Wonder Woman '84 Review

 First things first, this review is full of spoilers! Beware!

Generally speaking, I try to enjoy things on their own, as they are. So if a movie doesn’t exactly follow the book it was based on it’s ok as long as it was enjoyable in its own right.  I don’t want to be one of those fans who constantly complains that everything is awful because it doesn’t completely conform to previous iterations. Therefore I am a bit disappointed with myself because I am really annoyed with some of the decisions they made in the new Wonder Woman movie, it could have been much better. But here we are. When we initially watched the movie I enjoyed it but didn't think it was great. It was fun while we were watching it but afterward, the more I thought about it, the more I disliked it.

Librocubicularist October 2016

October is my favorite month of the year, it contains both my birthday and wedding anniversary, as well as the best weather of the year. It is finally cooling off, crisp fall temperatures make me want to be outside and also help my sleep more soundly at night. Unfortunately, fall is also a time when my allergies act up. However, that gives me plenty of opportunities to curl up with a good book and cup of hot cider...

Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You by Clare Walker Leslie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am in love with the idea of keeping a journal but somehow in practice, it never quite works out. Nature journaling is especially appealing because it's a combination of things, writing, art, and documenting the world around you. I feel happy when I spend time outside but it doesn't often happen because I feel like I need a reason, something to do while I'm out there. With so many chores to do inside, 'doing nothing' outside seems wasting time, but updating your nature journal? That's worth doing. Right now I only have the beginnings of a nature journal. I use my phone to take photos of the sky and sometimes record the weather using Instaweather photos.

Our rosebush, complete with dried seed heads, full roses, and new buds in mid-October.

This book offers great advice for how I can expand on that.

There are lots of benefits involved in keeping a journal about nature and this book both begins and ends with listing them. It all begins with learning to observe and connect with the world around you. The first chapters give suggestions of places to begin journaling and questions to ask about the world around you. There are examples of different styles and layouts that can be used as well as basic drawing tips.

The bulk of the book explores the seasons, discussing elements to explore during each. For example, winter is an excellent time to look at the structure and shape of trees without leaves getting in the way. On the other hand, not much is going with animals during this time and you might have better luck recording indirect evidence of them, than actual sightings. There is an awesome chart with suggestions of things to draw and questions to explore concerning different aspects of nature such as the sky and weather or plants and trees, for each season.

The final section deals with teaching yourself and others how to improve your journaling. While there are short drawing exercises sprinkled throughout the book this section provides more detailed advice to practice drawings. From simple contour and gesture drawings to details on foreshortening and perspective there are a variety of exercises to help you capture as much information as possible before your subject moves. The section also includes a discussion of how to motivate beginning journalers both with reasons to keep the journal going and encouraging people who feel they can't draw. The last chapter deals with the many ways that nature journals can be used to form connections and teach other subjects. Aside from the obvious connections to science and art, there are suggestions for using journals in teaching math, language, and history lessons.

Rutabaga the Adventure Chef: Book 1 by Eric Colossal

Rutabaga the Adventure Chef: Book 2: Feasts of Fury by Eric Colossal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the perspective of someone who plays fantasy RPG's and likes to read cookbooks, this series is awesome. Rutabaga is an adventure chef, someone who travels around searching for fantastic, exotic ingredients to use in his recipes. The stories include recipes both within the story and in an appendix at the back. The recipes presented at the end are inspired by the events of the story, not necessarily the dishes cooked in the story. They are short and easy to follow, with notes on where you may need an adult's help. Those in the story don't contain exact directions, partly because they use imaginary ingredients, but you should still be able to re-create the dishes if you have some cooking experience. It could be a lot of fun to experiment with your kids to create your own take on the recipe and would help teach how to improvise while cooking.

The stories make me want to create a master chef in a game as either a playable character or NPC. There's lots of potential for hilarious situations and I hope the series continues for some time.

