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    Review: Gaming Tower

    Last week,  I posted about my fall organizing ritual.  I was invited by CSN Office furniture to review a piece of their furniture.  Instead of reviewing a bookshelf like other bloggers have done, my son and I decided to do a review of the Four-Tier Wire Gaming Tower. The tower arrived today and being the organizing freak that I am, I assembled it as soon as I arrived home.

    The box it arrived it (yes, I should have taken a picture first!) was nice and compact.  When I opened the box I was initially overwhelmed at the number of pieces.  My fears soon vanished when I realized how detailed the assembly instructions were.  The instructions had large, accurate drawings of each stage of the assembly.  It was detailed in several different languages, and the English instructions were easy to find and decipher.  I had it assembled in about 30 minutes.  Ok, I admit,  it probably would have taken only 15 minutes had I not been watching yesterday’s episode of True Blood.

    Now that it was assembled, we were ready to “install” it in my son’s room.  Let me warn you before showing you this picture.  This is, in fact, a picture of my son’s current video game area. No video games or video game consoles were harmed in this photo.

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    As you can see, this is a disaster.  Games are everywhere, some are shoved in the drawers and others are just sitting on top of the piece holding John’s game cube.  The drawers below hold a jumbled mess of video games and DVDs.  This system only holds one of his consoles and the controllers really don’ t have a home, in most cases they are just hanging out of the drawer.

    Now, for the after shot!

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    It’s so beautiful and well-organized it brings a tear to my eye!  The bottom drawer pulls out and holds all of John’s Playstation games.  The middle drawer not only holds John’s Playstation (it’s there on the right, on it’s side), but it also holds his Xbox, VCR and DVD player.  Finally, the top shelf holds all of John’s DVDs.  And, my favorite part-on each side are two controller hooks.

    You can see by the look on John’s face how much he loves this product!  His review: “I like this because it lets me get to my DVDs easier.  I can also find my games easier.  I don’t have to get down on my knees to get to my games, I can just bend over and slide out the drawer.  I can turn on my DVD player, Playstation 2, and Xbox easier as well.  Everything I need is together, not spread out all over my room. “  This makes me very happy as well.  I hope this system helps to keep John more organized, and eliminates the arguments we have about the condition of his video games!

    Thank you to CSN furniture for providing us this product for review.

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    31

    08 2009

    It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

           

    It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, so stop by and join in!

    Books Completed Last Week

    With all the BBAW judging I’ve been doing and my move over to this domain and self-hosting, I didn’t get nearly as much reading done last week as I would have liked.  I guess this week I’ll be playing catch up!

    The Black Echo by Michael Connelly (audiobook)
    Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation

    Currently Reading

    Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
    No Mercy by John Gilstrap

    Tomorrow, When the War Began (The Tomorrow Series #1) by John Marsden

    Books to Complete This Week

    Yikes! What a long list!

    Alex Cross’s TRIAL by James Patterson
    Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain
    Jack Wakes Up by Seth Harwood
    Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
    Fragment by Warren Fahy
    The Lion’s Eye: Seeing in the Wild by Joanna Greenfield
    School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari
     
     What are you reading this week?
     

     

     

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    Blog Tour & Review: Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation

    HambicAt the age of six years old, Bran Hambric was found inside a sealed bank fault. He had no memory of how he had come to be in the vault. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t remember anything. The only clue that lead to his identity was a torn piece of paper found with him, which stated: “Bran Hambric, born June 17.” Hambric was found by Sewey Wilomas, an employee of the bank.

    Eight years later, Hambric is living with the Wilomas family. The Finder’s Keepers Law required that, since Sewey Wilomas found Bran, he is theirs “forever or until the End of Time, whichever comes later.” Bran lives in the attic of the Wilomas home. He and Rosie (Mabel Wilomas’ distant cousin) are essentially the Wilomas’ servants.

    The Wilomas’ live in the City of Dunce, a town where magic and magical creatures have been outlawed. The slight mention of magic or mages (those that practice magic) can result in imprisonment.

    One night Bran and Sewey are attacked by a creature who refers to himself as Shambles. During his attempt to take Bran, he mentions the name Emry Hambric, Bran’s mother. This is the first Bran has heard anything about his past.

    For the first time, Bran begins to question his origin. It doesn’t take him long to discover he is not a normal boy. His mother, Emry Hambric, was a mage who risked her life to save Bran’s. Emry helped create the Farfield Curse, a curse known to be powerful but hasn’t been spoken of for the past eight years. The mages who helped create the Curse are now after Bran, for he is the only one that can awaken the horrible power that can unleash this curse. Bran must stop at nothing to prevent this Curse from occurring.

    Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse was a very thrilling tale. The suspense builds and builds and comes to a powerful climax near the end. I literally read this is one night, nothing was able to pull my attention away.  While technically considered a YA novel it is one that can be enjoyed by adults as well. Now, I would be remiss not to mention the similarities to the Harry Potter books. They do exist, but Kaleb is able to hold is own on this one.

    The most impressive thing about this book is the author, Kaleb Nation. Kaleb was only fourteen years old when he started writing Bran Hambric, and it took most of his teenage years to complete it. This is a truly impressive feat.  The dedication and focus Nation gave to his writing is clearly evident in this book.

    Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing a review copy of this book.

    Check out the other blogs participating in this blog tour:

    Monday, August 31st

    StevenTill.com
    Dolce Bellezza
    Bobbi’s Book Nook

    Tuesday, September 1st

    The Looking Glass Review
    Edward-Cullen.net
    Beth Fish Reads
    SMS Book Reviews
    James Holder’s YouTube Channel

    Wednesday, September 2nd

    Bookalicio.us
    Reading Rumpus
    Katie’s Literature Lounge
    Ultimate Bookhound

    Thursday, September 3rd

    Brimful Curiosities
    Charlotte’s Library

    Friday, September 4th

    BriMeetsBooks.com
    Bran Hambric by Kaleb Nation
     
    Saturday, September 5th

    Library Lounge Lizard
    Sarah’s Random Musings
    Saulchichas
    GreenFyr.com

    Sunday, September 6th

    Cindy’s Love of Books

    Monday, September 7th

    Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf
    Grasping for the Wind
    Life After Twilight vlog channel

    Tuesday, September 8th

    Shooting Stars Magazine
    Mrs. Magoo Reads
    Lori Calabrese Writes

     
    Wednesday, September 9th

    The Brain Lair
    Dulemba.com
    The Children’s Book Review
    TV Watch Online

    Thursday, September 10th

    The Friendly Book Nook
    Book Journey
    Stephanie’s Written Word
    Home School Buzz
    Spidurmunkey.com

    Friday, September 11th

    The Inside Scoop With Chandelle
    Booking Mama

    Saturday, September 12th

    Zoe’s Book Reviews
    Lit for Kids

    Sunday, September 13th

    Never Jam Today
    A Bibliophile’s Reverie

    Monday, September 14th

    Café of Dreams
    Marta’s Meanderings
    Galleysmith.com
    A Book Blogger’s Diary
    The Reader’s Quill

    Tuesday, September 15th

    a book in hand
    MistiSchindele.com
    Not Just for Kids

    Wednesday, September 16th

    Write for a Reader
    CumpulsiveReader.com

    Thursday, September 17th

    Howling Good Books
    The Written World

    Friday, September 18th

    Always Riddikulus
    YA Books Central

    Saturday, September 19th

    Ms. Bookish
    Into the Wardrobe

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    30

    08 2009

    Winner of Babydoll!

    ImageChef.com - Custom comment codes for MySpace, Hi5, Friendster and more

    The winner has been contacted. Thanks to all who entered! Check back next week for some exciting new giveaways!

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    28

    08 2009

    Welcome to Jenn’s Bookshelves!

    Although this new design only took me two days to complete, it was a long time coming!   I created Jenn’s Bookshelf over a year ago.  My collection of books has quadrupled in size in this time and it seemed appropriate to name my new blog Jenn’s Bookshelves!

    Thank you to new followers as well as followers that made the  leap with me to self-hosting!  There are a few people who I must thank as well.  I couldn’t have made this move without them!  First, I have to thank Heather from A High and Hidden Place designed my header, and Natasha from Maw Books Blog and Trish from Hey Lady, Whatcha Readin’? both gave me great advice and assistance during my move!  Thank you, Heather, Natasha, and Trish!

    Check back in the next few days for some great giveaways to celebrate my move!!

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    27

    08 2009

    Change Is In The Air!

    Within the past few months, I’ve discovered a few blogs that use the same template as mine (sob). It’s a template I’ve grown to love and have spent countless hours customizing. I’ve branded Jenn’s Bookshelf around this template. It’s to be expected, I suppose, given it is a free (and fabulous) template!
    But, the time has come for me to change it and personalize it a bit more, create something that is truly mine. So, in the next few weeks, Jenn’s Bookshelf will have a completely new look. At the same time, I will switch to self-hosting. It make sense to make all these big changes at one time.
    Thank you to all of those that have complimented the look of Jenn’s Bookshelf! I hope you all will be just as happy, if not more, when the new look is unveiled.
    Thank you for being a dedicated follower and for all of your support!
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    26

    08 2009

    R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril…IV!!!


