My Favorite Moments In The Hobbit That Aren’t In The Movie

You would think that when you turn one book into three movies that a lot more would be added, and you wouldn’t have to take anything out. But I was rereading The Hobbit for the first time after watching the movies, and I noticed so many moments that didn’t make it into the movies. While I did enjoy the movies, this reminded me that I will always love the book more. Note: It’s been a while since I watched the movies, so if some of these scenes were actually in the movies and I just forgot them, let me know! I’m also not taking into consideration the extended editions of the Hobbit movies, because I haven’t seen them.

ALSO SPOILERS for the Hobbit book/movies.

(Added note: I found this post in my drafts folder from 3 years ago, so it’s been even longer since I read the book and watched the movies.)

 

Balin’s Awesomeness

Guys, seriously. Balin was so cool in the book. He’s the dwarf that’s usually the nicest to Bilbo, and he also seems to be the bravest out of the dwarves. After Bilbo gets the ring from Gollum and escapes the goblin caves, he sneaks past Balin, who’s on watch duty. Later, when Balin and the other dwarves finds out about the ring (more on that later), all Balin can do is laugh about how he thought Bilbo was super sneaky. My favorite Balin moment from the book is when the company finally opens the door into the Lonely Mountain. Balin actually walks part of the way with Bilbo. He may not go the whole way, yes, but he’s willing to help the hobbit some of the way. I love the way Tolkien developed the friendship between Bilbo and Balin, and I really missed that in the movie.

 

More Time With The Eagles

People who have only watched the movies complain sooo much about the eagles. “It’s cheating! It’s so random! Why couldn’t the eagles just take them all the way to the Lonely Mountain?” (And there’s also the whole “Why couldn’t the eagles just fly them to Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings?” but that’s a discussion for another time.) But in the book, there is so much more that happens when they meet the eagles! Gandalf doesn’t call for the eagles, they just see what’s happening from far off. They also don’t just drop the group off on a random rock; they take them to their eyries, feed them, and let them rest. It’s such a nice scene! Along with that, it explains why the eagles don’t take them all the way to the Lonely Mountain.

The Lord of the Eagles would not take them anywhere near where men lived. “They would shoot at us with their great bows of yew,” he said, “for they would think we were after their sheep. And at other times they would be right. No! we are glad to cheat the goblins of their sport, and glad to repay our thanks to you, but we will not risk ourselves for dwarves in the southward plains.”

Basically, the book handled the eagles much better (and explained everything more thoroughly), and I’m sad the eagles weren’t more present in the film. Also, yes, the eagles talked. It was awesome. 😀

 

Meeting Beorn

This is one of the funniest scenes in the whole book, and one of my favorites. I was sad to see that it didn’t make it into the movie (although I did see a clip of this on Youtube from the extended editions, but it was very different and not as funny as in the book because of the changes). I would post the scene here, because it’s wonderful, but it’s also five pages, so… maybe not. Basically, it was made clear in the book that Beorn only changed shape at night, and the dwarves and company weren’t chased to Beorn’s house, and Gandalf had to come up with a clever way to introduce them, and did so by telling the tale of their travels to Beorn. It was so cleverly done that Beorn didn’t turn them away and agreed to help them. I found it a much more intriguing introduction to the character. I feel like the movie version was done just to add in some tension. But the scene in the book has tension, too, as Beorn specifically warns them not to go outside after nightfall, at their own peril. I feel like the movie had no need to change that scene (not to mention how Beorn looks…).

 

Bilbo Teasing The Spiders

In the movie, the scene where Bilbo is trying to save his friends from the spiders is tense and frightening. However, during the same scene in the books, Bilbo taunts the spiders, using the ring to turn himself invisible while he calls them names and teases them. It was an interesting scene, and it showed Bilbo cleverly tricking the spiders. I’d also like to point out that the dwarves were captured by the spiders in a completely different way in the book, too.

 

Bilbo Giving The Elvenking A Necklace

This scene took about two paragraphs in the book, but it was a really sweet scene. Bilbo is on his way home with Gandalf, and they join up with the elves until they reach Mirkwood. When they split ways, Bilbo gives the Elvenking (who is actually not called Thranduil and is just referred to as the Elvenking) a necklace.

