New Look...for now

Well I am kind of sad that I had to change up my template.  I loved my old one but it was ancient in internet terms.  The code was written in 2004 and the developer doesn't work on it anymore.  I had already had a few issues with it but was just holding off.  The preview wasn't working.. comments weren't working so I switched to disqus, and other issues.   Today though my blog was no longer showing titles (blog title, post title).  I tried to get them to show back up but it just didn't work. Soooo I had to find a temporary template for the time being.  So it might look a little funny but I have to go through and tweak it.   I am hopefully going to go a new look made for me soon.  I signed up for someone to make me one so we'll see!!  Let's be honest... messing with template feels like SCIENCE to me!

Good bye old look! I will miss you.

Top Ten Books for Fans of Clue!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish in which book bloggers are given a topic and asked to make a corresponding list of their top ten books. This week's topic is Top Ten Books If You Like X tv show/movie/comic/play etc. (basically any sort of other entertainment).  I love love the game Clue.  I am obsessed with it actually.  I swear I outsmart everyone in the game! So I thought I would pick some books that were similar to the whodunnit idea. 

What do you have on your list this time???

Outlast - Video Game Review

 

Outlast PS4 

The moment I heard about the game Outlast I knew I HAD to play.  It is an indie game which to me are usually pretty good.  The game was always for PC and at the time I hadn't signed up for Steam because I was lazy and didn't want to put it on my iMac. I do finally have Steam but this game became free on PS4 and I KNEW I would get to play it then.  I was SCARED!  I played it on my home theater with a group of friends (it's about 6 hours long) and we all had such a good time. 

OK.. so the point of the game is you go to this Insane Asylum as a reporter.  You want to get to the bottom of these crazy rumors people are saying about the place.  What is crazy though is as soon as you go in your know this place is soooooo scary yet this reporter keeps going (yea right).  Anywho... the place is almost always completely dark and the only way you can see is through the infrared on your camcorder. 

 

Oh and while running around in dark the batteries will run out on your camera ... so you have to look around and find them. The building is full of noises... scary lights... floating bodies.  I just loved it.  I even screamed out a few times.  You aren't able to fight any of the crazies you meet... you must hide and just hope they didn't see you.  Or just run for it.

 

I would recommend not watching any walkthrough videos before playing.  I might ruin the jump scenes and you don't want to spoil the game for yourself. I even had some friends say that they had watched walkthroughs and weren't going to be scared but still jumped!  So I guess either way you will be OK and still be scared. 

 

There is nothing like playing a video game night with your friends and this is the one.  It is totally worth buying and playing in the dark!  10 out of 10

And if you haven't seen Conan playing this game you must watch!

Dewey Readathon Update 3

Ok book party people... I think I am petering out.  I have been reading for a quite a few hours tonight reading up on some ARC comics that I received from Edelweiss.  They expire quickly so I wanted to get those done and out of the way.   Seriously though... I don't know if I will make it past say midnight my time.  That is 9 hours short of the 24 hour mark.  Sigh... maybe MAYBE I will try to go a little further.

Currently Reading:  Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Books Finished: Robin Hood, 3 graphic novels.
Pages Read: 700
Amount of Time Spent Reading: 6 hours
Snacks: french bread pizza for lunch... dinner... chicken.. and a bowl of frosted flakes for a snack tonight
Where are you reading:  In my favorite recliner!

I will  be updating a lot on Twitter.  My Twitter handler is @Kingmod
Also be sure to check me out on instagram... my handler there is Wsbronco.  I have been posting pictures there today of my readathon adventures.

 Some challenges I thought I would join in:
The uncomfy challenge: This is a great challenge and I wish I would've participated in this one when it was still daytime out and I could go somewhere.  This challenge wants you to leave the house and go somewhere and read.  Well... I did read in the bathtub today.  I have read in a lot of crazy places.  For example... I totally don't mind going to dinner/lunch in a restaurant alone.  A lot of people have issues with this but I just bring a book and eat some yummy food.


