Pay It Forward Challenge 2012

I had 3 more items to give out for my Pay It Forward Challenge.   Unfortunately one of the people who had commented on my Facebook status didn't get back to me with their address.  (I emailed them a while back so I'm assuming they don't want their prezzie. *sigh*)  So that meant that I only had 2 more to give out and I sent out one of those last week and gave the other out the week before. I wanted to wait a bit before I put up the post though since I don't know if the last person got theirs in the mail yet or not.  So hopefully they have gotten their prezzie and this doesn't ruin the surprise for them. 

So I made hand made potholders for my friend Jen, from Writer's Toybox, and for my friend Sarah.  

I had a lot of fun with this contest over the past year and I definitely plan to do it again next year.  Not sure if I'll still do it with the contest or not.

 It will still be fun contest or not. 'Til next year! 

Pay It Forward 2012 Challenge

So I wanted to share one of the beautiful homemade/handmade prezzies I received as part of the Pay It Forward Challenge.  It's a beautiful poem from my friend Jen over at Writer's Toybox.

Manga/Graphic Novel/ Video Game Novel Challenge 2012 - December Round-Up

This challenge is being hosted by Mother/Gamer/Writer.

 For more details on the challenge such as levels, guidelines, PRIZES!!!, just click here.

This post is to  link to all reviews of the books I've read for this challenge this month. To check out  books for this month read by other readers that are taking part in this challenge click here!

So I started out this Challenge with a Warhammer 40,000 novel and I figured it would be appropriate to end it with one too!   So the book review I'm giving you this month for the challenge is:

Sons of Fenris

A Space Wolf Novel

By: Lee Lightner

Summery from Amazon:

Ragnar and the Wolfblade are sent to investigate reports of Chaos attacks on the planet Hyades. When the Space Wolves come up against a squad of Dark Angels, the situation quickly escalates out of control, as both Chapters call in reinforcements. Unless these two ancient rivals start working together, the forces of Chaos will surely triumph - can the heroic Ragnar save the day?

My Review:

I really enjoyed the first Space Wolf novel I read back in January and I regret having put off reading this one for so long, because I really enjoyed it too.  I loved getting back into the Warhammer universe and reading about Ragnar's adventures across the galaxy. 

While this book isn't the next book in the series I didn't find myself lost or confused. (as is the case in some series novels)  Also even though it was by a different author the writing styles were similar and not a drastic change from the first novel. 

I really like the Space Wolf novels so far.  They are classic Sci-fi/Fantasy.  Futuristic worlds, fantastical creatures, tons of adventure, and constant action.  The story has mystery to it too that drew me in trying to figure out who was the traitor.

The characters are interesting and I liked finding out where Ragnar had been since the last novel.  Click here to read the rest of my review!

I've loved participating in this challenge and I plan on participating in the 2013 one as well!  Look for my post about it on January 1st, or click here now to find out more info! Thanks to Mother/Gamer/Writer for hosting this Challenge. I've had a lot of fun!     

She & Him - I'll Be Home for Christmas

Songs of the Season

Event production by

Random Magic Tour

Sasha Soren (Random Magic)

Dec. 10-25, 2012

I've been planning on sharing this one for over a month!  As some of you know I recently moved. I still haven't gotten around to putting up picks of my new place. (sorry guys been crazy busy!)  But I do have some pics of my home all decked out for the holidays! (the outside anyway!) While I know not everyone will be home for the holidays I am extremely grateful to be able to say that I will be and I hope as many of you who can be home will be able to be home too!

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! 

I'm not the best light putter upper and this was my first time actually doing outdoor lights!

I had a few strands of each color so I tried to keep them all together,

These are actually palm trees under those lights. Looks much better in real life lol!

Songs of the Season

Songs of the Season

Event production by

Random Magic TourSasha Soren (Random Magic)

Dec. 10-25, 2012

Remember that radio station I mentioned before? They also are always playing this cute little number! No not your typical Christmas fair but that's part of the fun is getting to share and find Christmas and Holiday music that you might not otherwise get to hear. 

Hope you are healthy and safe this Christmas Eve and that Santa brings you want you want!

Songs of The Season

Songs of the Season

Event production by

Random Magic Tour

Sasha Soren (Random Magic)

Dec. 10-25, 2012

Welcome to Songs of the Season! We have a radio station that all it plays is Christmas music this time of year.  This one came on the other morning and I just had to share it!!! It is so cute and funny! I love Shirley Temple and this reminded me of one of the kids in my life.  Hope you enjoy it!

