The Chronicles of Narnia: Books, Movies and Audiobooks

This picture is courtesy of Fishpond.com.au

 

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to watch the movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe when my younger brothers, Reece and Aaron, hired it out from the video shop.  My sister and two brothers used to watch The Chronicles Of Narnia TV series back in the early 90's but I never did because I thought I wouldn't like it.  After watching the later movie, I am now as hooked on The Chronicles Of Narnia series as I am with the Harry Potter series!  My youngest brother, Aaron, is nine years old and he also watched the movie for the very first time.

 

After watching the movie, I instantly went onto the website of the local library to see if I could hire out some of the Narnia books by C. S. Lewis and I was able to get hold of two or three of the Narnia books.  While browsing the the library web site, I also saw some Narnia audiobooks!  Beside the ones I saw, it said "Performed by a full cast", which made me think it was the people who played in the movie doing the audiobooks as well, so I also requested some of those audiobooks!  Being legally blind, I sometimes find it easier to listen to stories rather than reading them!   I started reading The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, then listened to the audiobook of The Magician's Nephew!  I was surprised to hear that it wasn't a normal audiobook with one or more people reading parts of the book, it was a dramatisation of the book with sound effects and music, which I think is much better than a normal audiobook!  I looked at the box containing the CDs for The Magician's Nephew audiobook and I saw the name Radio Theatre at the top of the front of it, which made me very interested!  I fully enjoyed listening to the dramatised audiobooks and also The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe book!

 

Thanks to my wonderful Mum, I was able to buy my own copies at great prices, when she found a book site online called Fishpond which offered some great deals.   Fishpond doesn't just have books for sale, they have music and movies as well, which I was also very happy about, but books are the main area where all the great deals are!   I managed to find the Radio Theatre audiobooks that I borrowed from the library, but even better, they had the complete Chronicles Of Narnia series box set from Radio Theatre!  I kept searching through those eight or nine 'search result' pages until I came across a box set containing all of The Chronicles Of Narnia books!  Even though there were heaps of box sets of all the Narnia books, they were all pretty expensive.   I then came across The Chronicles Of Narnia book set that has a box tie-in for Prince Caspian, the latest, newest Narnia movie now out by Disney and Walden Media!  Mum ordered the Radio Theatre CD set and that Narnia book box set for me, which I paid for (both sets were originally over $100 (in Australian dollars), but I got them quite cheap, which is pretty good!

 

I impatiently waited for my order as I was going on holiday for a week and was hoping they would come before I left.  My prayers were answered when one set arrived the day before I was to leave and the other set arrived only a few hours before I left for my holiday.   Needless to say, I was stoked to be able to take the Narnia books with me.  If I had a working CD Walkman, I probably would have taken the CDs as well, but that wasn't possible.  I read book one of the Narnia series, The Magician's Nephew, while I was on the holiday and finished the book when I got back home.  I'm now up to book two, The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.  Even though I read the version I got from the library, I'm happy to read it again and I can't wait to read the rest of the books!  I was able to listen to the Radio Theatre Narnia CDs as soon as I got back from holiday and I really enjoyed listening to them!  I eventually noticed writing at the top of the Radio Theatre name.  Being legally blind, I didn't notice the words Focus on The Family until a few weeks ago, so I think it is actually Focus on The Family Radio Theatre.  One thing I noticed about the CD dramatisations of The Chronicles Of Narnia compared to the ones I got from the library is that Douglas Gresham hosts them and talks about the stories and his memories at the beginning of each story, which is what I enjoy about them.  It's nice to hear a bit of history before the stories start, such as their original names, etc!

 

I also noticed another version of The Chronicles Of Narnia on Fishpond, which I will eventually buy.  It is just another dramatised version, except that the BBC are behind the making of these ones, not Focus on The Family Radio Theatre.  I recently borrowed a few of the BBC dramatised CDs out of the library recently as well and they're done quite differently to the above mentioned ones.  It is hard for me to explain about it, but I do plan to buy the BBC dramatised versions, which is also in a complete box set!  The BBC were actually the ones who made The Chronicles Of Narnia TV series that my brothers and my sister used to watch when we were kids.

 

I have recently finished reading a different book so, stay tuned, as I will be posting a book review on that one in a few days.

My Third Elton John Concert - Oh What A Night!!!

I am so sorry that it has taken so long for me to do this blog post, I will try not to let that happen again. You remember in my last blog post back in November that I couldn't wait to see Elton John live in concert again at Elysian Fields, Canungra, now I can tell you that I've been, and what a night it was too! I think Elton was in a very good mood that night, he done mostly his greatest hits, but a fair amount of non-single songs were played as well! I am so happy I went, as I always say, to me, Elton John is the best singer in the world! I've even got some pictures, taken by Reece, of the concert!



