Just found this cool widet that Goodreads offers. Here are all the books from my 2009 list, arranged by the date I read them:
Top 10 Books of 2009
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Sunday, February 7, 2010
It's already February, but since I had a request to see my favorite books that I read from last year, here is the list. It looks like I read about 65 books last year and this year I am on pace to read over 100 as I have already read 25. This list only contains books that I completed in 2009.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING TWO BOOKS ARE IN A SERIES THAT IS NOT YET COMPLETE. IF YOU START IT, YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT TO FINISH IT. THE 3RD BOOK IS SCHEDULED TO COME OUT IN AUGUST OR SO OF THIS YEAR. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
#10
Quick Synopsis: Details the search for the great Dracula.
What I thought: This book had lots of interesting historical details about Dracula and his life. Lots of action throughout. The one negative of this book is the length. It was just a little too long.
#9
Quick Synopsis: Just before their sixteenth birthdays, when they will will be transformed into beauties whose only job is to have a great time, Tally's best friend runs away and Tally must find her and turn her in, or never become pretty at all.
What I thought: One of the many young adult books that I have quite enjoyed. This book forced me to think about what is really important in life while at the same time being fun.
#8
Quick Synopsis: Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander.
What I thought: This book was a surprisingly fun read and there were action and mystery on nearly every page.
#7
Quick Synopsis: A Train to Potevka will take you on an incredible winter's journey across Great Mother Russia along the 6,000-mile Trans-Siberian Railway. This fascinating story about an American intelligence agent from a small town in the Rockies, is a tale of failed espionage, escape, and second chances.
What I thought: This book probably got a higher rating from me since I served my mission in Russia, but I love how intimate the details are of the country. I gave a full review back in April when I read it.
#6
Quick Synopsis: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati is alive, well, and murderously active. Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out, and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest.
What I thought: By far my favorite Dan Brown book. The religious mysteries along with quick action put this book on my top 10.
#5
Quick Synopsis: Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books.
What I thought: Loved how this book was set during Nazi Germany. Engaging on every page and an easy read.
#4
Quick Synopsis: It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.
What I thought: This book is disturbing and beautiful at the same time. Set in Afghanistan, lots of interesting history is presented as well as details of the culture.
#3
Quick Synopsis: The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption. And it is also about the power of fathers over sons -- their love, their sacrifices, their lies.
What I thought: This book tears you. I loved and hated the main character but was emotionally involved. An amazing look at the bonds of friendship.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING TWO BOOKS ARE IN A SERIES THAT IS NOT YET COMPLETE. IF YOU START IT, YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT TO FINISH IT. THE 3RD BOOK IS SCHEDULED TO COME OUT IN AUGUST OR SO OF THIS YEAR. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
#2
Quick Synopsis: In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.
What I thought: The top 2 books on my list could go back and forth. They are also the only 2 books on my list that I am planning to reread in 2010. This book is an incredible tale of love, devotion, and death. FYI: this book has the highest rating I have ever seen on Goodreads.
#1
Quick Synopsis: Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
What I thought: Just when I thought that I wouldn't like any book better than the Hunger Games, I read this book. Suzanne Collins doesn't lose any steam in her second book of the series here.
Reading and More
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
Time sure flies. I haven't been very good at updating the blog here about what has been going on. So here is a quick glimpse of what's new and happening.
As most of you know, my wife has been going to school. That has kept her pretty busy and left me with lots of free time. Probably my new favorite hobby is to read. When we moved into our home about a year ago I started to read again and with my new Kindle I usually read a couple hours or more a day. I keep track of all my reading and books on Goodreads(post devoted to Goodreads to come).
With reading, our TV doesn't get much use. In fact, we usually turn the TV on for 2 hours a week. Typically on Sunday evening we will watch Extreme Makeover and Desparate Housewives. That is it. I don't even turn the TV on to watch sports (instead I tend to use a site like justin.tv). We don't have cable and some of our channels don't work. Whenever I see an awesome deal on TVs (Slickdeals) I have to remind myself that this would be the most pointless purchase. We just don't use the TV.
The time that I do watch TV is in the morning. I have been getting up every morning and going over to our clubhouse that has a pretty nice workout facility. I run 3 times a week and usually turn on Sportscenter while I am there. However, I have started listening to a lot of audio books now on my phone and so I don't watch a whole lot. I do turn it on though.
