Game Reviews: Exercising with DDR and Just Dance

A couple of days ago I wrote a post about how I lost 30 pounds playing video games. Today I wanted to review the video games and try to convince you that just about anyone can use them in order to do the same thing.

(Please note that I’m writing this as an owner of a Wii.)

Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party 3

Materials: dance pad (controller is optional)

Basics: to tap the arrows with your feet in time with the scrolling arrows on the screen

Difficulty Level : easy

Review:

This game in particular is good for people with all sorts of dancing abilities. To play this you do need some rhythm, but there are four difficulties overall, making it very easy to start out slow and gain expertise. With DDR, practice definitely makes perfect. Please note that this game will not teach you how to dance. (Rats!)

As far as the actual software goes, I had some trouble in the beginning with the dance pad continually scrolling through songs. I eventually had to exchange it, but everything works perfectly now. The pad can still be very sensitive, but I just step off of it when I’m not dancing and use the controller to choose songs. I bought a secondary pad that’s a little bit different in style than the original one and although it works just fine, I prefer the first one.

Game play is very fun and there are several options you can choose from. You can pick songs and dance, participate in a competition, or even go along with one of their exercise routines. The different levels of difficulty make this more competitive and challenging. There are lots of songs to choose from and there are a variety of genres. As an added bonus, some of the songs play the music video while you dance.

When it comes to exercise, this is a great game for cardio/aerobic workout. You’ll be able to strengthen your legs and calves a little bit, but not much else.

Just Dance 2

Materials: controller

Basics: hold the controller and dance like the people on the screen

Difficulty Level : medium

Review:

This game is a little more challenging than DDR as it actually requires you to dance. This is less about being in rhythm, and more about copying the moves you see on the screen. It requires more skill than the other game. Unfortunately, you don’t have the option to choose difficulty levels on this one, so it might take some floundering before you get good at it.

Software for this one is pretty basic, as you only need the controller. Sometimes I feel like I complete the moves correctly, but the game doesn’t necessarily pick up on that.

This game is also pretty fun. There are some really good songs and moves, but there are a few duds, too. You’re score from a red “x” (which means you didn’t do the move at all), to an “ok,” to a “good,” and finally a “perfect.” This is good because it allows you to get partial credit, so to speak, but I also feel like sometimes you get less than you deserve. There aren’t so many options on this game as there are on DDR, and I only play the regular version. This is a riot to play with a group of people!

When it comes to exercise for this game, you can essentially get a full body workout. You use your legs to jump around and move, but you’re also using your arms with the controller. Some of the songs have a lot of choreography for your arms, and they start burning in no time! Some of the songs are a bit more technical, and you can even workout your stomach muscles! Also great for cardio/aerobic work.

Just Dance 3

Materials: controller

Basics: hold the controller and dance like the people on the screen

Difficulty Level : medium-hard

Review:

The moves for this game feel a little more challenging than the ones for the previous edition. It still requires more dancing skills than DDR. Again, no difficulty levels, so expect some trouble in the beginning if you’re not used to how this game works.

Like I said before, you only need the controller to play this. I feel as if they’ve improved the technology a little bit, because it seems to pick up on your moves better than the older version.

This has the same scoring system than the other game and it picks up on your movements better, which is definitely to your advantage. There are more options and more ways to score, which makes it more enjoyable. There are more dud songs on this one than the last one, but some of the song choices are right from the top 40 and are really fun to dance to.

When it comes to exercise, this is the same as above. You can work your arms, legs, and stomach muscles when you really get into it. You make this quite intense and get your blood pumping!

I highly recommend these games for exercising purposes if you’re not good at going to a gym or holding yourself responsible for working out. They make exercising fun and addicting. I’m a firm believer that anyone can play these games, albeit they may take a little bit of practice. The games run for about $30-$50 each, but when you compare that to a gym membership, you can see it is well worth it.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I’ll make sure I answer them!

(And if you really, really don’t think you’re cut out for these games, please see the video below for some inspiration.)

