New Books About the Titanic Disaster, in time for the 100th Anniversary of the Sinking

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Avalon Library

There are tons of new books out about the Titanic, timed very carefully for the 100th anniversary of the ship’s sinking. I’ve listed some you may want to check out, for both adults and children:

ADULTS:

Four Thousand Lives Lost: The Inquiries of Lord Mersey Into the Sinking of the Titanic, The Empress of Ireland, The Falaba, and The Lusitania

This book covers some lesser known passenger ship disasters as well as the Titanic and the Lusitania. All four sinkings were investigated by Lord Mersey, who may or may not have covered up information about each case.

Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage, by Hugh Brewster

Brewster focuses on the lives of the rich and powerful first-class passengers aboard the Titanic that fatal day. The descriptions of the passengers and of the first-class accommodations are the high points of this narrative.

The Dressmaker, a novel, by Kate Alcott

A novel focusing on the fictional experience of a seamstress to a real-life fashion designer who was onboard Titanic the night it sank.

Voyagers of the Titanic, by Richard Davenport-Hines

Davenport-Hines discusses the people of all classes aboard ship and how their stories intertwined that fateful night.

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster, by Deborah Hopkinson

Hopkinson weaves together survivor accounts with historic photos to tell the tale of the Titanic.

Rocksmith for Playstation 3

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Avalon Library

Take notice of the game’s name: it is called ROCKSMITH not rockband (I left that in lowercase on purpose; rockband doesn’t deserve to even start with a capital r.) They are two different games. I think it started when I was at K-Mart or Wal-Mart when I was watching someone play rockband and saying “This is like playing a real guitar……” NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!! I spent many hours learning how to play guitar and rockband (never to be capitalized in my presence) is not, and I repeat NOT , like playing a real guitar, bass, drums etc…..All it is a glorified controller shaped like an instrument. So, when ROCKSMITH (always to be capitalized in my presence) came out I will admit I was like, “Meh.” So, one afternoon I am at the Avalon library, stopping in to check out a CD, just looking for something new to tune in to. But, I am also a gamer so I go to check out the games. And there was ROCKSMITH. I thought, “Oh brother, another waste-of-time-pretending-to-play-guitar-game.” But then I took a closer look at the game and it said I need a REAL guitar to play….o.k. now my interest was piqued. I brought it home, put the game in and PLUGGED MY GUITAR IN!! YES, PLUGGED MY GUITAR IN!!!! So, you will need a real guitar to play.

There are two versions you can buy of this game: 1: with a guitar, special cord and game. 2: just the game and cord. Option 2 is if you already have a guitar. Now before we begin, I have to say: this game is not your regular-priced PS3 game. The version that comes with guitar is in the range of $279 and the version without guitar is about $80 bucks. It is worth it, especially if you play guitar. Whether you are a novice player, or have experience, you will love this game.

There are over 50 songs you can learn and there is lots of downloadable content. There are mini games that help you learn the fret board, chords, scales and techniques. You can either learn a single song or take on an event, which is a couple of songs that you practice then you play in a concert or venue setting. If you do well in the event you can get an encore or a double encore.

As you play the game you can unlock different guitars, tones/ pedals, venues and there are a few songs you can unlock as well.

As I look at what I have written I don’t feel that this review does this game any justice…..Bottom line this game is very good. Get it if you love music. Get it if you think rockband is good, because this game really is the guitar game rock game of the future!!! Now I want to play….hmmm should I jam out with the Stones, some Bowie, Nirvana, Cream…..Oh so much to choose from…..

Parents, one warning: if your child hasn’t played and would like to learn ,the only violence, or foul language will come from you while they practice getting better…but I assure you it will pass as they get better……O.K., in all serious this game is great for anybody……

250 out of 5 stars!!!! This Game ROCKS!!!!

