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Picture of a movie: The Hangover
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Movies
The Hangover
2009
Angelenos Doug Billings and Tracy Garner are about to get married. Two days before the wedding, the four men in the wedding party - Doug, Doug's two best buddies Phil Wenneck and Stu Price, and Tracy's brother Alan Garner - hop into Tracy's father's beloved Mercedes convertible for a 24-hour stag party to Las Vegas. Phil, a married high school teacher, has the same maturity level as his students when he's with his pals. Stu, a dentist, is worried about everything, especially what his controlling girlfriend Melissa thinks. Because she disapproves of traditional male bonding rituals, Stu has to lie to her about the stag, he telling her that they are going on a wine tasting tour in the Napa Valley. Regardless, he intends on eventually marrying her, against the advice and wishes of his friends. And Alan seems to be unaware of what are considered the social graces of the western world. The morning after their arrival in Las Vegas, they awaken in their hotel suite each with the worst hangover. None remembers what happened in the past twelve or so hours. The suite is in shambles. And certain things are in the suite that shouldn't be, and certain things that should be in the suite are missing. Probably the most important in the latter category is Doug. As Phil, Stu and Alan try to find Doug using only what little pieces of information they have at hand, they go on a journey of discovery of how certain things got into the suite and what happened to the missing items. However they are on a race for time as if they can't find Doug in the next few hours, they are going to have to explain to Tracy why they are not yet back in Los Angeles. And even worse, they may not find Doug at all before the wedding.
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Picture of a book: The Message
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Books
The Message
K.A. Applegate, Katherine Applegate
The Message is our first Cassie book, and that means it's time to question the morality of our actions. Hurray.In all honesty, when I was a kid, sometimes Cassie's books frustrated me a little bit. I thought she was a wet blanket and her hair was boring. I could never understand why she was always questioning everything, like, shouldn't it just be obvious what's right and wrong? Why are you so upset all the time, girl? Calm down and just enjoy turning into a dolphin JEEZ LOUISE.Now, though, I recognize that this series would not have been the same without Cassie. I mean, obviously, but beyond the surface level of it, she was the character who pushed the others to constantly think about not just the physical and strategic ramifications of their actions, but to stop and ask, yes we can do this thing, but should we? Why? Here it's a relatively small thing Cassie is considering--whether or not it's wrong to morph an animal that is so intelligent, i.e. a dolphin--but in later books she takes it all the way up. It's because of Cassie that this series is elevated to one that isn't just fun, but really hits you in all your sci-fi emotion buttons. What does it mean to be human? To be alive? At least, I remember it doing that for me when I first read it (and re-read it over and over again). We'll see if that holds true as I continue to revisit as an adult. Cassie is the conscientious one, the "tree-hugger". She doesn't care about clothes or make-up. She believes in the sanctity of all life. It's one of the reasons that she (and Tobias) are the only two to hear the message from Ax the Andalite, who is trapped at the bottom of the ocean in a dome ship, where he's been since Elfangor died.Wait, so let me back up. Cassie and Tobias have been experiencing the same dream. Something is calling to them from the water, and they think it might be an Andalite. They rally the other Animorphs, and for once even Marco doesn't object to, first, a fact-finding mission, then another to rescue the Andalite once they confirm he's down there (which involves talking to a whale--so it's canon that dolphins and whales have telekinetic powers, and no one can take that away from me). They all want the chance to repay the Andalites for the sacrifice Elfangor made for them in the first book. I really have a fondness for this book. I love watching the kids become dolphins for the first time, diving so deep underwater, going so far out to sea, and (view spoiler)[finally finding Axmili Esgarouth Isthil, brother of Elfangor, waiting for them. (hide spoiler)]
