THE GUN SELLER -- POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE #3

Image from Goodreads

Okay, when I saw Hugh Laurie wrote a book, I was with the bandwagon that said, "Dr. House wrote a book! I'm down!"

So I knew that he was a musician as well. Those moments on House where he played the piano were real. So I was happy to choose his book for  Pop Sugar Challenge #3: A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction).

It started out swimmingly with a snarky but nice guy Thomas Lang. It ended up with what felt like a thousand characters and lots of political intrigue.

I got a bit lost on who was a good guy and who was a bad guy.

The book was okay, and I'm glad I read it. I wish I had enjoyed it more.

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Washu Habuki, Walter C. Dornez #atozchallenge

Washu is the 'mad scientist' of Tenchi Muyo and the other various Tenchi shows and spin-offs. She has a lab in the closet of Tenchi's house.

She was, at one time, a goddess. She sealed her powers and memories away and came down to the third dimension to study the multiverse.

Ryo-Ohki

Her life wends through thousands upon thousands of years as a three dimensional person. She becomes a mother but the father takes him away. She creates Kagato, Ryoko, and Ryo-Ohki.

When we see her in Tench Muyo she is in a childlike body.

𝖂𝔚𝒲𝑾𝕎

Walter is the butler and somewhat bodyguard of Hellsing.

 He is known as the Angel of Death when he was in the field. He was a foul mouthed and callow youth, taunting his enemies and wantonly killing them. His weapon of choice was razor wires.

He grew out of the youth and turned into a dignified gentleman. He also produces the weapons that Alucard and Seras use. Now, he kills with swift efficiency.

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Lin Koujo, L, Light Yagami, Loke #atozchallenge

What can I say about my first L listing? He is an onmyōji with five shiki (spirits or demons that are linked to him by magic and are his servants). He works for a seventeen-year-old as both guardian and assistant. He is Chinese.  His name is Lin Koujo from the Anime Ghost Hunt.

Quiet and taciturn, he is the one who stays up at night to monitor the computers and cameras when out on a ghost hunting case.  He doesn't like the Japanese because of personal reasons.

He is a powerful Onmyōdō practitioner who can summon a spirit to answer questions or protect using his shiki.

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Loke is a member of Fairy Tail. He is the ladies man, but he has a problem with Lucy at first, which is strange to the other members since she is beautiful. His past is mysterious and he's an enigma.

  He suddenly leaves the guild and says goodbye to Lucy, she at first thinks it's a line, but then realizes that he was telling the truth.  When she finds out what he is and his punishment for it, her determination saves his life.

  Loke is Leo one of the Zodiac Celestial Beings.  He stopped his wizard from summoning her other celestial beings because she mistreated them.  She died as a result. He forms a contract with Lucy.

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Light Yagami and L are the Yin and Yang of Death Note.  Light becomes Kira, one who brings justice to the world with his Death Note. L is the genius detective wanting to stop him.

Light and L dance around each other in this dark death match. One a high school student the other an eccentric who eats sweets and constantly looks like he's been on a three day bender.

This duel between them goes on back and forth for much of the show and manga. It ends as one could expect, one dies and the other continues on with his mission.

(And y'all were thinking I was going to actually say who wins. Nope. For those who have seen it know, and for those who haven't, well, I left that as a surprise.)

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Grell Sutcliff, Giroro, Gowther #atozchallenge

Grell Sutcliff is an all and all freaky character.  He is a Grim Reaper and part of the Retrieval Division.  His Death Scythe is in the form of a chain saw.  Yes, I said chainsaw.  He is from the from the demon  filled, Victorian horror Anime Black Butler.

We first meet this character as a bumbling butler of Ciel (see-ell) Phantomhive's aunt, Angelina Dalles.

When Ciel and Sebastian investigate the Ripper murders, they find out that Grell isn't a human at all and in league with the aunt, who is behind the murders

He is completely off his rocker when it comes to blood and Sebastian. He makes sexually veiled comments about wanting to be with Sebastian.  He is somewhat effeminate and very flamboyant.

He is the gif playing in my theme reveal.

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Giroro is the gun-toting, action-wanting, but in love with a Pekoponian girl, Corporal of Sgt. Frog.  He has a short temper when it comes to Keroro's inanity and stupidity. When he realizes he is stuck on Earth, he plants a tent in the Hinata's backyard.

When he first appears, he is very aggressive when it came to taking over the planet and of everything, but he calms as the show progresses.

The belt across his chest contains a picture of Natsumi (naht-sue-mee), which is revealed during one of the episodes.  He was defeated in combat by her during their first meeting and loves her soon after. Without the belt, he becomes a useless wreck.

😐😐😐😐😐😐

Gowther is the one of the strangest of the Seven Deadly Sins.  He is the Goat Sin of Lust, which is strange because he has no idea about emotions nor does he comprehend them. He is fun to watch as he interacts with the others.  He asks the strangest questions and is very contemplative.  He has a cruel streak at times.

We first see him disguised and wondering around with a suit of armor. Later we learn that it was his armor and he was protecting the creature inside from turning into a demon completely.

