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Showing posts from November, 2011

Hachi: A Dog's Story

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This beautiful tale of loyalty and friendship will surely make dog lovers cry. It is a remake of the Japanese film Hachiko Monogatari about an Akita named Hachiko who found love and friendship with a music professor named Parker Wilson. Parker tried to find the owners of the puppy who he found wandering in the train station and he even offered it to other people. But no one claimed Hachi. Even then he was becoming more attached to the dog. His wife was reluctant at first but she soon accepted the loving Hachi into the family as well. For the next two years, Hachi grew more attached to Parker. He would often accompany the professor to the train station every morning and then wait for him to come home. It became their habit to meet outside the station. Hachi would wait for his master on the same spot. Some people near the train station noticed this too. Then one day, his master never came back. Hachi did not know that Parker has passed away. Parker's daughter decided to take...

Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race by T.W. Rolleston

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This book is a great introduction to Celtic culture and mythology. One of the highlights is the introduction of Celtic culture based on written accounts and archaeological evidence. Most books about myths often proceed to the recounting of the stories right after a brief introduction. Knowing about the culture and background of the people behind it will make it easier for the readers to understand the motivation and inspirations behind the tales. The book is divided into eight chapters. The ff. is the list of the titles of those sections: 1. The Celts in Ancient History 2. The Religion of the Celts 3. The Irish Invasion Myths 4. The Early Milesian Kings 5. Tales of the Ultonian Cycle 6. Tales of the Ossianic Cycle 7. The Voyage of Maeldun 8. Myths and Tales of the Cymry The second chapter discusses the possible origin of the religious practices and worship of the Celts. While the third chapter is about the first of the four main divisions of the Irish mythical and lege...

Greek and Roman Ghost Stories by Lacy Collison-Morley

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This book outlines the general idea of what the people in ancient Greece and Rome thought about afterlife in general. The soul is distinct from the body and has a place assigned to it in the center of the earth after it has departed the body. It is important to bury the dead or else they will wander the earth forever. There are three types of the dead based on Apuleius' classification: the Manes, Lemures and Larva. The last two are the 'bad spirits'  and are associated with the hauntings. There is also an interesting section about Necromancy. It is the practice of calling up spirits so the living can consult with them. People also believed that the dead have the power to see the future. The rest of the book contains stories of ghost sightings and excerpts of written accounts from various sources. This book is divided into 7 parts. The following is the list of those sections: 1. The Power of the Dead to Return to Earth 2.Belief in Ghosts in Greece and Rome 3. S...

Stonewielder by Ian. C. Esslemont

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Stonewielder is the 3rd book from the Novels of the Malazan Empire series by Ian C. Esslemont. The book is divided into three parts: Book 1: The Sea; Book 2: The Land; and Book 3: And All the Shores Between. There are six interconnected stories that can be found. First is Greymane's re-admission into the command structure of the Empire. He was offered to lead the Malazan Army to Korel. Readers will get to know what had happened to Greymane during his campaign in the past. Meanwhile, the Stormguard is having some problems in their defenses. The foundations of the Wall are weakening and they have a shortage of recruits. Murders in Banith have caught someone's attention. It seems like the killings have a pattern. But this discovery will endanger someone's life. An Army is massing to attack Ring. They are opposing the so-called Lady or Protectress. But the history of uprisings are in odds against the success of this campaign. All these stories all lead to the my...

Return of the Crimson Guard by Ian C. Esslemont

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Return of the Crimson Guard is the second installment of Ian C. Esslemont's Novels of the Malazan Empire. Although the title of the book pertains to the Empire's old nemesis, it also marks the start of the changes for the Empire. The book is divided into 3 major parts: Book 1: Diaspora's End; Book 2: The Eternal Return and; Book 3: Fates and Chances. The major players can also be divided into three major groups: those loyal to the empire, the Old Guard along with the groups who rose up in rebellion (the Talian League) and the Crimson Guard. It tells us about the history of the Crimson Guard and their determination to find the Duke - K'azz D'Avore. It will also show the present conditions and sentiments of the Avowed. In Book 3 when K'azz finally announced that he has returned, the Guard split into two factions. The other group is led by Skinner. The book also provides a background of the Stormriders, the flowering of the first human civilization and K...

Prince of Tennis: The National Tournament Finals

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After all the trials Seishun Gakuen has gone through, they have finally reached the greatest trial of their journey. In this OVA, they face an old nemesis and the current champions Rikkaidai Fuzoku. WARNING: SPOILERS! Here are the highlights from each episode: Episode 1: New opening and ending songs. Sanada and Tezuka's match turned out to be a battle of wills (and with a little bit of luck). Tezuka lost although Sanada was also at his limit. Episode 2: Ryoma has an amnesia. No one knows why. Doubles match between Inui and Kaidoh versus Renji and Kirihara. Inui's Data Tennis is challenged. He's forced to make the impossible possible. Seigaku forfeited the match due to Inui's condition. Episode 3: It seemed like Fuji was losing to Niou - but it was all just Inui's dream. Niou used the Tezuka illusion to challenge Fuji. The match is essentially a battle between Fuji and Tezuka. Later, Niou used a Shiraishi illusion but Fuji surprised everyone ...