I went to the theater for the first time in almost a year last week to see Avatar. We saw it in 3D and it was alright. I quite enjoyed the film itself and the graphics were absolutely awesome. 3D technology, however, has a long way to go. The glasses are pretty limited and hurt my eyes. They also make it so the colors aren't as bright in the film. If I was going to see it again, I probably wouldn't go to the 3D version of it. I would definitely see it in the theater though as I am sure the film just won't be the same on DVD. My wife didn't really like the movie. I would give it 8 out of 10. And yes, it's better than Titanic in my opinion. I am laughing at the difference between those movie sites. Clearly, times have changed.
I have been trying to come up with good food ideas. With Anya going back to school, I typically get to make the food. I like to make homemade bread, lasagna, and chicken enchilada casserole. If you have a favorite recipe, leave it here. I will post a more detailed post about preparing food at some point.
Work is going good. Still using and working with Drupal. In fact, there is a group meetup coming up next Tuesday in our offices downtown, if anyone is interested.
I know this post was all over the place, but I wanted to get caught up.
As most of you know, my wife has been going to school. That has kept her pretty busy and left me with lots of free time. Probably my new favorite hobby is to read. When we moved into our home about a year ago I started to read again and with my new Kindle I usually read a couple hours or more a day. I keep track of all my reading and books on Goodreads(post devoted to Goodreads to come).
With reading, our TV doesn't get much use. In fact, we usually turn the TV on for 2 hours a week. Typically on Sunday evening we will watch Extreme Makeover and Desparate Housewives. That is it. I don't even turn the TV on to watch sports (instead I tend to use a site like justin.tv). We don't have cable and some of our channels don't work. Whenever I see an awesome deal on TVs (Slickdeals) I have to remind myself that this would be the most pointless purchase. We just don't use the TV.
The time that I do watch TV is in the morning. I have been getting up every morning and going over to our clubhouse that has a pretty nice workout facility. I run 3 times a week and usually turn on Sportscenter while I am there. However, I have started listening to a lot of audio books now on my phone and so I don't watch a whole lot. I do turn it on though.
I went to the theater for the first time in almost a year last week to see Avatar. We saw it in 3D and it was alright. I quite enjoyed the film itself and the graphics were absolutely awesome. 3D technology, however, has a long way to go. The glasses are pretty limited and hurt my eyes. They also make it so the colors aren't as bright in the film. If I was going to see it again, I probably wouldn't go to the 3D version of it. I would definitely see it in the theater though as I am sure the film just won't be the same on DVD. My wife didn't really like the movie. I would give it 8 out of 10. And yes, it's better than Titanic in my opinion. I am laughing at the difference between those movie sites. Clearly, times have changed.I have been trying to come up with good food ideas. With Anya going back to school, I typically get to make the food. I like to make homemade bread, lasagna, and chicken enchilada casserole. If you have a favorite recipe, leave it here. I will post a more detailed post about preparing food at some point.
Work is going good. Still using and working with Drupal. In fact, there is a group meetup coming up next Tuesday in our offices downtown, if anyone is interested.
I know this post was all over the place, but I wanted to get caught up.
A classless note from a classless Ute fan
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Sunday, November 29, 2009
On my way home from "The Holy War" down in Provo, I heard Max Hall's comments live on the radio. I was pretty upset with what Max Hall had to say. I am a huge Ute fan and graduated from the University. I have lots of respect for BYU. I grew up in a home that was dominated by BYU fans. I have no hard feelings to the University. However, I must say that his comments were out of line and I wanted to sum a few points about the comments.
1) I don't have a problem that Hall hates Utah. I think that many players on both sides have this same feeling. There really isn't anything here that fuels the fire for me any more than it was already fueled. I do believe the LDS beliefs and religion discourage this kind of hate; however, that doesn't offend me as a person.
2) This is fine if Hall feels they deserved it. Both sides also probably felt the same way. It was a close game to the end, it could have gone either way and BYU pulled it out. Congratulations there. I have no hard feelings about the game being given away or lost. Someone was going to win and someone lose. I wish the other side had won, but it was still a great game.
