My Top 3 Graphic Novels

I really only got into comic books over the past year. I bought my first grapic novels in France (one which I still haven't read because it was actually in French), though my "superhero obsession" started long before that.
Anyway, I actually went through my collection the other day so I could write down which issues I have an hopefully be able to keep a better eye out for some of the storylines I'd like to finish reading.
((i.e. I only have parts 3,4, and 7 of the Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul series and would love to finish the JLA Quen of Fables story arch, but I'm missin part 3 of 3))
It turns out, I have 55 comic books and 8 graphic novels (with one headed this way in the mail!). I'm ridiculously excited and, while it's a far cry from Leonard's 2,600 comic books, I feel quite accomplished.
In celebration of this fact, I've decided to show you my top 3 favorite graphic novels.

1. The Killing Joke

One of the most reputable story archs of the the Batman saga, The Killing Joke is a story that will shock you from beginning to end. It's all about how one bad day can change a person forever. It encompasses the beginning of the Joker, the end of Batgirl, and so much more. The art is superb and the storyline compelling.
I've never read a better graphic novel and doubt I ever will.






2.The Brave and the Bold: The Lords of  Luck

Speaking of artwork, the pages of Lords of Luck are stunning to no end. They really went over the top with this one and it paid off. The imagery is both beautiful and mind-blowing. Major props are due to George Pérez for this one.
This storyline follows The Book of Destiny, a stolen book that forecasts the future to whomever bears it. Clearly, all hands are vying for it and our heroes have to get it back to it's rightful owner before some serious damage is done. Craziness, of course, ensues and we have everything from Supergirl and Lobo teaming up to Batman facing off with the Legion of Superheroes (in which, he pwns, of course. Only Brainy would be stupid enough to underestimate the Dark Knight.).
You'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time.
Sure, I may be a bit partial because this is the first graphic novel I've ever owned and I pored over it religiously for weeks, but it still wows me and I'm sure it'll do the same for you.

3.Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn

After the death of Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson takes on the mantle of Batman with Damian Wayne (the son of Bruce and Talia Al Ghul) as his Robin. What ensues is bloody havoc wreaked by both the bad guys and Damian, who's known for executing his opponents, to the dismay of both is departed father and his new mentor/older brother, Dick.
Under Dick's guidance, Damian must learns what it means to be Robin- to fight evil without becoming evil himself. It's a hard lesson and even to the end, he hasn't learne it, but he's on his way there.
Again, the artwork in this book is something to be commended. Paired with the gore that runs rampant within it's pages, it's enough to make you queasy, but still very well done.
I can't wait for it's sequel: Batman vs Robin, which is due in the mail any day now!




So these are my top 3 from what I own. Enjoy and let me know what your top 3 graphic novels are!

'Christmas Break' Resolutions

Well, the end of my first semester in college is practically here. My Bible school lets out on December 10th, but I'm skipping the last two days. Why? Because I can. Therefore, Wednesday is my last day of school for an entire month!
There's nothing like finals to make someone want to drop out of school for the rest of their adult life. Especially when that person was an idiot and forgot to read the three books each due on the day of that class's final. Yes, children, that was me. I was dumb enough to procrastinate and paid for it in three all-nighters in the space of a week. No, it wasn't fun, either.
I didn't even finish one of the books on time that I spent an all-nighter on! Waste of time much?
Anyway, Winter Break is coming up for everyone. High school students may only get a week or two, but that week or two will be highly treasured, I'm sure. Though we college kids get a month, it'll likely seem as quick.
So in order to take full advantage of my break, I've started to write out all the things I'd like to accomplish this month. Now, it's not a huge list. I'm hoping to actually fit some rest in there, ya know. And I need it, seeing as I couldn't even keep my eyes open during class today and was almost late to one because I'd fallen asleep in my chair from the class before it.
Here's what I have so far:

1) Keep Quiet Time/Prayer Time consistent. Due to the consistency of my class schedule each day, it's been quite easy for me to set a time for these and follow through. All I had to do was wake up an hour early and spend it with God. My main problem has been not carrying it through to the weekends, though, because I'm so tired that I'm sleeping through my alarm set for ten. You can imagine what difficulties would arise if I were still attempting 6am. So I'm going to have to create a set time to wake up this entire break if I want to accomplish this goal.