“I beg of you,” said Bilbo stammering and standing on one foot, “to accept this gift!” and he brought out a necklace of silver and pearls that Dain had given him at their parting.

“In what way have I earned such a gift, O hobbit?” said the king.

“Well, er, I thought, don’t you know,” said Bilbo rather confused, “that, er, some little return should be made for your, er, hospitality. I mean even a burglar has his feelings. I have drunk much of your wine and eaten much of your bread.”

“I will take your gift, O Bilbo the Magnificent!” said the king gravely. “And I name you elf-friend and blessed. May your shadow never grow less (or stealing would be too easy)! Farewell!”

Isn’t that so awesome?!?! It fits Bilbo’s character perfectly and also shows how he wants to be honest, in spite of his position as burglar. It’s just a really great scene that would be pretty easy to add in.

 

These are just a few of the things the Hobbit movies left out from the books! What are your thoughts on these movies, and the books? Were there other things you wish had made it into the movies? Let me know in the comments below!

Finding Christmas Joy Review (And Release!)

Hullo, everyone! So today is the last day to submit your work for the fan art contest! I plan to announce the winners next Monday, so stay tuned for that! In the meantime, here’s a review of a fun short story that was released today!

My Review

This story was such a sweet short story!! The story didn’t drag like a lot of Christmas-themed stories seem to do, and it had such a great message. It felt just like a Hallmark movie (which is actually something the author herself mentioned in an Author’s Note and her review), except with a better theme to it: God provides true change, not the “spirit of Christmas.”

The descriptions were so vivid and I felt like I could picture everything so well in my head. I also loved the change of heart, although most of the characters other than Melonie weren’t very developed. I do think that a chance was missed to make give Patricia a little more development when she was talking to Melonie (view spoiler), but it was a short story, so I didn’t mind too much.

Overall, a fun, encouraging read, and a nice bit of Christmas in the middle of the summer!

I received a free copy for review from the author. However, I wasn’t required to provide positive feedback.

If you want to find out more about the release, check out Amanda Tero’s post on her blog, and if you’re interested in picking up the book for only $0.99 (e-book edition), check it out on Amazon!

9 Tips And Tricks For College Students

Hullo, friends! So today’s post is a little different. This past semester, I finished my first year of college, and it was certainly a new experience. 🙂 So I thought I would share some of the little tricks I learned in my first year at college. Keep in mind that all colleges and their surrounding towns are different, so you may  not be able to do some of these, but I hope you’re able to find something to help you out. And if you’re not in college, share this with someone you know who is (or bookmark it for future use 😉 ).