In one battle, his head was severed from his body but he still lived.  This even surprised his comrades. Only one of the Sins knows Gowther's true origins.

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Elias Ainsworth, Ezra Scarlet, Elaine, Elizabeth #atozchallenge

Elias Ainsworth is from the Anime prequel and the anime forthcoming in October, The Ancient Magus's Bride.    He is both fae and human. He has no concept of human emotion but tries to learn from his bought-at-auction apprentice, Chise.

Chise gave herself over to being sold after the horrors of her childhood. Her self esteem was nonexistent until Elias gave her a reason to live again.

He wants her as his bride.  She wants to learn to magic.  They are both wounded individuals that find solace in each other as they learn from each other.

His past is a mystery, but there are hints in the manga that he was once a man-eater before he was found by his master.

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Ezra Scarlet the Anime  Fairy Tail. She is one of the most powerful wizards in the Fairy Tail Guild.  She has a tendency to be a disciplinarian while being over-the-top herself.

Her abilities include Requip, which means she has the ability to requip her armor and weaponry with a flash of magic.

Along with Natsu, Grey, and Lucy, they travel Fiore, one of the many kingdoms of Earth Land, which is the setting of Fairy Tail.

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We can't have an E catagory without the characters of Elaine and Elizabeth from Seven Deadly Sins.  They are both strong women.

 Elaine is the sister of Harlequin, King of fairies.  He left the Fairy King's Forest to go after his friend.  Elaine was left to protect the Forest and the Fountain of Youth from invaders and thieves.

She falls in love with Ban when he comes to take the Fountain of Youth. He too falls for her and promises to find her brother so that they could travel lands together.  But it was not meant to be. A demon comes and she sacrifices her life to save Ban by giving him the waters from the Fountain.

When the Sins visit the Capitol of the Dead, Ban finds the spirit of Elaine and reunites with her.  King, the Grizzly's Sin of Sloth, is also her brother Harlequin, who thinks Ban killed her for the Fountain. Elaine admonishes him for leaving the forest and hurting Ban.

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Elizabeth Liones is the kindhearted third daughter of the King of Liones.
 Although not bloodkin, she is treated as such.  When her kingdome is threatened by the Holy Knights sworn to protect it, she has no choice but to find those that can stop it.

She travels the land searching for the Seven Deadly Sins, former Holy Knights said to have committed treason by killing the leader of the Holy Knights. When she comes to the Boar Hat, she discovers that the tavern keeper is the the captain of the Sins, Meliodas.

Frankly, I don't know how she puts up with Meliodas' harrassment without slugging him in the face with a morning star, but she does.

Despite her coming across as a weak coward, she has more guts than meets the eye and more fight than many of of the 'strong' characters.

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Dororo, D #atozchallenge

Dororo (doe-roe-roe), the blue ninja pascifist alien frog, is from the comedic, insane, crazy, and wild Anime Sgt. Frog.  As a Lance Corporal in the A.R.M.P.I.T. Platoon (Advance Recon Mission Preparatory Invasion Terror), his mission was to help his commander Sgt. Keroro to invade Earth, which fails miserably.

 He was once an assassin in the Keron Army with the name of Zeroro.

He was rescued by  Koyuki Azumaya a Pekoponian (pee-ko-po-nee-an) (a.k.a. an Earthling) and accepts the ninja way of life and becomes one with nature.  His change of lifestyle has him balking at following the many of the plans that Keroro comes up to continue the highly comedic escapades of global domination.

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D is the enigmatic traveler of the movie Anime of Vampire Hunter D. One of the classic animes of the 80s, it has been a fan favorite for a long time.  Coming from the novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi, it is an amalgamation of dystopianish horror and science fiction. It takes place in the year 12,090 A.D.

D has a symbiotic companion on his left hand, who can operate

separately from D.  A loner by nature, D comes off as aloof and cold, but he helps people that are plagued by Nobles (vampires).

He is a dhampir, half vampire half human.  His origins are a mystery, but there are hints that he may be the son of the Sacred Ancestor or one of His experiments to halt the decline of the Nobility.

BOOK CHALLENGE 2015 #7 A BOOK ON THE BYU HONORS LIST

An Ideal Husband (Image from Amazon)

The BYU Honors List has many titles to chose from from different periods of history and places around the world.  It was a difficult decision, but when I saw that Oscar Wilde was on there, I thought, "Why not?"

Since I was thinking of choosing another one of his works for a different challenge (Well, I still am, but that's beside the point), I went with An Ideal Husband.

I had watched the movie based on the play and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It stars Rupert Everett and Minnie Driver as Lord Goring and Mabel respectively.

So, I read it and am surprised to say that the play was even more amusing than the movie.

Main premise of the play is that Arthur, Lord Goring, has to help his friend who is being blackmailed by an old acquaintance.  Mrs. Cheveley wants a scheme to pass the House of Commons despite it being a swindle.

Taking place within 24 hours, the play is fast paced within the three acts.

A funny misadventure with witty banter among the characters.