The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book by Chris McVeigh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday and as a kid, we added homemade ornaments to the tree every year. This book provides a way to continue that tradition with LEGO, providing typical, picture only instructions to make 15 different ornaments designs. The designs vary in difficulty and range from traditional (snowflakes and balls) to quirky (arcade games and hamburgers). Each design includes a part list with element id numbers so you can buy the pieces you need either from the lego website or other marketplaces such as Bricklink.com. You could buy parts and give out little ornament building packages as gifts or just enjoy assembling some for your own tree every year.

Beautiful LEGO by Mike Doyle

Beautiful Lego 3: Wild! by Mike Doyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars




This book series showcases tons of really cool LEGO art and creations. The works span a wide range of subjects from birds to mecha, Mirco scale to giant landscape builds. Also included are interviews with several LEGO artists answering questions about what lead them to choose LEGO as a medium and what, if any, favorite pieces or techniques they use. One of my favorite things in the first volume is the mosaics by Katie Walker. Unfortunately, my local library only has the first and third volumes not the second so I haven't had the opportunity to look through that one. However, if you are interested in LEGO at all I highly recommend you check them out for some amazing inspiration.

Sundressing: Sewing and Style for Summer and Beyond by Melissa Mora

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book comes with patterns for sundresses for women and girls. There seems to be a pretty wide range of sizes. I tend to have problems finding patterns large enough to fit my hips and based on these measurements I should be able to sew something to fit easily. There's a small section about modifying patterns, mostly for adjustments to the bust line. The directions for each pattern contain further alterations specific to each dress.

There are some really cute things, especially for little girls, it really makes me wish I had a daughter to sew for.

Sew Many Dresses, Sew Little Time: The Ultimate Dressmaking Guide by Tanya Whelan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is all about mix and match patterns. There are several bodice patterns and skirt variations that can combine to make over 20 different dresses. Lots of information about pattern alterations give even more variety by offering different sleeve and neckline options. I have zero experience with pattern alteration but I feel like if I took my time, read all the instructions well, that I could learn a lot about it by making a couple of dresses with this book.

Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is more of a comic strip than a graphic novel. The story is all about Phoebe and her friendship with a unicorn.... Phoebe inadvertently saves Marigold earning a wish, which she uses to make them best friends. Neither one of them is really sure how to have/be a best friend so it takes some getting used to. Much of the humor comes from the fact that being friends with a unicorn didn't end up quite like Phoebe expected. She expected to suddenly be popular and awesome because she had a unicorn best friend but that didn't happen because of something called the Shield of Boringness.

The Devious Book for Cats: A Parody by Fluffy & Bonkers

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Thd Devious Book for Cats aims to help your housecat get the most out of his or her nine lives. It offers tips on a variety of subjects such as how to wake your human up when you need feed, hunting wild game, and the international sport of shelf swat. Also included are tales of famous cats thru out history to provide inspiration for a life well-lived and a typical programming schedule for various windows around the house. Not sure what our three kitties thought of this book but the shelf swat section was very informative for my husband and I. Clearly we live with Champions who absolutely must practice constantly. I'm sure our new understanding of the rules will allow us to set up more challenging shelves for them to play and help push their scores to a new high. There is apparently a book for dogs by the same group, we may have to check it out for their brother, Gil.

Devious Curry kitten stole Gil's raccoon for a few snuggles.

This week we are prepping for a Halloween/ Anniversary dinner, hopefully, I will be able to share some of the detail next week in a bonus holiday post. If not, be sure to check back on the 14th of November to see the completed Legend of Zelda string art.

Librocubicularist July 2016

I have a HUGE project that has been in the planning stages for what feels like forever. In the past week, I think I've finalized the design and am ready to start the actual crafting process. Stick around till the end of the post for a sneak peek but right now I've got book reviews to share.


