Reasons I love the internet, part 6,423
Posted by Sarah in books, geek toys, music, sewing, tv on Apr 30, 2012 | 1 commentI was watching Water for Elephants on cable last week. I kind of love Reese Witherspoon’s makeup in the whole film so I thought I’d google for that and see if I could find tips, pointers or product recs.
Y’all, the internet is amazing – especially if (like me) you are makeup challenged. Not only did I find some fantastic suggestions for how to get similar (though not identical 
) makeup looks, I found a great one that uses a product I’ve already got for a wicked easy, super-polished daytime look. I’ve got some cream shadows from Benefit and basically just put some Skinny Jeans on my lids and barely in the crease. Add mascara and done. So easy and looks fantastic.
I’ve also got a better idea now how to replicate the look from the dancehall and I’m stoked about trying it soon.
I successfully got all the new work laptops up to date and with all the software we need. I added drivers we didn’t previously use so I think we’ll increase productivity as well. Last but not least I also got a couple of pieces of long-ago purchased but as-yet unused equipment up and running so that yay- new and improved diagnostic tools!
I rocked Friday like a boss and didn’t do much with my weekend. I’m about to finish making some pants and maybe a couple of work shirts before I start the slightly-more-work but significantly-more-reward projects. I also found a cute purse picture at Target.com and I feel like I can probably make said purse out of an old pair of khaki pants. It’ll be my first upcycle project.
I’ve got some work to do for the end of the semester and we’re getting closer to our Lubbock trip. I’m a nerd because I’m actually kind of excited to go to Lubbock (which people keep telling me is the asshole of Texas). As I’ve never been to Texas, but moved here from the asshole of Michigan, I feel like it has to be at least okay. Also, they’ve got a college and two great Thai restaurants. How bad can it be?
Grimm is wrapping up its season and I have to say, it’s become my go-to Friday show. The Vampire Diaries is still managing to be incredibly awesome and I’ve got mad love for the new Shonda Rhimes series – Scandal. Other things which are sweet – I found a couple of super-cute bags for a steal.
I was mostly domestic today – laundry and dishes – before work so I’m kinda hyped about finishing my current sewing project. In all likelihood I’ll do so while re-watching last night’s Game of Thrones, thus cementing my epic nerdery. At least I’m not making something for cosplay. Yet.
Last but not least, the new Internet Explorer 9 had has generated zero interest in me for Internet Explorer 9. It did, however, prompt me to buy the Alex Clare album which is about six shades of excellent. I have even already dropboxed it to friends.
The Gotye album is great, if a bit schizophrenic, and I Feel Better is my new phone ringtone. As yet I am still not sick of Someone I Used to Know. I’m also reading the 7-12 Dresden books.
Reacher
Posted by Sarah in books, recommendations, reviews on Apr 13, 2012 | 0 commentsI just got around to the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child. By the time I got to the second book, I remembered that the main criticism I’d heard about the books is that Reacher is a Gary Stu and DUDE. So. Right.
That said, I was willing to suspend disbelief thanks to a blend of interesting characters in each book, solid action and Reacher being likeable despite his incredible amazingness. Probably because the author generally makes Reacher wrong before he makes him right.
Definitely a library read for me – I don’t know that I’d read them more than once – but a fun couple hours brain vacation. I powered through the first six books in most of a day. Comparatively, I thoroughly enjoy the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher and have read them multiple times. The fact that Harry is relatively fucked up, aware of his fuck-up-ed-ness and copes with it in various scenarios makes him far more relateable than Reacher.
Smart yoga vs. Dangerous yoga
Posted by Sarah in books, philosophy, teaching, yoga on Feb 20, 2012 | 0 commentsThere’s been a huge amount of buzz lately about William J. Broad’s Science of Yoga because of its “revelations” about the dangers of yoga. Sadly, news outlets have been covering it like it’s actual NEWS, with an emphasis on scary graphics and theme music so anyone who knows me will not be surprised to read the following mini-rant.
Yoga is no different from any other exercise in that it can be good for you, if you do it CORRECTLY. Let’s be clear that CORRECTLY – IN ANY SPORT – involves NO PAIN. Pain is a sign from your body that something is VERY WRONG. Corollary: DISCOMFORT is not the same as PAIN and only YOU can tell the difference.
