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During the past week, I'd have to say I've had a pretty decent time (minus the fact that I'm unable to finish Oathkeeper... crying ). But time for my review on different things:

Apple iPod Mini

Background: I'm one who is very much against iPods, for the fact that I find them overpriced and, possibly, cheaply made. When I received one this past week, the feeling still stood. Over the course of the past few days, I've decided that I still love and adore my CDs, but an iPod is useful for listening and storing numerous music files without having to switch (as I type this now, I am currently attempting to put all of my songs on it).

Rating:
Usefulness - 5/5: Being able to store many songs (the one I have stores up to almost 4 GB), play games, and keep some notes along with other things, it's quite useful.
Annoying Factor - 2/5: It was a bit hard at first to manuver through the screens (and playing games such as Solitare and Brick can be a task), but practice makes perfect...I guess.
Destructibility - Unknown: It's endured so far...
Song quality - 4/5: I'd give it a 5, but I still haven't tested all of my songs on it yet.
iTunes - Annoying as heck. While you HAVE to have it pretty much, I still dislike it very much, especially getting all the songs into it. D<

Overall opinion: A decent buy, but not something I would throw $100 down for.


Crispin and the Cross of Lead by Avi

I bought this book WAY back, but never had a chance to read it. With an independent reading project assigned, I was finally able to take it off my shelf and read it.

Plot: "'Asta's son' is all he's ever been called. The lack of name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in fourteenth-century medieval England. But this thireen-year-old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less - no home, family, or possessions. Accused of a crime he didn't commit, he has been declared a 'wolf's head.' That means he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If he wishes to remain alive, he must flee his tiny village. All the boy takes with him is a newly revealed name - Crispin - and his mother's cross of lead.

His journey through the English countryside is puzzling, amazing, and terrifying. Especially difficult is his encounter with the juggler named Bear. A guhe, and possibly even mad, man, Bear forces the boy to become his servant. Bear, however, is a strange master, for he encourages Crispin to think for himself.

Though Bear promises to protect Crispin, it becomes clear that the boy is being relentlessly pursued. Why are his enemies so determined to kill him? Crispin is gradually drawn right into his enemies' fortress, where - in a riveting climax - he must become a different person if he is to save Bear's life and his own."

My opinion: Seeing as I bought this book almost...3 or 4 years ago, it makes sense that it was meant for a younger audience than I am now. Still, it managed to keep my interest for the most part. While historical fiction, its own twists to the plot keep it from being dull.

Still, for the most part, the climax and the ending were...uneventful. Instead of something say, "cool," happening, it simply...ended. In the end, I felt that I was cheated out of my ending.

Rating: 3/5 - I would suggest it to others if they need a quick read for a project, but not something that is on my top list of favorite books.



In other news: I'll just about always take suggestions on animes to watch, mangas and books to read, etc. Just let me know of anything you've come across that was interesting and I'll see if I can get my hands on it. 3nodding