Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Format: Trade Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:
Three women, three men, connected through marriage or infidelity. Each is to blame for something. But only one is a killer in this nail-biting, stealthy psychological thriller about human frailty and obsession.

Just what goes on in the houses you pass by every day?
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and evening, rattling over the same junctions, flashing past the same townhouses.The train stops at the same signal every day, and she sees the same couple, breakfasting on their roof terrace. Jason and Jess, as she calls them, seem so happy. Then one day Rachel sees someone new in their garden. Soon after, Rachel sees the woman she calls Jess on the news. Jess has disappeared.

Through the ensuing police investigation, Rachel is drawn deeper into the lives of the couple she learns are really Megan and Scott Hipwell. As she befriends Scott, Rachel pieces together what really happened the day Megan disappeared. But when Megan''s body is found, Rachel finds herself the chief suspect in the case. Plunged into a world of betrayals, secrets and deceptions, Rachel must confront the facts about her own past and her own failed marriage.

A sinister and twisting story that will keep you guessing at every turn, The Girl on the Train is a high-speed chase for the truth.

Review:
I made a last minute decision to participate in the Indigo Reads book club. I picked up The Girl on the Train a couple days before the scheduled Twitter chat with the book's author Paula Hawkins. I really could have gotten it the day before and still finished it in time because the book was THAT good. I started it after the kids went to bed and read it through the night. I paid for it in the morning as I went through the day half asleep, but it was worth it!

The book is written from the perspectives of three female characters: an alcoholic voyeur, her ex-husband's new wife and a girl who goes missing.

What made the story compelling was that I can relate to the premise. I take a commuter train to and from work and I find myself people watching just like Rachel, the girl on the train. The unexpected twists and turns really hook you into the story making you want to solve the mystery of the missing girl.

I recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a gripping story full of surprises. If you decide to read it, I recommend doing it on a day when you have nothing else to do because if you end up enjoying it as much as I did, all you'll want to do is keep reading.

The Girl on the Train has made its way onto my "Favourite Book" list. During the Twitter chat with Paula Hawkins she disclosed that she was working on "a dark and twisted tale about a relationship between two sisters". That line got me hooked,  I can't wait to get my hands on it once it's ready.

Have you read the Girl on the Train? What did you think?

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher



Publisher: Quirk Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Gift
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:
Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas’s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. ’Tis a tale told by fretful droids, full of faithful Wookiees and fearstome Stormtroopers, signifying...pretty much everything.

Reimagined in glorious iambic pentameter—and complete with twenty gorgeous Elizabethan illustrations--William Shakespeare’s Star Wars will astound and edify Rebels and Imperials alike. Zounds! This is the book you’re looking for.

Review:
You all knew it was coming. There was no way I was going to do a reading challenge without including something Star Wars related. In my search I came across Ian Doescher's William Shakespear's Star Wars trilogy. It's the Star Wars saga episodes IV to VI, completely re-written in iambic pentameter. To read and fully appreciate this stroke of genius you need to have a good understanding of the movie, Star Wars: A New Hope, and an appreciation of Shakespeare (even a little is enough). The book itself is an easy read and for those, like myself, who know the movies well, you'll be able to visualize the scenes as you go through the pages of this book. Most readers will know the story, (if you didn't I'm not really sure why you'd decide to pick it up) so there's no point reviewing each aspect of the plot. I'd much rather share the various components of this book that made me love it as much as I love Ewoks (On a scale of 1 to 10, Ewoks sit at a 9.5).
First, the asides. Various characters are given an opportunity to express their inner thoughts, something that we don't necessarily hear when watching the movie. We simply just assume what they're thinking based on their actions. R2-D2's asides are particularly hilarious given that he does not speak in the movies. I also thought it was genius that his beeping went along with the rhythm of iambic pentameter.

I also quite enjoyed the various drawings that were scattered throughout the book. Nicholas Delort was credited for these images according to the author's acknowledgements. They were drawn in Elizabethan style. My favourite image was of Luke holding a Stormtrooper helmet in the same vain as Hamlet holding Yorick's skull.

Lastly, the translation of some of the movie lines into Shakespearean prose were both hilarious and foreshadowing. Here are a couple of my favourite quotes.