1. Be creative when it comes to food. It is really, really easy to get bored of the same old cafeteria food. If your cafeteria has a salad bar, try using some of the items on there to mix up other meals. Tired of hamburgers? Add some bacon bits and shredded cheese. Bring some salsa from an outside restaurant, or bring your own salad dressing or sauce. Buy Go-gurts and put them in the freezer to have your own froyo (seriously, it is the best)! Building off of that…
2. More expensive restaurants may equal more meals. Spending twelve dollars on a meal at a more expensive restaurant may not seem like a good idea at first, but take into account how many meals you can get out of that twelve dollars. To-go boxes are amazing, guys! The food is usually more expensive (not to mention better quality) at some Italian restaurants, but they usually also give you bread of some kind and a side salad as part of your meal, which can easily fill you up. And if they have big portion sizes… well, I’ve gotten four meals out of one twelve dollar meal.
3. Get a library card. By this I mean a card for a public library, not the school library. A lot of public libraries not only have awesome reading books, they have movies, too. All you need is a library card, and you can get free movies! They’ll usually have a shorter rental period than books, but they’re definitely cheaper than Redbox.
4. Pay with cash. Lots of studies have shown that people who pay with cash tend to spend less. This is sooo true. It’s easier to spend money with a card, because it’s harder to hand over a twenty dollar bill to a cashier than to just swipe a plastic card. Plus, this is better for your finances in the long run.
5. Save your change. I actually learned about this from my Business teacher, and it builds off the previous tip. At the end of the day, empty out your change from your wallet or your pockets and put it in a jar or container of some kind. You can actually save up a lot of money this way! Change tends to build up without you realizing it, plus this can relieve some of the weight in your wallet or purse.
6. Ask about student discounts. This is mostly at restaurants, but student discounts are really helpful! Just by showing your ID you can get anywhere from 10-20% off your usual price. This is easy to forget about, but try and ask when you’re shopping or going out to eat. You might be surprised at the places that do student discounts! (You can also try Googling, but keep in mind each location is different).
7. Get up early to do your laundry. Very, very few college students will get up at seven to do their laundry on the weekends. Take advantage of the empty laundry room and get your laundry done early. Better to get up early than to wait hours for a dryer! (And also, this is just courtesy, but move your laundry right after it finishes!)
8. Go for a run or a walk. I actually did a whole speech last semester about the benefits of exercise, and one thing I was surprised to learn was that exercise can actually help your creativity a lot. So if you’re stuck on something, try getting some exercise or just going for a walk. It can also help improve your focus!
9. And last but not least… talk to people. I know, sometimes us introverts like to avoid social interaction, but there are times you want to hang out with people… and you can’t do that if you don’t have friends to hang out with. 🙂 In college, you even have a few basic questions you can ask the people who sit next to you in class, like “what’s your major?” and “where are you from?”. Don’t rely on other people to start the conversation. Put down your phone before class and start up a conversation with the people around you, sit with someone who’s sitting by themselves in the cafeteria, or just compliment someone who’s wearing a shirt with your favorite superhero on it.

I’m sure there are many more tips and tricks out there, but this is a pretty good start! Do you have any college or school related tips? Have you used any of these before? Do you want to see more college-related posts like this one? Comment below with your thoughts!

The Prisoner And His Mother – An Avengers AU Fanfic

Ha! You thought this would be Jen’s interview, didn’t you? Or an extra part? Unfortunately, no. But, fortunately, it’s an Avengers alternate universe fanfic! I don’t want to spoil it… so enjoy! 😀

Five people occupied the Quinjet, flying through the dark night. Natasha Romanoff sat in the front, piloting them to the Helicarrier, her nameless copilot at her side. Tony Stark, in his Iron Man suit, and Steve Rogers, brandishing his shield, monitored the prisoner in the back.

And then there was the prisoner himself. Bound and captured, he looked uncomfortable, but there was still a spark of humor that gave off the impression that he was inwardly laughing at their stupidity. He may have been beaten and caught, but he was still Loki. Nothing would really change that.

Then Loki got an odd look on his face and looked around in surprise. Steve Rogers looked at him as lightning blasted overhead. “What’s wrong? Scared of a little lightning?”

It didn’t happen suddenly, but it happened in a matter of seconds. One moment, the space in between the front of the Quinjet and the back was empty, and, in the next moment, she occupied the space. She faded in gently, silently, bringing the soft breeze of her aura with her.

The Super-Duper Fan Fiction Crossover Challenge!

As you can see, I’m horrible at naming things, including challenges/contest. 😛 But does that surprise anyone?

Rhetorical question…

For some reason, I really, really like crossovers. It’s always fun to see my favorite characters come together in a way they probably never will in real life. I honestly haven’t written one, unless you count the Avengers’ Isle series thing, but I’d like to, if I could come up with a good idea. For those of you who don’t know what a crossover is, it’s basically fan fiction combining two different universes, e.g. The Avengers/Chronicles of Narnia, or something more book-ish, like the Hobbit/The Hardy Boys. (BTW, the second one was a random, on the spot one I made up…)

So, on to the challenge/contest. Basically, you are to write a fan fiction crossover. (Duh… *facepalm*) Since I will be “judging”, the fandoms must be ones that I know, from movies or books that I’ve watched. I’ll give you a brief list. Pick two, or if you think of a different one you’d like to do, comment and ask. I can’t properly evaluate characters from movies and books I don’t know.