Uprooted by Naomi Novik

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a fairytale, complete with wizards, witches, a prince, and an evil forest.
I found the main story really interesting. The main character learns that she is a witch and uses magic to help fight the evil woods. Without giving away the end of the book, I will say that the power behind the wood and its reasons for malice were not what I expected. There is a lot of confusion related to her struggle to learn magic. For some reason, that is never stated, the wizard never tells her that she has the ability to use magic and needs to learn to control it, he simply starts forcing her to cast spells with no explanation. Due to the fact that the magic leaves her exhausted and weak, she comes to the conclusion that he's simply using her to power his own magic as some kind torture. It takes entirely too long for her to realize what's really going on. Even when she knows he's trying to teach her they don't have much better luck. It turns out that she uses a completely different form of magic, kind of like wizards vs sorcerors in Dungeons and Dragons.
My favorite parts of the book dealt with the discussions about the 'correct' way to cast spells and what should or shouldn't be possible.


Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


After having it come up constantly as a recommendation I decided to go ahead and read this, despite having some reservations. I'm not really big on the drinking/ drug deal and also don't tend to be a big fan of excess violence so the description of the characters as booze guzzling and death-dealing really wasn't very appealing.
After reading it I have very mixed feelings. The overall storyline was entertaining and had the feel of Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The banter between the main characters has the feel of old friends who insult each other but deep down know they care about each other. I would be interested in learning more about the backgrounds of the characters and their connections to each other and it seems like the story is moving that way. I am curious to see where it goes.
On the other hand, there is a lot of focus on drugs and drinking and quite a bit of cursing. While some of that is alright there are places in the story where it gets really over the top and I felt like it distracted from the story instead of adding anything.

DC Comics: Bombshells Vol. 1: Enlisted by Marguerite Bennett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was super excited to find this at my local library. I love the art that this series is based on and wanted to read the story.
I feel like this volume was mostly set-up for a bigger story. It has the origin stories of several of the Bombshells and you see the beginnings of the Bombshell team being assembled by Amanda Waller but there isn't a clear explanation of how the team operates.
I really enjoyed reading it and can't wait to learn more about this alternate version of the DC world.



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And now for the sneak peek...

Is that a tri-force back there? Yes, it is. What is this going to turn into? Check back in a few weeks and see.

Librocubicularist June 2016

For whatever reason I didn't get much reading done this month and apparently I was on a bit of a Star Wars kick as well... Anyways, here's a bit of what I've been up to these past few weeks and my book reviews. My husband and I have started taking turns playing Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. We both started games years ago but neither of us ever finished so we decided to take a tag-team approach. It's been a lot more fun than searching thru Netflix for something every night. We are on our way to the last sword upgrade.

I've also started working on a new project to decorate our living room wall. I hope to have it finished with a tutorial for my next post but here's a sneak peek of the planning.

Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I have really mixed feeling about this book. It tells the story of Darth Plagueis and by extension his apprentice Darth Sidious. The book begins with Plagueis killing his former master and follows all the way through Palpatine's appointment as Chancellor. Overall the tale spans several decades worth of time and I felt like the author did a good job with the story. It ties in well with previously known events and characters. There is lots of crazy behind the scenes manipulations on the part of the Sith Lords as they attempt to mold the Force to their will.
The problems that I have are the parts of the story that focus on midi-chlorians. I realize that they are a part of the Star Wars canon now but the whole midi-chlorian thing is kind of lame in my opinion. Plagueis conducts multiple experiments involving midi-chlorians in order to better understand them and prolong his life. He is able to apply his knowledge to revive victims from near death and create pregnancies in animals. He is eventually able to manipulate his own midi-chlorians to keep himself alive indefinitely.

(view spoiler)[He and Sidious attempt to create a human life by manipulating the force but believe they have failed. I was a little unclear on what actually happens here. I'm pretty sure that the force creates Anakin as a reaction to their attempted manipulation but the book is a little fuzzy on the details. (hide spoiler)]

Overall although I don't care for the midi-chlorians as a story element I think that it was handled well and makes sense with the overall existing universe.

The other issue that I had was an overuse of large words. Generally speaking, I don't mind a lot of complicated words, that in and of itself isn't a problem. Most things were easily inferred from context and I kind of enjoy looking up new words, however, there were times where it seemed awkward and forced. The worst case for me, was the following sentence. "Here is where your path bifurcates, young human."
In conclusion, although I didn't give it a very high rating, I think that this book was worth reading in order to keep up with the current Star Wars lore but didn't necessarily enjoy the subject matter.