Luke storms out of the room when he's told by his Uncle Owen that he is forbidden from going to the Academy. Beru, Owen's wife attempts to calm him by saying: 

"But Owen, he hath not a farmer's heart - 
This apple falls quite near his father's tree." (1.7.86-87)
Indicating that Luke is much like his father. 

In the infamous scene where Han and Greedo are at a stand off in the Mos Eisley cantina, the original Star Wars movie shows Han shooting first. However, in the remastering, editors added in a second shot coming from Greedo completely missing Han despite being at point blank range. The author adds a bit of humour to this controversy by adding the following aside with Han saying:
"And whether I shot first, I'll ne'er confess!" (3.1.162)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a 5 out of 5 for me. Ian Doescher executed this story flawlessly. I can't wait to dig into The Empire Striketh Back. The books are available on Amazon.ca or on Indigo.ca. I would recommend picking up the Royal Imperial Box set which includes all three books in the trilogy and a pretty cool poster. If anything do it for the poster! :)

Go ye then, and Force be with you all!

On to the next one...

Saturday, January 24, 2015

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

As I mentioned in my review of The Rosie Project, I came across Graeme Simsion's work from Indigo.ca's The Best of 2014 list. The Rosie Effect was listed as one of the top books last year. Having read The Rosie Project only a few weeks ago, Don and Rosie's origin story is still fresh in my mind. I was very excited to dive back into their world.



Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Format: Trade Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

Don is such a loveable character and the antics he gets himself into and out of are entertaining from beginning to end. If you haven't read The Rosie Project, I recommend you stop reading as it's hard to avoid spoilers from this point on...


Still here? Awesome!


Since the last book, Rosie and Don have gotten married and now live in New York. Rosie is pursuing her PhD and MD, while Don is continuing his teaching and research at Columbia. They've moved into a cozy apartment which has caused Don to abandon certain aspects of his pre-marital life like the Standardized Meal plan. Don's list of friends has also expanded to include Dave, who he and Rosie met during their first visit to New York, his wife Sonia and the Esler's, Judy and Isaac.

In the first few pages we learn that Rosie is expecting, this is the catalyst event that begins Don's web of lies as he tries to hold his life together and keep his marriage afloat. The rest of the story continues in true Don and Rosie fashion. Meaning a lot of alcohol consumed, a couple aikido demonstrations and laugh out loud moments.

Graeme Simsion's books are amazing feel good reads. I'm so happy I made the decision to pick them both up. I'd highly recommend them to anyone that's looking for a laugh. They're available at Indigo.ca and Amazon.ca.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Inked by Eric Smith

Inked is the first YA fiction novel I've read in a really long time. To be honest the book's cover is what reeled me in. The vibrant blue is hard to ignore. I'm glad I took the plunge because I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

When I think of YA novels, I think of vampires, witches and other monsters. I'm SO glad that this novel has none of that, kind of. It's an original story filled with a ton of action and a touch of magic. It took a few tries to get start mostly because every time I turned on my Kindle the kids decided that's when they were going to wake up. Last night I read it from start to finish in just 3 hours with only a couple interruptions here and there.

In a fictional world ruled by the Citadel, it is made mandatory that all inhabitants of the realm be inked when they come of age. The inking identifies each citizen's destiny by marking them with symbols associated with their intended occupation. The story begins with Caenum, three days away from his inking, who is gathering his belongings as he prepares to runaway. Caenum believes people should get to choose their destiny and not have to follow what the ink tells him. His plans to run away are postponed when he's startled by Dreya, his childhood friend and love interest.

Soon after Caenum's runaway plans are foiled, he encounters Kenzi, who they discover is a Conduit. A person with magical powers. Caenum's grandmother fears what will happen to Kenzi and volunteers to take him to the Sanctuary. Caenum cannot let this happen and takes his grandmother's place. The story then follows Kenzi and Caenum on their journey where they encounter the Unprinted, citizens who have refused to be inked, and other unexpected characters.

This is a great book that can be a standalone novel. However, I do hope that the author, Eric Smith, decides to continue the story. Inked is a 5 out of 5 in my mind. I'd recommend this book to anyone that's looking for a quick and intriguing read or to YA fiction readers who are looking for a fresh and unique story with characters they can easily relate to. The book is available in digital format on Amazon.ca.

Has anyone else read it? What did you think? Leave a comment below & let's talk it out.

I received a complimentary copy of Inked from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

In my previous review of Evangeline Lilly's The Squickerwonkers,  I mentioned that as part of our Christmas gifts JG and I gave each other books. One of the books I gave to him was Adam Mansbach's Go the F**k to Sleep. It's a hilarious short story that outlines a father's attempt to put his young child to bed.


As parents we love our children to pieces but there are just some things they do that elicit a curse word here or there... or in our case every night. Mini JG, our lovely three year old is amazing at everything except for sleeping. On a good day it takes us 45 minutes to put her down, on a bad day which happens about 2-3 times a week - 2 hours!

Adam Mansbach's book accurately outlines our nightly routine which always includes a book, a request for a drink, a bathroom break (even though she went before we read the book) and of course the jump out of her bed when we thought she was as sleep to see what mom and dad are doing.

I highly recommend this book to any parent, especially those who have babies/toddlers. I guarantee you'll find at least one page to relate to and well if reading it just isn't enough for you, there's also the option of picking up the audio CD narrated by Nick Fury himself, Samuel L. Jackson.

Adam also has a follow up to this book called, "Why Won't You F**king Eat?". I'm definitely going to head over to Chapters to pick this one up too. For those interested, the audio CD for this book is narrated by Bryan Cranston a.k.a Breaking Bad's Walter White.


The Squickerwonkers by Evangeline Lilly

This past Christmas there were more books under our tree than anything else. It looks like JG and I know each other better than we think we do. We didn't give each other long drawn out novels, we're parents to an infant and toddler for goodness sake. Instead we unknowingly gave one another a picture book. JG's gift to me was The Squickerwonkers. I haven't had a chance to read it until now.

The Squickerwonkers was written by fellow Canadian Evangeline Lilly. Most will know her as Kate from the television series Lost or more recently Tauriel from The Hobbit Triology. Being huge Lost fans and me having a love of all things Tolkien (including characters not included in the original novels), this was a great choice on JG's part.


The book is written very well and although a bit dark, it contains a very good lesson to be learned. The illustrations are equally well done. Johnny Fraser-Allen does a remarkable job bringing the Squickerwonkers to life. Each page has an enormous amount of detail. Every time I read the book I find something I didn't notice was there before.

The tale begins with little Selma of the Rin-Run Royals. Selma enters an enchanted wagon and drops a coin into the machine. The coin brings to life nine marionettes known as the Squickerwonkers who we get to know one by one. We also learn that Selma is spoiled rotten, after the Squickerwonkers make her cry. Her Gramp appears and just when you think he's about to save the day, the story turns another way (Looks like the rhyming rubbed off on me...). You'll have to read the book to find out what happens next and I really recommend that you do.

I'm eagerly awaiting  a follow up book. The only negative thing I can say about it is it's too short. It took me longer to write this review than it did to read it three times over. I can't wait to read about what happens next to Selma and The Squickerwonkers.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Storm Dancer (Dark Epic Fantasy) by Rayne Hall

Book 1 of my Reading Challenge was Rayne Hall's Thirty Scary Tales. You can read my review of that anthology here. After finishing it, I knew I wanted to read more of her work. I was given the opportunity to do so with Storm Dancer.

In all online descriptions of this book, Storm Dancer is listed as a dark epic fantasy and the story definitely stays true to that. There are many graphic scenes throughout the novel. I would not recommend this book for anyone under the age of 16 or anyone who has issues with reading content surrounding violence against women.


Dahoud, the main character of this novel was once a feared and dangerous soldier dubbed the Black Besieger. After a life of fighting battles, he fakes his death to escape his past. You learn early on that Dahoud has gone into hiding because he fears a djinn, a demon, dwelling inside him. When his military leadership is required to conquer a war beaten region he is called up by Kirral, the Queen's vile and devilish consort.


