Even though life is busy, I still try to find time to read, because reading is cool. Lately, I have read a lot of really great books and series. The only problem with starting a new series is that they are not finished. You have to wait like 20 years and during that time you hope and pray that the author doesn’t die on you. Oh well, life is hard, so here are some of the books I have read recently…
Archive for the ‘Books’ Category
Nate’s Book List
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008Nothing new, but…
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007Ok, so I haven’t posted in a long, long while — it has been a busy time. For those of you who didn’t know, I am currently working remotely in Utah for Pearson Education, Inc. as an Illustrator, Graphic Artist and Interactive Designer. I have been doing some really fun illustration work (backgrounds, characters, and other visuals) for Poptropica – an interactive game site for kids. Check it out! We are constantly growing this site with more scenes, games, and interactivity — so keep playing!
Well besides work I have been enjoying being a daddy and hanging out with our little boy. It is fun to watch him learn new things…I didn’t realize how exciting it would be to watch someone learn how to crawl.
In my spare, spare time I have been playing some good ole’ games on the Wii’s virtual console – Mario Cart 64, Super Metroid, Ghosts and Goblins (Sega version), and any Zelda game I can get my hands on.
I also been reading some good books/series. The sad thing is that when I get hooked on a series, I end up being stuck waiting for the next book to come out (Harry Potter, The Keys to the Kingdom, etc.). I have recently read the current 3 books in the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series by Rick Riordan. So far this has been a great series, and the way the author combines mythology with our current society is a fun mix. Another fun book I have read is “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” by Jeff Kinney. The comic art in this book is great and the everyday middle school situations the main character deals with are hilarious (some of them remind me of my middle school days).
Well that’s my wild and crazy life so far, if I get a chance to do any more illustrations outside of my job I will try to post them.
The Joy of the Unsoiled Page
Tuesday, January 31st, 2006Yes, I am a content man. I recently ordered a polyester roll, a book bone (or bone folder), and some acid free tape, and now I am covering/protecting my books again. For those that don’t know, I worked for several years preserving rare books in a library (I hate to see books not being protected). I received all the supplies today, and I have covered 5 books already! Yes, it feels good to cover books again. I thought I would not miss it, but it is fun. I may put a step-by-step post on my blog to show others how I cover books. My method works with soft and hard back books, it doesn’t hurt the book in the least (no tape on the book), and the book jackets are covered with the book thus preserving the whole book. To be continued…..?
Ender’s “Late” Game
Tuesday, November 15th, 2005Ok, I was up late again reading; that is usually why I am up late. This time it was the book, “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card. I love reading, and I think my favorite genre so far is YA (young adults) fantasy, but jumping into the Sci-Fi genre again has been refreshing. This book is not your typical “light and fluffy” type of literature. The characters are very multi-dimensional…no one is truly good…no one is truly bad (Sounds like a Miyasaki film/story?). What was really surprising was that even though this was first written in 1985, Card, captures our modern technology spot on, especially when he discusses kids using portable computers to send messages to each other (the net). Does this sound like laptops and instant messaging? Well, overall it was a very intriguing and enlightening book, albeit rather bleak and violent at times. The last chapter, “Speaker for the Dead” was a little bit “out there” though; it just didn’t seem to fit as well with the rest of the story. All of the sudden the story line jumps into a more religious vein. But from what I can tell, Card’s work usually does have religious undertones. Overall “Ender’s Game” is a very enlightening, thought provoking, and mind-stretching piece of work. Just don’t read it before you go to bed…you’ll be up late. I guess they are going to make a movie…may be worth seeing?