How I Lost 30 Pounds Playing Video Games

We’ve entered a new year and a lot of people have resolutions on their mind. One of the most common ones? Lose weight.

Almost two years ago (wow, has it really been that long?) I started down a road that eventually allowed me to shed 30 pounds. It wasn’t hard or excruciating, and it didn’t cost me tons of money in diet pills, gym equipment, or personal trainers aptly named “He Who Shalt Strip You of Your Fat and Your Dignity.” And guess what? I did it by doing what 90% of my generation does best:

I have to share my DDR dance matts with the cat. But I don't think she knows that they're not for napping...

Playing video games.

Here, let me start at the beginning.

I’ve never been a skinny kid. I’ve struggled with my weight and how I looked, but it wasn’t always the biggest deal for me. The only time I really cared was in gym class (okay, WHOSE idea was it to do a “team” exercise where we all had to go up and over a 20 foot wall??) or when I wanted new clothes (very few things are more depressing than finding THE perfect outfit and  then having to put it back when it doesn’t fit). When I got to college I dropped 20 pounds because I was walking uphill every day. I was in the farthest dorm and most of my classes were on the other side of campus. Whoo hoo! No Freshman Fifteen for me! Well, then senior year hit. I moved into an apartment and made some friends who had a car. Oops.

When I got home, I was at the heaviest I’ve ever been. I didn’t like how I looked, so I decided to make a change. But how was I going to do it? I’ve tried going to gyms before, and they just don’t work for me. I could work out by myself – design my own schedule, or do some exercises on my own every day. I’ve tried that before, and it gets boring really fast.

So, I decided that I wanted a Wii and that I wanted to get Dance Dance Revolution (DDR). I played it a few times at a friend’s house when I was in high school, and I was addicted to it. I remember how much it made you move and how much it made you sweat if you got really into it.

I got the game and immediately started working out – at least one hour a day. Most of the time I danced for longer than that – it was so much fun! I did try to eat better, too,  though I couldn’t entirely give up junk food. I mostly stopped eating red meat and tried very, very hard not to snack between meals. It only took a couple of months, through the summer and into the fall, and bam! 20 pounds less.

That’s the success story. Here’s the after story.

I got lazy. I stopped working out because DDR wasn’t fun anymore. I was at the point where I was too good for the level I was on and not good enough for the next one. I would get so frustrated when I made one mistake that I would just give up and turn it off (competitive much?). I didn’t actually put any more weight on, but I wasn’t as active as I was and I definitely wasn’t losing any more.

Fast forward to last summer. A friend had the video game Just Dance and I tried it out while I was at her house. It was different from DDR, but it was just as fun. I decided to pick it up for myself and try working out an hour each day. This worked for a while and I actually dropped another 10 pounds.

Then I got lazy again. Double oops. (Actually, in reality, I just got too busy to exercise, what with work and writing and editing and reading and internet and…okay, excuses, but they’re valid. Kind of.) The good thing is that I’ve kept off the 30 pounds that I initially lost. But now it’s time to crank up the volume.

If you’re keeping up with this blog, you’ll know that part of my New Year’s Resolutions is to lose another 20 pounds (preferably by summertime). My ROW80 goals include exercising at least half an hour each day. I now have Just Dance 2 and Just Dance 3, as well as DDR: Hottest Party 2. I can switch between the three games and I rarely get bored.

Smaller pants size, here I come!

 

(P.S. For those of you in ROW80, or those of you with resolutions, who have weight-loss goals – how are you doing it? Do you go to a gym? Exercise each day on your own? Or do you play video games, too? I’m going to review each of the games mentioned above in an upcoming post, and hopefully I’ll be able to convince you to give at least one of them a try!)

Movie Review: Cowboys & Aliens

Bottom Line:

Don’t Watch.

Details:

I didn’t hate this movie. I didn’t even really dislike this movie. Actually, it had a lot of good things going for it. I love Daniel Craig, especially for his work in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I also love Harrison Ford – the Indiana Jones movies are classic action flicks that I love to watch. It was directed by Jon Favreau, the guy who did Iron Man – which was an instant hit with me.

