A short while back, I ordered a nearly new computer. (Nearly new, as in refurbished.) First off, I'd like to thank Newegg for another good shopping experience. And I'd like to thank the seller on Newegg's marketplace for shooting this sucker out so fast and getting it here nearly a week ahead of the earliest delivery date they gave me.
This is my third Lenovo desktop. I keep buying them because they're so damn good. The first one was new, the other two were refurbished. This one is so quiet, it's creepy. Is it on? Is it off? It was particularly hard to tell before I got the monitor settings to stop sending it into sleep mode every 15 minutes. I'd walk into the office and see the monitor off and think 'what the hell shut my computer off?'
Anyway, I'm on the new 'puter now. I spent most of the weekend transferring files and setting things just the way I like them. I still have one thing to fix - my image software - and some little niggling things - like having all my go-to files show up in the 'recently opened files' section of my softwares. And adding my words to the freakin' dictionaries again. Writerly is too a word, dammit.
I think I have the answer to my image software issue. We'll see later today. If I can't fix it, I'm going to have to teach myself GIMP or something. Blerg.
I'm still running Windows 7. Yes, I know it's old. But it's stable and I know all its ins and outs. Also, I don't want to have to pay for a new version of MS Office to go with Windows 10. And I sure as hell don't want to learn new software. I hate that shit and I ain't got time for it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And Windows 7 was never broke. Hell, I was using Windows 98 until 7 came out. I still miss DOS for petesakes. (Okay, only on occasion. Windows is better than DOS, but it has limitations on what it will let me do sometimes.)
Anyway, the transition has been pretty seamless. I was up on this computer within like 48 hrs of its arrival. And I wrote new words last night like this wasn't a totally new and unusual computer. (Another reason to get one exactly like my last one.) Yay.
So, if you're like me and need a new computer but don't have the fundage for a new computer, I'd recommend a refurbished one. This sucker cost me $160 out the door - free shipping and all. I could've gone a little cheaper with less RAM, and gotten it for around $130. Seriously. Don't break the bank if you don't have to.
And now it's time for me to start my day. The same way I started my day with the old computer. Yay.
Showing posts with label new-to-me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new-to-me. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2020
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
DNFs Abound This Year
I'm not having the best year so far choosing new ebooks to read. I've DNF'd over half the new ebooks I've tried to read. I mean, they sounded really great or I wouldn't have chosen them. Right? But when the rubber meets the road, there's been something that made me stop reading them.
This week, the lead reason seems to be that the story is just weird. Don't get me wrong - I like weird - but these were jarringly so. Like one I tried recently - it was an urban fantasy... no, a science fiction... no, a fantasy... All genres I enjoy, but the only part that worked was the UF, which the author discarded after the first chapter.
I DNF'd a book last night that I had great hopes for. It was a billed as a thriller and it started out really well, but then the author started throwing in supernatural elements, which I really didn't mind at first but then it got bizarre. Suspension of disbelief broken. Close book, move on. =o\
Then there have been the books with editing issues. Some of those I can read past without a problem, but sometimes they slap me upside the face so hard I can't forgive them. Not every bit of dialogue needs a tag and not every character has to be named every time you mention them. Come on, guys.
Reading those makes me fear ever trying to publish without an editor backing me up. On the other hand recognizing those flaws are helping me edit my own work. So I guess they were good for something.
I'm not giving up on my mission to try new authors with few reviews. I've found some amazing books that way. And the amazing books I find help ease the pain of the others. Like I said in last week's Reading Wrap-up - any week I finish at least one good book is a good week. The others I'll just have to wade through to get to the good books.
I downloaded three new ebooks last night. Here's hoping at least one of them is a good one.
How's your reading year going? Finding some good stuffs or getting lots of clunkers?
This week, the lead reason seems to be that the story is just weird. Don't get me wrong - I like weird - but these were jarringly so. Like one I tried recently - it was an urban fantasy... no, a science fiction... no, a fantasy... All genres I enjoy, but the only part that worked was the UF, which the author discarded after the first chapter.