I love the Spine Name Picture!  I am the worst at poetry so I loved to see a spine challenge where you spell out your name!

Angie:

Across the Universe
NOS4A2
Going Vintage
Inferno
Eragon

Sunday Post

Let's chat about what's going on this week... on my blog.. on other blogs... on the internet... and just everywhere!    I link up my post to Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves.

On the Blog:
-I review and talk about Cinder by Marissa Meyer. 
-I declare that I am joining Bout of Books again!
-Comic Adventures Issue #9 is published.  This time I chat about Nightwing, Batman the Dark Knight, Jack of Fables and Supergirl.
-As you may have seen... I am currently in the middle of a 24 hour readathon!!  Dewey's Readathon is going on right now.  Update 1 , Update 2,  and my final Update 3.  Honestly this was a fun Readathon.  Lots of challenges throughout the events.  Lots of chat on twitter... I mean seriously it was fun.  Though I really didn't get reading done like a lot of people.


Around the Blogospere:
-If you have never checked out the Book Rat's Annual Fairy Tale Fortnight then you are missing out!  The even just started so be sure to check it out. 
-BEA Armchair still needs volunteers to help cheer everyone on who is participating.  If this is something you think you would have time for be sure to help out!
-I have been obsessed with instagram lately... well seeing books on there.  And YA Highway has a huge link of authors on there.
 


Internet:
Since I will be watching Spiderman 2 this week thought I would post this trailer to get us excited!


Books Books Books: 
This week I am trying to read a lot of books that I own.. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, Scarlet by Marissa Meyers! 

Don't forget that the Clean Sweep Arc Challenge starts this week!!!  Be sure to sign up. Click on the button to find out more!

 

Dewey's Readathon Update 2

OK.... well here is update 2 today.  I am reading along with Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon for those that don't know.  So I'll occasionally be spamming updating you today. I just finished reading Robin Hood by Howard Pyle.  I didn't actually start that book though during the readathon but still finished it.  Oh and when I went to check out on the website site what was going on... I actually won a prize.  Woot Woot... even more incentive to get to reading.

Currently Reading:  My first comic of the day Green Lantern Vol 4 which is an ARC.
Books Finished: Robin Hood
Pages Read: 160
Amount of Time Spent Reading: 2 1/2 hour
Snacks: french bread pizza for lunch
Where are you reading:  In my favorite recliner!

I will  be updating a lot on Twitter.  My Twitter handler is @Kingmod
Also be sure to check me out on instagram... my handler there is Wsbronco.  I have been posting pictures there today of my readathon adventures. 
I know.. my twitter and instagram names have nothing to do with my blog name!  

The challenges I am doing now:

Estelle's Revenge has a really fun challenge to me.  I came up with 6 words to explain the event in my eyes:  Hurry and Read Your Books Now.

The next challenge is hosted by Lisa's World of Books where you pick the best of the best:

I picked Cinder for my Top Rated Sci-Fi, Miss Peregrine for my top rated Mystery Book, and Doctor Sleep for best cover!

Next challenge by the Book Monsters.  Take a Shelfie!

Edit:  I am adding this into the Update 2
1. What are you reading right now?  I am reading Green Lantern Volume 4 DC an ARC from Edelweiss
2. How many books have you read so far? Just 1!
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Scarlet but I really want to get like 4 graphic novels out of the way first.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?  No ... I had to get my husband from the airport, cook dinner and put away laundry.  Then I started blogging and had to quit so I could get to reading!
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?  Well I slept past the start date of the event and didn't really mean to do that.  So I started about 2 hours late. 
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?  I feel as if I am running out of time.  The 24 hours is flying past and every time I do something other then reading I feel like I wasted that time!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?  Plan better.  This was my first year so I didn't realize I should've had that spread sheet and posts set up in templates ready to go!
9. Are you getting tired yet?  No
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?  No... well turn off the TV!