My favourite character is the book's namesake, Merida, the Storm Dancer. Merida is a magician from the Virtuous Republic of Riverland. A place where each citizen is ranked based on a personal value which is calculated based on family, profession and personal status, among other things. She is sent by her government to bring rain to the dry lands of the Queen. Her magic is real as she is able to draw rain from the sky, but it is this miracle that results in her captivity.


What I enjoy most in Rayne Hall's writing style is her ability to captivate her readers through her imaginative descriptions of each moment in the book. While reading Chapter 6: Dancing for Rain, I could feel the beat of the drums and tension in the crowd as Merida is willing the clouds to release the rain.


I personally give this book 3 out of 5 stars. This is mostly due to the graphic content I mentioned earlier in my review. I had a really hard time getting through those sections, I guess dark fantasy novels just aren't my thing. Storm Dancer is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.caFor more information on the book's author, Rayne Hall, you can visit her Amazon page here.

I received this eBook free from the author through the BuView review program in exchange for an honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Click here to see the list of books and reviews for my 2015 Reading Challenge.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Format: Trade Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

My #2015ReadingChallenge continues with Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project. I knew nothing about this book going in. I purchased it because I saw The Rosie Effect, the book's sequel, listed on Indigo.ca's "The Best of 2014" list.

I don't normally read fiction novels but that's what my reading challenge is all about, exploring new genres. I'm so happy I did because I absolutely loved this book. It was hilarious, there were so many moments that made me laugh out loud. If you're a fan of romantic, feel good comedies this book is for you!

Don Tillman is a socially awkward genetics professor who is approaching his 40th birthday and decides it's time for him to find a suitable partner. This results in the creation of the Wife Project which is essentially a questionnaire to help Don find his perfect mate. Don's first few attempts to find his match do not go as planned and enlists the help of Gene, his best friend and colleague.

In comes Rosie Jarman. Rosie is a non-punctual, smoker, who enjoys a drink or two. Three things which make her an unsuitable match according to the Wife Project. As Don gets to know Rosie he becomes enthralled in her quest to find her biological father. This leads to the birth of the Father Project. As the story continues Don and Rosie's relationship blossom. Do they end up together? You'll have to read it and find out for yourself. 

Some parts were a bit predictable, but a great read none the less. I highly recommend this to anyone that's looking for a great book to get lost in.

Click here to see the list of books and reviews for my 2015 Reading Challenge.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Influenster/BzzAgent: A Tip for Android Users

Here's a quick and easy tip to make it easier to access the any website right from your homescreen by creating a shortcut.

Step 1: Open your phone's internet browser. On my device, I use Chrome, but you may also have an icon labelled Browser or Internet. 

Step 2: Navigate to the website, once you're there access the browser menu and tap Add to homescreen.

Step 4: Label your shortcut & press Add.

Step 5: Place the newly created shortcut in a convenient location.


This tip works for any website that you frequently visit. I hope it helps!

Don't use Android or iOS? I can also provide a similar post for Windows Phone users. Just leave a comment & ask.



Friday, January 9, 2015

#Keurig2Point0: A few of my flavourite things

Seeing that my pantry is bursting at the seams with K-Cups, I thought I'd share my thoughts on my Keurig's new "Indulgent" beverages as well as a few of the new K-Carafes that I've tried. A few of them have instantly become my new faves.


K-Cups
All of the K-Cups below are available on Keurig.ca.

Timothy's Chai Latte: Of the four Timothy's Indulgent beverages I purchased, this one is my favourite. It's not overly sweet and has the perfect blend of spices that isn't overpowering. I'd recommend brewing this at 8oz or smaller. The 10oz setting waters it down too much.

Timothy's Dulce de Leche: The caramel flavour from this K-Cup is nice and smooth. If you're used to a huge caffeine kick in the morning, I wouldn't recommend it. It's better suited as a beverage after a long day at work or after dinner.

Timothy's Caffé Mocha: This K-Cup has a nice balance between chocolate and coffee flavours and not too sweet. I would recommend stirring it after it's brewed and while you drink it as the chocolate tends to pool at the bottom of the cup. Same as with the Chai Latte, I find it tastes better when brewed at the 8oz or lower settings.

