MarioKart - Nintendo Wii

So I’ve been trying to update. I have really. It’s just that last week we bought MarioKart for the Wii and it has seduced me. I was addicted to Carnival Games, but I love the fact that with MarioKart you can play other people online. You have the option of playing strangers on a regional or worldwide field or you can input your friends and play them for bragging rights. It’s also most entertaining to watch Matt form and plan out a revenge attack against someone from England whom we haven’t met and never will.

MarioKart comes with the game and Wii wheel for $49.99. And I wouldn’t waste the money on buying an extra wheel. Definitely not worth it. Using the wheel allows a player on a bike to pop wheelies and do other flips in the air but it is ridiculously hard to steer with. I’ve been using my classic controller to play and find it much easier.

The other new feature is being able to pick your car/bike for each race. Each option has different features, some are great to use just for their look alone. You can also unlock secret cars and characters to race with.
There are eight different cups with four tracks each you are able to play. You start with four cups and have to play single player in order to unlock them; one of my only complaints about the actual game design. MarioKart is suppose to be a multi player game yet in order to unlock anything in the game it must be done in single player mode. What’s the point of playing alone to unlock stuff so that you can play with other people? I don’t think the people at Nintendo fully thought that one out.

One of the features Matt was able to unlock while playing by himself is the ability to play as our Mii. Not only in the regular tracks but online as well. This ranks, in my book, as a top five feature for the game. I’ve really grown attached to that Mii. She’s adorable.

And with that I’m back to beat Matt in another race. But have no fear we did attend a book sale today so expect updates soon.

PaperBackSwap.com

So during my travels in internet world I came across what seems to be an amazing website. Paperbackswap.com. This site is a place where users (for free) can post books (not just paperbacks) that they are willing to send off to someone. For doing this you earn credits, two for listing your first ten books and one for every book you ship off to another member. With these credits you can search the books other members have listed and have one shipped to you. The only cost associated with this is the cost you incur when you send a book. (around 2.13— a for a typical paperback)

Before signing up I read some reviews and played around the site to make sure it was legit. From what I can tell it is. Since I’m kind of a book freak and have mine all listed in excel I have a few I could list. Out of the 500 I own I listed about 60. By doing this I earned two credits and shipped off my first book the next day. I have since requested two books. Mine has already arrived and been read. (The Starter Wife). The book, a hard cover, came in good condition about three days after I requested it.

Don’t have a ton of books to be mailing to strangers? You can also buy credits for about $3.50 a book. Much cheaper than the cost of a new one at B&N or even Amazon (when you calculate the cost of shipping).

So far I’m happy with the site and hope I get the chance to read some good books from other members. If you should decide to join up connect from the link below, I get free books from referrals… duh.

The Starter Wife, Book Review

So I read The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer this weekend. It was ok. I think I had my hopes a little high. I really have to be in the right mood in order to handle a lot of sappy mushy stuff. And this book had a little more than I like, what can I say, I’m a non romantic female. I guess I started reading the book thinking it would be more along the lines of The First Wives Club; it wasn’t. The Starter Wife is about Gracie and begins with her life as a Wife Of; the name given to the wives of famous figures in Hollywood. Gracie’s life drastically changes when she becomes a divorcee and worse yet, a starter wife. We as readers follow Gracie through her experiences as she clings to her friends during the rough times and the search for a new man, in the strangest of places. I read The Starter Wife in less than two days so I obviously found it enjoyable, just not one I’ll be re-reading anytime soon.

Timeline - Book Review

So I just finished Timeline by Michael Crichton. I was getting a little discouraged by my choice of books lately but Timeline saved the day. For someone who really doesn’t like the move Jurassic Park or the fifteen sequels that followed, I have found Crichton’s books to be amazing. I’ve never read Jurassic Park, because of the movie, but every book I have read by Crichton I’ve loved. Timeline is just the most recent. Its predecessor’s being Rising Sun and The Great Train Robbery.

Timeline was a true page turner. Mainly because Crichton makes the interesting chapters only about two pages; therefore, when you finish one you go “Oh, only two pages till the next chapter, I’ll stop there”. Five chapters later its 1am but you just can’t put it down. I also enjoyed that it’s not riddled with romance or love triangles, just pure excitement and adventure.

I was going to write a summary, but I think the link to it on Amazon.com pretty much clears it up. If you like Crichton I’m sure you’ll enjoy Timeline.

The Zombie Survival Guide - Book Review

I finished The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks last weekend. Before picking this book up I was reading on average one book every week or week and a half. Max put this trend to a halt quicker than my last book club read.

This book is just horrible. Having a book to read before I go to bed is normally something I look forward to, but knowing this one was waiting for me made me cringe. It took me three weeks to finish the book. If you can even call it a book.

Really The Zombie Survival Guide is more of an actual manual for dealing with the living dead. I love movies like Shaun of the Dead. So when I head this book was a humorous guide to Zombie survival I had to have it.

There is nothing humorous about this text. I think the only reason it is classified as humor is so Max doesn’t want to look like the real crazy he is. This is less comedy and more an actual guidebook. Topics like which weapons to stockpile and picking a fortress to relocate to.

Very boring but I suppose if I ever get attacked by zombies I’ll be prepared.

The Ruins - Movie Review

Last Sunday we went to the theater and saw The Ruins during its opening weekend. I was really looking forward to seeing this movie especially since I skipped a good one in order to see this.

And it was NOT worth the four dollars per ticket that we paid. I suppose the popcorn was good, but that was about it. Maybe it’s my own fault for not liking The Ruins. I should have read more on imdb.com before going to see it. The previews just looked so good and I swear I heard good reviews on the book. Although the reviewer I blamed has since recanted their recommendation. :)

I wouldn’t call this movie a Thriller or Horror as it’s classified on imdb. I’d just call it unnecessary gore. I would go more in depth but I don’t see how I can truly discuss all the flaws without some seriously spoilers. I guess if you want to really understand just how bad this movie is you’ll have to see it on your own. Or better yet rent it.

“So what do you guys think: Ancient Mayan temple off the beaten path?”

Riverdance - A stage review

We saw Riverdance on Saturday. It was their farewell engagement so we figured we better see it while we still could.
I was able to buy a pin from the show to add to my collection so that always makes me happy, me being a pin whore and all.

The 2008 North American tour is the Boyne Company. Their show was really great. I didn’t realize Riverdance incorporated so many different forms of dancing. There were Russian sets, Latin dances, and even great musical solos included. I really enjoyed the Jazz set and subsequent dance off.

One negative to going to shows like this, they always make me super jealous. I wish I had the ability flail my legs uncontrollably while keeping my arms straight at my sides. Seriously, that’s amazing. I’d trip all over myself three and a half steps in. There was also a dancer who was dancing to one rhythm and clapping to another It made my head spin just watching him. There is no way I could do that. I can barely rub my stomach and pat my head at the same time.

My point, the show was great and the dancers were amazing. You should go see it if you get the chance.