Ok well that's it for this update!

Dewey's Read-a-thon

I am excited to be participating for the first time in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon.  This is going to be quite an adventure. There are all kinds of fun things happening today.  I didn't realize that every hour there was going to be an update on their webpage!!  Fun.  I will update here all day so if you want to see how I am doing click on this blog post.  I just don't want to spam everyone all day... but who knows.. maybe I will??

Update 1:

Currently Reading:  Robin Hood (finishing it up for my Project Disney this week).
Books Finished: None
Pages Read: 60
Amount of Time Spent Reading: 1 hour
Snacks: None yet
Where are you reading:  In my favorite recliner!

I will  be updating a lot on Twitter.  My Twitter handler is @Kingmod

I posted a picture on Twitter of my TBR pile for the event:

I just found out that if you plan on reading one of the Lunar Chronicle books by Marissa Meyers she will donate $5 to Reach out and Read.  Really this is amazing and has inspired me to move Scarlet up on my list to be the next book I start! 


OK.. of to do some challenges!
I participated in Little Miss Reader's Puzzle Challenge
Challenge # 2 Paragraph challenge by Cautious:
  "In which shall be told how Robin Hood turned Butcher, and how he revenged himself upon the Sheriff.  Also, of the famous adventures that befell Little John at the Nottinham Archery Match, and how he entered the Sheriff's service".  Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
Challenge #3 Intro Meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?  In reading from Colorado!
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?  Honestly I am most looking forward to Scarlet by Marissa Meyer!!! 
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?  I missed the part about snacks!!!  So I didn't buy any to prepare for the readathon!!  Luckily I just went grocery shopping so I have plenty of food.  About to eat a french bread pizza for lunch. 30 minutes till pizza!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!  My name is Angie.. I have been blogging here for almost three years now!!  I love it. This is actually my first time participating in this readathon.  Surprising.  I just never thought there would be any way that I could read for 24 hours.  We will see right? 
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?  This is my first readathon with Dewey.  I am looking forward to getting a lot of books read.  I will have a few distractions today (have to go to the airport).  I have to give my cats shots... I have to eat... blah blah.  LOL!!! 

Comic Adventures Issue #9

I read a lot of comics and rarely review them here on the blog. That's because I really don't have a lot to say for an entire post.  So I thought I would review several comics on one post.  I will still review graphic novels on their own now and then, but this is where I will talk about super-hero type comics (DC/Marvel) or sequels to some that I have already reviewed.

This issue we discuss Nightwing Volume 3 Death of the Family DC, Batman The Dark Knight Vol 3 Mad, Jack of Fables Vol. 4 Americana , and Supergirl Vol 1 Last Daughter of Krypton.

Nightwing Volume 3 includes part of the Joker arc which I have read so I skipped that part. The rest of the book gives a huge spoiler which I guess happens in the comic Batman Incorporated which I haven't read yet. Sigh  I had no idea that they died.  I have stayed caught up in all the comics.  Turns out they die in Batman Incorporated which is a comic series I haven't been reading. I also learned that Nightwing has been canceled so I think volume 4 will be the last one in the series.  I am kind of sad about this since I like Nightwing but reading this issue I can understand why it's not as popular anymore.  Nightwing's stories never seem to be his own. He is always mixed up with Batman and never really gets his own story to take off. 3 out of 5

Batman The Dark Knight Vol 3 Mad is a series that I have enjoyed.  Here is another series that will be coming to an end with Vol. 4.  This is OK because the series doesn't really have a big story going with it.  Each volume seems to follow one story with one villain.  Volume 3 really is Batman VS the Mad Hatter.  We get to see Batman at his lowest, with his long time love interest dying.  It seems that Batman can never be close to anyone.  I didn't love the art work in this issue.  I felt it was a little messy and could be hard to follow expressions on faces at times. 3 out of 5 stars

