Book Review - The Jeeptown Sock Hop by John Harrigan

How did I come into possession of this book?

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  I got a nice, personal email from the author that really showed he had taken time a look at my blog.  I really like this, and will review almost any book that comes my way if you take the time to make me feel like I am the one you want reviewing your book!

First Lines:

“When you drive cross country to relax for a few days with your sister you don’t expect a blind date with an old friend.”  (Harrigan 5)

What is it about?

Set in the 1950s in the Midwest this story centers around a boy who is going through a lot.  His brother is off to Korea, his Dad’s union is on strike, and his best friend is black.  All he really wants to do is play music with his friends, and show that an integrated band can work, but so much of life gets in the way. 

What did I think?

It seems like I haven’t read a recent historical book in a while.  So this was a great change from some of the other books I’ve been reading.  Since it was a genre I don’t read a lot of, I was worried the story would be slow and it would take me a while.  But this book caught me right away and I felt like it read at a great pace.  I loved the setting, the time period and everything going on at that time. I really felt for Charlie, he is a character who is hard not to like.  I could feel his anger for Mr. Jackson, and even though he wasn’t always sure about the details of the strike I really liked how he stood by his father.  All the characters seemed very genuine and real.  This book was sad, and happy, and sad again but I enjoyed it the whole way through.

Who would I recommend it to?

I thought this was an interesting look at a different time of union strikes and how it really affected families back then.  I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a good down to earth book about normal kids growing up in the 50s.  It reads pretty fast and I think it is a nice book to mix into a diverse to-be-read pile.

Check out other reviews on this book from fellow bloggers:

Book Worm Blogger

And a good Author interview at Tribute Books

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Book Review - Wheels by Lorijo Metz

How did I come into possession of this book?

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  This was the first time I’d been directly contacted by an author and not just a publisher, so it felt very personal and I was happy to read and review her book!

First Line:

“McKenzie remained in the game, but her brain had split in two.”  (Metz 1)

What is it about?

McKenzie Wu is seeing weird things that don’t seem to make sense to her.  After being sent to the principal’s office for racing down the hallway she is snooping where she shouldn’t be and the next thing she knows she is being sent on a whirlwind adventure involving some long lost ancestors of hers. 

What did I think?

I thought this was a very enjoyable read.  The beginning was a little tough, I had trouble figuring out what was going on and who thee characters were and a lot was happening very fast.  But once I got into the meat of the story I really stared enjoying it.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the interviews by the FBI agent and other letters scattered throughout the book, I didn’t think they added much to what was already a good story.  Something about Metz’s writing style is very light and almost always bordering on humorous.  I loved this aspect of it because it was very different from other authors I’ve read.  I also loved how she wound HG Wells into the book as a main character; it was just another element of fun in this book.

Who would I recommend it to?

You need to be a fan of science fiction involving other worlds; otherwise I don’t think you’d enjoy this book.  There are lots of made up words as well, so if that isn’t your cup of tea I wouldn’t suggest this book to you.  However if you like science fiction and want an author with a light and humorous voice (something you don’t always see in sci-fi) you should read this book!

  

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Book Review - Outpost by Ann Aguirre

How did I come into possession of this book?

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I guess I didn’t realize it was the second in a series (of which I hadn’t read the first book), but I thought I’d give it a try anyway and if I got too lost I’d go get the first in the series from the library.

First Lines:

“I woke to the cold kiss of steel on my throat.”  (Agiurre 1)

What is it about?

Being the second book in the series this book takes place after Deuce and some others have escaped to a place called Salvation.  Salvation is a safe place where they have patrols to keep away the Freaks (monsters) and seem to have a more normal way of life.  Deuce is having a hard time fitting into this new community and just being a regular teenage girl. So she decides to try and help and use her huntress instincts in any way she can.

What did I think?

I was a bit nervous since this was the second book in the series and I didn’t read the first.  But this book seemed to read separately of the first and didn’t rely a lot on you knowing exactly what had happened.  The author did a good job on catching you up with relationships and giving you a good background without it cutting into the story too much.  There wasn’t a lot of action at first but you could almost feel like something was going to happen, and then it did.  I really enjoyed this book, it had some different ideas than some of the other dystopian books, and I can’t wait to see where it heads in the third book.  I don’t feel like it’s necessary for me to go back and read the first book, but I will definitely be reading the third!

Who would I recommend it to?