Timothy's French Vanilla: I want to like this more than I actually do. It's my least favourite of the four. I've tried brewing this cup using the various cup sizes and I just can't seem to get it right. Each time I make it I find that the vanilla flavour is very weak and I don't taste anything that resembles a "latte".

Laura Secord Hot Chocolate Mix: I've tried most of the available hot chocolate K-Cups and this one is by far my favourite. Even at the 10oz setting the hot chocolate comes out creamy and has a strong chocolate flavour. I'd recommend continuous stirring to make sure you get all of the chocolately goodness that falls to the bottom of the cup.

K-Carafes
The K Carafe flavours listed below were purchased on Keurig.com. I have not yet seen them in Canadian retailers.

Green Mountain Breakfast Blend Decaf: I'm not a huge fan of decaf coffee since I usually need the caffeine jolt to keep me going. This coffee is very flavourful even when it's brewed on the 4-5 cup serving.

Green Mountain French Vanilla: This is my favourite K-Carafe cup so far. The coffee has a nice bold flavour with just the perfect hit of vanilla.

Folgers Classic Roast: What can I say, it's the best part of waking up...See what I did there? In all seriousness, this K-Carafe cup is definitely one for those who like strong coffee. It has a very intense flavour which is a perfect wake up call for me.

If you have any recommendations on K-Cups or K-Carafes to try I'd love to hear them. Leave a comment below.

I received the Keurig 2.0 K500 brewer complimentary from Influenster for testing and review purposes. The K-Cups and K-Carafes were purchased by me and the opinions posted are my own.


Thursday, January 8, 2015

#Keurig2Point0: Four weeks later

It's been four weeks to the day since the arrival of my Keurig 2.0 K500 coffee machine and I have to admit, I LOVE it! Most of the reviews I've seen online have been fairly horrific with even my own reviews being trolled. A majority of the complaints have been surrounding users either not being able to use their own coffee or the inability to use the stores of K-Cups that they may have from their previous Keurig brewers. I can see how this can be an issue for some, but it hasn't really phased me. I purchase my K-Cups either online through Keurig.com or Keurig.ca depending on which site has a better deal. Normally it's Keurig.com. They often have sales offering 20% off in addition to the Platinum Member discount of 15%. I can normally purchase K-Cups for $0.43/ea which is quite similar to Costco's pricing for their Kirkland box of 100.

I've already raved about how much I love the carafe. However, the one thing I wish the carafe did was keep my coffee hot a bit longer. With Mini and Micro JG taking up most of my morning, I rarely ever get to enjoy a second hot cup. I'm actually lucky if it's still warm by the time I get to it. I think I may have to invest in the Keurig thermal carafe.

The second thing I've now noticed is getting hot water from the K500 is a bit more tedious than it was on our Platinum brewer. In the past we just had to lift the lid, close it, select the water size and hit brew. With the K500, the first few steps are the same as, however once the lid is closed, you have to press and hold the brew button. It also only dispenses 6oz at a time. Given that we always have hot water on hand for Micro JG's bottles, this isn't too much of an issue, but in a few months from now when he's weaned, I can see this being annoying.


Since my last post, I registered by brewer on Keurig.ca for two reasons, the first for warranty purposes and the second was to get the coupon code the buy 2 get 2 free (Yay! Free!). This was great because I really wanted to try Timothy's new line of "Indulgent Beverages" so I picked up a few boxes of these along with a few boxes of the K-Carafe cups so I could figure out which ones I want to continue buying. As a result my pantry looks like this...


Despite what I've written above, I still think this coffee maker is amazing and I definitely would have upgraded and purchased one if I wasn't lucky enough to get it for free.

I received the Keurig 2.0 K500 brewer complimentary from Influenster for testing and review purposes.



Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Currently reading The Rosie Project

I know at some point, I'm going to fall behind. I figured I'd get started on book two right away. Up next is Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project. I'll be continuing this series with The Rosie Effect for my next book.

Stay tuned for my review...

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Rayne Hall's Thirty Scary Tales


For those who know me, you know writing is not one of my strong points, but I do love to read. Last year, I didn't have much time to read given the new job and pending arrival of Micro JG. Now that I'm on mat leave, despite the craziness of having two kids, I have a bit more time to sit down and enjoy some good reads.

