Monday, April 30, 2012

April Book Tally

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
What We Eat When We Eat Alone by Deborah Madison and Patrick McFarlin
Evvy's Civil War by Miriam Brenaman
A Sudden Country by Karen Fisher
Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr
Amulet vol 1 by Kazu Kibuishi
Timeless by Gail Carriger

Another good month filled with great reads.


Stats:
Fill In The Gaps YTD: 0 (None this month)
War Through The Generations YTD: 2 (None this month)
The Western Genre Challenge YTD: 1 (A Sudden Country)
Foodies Read 2 Challenge YTD: 4 (What We Eat When We Eat Alone)
Total to date: 33

Friday, April 27, 2012

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

After reading about Ready Player One I knew I had to read it. I love it so this is entire review is going to be me squeeing and being all fangirl. This is definitely a book I would buy and read (and listen to) again and again.
Wade lives in Oklahoma City in the year 2044. Earth's been savaged by war so most people live in or near large cities. Wade lives in the stacks, a mobile home park where the mobile homes are stacked on top of each other, sometimes 15 homes tall. Wade is in high school and attends school in the OASIS. The OASIS is an online world similar to Second Life but OASIS is more immersive. Wade has his own avatar, Parzival. Wade spends hours in the OASIS, avoiding his real life which is fairly sad. I loved Wade. He's such the underdog. I couldn't help but root for him. 
One of the reasons I loved this book was all the 80's trivia. As a child of the 80's, I loved all the references to the movies, tv shows, and video games. I was squeeing and thumbs uping all over the place. There were other pop culture references that also made me love the book so much more. It was like talking to someone who loves the 80's as much as I do. Plus I was familiar with some of the gaming references. I really enjoyed the references to Dungeons and Dragons. I felt like I was in on everything. You when you hear people talk about something you understand. That was this book for me.
I decided to listen to the audiobook of Ready Player One rather than read the book. I'd heard that Wil Wheaton's reading of it enhanced other people's enjoyment of it so I thought I'd give it a try. I don't usually listen to audiobooks but my plan was to listen to while I was cooking and cleaning during the readathon. I assumed that I would listen to it for a few hours then switch to a paper book. But I could not stop listening to it. I'm beginning to understand the appeal of audiobooks. 
Overall, I would recommend Ready Player One to those who like books about gaming culture or the 80's. If you cannot understand why someone would spend hours playing video games, this really isn't the book for you. If you don't remember the 80's fondly or want to remember the 80's at all, this isn't the book for you. Others who shared their thoughts on Ready Player One: Love, Laughter, and A Touch of Insanity, The Written World, Book Journey, Whimplusive, You've GOTTA Read This, Feeding My Book Addiction, My Books. My Life, Devourer of Books, Jenn's Bookshelves, Chaotic Compendiums, and The Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Library Loot


 Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I loved the first book. I can't wait to continue the series.
When I spied this one Olduvai's blog, I immediately added it to my library queue. 
I spotted The Maid on the library shelf, I grabbed it. I've had it on my tbr list for a while.

What did you get this week?

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: All Time Favorite Characters In Books



Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.


  1.       Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables)-She was one character I wished would have come to life when I was younger. I adored her and was sure we’d be bosom friends.
  2.       Jacob Black (Twilight series)- I am firmly Team Jacob. To me, Jacob is the kind of guy you want to find.
  3.      Sara Crewe (The Little Princess)-I used to pretend I was The Little Princess as a child. I wished we had an attic for me to live in.
  4.      Oliver Twist-This is one is probably more because of the movie than the book but I love Oliver Twist. I wanted to jump into the movie and sing and dance with Oliver.
  5.      Lawrence Selden (House of Mirth)- This book breaks my heart over and over again. I feel more for Lawrence than I do for Lilly. He’s such a tragic hero.
  6.      Cannie Shapiro (Good In Bed & Certain Girls)-As I’ve said before, I read Good In Bed in one night. While I love Bridget Jones, Cannie is much more like me. When I read it, I felt like we were the same person. I was definitely a sobbing mess at the end of this one.
  7.       The girls of The Baby Sitter’s Club- I can’t narrow it to one so don’t ask. Right now, I feel very Claudia, but I have been Mary Anne, Kristy, Dawn, Stacey, Mallory and Jessi.
  8.       Wade O. Watts (Ready Player One)-I was definitely cheering for Wade all though Ready Player One. I think I have a tiny crush on him. His knowledge of video games, 80's movies and tv shows would give us tons to talk about.   
  9.       The Wolfe Family (Underdogs)-I feel in love the Wolfes. Such a great family with wonderful characters.
  10.       Niall (The Wicked Lovely series)-I do love dark fey. He's my favorite of all the Wicked Lovely fey.