And the very concept of the movie is incredibly intriguing. Cowboys and aliens. Let me say that again. Cowboys. And. Aliens. This film had great potential to really knock us off our feet and give us a unique spin on two classic genres by spinning them together.

I think that was the problem. This film was just mediocre. I felt like most of the stand-alone cowboy scenes were cliché. You know how when the bad guy walks into the bar and the music cuts off mid note with that brittle ping of the violin strings? Yeah, that actually happened. They actually did that. The dialogue was okay, but it seemed forced. The action wasn’t bad, but there was a lot of gun slinging and I’m more of a swords-and-knives girl myself. The entire thing was a little hokey with the dialogue and the relationships between the characters. A little too over-the-top.

The funny thing was, the concept of the movie wasn’t the problem. It was a brilliant idea, but the writing just fell flat. I will say that there were a couple of twists that surprised me. There are some funny jokes, the aliens are actually pretty scary, and there are some characters that you just instantly fall in love with.

I got this as a Christmas present, so I feel a little bad for not liking it. But my Mom (who gave it to me) didn’t like it either, so I don’t have to feel too guilty. We’re going to set it aside for a month or two and watch it again later on, now that we know what to expect. There’s been a few movies where I’ve actually decided that I liked them after doing this. I’ll let you guys know if I change my mind.

Have any of you seen this yet? What did you think of it? Did my review sway you in anyway? Do you agree with what I’ve said?

P.S. For anyone who has seen this movie – please tell me I wasn’t the only one who thought they were going to put up a “Perfection” sign on the edge of town at the end of the movie. That would’ve been ASTOUNDING.

ROW80 – R1C2

I’m so excited for this check-in, you guys! I’ve been really kicking myself hard to make sure I meet my goals each and every day. Here’s the run down on what they are and how I’ve been doing:

1. Edit two chapters of my completed novel every day. Done! I also recently came into an opportunity to have someone with a lot more experience than me read it over and give me a full critique. I’ll let you guys know how that turns out. Needless to say, I need to get MY editing done before I have a chance to send her the “finished” copy. I’m trying to get more than two chapters a day in now, but two is the minimum. Hopefully I can finish this up quickly, so I don’t leave her hanging for too long.
2. Do a one hour writing sprint at least three times a week, working on the WIP. Done! I achieved 1,800 words with my first writing sprint, and my second one brought me over 2,000! My third one was at about 1,300, but I went on to write for another forty minutes after that. I’m definitely pushing through the mini writer’s blocks that I keep hitting, which is always a nice feeling.
3. Exercise for half an hour every day. Done! I had a near miss on Friday, but I forced myself into action, even though it was 10:00 at night. Very glad that I’ve been really sticking to this one. I’ve already lost three pounds! That sounds like a lot for the first week, but I always drop more than usual right at the beginning when I first start getting back into it. It’ll even out soon enough and I’m sure I’ll be dropping about a pound a week, if my previous weight-loss is anything to go by.
4. Do at least one chapter of reading each night. Done! I usually read more than this, because I always having trouble putting book down, but I don’t want to increase the goal on this one. Writing and exercising are definitely my main focuses, so I don’t want to put too much strain on myself by trying to read more than that. On a side note, the book I’m currently reading is part of a project I’m working on with someone else, but I’ll tell you more about that later!
5. Blog at least three times a week, not including my ROW80 updates. Done! I had those blogs written up in advance, so it wasn’t that difficult to look over them again and then post them. I need to make sure I stay on top of my ideas and get them written up, so I don’t have to do any at the last minute. It’s a shame that I’m not counting these as part of my writing sprints, but I really want the focus to be on my WIP at the moment.

So, things are going great in general. I’m hitting all of my goals and that is definitely something that I’m proud of. I’m a notorious procrastinator, so the fact that I didn’t have to “make up” time during this past week (ie. doing an hour of exercising one day because I missed the previous one) is really fantastic. Go me!