Star Wars: Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Vol. 1: Aliens by Landry Q. Walker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a collection of short stories that deals with Aliens from The Force Awakens. There is a lot of crazy stuff going on these stories, everything from mad scientists to an Iron Chef style cooking contest, and that makes it great. There are six stories in all and they over a range of styles or story types. There is western/ bank robber story, a pirate story, and even a bit of a love story (although a strange one).
Books like this are why I enjoy stories written for kids. Adult books just don't seem to ever have the same level of just outright goofiness.

The picture below shows a bit of this humor by highlighting a passage with the much used "I've got a bad feeling about this." line.

I've also been reading Vertical Vegetables and Fruit by Rhonda Massingham Hart. I haven't quite finished it yet but it is a book about growing vertically both to save space and because it benefits the plants. We eventually want to start a backyard garden but at the moment we don't have a working hose hookup and the makes it nearly impossible.

I'm also still following along with The Idea Room's photo a day challenge for June so check out my Facebook page for the last few days of pictures.

Librocubicularist- April 2016

I have only read a fraction of what I normally do this month. Between December and March, I've read 20-30 books a month but this month I've only hit 9. I feel like I don't have much to choose from for reviews right now.

I blame our pets.

We really thought that our cats would at least get used to the Gil more quickly than this. We even hoped that they might eventually become friends and cuddle and hang out. Right now, Curry is the only one who will even tolerate Gil and some days even he isn't sure about the situation. Baldur and Carmel both still hiss and hit at him anytime he gets too close. (Although it is sometimes helpful for keeping him off the couch.) As we continue to work on his training and he calms down I still hope they will get closer.

While they are usually pretty mild the disagreements between our pets are both the reason and the inspiration for my short reading list this month.


Catify to Satisfy by Jackson Galaxy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book discusses different ways that cats claim ownership of a space and how to translate that into creating a home where they feel safe and comfortable. There are tips for creating safe spaces like catios for your cats to enjoy the outdoors as well as devise a series of shelves for a cat highway around the house. It also includes information about choosing the right litter box for your cat and how to integrate them into your house in a way that lets them be accessible to the cats but unobtrusive to humans.

I also read the precursor to this book Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!).

Be the Dog: Secrets of the Natural Dog Owner by Steve Duno

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Be the Dog discusses how to train your dog by working with their natural instincts instead of fighting against them. All dogs have certain instincts some common to all dogs and some more specific to the breed. If you know that your dog was bred for hunting small animals in burrows then they have a need to dig and you can work to find ways for your dog to fulfill that purpose without destroying your lawn by giving him an approved spot to dig.
It also stresses that the more you work to teach your dog, the better behaved he will become. Learning more commands means your dog is smarter and will become better able to understand the consequences of his actions. There is a list of basic commands and tips for teaching them as well as suggestions for activities to help your dog feel like he's a contributing member of the pack.


Charm Love Friendship Bracelets: 35 Unique Designs with Polymer Clay, Macrame, Knotting, and Braiding * Make your own charms with polymer clay! by Sherri Haab

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The projects in this book take traditional friendship bracelets and embellish them by adding charms and chain. The first section has tips for working with polymer clay to make your own charms and bead as well as detailing different kinds of knots you can use. After that, the book contains instructions for lots of different bracelets using all sorts of materials including chain, rhinestones, and charms. My favorite design is the one using handmade polymer clay roses. While I haven't tried any of the projects yet I found the book inspiring.

Lego Dimensions

My husband recently brought a copy of Lego Dimensions as a surprise for me. I know it's been a while since the release and I've only played the first few levels but here's my review.

The basic story follows Batman, Wildstyle, and Gandalf as they try to recover friends that have been sucked into vortexes. The vortexes were created by Lord Vortech in his quest to acquire the foundation elements of the universe. I haven't had time to play the entire story yet so I don't know how it all plays out. At the moment, it's mostly Vortech recruiting other villains to his cause .

The look of the levels varies quite a bit depending on which world you are in. There's everything from a Lego yellow brick road with a quasi-realistic background to the animation/ Lego hybrid of the Simpsons world.

