Bloggiesta--OLE!

I've actually NEVER participated in Bloggiesta before, but this time, I'm DETERMINED to do it and actually get stuff done around here.

Here's my basic weekend plan (and yes, I am aware that Friday is almost already done with, but I'm going to do what I can!):

• Write reviews (duh)
• Figure out how to throw in some guest posts (which will require YOU to participate! E-mail me for more info)
• Fix up the design. It's pretty outdated, don't you think?
• Edit the pages
• Introduce and plan my super secret project!
• Keep my Google Reader nice and tidy :)

That's...mostly it! And though that seems like so little in comparison to what many Bloggiesta participants are doing, I'm planning on writing a TON of reviews (and you know how long my reviews are).

Who's doing Bloggiesta? Good luck to those doing it! :)

Um, 2011? Why Are You Here?

(It should be noted that, upon writing the title of this post, the author typed "2002" instead of 2011. And when she tried to type "2002", she instead wrote "2022". She really fails at numbers and years.)

Yeah, so...why is it that after one minute jumping from 11:59 to 12:00, we're suddenly in another day which then means we're in another month which then means we're in another year? I mean, say WHAAAATT?

I've already wasted two days of this year--which means three hundred sixty-four days to complete the following resolutions (I've decided for this year to split some of my resolutions into months):

• Read a TON (namely, finish my TBR pile; not sure how to make this a monthly resolution, but I am aiming to finish the classics I own by this summer)
• Write a TON (my main goal is to finish my WIP before the end of this month, but also to participate--and maybe even win--NaNo, Script Frenzy, and FAWM...and maybe NaBloPoMo, too)
• Blog a TON (that means updating this two to three times a week--maybe do more if this really takes off--and update my tumblr more instead of staring at pictures on my dashboard all the time! That...doesn't sound creepy. :P )

My other resolutions--and huge biggies for me this year--are:

• To do everything faster! Really, I'm super slow at everything--have you noticed?
• Work ahead of time and not procrastinate...which I guess goes along with the first
• And since I just noticed that the second goes with the first, I'm going to add another on a whim: be more patient with people, more accepting, and try not to get easily angered by others' actions. Basically, can I ask to be a saint? ;)

What are YOUR resolutions? Happy New Year, my lovelies!

~J

Merry Christmas...and some NftN Updates

Merry Christmas, my lovelies! Hope y'all have a good one...and remember why we celebrate this day! And in the words of Tiny Tim..."God bless us, every one!" :)

I'm really not doing much...mostly writing (and trying to churn out these reviews for you guys!). But I just want to give you all a quick notice that I'll be posting a rant soon that I wrote a few days ago (if anyone would like a preview, just shoot me a line. I actually need a fresh pair of eyes to take a look at it before I post :P ).

Also, NftN will be seeing a few changes soon with my review system. My older reviews will remain the same, but those written from this day one will include a new layout. To check it out, look here (books), here (movies), and here (albums).

Have a safe and wonderful Christmas and New Year! :D

~J

ETA: for the record, Christmas really extends to past December 25--it actually ends on Twelfth Night, which is when I will switch up my design. :) So keep saying Merry Christmas and listening to that Christmas music--we're not through with celebrating it yet. :)

I Guess I Should Start with "Hi"...

With that said...

Hello. How are you? Merry Christmas.

I'm fine, thank you. Been busy...which is why I haven't been blogging lately.

So, er...yes, I did go AWOL. But I've been planning my comeback and, uh, here it is.

What have I been doing all this time? Well...

• STUDYING
• HOMEWORK
• Reading (a little)
• Watching movies (a lot)
• Writing (sporadically...hey, like my blogging!)
• Playing the piano and guitar (even less)

And since it IS Christmas...my comeback should be definite. With more:

• READING!
• MOVIES!
• WRITING!
• MUSIC!
• AND....REVIEWS!! (and tumblr...)

ALSO: I'm thinking of retiring "New Tunes" on this blog. I have way too many to do...I think I'm probably going to move it to my tumblr, where it will dwell very happily.

AND ONE LAST THING! Check out the poll to the left (if you can't tell your right from your left like me, it's your more dominant hand if you're a leftie and your less dominant hand if you're a rightie ;) ). Please vote! I'm trying to figure out what to review next. :)

This Is the Buzz...

I'm sitting here, typing this away, while busily munching (but not swallowing, of course) a piece of Trident gum. This fact is seemingly irrelevant, but nay, my friends, this is a change: I hardly ever chew gum. I'm chewing a piece now because first of all, it's relieving me from dehydration due to SoCal's ridiculous weather, but it's also a revolution. It's Bastille Day, and if you know a speck of history, that means that on July 14, 1789, a revolution took place in France. Two hundred twenty-one years later, I'm starting my revolution.