There are some things I’m struggling with, though. One of them is making sure that I’m getting enough sleep. I’m very happy that I’m not giving myself any room to budge – “oh, I’ll just do it tomorrow” is NOT in the game plan – but it has been difficult on some days when I have to stay up so late to fit everything in and then have to go into work the next morning. And I don’t even drink coffee! Maybe I’ll just have to learn to inject it intravenously to avoid the taste.

The other thing that has been tough is trying to fit other things into the schedule. There really isn’t much room for spontaneity. If I want to hang out with friends or my boyfriend, or even watch a movie, everything gets pushed back and I’m struggling to fit it all into one night. I think this will be a lesson learned for the next ROW80 challenge. I don’t want to change my schedule right now because I’m getting A LOT of work done, but I’m definitely pushing myself to my limits. Once I get through my editing goal, I’m going to replace it with another one that shouldn’t take up so much time.

I’m off to see how the rest of you are doing now. Keep ROWing!

My New Favorite Website: Goodreads.com

There are a few websites that I visit on a daily basis. I literally just can’t get enough of them. One of them is Hotmail – for my e-mail. Another one is eBay – because that’s a part of my job. I also visit WordPress (that goes without saying) and Hypable. I also just added another one to the list:

Goodreads

This is one of the most amazing sites that I’ve ever come across. I heard about it for the first time the other day in that way that the internet seems to tell you about things: I was looking on WordPress for other blogs about writing. I found a blog and read it. Then I visited the Twitter of the author. She just happened to have tweeted about how she was reading The Hunger Games and linked back to Goodreads.

Whew.

Yep, that’s the internet for you. Anyway, I decided to click on it and – whoa – there I meet my new best friend. Maybe I’m just behind the times and you’re all up to date on these things, but I feel like I have to rave about this website anyway. If you’ve never heard of it…good! I hope I can turn you into a fan.

The first step on Goodreads is to make a free account. All you need is your first name, your e-mail address, and a password and you’re in. When you activate your account you fill in some more information, but I’m sure you can leave a lot of it blank if you want to.

The next step is to pick out the genres that you’re interested in. I chose art, fiction, young adult, fantasy, and classics. They have a whole bunch to choose from, and you can always add or get rid of more later. Once you pick those, you have to choose about twenty books that you have already read. This part is my favorite! You can pick from their suggestions based on the categories you chose, or you can go up to the search bar and type in the name of the book or the author. It will bring up a lot of choices, and usually the one you’re looking for is right at the top. You give it a rating out of 5 stars and it is added to your “read” bookshelf. This is a PERFECT way of keeping track of all of the books that you’ve already read.

Once you complete this step, the site gives you suggestions for books based on what you’ve already chosen to read. This is good for two reasons. The first is that it allows you to find more books that you might have already read and rate them. The second reason is that it is wonderful for finding other books that you might be interested in, based off of the ones that you’ve already liked. These might be books by the same author, with similar plotlines, or just ones in the same genre.

Once you’ve exhausted your memory, you can start adding books to your “to-read” shelf. These are ones that you’ve had your eye on for a while, or ones that you’ve found via Goodreads suggestions and think they sound interesting. You can also order these so that you know which ones you want to read first.

Lastly, you have a “currently-reading” bookshelf where you can add the books that you’re reading right now. There’s also a cool feature that you can use to update the status of the book, like which page you’re currently on. Goodreads also has a feature where you can choose how many books you want to read this year, and it’ll help you keep track of the goal. How cool is that?

There are a bunch of other features, too!

+Friends – catch up with your friends and see what they’ve read or are currently reading
+Listopia – view lists made by other members and see if you’ve read or want to read any of the books found there
+Giveaways – you can try your hand at winning some free books!

Goodreads even has a community of readers and writers right at your fingertips. Authors can make a page for themselves, which includes a short bio and a list of the books they’ve published. You can become a fan of their page and stay up to date!

I didn’t even list half of the things you can do on this website. There are a lot of features and a lot of great books listed. I love the site because I can keep track of all of the books that I’ve read and find more that are similar to them.  Hope you guys have a chance to check out the site if you haven’t already heard of it! Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.