The gameplay is very similar to other Lego games with a few changes. As you progress through the story mode you collect extra pieces that unlock new modes for the portal. On of these is Chroma, which when activated creates paint bubbles at various points in the level. In order to defeat enemies and complete the level you need to move a character into the paint so they change color and then solve the puzzle by placing each color on the correct portion of the toy pad.

This brings me to my only real complaint with the game so far. As a grown-up with a house full of cats and a new puppy, my natural inclination was to place the toy pad as far back on the shelf as possible to protect it from being knocked over or animals running off with mini figures. However, the gameplay quite often involves moving characters around the toy mat. All three starter characters have abilities that can only be used if they are in the circle portion. There are also times when a villain will somehow trap a charter and you have to move them to the other side of the portal to free them. Because of all this, we ended up having to play with the portal on our coffee table and the cord stretches out across the floor. More than once Gil tried to steal a figure and accidentally tripped over the cord. It seems like the options are either sit too close to the TV or risk accidents and I don't really like either.

The final thing I want to talk about is replay value. As with other Lego games, there are things hidden in each level that can only be accessed by characters with certain abilities. Therefore, as you unlock new characters (or purchase new figures) you need to revisit the level. Lego Dimensions also adds in a separate portal to each themed world that you can explore. For example, because you start with Batman you can visit a DC themed level that is a mash-up of Metropolis and Gotham City. We only spent a few minutes exploring but there we races and apparently quests that you can unlock by paying to repair various parts of the city.

Overall I've enjoyed playing the game in spite of all the portal switching business and look forward to trying some of the expanded level packs.

Librocubicularist- Feb. 2015

We've been busy getting ready for our Pi Day party. Making and sending invitations, planning favors and everything in between. I've still be reading but it's been in small bits so this month was mostly comics and craft books.


Bound: Over 20 Artful Handmade Books by Erica Ekrem

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book has a nice variety of projects, some made from scratch, some repurposed old books, even one made from a seashell. I've read a bunch of bookmaking books but this one has a few stitching patterns that I hadn't seen before so that's nice. It also has a handful of projects that are related but not actual books, such as a flower press and bookmarks.




Star Wars: Princess Leia by Mark Waid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The story takes place immediately following Star Wars: A New Hope and follows Leia as she attempts to round-up survivors of Alderaan. I really enjoyed this comic. It shows how Leia grieves for her lost planet by taking action instead of hiding as the other Rebel leaders advise. I also like the fact that she is allowed to fail. Although her ultimate mission is a success, mistakes are made along the way and I think that makes her a stronger more relatable character.




The Creativity Challenge: Design, Experiment, Test, Innovate, Build, Create, Inspire, and Unleash Your Genius by Tanner Christensen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book offers 150 different activities to use to jumpstart creative projects. Most could be used for brainstorming ideas or solutions in non-creative areas as well. Some suggestions are very simple, such as turning your project upside down to get a better idea of what areas need more work. Others are more complex such as drawing a map without using physical landmarks (just things like sounds or smells). Overall the challenges are designed to force you into looking at things in different way in order to spark ideas.




The Nerdy Nummies Cookbook: Sweet Treats for the Geek in All of Us by Rosanna Pansino

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This cookbook is based on Rosanna Pansino's cooking show, Nerdy Nummies on YouTube. It has great recipes inspired by math and science as well as fantasy and video games. There is a section in front with basic recipes such as sugar cookie dough and the following chapters show how to use those ingredients of make cool themed stuff. Examples are a cake shaped decorated like a computer's motherboard or shaped like a volcano where you can actually fill the center with dry ice so it smokes. Everything is explained well and there are tons of pictures to help you follow along as you decorate. The only thing I feel is missing is a short appendix with information about where to buy some of the tools. Where can I get a silicone mold shaped like Zelda rupees? I'm not sure, but I'd really like to make the candy rupees shown in the book.



