When deciding on the color, I didn’t want black (I wanted purple, but Amazon doesn’t offer that *boo*hiss*) and the green was backordered slightly, didn’t like the other colors so I decided to get the orange. It looked interesting and since I live in Austin, some UT fan would buy it off me if I hated it, I was sure. It came in and it’s the perfect burnt orange color. It might be slightly too tan colored, but it’s not vibrant orange by any means. A great almost pumpkin pie color actually.

So… what did I think of the cover itself?

I slid the Kindle in there and pulled the light out and… nothing happened. I spent a good 3 to 5 minutes pulling the light out and pushing it back in, looking for a switch, something, anything. I finally gave up and turned the Kindle on and… yeah, the light came on. DUH! It works only if the Kindle is on. This is actually GREAT because I fall asleep reading a good deal and the light will go off when the Kindle goes to sleep after 15 minutes or so. I felt stupid, but at least I didn’t call customer service and have them giggle in the background and the stupid lady that can’t work the cover, eh?

ANYWAY… the Kindle slides in easily and the light works great. There is no glare at all because the LED lights are directed down the arm of the light so there’s no “direct” light hitting the screen, it just flows down. It is brighter in the upper right than in the lower left because of that, but it’s more than adequate. The light is NOT adjustable but you shouldn’t need to adjust it either. I have found it really is a genius way of handling it.

The case itself is not too thick. In fact when I first picked up the case, I thought I had the wrong one because it looked too slim to have a light in there, but it’s there. It is a little hard to pull the light out, but I guess the alternative is having it be too easy, right? I really wish they had included corner straps though. I read laying in bed and I worry it’s going to flop open and crack the Kindle. I do realize this is probably unfounded and they fixed that flaw, but because I’m paranoid, I did put two small circles of velcro to the back of the Kindle and the cover so it couldn’t accidentally bend the hinge system or crack the case. I’m aware this is insane overkill type stuff, so feel free to snicker… I’ll wait… done? Okay, onward…

Now, back to reality… the chance of you opening the Kindle from the wrong side is basically zero. You have to unwrap it using this bungee cord thingy (yes, that’s the technical term here, folks). It has a little leather tag on it that says “Amazon Kindle”. The tag is a little annoying because I fold the cover back and use the cord to hold it and keep hitting the tag with my hand no matter where I put. I’m thinking of cutting it off. *shrug*

It does, of course, add some weight to the Kindle. The case, with Kindle and velcro circles weighs 15.5 oz on my postal scale. There’s been some discussion if this is “too heavy” but I must say that I don’t think so. I read with it folded back and the bungee cord thingy wrapped around the back. I have weak hands that keep me from reading hard backs and large paperback books. I think it’s more of the force of holding the book open than the weight, so it’s not been an issue at all for me. I also read with it propped up somewhere usually.

My favorite part is that with the new slim and sleek design of the Kindle and this slim and sleek cover (with a light, no less!) it really is a great size to grab and go, toss in my purse, in the car or my bedside. My other favorite (it’s a tie) is the light. It runs off power from the Kindle itself so I’m never without a light. I don’t have to find a battery somewhere when it burns out. Amazon knocked it out of the park as far as I’m concerned. I’m taking off a star just for the few little niggle things I mentioned before. After over a week of use though, this is the cover I’m recommending to friends/family at this time.

Well worth it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I think you can read the description for yourself so I’ll concentrate on the differences. But, overall, reading on a Kindle is like nothing you imagine it will be. I always said that I would never get one. I wanted to keep my paper books and couldn’t believe someone would want to read on that computer thing. Now I’m one of the biggest “enablers” of the Kindle. This thing gave my mother back the ability to read all books again (her eyesight is not what it used to be and you can adjust the font from tiny to very large – this is also great for me when I read in bed. I don’t have to wear my glasses!). It also allowed me to clean up some of the stuff in my house. I used to hoard books. I still do, but they all fit in one little bitty Kindle now and not on the shelf, under the bed, in drawers, etc etc. But again… the differences, as I see ‘em….

Changes from the K2 to the K3 include:

1. Compared with the K2, it feel so tiny and light. The difference is actually small, but it feels so small and light in the hand that I had to lay them side by side to satisfy myself that I didn’t get some super secret new tiny Kindle. Hey, it’s possible that good old Jeff Bezos wanted me to have the K4 here folks!
2. The next thing I noticed is that I couldn’t figure out how to turn the darn thing on. They moved the slider to the bottom. Okay, not loving that, it feels more awkward, but I’m going with the assumption that I won’t notice after a few days. Also at the bottom, the charger light is brighter, small change.
3. I thought the text was super crisp on my previous Kindle. Nay. Wow. This is SO MUCH darker. I’m actually shocked at the difference, it’s really very significant. I was hemming and hawing over upgrading but this alone makes it work the price of the upgrade. I’d seen photos online, but you simply cannot understand until you see it. It’s a huge difference. Did I mention you can choose between 3 fonts? Yeah baby!
4. Gone is the HOME button the right side of the Kindle. FINALLY. I cannot tell you how many times, after 18 months of use, I STILL wanted to use that button to go to the previous page. Bye-bye to my button nemesis! WooHoooooo!! It is replaced with slimmer Next and Previous buttons that are just arrows. I’m still getting used to this as I’m used to pushing slightly inward to change the page, but after several pages, I adapted pretty well.
5. Gone is the joystick. I should say that I didn’t hate the joystick. I always thought it was fine. A little finicky, but just fine. What they have given us now is a little four way pad with the select in the middle. I thought this would be a little difficult to navigate, but nope, I have yet to have it go where I didn’t want it to go. Fabulous! Along with that the Menu, Back and Home keys are now arranged around the little pad. All very well laid out. It is bit of an adjustment, but just taking the time to get my books settled back in was enough for me to get used to it and I don’t even notice it.
6. The keyboard thingy… there has been a little bit of tension in the kindle community about this. Some people are pretty peeved that the number keys are gone. Me? I don’t care, you just press the SYM key now to get to them. I don’t use the keyboard very often and the numbers even less often so perhaps that’s why I don’t care. It also leaves a little space between the screen and the keyboard for me to put a little label about what to do if it’s lost, but that’s my own reasons. I don’t see anything wrong with them being gone myself. BUT the keys are GREAT. Pressing them is much easier than on the K2. Oh, you aren’t going to be typing 50 words per minute (or even 20) but it’s a much more pleasurable experience.
7. The back is … a little more “grippy” now – not like rubberized or anything, but it’s not slick. Gone is the shiny back. I almost missed this because I always read my kindle in a cover/case so I don’t really have an opinion. I guess it’s good if you read your Kindle naked (which makes me quite… uncomfortable)

Overall this is a GREAT upgrade. I knew I’d like it, but I honestly didn’t think I’d be THIS impressed by it. Seriously, get one. So worth it!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Having said that, it was slightly disturbing and given what goes on in parts of the Middle East these days, a little close. I’m not sure I’d say I enjoyed reading it. It kept my interest, but I found myself dragging through parts of it waiting. The ending wasn’t wrapped up nicely which makes me a little nuts. I need to know what happened, I suppose.

Worth a read to say you read it, but not a beach read, a little on the heavy side.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2010: 61

I first met the author in April of 2010 at a networking event. She was a speaker there, talking about managing your customer’s perceptions. During one of the early sessions (I didn’t know who she was or that she was speaking), I had mentioned on a social networking site that I felt the speaker didn’t apply to everyone and wished they had made it a breakout session. She made her way over to me and thanked me and told me she thought it was brave to put that out there. Again, I didn’t know she was speaking later on, and now I wonder if that was her true perception of me. I have always said what I thought and been vocal about it, so really it doesn’t matter, but given what her talk was on… well…

At any rate, her presentation was on the same topic as her book. It’s about how to manage your customer’s perception of you. Of not faking who you really are, of letting yourself shine through. I thought it was going to be a more of “how to pretend you know what you’re doing” type of presentation, but it was the exact opposite. As is this book. If you want to know how to make the boss think you’re the best thing since sliced bread by faking it, this is not the book for you. If you want to know how to bring yourself into your business and still shine, well, you need to read this.

Having seen her speak and having had a few conversations with her, it’s readily apparent to me why she is successful in her business and why she will continue to see success. Lauren has a ready sense of humor and a quick wit and she’s not afraid of showing it. This trait comes through in her writing. More than once, I found myself smiling and laughing. It’s so refreshing to see someone lay down how it all works. She gives actual concrete ideas (survey is genius, especially the spin she gives us for it – so simple yet so overlooked – even by myself!) that are fabulous take away items.

If you have an opportunity to see Ms. Pibworth speak, absolutely do it. Buy the book as well – it will reinforce what she is telling you. If you simply don’t have the chance to see her and you are a business professional, you have no excuse not to buy it. Now.

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from this book, “One lesson I quickly learned was the difference between being a ‘professional’ – and being an unapproachable snob.” Amen, sister. Amen.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2010: 60

Where it left me all together was Jack’s personal life. I felt like we didn’t get to see her character develop as much as we should have been able to and we didn’t get to see her life progress as much as it should. The mom moving was odd, the suitor even more so. I’m hoping, based on what I’ve been told, that the 3rd book will be much better. I sure hope so, it’s already waiting on me to read it in the next little bit.

Where the book redeems itself is in the author’s writing. Mr. Konrath is a true artist. For that reason alone, don’t let me sway you from reading this one if you enjoyed Whiskey Sour (and do read that!). I have faith that book 3 is going to be a little more mysterious and we’ll get to see Jack moving forward again.

A definite read for those that enjoy this genre.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2010: 59

I read the first book of this series and got to the end where I realized there will be a book two. I really wanted to cry. It meant that a story I liked would likely be slaughtered. But I powered through and I bought Equilibrium just the same. Man, am I glad that I did! Imogen Rose has done a fantastic job of continuing the story while introducing us to new elements. There wasn’t a sucky story line in the bunch. Kudos to her! Well edited, well executed and just downright fun.