Here’s the list:

Movies

The Avengers (Please keep in mind that I haven’t watched Iron Man 1/2/3, The Incredible Hulk, Thor 2, or Cap 2. No spoilers for those, please. 😀 )

Finding Nemo

Frozen

Tangled

Brave

Toy Story 1/2/3

The Chronicles of Narnia

Night At The Museum 1/2/3

National Treasure 1/2

The Princess Bride

The Lego Movie (??? If you do this one, that will be at the top of my list to read. 😛 )

Books

The Sherlock Holmes stories/novels

The Bible (Please don’t feel obligated to do this one, but I would enjoy reading it all the same…)

Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew (These apparently qualify as one, although I do not agree…)

Dr. Seuss (Eh-he, eh-he… *imagines Avengers/Dr. Seuss crossover*… *dies laughing*)

Frankenstein

The Tale of Despereaux

The Word Changers

Indian in the Cupboard

*end “brief” list*

Ah, so now that we have that over with, we can continue. You do not have to do a book and a movie, I just wanted to provide plenty of choices. If you don’t see something you’d like to do, just ask?

Feel free to do multiple crossovers and submit all of them.

Speaking of submitting… After you finish writing your story, post it on your blog, if you have one (if you don’t, borrow a friend’s, or comment and ask me… hopefully I’ll think of a solution…). Then post a link in the comments here so that I can find your post. The deadline shall be… February *goes to see if it’s a leap year* 28th. That gives you a little over a month. If I don’t have any submissions, I’ll extended the deadline, reboot the contest, whatever.

Now, prizes. If you submit a crossover (or multiple ones 😉 ) you are automatically guaranteed a link/shoutout in the post on the deadline. I will pick the winner based on plot, level of difficulty (e.g., a Lego Movie/Avengers crossover would get more points than a Frozen/Tangled crossover), how close the characters are to the original, and probably a few other things I come up with… And the winner’s story will be posted on here, with the author’s permission.

Now, go start wr–

Wait, what? *whispers with invisible friend Bob* Bob here says I haven’t made this hard enough! He wants me to make it more fun! And what better way to do that than…

Add a twist!

Now, for the sake of your sanity, this twist won’t be required, but you’ll definitely earn some bonus points if you do it. 😉 So here’s the twist. To earn those special bonus points, you must include a quote from a third fandom (as in, not one of the two in your crossover). It must be one of these ten quotes:

1. The Avengers: “So that’s what it does.”
2. Finding Nemo: “I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine.”
3. The Princess Bride: “You fell victim to one of the classic blunders – The most famous of which is ‘never get involved in a land war in Asia’ – but only slightly less well-known is this: ‘Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line’!” (Or if you would rather you can use “Anybody want a peanut?” or “Hello, my name is [insert character name]. You killed my father. Now prepare to die.”
4. Tangled: “Frying pans! Who knew, right?”
5. Frozen: “Oh, look at that! I’ve been impaled!” (Please don’t make this disgusting if you use it…)
6. The Lego Movie: “A house divided against itself… would be better than this.”
7. Night at the Museum: 1 – “Let’s do this, people! And… animals! And… weird faceless puppet creatures!”  2 – “You know, two words come to mind when I hear you talk. “Delusional” and “weirdo”. And if I had to say a third, “goofy.” Just goofy.”  3 – “What, have you never seen a gorgeous woman before… who could be a model if she didn’t love pizza so much.”
8. National Treasure: 1 – “It’s a big blue-ish green man… with a strange-looking goatee… I’m guessing that’s significant.” 2 – “Sir, please dismount the banister.”

I stopped at eight because somehow I already had more than ten quotes… Go figure.

So, let’s recap, because that was long and rambling…

1. Find two fandoms, and (optional) choose a quote to include.
2. Write your crossover!
3. Post your story on your blog (or someone else’s).
4. Put a link to your story in the comments here.
5. Repeat!

Please, please participate! The more participation, the more likely it will be that I’ll do this again! Have fun!

