Tag: Technology

Random

WordPress Book Bloggers – Help Out!

Geoff W

Hey Everyone,

Are you a book blogger? Do you blog about other things but still read books?

I know a lot of you use different blogging platforms, but if you use WordPress I would appreciate your help.  Please add your voice to my “idea” in the WordPress Ideas forum: “Customizable Goodreads Widget.”

If you’ve ever tried to add a Goodreads widget to your wordpress.com site you know you can’t do it. They (rightfully so) don’t allow iframe or javascript, and they did finally build a widget, however it’s slap-dash and has no customization. I mean look to the right – I can’t be the only one who thinks it looks odd. The coding is similar to that provided by Goodreads so it wouldn’t take much editing for WordPress to make this possible.

I’m not sure if anything will come of it, but it’s worth a shot. So click here and add your thoughts, please!!!!

Thanks!
Geoff

CRWMPodcast

CRWM #03: The Handmaid’s Tale

Geoff W

CRWM03Note: This episode is going live early due to the holidays, traveling and the potential delay with iTunes uploading.

Welcome to Episode 3 of Come Read With Me, where my friend Patrick and I dive into Margaret Atwood’s classic dystopia A Handmaid’s Tale. Patrick agreed to be on the podcast before he even knew what the podcast was about and when I called him he was ready. I gave him a really long list of books to choose from and he chose perfectly! (His original choice was Twilight but that was reserved and will be Episode 4). If you’ve never read it you should read it, really just read all Atwood as she’s amazing.

In addition to Atwood we spoke about a wide variety of authors and Patrick’s love of creating Twitter bots. Check Patrick out on Twitter @lightaesthetic and check out his website to see some of the awesome games he’s putting together in his spare time.

Click here to continue reading.

30x30, Personal Project

30 x 30: #12 – Spend a day with no technology

Geoff W

2014 09-12 Acadia National Park - Cadillac SummitThis might be my favorite 30 x 30 list item so far. It is the twelfth item I have completed and is one of THREE I did this past weekend while visiting Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor in Maine.

I added this to my list for the same reason I deleted Facebook from my phone. Some days you just spend too much time staring at a screen (eight plus hours a day five days a week) and that doesn’t even include your phone time!

When I first added this to the list, I should’ve clarified the primary intention was no internet or social media, but I did my best to stick to no technology in general. It became difficult as I realized how beautiful Acadia was and I stole a phone a few times to snap a photo (like the above and below), but I didn’t once check in on social media or email. I was, however, VERY glad I saved my sunrise and sunset experience for the next day so that I could document it with my camera and not feel guilty!

Click here to continue reading.

Books

Book 295: The Hangman’s Revolution (W.A.R.P. #2) – Eoin Colfer

Geoff W

If it weren’t for the strength of the last book and Colfer’s series in general, the opening line of this novel might’ve made me turn back! I originally requested a copy of this from the publisher and you can read about my issues here (last paragraph under Books and Bookish – yes I’m naming and shaming now).

However, given the opening lines “meh” and the fact this is a second book in a series (almost always “meh”) this book turned out to be almost as good as The Reluctant Assassin the first of the W.A.R.P. series.

Part of the struggle, for me, with this novel is that the first one came out early last year and I’ve read so many books since then! Add in that this book starts in an alternative present and it took a few chapters to really start remembering characters and what happened in the previous book. I’m not sure if every book will be like this and I’m pretty sure not with the way this ended but there was a Chekhov gun introduced that I’m assuming will span the series (or at least another book)!

Click here to continue reading.

Books, Quotes

Book 287: The Rise of Endymion (Hyperion Cantos #4) – Dan Simmons

Geoff W

I’m exhausted. This series has spanned 2,200+ pages and more than 10 centuries! It covers lifetimes of characters, many lived over and over and a few lived once throughout the entire story! (Twenty years shy of 1,000 years old, one character!) The story was convoluted and continuously changed which ultimately worked for and against the series.

As the concluding novel in this epic story, it felt a little hollow. There were definitely moments of amazement and creativity and Simmons intelligence once again comes across unquestionably, but for some reason it just felt a little hollow and most definitely rushed at the end. Even though I hadn’t fully thought through the end of the novel when I got there I was not surprised at the ending. It did feel a little deus ex machina (Wikipedia link), but with a “machine” like the Shrike, how could it be any other way?

Click here to continue reading.