The thing that I think I like about these books is that they are not heavy. It’s pretty light scifi time travel, which is right up my alley. There’s a young adult element to it, but unlike other popular YA, I don’t feel the need to have a friend hold down Arizona while I beat the living snot out of her. She’s a likable character with very realistic teenage angst. It just happens that her mom built a time portal and she remembers her life from another dimension. Yup, pretty normal, alright!

Seriously though. This book is very well done. The author is definitely one to watch. Her writing style is perfect for this sub-genre of YA and I hope she sticks with it. Her writing was great in the first book and she doesn’t disappoint in the second. I’m told the third book will be out in the Fall 2010. Let’s hope! The ending left me on edge, ahhh!, cliffhangers!

I’d give this 4.5 stars if I could. It loses a half star because there’s a few time where the… I’m not sure of the phrase for it, but who’s “speaking” change. It goes from being narrated to first person (Arizona) a few times without really giving us a heads up as to what’s going on. For instance, it went from telling us what Rupert was doing and a few paragraphs later it read “I laughed”. Um, the narrator laughed? SO very minor and not something I would noticed usually. And yes, there was a —- break to show a change of scene. It’s my own personal niggle. I’m weird like that, folks!

Very highly recommended. A light read that will leave you smiling. Trust me, just buy it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2010: 58

First you should know that you get to choose the type of chocolate you want then you choose the toppings. She has white, milk, dark and super dark chocolate and TONS of toppings to choose from. That’s part of the fun.

I had an opportunity to sample a few different flavors of her chocolate a while back and wow. SO good. My favorite is the lemon and sea salt. OMG, so good!

I’ve used her services a few times now for gifts for clients and friends and they always make a splash. You can choose to send them a gift card and they get to choose their chocolate and toppings or you can send them a bar of your making.

They ship out securely with an ice pack (hey, it’s hot here in Texas!) or you can choose to have it hand-delivered here in Austin for a very nominal fee. The best part is that it’s different. People always remember when you do something different for them.

Definitely recommended!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Susan has had an interesting marketing idea behind her book. She started a blog called the Meet and Greet where we got to know Trevor and his band mates a bit, read some outtakes and swoon over the Wolff hotness. She then took those blog posts together, gave us an intro to each one and released the Demo Tapes 1 and Demo Tapes 2. It took a LONG time (not that I’m bitter) but we finally, at last, have Trevor’s Song. Was it worth the wait?

Oh, heck yeah! What a just plain fun read. It will take you back to the early 80s-90s. And for those of you sitting there shaking your head, you know you got your Poison on back in the day! Susan takes us for a wild ride through the world of Shapeshifter, making us laugh so hard we cry and learning things about Trevor and his band mates along the way. It’s a wild ride, so you want to hang on tight!

It’s not all fun, there are a few serious things going on that keep the story moving forward to a climax that left me wanting to hang the author from the nearest clothesline and beat her with a wooden broom until she spilled! The ending will leave you wanting more. I really like my stories to have a very definitive ending. I like to see it all wrapped up in a pretty blue bow and she used a pink one. So, it had an ending, but not 100% complete.

The dialogue is very well done in the book, the characters are believable and the writing is really wonderful. I had a few timeline issues and felt like the story jumped a few times and I missed it, but that I’m chalking that up to the fact that I knew so much about them and their lives beforehand. I’ve spent 4 years with them, after all. It doesn’t seem to be an issue with other reviewers. I mention it just in case others had the issue.

This is a definite must-read for anyone that had a thing for hair bands and just really needs a good fun read. Congrats, Susan!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2010: 57

I don’t really understand the hype. I guess I’m interested to figure out where they are going to go with the story from here enough to read the next one, but I’ll do a lot of skimming if the set up takes as long as this one did. There were just a lot of words used. It felt almost abusive to the poor dictionary at times.

Worth a read, obviously a LOT of people like it. I just found myself saying… “yeah, blah blah blah… get to it” an awful lot in the first half.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2010: 56

It was some part in there that wasn’t activating or something. Bottom line is that to fix it wouldn’t have been cost effective. Crap, I just put tires on my car and my husband is a school teacher (substitute for now) so there’s no funds coming in during the Summer. Totally not cool, but I could have reached into the savings and dealt with it.

But the guy said, “ya know, if you need something to just get you through, I think I have an old stove that was mine. I replaced it with a new model, but you’re welcome to it. It’s not fancy…” Are you KIDDING ME? Yes, please, because I really have a specific stove we want but we’d have to not get the nice one and get a new plain one and save up even more… they went away and came back a few hours later with a used stove and installed it. AND they only charged me their labor cost. I’m not kidding. I was darn near tears. There are so few people that go out of their way these days and Atlantis Plumbing simply made my week.

Very highly recommended.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars