Diving Headlong Into Another Book

I never truly believed in magic, that is, not until just recently.

Seems a bit odd. Just a bit dodgy, really, seeing as how my favorite books have always mostly been fantasy adventure types, like Tolkien’s LOTR and Terry Brooks Shannara series.

Oh, and I dare not leave out the Harry Potter books, because they are so well written, such wonderful illustrations of the fight between good and evil.

Terry Brooks, however, holds the crown closest to my heart.

Point of fact, I’m still deeply engrossed in my quest to re-experience all the wild adventures, the monstrous struggles of dark versus light, represented so beautifully by the Shannara series.

Such amazing books, all centered around magic. Each and every one, a solid quest to have right triumph over wrong. An eternal war, the fight between good and evil.

‘Crandew’s Clickable Pic -get transported to some far-off, wonderful place.’

For anyone who loves Brooks as I do, here’s a full list of the Shannara series, from top to bottom, in chronological order based on the overall storyline.

Running with the Demon
A Knight of the Word
Angel Fire East

Armageddon's Children
The Elves of Cintra
The Gypsy Morph

Bearers of the Black Staff
The Measure of the Magic

First King of Shannara

The Sword of Shannara
The Elfstones of Shannara
The Wishsong of Shannara

The Scions of Shannara
The Druid of Shannara
The Elf Queen of Shannara
The Talismans of Shannara

Ilse Witch
Antrax
Morgawr

Jarka Ruus
Tanequil
Straken

Wards of Faerie
Bloodfire Quest
Witch Wraith

The High Druid's Blade
The Darkling Child
The Sorcerer's Daughter

The Black Elfstone
The Skaar Invasion
The Stiehl Assassin
The Last Druid

There are 32 books total.

I’m already halfway through book 14 right now. I’ve read all of these before. They’re truly amazing, which is why I’m endeavoring to reread them all again.

Like I said before, I’ve always loved reading tales and yarns that involve magic but never really gave it too much weight until now. But with thing’s being what they are today in the world, my eyes have opened, perhaps grown just a tad wider.

Books are such magical things.

They contain within them an ability to convey (over long periods of time) all the thoughts and ideas, the emotions and desires, from which they were first written.

That’s magic.

‘Crandew’s Clickable Pic -get transported to some far-off, wonderful place.’

Have a great day, go read a book!

-I am Crandew

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Note: These are very confusing times, friend. So, if you’re new to my blog, start here for a background on the topics I mostly cover.

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You are the carbon they want to reduce.

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Yet Another Magical Whimsy

Not to repeat myself… too much, the quest continues.

I’m deeply engrossed in my quest to re-experience all the wild adventures, the monstrous struggles of dark versus light, represented so beautifully by the Shannara series.

Such amazing books, all centered around magic. Each and every one, a solid quest to have right triumph over wrong. An eternal war, the fight between good and evil.

‘Crandew’s Clickable Pic -get transported to some far-off, wonderful place.’

For anyone who loves Brooks as I do, here’s a full list of the Shannara series, from top to bottom, in chronological order based on the overall storyline.

Running with the Demon
A Knight of the Word
Angel Fire East

Armageddon's Children
The Elves of Cintra
The Gypsy Morph

Bearers of the Black Staff
The Measure of the Magic

First King of Shannara

The Sword of Shannara
The Elfstones of Shannara
The Wishsong of Shannara

The Scions of Shannara
The Druid of Shannara
The Elf Queen of Shannara
The Talismans of Shannara

Ilse Witch
Antrax
Morgawr

Jarka Ruus
Tanequil
Straken

Wards of Faerie
Bloodfire Quest
Witch Wraith

The High Druid's Blade
The Darkling Child
The Sorcerer's Daughter

The Black Elfstone
The Skaar Invasion
The Stiehl Assassin
The Last Druid

There are 32 books total.

I’m on book 13 right now, and loving every minute of it.

‘Crandew’s Clickable Pic -get transported to some far-off, wonderful place.’

Have a great day, now go read a book!

-I am Crandew

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Note: These are very confusing times, friend. So, if you’re new to my blog, start here for a background on the topics I mostly cover.

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You are the carbon they want to reduce.

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Keeper of Things

I’m sure to anger almost everyone this time.

One voice assuredly says, “go for it, dawg” whilst the other virtually cries out in desperation, “no way, man… don’t do it!”

But you see, it was never really up to me in the first place.

It’s not like I have a choice in these matters. Keepers do what they do. Consequences will break where they break.

