Top Ten Goals/Resolutions For 2015

The final Top Ten Tuesday of 2014!  The week's is all about what we want to do in 2015.  I thought 2014 was great on the blog. I did fall a little behind on reviews at the end of the year... but hopefully that will pick back up here soon. The blog got a new look this year.. for those who have been following me for a while would've noticed the great make over! I got to mess around and make all kinds of new buttons and such for the blog.  After four years of blogging I am still having a lot of fun. I love finding about new books and new blogs.  So now for my blogging/reading goals:

Books

1.  Finish series I have started!  I have a few series that I have read and then final books came out this year in 2014 and I haven't finished them yet..... I really need to finish it. In fact.. I should make a list of them so I know for sure which ones need to be read.

2.  Make a vlog???  I always throw around this idea.. I don't know.  I am just not a camera person.  But I do have a new bookcase and it would be fun to make a vlog in front of it. I always hesitate because I have to put on make up and do my hair.  BOO. 

3.  Get some more classics read this year.  I didn't read any in 2014!   At least.. I don't think I did.  I can't even remember!!  So I would like to read a couple of them this year.

4.  Keep reading the books I own.  I just really started doing this in September of this year and it is really making me happy.  I was reading only library books and so never actually read some of the books I owned that I clearly wanted to read (I mean I did buy them).

5.  Start reading with my goodreads book clubs again.  I run two groups on goodreads.  One I would read with every month and I stopped reading along with it in September and I miss discussing books on there.  Not that a lot of people participated but it was just fun if someone did read along.

Blog

1.  Figure out something to do for a feature.  For those of you who have followed this blog you probably know about my Project Disney feature.  This is where I watch a Disney movie and read the book that the movie is based off of.  I am really close to the end.  In fact... I might actually be done with the movies in the Disney Canon.  I have a few more that I want to do but they will probably be finished before March.  I was thinking of reading the Sherlock stories and then watch the Sherlock show (BBC) that goes with the story. We'll see.

2. Design a new rating system.  I have been wanting to this but just haven't yet.  I am a little sick of the crystal balls and would like to make something that matches the Alice in Wonderland theme.

3. Netgalley percent up to 80%.  I have had this goal forever!! I don't know what in the world is keeping me from 80%.  ERRRRRR

4. Get ahead on posting.  There are only a few times where I have actually been ahead on blogging.  Normally I sit down at night, watch TV and type up blog posts (like I am right now).  I would like to be able to just take a day, sit down type up a bunch of posts and be ahead for a week.  Of course.. then technically I am not ahead because they I am typing up posts for the week after that....

5. Plan another bookish monthly event.  I think I will do a Star Wars month but that won't be until next December when the movie comes out.  So it won't be for a while.. I suppose I could start planning for it now.

Well.... hopefully I get to a lot of these goals this year.  My personal goal is to take better care of myself.  I have been taking vitamins, going to the gym, putting on wrinkle cream, and getting my hair done.  Lots of personal attention in 2015!  What about you???

Happy Holidays!

Pop Goes the Reader

Hope you all have a fabulous Christmas!

Top Ten Tuesday- Leave Me a Book Santa!

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the wonderful blog at The Broke and the Bookish! This week's topic is Top Ten books I want Santa to leave me.  Soooo since this is from Santa and everything from him is free.... I have to pick EXPENSIVE books!  I had a pretty amazing book list last year (though Santa never came through). 

In no particular order:
1.  The Great Gatsby special edition is beautiful!!  I love the story... and own the paperback.  But to display this copy in my house would be soooo wonderful.    I love art deco style so the cover of this is just perfect.

2. I could have 100 different Hobbit/Lord of the Rings books and I would be happy.  I love the ones with unique covers and there are plenty out there.  I especially like the cover on this one.

3.  I really like these Hunger Game books... the covers are pretty amazing to me!  I found the first book at a thrift store in great condition and am still looking for the other two.  But these covers would be worth me going to B&N and buying them.

4.  Game of Thrones Pop-Up book.  I love the other pop-up books that Reinhart has done (I own the Star Wars one).  This one is probably amazing.  I tried to get my library to order it but they never did.  Probably because it's pop-up and people will ruin it.

5.  Grimm Tales by Philip Pullman has the most amazing cover. It has cut out paper art... I would so display this book.  I have never read it so I have no idea if it's any good.  But I still want it! Surprisingly it's not that expensive either! 

6.  I don't own any Sherlock Holmes books... and the way these covers line up would look so good on a bookshelf!  I love Sherlock... though I wish the three books would fit together instead of 2 and then 1 standing alone.

 7.  Star Wars the Blueprints looks like a pretty cool coffee table book.  I would probably frame some of the blueprints in that book!