Even though I didn’t, you should have probably read the first book in the series, from what I can tell it seems even more action packed and would lead you right into this book.  I haven’t heard much talk about this series but its right up there in the ranks of Divergent, Delirium, Matched, and the Chaos Walking trilogy.  I think it might even read better than some of those, and not feel quite as young adult.  If you like dystopian this is a good series to read!

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

November!

The month just started and we are off with a bang!  Couple of updates:

First, WOOOO!  Elections are done and I couldn’t be happier.  I’m happy to keep Obama around, but I’m even more happy about the states passing gay marriage (such a good sign for the future) and about the strong showing for women.  Not only did the two wacko senatorial candidates who made ignorant statements about abortions and rape not get voted into the senate, but the first Asian woman, first disabled woman, and first openly gay women have all be elected into the senate.  Also, New Hampshire will have all women in the house and senate delegations and a woman governor.  WOW, that is fantastic!

(changing topics a bit)

Second, I am attempting NaNoWriMo again.  You know 50,000 in the month of November.  Last year I hit 10,000 and that was the most I’ve ever written so I think anything above that would be a victory for me.  My blog posts will be a bit less because of this, and my pile of books to be reviewed may sit unnoticed for a little while.  (I also added a review policy to my blog, check it out! Any advice is greatly appreciated)

Third, I have not done a football Friday for a while.  But I will, soon, and I will discuss the quarterback situation and my thoughts on who should be playing and the future of that position!  Go Blue!

This is all a bit delayed because we just moved and getting the whole Internet thing didn't happen right away...

Oh and I can't forget that starting the day after Halloween it is officially Christmas music day!  Yeah, y'all might not agree with me, but I love Christmas music and it just makes me so happy this time of year!  For a look at some of my favs (which are probably ones you haven't heard) check out this and this from RoB's 12 days of xmas last year.

The Great Lexington Dog Park Tour Part 2

See the explanation for this tour and part 1 here.

The next stop on our dog park tour is Jacobson Park.  Jacobson Park is just off of Richmond road on the south east side of town, again this is a dog park inside a much bigger city park.  This park, like most in Lexington, is very green with rolling hills. 

The dog park here is the smallest in Lexington and the only one surrounded by a chain-link fence, all the others have nice horse-farm like fences.  There are two different places you can park, above the dog park or below it (the park itself is on a hill), most people like to park at the top but parking at the bottom will give you a nice short uphill walk once you get into the park. 



The view form the top parking lot



Looking in the fence

We go here quite often because it is the closest to us and there are almost always other dogs there to play with.  I've heard people complain about this park getting too muddy and that it's too small, but it really isn't that bad.  The only downside of it being small is that as a human you don't get as much walking in, its more of a stand around and watch the dogs play type of place. I think the most important part is that Angel almost always enjoys his time here. 

Lower entrance

Happy Angel

Next stop, Wellington Dog Park!
Previously, Masterson Station Dog Park!

Audio Book Review - Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews

How did I come into possession of this book?

This was part of a reading challenge I did during the summer.  I was supposed to go to a bookstore or library and grab the book on the fourth shelf from the top, 3 books from the left.  It could be any section of a store or library, so of course I picked the audio book section at my library and I ended up with Spring Fever!

First Lines:

“From her seat in the sanctuary of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Annajane Hudgens wondered if there had been a more flawless day for a wedding.”  (Andrews 1)

What is it about?

Annajane is finally ready to leave the small town she grew up in, and still lives and works.  Her ex-husband is getting remarried and she feels comfortable enough that she attends the wedding but that’s when things start to fall apart.  The story takes place in a charming southern town and some true southern characters.

What did I think?

I had no clue what to expect with this book since it was a random pick off the shelf.  I loved it!  I think I’m a fan of chick-lit as long as it doesn’t get too romance, lovely-dovey.  I especially loved Annajane, finally a strong female character who is going after what she wants and takes her life in control.  I also loved that there were other things surrounding the relationships, there were some great twists within the business that they all work for and when I thought I had the story figured out, suddenly there’d be another twist!  This was also a great book to listen to, easy to follow and kept me wanting to come back and listen to more.

Who would I recommend it to?

If you like chick-lit (Emily Giffin is a great example) you should pick up this book.  It is well written and never feels trashy which you tend to get with romance novels.  I’d recommend this book for traveling or any other time you’re looking for a nice light read!

Check out other reviews on this book from fellow bloggers:
Jersey Girls Book Reviews

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Football Monday - Wooooooooooooo

So about that football game, oh yeah, I was there!  Here is my recap:

Michigan vs Michigan State 2012, the battle for one of the strangest trophies in college football, the Paul Bunyan Trophy.  Michigan State has beaten us the past 4 years, and we were ready for that to change.  The streets were packed getting to the stadium:

Making the left turn off of Hoover onto Greene

The band came out onto the field sounding and looking impressive as ever, the team then followed under the Go Blue banner:

Then there was some football played, it was quite an interesting game, we never scored a touchdown, and they only scored one.  Things got ugly at times, our offense couldn't move the ball or we'd get in the red zone and couldn't get into the end zone.  Then there was the one long drive our defense gave up, that's when I really started worrying.

Sometime during the first half

Into the second half it was a 1 and 2 point game changing leads every time one team would score.  We couldn't convert with 2 minutes left, I thought we were done for.  But wait, we got the ball back with less than a minute in good field position, if we could just get 20 more yards we would be in field goal range.  Dileo came up with a HUGE catch to set up Gibbons for a 38 yard field goal.  I couldn't watch, but then I heard it, the crowd went nuts, I was shaking so hard all my next pictures were blurry! 

Blurry crowd as we took the lead with 5 second left



OMG he just made that kick!!!

Michigan State tried to get fancy on the kickoff return but we shut that down to secure the win!  It was then announced to the crowd that was Michigan's 900th win, the most wins of any division 1 football program, Go Blue!

Winningest

All of this led to the students, and then some alumni and fans rushing the field.  It was a very classy field rushing, no damage was done, everyone just wanted an excuse to keep celebrating, I mean 900 wins?? that's aMAIZEing!!

Party on the field

Oh yeah, we eventually made our way onto the field too!

Audio Book Review - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

How did I come into possession of this book?

This was another audio book from the library.  I had heard of this book so I pulled out the audio book to take a look and saw that it was read by Jim Dale, the amazing voice behind all the Harry Potter audio books.  I couldn’t pass it up!

First Line:

“The circus arrives without warning.”  (Morgenstern 3)

What is it about?

In an awesome setting of an ever moving and changing circus, two magicians are involved in a lifelong duel that neither of them agreed to.

What did I think?

This book was great!  And the audio version might’ve made it better.  Jim Dale is phenomenal, as always, his voice is just so magical (ha ha).  The story is quite interesting as well, I love both the main characters and all they have to go through to discover what is really going on with their lives.  I didn’t know what to expect with this book, but I found it to be right up my alley, reality with a touch of fantasy.

Who would I recommend it to?

Everyone.  Even if you don’t like the whole magic thing, this book is so well written it’s worth the read.  I don’t really know what else to say, I loved it and I think you will too!

Check out other reviews on this book from fellow bloggers:
Storybook Love Affair
Belle's Bookshelf
A Kindle in Hong Kong

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Moving Forward with my Blog

Last night I was cooking (no seriously, I was, stop laughing, it's not a joke!) and listeneing to College Football Live from the other room.  They mentioned something about us hitting the halfway point in the college football season which made me very sad.  I was already thinking about how I sad I get when the season is over and having to wait until the next season.  Then I realized I have no clue where I'll be next year during football season, and I got a bit shocked (not quite scared).  My job has had me moving around lately, but I always kinda knew what was up next.  When my job is done here in Kentucky in June, I have no clue where I'll be headed next.

I like to plan things and micro manage and I get a little freaked out with not knowing what will happen, but my company has been good to me so I expect that whatever happens next I will be ok with.  I do like having this blog as something constant in my ever changing life, but I've been a bit flighty with some of my posts.  There are quite a few  things I start and then never finish (Lexington dog park tour, 30x30, ect).  Well my new goal is to finish up and follow up on all those things so I can move forward with other stuff on this blog!  I might also try making some other improvments to explanniefyfed as well, please let me know if you have any suggestions!

Audio Book Review - The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

How did I come into possession of this book?

This was a library audio book.  I always checked the young adult section as well as the adult section when looking for audio books, however, the young adult section at the branch closest to my home doesn’t have a lot of selection.  What they did have was almost all the Princess Diaries books or other books by Meg Cabot, so I thought I should give them a try.  I loved the movie (movies? Were there two?)  and didn’t realize they came from books until recently, so of course I was interested!

First Lines:

“Sometimes it seems like all I ever do is lie.”  (Cabot 1)

What is it about?

Mia is your average awkward high schooler, with a couple close friends who are just as quirky and a crush on a boy who probably doesn’t know her name.  Then she finds out she is the only heir to the Genovian crown, and her life is immediately changed.

What did I think?

