Hipsy's View: The Stand

 *Note: If you follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, you'll notice this is my review for Stephen King's The Stand. The only difference with this review is that I have added pictures and a personal opinion before the main review. Enjoy!

What would be a great way to begin a new year than to read a book about a virus that kills almost the entire population during a global pandemic? Well, if you're a Stephen King fan such as myself, you would find a sick pleasure in doing just that (*sarcasm might not be my best trope in writing; wonder if anyone is taking me seriously*). As you would guess, I finally picked up The Stand ー actually, I bought the Kindle/Audible narration and listened to it (seems like the only way I can get any reading done lately) ー and I enjoyed it! Ironically, I read it when the newly updated miniseries also came out (beginning of January or end of December, I can't remember). Now, most people around my age were more than likely introduced to this story at a young age by watching the 1994 miniseries. Being that it was in the 90s and the FCC was more strict of what could be shown on TV than they are now, the series is pretty darn close to the novel. When I heard about the new miniseries coming out, I was hesitant about watching it, but after reading some recent articles, it's rumored that Stephen King has written a new ending for The Stand and it will be shown at the end of the miniseries.

If any of you would like me to do a "Which Is Better" comparison of The Stand with either or both the miniseries to the book, please let me know. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy my review posted down below.

(*Note: As mentioned above, this review is also on Amazon and Goodreads. I will also have it posted on my Hipsy's View Facebook page).

A Vision of a Possibility

Reading this story during a flu-like pandemic can make most comment on how similar the situation is RIGHT NOW! But in truth, it is not like the current event we now face in the beginning of the 2020s. And though there may be similarities and differences throughout this novel, The Stand's Captain Trips is completely another type of pandemic we should hope will never to occur; Stephen King once again paints an alternative world we hope never to live through (but enjoy to read about).

The Stand begins by showing how a government-made virus was accidentally (or so it seems) spread through late 20th century America (depending on which version you read). In time, it's learned that this virus has also been spread to other countries, thus making it a global pandemic. Going by many names — Captain Trips, Tube Neck, the superflu, to name a few — this virus is so strong, it kills almost 90% or more of the population. The few immune to the superflu must go on a journey throughout the country, choose which side to be on — good or bad — and the fate of what may lay ahead of them. This story follows those survivors and their choices.

As been mentioned in other reviews, this is King's " American Lord of the Rings". It has many tropes seen throughout the original Tolkien piece, as well as tie-ins to King's other works sprinkled in; you'll notice some of the town names are familiar, and if you've read the Dark Tower Series, you'll know which character from there antagonizes the Boulder Free Committee and their beloved Mother Abigail.

In short, I have nothing but good to say about this book and enjoyed it more than I expected. This is now one of my favorite King novels, alongside the Green Mile, Carrie, and Thinner.

Hipsy's View: Blogs from my Bookstore

If you have read my blogs recently (as of last year), you know that when I am not working my regular job, I work at a bookstore. While though I am one of the toys/miscellaneous buyers, my passion still resolves around books, history, and mythology. Beginning last year, I was asked by the events manager if I could write a few blogs once in a while to post on the store's website. Now, I'm not the only one that writes for the blog, of course -- this is a state-chain store with six locations -- but if you would like to know why I do not post as much here as I would like to (jobs and distracting hobbies are time-consuming, as we all know), I have created a list below of all of the blogs I have written for my store, with links attached them to take you straight to the pages.

Oh, and if you get the chance and you want to explore the store's blog, check out some of the bloggers' posts. With the bookstore also being an entertainment trade store, we blog about everything to do with entertainment, be it books, movies, video games, local events, you name it! For now, thank you for being supportive readers and I hope you will enjoy these following blogs.

Note: Though I may have written these blogs, they were altered and edited by my event manager and the store's social media manager, to fit properly with the website. I still have my original copies, and if you would like me to post those, please let me know so I can check with my events manager (since I report to him) before posting them. Thank you for reading!