Your teacher should have training and experience. You should feel comfortable asking about both.
All of the aforementioned SHOULD go without saying but it doesn’t, as evidenced by the fact that it’s pretty much the way I start EVERY class I teach.
Here’s something your yoga teacher – if they are good – will tell you: not everyone will be able to do every pose. Period. We have physical limitations that no amount of breathing into your thighs will overcome. There’s NOTHING wrong with that. You cannot change the length of your ligaments.
There are inversions which are safer to do than others. Contrary to yoga speak that I hear all the time, inversions do NOT “get the blood running back to your head”. Your heart is a pump and your arteries and veins form a circle. They run in a single direction – either toward the heart or away. No amount of standing on your head or neck will change that.
Something your yoga teacher will probably not tell you:
You should never, ever be doing a backbend or shoulderstand or headstand in a beginning yoga class. Probably you shouldn’t do them in MOST classes regardless of skill level.
1. Many, if not most, beginning students lack the core strength required to hold your body in position while protecting your neck/shoulders/wrists.
2) There are regularly TOO MANY students in a class to be able to spot the students who need help correctly. This is why, when you go to an inversion workshop, students spot EACH OTHER after having been taught to do so correctly. There isn’t time for this in a given beginner class.
3. People lie. People will not tell an instructor when they’re injured. They will claim they have more experience than they do. They will choose pushing hard versus listening to their body. As a teacher, you can’t tell which of these is happening until it’s typically too late.
Additionally, there are a whole bunch of backbends and inversions which require a lot less pressure on a lot fewer joints, which de facto reduces risk of injury. Why risk a serious injury when you can get the benefit another way?
Competition. Americans are notoriously competitive and the point of yoga is to STOP competing. It’s hard to do. Go to a class and try NOT to check out what your neighbor is doing. Try not to compare yourself. THAT’s the goal – recognizing your limitations and then working within them. Notice and let it go, then do what your BODY needs, not your head or your ego.
So yeah. Yoga isn’t more dangerous than any other exercise, it’s just that people talk so much less about proper form and so much more about breathing through the backs of their legs that people FORGET.
Internet vacation OR random miscellany
Posted by Sarah in books, entertainment, internet, miscellany, movies, recommendations, reviews, tv on Feb 19, 2012 | 0 commentsI’ve been largely away from the internet for about a week now. Some had to do with travel and FrankenDog and work and school but more of it was about trying to finish 1Q84 before my library loan expired. I managed to finish it today and get caught up on some of the shows we watch.
Twitter has fallen rather by the wayside these days, as I tend to be busy at work enough not to have time to check it. I miss it as a way of keeping up on things but not enough to have carved out time for it. All things considered, I suspect it means I’m finished with it.
Things I have checked: email and GReader. GReader is my primary way of keeping up with the news.
I’m continuously disheartened by the elected assholes who claim to represent the people. It’s that or admit I’m increasingly disappointed that there continue to be assholes who think they should control my reproductive organs but I can’t have any say-so about theirs.
We rewatched Crazy Stupid Love today and it’s still the best possible things a romantic comedy can be. We watched The Help this week and, while enjoyable, was predictably less nuanced than the book and the result was a bit more insulting.
I had a Ginger Blossom at Ling and Louie’s which is a surprisingly delightful beverage.
I’ve discovered the joys of endless.com and overstock.com respectively, which is hurting my resolution to start sewing more of my own clothes. Not that I’ve PURCHASED much, it’s just the LOOKING.
In unsolicited product endorsements (warning: Ladynerdery Ahead)-
I’ve been hearing for ages from both the internet and my friend Melissa that Clinque’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick is AMAZING and lo, I have found it to be true. I’d tell you to try it first but good luck finding it in-stock at a Sephora location. What I can say, without a doubt, is that it will look fantastic on you and it feels incredible on your lips. Totally worth it. Also, it means I can throw out a half-dozen lipsticks now.
Speaking of lipstick- MAC’s Russian Red. Not too blue, not too orange and destined to be the one red lipstick you’ll love. The key is getting used to seeing the intensity of the color. It looks great day OR night and is somehow never “too much.”