This was a quick and easy fun listening experience.  Some of it is a little hard to grasp since most of it comes straight out of Mia’s journal, which might be better to read than to listen to.  But I still enjoyed it.  I knew most of the story since I’ve seen the movie, but for once I think I like some of the stuff the movie did better than the book!  I love that the movie takes place in San Francisco, not Manhattan, in my opinion a better city (I’m not biased at all).  Also, with Julie Andrews play grandmére you can’t not like her, in the book you never really like grandmére, but I love the way Julie Andrews portrayed her as more of a grandmotherly figure.

Who would I recommend it to?

I think this is a must read for young teenage girls, it’s just a fun story that is well written.  It’s also a good read if you like girly young adult books (which apparently I do).  As an adult reading it, it’s not a bad read, very well written, but you will probably read it in a day.

Book Review - Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

How did I come into possession of this book?

I bought this at a local used book store, The Thrifty Bookworm.  RoB had bought a book there earlier in the week and they gave him a coupon celebrating an anniversary (I think), so I took that and went by to see what sort of books I could find.  This book store is primarily a romance book store but they do have some small sections for other genres, and since I don’t really read a lot of romance I made a bee-line for the non romance sections.

First Lines:

“I never used to keep track of the phases of the moon.”  (Butcher 1)

What is it about?

This is technically the second book in the Dresden Files series, but it seems like it’s one of those series you don’t really need to read in order, but I did.  Harry Dresden is called in for help when Chicago police suspect a werewolf is killing people.  They hope that he can explain what happened and that it’s all a misunderstanding, but with all the weird things that tend to happen and all the weird creatures that show up when Dresden is around it ends up being much more involved than just a werewolf.

What did I think?

This was the second book I read of his, and the second in the series.  These books are great, a typical thriller with a fantasy twist on it.  My only complaint is I wish he would give us a better background on each character, for example tell us what happened in the end of the previous book.  I would like to follow all the characters through this series but since most people will just pick up one or two of these somewhere in the middle of the series I guess it’s not really necessary.  I felt like there were a few more plot lines in this one than the previous book, which was good, but if he keeps adding more every book it will definitely be too much for me.  I also get really frustrated with Dresden at times, he makes stupid decisions and I feel like yelling at him, but I guess that’s probably a sign of good writing from the author.

Who would I recommend it to?

Anyone who is a fan of thrillers and/or sci-fi, fantasy.  The nice thing about these is they are quick, not an epic, and they still have just enough of a fantasy element to keep things interesting.  I don’t know of many other series or even books that fall into this category so I like mixing in his books to my reading pile every now and then.  They are also fantastic airplane/traveling reads!

Football Monday (?) - First BCS rankings and reaction

The BCS sucks, that is my reaction.

I'm only a little upset that Michigan is not in there, I really do think they should be in over Texas at #25 (we have better losses, and our wins are equivalent) but I also understand that if we win our next one or two we will make it in (if at that point we don't make it, I will be angry).  What makes me most angry is that Florida is sitting at #2.  And how favored the SEC is as a conference.  I will admit that Alabama is a very good team, and I think they deserve to be #1, but the rest of the SEC is very overrated.   Florida has a win over LSU who really hasn't proved themselves to be anything, they did beat South Carolina, but I saw South Carolina losing at halftime to Kentucky, the worst team in the SEC.  Aside from Alabama, not one of those teams played a real out of conference game, so why are they favored so much? I have no clue, and this is a good reason to hate the BCS.  There are no Big Ten teams in there at the moment and I blame ohio state for that.  They are not eligible to be ranked (since they got unnecessary benefits and are cheaters) but they are doing all they can to beat-up a weak Big Ten so that none of those teams can be ranked.  Thanks a lot osu, this is why nobody likes you.  At least we only have to put up with the BCS for a couple more years...things have to get better, right? RIGHT?

End rant, thank you for your time. Go Blue!

At least this was nice...45-0

Football Friday – Deciding if this SEC thing is for realz

I strongly dislike the SEC.  Yes, they have had some great teams but as an overall conference I don’t think they are that much better than some of the other AQ conferences and they cheat (see oversigning).  Yet they always seem to get all the media love, and as a big ten fan, I hate that! So, this weekend I will be attending my first SEC conference football game, and I hope to be impressed.