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Game Review: Beyond Earth

With the holidays over it's time for me to get back into making new things and I have several projects in the works. First, my husband is preparing to start a campaign that centers around an airship so we are working on model/ floorplan for that. I am in planning stages for some organizing jobs around the house, a string art project, and ideas for rebinding a book. I also found the fabric I misplaced for my quilt squares. Unfortunately none of those will be finished to show you guys any time soon.

As I mentioned in my New Year's post I have a very vague resolution to play more video games and I've started by playing Civilization: Beyond Earth. My husband and I both enjoyed playing Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and this seemed like a new version of that and we thought we'd try it. So far I have only played a few games with no victories yet. As in other versions of Civilization there are a variety of ways to win a game. I've been focusing on the Transcendence victory because that was my favorite way to play in Alpha Centauri. Each game I've started has ended closer to victory but I'm not quite there yet.

Obviously there are a lot of similarities to older versions. It picks up where regular Civilization leaves off, sending people out to colonize space. It uses the same turn based system as basically every Civ game before it. You follow the same steps of founding cities, building up units, and researching new technologies. The factions are not exactly the same as those from Alpha Centauri but there are certain similarities, war like factions, backstabbing factions, etc. There are some things missing in the main game but included in the expansion, which we didn't buy, including building cities on water and the ability to convert alien units to your faction.

So what's different? Virtues, Quests, and Affinities. Virtues are earned by increasing the culture in your cities. There are four categories: Might, Prosperity, Knowledge, and Industry. Each virtue gives a bonus related to that category and you can earn synergy bonuses from concentrating on a single category or level. For example choosing multiple industry virtues will grant a 10 percent bonus to production in all of your cities.

Quests come in a several different varieties. The first are random quests that come up at various times in the game. When you finish a quest series you gain rewards based on the decisions you made. There are also certain quests that come up in every game and give you affinity points based on your choices.

Which brings us to Affinities. There are three: Harmony, Purity, and Supremacy. Depending on the type of victory you are working towards you will need to raise the corresponding affinity. You can do this by earning affinity points from quests and virtues and researching particular technologies. I've been focused almost exclusively on Harmony which is needed for a transcendence victory. Purity and Supremacy don't match up as exclusively to a certain victory there is a bit of overlap. Various levels of affinity also give you bonuses so it can sometimes be advantageous to raise more than one. There's also a change in the look of your units based on affinity which is kind of cool.

Overall I've had a lot of fun with it so far. It's a little tricky to find the right balance of faction abilities and virtues to speed you towards victory. There is a city health rating that replaces the unrest mechanic from Alpha Centauri and the various bonuses and abilities can affect that score. You have to find a balance that keeps your cities healthy, your research and harmony levels increasing, while also maintaining enough energy to support all your units and produce wonders.

Opening Night

First of all I want to apologize for posting this so late. I ended up sleeping in much later than I expected after our late night.

Here's a picture of us ready to go in our new outfits.

I did get my hat finished but ended up only wearing it for these pictures because it was difficult to get on and off and I didn't want to deal with the hassle of removing it at the theatre. I plan to share how it was made on Monday even though its not perfect. Hopefully it can be an inspiration or starting point for someone else to make a better version. That being said here a shot that gives a closer view.

Also the pictures don't show how much of a difference the tulle underskirt makes. Here are pictures of the dress with and without the underskirt. 

 

Now on to the biggest question... What did we think of the movie?

We both really enjoyed the movie. And I'll admit it's really hard to talk about without giving any spoilers but here it goes. It is pretty emotional, exciting, funny, sad.  First of all we didn't notice any glaring plot holes or inconsistencies with the previous movies. Now sometimes in the excitement of a new release you miss stuff so there might be something that stands out when we see it again in a calmer setting. 

Second I feel like they did a good job with character development. The characters from the previous movies have motives and issues separate from the previous movies and the new characters introduced all have their own struggles apart from the bigger battle between the Resistance and First Order.

I'm very interested to see where they go from this point. The implications of the events here will have far reaching consequences for the whole galaxy.