Picture of a book: The Deltora Book of Monsters
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Books
The Deltora Book of Monsters
Emily Rodda
Gilaaaaa! Lukisan Marc McBride di sini beneran gilaaaa! Rasanya langsung nancep di otak. Memang sepanjang aku membaca Deltora, aku agak kesulitan membayangkan beberapa wujud monsternya (kecuali yang memang sudah digambarkan di kover depan maupun belakang). Sering aku mikir kenapa sih kok nggak dilengkapi ilustrasinya sekalian? Ternyata ilustrasi para monster itu dirapel dan disuguhkan semua di sini.Bersyukur ternyata buku ini ada di www.openlibrary.org, meski saat meminjamnya aku sempat harus antri segala. Untung antrinya nggak lama.***Buku ini ceritanya ditulis oleh Joseph, pustakawan istana yang kabur dan menyamarkan kematiannya setelah disuruh Prandine memusnahkan catatan sejarah Deltora: Deltora Annals. Joseph merasa perintah itu nggak beres, kenapa harus menghancurkan catatan sejarah Deltora? Maka ia pun memutuskan untuk kabur dari istana dan membawa Deltora Annals bersamanya setelah memalsukan kematiannya dengan membakar ruang penyimpanan tempat ia "membakar" catatan itu. Sebelum kabur ia meninggalkan pesan palsu yang menyatakan bahwa ia ingin mati bersama Deltora Annals.Ia kemudian kabur dan menulis ulang The Annals dengan ditambahi catatan yang ia buat selama berkelana menjelajahi Deltora sambil berlindung di tempat pembuatan tembikar di Del atas saran seorang pedaganh bernama Steven. Joseph kabur di masa Raja Alton, ayah Endon. Ia juga yang menulis buku Sabuk Deltora dan menyelipkannya di sudut perpustakaan, berharap agar entah Jarred atau Endon akan menemukan dan mempelajarinya.***Ada banyak info yang tidak dicantumkan di buku utamanya, jadi buku ini benar-benar berfungsi sebagai pelengkap yang asyik. Jika sudah membaca semua buku Deltora Quest di season 1 mulai Forest of Silence sampai Return to Del, maka akan lebih nyambung dengan para monster yang dideskripsikan di sini.Gorl dari Forest of Silence, rupanya adalah ksatria Jalis. Dua saudara laki-lakinya yang ia bunuh pun memiliki nama dengan awalan huruf G. Mungkin itu tradisi penamaan di Jalis. Sayang sekali suku itu sudah punah dan hanya menyisakan Glock.Penyihir Thaegan rupanya memiliki seorang ibu penyihir putih yang dicintai masyarakat karena kemampuannya membuat ramuan cinta dan melakukan sihir pengobatan. Sungguh ironis. Thaegan sejak muda sudah sangat cantik, namun juga kejam. Sihir putih membuatnya bosan maka ia pun beralih pada sihir kegelapan untuk memuaskan hasratnya akan kekuatan. Ibunya bisa berubah wujud menjadi burung gagak. Karena itulah Thaegan suka menyantap gagak karena teringat pada ibunya.Ilustrasi paling menggiriskan hati di sini adalah ilustrasi anak-anak Thaegan. Joseph mendapatkan informasi ini dari seorang pengelana yang berhasil lolos saat hampir disantap oleh mereka. Ia berkata dua rekan seperjalanannya sudah dipanggang dan dimakan hidup-hidup. Kondisi fisik dan mentalnya sangat memprihatinkan. Dari cerita si pengelana, Joseph bisa mendeskripsikan anak-anak Thaegan dan menggambarnya. Hoeks banget dah ilustrasinya. Nightmare!Ilustrasi Gellick, kodok raksasa beracun di Gunung Kengerian, mengingatkanku pada Jabba The Hut-nya Star Wars. Sedangkan ilustrasi Vraal mengingatkanku pada desain alien ganas di film Alien.Yang paling mencengangkan buatku adalah informasi soal Naga Deltora dan burung ak-baba. Ternyata ak-baba bisa mengalahkan Naga Deltora bahkan jadi salah satu penyebab mereka terancam punah, loh! Lima sampai tujuh ak-baba biasanya keroyokan dan mengalahkan naga. Segede apa burung ini? Di Deltora Season 1 mereka hanya berperan sebagai mata-mata. Jadi aku nggak nyangka mereka bisa sekuat itu.Nantinya Josef dan muridnya, Ranesh akan muncul di buku pertama season 2, Cavern of Fear untuk mengantarkan Deltora Annals pada Lief. Membaca buku ini sebelum memulai season 2nya terasa dapat pembekalan. Namun, tampaknya tak semua makhluk Deltora dijabarkan di sini. Pada Cavern of Fear ada monster bernama Granous dan itu nggak diceritakan di sini. Sayangnya ilustrasi Kin juga nggak disertakan, padahal muddlet aja dibahas. Apa bakal ada buku ilustrasi world of Deltora yang lain?
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