2) Read as much as possible. In the year 2009, I read exactly 30 books and my New Year's Resolution for 2010 was to hit 35, or at least 31. Sadly, I'm coming up quite short on this goal, having only read 24 at this point. I'm pretty confident that if I start A.S.A.P., I ought to be able to at least hit 31. This may be the only one of my resolutions to actually reach fruition, so here I am with fingers crossed and book cracked open.

3)Write like the wind, Bullseye! Wow, that was pretty cheesy... Anyway, I've got multiple 'writing projects' going on at once and haven't been devoting much time to them. As Ray Bradbury put it, "Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you're doomed." And John Irving makes a similar point when he said, "The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every tiem you have a free minute. If you didn't behave that way you would never do anything." These remind me that if I want to be a good writer/author (which I very much want to be), then I need to be far more devoted to my writing, instead of getting distracted as I so often am. This means I'll have to make myself sit down and work on this blog, work on my Fanfiction stories (you can find those at www.fanfiction.com/~kirstenerin if you really want to), and especially start cracking down on the book I've been trying to write for a few months now.

4)Spend plenty of time with family and friends. This honestly goes without saying. I mean, it's pretty much what distracts me most often from these other things I'm trying to accomplish. I love my family and friends so much and this opportunity to spend hours on end with them only makes my smile brighter!

That's pretty much it, my little Christmas Break Resolutions. Haha. Of course, my list is a bit more detailed, having to do more with specifics, but this is the main jist of it. What about you? What are your 'Christmas Break Resolutions'?

Our Turkey Day

Since my odd family was all gathered together the other day for Thanksgiving, you can just imagine the odd conversations that went on in our house. I've decided to add three small snippets of our day, in honor of the holiday.

Mom: Stop arguing. It's Thanksgiving! Today's supposed to be all about Jesus!
Me: No, it's about pilgrims killing indians. How does that have anything to do with Jesus?

Anonymous Family Member: I've got to go to the restroom. Sorry if that's gross, but my stomach's cramping.
Me: Ew!
Dad: What did they eat??
Nana: It's just the excitement of the day.
Me: Is that what you do when you're excited?!

Mitchell: I'm also thankful for crucifixion-
Me: Just crucifixion in general or a specific one?
Nathan (my uncle): Well, I'm thankful for the hangman's noose.
Me: The guillotine!
Nathan: Yes, the guillotine, the electric chair, lethal injections...

Have a great holiday weekend with your own quirky families! I'm rather amused by my own.

Kirsten, Don't Be a Pirate!

Myself (obviously pre-black hair), Dad, and Mitchell on Thanksgiving '09

My Dad, brother (Mitchell), and I just got back from seeing Tangled. It was a fantastic movie and we all loved it! Add our talking about the movie to the way our conversations always take weird turns, and this is what you get:

Me: "Pa, I don't want a normal romance."
Daddy: "That's likely."
Mitchell: "Like Mom going all psycho and you having hair that glows?!"
Me: "No, I mean, I want one like Rapunzel's."
Mitchell: "Oh, you mean, have rapists be attacking you and then your husband comes in and saves the day?"
Me: "Yeah, but do they have to be rapists? Can't they just be kidnappers?"
Mitchell: "Fine, they're kidnapper rapists."
Me: "No! Just kidnappers."
Mitchell: "No, they have to be rapists. You're the one that added kidnappers. Or they could be pirates... pirate rapists."
Daddy: "Does that mean they rape pirates?"
Mitchell: "No, they're pirates who rape. Well, maybe. Kirsten, don't be a pirate."

Oh, by the way, my new favorite Disney Princess is Rapunzel!!! :D

All Give Some, Some Give All

To be honest, I didn't even know today was Veteran's Day. I thought it was last weekend, only because my pastor mentioned it. When I got to class this morning, though, we publicly recognized the Veterans in the room after watching an especially moving clip about their sacrifice.




Afterward, the Vets assembled onstage and we gave them a standing ovation that lasted over five minutes because no one wanted to stop clapping. At the end, one of them, wiping tears from his eyes, proudly lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
It is so easy for us to downplay or even forget the roles the Army, Navy, Marines, and the Air Force have played in securing our freedom and standing for justice. We forget that men have died so that we might have to freedom to vote, to chose our religion, and to be able to speak out about what we believe to be right and wrong. We have such a unique and beautiful nation that ought to be celebrated.
I've never been a super patriotic person, but it's hard not to get choked up when I remember the sacrifice these men and women have given for people like me. They are the reason that we have the right to vote, to chose our religion, and to speak freely of what we believe.
Thank you, Veterans, for your sacrificial service! It is a privilege having you defend us. And in particular, I'd like to thank my uncle, Henry Neustupa, for his bravery and honor during his time in the Armed Forces. You are a man of integrity and I will always appreciate your courageous heart. I'm thankful to have you in my life!