3) I completely disagree with that the entire Utah program and fan base is classless. First off, I know there are stupid and retarded fans. And yes, I disagree with drinking morally, but (gasp) people do that. Now, there is no reason anyone should throw their beer or any drink on fans from another schools. This is idiotic, classless, and shows complete lack of self-restraint. I understand why Hall has no respect for these types of people. I myself also have no respect for them. These fans truly are classless.
4) Hall should realize however that all Utah fans are not that way. And why the program is also "classless" sure beats me. If I were to use this same logic with BYU, then I could say that the BYU fan base and BYU program is a bunch of unforgiving cocky haters. However, I realize this isn't true. There are some people from BYU that are like this (Hall would be here based on his comments), but that doesn't mean every single person at BYU is this type of a person and that the entire program is this way. It just means that there are people like this. In my opinion, these comments don't reflect the belief of the BYU program or LDS religion, rather they reflect on the character of Max Hall. He has had a year to think about this, and the fact that he thinks that all Ute fans are classless clearly shows that he has some other problem whether emotional or logical. That is not for me to determine but I think that Hall needs to step back.
In conclusion, I think Hall has lost his head with these comments. However, in no way do I think these comments diminish BYU as a program or their win yesterday. Rather they diminish Hall himself as a player and as person. BYU still has a great program and a lot of great fans. They also have their classless crowd as well. Utah has their classless crowd but they also have their good outstanding fans and players like every University. I hope that Hall can realize that what he said is pretty classless itself, apologize, and that we can all move on. Both sides have great teams and classy fans. I hope my rant isn't too "classless" for Mr. Hall though.
P.S. It was a great game yesterday and I had a really fun time in the BYU student section. Too bad the Utes couldn't pull it out.
"I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them — I hate everything about them.
"I hate their program. I hate their fans. I hate everything. So, it feels good to send those guys home. They didn't deserve it. It was our time, and it was our time to win. We deserved it. We played as hard as we could tonight, and it felt really good to send them home and to get them out of here, so it is a game I'll always remember."
"Do you really want me to go into it? I think the whole university and their fans and organization is classless. They threw beer on my family and stuff last year and did a whole bunch of nasty things. I don't respect them, and they deserve to lose."
1) I don't have a problem that Hall hates Utah. I think that many players on both sides have this same feeling. There really isn't anything here that fuels the fire for me any more than it was already fueled. I do believe the LDS beliefs and religion discourage this kind of hate; however, that doesn't offend me as a person.
2) This is fine if Hall feels they deserved it. Both sides also probably felt the same way. It was a close game to the end, it could have gone either way and BYU pulled it out. Congratulations there. I have no hard feelings about the game being given away or lost. Someone was going to win and someone lose. I wish the other side had won, but it was still a great game.
3) I completely disagree with that the entire Utah program and fan base is classless. First off, I know there are stupid and retarded fans. And yes, I disagree with drinking morally, but (gasp) people do that. Now, there is no reason anyone should throw their beer or any drink on fans from another schools. This is idiotic, classless, and shows complete lack of self-restraint. I understand why Hall has no respect for these types of people. I myself also have no respect for them. These fans truly are classless.
4) Hall should realize however that all Utah fans are not that way. And why the program is also "classless" sure beats me. If I were to use this same logic with BYU, then I could say that the BYU fan base and BYU program is a bunch of unforgiving cocky haters. However, I realize this isn't true. There are some people from BYU that are like this (Hall would be here based on his comments), but that doesn't mean every single person at BYU is this type of a person and that the entire program is this way. It just means that there are people like this. In my opinion, these comments don't reflect the belief of the BYU program or LDS religion, rather they reflect on the character of Max Hall. He has had a year to think about this, and the fact that he thinks that all Ute fans are classless clearly shows that he has some other problem whether emotional or logical. That is not for me to determine but I think that Hall needs to step back.
In conclusion, I think Hall has lost his head with these comments. However, in no way do I think these comments diminish BYU as a program or their win yesterday. Rather they diminish Hall himself as a player and as person. BYU still has a great program and a lot of great fans. They also have their classless crowd as well. Utah has their classless crowd but they also have their good outstanding fans and players like every University. I hope that Hall can realize that what he said is pretty classless itself, apologize, and that we can all move on. Both sides have great teams and classy fans. I hope my rant isn't too "classless" for Mr. Hall though.