8.  I love birding watching and I really love the art of James Audubon.  He was one of the first people to draw and research some of the species of birds found in North America.  I thought this book would be more expensive because of the full color pages but it's pretty affordable.  MUST HAVE. Christie’s New York will auction off a copy of John James Audubon’s Birds of America, which already holds the title of most valuable printed book in the world, having sold for about $11.5 million in 2010.  WOW.

9.  This is a repeat from last year clearly Martin a year later hasn't come thorough.  Santa... all I really want is for George RR Martin to PLEASE FRICKEN finish A Song of Ice and Fire.  I mean... is that too much to ask?  So for Christmas I would like book 6... The Winds of Winter. 

Santa.. bring me all these gifts!!  I've been good this year.

Read Play Blog

Read Play Blog is a meme about video games and books, posted every 16th of the month. Bloggers are encouraged to answer a discussion question, and recommend a video game that is similar to a book they liked. Hosted by Happy Indulgence Books & Read Me Away.

This month's topic: Gaming Wishlist 

I love games so much... and I have been meaning to participate in this little blogging event for a long time now. I do post video game reviews on my blog so be sure to stop by and check them out.  This meme is only a once a month post so it can't be that hard to keep up with.  I only wish I had thought of this meme before.. I did kind of once but never really did anything with it and next thing I know BOOM there is one out there.  I suppose it's that fear that if I try to start an event will people actually want to participate???  Anywho...

These are the games I would want for Christmas (if I actually bought games... I usually get them from my library, redbox, or borrow them from friends):

1.  Dragon Age Inquisition.  I will be playing it soon since my friends do own it.  I am just waiting for them to hurry up and finish it.  Everyone says it's such a great game.  This is great because while I loved the first one the second one (Origins) kind of fell flat for me.  In fact, I saw someone buying Dragon Age Origins in the thrift store tonight for $10.   I seriously can't wait to get my hands on it.  

2.  Game of Thrones TellTale game.  This is the first time in a long time I haven't played a TellTale game along with the release of each chapter.  This is because my friend isn't buying it this time and I could just use the share feature on Playstation.  Such a bummer.  So I am going to have to wait until all 6 chapters are out for this game. Gaw... then I found out that TellTale is going to be working on a Minecraft game and I am like NOOOOOoooo... they need to work on Walking Dead, and Wolf Among Us, or start hiring more people. 

3.  I love the Little Big Planet games so I am excited to try out Little Big Planet 3.  These games are clever and even have catchy tunes.  I jammed out to the other ones while playing.  I think they are just really creative.  The graphics are beautiful and you get to collect these stickers in each level which of course I try to get them all! 

4.  For those of you that read the blog often you know I love love Lego games.  They are just so fun and addictive.  Lego released another Batman game... titled of course Batman 3.  The first two were really a lot of fun and I like how Lego grows with each game adding new things to not make the Lego games same ol' same ol'.

Recommendation:

I would recommend to everyone the free games that are available right now through either Xbox Live or PSN.  There have been some great games. Right now on PSN Injustice Gods Among Us is a free game till the end of December and that is seriously a great deal!

What I'm Playing Now:

Destiny.  I just downloaded the DLC and am having fun with it!!  I still have a few issues with Destiny, like why isn't the DLC on a new planet????  But otherwise it is pretty fun and I love playing with friends.

 

Lego Hobbit.  Look for my review on this one soon.  I like how much this Lego game is different from all the other ones I have played.  

Hobbit- The Battle of the Five Armies Review

Finally the long awaited ending of the Hobbit trilogy. I didn't love the Hobbit... I liked Desolation of Smaug a little more an this one I liked a lot. I still didn't love it but compared to the other two it's my favorite. The pacing was much better.  I still don't think the Hobbit should've been split into three movies. Maybe two.  The first two movies squeezed into one and then this film. As I understand it, the Battle of the Five Armies is based off the Silmarillion by JRR Tolken.  I have tried to read that book a couple of times.. never got through it.  Just... hard to read for me.  It's written as a bunch of stories that have like whole sections of who is son of who!  Since I haven't read the book I have no idea how the movie compares to the book. Though I suppose I could Wikipedia it.

This movie picks up off from where Desolation of Smaug ends. There is a big showdown with Smaug... which looked good in IMAX.  It is amazing how much damage a dragon can do with fire. So now a big chunk of the film covers The Lonely Mountain.  Thorin becomes King and obsessed with the gold in the mountain.  He is desperate to find the Arkenstone .. an heirloom from his ancestors.  Bilbo finds it and hides it from him since he seems to have gone mad.  The big battle is taking place around the same time.  Elves and the men of lake town want payment from Thorin from all he has promised.  Of course Thorin doesn't want to pay... so we go through all the negotiations and what not.  Meanwhile... Gandalf comes back to warn them the orcs are coming.  No one pays attention to him until the orcs actually show up.  Then there is that big battle.  Battles Battles!  They win that battle and the rest you see in Lord of the Rings.