So, go ahead and check your coats at the door. I’d imagine there’s still plenty of unused pegs open. This time of year, a day’s ration could make even the strongest man drop to his knees, and no one wants that.

I assure you.

What’s needed, after having been sorely missed by all accounts for so long, is the when and the how of it all. I can’t speak to the former, but for the latter, I have a little something something for you.

So, relax, bro.

Great things often take just a little bit of time. You can’t simply run it through a warm room. Sometimes you have to leave it in the oven long enough to cook.

Give me a moment to catch my breath, then I’ll explain.

Promise.

Ready?

Nothing is what it seems.

Surprise, surprise. I’ve found that the more I dig, the more things become unstable. The deeper I go, the more those lifelong truths just seem to fade away.

All those wonderfully stable truths we were taught as children are turning out to be nothing more than a big sack of lies. Complete fabrications.

Feel pretty confident about the shape of the ground you’re standing on? Well, friend, you might want to sit down. It’s not what you think.

And how about that glorious moon landing? You know, the one that happened over fifty years ago? It would be unheard of to even suggest it never happened, right? Cod swallow.

Oh, how the list goes on and on; these are just the first few that sprang to mind.

Doubtful?

Well, how about the fall of the Twin Towers in NY on September 11, 2001? I’ve uncovered a lot of so-called conspiracy theories over this one, but the following is absolutely stunning.

Watch the actual footage of the buildings coming down.

Link: IRREFUTABLE Classified Free Energy Technology Revealed to the World

It’s nothing like what everyone says, right? Actual footage of the buildings coming down really does seem to show them completely dissolving as they fall.

How in the blue hades do you explain that?

Insane.

-I am Crandew

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Short, Magical Whimsy

I never truly believed in magic, that is, not until just recently.

Seems a bit odd. Just a bit dodgy, really, seeing as how my favorite books have always mostly been fantasy adventure types, like Tolkien’s LOTR and Terry Brooks Shannara series.

Oh, and I dare not leave out the Harry Potter books, because they are so well written, such wonderful illustrations of the fight between good and evil.

Terry Brooks, however, holds the crown closest to my heart.

Point of fact, I’m still deeply engrossed in my quest to re-experience all the wild adventures, the monstrous struggles of dark versus light, represented so beautifully by the Shannara series.

Such amazing books, all centered around magic. Each and every one, a solid quest to have right triumph over wrong. An eternal war, the fight between good and evil.

For anyone who loves Brooks as I do, here’s a full list of the Shannara series, from top to bottom, in chronological order based on the overall storyline.

Running with the Demon
A Knight of the Word
Angel Fire East

Armageddon's Children
The Elves of Cintra
The Gypsy Morph

Bearers of the Black Staff
The Measure of the Magic

First King of Shannara

The Sword of Shannara
The Elfstones of Shannara
The Wishsong of Shannara

The Scions of Shannara
The Druid of Shannara
The Elf Queen of Shannara
The Talismans of Shannara

Ilse Witch
Antrax
Morgawr

Jarka Ruus
Tanequil
Straken

Wards of Faerie
Bloodfire Quest
Witch Wraith

The High Druid's Blade
The Darkling Child
The Sorcerer's Daughter

The Black Elfstone
The Skaar Invasion
The Stiehl Assassin
The Last Druid

There are 32 books total.

I’m starting on book 10 right now. I’ve read all of these before. They’re truly amazing, which is why I’m endeavoring to reread them all again.

Like I said before, I’ve always loved reading tales and yarns that involve magic but never really gave it too much weight until now. But with thing’s being what they are today in the world, my eyes have opened, perhaps grown just a tad wider.

Books are such magical things.

They contain within them an ability to convey (over long periods of time) all the thoughts and ideas, the emotions and desires, from which they were first written.

That’s magic.

Have a great day, go read a book.

-I am Crandew

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TGIF

Something about the start of another weekend, never gets old.

Hope everyone has had a good week. These are such crazy times. Also, it looks like January ran by us at top speed.

Go figure.

One thing I’ve noticed is that the older I get, the faster the days fly by.

Seems so unfair.

I have a feeling next week might be crazier than this one, but no need to theorize about things that haven’t happened yet.

It’ll be here soon enough, I suppose.

As far as the now goes, almost time to grab my book, put away the smart phone, and get back to the basics with some good, old-fashioned reading.

Can’t wait!

Rock on!

-I am Crandew

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Books

I am surrounded by books, such a glorious thing to behold!