In eyeshadow news, I’ve been using the Cover Girl Intense ShadowBlast in Brown Bling. I put it on over my lid and a bit in the crease, then use my finger to blend it in/smooth it out. Super easy and it looks fantastic – one of the few “intense” billed shadows that I can honestly say works great day and night. I put it on with brown liner and it really does last all day without creasing.
As part of my Sephora order, I got a sample of Caudalie’s Fleur de Vigne perfume which is pretty fantastic.
————— end of LadyNerdery
While I’ve been watching the usual TV shows, I find I’m disinclined to talk about them. The Walking Dead is back and feels a bit gorier than previously seen.
Piper is doing well. Staples and stitches are out and the little spot that had reopened is scabbed over and apparently healing. She’ll be out of T-shirts in no time.
Work this week will be another bit of hectic, but I’m hoping to get started on Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow.
Mercury Falls
Posted by Sarah in books, recommendations, reviews on Jan 30, 2012 | 0 commentsGiven my previously mentioned minor obsession with Revelations-style Rapture, I can’t believe this book slid under my radar. I blame the original cover as the second cover grabbed me. It was a loaner on my Kindle and MAN, I blasted through it. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, I’m recommending this because it was damn funny and wicked clever.
From my GR review:
I loved this. Loved it. Humorous, sharp and clever – unabashedly picking apart the idea of free will, destiny, religion and divine intervention with fantastic action and dialogue. One of my favorites:
“The bullet, having thoroughly enjoyed this hole-punching business, proceeded to punch holes in the windows of four nearby cars, finally coming to rest on page 328 of a dog-eared copy of Gravity’s Rainbow, which is 186 pages further than anyone else had ever gotten.”
It begins with a reporter who’s spent her professional career following Apocalypse cults and reporting on them for a Christian publication and spirals into the actual mechanics of the impending Apocalypse and how she’s managed to trip into it. There’s a spectacular Antichrist, Angels of dubious allegiance and intelligence, plenty of Twilight allusions and frankly, it was one of the funniest breakneck reads I’ve had in ages. I loved it so much I plowed through it all in the same day.
Among Others
Posted by Sarah in books, reviews on Jan 23, 2012 | 0 commentsEverything I read about Among Others by Jo Walton could be summed up as “if you love books, you LOVE THIS BOOK.” The story is told from the viewpoint of a teenage girl who is an avid reader, so there is that. She comes from some interesting family circumstances and is attending boarding school. What I really enjoyed about this book are the way the characters use books for conversation (thoroughly believable) and the female relationships characterized at the boarding school (also believable). It’s a fantasy novel of the ‘magical realism’ sort, which is to say that it’s pretty modern with fantastical elements that are important to both the story and the characters. While I did really enjoy the book, I did not love it and that was disappointing. There are so many things about it which mean I SHOULD have loved it but it just didn’t grab me as I’d hoped.
The Last Werewolf
Posted by Sarah in books, recommendations, reviews on Jan 13, 2012 | 0 commentsMy latest read for 2012 was maybe one of the most lauded of 2011. What I kept hearing is ‘literary genre fiction’. Truthfully, as someone who reads a lot of genre, I’d say it was far more genre than literary. Sadly I think most of the critics of “genre” don’t read much of it, so they don’t know how much smart, incisive and thoughtful commentary exists in a lot of great genre fiction. Yeah, there’s brain candy but you find that in any book label. It was an interesting read with a different take on vampires and werewolves and the commentary was heavy on the meaning of life and death, the individual’s role in society and whether or not our history is really important to why we do what we do. All of which makes it sound like there was a lot less killing, shooting and fucking than there was. If you like the Hunger Games series and aren’t completely against the idea of werewolves, I’d definitely check it out.
Oh my fucking GOD you guys
Posted by Sarah in books, entertainment, movies, reviews on Jan 10, 2012 | 0 commentsMy new scrubs finally arrived. I ordered them on December 29. This was not my favorite online shopping experience ever and let’s just leave it at that.
But the SCRUBS. Dude. I am marginally embarrassed that they say Grey’s Anatomy on them because SERIOUSLY but the tags are small and unobtrusive and HOLY SHIT THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE that I almost don’t care. Almost. They are fantastic colors and they are so soft but sturdy that it was totally worth it. Not worth the WAIT, maybe but still worth it. Awesome.