Hipsy's Blog from the Bookstore

• Bookman’s Recommends: Valentine’s Day Movies! (February 2019)
• Bookmans Recommends: Top Ten Irish Folktales (March 2019)
• Fun Facts: Ēostre and Easter (April 2019)
• What Bookmans Geeks Geek Out On (May 2019)
• Take A Journey Through Reading (June 2019)
• Read With Pride for Pride Month! (June 2019)
• Mermaids Throughout the World (July 2019)
• Stress Busters for Back to School (August 2019)
• Banned: 5 Must-Reads (September 2019)
• A History of the Storyteller (November 2019)
• Resolutions: Do More You (January 2020)
• Pandemic: Books Recs for a Quarantine (June 2020)

You'll notice some months where there were no blogs. Those are months where I could not write due to my schedule with my other job, and then, of course, the COVID-19 quarantine months; at this time the store was closed for almost two months, and the social media pages were not posting anything but updates. I did have one written for February (Valentine's Day themed), but with many other great blogs being posted and the pandemic scare, it sadly did not get posted. I will check in with my manager, and if it is okay with him, i will post that blog here. Stay healthy and safe for now.

Full-Time Life Overload: Update Blog

What a year so far, am I right?

So, if you are still following this blog, I appreciate you. I have not kept up on this blog like I intended to. Since a year ago (literally!), my plate has been constantly full. I have been working from home, which has it's good and bad side effects. Good because it has health and safety in mind, bad because of my distractions. Still being a new instructor at the school I'm working with, I have coursework that I need to finish in order to help our students. But with all the extra time on my hands, my ADD has been playing the devil's advocate with me. First I'm reading leisurely, then I'm reading for work, then I'm sewing, then I'm writing, then I'm writing for my other job (yes, I'm still working a second job at a bookstore, but it has been closed for 2 1/2 months), then I'm back to sewing and thinking about my novels-in-progress....you get the point!

Now with one job ending (just for the summer break) and another reopening, it's surprising I'm even taking some time to write this. Before all this COVID-fiasco, I was planning on writing a few tie-in blogs for a blog I wrote for my bookstore, which sadly did not get a chance to be published due to current events. So I thought I could post them on here. But even though I have been working from home, I mention once again, my ADD has been on full blast, keeping me busy with other ideas and projects when I'm not scheduled to talk with students or doing my own coursework. Now many months have gone by and not one blog up on this site! But I hope to change that soon.

If you do enjoy my blogs, I thank you again for sticking around. I will put up another blog soon with the most recent blog links from my bookstore (I have posted some before); I just sent one off recently and hope to see it on the website soon. Once it is, I will put a link for it up on this blog, as well as my Facebook page (which btw, I have a Facebook page too, Hipsy's Review). 

Until then, please stay safe and healthy as we reenter the working world that's not behind a computer screen or in our bedrooms. And remember, I'm always open for suggestions on any book or movie reviews from all of you, and though I haven't worked on it in a while, I would still like to add more "Which is Better" blogs. So feel free to leave me a comment or email hispysreview@gmail.com. 

Come Little Children Halloween 2019

Happy Halloween everyone! This year (2019) I dressed up as the Mórrigan. The Mórrigan (are commonly called the Morrigan or Morrigu) is the phantom queen of Celtic Mythology. Being part of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, the Mórrigan is the wife of the Dagda, the Father-God and High King of the Tuatha. She is the mother of all magic, a shape-shifter, and is also associated as a triple goddess (usually seen as three women - a young maid, a motherly-figure, and a crone - and is either referenced as the goddesses Badb, Macha, and Nemain or the land goddesses Ériu, Banba and Fódla). The Mórrigan represents war, death, fate, and destiny, and she is usually associated with ravens, which tend to be seen at battles, waiting to feast on the dead (fun fact, the ravens may also be a connection to Norse Mythology, being all-seeing birds and companions of Odin).



Now I know the song in the video below has nothing to do with the Mórrigan or Celtic Mythology (plus my Gaelic is not that good yet to sing a traditional song), but it is a popular song played during Halloween, originating from the Disney classic Hocus Pocus. If you would please let me know what you think of the video, I would be grateful for your opinions.



I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween. I will write another blog soon :).

Semi-Annual Update 2019

Hello Hipsy followers!