P.S. It was a great game yesterday and I had a really fun time in the BYU student section. Too bad the Utes couldn't pull it out.
Kindle Review
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Monday, November 2, 2009
I got a Kindle last week and have been unable to put it down. I have been reading practically nonstop while not a work. My Kindle was an unexpected gift and I have been grateful to have it.
When you look at the kindle, you literally feel like you are reading an actual page from a book.
Truly incredible. I am still impressed. If you notice in the image below, the Kindle is sitting right in the sun, but the words are still completely visible. It is literally like a book.
And that is the reason I love the Kindle so much. Unlike a computer, iPhone, or other electronic device, you can stare at the Kindle for the same amount of time that you can stare at a normal book. The convenience of having multiple books with you wherever you go in such a small place is a nice little bonus (although I typically never carried more than 2 books with me at a time, but now I have about 20).
The Kindle offers lots of other little cool things such as an easy way to grab your favorite quotes from what you are reading, note taking ability at a certain spot in a book, and a simple way to get to your notes and quotes off the Kindle on to your computer or other device. The Kindle has Wifi connectivity so I can browse the internet (in black and white of course and it is a bit clunky, but it is nice to have just in case).
Getting books is one of the areas that I really like and dislike. The thing that I love is how simple it is to get a book onto your Kindle. If you purchase it at the Amazon store, it downloads itself directly to your Kindle (that's right, I simply say I want it and it adds itself to my system in about a minute). You can purchase books directly through your Kindle or on your computer. The thing I dislike about books is there is no local library that I can use for free to check out books. That means that if I want to read a new book, I either have to pay for it to get it on my Kindle (it's only $9.99 for a new release so cheaper than in the bookstore) or wait for it at the library as usual which kind of defeats the point of getting a Kindle. This is just a minor problem thought because there are hundreds of books that are free at the Amazon book store or on several other sites. Also, if you can print something to PDF, then you can get it onto your Kindle in a readable format.
Overall, during the past 4 days that I have been using my Kindle, I have been impressed. I take it with me everywhere and am constantly turning it on and reading a few pages here and there (it saves where I am reading in each book, so I don't need to worry about losing my spot). Would I recommend getting your own Kindle? I don't know to be honest. The Kindle comes with a current price tag of $259. I wouldn't trade my Kindle for anything now that I have it, but like I said, I got it as a gift. If you are in the business of buying books often, it may be a good investment for you as there are lots of free books out there and typically the Kindle version will be cheaper than the hard copy. If you are like me, and live at the library because you prefer free books to purchasing, then the Kindle might not be for you, unless of course you have the money to spend on it. Then, I would definitely go for it.
Remember though, you will only be able to share your books with your friends that have a Kindle as well. If you do, let me know what books you have and I'd be happy to let you check out my books. Off to read my Kindle now.
Another angled shot
One more angled shot
My Kindle
I had only seen a Kindle once before and wasn't completely sold on the idea of it. It was a pretty cool system, but I didn't think it looked cool enough. That is probably the first impression that most people will have. Compared to some of the other electronics out there today, a Kindle seems pretty lackluster in comparison (look at the iPhone, netbooks, and other such electronics for example). The Kindle however has one primary purpose, to provide an excellent reading environment, and it does just that.When you look at the kindle, you literally feel like you are reading an actual page from a book.
Kindle uses a high-resolution display technology called electronic paper. It works using ink just like books and newspapers, but it displays the ink particles electronically...The electronic paper display is reflective, which means unlike most displays, you can read it clearly even in bright sunlight. Also, electronic paper does not need power to hold the ink in place, which extends your Kindle’s battery life.
-Kindle User's Guide
Truly incredible. I am still impressed. If you notice in the image below, the Kindle is sitting right in the sun, but the words are still completely visible. It is literally like a book.
And that is the reason I love the Kindle so much. Unlike a computer, iPhone, or other electronic device, you can stare at the Kindle for the same amount of time that you can stare at a normal book. The convenience of having multiple books with you wherever you go in such a small place is a nice little bonus (although I typically never carried more than 2 books with me at a time, but now I have about 20). The Kindle offers lots of other little cool things such as an easy way to grab your favorite quotes from what you are reading, note taking ability at a certain spot in a book, and a simple way to get to your notes and quotes off the Kindle on to your computer or other device. The Kindle has Wifi connectivity so I can browse the internet (in black and white of course and it is a bit clunky, but it is nice to have just in case).
