62 projects to make with a dead computer and other discarded electronics

62 projects to make with a dead computer and other discarded electronics/Sarafan, Randy 252 pg.

There were a lot of cool projects in this book but also a few that didn't really make sense. If I make something out of "recycled" goods, I want it to work well for the purpose that I'm making it for and I don't want there to be a really cheap alternative that works better. Making speakers out of ear buds and funnels, for example, just doesn't make sense. However, the ant farm or terrarium, that would be awesome and work well.

I certainly did enjoy the creativity put into the ideas and now have a few new ideas for projects for myself. - Christa

George, Nicholas, & Wilhelm

George, Nicholas, & Wilhelm: three cousins, three empires, and the road to World War I by Miranda Carter  498 pp.

Think the royals of today are disfunctional? They've got nothing on this bunch. Thanks to Victoria & Albert and their grand plan of making peace in Europe by marrying off their kids & grandkids to all the royal families in Europe we ended up with the war to end all wars. King George V of England was probably the brightest one of the bunch and all three were the dimmest bulbs in the chandelier. He spent all his time hunting or playing with his stamp collection. Tsar Nicholas was so insulated from the outside world that he was clueless to the reality of world affairs not to mention the fact that he truly believed his position was ordained by God and that made him pretty much omnipotent. And Kaiser Wilhelm was...nuts. Chances are Willy was at the very least bi-polar along with being extremely paranoid. I have to say that the smartest thing my great-grandparents ever did was leaving Germany before Willy succeeded in starting the war he threatened during his entire reign.

The Dead Tossed Waves, by Carrie Ryan

The Dead Tossed Waves (companion to The Forest of Hands and Teeth), by Carrie Ryan; horror, romance; 416 pages

The Forest of Hands and Teeth was one of my favorite books of 2009, so I was really excited to start on this one. We learn a bit more about the zombies here, and what the rest of the world has been doing since the Return. It's pretty cool to see the cults and governments that have sprung up, especially since the view in Forest was so limited. In some ways, Waves is more swoony and romantic than Forest (sorry Patrick), but I found myself getting annoyed with the main character more easily. Then again, I got pretty annoyed with the main character in the first book, too, and that didn't affect my enjoyment. I did think that the romance part of the story went from disappointing to downright creepy, but I can't say any more without revealing huge chunks of plot. Overall, I think I liked Forest better, if only because it was scarier. This one seemed a little less realistic (one character is dying of blood loss one day, and running from zombies the next--really??), and didn't have the same breathless pace. It also felt unfinished, so I'm hoping Ryan's next book will be a true sequel, rather than a story set in the same world.

You Suck: A Love Story-Christopher Moore

What is it with people with the last name Moore? Michael Moore and his documentaries, now this Christopher Moore and his urban fantasy novels...these kids are crazy.

So, how was this book? Well, definitely a fun, quick read. A bit high on the profanity...whores, cussing, bongs. It's a bit much for my taste. I felt like if I were a twenty year old guy, I might have enjoyed those bits more. Other than that, You Suck, which is a sequel to Bloodsucking Fiends, was very funny. It goes into Jody and C. Thomas Flood's vampire escapades, how they try to find ways to humanely feed off the living (semi-successful) and keep their relationship together (a surprise at the end!). Sprinkled in is a hooker named Blue, who is literally dyed blue, with blue hair and blue...well...anyway.

I decided to read it because I was sick, but I think anyone would find a Christopher Moore novel a nice pick me up :)

So yes, not the best thing since poptarts, but certainly a good read!

Purge / Sofi Oksanen 388 p.

I was intrigued by this book when I saw it on the cart, and I wasn't disappointed. Two Estonian women, both of whom have suffered terrible consequences in their generations' respective wars, meet and establish a shaky relationship. It's set in a small farming community in Estonia, and alternates between the early '90s and the WWII era. I love contrasts, and this book sets up a great one: in the midst of periods of terrifying upheaval, these women keep up an intense domestic pace. They can, card, milk and weave while dodging rocks, bullets and knives.

The Dead Travel Fast / Deanna Raybourn

The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn. 313 p.

I won't repeat the plot precis from Annie's review. I agree wholeheartedly that the setting is essentially a character. The atmosphere is really well done; you can understand how a rational woman like Theodora starts considering supernatural explanations for weird events. (Although--unexpected dog in my room? I'm going to at least look behind the giant tapestries to see if there's a way he could have gotten in....) I may have to try some of Raybourn's other stuff.

Bonk: Mary Roach

Blargh. Someone already read this.

Ok, so not to bore you, but yeah, I read this book. Ironically, I too had read Roach's Stiff for a school project, and then when I found out she wrote one about sex, well, I decided to expand my reading to something that I figure my teacher probably wouldn't have approved of.

That said, it's interesting. I did not have the urge to share little bits and facts with the people around me, and most of the time found myself actually hiding the book cover from them, but then again, my peers are immature adolescents and we all know that the adult population has a better way of dealing with these kinds of things than giggling and making "That's what she said" jokes. Or does it? *eyebrow raise*

So yeah. Re: my challenge. Um...joking! Ahhhh! Now the entire staff is going to stampede me >__< It was just my old Napoleon complex acting up. You know, if you're less that 5'3'', you can get a bit pompous from time to time.

Also, P.S. NOW ON MY THIRD BOOK, MOOHOOHWAHAHA. So I guess I'm going back and forth on that challenge thing ;)

The Pacific the Life of Marine Legend John Basilone

The Pacific the Life of Marine Legend/John Basilone 239 pg.

I chose this because it adds more detail to the Basilone's life than is shown in the Pacific on H.B.O. It was a tragedy he died young. - Susie

George and Martha

George and Martha/Karen Finley 105 pg.

This book describes an affair between G.W. Bush and Martha Stewart. I thought it was interesting. - Susie

Mommy Knows Worst

Mommy Knows Worst: Highlights from the Golden Age of bad Parenting Advice/James Lileks 176 pg.

Will I ever get enough of these? The usual genius at work looks at ads from the 40's and 50's about parenting. Some of the comments are a little wordy but the best ones are the short and to the point. Look at page 168 for my favorite. - Christa