My quest to re-read the entire Shannara series by Terry Brooks is in full swing. I’m at the end of book seven, Bearers of the Black Staff, and anxious to devour the next one.

There’s just something about taking the journey, and the constant struggle between light and dark that pulls me in and drives me on.

It’s fair to say that I’m in hog heaven.

Have a great day, go read a book!

-I am Crandew

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Sugar Coated Madness

I’m really good at keeping quiet, holding my tongue, standing on the far end of the room with my back against a wall.

I’m especially good at sugar coating my way out of conversations.

It’s like a super power.

The ability to blend in, to become just one more lamb in a doomed herd. Strength is my weakness. Well, that and cake.

For decades now, I’ve read my books and thought my own thoughts, but always in complete silence.

Decades, people.

That’s a long freaking time.

Why break this vow of silence now, you ask?

Good question.

I’m going to answer you in two parts, with a riddle and a proposal.

A riddle and a proposal.

OK?

What can you add to a bucket of water to make it lighter?

Have a wonderful day, because time is winding down my friends.

-I am Crandew

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Books, Books, Books

Seriously folks, there’s nothing more exciting than getting a new book!

Well, I guess there might be a few other exciting things one could find to do, but I’m really into acquiring new books (even if they’re very old tales).

So below is my latest endeavor, piled on top of the 30+ Shannara books (Terry Brooks) that I’m already happily footing my way through.

Both stories are classic, but I haven’t delved into them in a long time so I’m guessing it’ll be like reading them for the first time.

Ahh, the first time.

One could say, I’m knocking on heaven’s door (with a few books under my arms).

Super cool pictures throughout the book too.

Happy reading!

-I am Crandew

By the way, this song is my take on today’s election:

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Defender

Cry wordsmith, for we have failed our people.

It is simply not enough to write a book, pen an article or run a blog.

Not nearly enough.

For that which we so flippantly refer to as our ‘society’ fails us terribly at each level.

Why is that, do you think?

I will tell you now as I was once told, about the power of a single word.

To become a champion of the word, you must not tread lightly.

Our charge is to guard against misuse, to turn back erosion, to halt mutations. We are the last of the paladins, a final wall erected with but one end.. safeguarding society.

Ayn Rand was right to point out the ways in which words were being distorted. In 1964, she wrote an amazing book, ‘The Virtue of Selfishness’. A diatribe on the subject.

It was received then discarded, before eventually becoming entombed by malcontents.

So what happened?

Well cupcakes, we should have rallied ourselves behind her, creating a writers shield to guard the true meaning of words.

That didn’t happen.

Our lackluster held about as firm as the ground we stood upon and eventually was lost to us across the years.

The tides continued to erode the beach fronts, dragging us right along with it. As they grew thinner, so did our ideas.

Our thoughts became pitiful, drying out completely having been left undefended as such in the sun, spreading themselves out across the unkempt sands.

We failed miserably in our protection.

We all did, for I stalked these halls too and could have at times raised my voice a bit louder.

Now, all that’s left are the lies and mutations, the broken words and unintelligible phrases.

Those lies are so entrenched, so embedded into our culture, they now coat everything in confusion. They leave their stain upon us, tattoos that permeate our every thought.

I don’t know the answer to all this.

I have not yet written a reply to all the questions, rising up from the abyss.

At least, not yet.

-I am Crandew

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Riptides

In order to counter some of the insane stress and overwhelming anxiety of the day, I’ve set before me the most wonderful of tasks.

I’m going to re-read my entire Terry Brooks ‘Shannara’ series, from start to finish.

I know, right?

30 books.

Bam.

I’m sharing this because I believe it’s a crucial first step in the process of deprogramming yourself.

I intentionally picked the Shannara books because they’re awesome, and they are set in a fictional world where things actually make sense.

Imagine that.

The idea is to simply counter all the negative with something positive.

Riptides, or rip currents, are long, narrow bands of water that quickly pull any objects in them away from shore and out to sea. They are dangerous but are relatively easy to escape if you stay calm. Do not struggle against the current.

Also, I figured it would be a great way to get away from the tiny glowing screens.

Reading puts you back in your own head, connects you with your own thoughts and ideas and has a way of breaking the hidden chains of society.

Even if you’re unaware of the immense programming going on and the control it has over your life, reading is a very healthy thing to do.

Also, there’s something inherently good achieved by re-reading your favorite books, like pulling up an old song you haven’t listened to in years.

It certainly is Lois.

-I am Crandew

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