So this blog is meant to update you on everything that's been going on, resulting in not many posts thus far. In truth, I have been writing blogs, but for the bookstore that I work for; if you would like to read any of them, just click on any of the links listed below. Also, my "Which Is Better" challenge is on temporary hold since I was asked to review some novels for local authors in my community (I have finished one of the books, so expect a review soon!)

One major turn of events though that has also put my writing a little on hold (but has freed up my time as well) is that I got a new job! I still work for the bookstore I have mentioned I write for, but I am also now an instructor at a secondary school (something I was always unsure about). This new career choice is actually turning out to be good so far, and my stress levels have gone down. If you have been following me since I created this blog in 2010 or have read some of my older posts, you know that I have a problem with depression and anxiety affecting my writing and my motivation to write; I've even gone on a few hiatuses where I didn't post anything, and I know that has damaged my views quite a bit. But with becoming an instructor, I have realized how debilitating the stress I had working in retail caused, and though I am still in retail only on the weekends, I have had a lot of relief wash over me in the past few months. I have also come to realize how much I am enjoying teaching right now; hopefully, I will enjoy it for the years to come.

But to wrap this all up, it looks as though this year, though starting stressful, is starting to pay off and not be as draining as previous years have been. My writing has considerably gone up, and though not much of it is shown on my blog as much I would like, I am glad to finally find time to get back into my favorite "side job"/hobby. Again, if you'd like to read any of the blogs I have written for my bookstore, feel free to click on any of the links below and make sure to leave me some feedback at any time, be it recommendations, requests, or simply if you liked the article/blog or not. Also, I will be having a book review up soon and when it is, I hope you all get a chance to read it and enjoy its contents. Until then, keep a lookout for any topic you'd like me to discuss and let me know in the comments below or email them to me (yep, that's right! I made an email specifically for my blog) at hipsysview@gmail.com.

Listed are the links to the blogs I have written for the bookstore I work with from February to July of this year:

• Bookman’s Recommends: Valentine’s Day Movies!
• Bookmans Recommends: Top Ten Irish Folktales
• Fun Facts: Ēostre and Easter
• What Bookmans Geeks Geek Out On
• Take A Journey Through Reading
• Read With Pride for Pride Month!
• Mermaids Throughout the World

Hipsy's View: Padmé, A Forgotten Queen?

Hello everyone, and Happy Star Wars Day; May the 4th be with you. This was the first Star Wars Day I had officially celebrated ever. I work at an entertainment/bookstore that highly encourages dressing up and participating in holidays and anything we want to celebrate. But by the end of the day, I was starting to feel a little discouraged (as well as exhausted from a busy day on the weekend) when I kept getting questions of who I was or why I had my face painted. I was fine answering the little children's questions since the ones that asked seemed too young to know all the Star Wars characters, but I felt down when so many of the adults asked me if I was a mime or why I painted an oriental mask on my face. Once I had said "I'm Padmé," most people then knew who my character was.

I know most of my frustration of this was because I was tired towards the end of my day, but part of me thought "How could you forget Padmé? She's literally the mother of the Skywalkers we all learned to love throughout generations!" But I understand if Padmé slips people's minds once in a while; she's not talked about much, and it has mostly to do with how some distaste people have for the prequel movies. Though some of the scenes and dialogue were tough to get through, Padmé's and Anakin's story is just as important since they form the space odyssey we all love to this day.

I know this blog was more of a rant, but there are times when we all need to get our thoughts out in the open, even if they seem silly or ridiculous. This blog helps me express my thoughts and share with you all. Hope you had a wonderful day, whichever way spent the day. Let me know what you think about the costume. It may not have been dead-on, but it's not bad when you need to improvise with whatever's in your closet. Until next time.

Which Is Better?: City of Ember

Note before we begin: I meant to post this originally earlier in the year, but this challenge has proven to be difficult to get off the ground. My time has been limited and the other topics that I have been wanting to review have not taken my interest. Also, I had to decide if I wanted to make a YouTube channel discussing these blogs. Now I know that can capture another audience to spread my reviews, but I am still uncertain if that is the way I want to go. If I do go down that path I, of course, will let you all know. Without further ado, let's begin the review. 