Monday, April 23, 2012

A Sudden Country by Karen Fisher

I picked up A Sudden Country after reading about it on Shelf Talk. I need to get cracking on the Western Genre challenge. It certainly fit the challenge but wasn't my favorite read.
A Sudden Country focuses on Lucy, a married mother, and MacLaren, a trader, travelling on the Oregon Trail. Lucy is travelling with her children and her second husband. Life on the trail is hard. Lucy and her family are moving to Oregon to start a new life. MacLaren is running from his demons. Both are searching for something along the trail.
I loved the writing. So beautiful. It could really see the rugged countryside. But it was slow. Fisher took her time travelling the trail.
It was a great book about life on the Oregon Trail but a little slow for my taste. Others who shared their thoughts on A Sudden Country: Civil Thoughts, Reading, Writing, Working, Playing, and Sarahlynn's Writing Blog.
This is my first read for the Western Genre Reading Challenge.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Readathon: End of The Event Survey


  1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
  2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
  3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
  4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
  5. How many books did you read?
  6. What were the names of the books you read?
  7. Which book did you enjoy most?
  8. Which did you enjoy least?
  9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
  10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?


1. I'm not sure what hour it was but it was about midnight when I started to fall asleep. I only had a little bit left on part one of Ready Player One and I wanted to finish it before calling it a night.
2. Ready Player One kept me engaged. I hadn't planned on listening to the whole book. I only planned on listening to a little bit but I couldn't put it down.
3. I think the Readathon is run really well and I don't have any suggestions.
4. Everything seemed to work well for me. I appreciated the Readathon's presence on twitter. I was able keep up to date on the latest news.
5. I finished one I had started before the Readathon (A Sudden Country) and got about halfway through Ready Player One.
6. A Sudden Country and Ready Player One.
7.  Ready Player One is fantastic. I can't stop talking about it. I'm pestering Tai to read it too.
8. A Sudden Country was ok but not my favorite.
9. I didn't cheer as much as I did the last time which meant I read more. No advice, just keep up the cheering!
10. I'm planning on participating again in October either as a reader or a cheerleader. I'll have to see how much time I'll have.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Readathon: MidEvent Survey

I just got back from taking a break. Changed our dinner plans so I had to pop out to the store. It was actually nice to take a break from being home all day.


1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?
Not sleepy at all. I thought I was going to fall asleep about 2 hours ago but the trip to the store revived me.


2) What have you finished reading?
Only one so far-A Sudden Country. 


3) What is your favorite read so far?
This readathon has turned into a listenathon! I'm loving Ready Player One. I don't think I'll finish it today. I've got about 9 hours left.


4) What about your favorite snacks?
Not snacking as much as I thought I would. I did love my lunchtime quesadillas! 


5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!
I haven't been as social as I have been during other readathons. As the night wears on I'll stop by and encourage my fellow readers more. 

Readathon: Midday Update

I finished A Sudden Country this morning. I had hoped to finish it last night but it didn't work out. Now, I'm listening to Ready Player One. I'm completely hooked. I'm able to do things around the house, fold laundry, cook and listen to the book at the same time. I hadn't planned to listen to the book the whole day but I think I might.
How's your day going?

Readathon: The Beginning

It was listed as a 5am start for me. 5am finds me asleep. I'm getting a little later start. I needs my beauty sleep. Once I get some food and coffee in me I'll be ready to start reading. I got my stack of books already to go:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
I live in a suburb of Seattle, WA.