I DNF'd a book last night that I had great hopes for. It was a billed as a thriller and it started out really well, but then the author started throwing in supernatural elements, which I really didn't mind at first but then it got bizarre. Suspension of disbelief broken. Close book, move on. =o\
Then there have been the books with editing issues. Some of those I can read past without a problem, but sometimes they slap me upside the face so hard I can't forgive them. Not every bit of dialogue needs a tag and not every character has to be named every time you mention them. Come on, guys.
Reading those makes me fear ever trying to publish without an editor backing me up. On the other hand recognizing those flaws are helping me edit my own work. So I guess they were good for something.
I'm not giving up on my mission to try new authors with few reviews. I've found some amazing books that way. And the amazing books I find help ease the pain of the others. Like I said in last week's Reading Wrap-up - any week I finish at least one good book is a good week. The others I'll just have to wade through to get to the good books.
I downloaded three new ebooks last night. Here's hoping at least one of them is a good one.
How's your reading year going? Finding some good stuffs or getting lots of clunkers?
Saturday, June 2, 2018
New-to-Me Authors Reading Update
Hey all,
It occurred to me that I had intended to do updates on the new-to-me authors' books I read. So, now that I've remembered, here's how that's going this year:
Sherlock Holmes and the Cult of Cthulhu by James G. Boswell (3/17/18) - Mystery - 5-stars. Review: "I've been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since I was a kid, and I usually view fiction like this with a suspicious eye. But the premise was intriguing, so I gave it a whirl. It was worth every penny. Brought me back to my love of Holmes but had a new spin all its own. So much fun. I inhaled it in a day."
Murder on Aisle Three by Megan Rivers (4/21/18) - Mystery - 4-stars. No review.
The Convenient Cadaver by Matt Ferraz (5/12/18) - Mystery - 5-stars. Review: "I picked this up on a whim, thinking it was going to be similar to the other 'granny mysteries' I've read in the past. In a way, it was, but it wasn't quite as light. And for this book, different was a good thing. It kept me totally engrossed, so much that I inhaled it in less than 24 hrs. Grandma Bertha is a sharp old gal. The dogs are cool, but don't play that major a part. I wanted to poke the son and daughter-in-law in the head. In the end, though, it all worked out and made me smile."
A Grave Mistake by Alexander Tarler (5/26/18) - Fantasy - 5-stars. Review: " Okay, so I'm rounding up from 4.75. It would've been a straight 5, but the end... GAH! Anyway, this book was loads of fun to read. It had some typo issues but nothing that marred the story or pulled me out so much I wanted to throw my Kindle at the wall. I'm all about the story. And this was a good one.
Exceptional premise, btw. A guy who falls bass-ackwards into raising his whole family from the dead and then has to find a way to protect them and himself from a gang of morons who want to see him destroyed? All he wants it to live peacefully with his undead family members. But nope. Not gonna happen.
That's good stuff there. Wish I'd have thought of it."
The Blunt End of the Service by LJ Simpson (5/28/18) - SF - 5-stars. Review: " Rollicking good space fun. Can't wait to read the next book" (Note: I did, in fact, buy the next book as soon as I'd finished this one.)
Five new-to-me, underappreciated books in five months, so I'm on target with my goal of reading one a month."
I've also read a couple new-to-me authors who aren't underappreciated.
The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin by L. Jagi Lamplighter (3/4/18) - YA Fantasy - 4-stars. Review: "I had a tough time getting into this book, but I finally did and it was a lot of fun. Then it sort of just ended. Not much in the way of denouement and I kind of like some denouement. Your mileage may vary.
I think part of my problem getting into this book was my brain kept drawing comparisons to another book about a kid who goes off for his first year at a magical school. :shrug: All in all, it was an enjoyable read, though."
The Time Hunters by Carl Ashmore (4/14/18) - MG Adventure - 5-stars. No review. I'm not sure why I didn't review this one. I certainly enjoyed it and I remember I liked it enough that I probably should've written a review, but I got lazy, I think.
And there was one book that would probably qualify as both new-to-me and underappreciated, but it's an older romance (1997) I picked up at the thrift store, and I'm not sure acknowledgement by me would even be helpful at this point.
