National Library Week 2014

Since this is National Library Week I didn't want to let it go by without giving libraries some love.  I really discovered my local library in 2007.  I went in and looked around and finally picked up Life of Pi.  I went home and read it and thought how fascinating it was that I got so much entertainment for free.  I have been hooked ever since.  My library not only checks out books, but also movies AND video games.  I have checked out countless items.

I thought I would share a list of the reasons why I cherish libraries so much!

1.  Digital Library - I love that the library is now so digital.  I don't even have to leave my house to check out comics, magazines or books.  I use Overdrive with my library for books, Comicsplus for comics, and Zino to check out magazines.  The magazines my library has goes from Martha Stewart, Oprah and In Style! Your library has to be signed up with these apps in order to use them.  If your library is not using ComicsPlus or Zino suggest that they do!

2. Checking out books/comics/video games/ movies.  I love that I can check out video games from my library.. and I get to keep them for 7 days!! Movies too.  There is not only the 7 day check out but the rapid view check outs that I can watch in no time.

3. Architecture.  Ok for some this may seem like an odd reason to love a library.. but seriously some places have their libraries in amazing buildings.  The Salt Lake City Library is one of the most fabulous libraries I have ever visited.  I love libraries in big cities, even the Denver Public Library has a neat building.

The American Library Association asks us to tweet about how the library has changed our lives using the hashtag #LivesChange and #NLW14. What about you?  Do you love your library?  Do you not use your library?  Maybe since this is National Library Week you should take the time to stop by your local one and show some love. Just look around and see what they have to offer.

Does the internet ruin finishing a series?

So recently my mom read Divergent,  She loved it.  The movie was coming out so she was interested in seeing what it was all about.  She and I were texting back and forth about it and I told her that I didn't really care for the ending in Allegiant.  All of a sudden I get a text from her saying she went ahead and looked on wikipedia for what happens in the rest of the series.

This discussion with my mom got me thinking... do we now not finish books that we think could be bad because of the help of the internet?  I wonder that if prior to the internet and being able to find story endings would my mom actually have read the whole series?  There are even a few series I don't want to bother finishing because ... hey I can just google it.  Sometimes a series just get so boring or off that I just don't want to finish it but still would like to know what happens to the characters. 

Honestly the internet has really made us be able to not sit through mediocre entertainment.  Movies, books, even yes video games! (For me at least.. I google when I am stuck on a game). There is even an amazing blog called the Recaptains that summarize series for us readers.  I do like this... sometimes it takes so long for series to come out anymore and I just don't want to re-read the whole thing when a new book is released.  I just can't remember everything that happens and need to get a recap (Game of Thrones anyone????).

It's hard to decide.  Does the internet save us from reading a boring or slow series?  Or does it cause us to miss the journey of reading books?

Top Ten Bookish Things I Own/Want to Own

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the wonderful blog at The Broke and the Bookish! This week's topic is Top Ten Bookish Items.     I thought I would post five bookish things that I already own and then five bookish items that I want!! 

#1 As some of you know I am a huge Stephen King Fan. Cafepress sells a ton of Stephen King items and I loved this tee-shirt sooo much.  All Constant Readers should have this shirt!

#2 I love these potion Harry Potter Bookmarks from GeekOutlet on Etsy!!!  You can even pick any potion you want made!

#3 I love the poster I got from Poster Text which has the entire book of Alice and Wonderland on it.  Plus the fun print of Cheshire Cat I got from the Denver Comic Con. 

# 4 I love the bag I use to pick up library books... it's an Edward Gorey print on it!!

#5 I have a really cool cover for my phone.  It's call the Book Book (see more pictures here). 
I love it so much.  It's leather and is supposed to get worn and scratched so that it looks like an old book.  

Ok well now I am going to post 5 Bookish Items I would love to have!!

#6 I love love love bookends!!  This Etsy Shop called DesignAtelierArticle  has a ton of neat and different book ends.  I really want to order a set one I finally get new bookshelves! 

#7 Speaking of bookshelves.. I really do need some new ones.  The ones I have are from like 1980! LOL!  My mom gave them to me. I need some new ones and I am looking at Target. I love ones that look modern and fun!

 #7 A ticket to visit New York City.  While there I will stay at the Library Hotel and go see the NY Public Library!! 

#8 I love these Jane Austen bookmarks from Etsy!!

#9 Someone please get me this Star Wars book iPhone charger!!!  I love it!!

#10  Finally I'd like to get to Maine and see Stephen King's house.  I did get to see him in person when King came to Boulder which was such a great experience!

 What on your Top Ten this week??

Sribblenauts Unmasked - Video Game Review

Scribblenauts Unmasked

I don't play a lot of computer games.  For one thing I have Macs and there aren't a lot made for them. We have Parallels but I hadn't really used it yet. A friend of mine came over with their PC and we played a bunch of games on their Steam account. One of the games they showed me was Scribblenauts and I was in love.  After they left I went and set up an account on Steam and downloaded them game.  I did have to use Parallels since the game uses Windows.  So fun!

So the game is really interesting and since I don't have any handheld gaming devices or a Wii U I don't get to play a lot of games where I have to type in words.  The way this game works (and there are different editions this one happens to be the superhero one) is you walk around this world and are presented with puzzles that you must solve.  The way you solve them is by typing out words on your keyboard and then the object appears.  You then interact with this object.  In this game you can type the word Superman and he will appear and help you out.  You can type out Giant Robot Dinosaur and they will help you. You can even create a lightsaber and use it! You can also click on a character and type out an adjective to help you, so you can click on a villain and type sleeping and they will go to sleep. 