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
I'm looking forward to finally reading both The Host and Summer And The City. I've had both on my shelf for a while.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
I'm planning on making these cookies later today. I can't wait.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
I like to cook. I've started baking more. My dream job would be one that combines reading and food. 

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?
I'm going to be reading books off my shelf rather than library books this go around. I also planned more snacks this time unlike last year!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Evvy's Civil War by Miriam Brenaman

I don't remember how I came to add Evvy's Civil War to my tbr list. It proved to be a popular one with my library system. I waited about a year before getting this one. It turned out to be an enjoyable read. I can see why there was such a wait.
It's just before the start of the American Civil War when Evvy turns 14. In her family it means that she's considered an adult. No more playing for Evvy. Her parent's expect her to be a lady. It had to be an interesting time to come of age. Discussion of slavery, women's rights, and state secession were all topics that Evvy had never considered before she turned 14. I expect that Evvy was pretty typical of most Southern girls. Slavery wasn't something people thought about. It was an accepted practice regardless of how wrong it might be. But Evvy investigates her "truths" and realizes that just because something is accepted doesn't mean it's right.
I admired Evvy. When she was faced with awful truths about her family, she didn't hide. She tried to find the best solution to each problem. Overall she had to grow up faster than her sisters because the situation demanded it. The story is well paced and the plot deals with things that many Southern women (as well as Northern women) would had to face- life with men, lack of supplies, fear of war intruding on their doorsteps.
I recommended this sweet story about a young girl coming of age during the American Civil War.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Awkward & Awesome Thursday


More awesome this week than awkward. It's a good week.
Awkward:
-My earring holes have closed up. I can't decide if I should re-pierce them or wear clip ons. I rarely wear earring hence why the holes closed but I like the option. 

Awesome:
-Today's my Friday! Woo Hoo. Sleeping in tomorrow.
-This Saturday's the Read-a-thon! Twenty-four hours of reading baby.
-I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. Looking forward to getting some style.

What was awkward and awesome for you this week?

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Library Loot

 Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!


Sniff, the last in the Parasol Protectorate series. 
I finally gave in to the peer pressure. Can you believe I've never read The Giver?
After reading Olduvai's review of this one, I knew I had to add it to my queue. I think Tai and I might both like it. 

What did you get this week?

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Advice For New Book Bloggers



Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

I'm constantly learning from other bloggers but here's some of what I've learned in my nearly five years blogging.


1.    Be social. Join a meme or two. It’s a great way to connect with others and help feed traffic to your site.  Also joining blog hops, readathons or other online social events are great ways to meet others. Ultimately it’s about making connections but those connections help build traffic.
2.    Follow your own blog's feed. It helps to see how the reader sees your blog. It's also great in case something doesn't post or posts accidental. 
3.    Tweet. Twitter is a great way to connect with others interested in the same things you are. Don’t just post about your posts. Share the love and tweet about others.
4.    Comment a lot. Visit other blogs and leave meaningful comments. Unless it’s a weekly meme or a blog hop, try to respond to something from the post, ask questions, or leave your impressions on what they were posting about.
5.    Have a way for people to get in touch with you. Make sure your email address and/or twitter handle are in plain sight. And respond as quickly as you can.
6.    Feel free to try out new things. You have a lot of different interests, feel free to share them on your blog. Don’t pen yourself in.
7.    Link to other blogs. Besides filling your blog roll with other bloggers, find ways to link to others in your posts. If you saw something on another blog, give them a shout out.
8.    Join Goodreads or LibraryThing. You'll meet people (potential blog readers) that way. Plus it's a great way to catalog your books. 
9.    Keep the Conversation going. Respond to comments either on your blog or email them directly. People take the time to comment you should try to acknowledge them.  
10.  Keep growing. You'll glean ideas from blogs. Just don't feel like you need to change your blog all the time. But it can be fun and make your blog feel fresh and new again.

What are your tips for new bloggers?

Monday, April 16, 2012

Gearing Up For The Readathon

Dewey's 24 hour Read-a-thon is this Saturday. Are you participating?
I'm getting my books lined up, sorting out food for the day, and getting those pesky chores done before Saturday morning rolls around.
This year my theme for the Read-a-thon is reading books off my shelves. I'm going through my shelves and making a pile of books to read. While I have a ton o' library books still to read, I'm taking the day off from reading them.
If you can't join in the reading fun, consider being a cheerleader. Cheerleaders provide support and well wishes to the readers. You can cheer on Twitter and/or by visiting blogs. Cheerleading is really appreciated especially in the wee hours of the night. But feel free to stop by on Saturday and say hi!

