want to see? Now it gets to cost a bit after awhile. So, we see the ones that we really  want to see at the cinema, as well as the odd non-planned movie should we have enough Scene points. The rest of the movies, I wait until they're available to download, or streaming on Netflix. Netflix's strength is some of its original shows ( House of Cards , for instance). I also don't have "TV", so I was able to watch some shows I was interested in thanks t...

Well, this is it - what could very well be the final Tolkien, and Middle-earth book (not counting anniversary or illustrated editions of existing material). The announcement of the title surprised myself, as well as quite a few others. It seems that everyone involved with the book was keeping it under tight wraps. The very existence of it, I mean. So, let's delve into the newest...and possibly final book. The dustjacket features illustrations on the front and back, much like for The Children of Hurin . The texture is a matte / paper-y feel to it. Removing the dustjacket, the book itself is black with the writing embossed. Opening the book yields no frontispieces, anything on the reverse side of the boards, and no maps. Nothing folds out. Aside from the text itself on 'normal' paper, the colour plates are printed on glossy or plastisized photo-type paper. And that's it! I was honestly expecting the same fold-out map at the back of Beleriand and the Lands to the North, ...

There they are: U2, in a reproduction of the cover from the monumental album The Joshua Tree . This year, they're celebrating in a big way, with a Joshua Tree 30th Anniversary Tour. The album will most likely be played in its entirety, including additional B-Sides and bonus tracks. Find the details here: http://www.u2.com/tour/index/tour/id/79/ . Today The Joshua Tree 30th Anniversary 7LP Deluxe Vinyl Boxed Set was also released [read about that here: http://insurrbution.blogspot.ca/2017/03/joshua-tree-30th-anniversary-edition.html  . In short, anything and everything you could possibly wish for are included in that box.