So what do you want for Christmas?

Songs of the Season Schedule!

Songs of the Season

Event production by

Random Magic Tour

Sasha Soren (Random Magic)

Dec. 10-25, 2012

This is and event I participated in last year that was tons of fun! It starts on the 10th and runs through 'til Christmas!  So come a caroling and enjoy the great songs to help get you in the mood for the season!

Dec. 10

Manisha (Assortments)

Dec. 11

Pepca (Beyond Strange New Words)

Dec. 13

Christina (The Book Addict)

Dec. 14

Pammy (Unconventional Librarian)

Dec. 15
Michelle (True Book Addict)

Dec. 16
Random Magic Tour (Random Magic Tour)
A frivolous mystery

Dec. 18
Velvet (vvb32reads)

Dec. 20
Laura (Colorimetry)

Dec. 21
Melissa (Spellbound by Books)

Dec. 22
Natalie (Songs and Stories)

Dec. 23
Random Magic Tour (Random Magic Tour)
A very sci-fi Nativity story

Dec. 25
Aimee (Reviews from my First Reads Shelf)

Review of Don't Put Me In Coach by Mark Titus

Don't Put Me In, Coach
By: Mark Titus
Amazon

Summery from Amazon:

An irreverent, hilarious insider's look at big-time NCAA basketball, through the eyes of the nation's most famous benchwarmer and author of the popular blog ClubTrillion.com (3.6m visits!). Mark Titus holds the Ohio State record for career wins, and made it to the 2007 national championship game. You would think Titus would be all over the highlight reels. You'd be wrong.
 
In 2006, Mark Titus arrived on Ohio State's campus as a former high school basketball player who aspired to be an orthopedic surgeon. Somehow, he was added to the elite Buckeye basketball team, given a scholarship, and played alongside seven future NBA players on his way to setting the record for most individual career wins in Ohio State history. Think that's impressive? In four years, he scored a grand total of nine—yes, nine—points.

This book will give readers an uncensored and uproarious look inside an elite NCAA basketball program from Titus's unique perspective. In his four years at the end of the bench, Mark founded his wildly popular blog Club Trillion, became a hero to all guys picked last, and even got scouted by the Harlem Globetrotters. Mark Titus is not your average basketball star. This is a wild and completely true story of the most unlikely career in college basketball. A must-read for all fans of March Madness and college sports!



My Review:

 I’m not a big sports fan and of the few sports I do watch basketball really isn’t even on the list.  (*Cringe* Sorry but I’m more of a hockey girl) That being said I wasn’t sure if I’d like it at first or not. But I do have to say Don’t Put Me In, Coach turned out to be an interesting book.  In short it is a memoir of his rise to bench sitting stardom and how he turned his minor status on his team into Club Trillion, thereby giving hope to the average Joe everywhere.

Mark Titus’s humor is very sarcastic. It seems he doesn’t care which of his former teammates he exposes or throws under the bus in his sordid tale of how he became the #1 bench warmer, but underneath you get the impression that even his joking is all in good fun and he and his ex-teammates probably have a much better relationship then he implies. 

Of course I could be horribly wrong and he could just be an egomaniacal, name dropping ass. *shrug*

Meh. Doesn’t really matter to me either way. The book itself is fascinating and funny. His humor as I said before is sarcastic and sharp, it also might not be appropriate for those easily offended.

As for the basketball aspect of it…honestly I thought that was going to be a deal breaker for me on this one. I repeat I am not a big sports fan.  I do have my ‘teams’ that I am loyal to…but it’s mainly in name only…I one of those who only watches the super bowl for the commercials.  But even when Titus get’s into the more technical points of the game and the season itself I didn’t find myself phasing out or skipping ahead. While I’m sure I didn’t grasp all the finer details, I did understand what he was saying and the occasional (who am I kidding constant is more like it) quips that he would throw in throughout his explanations kept it from getting mired in technicality.

Overall I think this is a good book. It’s funny.  Especially with the holiday season approaching I think it would make a great present or stocking stuffer for the basketball, sports, or Mark Titus fan on your list.

****In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm disclosing that I received this book for free through GoodReads First Reads. ****

(I recommend everybody should go check out all the awesome first read giveaways they have!)