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Weekend Cooking: What We Eat When We Eat Alone by Deborah Madison and Patrick McFarlin

I put What We Eat When We Eat Alone on my tbr list after reading about it on Omnivoracious a few years ago. I liked the idea of finding out what other people eat when they eat alone. It's kind of like snooping.
What We Eat When We Eat Alone reminded me a lot of The Everlasting Meal. Rather than just a collection of recipes, When We Eat When We Eat Alone combines stories about food and eating with recipes. Just like The Everlasting Meal, When We Eat When We Eat Alone gave me a lot of ideas and a renewed passion for cooking.
People eat alone for a variety of reasons. When Tai's not home, I get eat whatever I want. A lot of times I get takeout-Indian, swimming rama, Qdoba-are my preferred choices. But if I cook, I make tofu stir fries. But others might eat along due to opposing schedules, dietary concerns, being single, widowed, or divorced. I quite enjoyed the stories about how people chose what to eat. Whether it was a simple meal of tuna and bread or fancy with roasted lamb. It reminded me of that Sex And The City episode about Carrie's secret single behavior.
So I choose one recipe of the several I marked to share today.

Roasted Asparagus With Chopped Egg, Torn Bread, and Mustard Vinaigrette
from What We Eat We Eat Alone

1 lb asparagus
olive oil
s & p
1 piece of bread, toasted
1 or 2 hard boiled eggs
1 tsp coarse mustard (I used Grey Poupon's Harvest Coarse Mustard but any coarse mustard will work)
1 tbs red wine vinegar
3 tbs olive oil
Heat the oven to 400. Cut off the woody bottoms of the asparagus. Wash the asparagus. Put the asparagus in a roasting pan, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook asparagus for 15-20 minutes.
While the asparagus is cooking, combine the mustard, vinegar, and oil. Taste and adjust as needed for your tastes.
Once the asparagus is cooked, tear the bread and sprinkle it over the asparagus. Spoon the vinaigrette over the bread and asparagus, then add the eggs over the whole thing.
I know it looks like a mess but it was delicious. The perfect spring salad/side dish/main dish. Tai and I shared it before dinner as a sort of salad. I would definitely make this again.
What We Eat When We Eat Alone is full of wonderful recipe ideas that it can either be doubled for more people or just enjoyed as a single dish. There are a few recipes for a crowd or to be eaten over the course of a few days. Many of the meals could suit two like this one when added to a meal. I enjoyed What We Eat When We Eat Alone.
This was my fourth read for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Sauteed Chard & Steak Dinner Plus A Review of Full Circle

I mentioned that we joined Full Circle, a local organic delivery company. Each week we get a box of produce delivered to our door. We've been absolutely delighted with the quality of their products. One of the best things is trying new to us vegetables and fruit. In last week's box, there was a bunch of chard. I've never made chard before so I did a little internet snooping and found this recipe.
It was delicious. I can't wait to make it again. And that lovely steak next to it? Also from Full Circle. I'm telling you they're awesome. I love that I can add meat, dairy products, and fresh pasta to my order. 
If you live in the Seattle area and looking for organic grocery delivery, try Full Circle

While it might sound like I was paid to write these lovely things about Full Circle but I wasn't. These are my honest, free opinions. 





Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

After reading Wither last year, I wanted to continue Rhine's story with Fever. Perhaps it was more of my high hopes, but Fever didn't do it for me.
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion. On the run, they seek safety in unlikely places and search for Rhine's brother. Rhine starts off really good. Girl doesn't have a plan but seems to roll with the punches pretty well. I don't feel like she's as doe-eyed as she was in Wither. She seems to have learned to buck up. Gabriel fills out his role much better til about the middle of the book. Then he has a dramatic mood change. That's one thing that bothered me in Fever-the mood changes. I'm happy, everything's fine. Five pages later, nothing's ok, it's the end of the world. Each time it happens there's a reason that's explained ten pages later. At first I was mad at Gabriel, I actually hoped he would go away. Why was he getting bitchy? When it was explained it made sense but why couldn't have it been explained earlier. Or later when Rhine experiences her mood swing, I got pissy again. Just when I starting to like you, Rhine, you go whiney and weird. Again it made sense but why I did have go through several pages disliking you? It didn't make me more sympathetic to you, Rhine.
Lots of the story doesn't make sense til later in the book. I wasn't confused. I did accept a lot but I didn't like how it felt like a mystery toward the end. I am anxious to see how the trilogy ends. I'm hoping for something with a real bang.
I was pretty meh about Fever. Here are some others that shared their opinion on Fever: Read. Breathe. Relax, Books Devoured, Midnight Book Girl, and From L.A.to LA.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Weekend Cooking: Be Thrifty

I picked up Be Thrifty because I'm always looking for ways to save a buck. Overall I enjoyed it. Even if you've been living the thrifty lifestyle, there are still plenty of great tips. I think this would be a great book to give a new homeowner since there are tips for how to make your own small repairs. Or a new parent since there is a chapter on saving money with kids. I found the food section the most useful to me. And I wanted to share two recipes that I gleaned from Be Thrifty.

First up, Pasta e Fagioli (adapted from Be Thrifty):
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
3/4 cup of diced carrots, zucchini, and/or celery
3 cans vegetable or chicken broth
2 cans died tomatoes
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 cup of small pasta like macaroni (I used cheese tortellini)
salt and pepper to taste
optional:
1 tsp of red pepper
the rind of a hard cheese like parmesan
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and let soften (about 5 minutes). Then add carrots, zucchini, and/or celery. Cook til they begin to soften (about 4 minutes).
Add garlic, broth, canned tomatoes (with juices), red pepper, and Italian seasoning to pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
Once soup is boiling, add pasta. This is also when I added the rind. This is something I learned about in  An Everlasting Meal. The rind add flavor and depth to the soup. It's a great way to use up all the cheese. If you don't have a rind laying around, I asked my cheese monger at Whole Foods who gave me a rind for free.
After the pasta is soft but not al dente, add the beans and bring to a boil again. Cook til pasta is al dente. Serve with crusty bread.
This soup made 6 Linda sized servings. I had it for lunch the following day. The pasta started to disintegrate. I would try to eat it the day of and the next day at the latest. This would be awesome at a potluck.

Better Than Canned Tomato Soup (adapted from Be Thrifty):
2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup diced onions
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1/2 tsp allspice
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cans plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Add oil to large soup pot. Add butter to oil and let melt. Add onions and cook til soft. Add garlic stirring for about 4 minutes. Sprinkle allspice in, stir, and cook for another minute.
Add broth, tomatoes, and sugar. The original recipe called for the tomatoes to be drained which seemed wasteful to me. I drained some of the juice but not all of it.
Bring soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, pot partially covered. Then let cool. Either puree the cooled soup in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender. Blend til smooth. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.
It was better than canned tomato soup. I was surprised there was no cream in it. I would make this again and again.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Review: Zumba Fitness 2 for the Wii

I've been going to Zumba classes for the past 2 years. I love Zumba. But recently I wasn't excited to go to class. The classes have been super packed. There are 2 new gyms opening near me soon so I was hoping to hang on and keep going to the overcrowded Zumba classes until the new gyms opened. But I found myself wanting to skip classes more and more.
I decided to buy the Zumba 2 game for the Wii. When I was at Gamestop they only had the second one, not the first. The gal at the register said she heard this one was better. Does anyone have the first Zumba? Any thoughts?
I did want to buy Zumba for the Kinect but we don't have one and I wasn't willing to shell out the cash when I bought the game. Maybe another day.
Anyhoo, I've had the game for about a month. I like being able to do the workout when I want, when I want. I get the same workout as the class. In fact a lot of the songs and moves are just like the class. I would recommend this to someone who wants to learn Zumba before heading to a class or someone who's enjoyed the classes but can't attend them for whatever reason.
My favorite songs are Pause by Pitbull:

I couldn't find the Wii version but the Kinect has the same moves. This is the same choreography that we would do in class.
Poison by Nicole Scherzinger:

I would never listen to this song outside of the game, but it's a great workout song.
Caipirinha:

I loved this one in class.
What I don't like:
  • Sometimes it's hard to follow along. The cues only show a few steps. Also there's few cues to transitions. I get lost sometimes. But the more you do the less you'll need the cues.
  • Perhaps it's easier with the Kinect but sometimes the Wii doesn't seem to pick up my movements. I'll be killing a song but only half the steps register. I'm still getting the same workout but I like the positive reinforcement of the Zumbas and the stars. 
  • The belt that came with the game didn't fit :( I bought some elastic at the fabric store and threaded it through the back of the Wii rubber grip. Sometimes it slips down but can be easily adjusted. 
Overall two thumbs up!

Disclaimer: I bought this game with my own money and no one asked me to write this post. I really like the game and wanted to share my thoughts.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Awesome and Awkward Thursday




Awkward:
-Getting a mass text. Then I get a hundred replies to something I'm not interested in. Grr.
-I've made overnight oats twice and I'm not a fan.
-I've been super lazy with my hair. Most days I wear a ponytail. I either need a hair cut or to stop being lazy.

Awesome:
-We got our first delivery of produce from Full Circle this week. Yay for fresh strawberries!
-Frozen yogurt. I''m a little addicted to it.
-These muffins. The zucchini makes them healthy right?

What's awesome and awkward for you this week?

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Library Loot



 Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!




I'm pretty stoked about this one showing up so quickly. I'm going to have to rearrange my library stack to get to it before it has to go back.
Christine mentioned Amulet in her loot last week. It sounded really good so I put the first book in my queue.
I read A Year of Living Biblically last year. Roose was Jacobs' research assistant. I thought I might enjoy his book too.
This is one is for the Fill In The Gaps Challenge.
I spotted this one on the new and interesting shelf at the library. I had remembered I wanted to read it so I picked it up.
I had been reluctant to read McEwan but Staci's wonderful review of On Chesil Beach convinced me to give it a try. 
After reading about this one (I forget where now), I put it on my queue. It sounds like a book I could. I have trouble sitting still and just being.
What did you get this week?





Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Books To Read in A Day


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This Top Ten Tuesday is so perfect for the upcoming Readathon (April 21). Here are ten books I have read in a day:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-I can't believe it's only been a year since I read The Hunger Games. I got the whole series to read for the Readathon. I only completed The Hunger Games but was able to start Catching Fire too.

2. Kafka's Soup by Mark Crick- This is a collection of short stories. Each one is a recipe as written by a different author. Funny and engaging.

3. The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore. Despite the fact this one is over 500 pages, I completed this one in a day. It was completely engaging and I could not put it down. 

4. Autobiography of A Fat Bride by Laurie Nataro-Actually I could substitute any of her humor books here. I find I share Nataro's sense of humor. I love the silly places she finds herself. 

5. The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd-I was sad it took me so long to read this one. Such a great vivid story that I couldn't put down.

6. Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater-I loved this book. I wanted to crawl inside this book and live. 


8. Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner-Probably the first book I stayed up all night to read as an adult. I also cried for most of it. I remember giving it to my best friend the next day, telling her to read it immediately. 

9. Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler-Actually any of the Riders of The Apocalypse books could be read in a day. Short powerful stories that leave me craving the next in the series. 

10. Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart-A great book about loss and discovering your past. Also some beautiful writing that will engage you quickly. 

Monday, April 2, 2012

March Book Tally

Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Across The Universe by Beth Revis
The Iron Thorn by Catilin Kitterdge
The Sweet Scent of Blood by Suzanne McLeod
Be Thrifty edited by Pia Catton


Eight this month. Not bad especially since I read some fantastic books this month. Tough to pick a favorite. They were all really good. 




Stats:
Fill In The Gaps YTD: 0 (None this month)
War Through The Generations YTD: 2 (None this month)
The Western Genre Challenge YTD: 0 (None this month)
Foodies Read 2 Challenge YTD: 3 (None this month)
Total to date: 25