This is random because I’m sitting in front of the TV but CBS just interrupted New Hampshire primary coverage for NCIS. I laughed out loud. Because bitchez, we know our old peeples like their NCIS and we are NOT giving up those advertising dollars for an election that doesn’t really COUNT yet!
Unrelated, the 2012 book list is underway! I powered through the first six Harry Dresden books (I’d previously read 1-5) and had forgotten exactly how much I enjoyed them. Now I’ll have to pick up the rest. In the meantime, I’m partway through The Last Werewolf which is – thus far- as interesting as everyone on the internet said it was. I’m reserving judgement until it’s over, though.
We saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol over the weekend. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Tom Cruise may be batshit nuts, but he works his ass off to try and make a good movie. I enjoyed it pretty much EXACTLY as much as I’ve enjoyed the others (which is a good thing) with a bonus of Simon Pegg. Afterwards I got snagged by a studio focus group person to answer some questions about the movie and about the movies we saw previewed. Wow, y’all. There’s about to be some SHIT coming out.
My favorite part: Why wouldn’t you see Ghost Rider?
Me: DID YOU SEE THE FIRST ONE? It was fucking TERRIBLE. (she actually had to type that all out. I was amused.)
Her: What could we change about the trailer to make you more likely to see the movie?
Me: PUT ANYONE BUT NICK CAGE IN IT. He’s been terrible ever since The Rock. In fact, put The Rock in it and I might go see THAT.
This was apropos of The Rock being in the equally terrible looking sequel to GI Joe. My response to that was ALSO Did you see the TERRIBLE FIRST FILM?
I won’t lie, I had a bit of fun with the fact that she was having to type my responses verbatim.
They don’t give you money or anything for doing those surveys but, as I told Spouse, if I’m going to keep bitching about the shit movies Hollywood is putting out this is the LEAST I can do to try and help. As it is, we rarely see films in theaters [response to actual question from survey lady: We like to see shit blow up.] but if you’re going to give me a chance to have input I’ll stop and answer the questions for the common good.
Surprise from the survey: Spouse saying he’d be most likely to see Snow White and the Huntsman (versus other previewed films) because of the people in it. Huh.
Things I have loved this year – tv, apps, podcasts
Posted by Sarah in books, geek toys, recommendations, reviews, television, tv on Dec 30, 2011 | 1 commentI listened to A LOT of podcasts this year. It started with The Nerdist (which I still love) and led me to some comedy podcasts that I DIDN’T enjoy so much but ultimately I found Girl on Guy (Aisha Tyler) and Sklarbro Country (the Sklar brothers) which made up for any missteps. Episode 1 of Girl on Guy has, by far, the funniest story I have ever heard. The rest of her shows are right in my wheelhouse. She’s a chick who thinks like a dude and has wide-ranging interests and plenty of geek hobbies. And she’s funny. Sklarbro Country is a great combination of comedy and sports with impressive guests. I’m less enamored of their ‘celebrity call in’ segment but it’s toward the end so I usually just skip it.
I also love Pop Culture Happy Hour and Culturetopia from NPR. The former was a recommendation by my friend Mimi and it consistently makes me laugh.
Book podcasts! Bookrageous is a fave because it’s three friends talking about books and graphic novels they like and frequently trying to convince one another to read something they love. It’s been great and I got a couple of excellent recs out of it this year, not to mention it’s fun to listen to. Incidentally, I recommend Brews and Books (Josh’s blog) since it’s the way I found the podcast and I love his beer reviews. Books on the Nightstand is a little more polished but also gave me great reading ideas this year.
Sound Opinions from NPR was my go-to music podcast and I enjoyed every single episode.
The 404 was my geekcast of choice, as I have raved about before. Buzz Out Loud switched to once a week podcasts with special coverage episodes, which means I listened to it more than I would have expected.
Doug Loves Movies was, hands down, the funniest podcast I listened to all year. I could be seen laughing out loud at work REGULARLY while listening.
Android Apps:
Words with Friends. Do I really have to explain this? I was the kind of kid who learned to play Scrabble by making the coolest words we could- we didn’t keep score. Words with Friends has taught me strategy. I dig it.
Tweetcaster replaced Tweetdeck toward the end of the year because it’s got a great user interface and it does everything I want it to.