I did enjoy this movie.  I wasn't bored like in the first two.  Yes ... bored.  I can watch them but I never loved them.  This one is fun.  Hobbit films though will never compare to the Lord of the Rings trilogy for me.  I don't know what it is.... I feel that there was just too much stuffed in to make Hobbit three films. Bilbo should get more screen time.  His story is the main story in the books but in the films there are just so many subplots.  Finding a leader of lake town, a romance between an elf and dwarf, and then a character named Alfrid who is supposed to be the comedy.  This film though is pretty to look at though.. the action is great.  It is my favorite film out of the Hobbit trilogy and was great to watch in IMAX.

My review of Hobbit Desolation of Smaug

PS Thranduil is a bad ass!

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 hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Reader.

I have been quite busy lately.  With the holidays here.. shopping... mailing... calling... and normal chores it has been busy.  I have spent time each evening reading, playing video games and catching up on shows.  I did go to a new thrift store in town and was able to find some books for cheap!!  I can't believe in a week it will already be time to take down the Christmas decorations.  It feels like just yesterday I put them up.  Went to see the Hobbit this weekend... review will be up tomorrow.  We just bought a new set of bookcases and pictures will be up next Sunday Post.  I can't wait to get all my books into them.

Have you ever gone to a thrift store to shop for books????   Really you should. I ended up with a great haul from my local store.  Well it is a newly opened store so I was able to get in there and look around before everyone went in a bought the books.  These are books that I never owned but have read them all:

Such a great haul of books from the thrift store #imgonnapopsometags

A photo posted by wsbronco (@wsbronco) on Dec 12, 2014 at 2:32pm PST

On the Blog:
-Bookish Gifts for the Holidays Bookish gifts are so fun... I love to find unique ones.  Be sure to check this out and see if there is anything on the list you have to have. 
-Walking Dead Season 2 Video Game Review Love these video games.  So fun and for everyone!
-Eldest by Christopher Paolini finished the second book in the series!  Only two more books to go. 


Around the Blogospere:

-Bout of Books is coming! I am so excited I really have been wanting one to come for a while now. In case you have no idea what this is: 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, January 5th and runs through Sunday, January 11th 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 12 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.

-I don't really do reading challenges but I really enjoyed the Graphic Novels Challenge. So I am going to join up again with the Graphic Novels Reading Challenge 2015. I totally surpassed my goal this year so I am going to go big again this year and go for the highest level.  Here are the levels:
 Modern Age: read and review 12 books during the year (that's only 1 book a month)

Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month.)

Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!)

Internet:

I am sure by now you all have seen the Insurgent trailer.  Looks like it is going to be a good movie.  I enjoyed Divergent.  Of course... once the last movie comes out we'll see what I think:




Books Books Books: 
I picked up a few comics at the library this week.. and of course my thrift store haul that you can see above.



How has your week been???

Bookish Gifts for the Holidays

I love love to go out and look around for some cool bookish gifts for the book lovers out there.  Usually around this time of year I find some neat items.  I recently acquired new books cases for my library .. those are the best gifts for book lovers... but I still would love to have some new bookish items in that room. 

Right now Barnes an Nobles has a really neat display books called Art Folds.  When you open the book they are cut into words.  I love them all.  There are only three books available though... Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (this one spells Love), the Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson (this one is a snowflake),  and Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery (this one spells Joy). I really like the Read one and the Love one!  Hoping to get a B&N gift card for Christmas so I can pick one up for my new bookshelves.

Next up you can't go wrong with gifting bookmarks. I love them... they are like nail polish.  I remember seeing some bloggers feature the ones from Bookjigs and fell in love.  Then when I went to Utah and visited a book store there they had them and I had to pick one up.  They clip on to your book and have a string behind them to keep your spot.  Love it, this is the one that I have:

I've listed these before but in case you missed it last year I will list them again.. Frostbeard Candles.  They are perfect and really do smell great.  I have been meaning to get some more to burn!  They are taking a break over the holiday so you won't be able to order any till after the holidays (this is probably because by now they can't ship in time for Christmas) but it is still a wonderful gift... even for yourself.

I still love these book covers!!  I think they are so clever... you can pick the letter you want (of course you might not want the book that goes with your letter!). By Penguin, I want the A!  If you had the whole set it would be a beautiful rainbow.






I hope all of you are using a Mac.... :)  even if you aren't you should have a skin on your laptop!!  I wish I was able to change mine out (it's Justice League).  Go to etsy and search.. you will find so many even ones book themed!

I am too scared to get a tattoo... and I am afraid that whatever I decided to get I would hate later and then want it off my body.  Soooo why not a temporary tattoo???  They look great and when you get sick of it .. it comes off!!

Well... there was one more gift I was going to put on here but I can't find the picture of it anywhere.  Hallmark has in it's hobby ornaments section a cute ornament of some books. I should've bought one for myself.. but decided against it.  Though I may run there tomorrow and pick it up.  I can't wait to see blog posts after Christmas to see the bookish gifts you all received.