Welcome to the first review of Which Is Better. Today's topic will focus on the popular children's novel The City of Ember, written by Jean DuPrau, and it's film counterpart that was directed by Gil Kenan. Please note that since this is the first review, I will also be discussing how some parts of my blogs will work and that I plan to base most of my future Which Is Better blogs on this format. Also, fair warning, there will be SPOILERS throughout the blog, since it is a discussion of the book and movie.

Which Came First?

In this section, I will mention which one came to me first; did I read the book first, or did I watch the movie? For the City of Ember, it was the movie. I was a teenager when I first saw it and didn't know that it was based on a book series. I thought it was a well-made film and that it had an interesting concept of how a civilization existed underground after "Doomsday." It wasn't until I read the book that I saw and understood more of why the plot went the way it did.

The Plot

With the end of the world coming, a group of people known as the Builders created an underground dwelling space for the sake and future of humankind. In a box that was given to the Mayor and overseer of the city were instructions, that in 200 years time would lead the people back to the surface of Earth. The Builders had hoped after 200 years, the world would be safe for the survivors to return to. What they did not expect was the box to go missing, and that's what it did. After the box opened, it wasn't discovered until almost years later was it found by a little girl named Poppy who tried to eat the instructions.  Her older sister Lina stopped her though, and along with her friend Doon, they discover a way to get to the surface of the world. But will others believe them? And can they make it before the City of Ember, the light in the dark, goes out forever?

Compare and Contrast

The film stays true to the book in most ways of how the box is passed down, lost, then rediscovered, and how the children find a way to leave the city. But there were add subplots. The book is meant for a young audience and is seen through the eyes of the main protagonists Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, who are both twelve years old. But the film was meant to be a family movie, so there were elements added to keep the most of the audience, adults included, interested. Make-shift droids, large insects, giant mole rats, a backstory to Lina's father's mysterious death, and an old organization that was once determined to leave the City of Ember was added to the story.

In my opinion, some of the additives were exceptional; with the evolution of creatures, it can be understood that with rarely or any predators that some insects could get large (of course, the film could also be making up for how Doon was kind of like an entomologist in the book and would study bugs he found). But I think most of the small changes they made or added was so the film could be enjoyed as a family film. As I stated before, the book is told through children's eyes so the audience will see it as they do: there are words they have never seen before because they haven't been used for 200 years; why did the adults they entrusted the knowledge of a way out of Ember betray them and say they the children were liars?; and the amazement of little things such as candlesticks and matches.

The thing I enjoyed the most though is seeing how Lina is portrayed in the book. Though still a child, she sees herself as the main provider since she has to play a mother figure to her sister and take care of her feeble-minded grandmother; and she is, but she still is a child that enjoys things others do. It's not until her grandmother's passing and the discovery of the box with the Instructions to leave Ember does she show how much she has grown into a true provider and leader. This is also seen in the movie, but I feel it is shown more thoroughly in the book. I was upset though how Mrs. Murdo's part was transitioned to Doon's father in the film. Tim Robbins acting was good, but Mrs. Murdo played a more inspiring character to Lina, Poppy, and Doon than Mr. Harrow, especially when she basically volunteered to become the girls' guardian after their grandmother's death.  I feel this change was made to try to make it tie into one of the plots in the film, and perhaps the makers of the film thought Clary at the greenhouses was enough of a missing mother-figure to have in the film.

Final Thoughts

In this section, I explain which one I liked the most, if I liked them both, or neither one was my cup of tea. For the City of Ember, I would say both the book and film were good in their own ways. The book revives a child's spark of amazement and curiosity as you join two children (the third tagging along because Lina didn't want to leave Poppy behind) on a journey to find a way out of their dying town and save its inhabitants from total darkness. The film is a good family movie, filled with danger as they avoid dangerous giant creatures and villainous adults and mystery as they discover how to escape Ember and learn of those that tried before them. I can enjoy them separately, and I would recommend either one.

And that concludes my first Which Is Better blog. If you like this concept of book/film reviewing, let me know in the comments below. Also, if you have any suggestions, I am open to them; recommend a piece of work for me and explain your reasoning (I also like to know other people's thoughts on books and films). Until next time keep an eye out for my other articles, since I still review other books and movies aside from this project, as well as the blogs I write for my bookstore.