Happy reading!

Fifty Books in One Year – Take Two

Here is the second part to my previous “50 books in one year” post. [SPOILER FREE]

26 – 31. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: I re-read The Sorceror’s Stone though to Half Blood Prince and watched every movie after each installment. It was great to start from the beginning again (I usually pick up Goblet of Fire or Order of the Phoenix whenever I need some HP time) and I really loved seeing the movies after. It reminded me how well the first two were as far as adaptations. And how much they messed up my favorite book (GoF).

32. The Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan: This is the second series in the Greek-myth centered universe. It’s actually quite different from the original series, and is a little more grown up. I don’t think I like it more than PJO, but I definitely like it for different reasons. There are some great new characters, an interesting plot twist, and some familiar faces that I’m glad we didn’t have to leave behind.

33. The Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune: This is the sequel to the previous book. If you didn’t like TLH all that much, you’ll probably enjoy this one a little bit more. We finally get to meet up with Percy again and see a whole new host of characters. My only complaint? The cliffhanger at the end!

34. – 37. Twilight: I re-read the Twilight series so I could get ready for Breaking Dawn hitting theatres this past November. It reminded me that Twilight is still my favorite, New Moon still makes me sad, Eclipse makes me want to punch Jacob in the face, and Breaking Dawn makes everything better. I know there’s a lot of Twi-hate out there, but this really is a great series.

38. Dinnerware: Volume 1 by Lynn Dralle: Okay, this is where my “cheating” went to a whole ‘nother level. This is an ebook by a well-known ebayer (that’s my job, by the way, so this was a work-related read). It’s all about dinnerware and mostly outlines what patterns and what makers sell the best. It was actually quite interesting.

39. Dalton by C.P. Coulter: If you like Glee and you like fanfic, I recommend this story to you. Chances are, though, that if you like Glee and you like fanfic, you’ve probably already read it. This is actually the first fanfic I’ve ever read (and the only, but I’m trying to change that). And I’m definitely counting it as a book because it took me days to read and there are 26 chapters. It counts. Trust me. Anyway, it’s about Blaine and Kurt and their experiences at Dalton. The writing is not top notch – there are some spelling errors and typos, not to mention a whole host of technical problems (can someone say POV switches??) – but the storyline is perfect. I’ve read published books that weren’t as intricate or interesting as this one. And characterization? WOW! I had trouble putting it down, too, so that says something. (P.S. It actually isn’t finished yet. She’s working on chapter 27 right now, and there’s going to be about 30.) You can find the fiction at this link.

40. Dinnerware: Volume 2 by Lynn Dralle: The second installment talks about more patterns, but also about the different types of dinnerware pieces. This one was even better than the last. (Obviously, a reference guide if you’re interested, and not so much a novel!)

41. The Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare: I finally had time to jump on this bandwagon, and boy am I glad I did! This series is really great, and it is another one that I have trouble putting down. This is the first installment, and although she throws a lot of information at you in the first few chapters, you start getting the hang of it eventually.

42. Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket: I’ve been hearing about these books for ages, and I’ve always wanted to read them. Boy was I surprised. These books are mostly for children (I’ll get to the “mostly” in a second). Throughout the book, Snicket defines different words (ie. “briskly) for the reader. It gets a little old, but I’ve taken to reading this as a sarcastic comment to an older audience. The storyline was good, (and this is where “mostly” comes in) though I was surprised at some of the developments. They seemed a little too serious and taboo to have in a children’s book. It’s a quick read, though, and I am interested to see how the entire series will end.

43. The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare: I read this book in a day, if that gives you any idea about how good it is. It is a good book, but Clare is a master at drawing things out. And I’m impatient. There’s a few good twists in this one, like there was in the last, but the tension between certain characters (if you read it, you’ll know who I’m talking about) makes me want to throw the book at a wall sometimes. I wouldn’t say that her story-telling gifts are top notch, but her characterization is incredible.