Fellow Whovian: Charlie McDonnell

This is Charlie McDonnell, YouTube sensation in the UK, a member of the Trock (Time Lord Rock) band "Chameleon Circuit", and an avid Whovian. Of course, the latter is what mainly endears me to him and the British accent just makes the videos far more enjoyable to watch.
Yes, I think I've developed a celebrity crush. :P
The newly twenty year-old Brit has swept his way into the hearts of thousands of Europeans and a few awesome Texans who realize that both Doctor Who (and this kid) are sorely underappreciated in America. So go check out some of his stuff. I prefer the actual vlogs and his rants about Doctor Who (and his songs are amazing!), but you may enjoy some of the crazier stuff he does, like drink ketchup or color himself purple.

Website: charliemcdonnell.com
YouTube Account URL: youtube.com/charlie

All Your Tears

Last week was not my greatest.
Whether it was the moving away of one of my best friends, the flu virus that's going around my school, my lack of sleep, or a thick mixture of the three and many other factors- I wasn't feeling all that hot. I was discouraged and tired, irritated and disconnected.
You know, sometimes I think we forget just who it is we serve. I mean, I never forget I'm a Christian. I'm always aware that I serve Jesus Christ, but sometimes I forget what the full meaning of that is. I forget just WHO He is.
It was in this mood that He spoke to me. I was in the middle of worship, struggling to let go of everything bothering me and just give in, yet He spoke. Simply saying, "I care, I really care." was all I needed. I was nearly in tears. How mindblowing is it that the God of the universe cares about my bad days? He cares when I'm upset, angry, or sad. It hurts Him to see me like that.
No matter how many times we hear that, we seem to always forget.
He directed me to Psalm 56:8, an absolute favorite verse of mine. It reads, "You number my wanderings; Put my tears into You bottle; Are they not in Your book?"
It hit me like a freight train as He continued to speak to my heart. He reminded me of that Sunday, just after one of my best friends moved to Houston. I cried the entire way home and walked in the door in the same condition. My dad immediately sat up from where he'd been napping on the couch, called me over, and laid my head in his lap while he stroked my hair. He comforted my like that until I stopped crying.
God took that instance and told me how that was exactly what He wants to do with me. He wants to take me, lay my head in His lap, and stroke my hair when I'm upset. That's how much He cares.
Remember that the next time you're frustrated, worn down, or broken hearted. God wants to lift you up and hold you. He knows you're hurting and it breaks His heart. Just let Him hold you. Let Him be your comforter.

Hello, World!

Hello, everyone! Welcome to my new blog!
Kirsten Erin, here- formerly of Living Water. Yes, I've moved blogsites. Why?
1)The other one wouldn't let my put up posts anymore. :(
2)I thought it would be nice to have a fresh slate.
3)Because I said so.

Here's a little bit about me:
-I have a fantastic family made up of two rock awesome parents, two older sisters, one younger brother, one brother-in-law, and two drop-dead-gorgeous nieces.
-Like the summary says, I'm an 18 year old homeschool graduate who's currently attending Bible college and loving it. I didn't even plan on coming here until a month before classes began, but God has directed every step and clearly wants me here for a reason.
-I love to write... like a lot. Therefore, it follows that I'm an avid reader. I write both fiction and non-fiction and read the same. On here, I'll likely be writing non-fiction, but maybe I'll give y'all a tidbit or so every once in a while.
-I'm a comic book nerd. DC Comics all the way!!! My favorite superheroes are The Flash, Batman, and Robin (Tim Drake). Don't mess with my comic books or I'll mess with your face.
-I love knitting and crocheting, I usually practice the latter more due to it being much faster than the former. I tend not to have enough patience for knitting, but I still really enjoy it.
-Umm.... flowers make me ridiculously happy? This is true, but I'm not sure why I'm telling you this other than the fact that I'm rambling now.

Well, that's all for today. I'll write about something worthwhile eventually! :)