Review of Drifting House by Krys Lee

Drifting House
By: Krys Lee
Amazon

Amazon Summery:

An unflinching portrayal of the Korean immigrant experience from an extraordinary new talent in fiction.

Spanning Korea and the United States, from the postwar era to contemporary times, Krys Lee's stunning fiction debut, Drifting House, illuminates a people torn between the traumas of their collective past and the indignities and sorrows of their present.

In the title story, children escaping famine in North Korea are forced to make unthinkable sacrifices to survive. The tales set in America reveal the immigrants' unmoored existence, playing out in cramped apartments and Koreatown strip malls. A makeshift family is fractured when a shaman from the old country moves in next door. An abandoned wife enters into a fake marriage in order to find her kidnapped daughter.

In the tradition of Chang-rae Lee's Native Speaker and Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, Drifting Houseis an unforgettable work by a gifted new writer.

My Review:

Drifting House is a collection of short stories depicting Korean life and change in Korea as well as America. The stories offer an interesting glimpse into the thoughts as minds of people struggling to come to grips with the changes that their worlds are going through. The stories are all about different characters. The only connecting thread besides their nationality is that each main character is going through either a drastic change in their life or the trying to live through their world changing around them. 
I enjoyed reading the various stories. It was interesting to get a look inside the Korean culture and how it drove the characters to make their individual choices, even as the culture itself was evolving. I also enjoyed the author’s descriptions that brought the world of each character to life. From the cold mountains of Drifting House, the title story, the harsh reality of homelessness in the city of Salaryman to California in A Temporary Marriage.
This isn’t a kid’s book; it deals with harsh themes and ideas. Each story had its own unique twist, some more twisted than others. Also each story, while moving, is at its core heartbreaking as well. They are also thought provoking and I think in their own way can help to foster a better cultural understanding.
The only issue I had with the book was that many times there were Korean phrases or references that I wasn’t sure what they meant. The author does little to explain them, and I think that even a small description of what the terms meant would have only added to the richness of the stories. 
Overall it’s a beautiful book. Beautifully written with heartbreaking stories that make you want to be able to save them from their harsh realities or sometimes just from themselves. 

****In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm disclosing that I received this book for free through GoodReads First Reads. ****
(I recommend everybody should go check out all the awesome first read giveaways they have!)

Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel Challenge 2012 - November Round Up - Part 2

This challenge is being hosted by Mother/Gamer/Writer.

 For more details on the challenge such as levels, guidelines, PRIZES!!!, just click here.

This post is to  link to all reviews of the books I've read for this challenge this month. To check out  books for this month read by other readers that are taking part in this challenge click here!

I've got one more graphic novel for you guys this month:

The Cursed Pirate Girl

By: Jeremy Bastian

Amazon Summery:

Adventures on and under the high seas lead a cursed pirate girl to encounter mythic creatures, gnarled and crusty pirates, and ghostly apparitions as she tries to find her lost father, one of the dreaded Pirate Captains of the mythical Omerta Seas. Cursed Pirate Girl is a whimsical, swashbuckling tale of wonderland journeys and unimaginable dangers, starting in Port Elisabeth, Jamaica in the year 1728, and quickly heading across - and beneath - the waves!

My Review:

This is the story of the cursed pirate girl.  She inadvertently pisses off the local governor by corrupting his daughter by telling her tales of her glorious pirating adventures.  He probably wouldn’t have even known except his daughter proceeds to go all pirate at the dinner he has planned especially for the prince.  At first he is just humiliated, but the prince thinks it is cute, that is until he takes a piece of fruit to the face.  Then he just becomes an ass. I mean really he encouraged Apollonia’s antics and then gets pissy when she accidentally hits him in the face.  Definitely a jerk.  It all leads up to the governor sending someone out to kill the cursed pirate girl and that is what leads into her grand adventure with the parrot Pepper Dice to locate her father in the Omerta Seas.

*Sigh* I liked the story. Too bad it wasn’t able to be completed in one volume.  But I liked the story well enough that I would be willing to pick up the rest of the series to see how it ends.  The story itself, as well as some of the art work, doesn’t take itself too seriously.  While there are some gory parts, of the story, someone loses an eye, and some people get eaten, overall the story is fun. It is also quick paced and there isn’t a lot of down time in the telling, something is always going on.

I liked the characters too.  The cursed pirate girl is fun and takes everything in stride.  Her companions are entertaining as well as some of the more colorful characters she meets along the way. I especially liked Jacob.

