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Book Review: Allegiant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A maudlin ending to a pretty maudlin series. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good book, but it just never managed to soar, always weighed down by a dark, hopeless world filled with damaged, dreary characters.
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Book Review: Insurgent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I actually really enjoyed this one, definitely much more than the first one. I still find the main character fairly unlikable, but she’s starting to win me over. I love the idea of doing away with the factions, but I also always suspected there was still a greater world outside of those walls. Plenty of heart, and more than enough action; this was a fun read.
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Book Review: Yes Please
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another audiobook, read by the author, a comedian. I really feel that is the way to go. Poehler had guest voices throughout and read the final chapter live before an adoring audience.
This book has heart, humor, and just the right amount of crude anecdotes. Insights into her time at SNL and a behind the scenes glance at the great Parks & Recreation.
There’s nothing life changing here, it’s just fun.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The best in the series. Reading these for the first time as an adult made the first few books in the series a bit of a struggle, but this one was a blast.
Having seen the movies and finding the movie based on the first half of this book a completely boring, never-ending camping trip, I was pleasantly surprised that the book did not suffer from the same.
There’s nothing else to be said about these books that hasn’t already been said, I was just late to the party.
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A Second Wind
Today marked my 7th year in a row participating in the Second Wind Fund Walk/Run. I walked by myself the first two or three years but have had friends join me as team “Beau’s Beauties” ever since. This year I was joined by my awesome friends Jamie, Dennis, and Anais. Sadly, the list of people we walk in memory of has grown over the years, but the money we raise goes directly toward paying for counseling for struggling youth.
My heart is heavy thinking about Dustin, Jesse, and the others we’ve lost over the last few years. It’s a mostly upbeat, festive event but there always comes that period when my friends leave and I’m left alone with my thoughts, my memories, and a giant pit in my stomach. I miss them desperately.
It was all brought back pretty abruptly last month with the death of Robin Williams, but the truth is it’s never very far from my mind. I think of Dustin and Jesse at least weekly; sometimes it makes me smile and sometimes it’s completely out of left field and knocks the wind out of me. It’s pretty awful having to re-realize that someone is gone, I do wonder why our brains do that. I’ve had dreams of both of them, and in the dream was so relieved that I was mistaken and they weren’t really dead, only to wake up and find that it was all fiction.
I miss them, but we walk in their memory and do our best to provide support to those who need it most. If you’d like to contribute to the Second Wind Fund, fundraising is still open for my team.
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Book Review: The Blue Zone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book had the potential to be great, and it was certainly gripping at times, but ultimately, it was just okay. The biggest turn off for me was the intense violence and cruelty described at certain parts of the book. It felt unnecessary disturbed me enough to pull me out of the experience. The plot line was fun, and I wish I had been able to get more into it, but in the end, I would not be able to give it a very strong recommendation.
One Past Midnight: The Langoliers by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I only wish I had read this before seeing the TV movie back in the 90s. What an amazing story, and so much better in book form. I listened to it as an audio book read by William Defoe, and despite his unbelievably annoying voice for Bethany Simms, he did a superb job.
The suspense and confusion created by this story is fantastic, and highly recommended for anyone, whether they’ve seen the TV movie or not.
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Book Review: Cheshire Moon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I haven’t read a young adult book in years, but this happens to be the one other novel by the author of my favorite book from my teen years, The Door in the Lake. The Door in the Lake captivated and moved me as a teen and I’ve never forgotten it.
This book was equally as beautiful, moving, and heartfelt. It can be difficult to review a young adult book as an adult, the style is simpler, the themes more pronounced, but I felt I owed this book the chance. I am glad that I did.
Loss and friendship are the prominent themes, and the author’s ability to weave sign language into the conversation was stirring.
Internet, at this point, is a utility and should be treated as one. The possibility of an internet where you have to pay more to access Google than to access Bing is very real. ISPs like Comcast and Time Warner would love to make internet access tiered the way cable television packages currently are. Please read the article below and add your voice to DearFCC.org.
May 15, 2014 | By April Glaser and corynne mcsherry
Dear FCC: We Will Fight to Protect Net NeutralityToday the FCC is meeting to discuss new rules that could determine the future of network neutrality. There’s been a lot of news circulating about what the FCC’s plan will contain. We’ll have some analysis to share shortly.
In the meantime, though, Internet users need to tell the FCC that we want real net neutrality, and we don’t want net discrimination. Visit DearFCC.org to submit comments to the FCC’s official Open Internet docket. Fill out the form to submit your comments, and tell the FCC you oppose rules that will stifle Internet innovation and creativity.
Personalize it. Tell a story. Let’s make sure the FCC hears us loud and clear: It’s our Internet, and we’re going to fight to protect it.
In the past few months the public pressure has been tremendous. The FCC has been cornered by overwhelming, and negative, public response to reports the new rules will implicitly endorse “internet fast lanes,” allowing Internet providers to discriminate how we access websites by offering an option for web companies to pay to connect to users at faster speeds.
These kinds of “pay to play” access fees, if implemented, would be a disaster for the future of the open Internet. When new innovative websites can’t afford high fees for faster service, they’ll be less likely to reach users and less likely to succeed. The result: a less diverse Internet.
We want the Internet to live up to its promise, fostering in innovation, creativity, and freedom. We don’t want regulations that will turn ISPs into gatekeepers, making special deals with a few companies and inhibiting new competition, innovation and expression.
The good news is we are speaking up. You can join us: please take action now!
Also good news: Congress is starting to ask questions—on May 20th Chairman Wheeler is scheduled to testify in front of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. At the end of the day, the FCC works for Congress.
That’s why we also need to put the pressure on our representatives not to let the FCC create new rules that threaten the future of our Internet.
We’ll share our analysis of the proposed rules very soon. Go ahead and take action with EFF’s new DearFCC.org and be prepared to visit back again. We’re going to protect our Internet. The FCC has no idea what it’s up against.
via Dear FCC: We Will Fight to Protect Net Neutrality | Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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