 

The Avengers: We Have A Tiger – Part Seven

At the request of the amazing erinkenobi2893, I’ve decided to post this Avengers fan fiction I wrote a while back. It’s quite long (twenty-eight pages) so it’s going to be split into quite a few parts. I hope that you will all enjoy it!

*DISCLAIMER: This story is based off of the end of The Avengers. There are illusions to spoilers for said movie, so read with caution, but most are not major. Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, are not taken into account, and have not been watched by the author. That said, enjoy.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

“I can’t believe this,” Fury muttered, pacing back and forth behind his desk. “I just can’t believe this.”

“Of all the stupid things…” Stark growled. He turned to face Thor getting right up in his face. “If you hadn’t been so stupid—”

“Guys,” Cap interrupted, putting a hand on Stark’s arm. “Really. That doesn’t matter now. And, Stark, you may want to remember that Thor’s stronger than you when you’re not suited up. Just a thought.” Stark turned around and plopped in a chair still grumbling to himself under his breath.

“Her last words were obviously meant to apply to Thor’s early statement,” Fury said, turning to face them. “You said that she didn’t look like she’d work for Loki, and you also said that she didn’t look like a threat, so when she said that looks can be deceiving, her meaning was clear. She works for Loki, and she is a threat.”

“Well, duh,” Stark snapped. “Anyone who goes riding off on a hovercraft thingy with Loki certainly works for him, and anyone who can morph into a tiger is a threat.”

Fury glared at him. “Stark, we need to cooperate to be able to figure all of this out. First off. Does anyone think they’d be able to fight at close range with a tiger?”

Hawkeye snorted. “Count me out.” Natasha nodded in agreement.

Cap shook his head. “I don’t think I could.”

Stark looked doubtful. “Possibly, but I’m not sure. Even in the suit, I’d be outweighed, and possibly outsized.”

“I might, but I doubt it,” Thor put in.

“You’re not going anywhere near that kid,” Stark growled, glaring in Thor’s direction. Cap put his hand on Stark’s arm, warning him.

“I think I could.”

Everyone turned to face Banner. He shrugged. “Well, if we’re talking about weight, the, uh, other guy would probably be a pretty good match for a tiger.”

Fury contemplated him. “The Hulk would probably be the best match,” he agreed slowly. “Are you sure you’d want to risk that, Banner?”

Banner shrugged again. “I don’t have much to lose.”

Fury nodded. “Well, then, if we have any concerns with the tiger, Banner will be the one to handle it. If needed all of the rest of you will help him. Got it?” Everyone nodded. “All right, let’s all take a break. All we can do now is try to figure out where Loki’s going to strike next, or wait for him to move.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, I think we’re going to have to use the second tactic.”

The Avengers: We Have A Tiger – Part Two

At the request of the amazing erinkenobi2893, I’ve decided to post this Avengers fan fiction I wrote a while back. It’s quite long (twenty-eight pages) so it’s going to be split into quite a few parts. I hope that you will all enjoy it!

*DISCLAIMER: This story is based off of the end of The Avengers. There are illusions to spoilers for said movie, so read with caution, but most are not major. Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, are not taken into account, and have not been watched by the author. That said, enjoy.

Part One

Tony Stark leaned back in his chair. “So you’re telling me that not only was there a tiger loose in the capitol, but Loki’s escaped from prison?” he asked. He looked around at the others, who nodded. “So Loki has a pet tiger.”

“This is not a joking matter,” Thor said, rubbing his hand absently along the edge of the desk. “Loki was sulking furiously when he was put in his cell. I believe that he means to exact revenge.”

“Let’s start there,” Banner broke in. “How did Loki even get out of prison?” Fury nodded in agreement.

Thor huffed. “We do not know. He was put in his cell, locked in. The only possible option for him to have escaped is for someone to have unlocked the cell and let him out.”

Clint frowned. “I thought you said that—”

“It is inconceivable,” Thor said quickly. “It is impossible for anyone to reach the cells without proper authority. And anyone who would set Loki free would not have the proper authority.”