****Spoiler Alert **** The ending is a cliffie and definitely leaves one wondering if she will ever find her father.  (I personally want to find out more about the turkey and the dragon pirates. Sorry so spoilery I know)  I personally dislike cliffies that seem to end mid scene, but I enjoyed the story so much so far that I will let it go.

The main issue I had was with the art work and the lettering.  The artwork….there was just soooo much of it.  I liked that there were tons of details.

Click here to read the rest of my review!

According to Amazon the book will be available December 25th. I was able to get my copy through NetGalley.

Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel Challenge 2012 - November Round-Up

This challenge is being hosted by Mother/Gamer/Writer.

 For more details on the challenge such as levels, guidelines, PRIZES!!!, just click here.

This post is to  link to all reviews of the books I've read for this challenge this month. To check out  books for this month read by other readers that are taking part in this challenge click here!

In celebration of the holidays coming up I have 2 reviews this month.  One is naughty and one is nice, both are graphic novels and both were really good! So on with the reviews! I'll start off with my nice pick first. 

My Boyfriend is a Monster

By: Evonne Tsang

Amazon Summery:

Can love survive the zombie apocalypse? Maybe Dicey's first chance at a real relationship was dead from the start. She's the star of her high school baseball team, and Jack's the star of the science program. Her idea of a study session includes sleeping in the sun, and his idea of a good game involves dungeons and dice. But opposites start attracting when they're assigned to be partners in a class project. Now an outbreak of a weird infection--it eats your brains and leaves you hungry for more--might not mean just the end of their first date. It might mean the end of everything. Will their relationship fall apart faster than zombies in the Florida sun, or can Dicey and Jack beat the odds and find a happy ending?

My Review:

So my daughter brought this one home for me from school. (Told me she saw zombies and figured I’d like it, what a good girl!) My Boyfriend is a Monster is a cute little graphic novel. It seemed a bit thin at first, but those 124 pages had a whole lotta story packed in them.
I thought the interaction between Dicey and Jack was really cute. The first half of the book you get to see how they first start working together and a little bit about their own personal histories. The zombie action doesn’t start ‘til the second half, but the first part was interesting so I didn’t mind. As for the zombie part itself I think how the zombies come about is a neat twist. 
I liked the artwork as well. It wasn’t as overly detailed as some of the manga I’ve read recently, but it was still well drawn. It seemed more realistic and down to earth, which fit the story perfectly.

Click here to read the rest of my review!

The next one is my naughty pick.  Definitely not for those minors on your shopping list this year. But it was REALLY good!  

Grimm Fairy Tales Present:

Alice in Wonderland

By: Raven Gregory

Amazon Summery:

The one thing known is that her time spent in a world full of insanity left her a broken adult. However, her courageous will to survive is what ultimately saved humanity. Now the story of Alice's visit into Wonderland is fully revealed and the truth of the terror will be told in full! From Raven Gregory, Ralph Tedesco, and Joe Brusha, the minds behind Grimm Fairy Tales and Return To Wonderland, comes the series that Zenescope fans have been waiting for! Follow Zenescope back down the rabbit hole and discover a world of madness like you've never seen before!

My Review:

Ok, let me start out by saying this isn’t you children’s Alice in Wonderland! It is violent and twisted to say the least. But please don’t let that deter you from picking up this awesome read! 

The story itself loosely follows the original Alice in Wonderland. The same main characters are there, but now Alice is all grown up and the authors have taken the craziness of Wonderland to a whole new dimension. I loved the story. It puts a whole new spin on the Alice in Wonderland idea. It is very twisted though so be prepared. Also there were some references to other previously published issues. But the references didn’t detract from the story itself, if anything, they made me want to find the other issues that were mention so I could read them! 
As I said in the beginning though, it is not a story for kids anymore. It is incredibly violent and graphic. Also Alice is grown up but her clothes didn’t grow with her, so she is very, I repeat VERY scantily clad. 

Click here to read the rest of my review!

Hope you like the round-up for this month. Thanks for stopping by!

AimeeKay

Thankful For Books Giveaway Hop

I want to thank I Am A Reader, Not a Writer and Tristi Pinkston for hosting this wonderful giveaway! I'd also like to thank Darby Karchut for providing the prize! Now on to what you can win!

So a few days ago I shared with you the great new cover of Griffin's Storm, and Darby has been awesome enough to offer a print copy of Griffin's Storm to one lucky reader out there!