No Time to Cook by Real Simple is a great app and cost about the same as one issue of the magazine. Consistently delicious recipes. ChefTap I already raved about but I am still loving it and having lots of success.
Foursquare continues to be my default ‘travel’ app, with a side of OpenTable for getting reservations. My fave utilities are Springpad and OurGroceries. My calendar is Jorte, whose only fault as far as I can see is an inability to create bi-weekly events. Now that I work in an office with a radio, I understand and use Shazam.
Gentle Alarm is still the way I wake up and I still love it. Tea Timer has been great for making tea, the Starbucks app is great if you’ve got a Starbucks nearby (I no longer do) and the Eljay app has made my LJ flist mobile.
Tab Tools is a GREAT app for guitar tabs and my goal for the new year is to actually USE the Meditation Support Timer.
Greader and Gmail are on my homescreen with G+ and Tweetcaster. Password Card is the best thing for creating safe passwords on the go.
Dear Emergency Medical Spanish App – YOU ARE AWESOME.
Untappd is a recent addition which I’m playing with. Verdict is still out.
TV.
Dude. I watched A LOT of TV this year.
Tops on my list: Revenge, Justified, Homeland, Community, Castle, Sons of Anarchy, Once Upon a Time, Grimm, Criminal Minds, Modern Family, Ringer, The Mentalist and Covert Ops.
Whether it was brain candy (Revenge, Covert Ops, Grimm, Once Upon a Time, Ringer), interesting crime drama (Justified, Homeland, Sons of Anarchy, Castle) or comedy (everything else), this was the stuff that made me keep watching.
Revenge is campy, but awesomely so (and FYA does GREAT recaps), Covert Ops is slightly less campy but equally fun. I’m enjoying the modern takes on fairy tales and I loved the comedies. That said, if I was going to recommend something to everyone, it would be Homeland, Sons of Anarchy and Justified.
Homeland had tight and intense writing, focused storylines without a dozen hanging threads and some INCREDIBLE performances. Claire Danes better get an Emmy. Watching Sons of Anarchy is like a terrible accident – you know what’s probably going to happen, you can’t look away and then HOLY SHIT something else comes out of the blue – but so out of the blue that you disengage, you’re just pissed you didn’t see it coming. Justified has Timothy Olyphant so that’s 1. He’s a cowboy in Wild West sense of the word, so that’s 2. It’s got one of the most interesting fencesitting characters (is he good? is he terrible? does he even KNOW?) in Boyd Crowder that I’ve seen on television, so that’s 3. Add in the very specific kind of subculture that happens in rural areas and it’s engaging, thoughtful and consistently a wild ride.
So there you go. That’s my favorites roundup. My list of this year’s books is at Goodreads and I think I posted about MOST of them, so you should be able to click on the 2011 books tag on this post and get all the entries. At Goodreads the books are all listed chronologically. I’m hoping to get through a reread of some of the Dresden Files books this weekend so I can start catching up.
Salvage the Bones
Posted by Sarah in books, reviews on Dec 27, 2011 | 0 commentsThis ended up being book 60 of 55 Books I Read And Am Willing to Tell People About. I’m pleasantly surprised to be exceeding my goal but I’ll probably keep it to 55 again next year. With any luck, I’m going to end this year’s reading with some brain candy.
Back to my original point: After reading about a dozen reviews that loved Salvage the Bones but didn’t seem to really know how to TALK about it (including Jen Weiner, who I LOVE), when it came up as a Kindle Special Offer for $2, there was no chance I was passing it up.
First, the hype is justified. It’s an incredibly lovely novel, written with equal parts hope and sadness and captures an experience that most will only ever read about. The language is beautiful and the characters painfully well-rendered. For those unfamiliar, it’s the story of an impoverished family’s experience surrounding Hurricane Katrina. Before you jump to the ‘holy depressing’ conclusion, it’s also an amazing story about community and family and how we try to take care of our own. Definitely worthy of the acclaim and awards.
In only tangentially related news, I completed my online FEMA emergency training and while being PAINFULLY DULL it’s actually full of good things which makes me hopeful about our response to further natural and man-made disasters.