 

The only problem I have with digital games is that I can't sell them after purchasing.  While I loved this game I just don't see myself playing it over and over again forever.  Which if you follow my video game reviews is why I get most of my games from redbox.  I beat them so quickly sometimes and then they just sit there collecting dust.  My friend who is a PC gamer though loves it so much.  I find that people are either console gamers or PC gamers... just pick your poison. 

Worlds that you can unlock

I love this game!!  I recommend this to all casual gamers.  It is easy to play though I did have to google how to beat the last guy.  I kept making the right things but it wanted specifics.  Which annoyed me a little but eh... that's why there's google.   I give this game 10 out of 10!

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.

This week was a good week.  Not only was I able to get tickets to the San Diego Comic Con.. but I also got a hotel room.  Both of those are pretty hard to get.  

On the blog:
-I watched and loved Captain America Winter Solider!
-Top Ten Unique Book Packaging
-I review the Infinite by Jodi Meadows (loved this series).
-I do another Comic Adventure Issue.. this time talking about the Manga Chi, The Dark Tower (Stephen King comic), Batgirl, and Suicide Squad.


Around the blogospere:
- Blog Notes Project looks really fun.  You can stop by and sign up.  You will be assigned another blogger's blog will also has singed up.  You will go to that person's blog and look around and write what you love about their blog and the same will be done about your blog! Fun!

-Second Run Reviews talks about Strange Logic for Traveling with an e-reader.
-Rachel Turns Pages did an entire month on Rapunzel!!  Did you miss it? If so hop over to her blog and check it out.
-Alison Can Read asks you what Summer Book Camp would you want to go to??
- I have been loving watching the show Cosmos.  Bookish Whimsey talks about what she has learned from the book by Carl Sagan. 
- I really enjoyed this post by Book Blog Bake about blogger burn out.  We see a lot of posts about that.  Even sometimes I feel it... this post here asks you 21 questions to ask yourself while blogging especially if you are feeling burned out.
- The Free Audio Books have been announced for the summer!!  Go get one from audiobooksync !

Internet:
This week's internet video is screaming goats (which I love) performing the Game of Thrones theme song!


Books Books Books:
I didn't get any books this week... a few graphic novels from the library.  I am excited to read two of them.  One is Age of Ultron which is what the next Avengers movie is based off of.  The other comic I'm excited to read is the He-Man vol 1 !  I love He-Man and so I am soooo ready to read this one.

Sign up for my and Kimba's reading challenge if you have a lot of ARCs sitting around! I still need another host for the 3rd and 17th of May, so please email me if you are interested.

Infinite by Jodi Meadows - Review

Infinite by Jodi Meadows

Yeah!  I finished another book series.  I initially picked up the first book in this series because of the amazing cover!  I really enjoyed the idea behind this series and am glad I read it! Here is the goodreads description:

DESTRUCTION The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk. 
FLIGHT Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach. 
CHOICE The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all. With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions

I was totally satisfied with the ending of this series.  I really liked how it was wrapped up.  I will say though that the book kind of drags in the middle.  We read about the characters walking and walking and walking some more.  That part did get a little boring.  In Infinite we get to learn way more about the dragons, slyph, and phoenix. This is one of those books that I really wanted an ARC of .. but alas I had to wait for my library to get the book.

There were a few parts in this book that made me scratch my head.  Like humans had some type of fallout and then years after that was all over mythical creatures were born and living in our world.  With no explanation as to why that happened??   One of the biggest positives for this book is no love triangle!  Though since Ana is a new soul and Sam falls for her after he has been reincarnated over and over again.  It is odd that these people (1 million of them) come back in the next life and love someone else.  Honestly I love the notion though of being reincarnated and having friends and talents that you get to use in every lifetime.  I was a little sad to learn that (spoiler) there will be no more reincarnation (end spoiler).

This is a great series and I am sad to see it go.  Jodi Meadows has done a great job with a YA series.  Making the good guy win (instead of the bad boy), making romance real, even realistic sex that isn't over the top. I do think that this was a wonderful ending to a trilogy!

 My reviews:
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Asunder by Jodi Meadows

The crystal ball says:

Clouds are covering! A read that lets me down every now and then but peaks out of the clouds!

Follow Me Friday - Avoid this book!

 

This is the day of the week where we get to know each other better by answering a question devised by our lovely hostesses Parajunkee & Alisoncanread.  GFC will eventually go away (thanks Google) so Bloglovin is a great way to follow me!  And now for this week's question....

Q. Tell us about a book you didn't like and why we shouldn't read it.

A. Wow.. I have never told someone they shouldn't read a book before. I figure that if you want to read a book go for it.  But.. let me think.   I would say Fifty Shades of Grey but that is probably going to be on quite a few lists.  So I am going to say The Book of JEZEBEL.  I saw this book was coming out and I thought it was going to be good.  For those that don't know about JEZEBEL it is a website about gossip, fashion, and all that jazz. I do recommend going to their website.  Sometimes I go to that site so I thought this book was going to be good.  NO.  It was boring and a DNF for me so I never even bothered reviewing it.   I think this books is too snarky and just wasn't funny to me. I can find more information on the internet about the topics then I can in this book.  Seriously, avoid this book.

What about you??  What must we avoid????



I am also hosting a reading challenge if you need to catch up on some ARCS!