44. The Mortal Instruments: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare: We finally get resolutions to a lot of the conflict. However, there are 3 more books in this series and I wonder how she’ll continue the story and wrap up those few remaining questions while keeping it interesting. I hope to see a lot more relationship development in the next installment. Again, Clare’s characterization is perfect. I’m falling in love with secondary characters and have come to care about them just as much as the primary ones.

45. Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket: The second installment is marginally better than the first. I found, in a few places, that I actually laughed out loud. I’m treating these books as an experiment devised by an author. On the one hand, they seem to be for young children with poor vocabulary. On the other hand, some of the events and the actions of the characters appear to be a little too dark for such a young audience. I find it easier to read when I look at it as a book just dripping with sarcasm. I’m interested to know how the series ends, but not so interested in how it gets there.

46. Series of Unfortunate Events: The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket: The third installment has a similar plotline to the last. I’m starting to get a bit bored with the same series of events, even if they occur in different places with different characters and obstacles. There was one line in this book that caught my interest, and I think I may have an idea about a certain pivotal event that happened to the Baudelaire children in their past…

47. Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket: Same plotline with different characters and in a different place. What keeps me (barely) hanging on is the way in which these things keep happening. I’m morbidly interested in what horrific thing will happen to these children next, though my curiosity will soon fall by the wayside. There are just so many ways that you can tell the same story, and it happens to be far less than 13. I feel like the idea behind this books was great, but it just couldn’t be executed properly in this format.

48. Dinnerware: Volume 3 by Lynne Dralle: The final installment in this series. I felt like this one repeated some of the same information covered in the last two books, but I loved the insight into how Lynne goes from buying her inventory to finally listing it on ebay.

49. Knowing Aslan by Thomas Williams: An interesting look into the symbolism of Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia series. A very quick read that highlighted several key points in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

50. The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss: I didn’t think I was going to like this book because it is about middle school girls. I’m a fantasy reader, and I rarely enjoy books that don’t fall into that category. However, this one was actually quite interesting. It shows the often precarious dynamics between girls and is a great look into the psychology of kids at this age. Everything in this book has happened time and time again, and I’m sure there are a lot of girls out there who can relate to the characters.

There we go! Fifty books in one year, whew! I’ve cut my goal in half this year, with the promise that I’ll only count books I’ve never read as a part of the goal. I’m really excited to get into a few new series and share my thoughts with you at the end of the year.

Happy reading!

Fifty Books in One Year – Take One

A friend of mine told me at the beginning of each year she always sets herself a reading goal. Fifty books in one year, she said. But, she only gets through about eleven each time. My competitive side was instantly wide awake and raring to go.

I thought it was a great idea, so I set myself the same goal. I started in late February, so it wasn’t a full year, but I also allowed myself to “cheat.” I re-read some of my favorite books, mostly because I wanted to get ready for a movie (HP7.2, specifically) or just become more familiar with the story (like with The Hunger Games). It isn’t really cheating, since I’m still reading the book, but my initial goal was to read fifty books I had never read before.

And, lo and behold, come December 31^st I wasn’t done yet. I actually sat down and read THREE books that day. And guess what? I finished my goal! I’m actually really proud of this. I have such a hard time with long term goals and most of the time I get bored and give up, but I was adamant about this and I accomplished it. It’s a testament to my growing time management skills and will power. It gives me great vibes for 2012.

Since the list is so long (I give a quick blurb about each book – SPOILER FREE) I decided to break it up into two posts. Here’s the first half:

1. Space Flight by Giles Sparrow (foreward by Buzz Aldrin): This book is not a novel, but more like a text book. It documents space travel from its earliest days, through the Space Race, and right up to modern day. I’ve been obsessed with space and astronomy for a long time (because my grandfather was) and this book provided a great timeline of space travel. Even though it had a lot of pictures, it was a bit dull and hard to get through. Definitely better as a reference book that a cover-to-cover-reading book.
2. Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling: A must-read book for Harry Potter fans. Short, interesting, and just another way to learn more about the world we all love so much.
3. Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling: Another great book by Rowling. I enjoyed this one a bit more than the other, as I found it more informative and more interesting.
4. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr: A really neat novel about faeries and humans having the Sight. It’s a bit darker than your average fantasy book, and is great for post-adolescent readers.
5. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Ultimate Guide by Rick Riordan: This book is full of awesome illustrations and some really great information.
6. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr: This is the supposed sequel to Wicked Lovely, but it’s about another set of characters. It is set after the initial plotline, though, so for all intents and purposes it is a follow up novel. We’re introduced to some new characters that I really enjoyed, but the first book is still my favorite.
7. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: I can’t believe it took me so long to get a hold of this book. It is one of the best ones that I’ve ever read (and I’ve read A LOT of books). It is so endearing and so full of advice and great life lessons. What makes it even better is that it is a true story. I don’t cry that often, but I was sobbing by the end. It’s a beautiful story. Pay close attention to what the author is telling you. This is some grade-A life advice for free.
8. The English Assassin by Daniel Silva: If you like murder/mysteries, this could be a good book for you. It was long and dry for me, but I usually read fantasy, so it isn’t my typical read. It was good enough to get through, but I wouldn’t read it again.
9. Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr: The third book in the series, but the official sequel to the original story. Another good book, though not a page turner like the first one. The world Marr creates is rich, thorough, and definitely full of great characters.
10. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: An incredible book that I would recommend to just about anyone. It’s got a little bit of everything: comedy, romance, mystery, and magic. It’s a realistic book and so superbly written. The movie is actually really good as well, but I highly recommend reading the book first (which should go without mentioning).
11. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson: This book was better than I thought it would be, but not quite as good as it could have been. Some of the main characters really stand out in my mind, and I loved all of the countries the protagonist travels to. It’s got a good meaning behind the story, but I think it would’ve been better if it had been made for a more adult audience and had some more serious plotlines.
12. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr: The fourth book in the Wicked Lovely series. This is one of the better ones since the first book, and I really like Ani and Devlin. Even though she’s constantly writing about the same world and the same community (all of her other characters pop up from time to time, but not always at the forefront of the story) it never feels like she’s writing the same book twice.
13. Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr: The last book in the series, and probably the best one since the first. It’s got an epic battle and all of the main characters’ stories come to a close. Definitely stick around for this book – it’s worth it.
14. The Quickie by James Patterson: Recommended by a friend, but not really worth the read. I like JP’s style of writing, because the chapters go by really quickly (there are only about 3 pages per chapter), but the material wasn’t that interesting. The ending was good, but I wouldn’t read it a second time.
15. Sunshine by Robin McKinley: This is an interesting twist on your typical vampire legend. The vampires are quite different then we’re used to (and not in a sparkly way). The book is pretty dark, as well, which made it more interesting to me. The ending leaves something to be desired (it sort of cuts off and you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen next) and she doesn’t write sequels. Well done, though – I recommend it.
16. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Graphic Novel) adapted by Robert Venditti and art by Atilla Futaki: I loved the book, and thought it was awesome that there was a graphic novel to support it. The art is incredible and it is amazing to actually see the characters in action. I’m not sure this quite captures the intricacy and story-telling that the book does, but if you’re a big fan, it’s a fun thing to own.
17. The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan: The first novel in The Kane Chronicles, by the same guy that wrote Percy Jackson. This one is about Egyptian mythology. I’ve heard some people/fans complaining that he’s just using the same method to write about different characters. I actually don’t have a problem with this. This book has a different tone and the characters don’t make it seem like it is the same story – and it’s not. Because of the material (Egyptian myths, not Greek) it really is different.
18. Sleeping Beauty by Phillip Margolin: Another book that wouldn’t have been in my “to read” list, but was recommended by a friend. It was pretty good. It’s another murder/mystery and it has a couple of really great twists. Definitely stick through until the end.
19. Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck: This is a pretty good book that centers around old Indian (not Native American) curses, dashing princes, and a normal girl who happens to get caught up in it. The actual plotline is one that I find fairly unique and quite interesting. I’m a huge mythology buff, though I don’t know much about Indian myths. I love the culture, and you can tell that Houck puts great care into researching. The romance aspect of the book is a little too Twilight for me (I love Twilight, I just don’t love reading Twilight in other books). I’m not enthralled with the series, but I’m definitely going to finish it. If you like Twilight, you’ll probably enjoy this book.
20. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling: I’ve read this book so many times, yet I always relish in the idea of reading it again. This is the epic finale, the book where we finally learn all of the secrets. I always learn and realize new things whenever I read it. I don’t think I have to say this, but I will anyway: If you haven’t read the book…WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
21. Tiger’s Quest by Colleen Houck: This is the sequel to Tiger’s Curse. I like this one a little less than the original, though it was still a good read. I am getting tired of love triangles. Just sayin’.
22. Sunday’s at Tiffany’s by James Patterson: I did not The Quickie, but I LOVED this book. It is totally not what I was expecting from JP, let alone what I was expecting from a male author. The book is endearing and beautiful. It has a strange magic to it, and the mystery of one of the main characters keeps you turning the page. The ending is perfect and everything that I had hoped to have out of this book. Don’t discount it because of the author – this is a wonderful read.
23. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: I’d be very surprised if you told me you haven’t at least heard of this book, especially given the movie will be coming out early next year. This book is incredible (this is my third time reading the series). I literally had trouble putting it down and could not stop thinking about it all day at work. When I got home, I would read it into the wee hours of the morning and suffer for it the next day. Needless to say, I highly recommend it. If you like action, mystery, and post-apocalyptic, dystopian style reads, you’ll love this.
24. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins: While I will always love the first book the most, this sequel is definitely a good one. If you look closely, you’ll see she pretty much just reuses the plotline in this one. Except that it doesn’t matter. She ramps up everything: the characters, the story, the stakes, and the danger.
25. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: This is the finale to the series. When I read it the first time, I was disappointed in the ending. When I read it this time around I realized that it literally could not have ended any other way. This book does not have a happily ever after ending, though I find now that it does have a happy ending, given the circumstances. If you’re a little put off the first time, like I was, definitely do yourself a favor and read it again. It only gets better.