Fury sighed. “The how is not important at the moment. Right now we should be more worried about the why. And, of course, the where. Where he is now, at least.”

“And again we must turn to the one wearing armor,” Stark muttered.

“Loki did not go out of his way to discuss his plans with me,” Thor said. “But I believe the most plausible reason for him to escape from prison would be to get revenge on us. That is all I can think of at the moment.”

Fury nodded. “We’ll continue to work on this. Any ideas—” Alarms sounded in the building, and everyone leaped to their feet.

“Unauthorized civilian on Level Six,” a mechanical voice repeated.

“We’re on Level Six,” Fury said. Stark ran out of the room, followed by the others, who watched him hurry toward the stairs.

“I’m going to get suited up,” Tony called back to them as he raced up the stairs.

Steve turned to the others. “Natasha, Clint, Banner, you guys stay in the room. We’ll let you know if we need you. Thor and I will try to find the intruder. Got it?”

The others nodded as the alarms continued to blare, and they ducked back into the office. Thor and Steve hurried down the hall, Thor clutching his hammer and Steve holding his shield ready. They turned down the hall and saw a very scared looking girl standing in the middle of the hallway. She was clearly not authorized personnel.

“What are you doing here?” Steve called, holding out his arm and stopping Thor. She started backing away, her blue eyes wide. Steve took one leap forward and grabbed her arm. The girl tried to pull away from him, but she couldn’t escape his grip. She stopped struggling suddenly and Steve turned to Thor. “Can you – oof!” he grunted as the girl slammed her knee into his stomach, causing him to double over. She took off for the stairs.

Thor flung his hammer after her, and she turned around just in time for it to slam into her stomach, sending her flying into the wall with a crash. Thor hurried over and picked up the hammer, and the girl’s fist soared around and connected with his cheekbone, making him stagger sideways. Cap’s shield flew towards her, slamming into her stomach and pushing her farther away from the stairs, but she quickly recovered and rushed to the stairs. She opened the door. Steve was about to yell for help when Tony stepped out of the stairway in his suit. His truly iron grip was secured around her wrists immediately. She didn’t even bother to struggle.

“Good timing, Stark,” Steve said, wiping his forehead.

“Is this seriously the intruder?” Stark asked, studying the girl. “I was expecting Loki.”

“As was I,” Thor agreed.

Steve shrugged. “She’s the only one we saw. She’s certainly not part of SHIELD.” He looked at the girl’s long blond hair and blue eyes.

“Who are you?” Stark asked. The girl’s mouth stayed clamped closed. “I’m surprised she managed to evade you two so well,” he added.

“Let’s take her to Fury,” Steve said. They led the girl down the hall, making sure she didn’t have the opportunity to escape, and took her into the meeting room. The others stood up.

Fury raised an eyebrow. “So, this is our intruder?” he asked. He turned to the girl. “What’s your name?” Her mouth stayed shut, although she seemed to be contemplating something.

“Maybe she’s mute,” Stark grumbled. “She hasn’t said a thing.”

“How’d you get past the guards? Why are you here?” Fury asked her. She still wouldn’t reply. “Are you working for Loki?” She snorted, but she didn’t say anything. Fury sighed. “Put her in a cell. We can—”

“Fury!” Maria Hill called, rushing into the room. “Stark Tower just blew up.”

“What?” Tony asked, the faceplate on his armor sliding back to reveal his shocked face. “How – what…” He turned to Fury. “I’ll go over and check it out.”

Fury nodded. “Cap, Banner, you two get an agent to take you over in one of the jets. Thor, take her to one of the cells.” Everyone hurried off to their tasks. Natasha and Clint stayed in their seats.

“What about us?” Natasha asked when the rest were gone.

“You two and Thor are going to work on interviewing that girl,” Fury replied. “I figured that the two of you would be better at interviewing her than any of the others. There’s also a possibility that Thor could get something out of her, although that’s highly unlikely.”

Hawkeye nodded. “Natasha, you can start. Maybe a girl-to-girl conversation will make her open up.”

Natasha made a face. “I don’t know about that, but I’ll definitely try.”