I am still continuing in the Jack of Fables series (which is the spin off series from Fables by Bill Willingham). I don't know this series still isn't great but this book was much better then volume 3. This time Jack is still running around trying to have sex and find riches. I did like this one a little better because we get some new characters in it.  I was going to try to finish all the Jack of Fables before jumping back into the main Fable arc but I decided to go ahead and just read both at the same time.   3 out of 5

Supergirl is a new 52 that I borrowed from the library since I am starting to get caught up on the other new 52 I am reading.  I really enjoyed it.  I liked how this comic portrays what it would be like for an alien to just show up on our planet and get all their powers at once.  My library only has volume 1, though I did request that they get volumes 2 and 3 since I really enjoyed this one. I have to admit though Supergirl's outfit just doesn't do it for me.  She loses her skirt and has to wear some sort of underwear, and the boots are crazy too!!  The story at least gets 5 out of 5

Well that's it for comics this time around... can't wait to read what comics come into the library next!!

I am now up to 38 books towards my Graphic Novel Reading Challenge!

Bout of Books 10

I am going to participate again in this Bout of Books read-a-thon! It is my 5th time.  I really need to get caught up on some books and when I saw others participating in it I knew it was perfect for me.  It starts on the 12th of May!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.

Don't forget to use the #boutofbooks hashtag when updating on Twitter and follow boutofbooks.
I will be updating my progress here on my webpage and on my my twitter page. 
I will be doing a master post as the read-a-thon gets closer with all the books I plan to read and with all the challenges I do!  Can't wait to get started!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer- Review

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I loved this book!  I read it for my Young Adult Book Club this month and can't believe I waited this long to read it.  I actually won it recently and Scarlet so it is perfect timing.  Plus both my copies (Cinder and Scarlet) even include a short story.  Here is the goodreads description:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.  

Let's be honest, I'm a sucker for fairy tale retellings.   Also.. another reason I should've read this boo sooner is that Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale character.  So a retelling with a Cinderella cyborg is even better!!  I read this book super fast.  If I had known it was going to be so good I wouldn't have started reading it at 6 at night.  I would've started reading it in the morning so that I didn't have to go to bed and could've read it in one sitting.  Yes that is how good it is to me.

One of the things I really loved is that this is a cyborg Cinderella in New Beijing China! So the descriptions in the book was a lot of Asian culture.  I love that since I haven't read a lot of books that take place in Asian locations.  I like Cinder's character... she is feisty, independent, and what I love the most is she is trying to be successful on her own. I enjoyed the elements of the story that were similar to the original fairy tale.  I kept waiting for the plot lines that would go a long those lines... like the ball, the slipper, the pumpkin, the fairy godmother.  When those parts did occur I was excited to know if I had guessed right or wrong what would happen.

I thought the world building in this book is fun.  We get to see a futuristic Beijing.. with androids and cyborgs and humans.. ALSO a race of people who are magical from the moon.  The Lunar People.   I was really excited about this.  I hope that in the future of the series we get to actually travel to the moon and see the colony there. 

I can't wait to get started on Scarlet (Little Red Riding Hood).. I went ahead and but Cress (Rapunzel) on hold at the library and am really excited for Winter (Snow White).  I know I haven't read books 2 and 3 yet but seriously I don't even see how they could be terrible books.  You need to read this book now!

The Crystal Ball says:

Sun is shinning!!!  Great day to go outside and read this book.

My other book reviews from the series:
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Cress by Marissa Meyer
Fairest by Marissa Meyer 
Winter by Marissa Meyer
Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

Here are the book club discussion questions we used in my book club- click on image to enlarge:

Sunday Post

Let's chat about what's going on this week... on my blog.. on other blogs... on the internet... and just everywhere!    I link up my post to Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves.