One of my two New Years resolutions was to read one book every week (or two). To help hold me accountable, and to see how far I actually get, I decided to post reviews of the books I read here on my blog. The first book on my list is Thirty Scary Tales written by Rayne Hall.



This book has something for every thriller/horror fan with stories about zombies, vampires and the feeling of walls closing in on you. Of the thirty tales, The Devil You Know is the one that creeped me out the most. I have a high thrill threshold so I can deal with monsters & gore, but the thing that creeps me out the most is the feeling of being stranded. Rayne's descriptions of the abandoned train station sent chills up my spine.

I also found Prophetess pleasing to read because of my love for Greek/Roman mythology. This tale was Rayne's spin on the story of Troy which I quite enjoyed.

In the introduction, the author writes, "Fear is personal.", and after reading this book I completely agree. At the end of each story you'll find a note on where the author has drawn inspiration for the tale. They were all from her personal experiences which for me, added an additional spook factor for some of the stories.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for an engaging read or an introduction to horror fiction.

This anthology of short stories is the first book by this author that I've had the pleasure to read and it has instantly made me a fan of her work. I'll definitely be adding a title or two to my Book of the Week list. You can find Thirty Scary Tales for purchase on  Amazon.com  or Amazon.ca. For more information on Rayne Hall, you can visit her Amazon page here.

I received this eBook free from the author through the BuView review program in exchange for an honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project is the next on the list. Click here to see the list of books and reviews for my 2015 Reading Challenge.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

App Review: Big Hero 6 Bot Fight

If you haven't had a chance to watch Disney's Big Hero 6, you're definitely missing out. It's a great movie that can be enjoyed by viewers of all ages. After watching the movie, I did a quick search for related apps and came across Big Hero 6 Bot Fight. I've been playing the game for about 3 months now and it's become one of my favourites.



The gameplay is similar to Candy Crush & Bejeweled as it's a match 3 type puzzle game with a little Pokemon thrown in. There are over a hundred bots that you can collect and add to your team. Most bots having the ability to evolve to the next level given they are at their max level and you have collected the required parts. Each bot has a Bot Skill which can be recharged and a Leader Skill which is added to the level if the bot is selected as the team's leader.


The story mode allows you to move through various missions which allow you to power up your bots. The developers also do a great job with adding special/daily events to help you along your way. Through these events you can collect extra coins & bot parts to help level up/evolve your team. I have to admit that the game can feel a bit repetitive at times, but which match 3 games don't feel that way at one point or another?

I would give this game 4 out of 5 stars. This is mostly due to the game still having a few glitches here and there.

The app is available on iOS, Android and Windows Phone. If you have multiple devices, you can connect the app to Facebook which will allow you to sync your game across iOS & Android devices. There seems to be a glitch at the moment with syncing your Windows device with Facebook.

You can check out the game on any one of the following app stores:

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/big-hero-6-bot-fight/id909362143?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.disney.bighero6botfight_goo&hl=en
Windows Phone: http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-ca/app/big-hero-6-bot-fight/aacfc9cd-9185-4a37-b51f-5730787f056c

Feel free to comment if you have any tips on playing the game.



Thursday, January 1, 2015

2015 and beyond.

The last 2 weeks of the year are always extremely busy, moreso now with two kids under 3. Now that things are slowly settling down, I've had a chance to start thinking about my resolutions for this year and how I plan to move my blog forward.

My resolution this year can be summarized in 2 words, "Look up!". For those who know me, I spend a considerable amount of my day with my eyes looking downward whether it's looking at my phone, my iPad, Nintendo 3DS (Smash Bros is super addicting right now... more on this later), or my Kindle. Needless to say my electronics have taken over my life. This is definitely not a good thing given that I have a 4 month old and a 2.5 year old in my care. So, this year, I plan to spend more of my time looking up. 

As for my blog... I've joined various social media influencer sites for product testing. So I will be continuing with these reviews as well as reviewing some new books that I've recently purchased thanks to the gift cards I received for Christmas. 

I'm excited for what's in store for this year and can't wait to share it with you all.

What are your resolutions?
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