Finally I wanted to talk a little about the 3D. We went all out and saw the Force Awakens in IMAX 3D and you may be wondering if its worth the extra expense. There is quite a bit of 3D but not the entire movie. Where it stands out the most, in my opinion, are the space battles and shots of the scenery. That beautiful shot from the preview with the X-wings flying over the lake, really awesome in 3D. But if you don't care about depth in mountain ranges or tie fighters flying off the screen if would be fine to skip it. I really enjoyed the 3D but it's still going to be a great movies without it.

Librocubicularist October 2015

I'm posting book reviews a little bit out of order this month because this weekend is our 8 year wedding anniversary. So this was easy to write and schedule ahead of time so we could enjoy the weekend together uninterrupted. I also apologize because for some reason I haven't actually finished many books this month so I had only a few to choose from for the reviews.

                   

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is Young Adult series about time travel. Gwen unexpectedly inherits a time travel gene and becomes part of a secret society. Unfortunately there is evidence of a spy in the organization and as the newest member she's a suspect so they refuse to actually tell her any of the secrets. Through various conversations with her ancestors while in the past and some sneaking around in her current time she is able to piece things together to find and stop the villain.
The time travel aspect of it for the most part is handled well. For one thing they are limited to traveling into the past there is no traveling forward. The secret society they are part of has kept records for years about who traveled to the past and why so for the most part they just blindly follow the plan. Since there is no risk of the travelers running into themselves the books never mention what might happen. You would think that with all of their actions recorded in history it would be hard to work against the system but towards the end of the series it discusses how they were able to go back and somewhat change the past. The entire thing does get a little bit confusing though. The entire trilogy takes place over just about 3 weeks in our time and their meetings in the past don't happen in order. For example at one point they go to party in the past where she talks to a Count. For her this is their second meeting but for the Count (who can also travel in time) its the third and he mentions that they have a conversation tomorrow. Gwen does later travel to that next day but for her it's about a week later in time. So it gets to be difficult to keep track of who know what information about the plot at what time.
Overall I really enjoyed these while I was reading them. However after the finale where the final secret is revealed I did end up with some questions. It's very hard to explain without giving spoilers but let me say that most of my questions or issues revolve around the device they use called a Chronograph. Where did it originally come from? When it reveals the Final Secret, did it somehow create it or was it just always hidden inside? Does this mean they can go back slightly in time and reproduced it multiple times?
One other thing that kind of bothered me is the fact that Gwen can see and talk to ghosts but it is almost a side note. She is supposed to have the magic of the raven and throughout the books even people who know that she sees ghosts still are trying to figure out what her magic is.


10-Minute Hairstyles by André Märtens

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I grabbed this off of the new shelf at the library, excited, hoping to find some quick easy everyday hairstyles that I could throw together before work. I ended up being disappointed. It says it has 50 styles. To start with there are some that just don't work for my hair, either wrong length or hair type. After that there are some that I just didn't really like. I didn't do an actual count so I don't know how many are left after that but those leftover fit in two categories; those I already know how to do, and those that will definitely take me more than 10 minutes. Several involve french braids which I'm just no good at but might be able to do if I had lots more practice. The rest mostly involve a curling iron and I don't know about you but anything that requires me to curl all of my hair with a curling iron is not a 10 minute hairstyle. I'm not saying it can't be done just not by me... Anyways one of them even says in the last step to let everything cool for a least 10 minutes. If the final step takes 10 minutes by itself then the entire thing cannot take just 10 minutes.


Modern Terrarium Studio: Design + Build Custom Landscapes with Succulents, Air Plants + More by Megan George

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lately I've been seeing a lot of terrariums on pinterest using old action figures or toy dinosaurs and I checked this out thinking it might be a good starting point for making something like that. It has a lot of good information about choosing plants and adding accessories. It also seems to have good information on caring for the whole thing once you get it all put together.The only thing missing in my opinion is a good set of references as to where to buy the plants because it doesn't strike me something you can pick up just anywhere, like say the garden center at Home Depot. Maybe I'm wrong though, it's not something I've looked into yet.

Here are some examples of what I'm thinking of making. You can also see more examples here and here.

Check back on Thursday to see more about our celebrations this weekend including a visit to Union Station to check out the Da Vinci exhibit.