No, I won't be whacking off heads (geez). This doesn't have anything to do with the government, or even with politics. It's more of a resolution then a revolution. Today, I resolved to do the following:

• Twitter = no mas. Not for awhile, anyway.
• Facebook = no mas. Not that I've been doing anything with it for awhile, it's just more official now.
• Blogging = mas! I'm blogging more.
• Writing = mas! At the minute, my WIP is my favoritest thing in the world. (yes, excuse the writer for messing up her grammar on purpose) Writing also includes songwriting. I've had an urge for returning to it for awhile.
• Reading = mas! In case you're wondering, I'm reading Emma right now.

That's basically my resolution: more writing, reading, and no social networking aside from blogging. My resolution also includes replying to emails, so if you'd care to drop a line, go ahead and do so.

My resolution is also calling me to get busy on writing a new review as well as to fix my last album review...and to continue revising and writing my WIP.

And since I'll also be busily listening to music, I'll try to update my tumblr often with music quotes. :)

Wanted: A Blogger/Blogspot Genius

Hey, folks! It seems that not too many of you really looked at my album review for Play On, and that's okay. I kind of don't blame you--if you at least glanced at it, you might notice what a mess it looks right now. What's happening is that Blogger (or at least, my Blogger) is messing with the HTML as soon as I press the "post" button. I have no idea why this is happening, or if anyone else is having the same problem, but it seems even the folks at the Google Help Group won't help or have no idea at all.

So I'm in need of some assistance. Just let me know in the comments whether you have a Blogger blog, and check to see if you're having the same problem as well. It seems my whole posting option is screwed up, because I can't even edit old posts anymore without the screen getting messed up. PLEASE, please please help me if you're a wicked awesome genius with Blogger and with HTML. I need to know why my HTML is changing up on itself and how I can fix this. My one idea is because I use Century Gothic instead of the standard Blogger fonts, and if this is the case, then back to Georgia I go (not the state or the country, the font).

Thanks in advance! :D

Look Who's Back!

Yes!  The prodigal daughter of blogging (and of Blogger/Blogspot) has returned!  Not to say that I don’t miss Wordpress; I kind of do, actually, but this is so much easier for some reason, and so much faster.

Anywho, it feels so good to blog again, and not just doing reviews and tweeting.

Why did I switch?  Various reasons.  Again, Blogger seems faster, snappier, and more streamlined than does Wordpress.  Plus, it comes with way cooler widgets, and I have this freedom to change my blog layout and mess with the header as much as I’d like without paying!  And I also love how I can see who is reading my blog—who my fans are so I can spread the love to them as well. :)

So yes, since I did switch over, that does mean some things will change.  Easter break, unfortunately, is at the cusp of ending, but hopefully even during school I will be able to blog as often as I’d wish.  I probably won’t be doing tons and tons of reviews as I had hoped for in my Wordpress blog, but I kind of like that.  I miss regular blogging, even though I’m still kind of having blogger’s block at the moment, though I think I’m healing from it.

This is basically it: I’m back, I’m still reviewing, I’m also regular blogging (which also means you should tag me for any fun memes!  I miss those a TON), I’ll be messing around with the layout and header every so often, the name most likely won’t be changing, there are a ton of new pages to check out, cool widgets to check out on the right, and a slightly different review format (the final score is based out of fifty points.  For books, ten points come from five categories: enjoyment, originality, writing, characters, plot; for movies: enjoyment, originality, screenwriting, acting, plot; for albums: enjoyment, lasting value, songwriting, instrumentals, vocals).

See y’all around!

With much squees and hellos,

~BB/Jacqueline, the “Nerdette”

Read in 2010

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
3. River Secrets (Books of Bayern #3) by Shannon Hale
4. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
5. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
6. Boston Jane: An Adventure by Jennifer L. Holm
7. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
8. Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde
9. A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde
10. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
11. Salome by Oscar Wilde
12. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
13. Emma by Jane Austen
14. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
15. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

Read in 2009

1. Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh

2. Howl’s Moving Castle (The Castle Series #1) by Diana Wynne Jones

3. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

4. Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

5. The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern #1) by Shannon Hale

6. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

7. The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm #3) by Michael Buckley

8. Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park

9. The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman

10. Dragon’s Breath (The Tales of the Frog Princess #2) by E.D. Baker

11. Rapunzel’s Revenge (Rapunzel’s Revenge #1) by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale

12. Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm

13. Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons (Great Episodes) by Ann Rinaldi