Michigan has a bye this week, which allows me to take a closer look at thing happening elsewhere.  Since I live in Lexington, I’ve decide to take in the UK vs South Carolina game this weekend.  I know UK isn’t exactly a powerhouse of the SEC when it come to football, but they are playing a top 10 team and it is the SEC so it’s suppose to be better than anything else, right?  I will report back with how the atmosphere is different at SEC vs Big Ten and if the football played really is that much better than anywhere else in the country (which I know it won’t be).  Also I will get to see if people really dress better to go to these games, and I may have to step up my game and actually look cute for a football game!

There really aren’t very many good games this week, but Big Ten conference play starts and there are two decent matchups there.  Wisconsin vs Nebraska was suppose to be a battle of two of the best big ten teams last year but Wisconsin ran away with it pretty early, I wouldn’t be surprised if the opposite were to happen this year.  MSU vs OSU is the other big one, I really just want both teams to look bad and have it turn into a giant slop-fest, and then declare them both losers for cheating.  But really this game is a total toss-up, I think it will be close and I can’t even venture a guess as to who might come out on top.

That’s it for this week, I will report back soon with my thoughts on an SEC game vs a Big Ten (and possibly vs a Pac-12) game.  Spoiler alert; I think the Big Ten will come out on top!

Book Review - The Mercury Fountain by Eliza Factor

How did I come into possession of this book?

This book came from the LibraryThing Early reviews program (Which by the way, I love.  I find that I receive way more book from here than its equivalent on Goodreads, which I have yet to receive a book from.)

First Lines:

“The scream must have come from Casa Grande.  There were no other houses, no trees or huts, no jackals, only the bone-white road, the dusty scrub.”  (Factor 9)

What is it about?

The book takes place near the Mexico, Texas boarder in the early 1900s.  The story centers on the Scraperton family who have made the town of Pristina very prosperous because of the mercury there.  However, as with any Utopian society, things don’t stay perfect and the book follows all of trials and conflicts the family has to endure.

What did I think?

This was not the book I expected when I read the blurb on the early reviewers page.  I am a huge dystopian/utopian society fan, but I think most of those sorts of books I read are in the young adult genre and therefore I wasn’t prepared for such a heavy book.  This is not an easy quick read; in fact, I will be reading it again to get the full idea of all that happened.  By the time I got to the end I finally had in my mind who everyone was and how the town fit together and I just felt like I had missed so much while reading the rest of the book and trying to place where all the characters were.  I did really enjoy this book, it is wonderfully written and the characters are quite interesting and unique.

Who would I recommend it to?

As long as you don’t go into this thinking it’s going to be a light, easy read you will enjoy this book.  I can see it being a great book to discuss in a book club or similar situation.  And it really is just a great piece of literature, I highly recommend it!

Book Review - In Dreams by Robert Logan

How did I come into possession of this book?

Another book from Jagged Edge reviews.  Sounded like a book I would enjoy, so I requested it!

First Lines:

“A tourist might have called Magnolia Creek, “quaint,” he supposed.  But Jack Corbitt knew the little town just a few miles west of Boulder, Colorado, was a good place with good people.”  (Logan 1)

What is it about?

Jack has been battling cancer all his life, and when it makes reappearance after being gone for many years he is willing to do anything to get rid of it.  There is a new medical procedure that sends him into crazy dreams that he is sure are affecting current events.  When he tries to alter the outcomes he realizes he is having quite the impact on current events as well.

What did I think?

I read this book very quickly and it was a great book for that.  It kept me interested throughout but when I was done with it I felt a bit unfulfilled.  I don’t think there was a single twist in the plot and you knew exactly how the story would play out from very early on.  I’m always waiting for that great twist and I was even making up ones in my head before the book ended, but nothing like that ever happened.  I’m not sure if it was too much foreshadowing or just too much of a straight forward story, but it disappointed me.

Who would I recommend it to?

Again, it was a good quick read, with some interesting ideas and things that happen.  The main plot idea of going to the past in dreams is something I haven’t seen before in a book so it’s new in that aspect to me and probably to others reading it.  If you like thrillers this one is a good pick, especially for its uniqueness.  But if you’re like me and need some big plot twists this might not be the book for you!

Football Friday: Maybe this week the Big Ten won’t embarrass themselves…

So I think I cursed the Big Ten.  I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.  I won’t expect anything out of this conference again all season.  So yeah, the Big Ten has already made a mess of everything and it is only week 2!

This week is a bit lackluster, some conferences are starting their conference games but some, like the Big Ten, aren’t.  One of the early games I’m interested in is Cal vs OSU.  I would love to see Cal come into Columbus and beat OSU, but I doubt that will happen.  From what I’ve seen of Cal football, they are usually disappointing.  At one point Arkansas vs Alabama was suppose to be a good game then Arkansas lost to ULM, I think you can thank John L Smith for that!  Florida vs Tennessee is where gameday is heading, this is a terrible choice of location.  Two average teams that are over ranked just because they are in the SEC, no thanks. 

The do have good colors

Then there is the Michigan game vs the Minutemen of UMass.  This should be easier than Air Force was last week, but if it isn’t, I will be extremely worried about the rest of the season.  I’m interested to see how long they keep Denard in the game and who comes in as his back-up when he is pulled.

There are two night games that I am interested in.  USC vs Stanford should be a good PAC-12 game. I really hope Stanford can put up a good fight (or just win!) and show everyone that USC isn’t that good (and I kinda like Standford, just don't tell all my Cal friends that!).  The other night game is Notre Dame vs MSU.  I have no clue who to root for in this game, but I would like to watch it to see how both teams look against a similar opponent.  I will be surprised if one side takes off with the game, I think it will be a close one and I think ND might just come out on top (and who cares if I jinx them, as long as one team losses, I’m fine with that!).

Book Review - Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth

How did I come into possession of this book?

This was a book that I requested an early review copy from the publisher and, luckily I received it!  It sounded like a book I would enjoy (although it wasn’t quite what I expected, more on that below), and the tag line on the front leaves you wanting to read it.

First Lines:

“They’re showing it this afternoon.  A ceremony to mark the first spadeful of earth, and when it’s built, a ceremony to open the thing, I bet.  I bring a bag of Doritos and a box of wine with me to the couch.” (Ashworth 3)

What is it about?

The book centers around Laura (or Lola), and looks back on a tragic event that occurred when she was in high school.  It goes between present and the time leading up to the accident and all the events and characters surrounding it.

What did I think?

This book was not what I had expected, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.  From the cover and description I pictured a somewhat quick, almost YA book about a murder that had happened in a small town.  But I was given a much heavier story with very interesting characters all with a very British feel to it.  Since I thought this would be a much quicker read, things started off slowly, but as soon as I got into the bulk of the story, I was hooked.  I could see myself in Lola and at times in the other girls, too.  The plot took some unexpected turns which I was happy to see since some of it was predictable.

Who would I recommend it to?

Anyone who wants a good literary read with a little bit of British feel.  There wasn’t so much of a mystery so don’t come in expecting that, but you will get a good story with characters that are very interesting and surprisingly easily relatable.

Check out these other reviews from fellow bloggers:
The Life & Times of a Book Addict

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Football Friday – Let’s move onto week two! (with a quick look at the fun of week one)

The first weekend could’ve gone a bit better for Michigan.  Not only did we get blown out, but one of our top cornerbacks is out for the season with an ACL tear (What have we done to re-anger the Michigan Secondary Hating God?).  But before the disappointment of the game I had a great time!  We went to college gameday (it was my first time, and it was a blast!), pics below:

Early morning at Gameday!

So excited for football and good friends!

Yes, please!

Of course we had to stay till the end!

We then tailgated and ate for the next 7 hours and finally made our way into the stadium.  Our seats were in the second row form the top and in the corner of the end zone, pretty much the worst seats ever.  Luckily, the stadium was designed very well and we still had a great view of the field and could hear our band!

The field isn't that far away...

yeah band!

And that’s where the fun stopped, so let’s move onto next week!

Let’s start with a couple conference games I’m interested in.  Both of the new teams to the SEC play their first SEC games and I think both have a chance to cause an upset or at least make it a good game.  Texas A&M plays Florida and I think A&M stands a good chance at winning that game.  Missouri takes on Georgia, who I think is over ranked, and I think Missouri will give them a good game, not sure if they can get enough for the win but I would like to see that!

The rest of the games I’m interested in are in the Big Ten.  I would like this to be a week where the big ten goes 12-0.  First, Michigan has to win.  Air Force is always a scary opponent coming in with the triple option offense and a very disciplined team, but I think Michigan can win this and hopefully it will show that Alabama was really that good (and not that we were that bad).  The other teams that might struggle the most to meet this goal are Purdue and Illinois playing Notre Dame and ASU respectively.  Both of those games are winnable but I wouldn’t be surprised if one doesn’t happen.  Penn State plays Virginia which I think is a toss-up and Northwestern plays Vandy (also a toss-up).  So I guess there is a less chance of this happening then I originally thought, but I hope for the best, so Go Blue and Go Big Ten!

Kinda how I feel right now...