The Woman in Black: A Review of the Movie by a Fan of the Book

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Avalon Library

When I saw the first trailer for The Woman in Black I was excited; I love the book and jumped at the chance to reread it before seeing the film. I anxiously awaited the movie release and today a friend and I saw it in matinee. Within the first half-hour I was annoyed and by the end I was angry. Don’t get me wrong, the movie had GREAT creep factor: seriously spooky moments, frightening ghosts, and terrific props. The set designers did a bang-up job, down to the soot marks on the wallpaper from the candles in the sconces. The location scout picked the perfect house/town/landscape. They changed the time-period to good effect, because 1950s England wouldn’t be nearly as spooky a place for a ghost story as Victorian/Edwardian England and the book reads like a Victorian gothic novel so it’s appropriate. However, the scriptwriter screwed up the story in so many ways it would be easier for me to say what I like vs. what I despise. If Susan Hill were dead, she’d be rolling in her grave. I think she might be rolling in her bed at night, disturbed by what they did with her book.

My biggest complaint is that they turned a good Gothic ghost story into Victorian melodrama by twisting some of the events to unnecessarily heighten the drama. For instance, in the novel, Arthur Kipps is not going to Eel Marsh House as a last-ditch effort to save his job, which has suffered from his depression after the death of his wife in childbirth. Although in the beginning of the book he is not married, I understand why this, among other things, has been changed for dramatization: in the book he marries at the end and it takes a few years for the events of the story to manifest themselves in his life (no spoilers!). That time lapse is difficult to convey in a movie, so it makes sense to have him married with a son at the beginning of the film. But why have his wife die in childbirth? Why add a scene with his boss threatening to fire him for being dead weight? I will say, without ruining anything, they change the end quite a bit; his wife must be dead in the beginning so they can add more ridiculous melodrama to the end. Every change made in the script was overwrought and fell flat in execution.

I could sit here all day and nitpick over what I feel is a blasphemous rewrite of a great story, but that’s boring and you get my point. I am unable to describe the more ridiculous moments because it will ruin the movie for those of you who still want to see it. If you don’t care about a plot-line that is so absurd it insults your intelligence, then by all means, see this film. Visually it’s impressive, the acting is good, and the scares are well-timed and 95% not cheesy. The script is awful, however, except in the very few parts where they left the original story intact.

–Shannon Baker

Hands-on with the Sony Wifi and Overdrive

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Avalon Library

Ok, kids! I promised you a hands-on report on how the Sony Wifi works with library books and Overdrive, and here’s the scoop:

Overall: The Wifi is a very light reader with a smallish touch screen (6 inches). The touch screen is very responsive and the on-screen keyboard is easier to use than on my antiquated HTC Eris smart phone. The browser, as expected, is slow and has a god-awful flicker rate, which makes it a little painful when browsing for books. However, the ease of use is a big bonus with this device, especially at the $129.00 price point.

How it works for getting library books from Overdrive: There is an actual button on the second home screen of the Wifi that is labeled “Public Library” (along with a “Google Books” button). When you click on the library button you are taken to a web page in the browser that lets you search your local library. You select your library and you are directed to your library’s mobile site, where you can login and begin browsing or searching for books. As noted, the flickering of the screen while browsing is pretty awful and I’d be careful if you have photosensitive epilepsy, but you may be able to tolerate that if you don’t want to shell out the money for a Kindle Fire. Once you find a book, you check it out and download it to the ereader. There is a notification bar at the top of the screen just like on any Android phone that will alert you when your download has finished (aprox. 30 seconds). You pull down the notification screen, select your file and start reading.

The screen is the same e-ink, low glare, non-backlit, battery saver as all the other Sony readers, which I happen to like (less icky fingerprints, readable in bright light/sunlight, saves battery). There are also features similar to the old Kindle readers: the ability to change the font many more sizes than older Sony readers allowed, and also the ability to define words, search words on Google or in Wikipedia, make highlights and notes. The battery lasts at least two weeks if not three with the wi-fi on and while reading.

Overall, I give it an 8 out of 10 as a good, basic ereader. Kudos on the Public Library button and the ease of use with clunky Overdrive, and the battery life is especially better than the Kindle Fire. If you don’t need a tablet but still want to be able to download your library books directly through the device, the Wifi is terrific and definitely worth the $129.00 price tag.

Final Word: Until Overdrive brings the Overdrive Android app into the Amazon App Store, the Sony Wifi is WAY less clunky to use for shopping for library books on Overdrive. Not only is there currently no Overdrive app available for the Fire, the Overdrive mobile site does NOT work on the Fire, forcing the user to use the regular site, which is very, very ugly on such a small screen. So if all you want is an ereader and not a media device, the Sony Wifi is a very good bet.

–contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

Hands-On with the Kindle Fire and Overdrive

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Avalon Library

We got our library Kindle Fire tablet this morning and here’s how it works for downloading the Overdrive library ebooks:

Major Points:

1. So far, there is no Overdrive app to use. Not sure if Amazon will be adding one to the app store or not but stay tuned for more info.

2. When going to the Overdrive website for our particular library cooperative, the Silk browser does not currently redirect to the mobile site and when I took myself to the mobile site I discovered that it didn’t work in the Silk browser. This is a major issue, since the screen is small, at 7 inches, and the regular, non-mobile Overdrive website is clunky at best and is an absolute nightmare on a small screen.

Essentially, going to the Overdrive site on the Fire is the same as doing it on your computer. You will login to our Overdrive site, you shop for your books, check them out, then select “Get for Kindle”, which takes you out to Amazon to finish the transaction and send it to the Fire.

*In order to access your download you must sync your Fire tablet.

So no major breakthrough here without an app, but I expect to find one in the app store in the future. Although I have been wrong before….

And my opinion on the Fire in general? Thanks for asking! I think the apps loaded pretty fast (I played a round of Angry Birds, took a look at a fitness app, read a book, checked IMDB) and the browser is pretty quick, considering the Fire is no iPad killer. I used Yahoo email to check (because that’s a slow loader at the best of times) and the Amazon Silk browser handled it well…better than my 2 year old XP laptop does. I watched a minute or two of a movie and checked out a t.v. show. The volume is very low so I recommend headphones or a set of portable speakers, but the image quality was very good and it streamed beautifully.

I’ve already found a couple of Android apps that will not work with the Fire (Overdrive is one, Zinio magazine app is another) so I’m not sure of the breadth of apps that will be available for this.

OVERALL: I’m not happy with the way it currently handles Overdrive, this device is not for people who actually NEED a tablet, it’s more like an enhanced ereader that let’s you stream movies and listen to music. Stick with the iPad or an actual Android tablet (like the Samsung Galaxy, etc.) if you want more. And if you are looking for an ereader that works nearly seamlessly with Overdrive and without all the bells and whistles, consider the Sony Wifi Reader, which I review in another blog post.

-contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

Gizmodo presents a hands-on side-by-side comparison between the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Nook tablet

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Avalon Library

The nice people at Gizmodo have gotten their hands on both an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet and the newly announced Barnes and Noble Nook tablet. What they say is no real surprise: while the specs of the Nook look better on paper, the Fire may well outperform it, and, at $50 less, will have a more appealing price point of $200. Amazon actually has content in the cloud (movies, books, tv shows, music), while B&N is only able to provide you access to content through various pre-installed apps (Hulu, Netflix, etc.)

I have a feeling that the Kindle will remain the Walkman brand of its day and will continue to crush the competition. I will have my own hands-on report on the Fire, focusing on how it works with Overdrive library downloads, as soon as it’s released so stay tuned.

Gizmodo comparision between the Fire and the Nook tab: http://gizmodo.com/5857041/nook-tablet-vs-kindle-fire-the-differences-add-up?tag=Nook-tablet

–contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

The Sony WiFi Reader with Overdrive, in Review

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Avalon Library

The Gadgeteer blog’s Janet Cloninger wrote a terrific, in-depth review on October 28, detailing the the new Sony WiFi ebook reader. Even though Sony was one of the first in the ereader market, they have fallen well behind Kindle and Nook recently. This new reader may just be their saving grace. Why, in particular? In my view (and keep in mind I’m biased toward the library view) it is the WiFi’s ability to shop for and download library books through Overdrive right on the reader without a computer hookup that makes it stand out above the current Kindle and Nook ereaders. That being said, I have no idea how the Kindle Fire will handle the Overdrive app, but I believe that since it is running Android and will run apps that the Fire reader will allow users to go straight to the Overdrive app and get library books. I’m stating this as an educated assumption, but I could be wrong. We will see in the very near future when the Fire comes out and I get my hands on one. And I promise that I will post the comparison right here, as we are getting a Sony WiFi at the library to play with as well.