Hey girl, I’mma leave this post
Posted by Sarah in books, food, miscellany on Dec 22, 2011 | 1 commentYes, that’s a Ryan Gosling/Kanye West meme mashup. Because THAT’S the kind of nerd I am. Know what other kind of nerd I am? I got a Littman II Classic and that motherfucker is LIKE MAGIC. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s totally fine – just keep scrolling.
Book 59 of 50 this year turned out to be The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. I remembered enjoying The Historian but not so much I wanted to purchase this particular book, so I checked it out from the library. The premise involves a mystery surrounding a painting and the disturbed artist who attempted to attack it. It’s told in varying viewpoints by the shrink, the artist’s wife, the artist’s mistress and a painter in the 1800s.
There was probably not a single twist I didn’t predict, which is not a dealbreaker for me. I was thoroughly uninterested in the mistress, so I skimmed her chapters. The language, while lovely, was a bit… forced throughout. For example, you can write the way people speak or write the way they’d write (which is frequently more lovely) but you can’t purport that speech patterns are the same as writing patterns as I’ve literally never met anyone in my life who speaks exactly as they write. That was just a bit weird.
I think my biggest complaint is that it took the best story elements and techniques from The Blind Assassin and Possession and just didn’t deliver well on it. It doesn’t help that those are two of my favorite novels but I was predisposed to enjoy the premise and the mode of storytelling and ultimately for me it just fell a bit flat. Which is not to say it was BAD because lord knows I’ve read some absolute shit this year that I wouldn’t even talk about (hence the 50 list) and this was a good read, it just fell a bit short of its potential.
Hrm. Self edit here: I looked at my review of The Historian and apparently I DIDN’T enjoy it that much (I gave it two stars), so I guess this comes out ahead at 3 stars.
Unrelated, I’ve been inspired by the BrokeAss Gourmet and I think I’m going to create a recipe for Dark Chocolate Cranberry brownies. I’ve got spare cranberries.
Also, Dear WordPress: I KNOW there’s an update but I’m not installing it until I’m completely convinced it will not utterly fuck up my site. This is because I had that whole snafu earlier this year with my site being utterly b0rked and that’s not how I’m looking to go into the new year. I’mma let you update in my own damn time.
I’ll admit it
Posted by Sarah in books, entertainment, miscellany, movies, recommendations, reviews on Dec 5, 2011 | 0 commentsI spent an embarrassing amount of time this weekend watching cheesy holiday made-for-tv movies on the Hallmark Channel. Ridiculous. Some of them were actually worth it, though.
I finished book 57 over the weekend – The Postmistress. It was similar in tone to The Distant Hours (though I felt The Distant Hours had a more compelling story) and is set in the same time period. While I enjoyed it, I had the sense throughout the entire book of WAITING for something to HAPPEN. And then when something happened, it felt like I went back to waiting another several chapters. Hrm. Of the two, The Distant Hours is to be preferred.
Catching up
Posted by Sarah in books, recommendations, reviews on Nov 30, 2011 | 0 commentsI haven’t blogged in a bit because 1) holidays. Thanksgiving was nothing short of epic – our friends came over and we watched football and drank and had great conversation and played games – for 13 hours. It was fantastic.
2) Job change. Black Friday was set to be my last day and when I woke up, I couldn’t be arsed to go. And thus, the old job ends. My new job begins tomorrow and I am very excited about it.
3) Travel. Having the long weekend, I went to Glenwood Springs with Spouse and enjoyed a bit of out of town scenery.
4) Nonprofit news. I’ve spent a bit of my free time putting together articles of incorporation and bylaws and basically getting things in order so that I can make this happen. Very exciting.
In semi-related news, I’ve made the 55 Books I Want to Talk About goal – a month early.
Book 56 is The Paris Wife by Paula McLain.
I LOVED this. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a Hemingway fan and I’ve a particular relationship with A Moveable Feast (my favorite of his works) having traced a fair bit of it through Europe on my own. I was always a bit fascinated by his relationship with Hadley but I’m not much for biographical research. This is incredibly executed and wonderfully imagined, it’s about complex people and the difficulty of relationships (also a theme in my 2011 books?). Hemingway sounds like Hemingway which lends all sorts of credibility to the novel. Hadley is an engaging and thoughtful character and the dynamics not only of their relationship but all their relationships in Paris and beyond are visceral.