14. The Tail of Emily Windsnap (Emily Windsnap #1) by Liz Kessler

15. Enna Burning (The Books of Bayern #2) by Shannon Hale

16. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

17. Once Upon a Curse by E.D. Baker

18. The Crucible by Arthur Miller

19. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

20. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

21. Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

Read in 2008

1. Meet Julie (American Girl Julie Series #1) by Megan McDonald

2. Gold! (The Lady Grace Mysteries #7) by Jan Burchett and Sara Vogler

3. The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm #1) by Michael Buckley

4. Julie Tells her Story (American Girl Julie Series #2) by Megan McDonald

5. Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza

6. Happy New Year, Julie! (American Girl Julie Series #3) by Megan McDonald

7. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

8. Julie and the Eagles (American Girl Julie Series #4) by Megan McDonald

9. Amelia’s Itchy-Twitchy, Lovey-Dovey Summer at Camp Mosquito by Marissa Moss

10. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

11. Julie’s Journey (American Girl Julie Series #5) by Megan McDonald

12. Changes for Julie (American Girl Julie Series #6) by Megan McDonald

13. Good Luck, Ivy (American Girl Julie Series Best Friends Companion) by Lisa Yee

14. Really Truly Ruthie (American Girl Julie Series Best Friends Companion) by Valerie Tripp

15. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

16. Mia (American Girl Girl of the Year 2008 #1) by Laurence Yep

17. The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm #2) by Michael Buckley

18. The Haunting of Freddy (The Golden Hamster Saga #4) by Dietlof Reiche

19. Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park

20. The Tree of Red Stars by Tessa Bridal

21. Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

22. Amelia’s Guide to Babysitting (Amelia’s Notebook Series) by Marissa Moss

23. The Middle Moffat (The Moffats #2) by Eleanor Estes

Album Title by Artist Name [Sample Album Review]

How I Listened to the Album: In accordance with FTC laws, I will state how I listened to the album and, if I own it, and whether I am keeping it or not

In Short: This is where I'll put three words to describe my thoughts on the album.

A fancy schmancy intro included with my thoughts.

*1. Song Title Track 1 (songwriter A/songwriter B): each song will be like this; I’ll summarize the song a bit, and say whether I liked it or not. Asterisks denote one of my favorite tracks from the album. Then I’ll score it as follows. Score:#(goes from one through ten)

*2. Song Title Track 2 (songwriter A/songwriter C): so on so forth…

3. Song Title Track 3 (songwriter B/songwriter D): you get the picture, right?

Red Flags: Warnings of material from the music that might offend some (taken from Common Sense Media)

Grading

Vocals: Score of the lead vocals (the artist) from one through then

Instrumentals: Score of the instrumentals from one through ten

Songwriting: Score of the songwriting from one through ten

Lasting Value: Score of whether it wears out on you easily or you never get tired of it (ten signifies the latter)

Enjoyment: Score of how much I enjoyed it from one through ten

Overall: Score of what I thought of the album overall based on the above five scores from five through fifty; ten denotes a favorite album of mine

Tidbits

Producer: Producer of the album

Genre: Genre according to Wikipedia and iTunes (the latter is used to categorize it overall on NftN)

Record Label: Album label

Release Date: Original release date in the U.S.

Length: How long the album is

Movie Title [Sample Movie Review]

How I Watched the Movie: In accordance with FTC laws, I will state how I watched this movie and, if I own it on DVD, and whether I am keeping it or not.

In Short: This is where I'll put three words to describe my thoughts on the movie.

The basic review will go here: fancy schmancy intro with a schnazzy summary, all included with my thoughts.

Red Flags: Warnings of material in the movie that might offend some (taken from Common Sense Media)

Grading

Plot: Grade of the plot from one through ten

Acting: Grade of the acting in the movie from one through ten

Screenwriting: Grade of the plot from one through ten

Originality: Grade of the originality from one through ten

Enjoyment: Grade of how much I enjoyed it from one through ten

Overall: Grade of the movie overall based on the above five scores from one through fifty

Tidbits

Original Release Date: When it was released

Length: Length of the movie

Director: The director of the movie

Producer: The producer of the movie

Screenwriter: The screenwriter of the movie

Distribution Company: The movie’s distribution company

MPAA Rating: The rating that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) gave the movie (G, PG, PG-13. R’s will not be reviewed here)

Book Title by Author Name [Sample Book Review]

Where I Got the Book From: In accordance with FTC laws, I will state how and where I got the book.

In Short: This is where I'll put three words to describe my thoughts on the book.


The basic review will go here: fancy schmancy intro with a schnazzy summary, all included with my thoughts.

Red Flags: Warnings of material in the book that might offend some (taken from Common Sense Media)

Grading

Plot: Grade of the plot from one through ten

Characters: Grade of the characterization (how real were they?) from one through ten

Writing: Grade of the writing from one through ten

Originality: Grade of the originality from one through ten

Enjoyment: Grade of how much I enjoyed it from one through ten

Overall: Grade of the book overall based on the above five scores from one through fifty

Tidbits

Genre: Genre of the book

Original Release Date: The day the book was originally released