New Kids on the Block

So every once in a while I take a step outside of the land of books and write about something else. Once I wrote about Garrett Hedlund and whether the movie Country Strong was worthy of seeing in the theater (verdict? NO), another time I wrote about my horse- today though I'm going to write about a slice of my childhood that has amazingly become part of my adulthood (how often does that happen?). Of course, I'm talking about New Kids on the Block. The first concert I ever went to (that wasn't Raffi or Sharon, Lois and Bram) was New Kids on the Block. I was 9-ish and I was obsessed. I loved me some Jonathan Knight. I went on to love Backstreet Boys and NSync, but NKOTB was always #1. Then, as luck would have it, they got back together and I got to see them in a small venue in my hometown with the same person I saw them with when I was nine.

Then- as if life couldn't get any better, not only did they go back on tour, but they joined up with the Backstreet Boys to make super-group boy band NKOTBSB (I know- why had this not occurred sooner!?) So I went with the same friend again to see them. Um... Greatest. Concert. Ever. The only downside? Jonathan (who as you may recall, has always been my favorite) was injured and couldn't perform. I had to make do with my second favorite, Donnie, and the rest of the guys...

Now, I know- we are not talking about musical brilliance here (as several people have pointed out)- but dear god, do these boys know how to entertain a crowd. In fact the concert was so good that the day after we got home we bought tickets for a second concert at the end of the summer. There is something awesome about getting to go back and be a kid again.

They genuinely are having a great time. They make sure the crowd is having a good time. They trot out all the old dance moves and do them like it's the first time. They make sure we know they appreciate us for hanging with them for 20 years. In fact, in the first concert Donnie made sure to take a moment to tell us. He said (paraphrasing here) "I hope you all know that we know what it means that you are here with us tonight. Don't ever forget what you mean to us" and it seemed like he really meant it. I hope they know how much they mean to us fans too! 

Our second concert was better then the first (if that is possible). We sat right off stage right, 9th row, but only the row directly in front of us had people in it (and those people might have been related to the Knight's)- not only were we this close to the stage, but we could see back stage, which was awesome. Especially when the back stage crew had their own impromtu performance to "Please Don't Go Girl" complete with flashlight spot lights and a very dramatic singer. Sorry Joey, I couldn't take my eyes off the guys backstage! Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture of it (too dark). However, our closeness to the stage did mean that I could use sport-shot on my camera and get some really, really good pictures! 

The rest of the show was pretty spectacular. I'd go again tomorrow if they had another show in the area, it was that good. The guys were at the top of their game, they had a great time and so did I! I'm so glad that they got back together, joined up with BSB and went on tour. I really hope they come back again next year :)

Now for a few more pictures of this last concert! Enjoy!!

*for more NKOTB & NKOTBSB pictures from this tour and from a few years ago, click on over to my flickr album: ElstadRanch- New Kids on the Block

My Ramblings on Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune
By: Frank Herbert
Release Date: 25th Anniversary Ed. Sept. 1990
Official Dune Website

Summary:

Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Maud’dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family—and would bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. Frank Herbert’s death in 1986 was a tragic loss, yet the astounding legacy of his visionary fiction will live forever.

My Ramblings:

First off, let me just say, this is one hell of a book. Amazing, really. It's hard to know where to start with a book like this because it covers such a huge amount of information and a large chunk of time. I guess I'll get the negatives out of the way early. The biggest downside to this book really is just the sheer volume of information being put in front of you. It really is a whole new world. There are strange names, oddly familiar (but totally foreign) customs and beliefs and a cast of characters that can sometimes be hard to keep straight. Speaking of names- one thing that isn't a huge deal, but honestly got me thinking several times were the names. Specifically the names of the two main characters we follow. In this book we get names like Astreides, Harkonnen, Thufir, Gurney, Stilgar and Chani- all are slightly exotic sounding and speak to the setting of the story. Our two main characters- the concubine and son of the Duke Leto Astreides- whose adventures we follow bear the wildly unique names of (wait for it) Paul and Jessica. Now, again, is this a big deal? No. Does it take away from the story? Not really. Did I spend way more time then necessary trying to figure out why their names were so generic and bland? Absolutely. So for me, this was a minor distraction.

Beyond the massive quantity of information to take in and make sense of this book was pretty darn amazing. There were passages that, though written in 1965 originally, still hold strong today. As an aside, I picked this book up on the say so of my Uncle, who said "everything you need to know about life, you can learn in Dune". This may sound like tall order, but I think he's right (especially if you look beyond the story held in the pages). There are snippets of religious readings from the O.C. Bible and there are reflections and quotes on the life of Muad'dib. Little life lessons crop up, like"Parting with friends is a sadness. A place is only a place." and "The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.".  A phrase that is often repeated is "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." These (and others) all speak to the place where the characters are living and surviving as well as give the reader food for thought on their own lives. 

Paul's story really is a classic hero story. Unfortunate circumstances fall upon him. He loses a role model in a tragic circumstance. He is exiled, he faces hardships and tests of faith. Eventually he overcomes these obstacles and eventually good defeats evil. Or does it? The twist here is that Paul is also fighting his own fate. A fate he has the ability to see laid out before him in potential possible paths. The thing he tries to prevent may be inevitable, no matter which path he chooses. Or, the choice to avoid one tragedy might actually cause something even more heartbreaking to befall him. 

I don't really want to get into a lot of the plot of this massive novel. I think if I started I really wouldn't be able to stop. Suffice it to say that this book truly is epic. If you like SciFi and don't mind putting some time and effort into reading then this one really needs to be added to the to-be-read pile. 

***********************************

How about a book talk?

That's right, a book talk. This summer, besides indulging in fantasy and magic, I'm also taking 3 (count em' 3) graduate classes at Syracuse University. Life is busy, but a lot of fun. One of my classes is Youth Services in Libraries and Information Centers. Week one? Genre Study. Here in week two? Book talks. A slew of other things as well, but on the assignment front, book talks. I had never done one, so when faced with the task of choosing three books I was at a loss. They had to fit together somehow, be interesting and lend themselves to this format. I was stumped, and then, a bolt of lightning struck (that analogy would be extra awesome if I chose Harry Potter, but I didn't). Fae! That was it. Some of my favorite books in the past year have been ones that deal with Fae. So, without further ado...

So, are you interested? If you are hit up Amazon, the closest indie book shop or the local library and give them a go!

Wings (Aprilynne Pike)
Wondrous Strange (Lesley Livingston)
The Iron King (Julie Kagawa)