Where There's Smoke... by Laura Abbot (5/19/18) - Romance - 5-stars. Review: "Cute story. Fun read. I was about ready to slap that kid, but she turned out okay - naturally. And it all worked out in the end, like a romance should. Yay!"
And that's it for now. I have several other qualifying books waiting on my Kindle, so there's hope for the rest of the year. And, of course, I'm finding new books all the time.
Have you read any new-to-you, underappreciated authors this year? If you have, tell me about them. Either way, I hope you'll give these books a whirl.
It occurred to me that I had intended to do updates on the new-to-me authors' books I read. So, now that I've remembered, here's how that's going this year:
Sherlock Holmes and the Cult of Cthulhu by James G. Boswell (3/17/18) - Mystery - 5-stars. Review: "I've been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since I was a kid, and I usually view fiction like this with a suspicious eye. But the premise was intriguing, so I gave it a whirl. It was worth every penny. Brought me back to my love of Holmes but had a new spin all its own. So much fun. I inhaled it in a day."
Murder on Aisle Three by Megan Rivers (4/21/18) - Mystery - 4-stars. No review.
The Convenient Cadaver by Matt Ferraz (5/12/18) - Mystery - 5-stars. Review: "I picked this up on a whim, thinking it was going to be similar to the other 'granny mysteries' I've read in the past. In a way, it was, but it wasn't quite as light. And for this book, different was a good thing. It kept me totally engrossed, so much that I inhaled it in less than 24 hrs. Grandma Bertha is a sharp old gal. The dogs are cool, but don't play that major a part. I wanted to poke the son and daughter-in-law in the head. In the end, though, it all worked out and made me smile."
A Grave Mistake by Alexander Tarler (5/26/18) - Fantasy - 5-stars. Review: " Okay, so I'm rounding up from 4.75. It would've been a straight 5, but the end... GAH! Anyway, this book was loads of fun to read. It had some typo issues but nothing that marred the story or pulled me out so much I wanted to throw my Kindle at the wall. I'm all about the story. And this was a good one.
Exceptional premise, btw. A guy who falls bass-ackwards into raising his whole family from the dead and then has to find a way to protect them and himself from a gang of morons who want to see him destroyed? All he wants it to live peacefully with his undead family members. But nope. Not gonna happen.
That's good stuff there. Wish I'd have thought of it."
The Blunt End of the Service by LJ Simpson (5/28/18) - SF - 5-stars. Review: " Rollicking good space fun. Can't wait to read the next book" (Note: I did, in fact, buy the next book as soon as I'd finished this one.)
Five new-to-me, underappreciated books in five months, so I'm on target with my goal of reading one a month."
I've also read a couple new-to-me authors who aren't underappreciated.
The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin by L. Jagi Lamplighter (3/4/18) - YA Fantasy - 4-stars. Review: "I had a tough time getting into this book, but I finally did and it was a lot of fun. Then it sort of just ended. Not much in the way of denouement and I kind of like some denouement. Your mileage may vary.
I think part of my problem getting into this book was my brain kept drawing comparisons to another book about a kid who goes off for his first year at a magical school. :shrug: All in all, it was an enjoyable read, though."
The Time Hunters by Carl Ashmore (4/14/18) - MG Adventure - 5-stars. No review. I'm not sure why I didn't review this one. I certainly enjoyed it and I remember I liked it enough that I probably should've written a review, but I got lazy, I think.
And there was one book that would probably qualify as both new-to-me and underappreciated, but it's an older romance (1997) I picked up at the thrift store, and I'm not sure acknowledgement by me would even be helpful at this point.
Where There's Smoke... by Laura Abbot (5/19/18) - Romance - 5-stars. Review: "Cute story. Fun read. I was about ready to slap that kid, but she turned out okay - naturally. And it all worked out in the end, like a romance should. Yay!"
And that's it for now. I have several other qualifying books waiting on my Kindle, so there's hope for the rest of the year. And, of course, I'm finding new books all the time.
Have you read any new-to-you, underappreciated authors this year? If you have, tell me about them. Either way, I hope you'll give these books a whirl.
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