I haven’t highlighted a book on my Kindle in ages and I highlighted a BOATLOAD of brilliant bits in this. In fact, I was rather surprised to not find much in “public highlights” mostly because this was incredible. Lovely, lovely, lovely. This is one I got as a library lender but I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy.
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
Posted by Sarah in books, recommendations, reviews on Nov 20, 2011 | 0 commentsI can’t remember why, of all the books I put on my TBR list this year – and believe me THERE ARE A LOT, that I decided to buy this one. Maybe it was a review I read or heard, maybe the price was right but for whatever reason I did.
If I had to pick a theme in my books this year, it would be “atmospheric.” Not intentionally, of course, but I’m finding the thread running through my favorite reads of this year at least.
This novel, by Tom Franklin, isn’t a mystery or a thriller but at the same time it is. I’ve never read Franklin before but it’s a delicately woven narrative linking two characters and a difficult problem, in a tough time and place. It’s complicated and dense, like relationships are, but at the same time it’s engaging and thoughtful and pulls you along to the next page. Some of his descriptions are lovely but mostly it’s just about people and the things we do and how we punish each other.
So if that wasn’t obscure enough, I highly recommend it.
Kindle, my bizzle!
Posted by Sarah in books, geek toys, recommendations, reviews on Nov 17, 2011 | 2 commentsXmas came early in the Wilder house.
I ordered a Kindle Fire for Spouse for Xmas and I did the preorder because I remember how previous Kindle rollouts have sometimes been delayed. This actually worked out well because the only thing on MY Xmas list was the Kindle Touch (wifi). So on the day his Fire showed up, I took my K3 to Target and did a trade-in (I got about $25 which was a bit less than I would have gotten if I’d done it online) and picked up my KTouch. (NB: You can also do this via Amazon. I used Target because I have access to an employee discount)
So. KINDLES ALL AROUND.
Spouse has been debating about a tablet, as the iPad/Xoom movement has been sweeping his workplace. I’ve got some iPad issues, not the least of which is the price tag, so we were talking about usage. He wants to be able to check work email and manipulate Office documents, plus use it for media purposes – which is what made me think the Kindle Fire might be perfect.
It’s a bit heavier than I would expect, having been spoiled by the Kindles, but the graphics are pretty sweet and the screen is very responsive. I got him a case that allows it to stand up and he hasn’t had any complaints about the touch keyboard. (I was a little worried on that point, I’ll admit) Today there was a free app (they do it every day and I kind of love that) called Enhanced Email which can be configured for his work account. There’s also an Office Pro app which allows you to create, edit and share Office docs and is compatible with Office 2010. With those few functions, he’s pretty much all set. The web browser seems to be pretty quick and Cloud access is definitely nice.
I don’t know that he’s gotten into the video yet but the Prime trial means he can watch Arrested Development streaming so I expect that to change soon.
As for me, the Kindle Touch is SWEET. I love the touch screen and I especially love that it allows me to turn the pages without moving my hand. Once you get used to touching the top of the screen for the menu functions (also like that on the Fire, btw) it’s a snap. Long touch something to add it to a collection or see other options, short touch to open it. Completely intuitive if you’ve been using the Kindle line.
The clarity of the screen is great, the ads are unobtrusive and only visible as either screensavers or on the menu screens. Page turns are also noticeably faster.
I’m adjusting to the size which is simultaneously great and crazy small. Like, I can’t believe how much smaller it is but I don’t feel as if I’ve lost anything but HOLY SHIT LOOK HOW SMALL IT IS. It’s pretty fantastic. I haven’t hooked it up for social networking but I WILL say that the touch screen made it hella easier to enter my securely ridiculous long wifi password.
Unrelated to the tech, I decided to change my collections on the new device to simplify things a bit more.
Definitely related: if you own a Kindle, you should definitely have Books on the Knob on your RSS feed. They do an amazing job of rounding up free/cheap books and the app of the day.
Back to unrelated: Anyone on G+ adopting Google Music yet? I dropped the app on my phone and I’m currently uploading my collection to the Cloud.
Further unrelated: I heard someone on NPR refer to 2012 as the Year of Dickens due to a number of adaptations in the works. Anyone want to (re)read some classics with me?
