Young-ish Dog Learning New Tricks

Even w/ a Bachelor’s and Master’s under my belt; even with a full-time job in an industry I love and in a department I enjoy; even with all the major boxes checked off for a young person living and surviving in New York City, I feel the need to explore new things. 

Learning something new has always been an exciting experience for me. I was a nerd that loved school, that loved getting an education and reading about something completely foreign/unknown to me. I still enjoy it today (hence my obsessions w/ the How Stuff Works podcasts, Mythbusters, and the Planet Earth series). Which is why I actually listened when my friend and mentor recommended Jon Duckett‘s HTML and CSS. He knew my interest in learning more about coding and web design. He knew I was more of a by-the-book learner than a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants one. And I have one word to describe this book. 

Genius.

No, it doesn’t uncover any great mysteries, there are no Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade–worthy discoveries. However, the information is flawlessly and pleasantly presented in a colorful, but not obnoxious, manner. Its simple. Its quick. And at the end of each section, I’m not frantically googling to try and translate any “high-tech lingo” that the author has assumed I already know. It truly is the best way to begin your education in HTML and CSS. I absolutely suggest this book to anyone interested in this subject. Or even anyone trying to broaden their experience for a job. It’s a skill/practice that is much sought after and admired.

Just buy it! Amazon B&N Walmart

Stuck In A Historical Fiction (And All Its Sub-Genres) Rut

So I was perfectly happy reading my Young Reader adventure fiction and YA dystopian melodramas. Then I was sucked into the Steampunk world, and later into the historical romance and medieval fiction realms. For 3 months, that’s where I lived. Every morning commute. Every before bed, I-should-be-sleeping-so-I’m-coherent-for-work-tomorrow hour. I was in the world of proper English, chivalrous men, dignified women, and more than a few dragons/airships/hackneys.

I am thrilled to announce, however, that I have now returned to the slightly 21st century. And while I definitely enjoyed some of the virtually unknown titles—

I missed some of the simple things. Non-horse-drawn or steam-powered cars. The Internet. References to reality television. The use of popular slang like “fo shizzle” and “WTF”. A girl can only go so long without these basic necessities to modern-day life.

So What has brought me back? Why, Simon Pegg’s Nerd Do Well (Apple iBookstore), or course! I’ll let you know how it turns out, but to tell the truth, I think I’m already hooked. I mean really? Who doesn’t love that cover???

I Really Do Post…Just Not Always Here (Amended)

Realized just now that I’ve been contributing some stuff to my work’s blog and obviously not here. It’s actually pretty cool. Once a week, out department puts up a post called “Links We Like”, and we all put in anything new we’ve come across that week, or any links/apps/products we’re excited about. So here are the few I’ve picked these past two months (you’ll notice a theme…its sports), plus a link to the post that includes my co-workers’ links. Have fun!

 

TODAY: June 10, 2011 (Bill Simmons’s, a.k.a. The SportsGuy, new website, Grantland goes live)

It’s always exciting when a someone whose work you’ve been following for years begins a new project, especially when that new project includes new talents that speak to your interests! Such is the case with the new site Grantland. Bill Simmons (columnist for ESPN, New York Times No. 1 bestselling author, and podcaster-extrodinar) has just launched his new site this week, dedicated to the same unique blend of sports and pop culture that Simmons has been excelling at for years! With a rotation that includes authors like Chuck Klosterman and Malcom Gladwell, columnists like Dan Fierman (GQ) and Chris Jones (Esquire), and some interestingly “fresh” voices, this site may prove to be a must-follow/must-read!

June 3, 2011 (The New York Public Library’s new App, Biblion)

The New York Public Library has gone the extra mile with their new app (to be an ongoing series) released on Tuesday, May 31. The first “issue” of their iPad app, NYPL Biblion, focuses on the 1939-40 World’s Fair; the fair held right before and during the start of WWII in Queens. The material they’ve resurrected from their stacks includes images, articles, audio files, and just an astounding wealth of information. For New York history buffs, its a treasure trove; for world and war history fans, its an entirely new perspective; and for anyone else, its a fascinating experience that really showcases the benefits of the iPad. Oh yeah, it’s also free!