Well, I guess I'd better start from the beginning! Reece (my brother) and I drove out to Elysian Fields, which is a winery plantation, we actually passed a few winery fields on the way to the concert! After a 30 minute drive, we get there in time to hear the support act playing. The support act was Eran James and I say "hear" because Reece and I were in the food queue for the entire time Eran James was on stage (from 6:00-6:55pm).



By the time Elton came on and started playing the piano (15 minutes earlier than expected), Reece and I were heading to our seats. When we got to our seats, Elton was just about to finish his first song of the night, which was Your Song! That song is always great no matter when Elton plays it, with band or without!! We were in our seats when Elton started Sixty Years On, another great song, like Your Song, from Elton's self-titled Elton John album in 1970! I loved hearing the piano during this song as it is nice to hear this song sometimes without the full orchestra.



Elton then talked about The Greatest Discovery, the next song in the set list, as being about Bernie Taupin's little brother and he played that song nicely as well, The Greatest Discovery, was also taken from the Elton John album! I was a little surprised when Elton followed The Greatest Discovery with I Need You To Turn To, also from the Elton John album. I have to admit, it is nice when Elton doesn't do a show with just hits, it shows us that he can still sing those songs that weren't singles just as good as the hits, especially the songs from his 70s albums.

After Elton would do a song or two, he'd get up and wave to the audience and get a drink, but when he'd come back to the piano, there would be bugs in the keys, so Elton had to stand up and get the bugs out of the keys. He only had to do this in the first half of the show, because, I guess, that as it got darker, all the annoying bugs couldn't hang around any more. Throughout the night, Elton performed many great songs which I have listed at the bottom of this post.



Rocket Man is always a treat for me, especially Sacrifice, and Philadelphia Freedom. I was surprise that Elton did Ticking as I don't think I've ever heard Elton do that live! I love the way he did Carla Etude and Tonight together, and the extended intro's to Philadelphia Freedom, Levon, I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues and several other songs were so cool!

Later in the night when Elton was playing Bennie And The Jets, Reece went up to a security guard and asked why people were going up to the stage and asked if it was OK if we could both go up together! The guard obviously said yes because Reece then came back and said "Come with me, we're going up to the stage!" When we got up there, I went wild, being so close to my favourite singer was so cool! I wasn't near the piano, but I was close. I wasn't exactly right against the stage as there were people in front of me! Thanks to Reece, I think this concert is definitely going to be my most memorable!



We were up near the stage for the last 3 songs after Bennie And The Jets (from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road), which, in order, are Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (from the Caribou album), I'm Still Standing (from Too Low For Zero) and Circle Of Life (from The Lion King soundtrack). The last few songs were encores, but when Elton finished Circle Of Life, we all screamed for more, but that was it. It was definitely a concert to remember, especially when you're standing just a metre away from your hero! Reece enjoyed the concert too, but was a little disappointed, as was I, that Elton didn't do his favourite song, Someone Saved My Life Tonight. I was really hoping for Crocodile Rock too, but that didn't happen either. Oh well, there's always another time!



All in all, it was a fantastic concert! Hopefully next time Elton comes over, solo or with band, I'll be in the front row near the piano! I've actually heard that because Elton didn't do Perth or the Northern Territory when he did all the other Australian states in November/December 2007, he came back to Australia at the end of his Asian tour in May to perform in Darwin, Broome and Perth. I also heard that in 2009, Elton might be bringing his Red Piano show to Australia! Whether he tours Australia with the Red Piano, or just stays in Sydney or Melbourne (similar to what he does in Vegas), it all depends, but I hope he does the tour.



Here is the complete set list of Elton's concert at Elysian Fields, Canungra:

1. Your Song
2. Sixty Years On
3. The Greatest Discovery
4. I Need You To Turn To
5. Border Song
6. Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes
7. Daniel
8. Honky Cat
9. Rocket Man
10. Tiny Dancer
11. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters
12. Nikita
13. Philadelphia Freedom
14. Sacrifice
15. Ticking
16. Roy Rogers
17. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
18. Candle In The Wind
19. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
20. Electricity
21. Carla/Etude
22. Tonight
23. Take Me To The Pilot
24. Blue Eyes
25. Levon
26. Bennie And The Jets
27. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
28. I'm Still Standing (encore)
29. Circle Of Life (encore)

A Night Under the Stars with Elton John

Back in 2002, during Elton's Sydney concert, he said that he was coming back in 2003 to do a solo tour but, unfortunately, that didn't happen. Five years on, Elton is now coming DownUnder for a set of solo tour dates. This time, he is not performing at his usual concert venues but instead, will be doing the rounds of wineries and open air places in Australia. In Queensland, he will be performing in Townsville and the Elysian Fields at Canungra.

I never thought I'd see the day where Elton John, my favourite singer, would come back to Australia two years in a row! He came last year and I posted my experience here on my blog but now Elton is coming back again! This time he will be performing solo, without his band. The best news of all is that I'M GOING!!!! YES!!!