I've decided to go back to all the post I've posted about books I've read for my Young Adult Book Club and add a graphic with all the discussion questions I've come up with for those books.  It takes a long time sometimes to come up with those questions and I thought.. why not implement them into the blog and let others enjoy the questions if they are also hosting a book club.  It might be a lot of work... but I think it will be worth it. The first one you as blog readers will see is for Cinder next week, unless you go back through my reviews and find the other ones.

On the Blog:
-I review the video game Scribblenauts which is super fun .. I am finally on Steam.
-Top Ten Bookish things I own/want !
-I talk about whether the internet has ruined or helped reading book series???
- I post about National Library Week and what I love about my library!
- New Project Disney this week... I talk about the second Pooh movie that Disney made.  I bet you didn't even know they had two?????  Winnie the Pooh (2011)

In the blogospere:
-For those that follow the blog you know I love me some Disney and the Notebook Sisters talk about how Disney destroyed their souls!  Ok not really.. they actually talk about how cool Disney is.
-Parajunkie talks about keeping your blog fresh and new.  I need to brainstorm some ideas myself.
- Bout of Book is coming up!  May 12-18! They are looking for some experts to help them out too.
-Armchair BEA has signups started.  Will you be participating?  I have only participated in this one time before when I first started blogging so I look forward to trying it out again. 


Internet: 
For my video game lovers this week.. we have a new Clueless Gamer video!



Books, books, books:
I am still on the journey of reading unique books.  I just got from the library The Collected Works of TS Spivet by Reif Larsen. Has anyone else read this?

Don't forget about the Clean Sweep ARC Challenge I and Kimba are hosting!  You only have about 2 weeks or so to sign up... even if you have only one ARC to catch up on that's OK.  There's prizes! ;)

Project Disney- Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories. I am participating in Project Disney inspired by Picture Me Reading!  

I have really grown a new love for Winnie the Pooh. Before starting Project Disney I had forgotten that Disney released 2 full length theatrical Pooh movies. The second one (this week's Project Disney) came out in 2011. There are 5 Pooh movies released in Theaters but this one falls under the Walt Disney Animated Classic Movies which are the ones I am covering under Project Disney. Unlike the first Pooh movie The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, this movie doesn't stay as close to the original stories by A.A. Milne.  This movie does include scenes from the stories "In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One" and "In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump" from Winnie the Pooh. The other story is found in The House at Pooh Corner: "In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day and We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings".

 I like that this movie follows the format of the first movie.  Both movies start out with scenes from Christopher Robin's bedroom with the opening of a story book.  Also both movies have animated scenes that take place inside a book.  It is much too short of a film... only 70 minutes long.   This movie's plot is about a sign that everyone find that says Christopher Robin will be back soon.  But Owl reads it as Christopher Robin is captured by a Backson!

 

They set up a trap for the Backson and Pooh falls into it.  There is an amazing play on words during this part of the film. The whole gang (Owl, Eeyore, Kangaroo, Roo, Rabbit and Pooh) all fall into the pit except Piglet. It doesn't even dawn on them that Owl can get them out!!

Really these films and stories are quite enjoyable.  I am so glad to have revisited the world of Pooh as an adult.  This film is much more modern then The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh but still has that wonderful feeling of innocence. For Project Disney I was not really excited about the Pooh films or books.  Once I read the book and watched the movies though I was very impressed.  If you have visited Pooh in years like myself you should give it another go.  The film ends like all Pooh films should end.. with Christopher Robin and Pooh walking off together, best friends for life.

Check out my other Project Disney:
Snow White
Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective 
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio 
Fantasia 
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Tangled
Oliver and Company
Mulan
The Little Mermaid
Bambi
101 Dalmatians
Frozen
Fantasia 2000
The Jungle Book
The Emperor's New Groove
The Sword in the Stone
Aladdin
Atlantis
The Aristocats
The Lion King
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Robin Hood
Hercules
Pocahontas
Dumbo
The Black Cauldron 
Mary Poppins
Lilo and Stitch
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Make Mine Music
Tarzan
Fox and the Hound
Melody Time