In the meantime, please go read Janet Cloninger’s review of the Sony WiFi. She details all of its features and included bunches of photographs. All I can say is, “Thank you, Janet, for making my life easier!”

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/10/28/sony-reader-wi-fi-prs-t1-ebook-reader-review/

–contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

Overdrive Kindle ebooks at the Avalon Free Public Library

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Avalon Library

You may have heard through our marketing campaign or from seeing it on the site that Overdrive is now compatible with the Amazon Kindle! Yes, you can now borrow ebooks from the library on your Kindle. Overdrive rolled the Kindle books out pretty quietly at the tail-end of September, but in the last two weeks alone 115 Kindle books have circulated to Avalon Free Public Library patrons and 1,647 Kindle books have circulated across the consortium (which counts almost all of South Jersey’s libraries as members). All of us here at AFPL have been pretty stunned by the amount of usage and the amount of questions we are getting every day about using the Overdrive Kindle books.

Our staff are all trained to assist patrons with Kindle downloads and questions and we also have Kindles for loan to Avalon property owners. Available titles are increasing all the time and we are very excited about the opportunities for ebooks in the near future. Check out the Ebook blog for all of the newest and hottest titles available to Avalon Free Public Library patrons and to go directly to the South Jersey Digital Download page, just click here.

We will also be giving a Kindle download class again very soon, so keep an eye on our Classes/Programs site for more information.

New Books about 9/11, in time for the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Avalon Library

This September 11th marks the 10th anniversary of the horrific events of 9/11/2001. Publishers are putting out a wealth of books on the subject between now and then, some new, some reprints. Here is a list of titles with links to details from Amazon.com:

Legacy Letters (which is a compilation of letters written to victims by their loved ones)

Amazon’s Cloud Player

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Avalon Library

A month or two ago I downloaded the Amazon Cloud Player to my Android Phone (a mach-1 Motorola Droid). I’ve waited for a couple of updates before I wrote the review and I think it’s safe to do it now. If you haven’t started using the Cloud Player yet, be warned: Amazon has made it very inconvenient to use only the 5 GB that they give you for free. When you download the player, you also download a music finder application on your computer. This app will run and pull all of your audio files off your PC, be it MP3 or iTunes MP4. It will inevitably be a larger number than 5 GB. You can do it manually but the app closes out after each file and you have to muddle through your folders each time to go file-by-file. If you are patient and very much against paying for additional storage, be my guest and try it. Or you can do like I did and just cough up twenty bucks for 20 GB. Also, keep an eye out for deals which are offered frequently, such as buy an MP3 download and get 20 GB free. Keep in mind that it is an annual subscription price and you will have to cough it up year after year. Honestly, I don’t think $20 is that bad so I happily forked it over. And once you login on your device to access your part of the cloud, you can stream your audio files from anywhere.

I don’t want to clutter my phone up with a bunch of MP3 files so this is a great way for me to have access to my music and my audiobooks on the go. I just plug in headphones or jack the phone into my car stereo, boot up the app, and play away. You can randomize all tracks or tracks within an artist group or on an album. I haven’t had any issues with the quality of the stream (keep in mind that may vary by carrier. I use Verizon).

As far as the interface goes, it’s pretty decent. I have two complaints: the player refreshes every 10 min. whether you like it or not, which will drain battery life. You can manually refresh it MORE frequently but not set it to refresh LESS frequently. It does waste a lot of battery on the Motorola Droid, but then, so does everything else that provides streaming media (YouTube, Slacker Radio, Pandora, etc.). Another perk is that you can also play on-device music through the player too, which is a preferable interface to the player that came with my Droid. My other complaint? (and this may be device specific) is that whenever I get a text message the stream is interrupted and doesn’t start back up unless I manually hit “play.” That’s irritating as hell, especially if I’m having an active text-versation while listening to some tunes. I thought that an update might change that but it hasn’t yet and it may only be an issue with this model of Droid. All-in-all, I’ve had at least $20.00 worth of joy using it so far and being able to leave my iPod at home when I go for a walk.

-contributed by staffer Shannon Baker