May 27, 2011 (On the amazingly funny book, All My Friends are Dead)

It’s always an exciting moment to stumble across a book that makes you cry, makes you think, or makes you fall over with laughter. I lucked out this week and found a humor book that made me do all three! All My Friends Are Dead promotes itself as “both the saddest funny book and the funniest sad book you’ll ever read,” and I’m inclined to believe it! If you didn’t pick it up last summer, be sure to check out a couple pages from authors Jory John and Avery Monsen here.

May 20, 2011 (…I didn’t like anything this week…)

May 13, 2011 (obviously I’m as bad at posting at work as I am here)

May 6, 2011 (MLB’s new app, MLB at Bat. It’s like crack for baseball fans)

A new addition to an already awesome development this spring: the improved experience on the MLB network’s Gameday. While the revamped site is great and the MLB.tv option is amazing for any truly crazed baseball fan, I’ll focus on the app that goes along with the new feature, MLB At Bat. Some of the awesome features include live clips of games; radio coverage from both teams (a major plus for a Red Sox fan living in NYC); the Gameday feature found on the MLB site (improved considerably); and the scoreboard, which is often overlooked, but done so cleanly in this app. Overall, it’s a fantastic experience and I’m thoroughly impressed with the developers. I wouldn’t mind seeing this done for a few of my other interests: football, Iron Chef, the Quidditch World Cup . . .

April 29, 2011 (Hey, this is a non-judging blog…well, not really)

April 22, 2011 (This is actually my co-worker’s link, but it’s too cool NOT to share)

Today Shelf Awareness shared an incredible, hand-lettered map of literary America (below) made byThe Literary Gift Company. I can’t stop admiring it and looking for my favorite writers. (I want to buy it and hang it next to Little Miss Muffet and her friends.)—Laura

April 8, 2011 (My first contribution!!! And yes, its on the Guitar Hero exhibit at the Met 🙂

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Guitar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York” exhibit? There’s an app for that! Easy to upload and full of cool extras to check out after you leave the museum, it includes audio descriptions from the exhibition curator, Jayson Kerr Dobney; video and song clips of instruments on display being played; and interviews with musicians. And unlike the normal “one-room video” layout, where visitors crowd around a tiny screen, or sit awkwardly on wooden benches watching the same loop of film, this structure allows for a more interactive and personal experience. Honestly, if they keep making easy-to-follow apps like this, I’ll be visiting a few more museums this year.

And just because I think Google is Amazing this week:enjoy.

Divergent, A Book I’m Using As A Diversion From Everyday Stresses

First, it must be credited that my good friend (from Kristinaradke) mentioned this book to me many months back. While I put it on a “To-Be-Read” list in my head, that, like most things in my life, became cluttered with other nonsensical mismash. So, while I “discovered” the title for myself by browsing the iBookstore, it did technically come highly recommended by a person of substantial reading reliability 🙂

The first book in the Divergent series.

So, I shall refrain from going into the ENTIRE soliloquey that is my grown-up-life stress. For those of you who are young, living with roommates, paying bills in a big city, and owing a great deal of money to the Student-Loan Sharks, I’m sure you understand that life has been daunting (*pun unintended but amusing)/tiresome/frustrating/emotionally draining. Therefore, last Fall, The Hunger Games became my escape from reality, and a temporary reprieve from responsibility (ironic). When that ended, I roamed aimlessly in the land of historical romance (no judging you book snobs :P), humor audiobooks, and a little manga. Nothing, however, could fully relieve me from my everyday worries and anxiety.

Then comes Divergent. Now, I will in no way claim this to be as-good-as OR better than The Hunger Games. As it is the first book in a trilogy, and I still have 1/4 of the ebook to read, I cannot justify such a monumental statement.

However, consider these factors:

• This is a debut novel. I generally find debut novels to be lacking, mostly because the author is trying so hard to say so much, their work often times comes across as exhaustingly complex.
• This is a rapidly growing sub-genre. YA Dystopian novels are explosive right now. This is not in any way a NEW sub-genre, but thanks to some of the titles that have come out these last couple of years, it is gaining speed and attention for many readers, especially adults. In my experience, 80% of the titles that come out in a “new” or “popular” sub-genre are COMPLETE crap. This, in my opinion, isn’t one of them.
• The author is 22. Now, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have to momentarily put aside both your astonishment that anyone at that age has the skills to NOT bore you with mellow drama, as well as your not-so-subtle loathing for someone else accomplishing something so monumental as being published at such a young age. This is an impressive piece of work for someone so young and so new to the game. Color me envious.

The characters are relatable, the storyline is interesting and exciting, and the social structure created w/in this futuristic world is rather engaging. I have to say, I’m seeing a lot of promise for both the series and the young author. So if you want to escape for a bit, try Divergent by Veronica Roth.

BTW: This was the first ebook read on my new toy, the iPad. Gotta say, love the experience, but STUNK to try and read outdoors. Will still be keeping/using/loving my Kindle…they’re like my two children: I love them equally, just in varying ways.

Eating Crow, the Literary Interpretation

Fair Warning: I’m posting this via my new toy, my iPad. So if you find some mistakes and notice a lack in special/fancy styling, it’s NOT because I’m going back to the good-old-days of bare-necessity blogging; I’m just using the app and haven’t figured out all of the tricks.

This is my official apology/tweet-retraction: I was wrong.

Confused? Here’s the story: a couple months ago, I bought the ebook (Kindle edition) for The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons. I was pretty pissed to find out that I’d bought yet another edition of a book I already owned, and all of the fun endnotes (a styling thing for this particular author) were in a completely separate doc, and there were NO links to all the articles and videos the author mentioned (which he had made available on his site when the print edition first came out).

So in my anger, what did I do? I tweeted about how disappointed I was in Random House for their piss poor attempt at publishing a digital non-fiction title. I got some agreement and interaction, but overall, I was pleased for serving justice to the public.

Then I bought the iPad, and had to eat some over-cooked crow. I checked out the iBookstore, downloaded a sample of the same Simmons ebook, and prepared for disappointment.

It never came.

Much to my surprise, they’d linked the endnotes into the text, fashioning them so that you could return to your reading location, having NOT completely left the text. Also, there was the addition of a link to the webpage that the author had set up with the article links, video clip links, and additional information. Now this is not to say there aren’t still flaws (which my supervisor at work took time to point out as well): the the endnote numbers are TINY, making it probable that you’ll miss hitting the number; the endnotes are all living on one ongoing list, making it a bit confusing to locate which note you want when; it is NOT intuitive that you have to tap the number again to return to the page you’d left; and the link to the additional information takes you outside the text.

Putting all that aside, I have to set the record straight. I jumped the gun and called the major pub company out on not taking a sports book masterpiece and making it into a HIGH quality ebook. So, I apologize for my HIGH expectations for an ebook of style and elegance from one of the BIG 6. Oops, my bad.

E-reading In The Park

This past Sunday I attempted to do something I haven’t done for quite some time (due ENTIRELY to weather…and the difficulty presented w/ reading in mittens): Read in the park.

Unfortunately, I failed. Like most easy-to-distract individuals, I got about 5 pages (or 2%) into my ebook, and quickly became more interested in

the butterfly kite in the air,

the father-son combo playing catch (ending in the predictable fashion of son “accidentally” bashing father in the head/stomach/groin with the ball, and said father preceding to end the game b/c the son “just wasn’t concentrating on the basics”),

the hula-hoopers practicing a healthy distance away from the jugglers,

the unbelievably cute puppy with absolutely NO training trying to take down a flock of obviously GPS-deprived pigeons,

and the fact that my bum was going numb from sitting on top of a freezing tree stump.

Regardless, I’ll be planning my next escape for the first weekend in May. I’ve done Prospect and Central Park, so thinking maybe a venture out of Governor’s Island? Who knows. Feel free to offer your favorite spots as suggested locales!

Spring Is In The Air (Regardless Of What The New York Weather May Say)!

Weather Spring showers bring May flowers or knot, its definitely springtime (for Hitler and Germany) for this bookworm.

[I guess it would have been nice to warn you that I’m feeling a bit quirky today, so there some word-play and random outbreaks of song up there. Très désolé. I’ll refrain from anymore.]

Some clear indications that we’re in full-swing of the season of rebirth (I’m of course alluding to the second coming of the New York tourists, now that the Christmas/New Year’s batch have gone home):

• Hockey playoffs are underway (Go Ducks!)
• Baseball is underway again (please, no Red Sox ribbing yet…its only April people)
• Sneezing and coughing fits have begun (indicating that my hiatus from allergy ailments is coming to an end)
• And the biggest sign of all: I’ve just bought 6 new Non-Fiction titles

Yes, it’s time for round two of the “New Year/New You” resolutions. Like most people in the new year, I began January with a sense of self-improvement and self-betterment. I, too, made numerous pledges to shed some weight/get more sleep/do more at work/*insert whatever other ridiculous declaration bound to die a one-month death here*. And like everyone else, they mostly died around week 2 of February, to await their awakening in January 2012.

Enter the season of new flowers, new life, and self-motivating rejuvenation: SPRING

Like every year, this season I am back on the ball and trying to “improve” myself. My method: read some books filled with facts. Maybe its the former-student in me, missing those late nights of cramming useless math equations, scientific theories, and historical revolutions into my head for a final/SAT exam/thesis. Doesn’t matter. Facts are facts, and apparently I’m hungering for them now.

So here’s the line-up:

• The Greatest Game Every Player by Mark Frost: “The story of Francis Ouimet, the first amateur to win the U.S. Open golf tournament, is just too good to be true: it’s Rocky without the sequels, it’s Jack without his beanstalk, it’s Tiger without Nike. But it’s true, and as told by veteran thriller writer Frost, it’s the most compelling sports book since Laura Hillenbrand’s best-selling Seabiscuit.—Booklist
  Yes, I loved the movie. No, I know nothing about golf except that I find it a little boring and my father plays it way too much. But really, its a “little guy takes on The Man” kind of story. How does this NOT interest you?
• How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization by Franklin Foer
  This was actually recommended by a co-worker, and seeing as I’m a casual soccer fan it made sense to check it out. That, and it’s a pretty compelling title 😉
• Onward by Howard Schultz with Joanne Gordon
  Okay, so I’m a Starbucks fanatic. So sue me, and the other millions upon millions of people who get their daily dose of caffeine from this monstrous corporation. It may pay out, it may turn out to be another New York Times “bestselling” product placement. Only one way to find out, right?

Now, I obviously have a few more: one about some queens (the royal kind), one about some puppets, one about some divas (the basketball playing kind), and one about the APA Stylebook (sorta). But I think we’ll have to see how these go before I start sharing more.

Happy reading, and avoid the pollen!

A Discovery of Good Fiction

Yes, my post’s title is a play on a new release’s title. Yes, I am feeling THAT little creativity today…(usually “bite me” would be inserted here, but w/ the Bronx Zoo Cobra thing, probably not a safe expression at the moment).

As per usual, I finished one of my genre binges this past month (I was on a big historical kick, focusing first on Edwardian, then Victorian, then going back to Medieval). Having done so, I went to my ever-reliable managing editor at work, requesting a new suggestion. Her response, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

Now, when she recommended this title she described in the following way: “It’s like The Historian meets the Twilight series.”

If you’re response to that sentence was discomfort and silence, don’t worry. So was mine.

But, seeing as she’d yet to lead me astray, and she’d been the miracle worker to introduce me to The Hunger Games, I figured I’d give her the benefit of the doubt. Have to say, second greatest choice I’ve made (first being to borrow her Kindle one weekend last Fall, leading to my love of ereaders and utter consumption of all things ebook).

If you’re like me, you enjoy a little of everything in your “Contemporary Fiction”: mystery and intrigue, romance (but not bodice ripping), adventure and excitement, and as nerdy as it sounds, something new to learn. I’m a major history fan—though I have absolutely NO brain capacity to remember anything I learn. This explains my love of biographies, sports books, and certain Dan Brown novels (no judging).

So if you are in fact like me, I absolutely recommend this one. I don’t like giving too much away, but here are some fun facts to look forward to:

• References to the Salem Witch trails, the Crusades, the Templars, and MANY more historical conflicts
• Travel: US (New England and New Orleans), UK (mostly Oxford w/ a little Scotland), France
• Witches, Vampires, and Demons (oh my!)
• Yoga, Rowing (think Crew), and a little Chess (no, its not a sport)
• A surprisingly more comprehensive translation of Darwin’s On the Origins of Species
• Alchemy and geneology
• And of course—here’s where the Twilight reference comes in—forbidden love

Check it out, but be forewarned (I discovered this too late), this WILL be a series, and this first book was released in Hardcover last month. For those of you not sure what that means, it’s going to be a long wait for book two (well, long if you read more than one book a year).

Enjoy!

Return of the Prodigal Daughter

Holy Crow it’s been a long time!

In my defense (though, really, there shouldn’t be any excuses), since I’ve been gone—morphed Kelly Clarkson lyrics—I’ve completed my Capstone for grad school (like a thesis for normal master’s students); I’ve GRADUATED from grad school w/ my MS in Publishing (*grins*); I’ve started working full-time for an ebook publisher; and I’ve moved from very South Brooklyn to more Midway Brooklyn. So there is SOME reason behind my slacking off…

Quick update on recommended books/series I’ve been reading in the meantime:

*The Hunger Games: Yes, I, like so many others, have fallen victim to this FANTASTIC series. And really, why wouldn’t you? It’s only 3 books long, so it’s not like the Harry Potter epic all over again. It’s fantastically fascinating in a “this-should-NOT-be-labelled-YA”. And it is definitely NOT another Twilight thing: 1) it does not distort the myth of a well-loved society of otherworldly creatures; 2) none (well, some but very little) of that obnoxious teen-angsty drama; and 3) at the end of book three, you actually feel complete. Besides, they’re doing a movie now, w/ the author co-writing the script, so GET TO IT!

*Solo: Okay, go ahead and blame me for promoting my own works’ ebooks, but I have to admit: I went into this one fully expecting to want to shoot myself in the face 10 pages in. Didn’t happen! I think it probably helps that I’m a closet Classical music fanatic, and this title happens to have a lot of references for some great pieces, but it was also pretty thrilling. (Go figure, since it IS a “thriller”.) If you haven’t checked out Jack Higgins before, like most of my generation/friends, try this one on for size. It might just be one-size-fits-all (though that is debatable).

*Girl in Translation: A Falling-to-be-a-Successful-Book-Club Book Club pick. A great read, especially for those of you who enjoyed Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. Compelling store; great mother-daughter dynamic; wonderful first-account view of an immigrant in modern America; and amazing written!

*Midnight’s Master: Well, really, ANYTHING by Cynthia Eden is fantastic, but I thought I’d stick to a single title, though I LOVED the entire Midnight Sins series. She’s yet another author who has taken the vampire/shifter (werewolves and such for you non-paranormal readers)/demon/etc. world. But she does it in a way that doesn’t make me cringe w/ embarrassment for the publisher (*cough* Twilight*cough*) or shudder w/ disgust at the OBVIOUS stench of OVERDOING IT (*cough*Twilight*cough). Fun, humorous, and an overall feel-good-at-the-end read!

That’s all for now. Hopefully you’ll be hearing more VERY soon. (fingers crossed!)

Life After Twilight…What To Read When You Finish Meyer’s Saga

There have been some obvious suggestions, focusing mostly on more vampire titles: L.J. Smith’s Vampire Diaries, which has already begun to gather a Buffy-deprived generation of follows through the CW series; Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series; the Mother-Daughter Cast pairing with the House of Night books; Blood Coven, by Mari Mancusi; or the Melissa de la Cruz collection, Blue Bloods.

Many think the that the undead obsession will shift to werewolves and zombies next. While these creatures have grown in popularity amongst the adult and humor genres, it’s not a likely contender for this younger crowd. Because really, what’s sexy about kissing a hairy dog, or a walking carcass with a fetish for brains? Granted, I could be proven wrong with the fascinating Shiver title from Maggie Steifvater.

And still others believe the undead fixation will dwindle, and allow other fantasy worlds to emerge: angels (Fallen by Lauren Kate), steampunk (Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld), faeries (Wings by Aprilynne Pike), and the return of magic (Patterson’s latest YA, Witch & Wizard).

My opinion is less concerned with WHAT to read next. Instead, look at what these titles represent to YA readers. Many of these vamp-filled titles leave much to be desired (though I could personally claim the same for Ms. Meyer’s books as well), and just don’t do justice to some of the more advanced adult fiction selections. And just because Steampunk and Zombies have been huge for the adult fiction doesn’t mean the younger readers will follow the trend. However, none of that matters. What matters is what doors this ridiculous Twilight craze has opened to a generation of potential readers. I predict that after the teens finish the Twilight saga, they’re NOT going to follow the flock anymore. S.M. did more than begin the biggest underage cult fandom since Harry Potter; she blew down the door for fantasy and make-believe to be “cool” again. The days of hiding your book cover inside your backpack and under the lunch table are over! Because if the cheerleaders and jocks give you grief for your love of extra-terrestrial romance or medieval history adventures, ask them just how many times they went to see Edward and Bella on the big screen.

So while I believe pirates, faeries, and vampires are the trends to watch, the real “win” for publishing is that kids are reading, and reading with a vengeance!

*read more on these titles at theDailyBeast