For centuries, there have been rumors about a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors and their apprentices clandestinely serve as guardians for humans in danger.

An old enemy returns. A new alliance is formed. And Griffin finds himself in the eye of the storm when an ancient racial hatred is set loose, jeopardizing the very existence of the Terrae Angeli.

Once again, the teen guardian angel is forced to battle his worst nightmare. But this time, Griffin comes back swinging. With a vengeance.

After all, an eye for an eye...

Just enter using the Rafflecopter below and then hop on to the next blog on the list! (This contest is open to US residents only. Sorry S&H costs)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal ~ Griffin's Storm by Darby Karchut

Griffin's Storm 

by Darby Karchut

For centuries, there have been rumors about a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors and their apprentices clandestinely serve as guardians for humans in danger.

An old enemy returns. A new alliance is formed. And Griffin finds himself in the eye of the storm when an ancient racial hatred is set loose, jeopardizing the very existence of the Terrae Angeli.

Once again, the teen guardian angel is forced to battle his worst nightmare. But this time, Griffin comes back swinging. With a vengeance.

After all, an eye for an eye...

So what do you think of the new cover??? I think it's a definite change from the first two covers of  Griffin Rising and Griffin's Fire.  (my reviews of both are here and here)  What do you think of the cover change?  Want to find out more about Darby Karchut? Meet her here in the interview she was kind enough to stop by for.

Also I didn't think this was going to be available before December but just found out that you can get your own copy now! Just click here!

Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel Challenge 2012 October Round Up!

This challenge is being hosted by Mother/Gamer/Writer.

 For more details on the challenge such as levels, guidelines, PRIZES!!!, just click here.

This post is to  link to all reviews of the books I've read for this challenge this month. To check out  books for this month read by other readers that are taking part in this challenge click here!

This month I reviewed:

\

Vlad The Impaler The Man Who Was Dracula

By: Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon

Amazon Summery:

The Dracula myth has sparked a legacy of endlessly entertaining creepy tales. The fictional character, originally penned by Bram Stoker, was inspired by and named after a real-life fiend-Prince Vlad Dracula, the fifteenth-century ruler of Wallachia-a man infamous for massacring and impaling his enemies. In brilliant four-color illustrations, Vlad the Impaler tells the ghastly prince's life story from his seizure as a boy by the Turkish Sultan, to his love life, to his maniacal attempts to retain power regardless of whose throat he must slit.

My Review:

So I picked this one up for part of the Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel 2012 Challenge that I am participating in.  Let me just say it is short, but it was good. Not the best Dracula story I’ve ever read but it did have quite a few interesting aspects that I hadn’t heard before.  The story itself moves quickly.  It gives the details of the history of Vlad the Impaler without getting caught up in itself, or swamping the reader with information.

Then there is the artwork, very graphic. Click here to read the rest of my review!

****Want to win a copy of Vlad The Impaler The Man Who Was Dracula?  Click here to find out more!****

Zompacolypse 2012 Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Zompacolypse 2012 Giveaway Hop, hosted by the awesomeness that is Darkfallen and Greta over at Paranormal Wastelands! I love Halloween and I love zombies so I just had to join in the fun with this hop!  I can't wait to see what everyone else is giving away too! So onto my prize:

  A hard cover print copy of:

Vlad the Impaler The Man Who Was Dracula
by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon.

Amazon Summery:

The Dracula myth has sparked a legacy of endlessly entertaining creepy tales. The fictional character, originally penned by Bram Stoker, was inspired by and named after a real-life fiend-Prince Vlad Dracula, the fifteenth-century ruler of Wallachia-a man infamous for massacring and impaling his enemies. In brilliant four-color illustrations, Vlad the Impaler tells the ghastly prince's life story from his seizure as a boy by the Turkish Sultan, to his love life, to his maniacal attempts to retain power regardless of whose throat he must slit.



This is a graphic novel I picked up recently and I will have my review up before the end of the month.  Look for it in my Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel 2012 Challenge Round-up in the next few days.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below and be sure to check out all the other infected blogs on the hop in the link below that! Thanks for stopping by and Happy Halloween! (Must be 18+ to enter, the contest is U.S. only. Sorry S&H is too high)
a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Power In Pink Ribbons Grand Event and Giveaway!