There you have the first half of my list! Have any of you read some of these books? What did you think about them? Do you have any books to recommend to me? I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for a new series.

[Fifty Books in one Year - Take Two will be posted tomorrow!]

ROW80 – Round 1, Check-in 1

So, thanks to a fellow blogger (Jenny Hansen) I was recently introduced to the concept of ROW80. This is a little community of writers who get together four times a year (via blog posts and Twitter) to accomplish their goals. The tagline is, “The writing challenge that knows you have a life.” Wait, what? …Really?

Yes!!

ROW80 is a really cool concept. Basically, all you have to do is come up with some goals – writing goals are obviously the main concern, but you can include ANY other ones you want – and write a blog post about them. You can check in one or two times a week and everyone goes around visiting and giving encouragement. (By the way, you can join pretty much anytime you want. It’s never too late. I hope that if you’re not already signed up, you get a chance to do it soon!)

Now, I’ve already told you guys about my 2012 resolutions that I am DEFINITELY going to accomplish this year. However, these are all end-goals. I need to come up with some smaller and more manageable goals to try to achieve every day. These will be my ROW80 goals.

1. Edit two chapters of my completed novel every day. (I want this done by the end of January.)

2. Do a one hour writing sprint at least three times a week, working on the WIP.

3. Exercise for half an hour every day.

4. Do at least one chapter of reading each night.

5. Blog at least three times a week, not including my ROW80 updates.

There you have it! I’ve seen some gigantic lists out there, and mine feels pretty short, but I think I’m more than capable of handling this load without getting overwhelmed. My overall goal for this ROW80 round (and this year in general) is to work consistently on several projects, with these five being my main focus.

I’ll be checking in each Sunday to give you all an update on my progress. I’m still feeling a little confused and new at this whole ROW80 thing, but I’m sure I’ll catch on soon enough. Can’t wait to see what everyone else is doing! Best of luck to you all.