    I was so excited to see Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings had posted about his famous RIP (R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril) Challenge, September 1-October 31! I’ve wanted to participate for some time, but this is the first I’ve been able to. I always try to read a lot of great horror and thriller during the Halloween season, and this challenge gives me another excuse!

    RIP challenges you to pick books from the following categories:

    Mystery.

    Suspense.
    Thriller.
    Dark Fantasy.
    Gothic.
    Horror.

    Supernatural.

    There are also certain levels (perils) to this challenge. I will be participating in:

    Peril the First states that I must read four books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories.

    Now, since my favorite genre is horror, I have a huge bookshelf that is literally packed (I’m talking at least 200 books) full of horror fiction. So, I have a great pool of books to choose from.

    Following is my tentative list. I will be adding to this list, I’m certain, depending on the mood I’m in!



    Any suggestions for other books I should add to my pool?

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    26

    08 2009

    National Book Festival is a Month Away! Sign Up for the DC Tweetup!

    The National Book Festival is being held September 26, 2009 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. There is an amazing line-up of authors scheduled to appear, including some of my favorites:

    Shannon Hale
    Mo Willems
    David Baldacci
    Lee Child
    James Patterson
    George Pelecanos
    Judy Blume
    Patrick Carman
    Rick Riordan
    John Grisham
    John Irving
    Katherine Neville
    Jodi Picoult
    Nicholas Sparks
    Jeannette Walls

    (for a full list, visit the Library of Congress Web site).

    Several local bloggers are working together to plan a DC TweetUp, which is basically a get together for anyone that will be in town to attend the National Book Festival. If you will be in DC that weekend, and are interested in joining up with us, please sign up for the DC Tweetup group. We’re also planning a tour of the Library of Congress Building, so sign up for the group to receive updates as they become available!

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    25

    08 2009

    Teaser Tuesday, August 25

    Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

    Just do the following:

    • Grab your current read
    • Open to a random page
    • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
    • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
    • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

    My teaser this week comes from No Mercy by John Gilstrap:

    “He’d seen a lot of people die in his time, and he always admired the ones who accepted their fate with guts. Good guy or bad, heaven reserved places for those who showed currage to the end.

    What’s your teaser this week?

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    25

    08 2009

    Fall is in the Air! Time to Reorganize!

    I’m really not that big a fan of summer. I detest hot weather. There are perks, however. Less traffic due to no school. I have more free time in the evenings since my oldest doesn’t have homework. More time for reading makes me a happy camper!

    Fall is definitely in the air, however. A welcome change to the sweltering heat! I’ve noticed that the mornings are cooler. The sun is rising later. I can almost feel Fall trying to scoot in. I love fall. It’s probably my favorite season. I love the changing colors of the foliage. In the area in which I live, it’s like driving through a watercolor painting. The colors are so vivid and bright. And I absolutely love back to school shopping! I loved it as a kid, and I love it still as an adult. We start early, in July, so we don’ t have to deal with the horrible crowds and digging through the leftover supplies. And, oh how I wish it would be acceptable for me to carry a trapper keeper to work! Or use glittery pencils with multi-colored erasers!

    A big thing we do at our house this time of year is reorganize! With the fall, not only does it bring school but it also begins my busy travel time of the year. So, by organizing and decluttering, it helps make our days run smoother and our lives less hectic.

    I was ecstatic when I was contacted by CSN Office Furniture inviting me to review one of their products. Several other bloggers were contacted and decided to review bookshelves. Now, I could definitely use another bookshelf, but keeping in line with this whole theme of organizing, I decided to review an item that would keep our family more organized. Because not only does CSN home office furniture sell bookshelves and other office equipment, it also sells some great organizational pieces! So I began to think of an area in our house that could stand a bit of organizing. I instantly thought of my son’s room, specifically his video game console/collection.

    The item I will be reviewing is the Four-Tier Wire Gaming Tower. I just love all the storage space it provides, and even more importantly, the hooks for the controllers! Currently, my son just throws them in a drawer and the cords get all twisted and bent. With this new system, I’m hoping my son will be able to keep this area of his room a little neater.

    So, check back in a few weeks for my review. And, if my son is willing, I will post a before and after picture of his video game area!

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    08 2009