Live Laugh Love To Shop and Mommies Point of View 

Are Hosting this 

Final Breast Cancer Awareness Event. I really enjoyed participating in this event this year. I got to share with others the neat idea that the cheerleaders at my daughters school had to help raise awareness for breast cancer and I enjoyed seeing everyone else's posts too! Remember to "Think Pink" and get yourself checked no matter what month of the year it is!

"Power In Pink Ribbons"

The Grand Finale to this months Breast Cancer Awareness Events and Giveaways

is being Dedicated To Denise Dobs a mother, wife friend and associate that

many of us lost this last January, to the courageous battle with breast cancer 

R.I.P. to "ALL" those that have lost loved ones. Our Blessings are with those 

that are currently combating cancer and those that are survivors!!!

We thank all our bloggers that have given their time and effort in helping to

promote the "Power In Pink Ribbons Event". 

You have the opportunity to help spread the word and bloggers can do it. 

Please join me in this fight and talk about it with your friends, husband and your families.

Get Your Annual Mammograms!!!

And now for a chance to win some wonderful prizes by following the directions in the

Rafflecopter!! Good Luck

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat!: Witches Brew Ingredients!

Hi! Welcome to Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat! The first blog hop was a Bookie Brunch special event for Halloween, and it was a lot of fun, so we're just continuing the tradition.

On each blog stop from now through Halloween, a blogger or vlogger will have a handpicked Halloween treat to share with you - it might be a video clip, or a feature about great spooky films, a playlist of great, creepy songs, a recipe for treats, or a gallery of witches.

It might be anything! But it's sure to be something fun, so feel free to drop by each day from October 23-31, to pick up some cute treats to put you in the Halloween mood. All the treats will be added into the linky at the end of this post, so feel free to browse.

My treat for you is: 

Round about the caldron go; 
    In the poison'd entrails throw.— 
    Toad, that under cold stone, 
    Days and nights has thirty-one; 
    Swelter'd venom sleeping got, 
    Boil thou first i' the charmed pot! 
         Double, double toil and trouble; 
    Fire burn, and caldron bubble. 
  Fillet of a fenny snake, 
    In the caldron boil and bake; 
    Eye of newt, and toe of frog, 
    Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, 
    Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, 
    Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,— 
    For a charm of powerful trouble, 
    Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. 
         Double, double toil and trouble; 
    Fire burn, and cauldron  bubble. 
     Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf; 
    Witches' mummy; maw and gulf 
    Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark; 
    Root of hemlock digg'd i the dark; 
    Liver of blaspheming Jew; 
    Gall of goat, and slips of yew 
    Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse; 
    Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips; 
    Finger of birth-strangled babe 
    Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,— 
    Make the gruel thick and slab: 
    Add thereto a tiger's chaudron, 
    For the ingredients of our cauldron. 
       Double, double toil and trouble; 
    Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. 
        Cool it with a baboon's blood, 
    Then the charm is firm and good

The ingredients for a 'Witch's Brew'

So in Shakespeare's Macbeth the witches make a magical brew using some pretty strange ingredients. I decided to put up the whole poem since while most people can quote the first few lines you very rarely hear the whole thing. Even though some of the ingredients are meant to be literal and kinda creepy it's still a great part of the famous play.

As for the non-literal ingredients. Witches used to name the ingredients in their potions based on physical appearances of the herbs that they actually were. So my treat for you is to let you know what some of these plants actually are! I'm going to show you some pics of the plants just for fun try to guess which ones are which just from the picture. (I'm only doing four since there are lots of ingredients and lots more blogs to check out!)

Can you guess what this one is??

It's Eye of Newt, actually mustard seed.  Some of those really do look like little eyeballs huh?

I don't think this one's as obvious. I guess if you turn the pic so the leaf is facing down it looks sorta like the ingredient....

It's Tongue of Dog or the leaves of the hounds tongue plant.

I think this one looks a lot more like what it is being compared to. A hint? The main difference I see between the plant and it's brew name? No fork at the end.

So have you guessed it yet?  It's Adder's Fork, which is the adders tongue plant.

Now the fourth one is kinda tricky.  I can't quite figure out it it was describing the flower or the leaves of this plant.  Which one do you think it is?

It's the Toe of Frog!  (Otherwise known as the Bulbous Buttercup)

I hope you enjoyed my treat! Be sure to check out all the other awesome blogs in the linky below!

About Bookie Brunch: Bookie Brunch was a weekly book discussion founded by Sasha Soren, the author of Random Magic. Browse archive