Ant-Man

Ant-Man may seem out of place when around the cool, well known, Avengers such as Iron Man, Captain America and Thor. A former thief, convict, ex-husband and loving father whose life is going nowhere is vastly different from the usual heroic stories. Yet, it's the differences in Scott and his alter-ego that make him a very likeable character and an even better hero for all the underdogs that deserve a second chance at life and even love. 

LOTR Read-Along: The Two Towers: The Departure of Boromir

So, moviewise, The Two Towers is my favorite. I loved meeting the new characters, seeing the kingdom of Rohan, the Ents and of course, the epic Battle of Helm's Deep! Am I spoiling anything? It's interesting that the first book in this saga is called The Fellowship of the Ring, however, we only get a few chapters with the Fellowship as a whole. At the same time the Fellowship stays connected even when their separated. No one is ever really alone. And maybe no one is ever meant to be alone. 

My History with Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift and I have a long history with each other. We have a rather a love/hate relationship. While I listen to her music (at least her old stuff), I could never like her as a person. For years, I never understood why people consider her so admirable and refuse (or are just too stupid) to recognize her glamorized vitriol and money making manipulative nature she has always possessed. I grew up in Taylor Swift mania and so my history of her road to fame is much more accurate than what most of her fans know about today. 

Goodreads Reviews: The Librarian of Auschwitz

 

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio G. Iturbe

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Truth is the first casualty of war." When truth is destroyed then madness may reign free. From the time she was 9 years old, Edita "Dita" Adler has seen the truth disappear the moment the Nazi's occupied her home in Prague in 1939. From there Dita was taken from her home, placed in the ghettos and then finally shipped to Auschwitz where she spends every moment trying to survive. Not live, just survive.

Amid the filth, bloodshed, starvation, sickness and hatefulness, there is a small glimmer of happiness. Block Thirty-One has been made into a school for the children too young to work. It is of course a sham for the Nazi Party to give the appearance that Auschwitz is a perfectly ordinary displaced persons camp, however to the teachers and their pupils, Block Thirty-One is a sanctuary.

Even though it's termed 'a school,' books are forbidden. Yet, Fredy Hirsch, the director of Block Thirty-One manages to stash eight different books that will be secretly shared around. He gives the position of Block Thirty-One librarian to fourteen year old Dita, believing that she is capable to handle it. From the moment the books are put into Dita's hands, she vows she will protect them with her life. And every moment of her life could possibly be her last.

A gritty, heartbreaking, true life account of a young girl who witnessed and survived the darkest and most evil institutions in history. She is constantly on her guard whether protecting the books, evading Dr. Josef Mengele the notorious "Angel of Death," keeping her family together or even fighting her feelings for a man she admires.

The Nazi's tried to destroy the truth of culture and humanity. They tried to kill it within the gas chambers and the tunneled graves. However, by hiding the eight books of Block Thirty-One, Dita preserved the truth and brought it to light, with her story of survival, resilience and courage.

Inklings Link-Up~January 2021

Inklings for a new year! Here's my list of Inklings posts from last year!

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt.

2. Link-back to Heidi's blog in the comments section with a link to you Inklings prompt.

January Prompt

A new beginning in book or film

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

The Guardians are back! And still getting into trouble. What else would you except from a group of aliens? I was pleasantly surprised with this sequel, because it had an emotional depth to the story that you really wouldn't expect from a franchise like this one. Dealing with the fragile concepts of kidnapping, abandonment, abuse, nature v nurture and what constitutes 'family,' are dealt with quite brilliantly in the Guardians ongoing journey.

Guardians of the Galaxy

 If Star Trek had a baby with the Marvel franchise then this quirky film would be their child. Guardians of the Galaxy was another Marvel product that I had no concept of until it premiered in 2014. To be honest I didn't particularly care for it, but upon re-watching it for reviewing purposes, it does have a whimsy and charm to it that other Marvel franchises tend to lack. It's gritty, but not serious. It's geared toward teenagers, but adults can find the humor just as easily. It's certainly not my favorite of the Marvel productions, but it does have a place for your super geeky, space loving fans.