At the beginning of the month, radio station 4KQ announced they were giving away tickets to Elton's "A Knight Under The Stars" concert. I was so excited and tried, on and off, all day to phone through and hopefully be a lucky ticket winner but I definitely wasn't having much luck. It was late afternoon and I had practically given up hope when I heard the DJ make the final announcement of the day to call in for the concert tickets. Mum tried calling through on the home phone while I used my mobile. I LOVE AUTOMATIC SPEED-DIAL! On my third try, I was connected to the station and told that I'd won Silver tickets to see Elton John!!! I was in shock as I had felt all my chances had gone but I'm so thrilled to have been proven wrong.

I went into the station with Reece to pick up the tickets and we'll be heading to the concert this Sunday, 25 November at the Elysian Fields, Canungra!! Watch this space for a concert review and, hopefully, some pics. Thanks again to 4KQ for giving me tickets!

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!

Harry Potter Series Complete

I've been really interested in the Harry Potter series since (I think) 2002 or 2003, when Mum bought the video version of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone for Aaron, my little brother, and now it has grown throughout the years since then. At that time, I thought that Harry Potter was just a kid's novel, but at least, I was half-right about that.

Since that first movie, I've been hooked onto the Harry Potter series! Mum did get the Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets DVD for Aaron, I watched it and liked it as well, then when Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban came out on DVD, I got it that Christmas from Mum! That was also a good one to watch! It was between the release of Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire at the cinemas that I actually started reading all the Harry Potter books, I ended up borrowing them from the local library, I couldn't put them down because I loved them so much!

When Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire came out at the
movies on December 1, 2005, I really wanted to go and see it, so Troy, my
cousin, took me with him to see it the week after the release date. We both enjoyed it so much that, in April, when it came out on DVD, I bought a copy. Also in 2005, I got my first Harry Potter book titled, Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince, which came out in July/August. I got it the day before my birthday. Unfortunately, I did a very bad thing and read the last few pages before starting the book which kinda spoiled the full excitement for me. I promised myself I would read the 7th Harry Potter book normally and not give in to the temptation of reading the ending first. I really enjoyed Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince, it was a little scary at one point, but I got over it!

Well, Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix was
released into Cinemas on Wednesday, July 11 2007 here in Australia and Troy (my cousin) was one of the people who got to see it on its release night! Little did I realise, until Mum told me on the Thursday that week that Troy was going to take me to see the new Harry Potter movie two days later. We got to the cinemas, got tickets, went and got our seats and Troy then went to get something for us to eat during the movie! Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix was great to watch. Troy said he enjoyed it more when he watched it with me, but both Troy and I thought there was something missing, but we didn't know what it was.

There were many parts that were in the book, but there were other parts done differently and some parts that weren't really in the book at all! There were some parts where the movie had very brief flashbacks of the past movies, but I won't tell you what parts in case you haven't seen the movie yet! I rate the movie 5 out of five! I have to say that if it wasn't for Troy taking me to see Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire in 2005 and Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix Saturday July 14, I may not have seen either of them at the cinema and that really made the Harry Potter experience so much better. I just want to say a BIG thank you to Troy!

And finally, the new and final Harry Potter book; Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows is out! I went down to Big W in our local shopping centre with Troy and we picked up our pre-ordered copies of the new book. After we got the books, Troy dropped me home and then he went home. I started reading the book that day as soon as I got home. Even though I would have breaks for water and lunch and dinner, I had fun reading it and I got through a few chapters. I read it each night until 4 o'clock the next morning, by which time, I'd go to bed.

I finally finished reading it on Wednesday July 25th. Mum had just got up, and she was excited to see that I was nearly finished the book. I am so happy with the way the book ended. I am also happy at the way the book ended the entire Harry Potter series! I rate the new book 5 out of 5 because, like all previous Harry Potter books, I just could not put it down at all! J. K. Rowling has a way of keeping her readers captivated! Yes, I admit I'm sad that the series has to end now; I hate it when series end in odd numbers so I do wish she ended it in book 8 rather than 7. Another thing is that, yes, it does answer a lot of questions, but it also made you want to know some more. For example; what does Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny do as careers?

I just thought I'd mention here briefly that I've heard there are plans for a big Harry Potter world being built in the States where all Harry Potter fans can go and have a feel of what it would bee like inside Hogwarts and in the grounds! That is so exciting! I hear it is going to be a Harry Potter version of Disneyland. I think it may not be finished for a few years yet though.

Now, we wait for the 6th installment of the Harry Potter movie series; Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince, which, from what I've heard, will be out in November 2008, and then the final movie (if they do it that is); Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. I can hardly wait for the final two movies to see how they interpret the books. In my opinion, they should keep everything the same as the final two books and not change any of it as they did in Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix. We will just have to wait and see what happens. Well, that is it on the Harry Potter scene until Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince comes out at the cinemas and this is my final Harry Potter post until then as well, unless I hear any news. For now, I've put some Harry Potter sites in my Link Bar for you to check out..........ENJOY!