Getting books is one of the areas that I really like and dislike. The thing that I love is how simple it is to get a book onto your Kindle. If you purchase it at the Amazon store, it downloads itself directly to your Kindle (that's right, I simply say I want it and it adds itself to my system in about a minute). You can purchase books directly through your Kindle or on your computer. The thing I dislike about books is there is no local library that I can use for free to check out books. That means that if I want to read a new book, I either have to pay for it to get it on my Kindle (it's only $9.99 for a new release so cheaper than in the bookstore) or wait for it at the library as usual which kind of defeats the point of getting a Kindle. This is just a minor problem thought because there are hundreds of books that are free at the Amazon book store or on several other sites. Also, if you can print something to PDF, then you can get it onto your Kindle in a readable format.
Overall, during the past 4 days that I have been using my Kindle, I have been impressed. I take it with me everywhere and am constantly turning it on and reading a few pages here and there (it saves where I am reading in each book, so I don't need to worry about losing my spot). Would I recommend getting your own Kindle? I don't know to be honest. The Kindle comes with a current price tag of $259. I wouldn't trade my Kindle for anything now that I have it, but like I said, I got it as a gift. If you are in the business of buying books often, it may be a good investment for you as there are lots of free books out there and typically the Kindle version will be cheaper than the hard copy. If you are like me, and live at the library because you prefer free books to purchasing, then the Kindle might not be for you, unless of course you have the money to spend on it. Then, I would definitely go for it.
Remember though, you will only be able to share your books with your friends that have a Kindle as well. If you do, let me know what books you have and I'd be happy to let you check out my books. Off to read my Kindle now.
Notice that even from the extreme angle, you can still read the words that are written (no glare)
Another angled shot
One more angled shot
Putting it all together
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Sunday, October 4, 2009
The computer is basically done. I am finishing up getting all of our documents and pictures over to the new hard drive but that is just clean up work. I had a few people ask me why I was building a new computer and the main reason was because our old computer was almost dead. It took about 10 minutes to startup, and then if it sat for more than 10 minutes then you had to reboot the machine because it froze up. With all of the Photoshop and Sai Paint Tools stuff that my wife does, she couldn't handle it.
Also, I couldn't really just upgrade the system because the old machine was an eMachines system that was running on DDR Memory and didn't have any SATA support (that's right, we were on DDR and PATA. For the non-techies, that is old stuff.
I had never built my own system before by buying the parts, but I thought it would be a fun adventure. The most work was figuring out exactly what I needed. Putting the system together wasn't too much work. I put the system together following this step-by-step guide. Also, I did a lot of research on one of my favorite sites using this thread where people were very helpful in answering questions.
Here are a few of the pictures from my build (I am not going to give all the steps as you can find those using the guide that I posted above). I took these pictures with my cell phone so please forgive the quality:
The Parts
Putting it together
Booting Up
Overall, it took me about 4 hours to get everything together and running (the last hour to hour and a half was just setting up Windows). The system works great and so far there are no bugs. I will definitely be building all of my machines in the future because for the price you can get a way awesome machine. If anyone needs or wants help building their own machine then let me know and I would be more than happy to help you out. See the final build parts here.
Also, I couldn't really just upgrade the system because the old machine was an eMachines system that was running on DDR Memory and didn't have any SATA support (that's right, we were on DDR and PATA. For the non-techies, that is old stuff.
I had never built my own system before by buying the parts, but I thought it would be a fun adventure. The most work was figuring out exactly what I needed. Putting the system together wasn't too much work. I put the system together following this step-by-step guide. Also, I did a lot of research on one of my favorite sites using this thread where people were very helpful in answering questions.
Here are a few of the pictures from my build (I am not going to give all the steps as you can find those using the guide that I posted above). I took these pictures with my cell phone so please forgive the quality:
Overall, it took me about 4 hours to get everything together and running (the last hour to hour and a half was just setting up Windows). The system works great and so far there are no bugs. I will definitely be building all of my machines in the future because for the price you can get a way awesome machine. If anyone needs or wants help building their own machine then let me know and I would be more than happy to help you out. See the final build parts here.
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