January Read of the Month

My first Read of the Month for 2012 was suggested via a comment by a reader of the blog. When I selected my December Read of the Month "Anonymous" left a comment and suggested I read Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick. I picked the book up in late December via Amazon at a bargain price of $6.72 for hardcover (not a bad price for a new hard cover book).

First Read of the Month for 2012

I started reading a few weeks ago, but sadly left the book in my office as I left for our winter break. I am just a few pages into the book, but this young adult novel is off to a great start. The narrator, Amber Appleton, lives on the school bus her single mother drives. Amber and her mother are homeless after the most recent "mom's ex-boyfriend" has thrown them out. I wish I would not have left the book in my office during the break, I wanted to read more during my vacation. I look forward to picking up with the book on Monday and finishing it quickly with a full review to follow.

I appreciate user comments and really appreciate book suggestions. Some of my favorite reads from 2011 were suggestions by readers. Feel free to leave a comment with a book suggestion for a future Read of the Month.

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Your Own Personal Library Catalog

So, how many of you have remember using an old style, card catalog? You know, you want to find a book in your local library, so you pull out the long drawers flipping through cards. Well those days are long gone of course (thankfully) and nearly all libraries use an electronic catalog system to keep track of their collections. Many of the school districts in Wayne County are using a system developed by Follett . It is a great system for school age children and prepares them for many of the advanced catalogs available in public and university libraries. Catalog software is quite expensive and really impractical for home libraries. Some book lovers may create their own spreadsheet or database to keep track of their books, however there is a great (free) tool online to not only catalog your books, but also meet and communicate with other book lovers online. The site librarything.com is a wonderful site that lets you catalog your own home library. Think of it as a "Facebook

A Once-In-A-Lifetime Event

Back in November I wrote about what I believe to be the best part of my job; running into Carlson High School graduates that are success stories and hearing about how well they are doing in the "real world." Carlson High School graduate Nathan Matatall is clearly one of these success stories. After graduating from Carlson High School and Michigan State University Nathan has gone on to very successful career at Dell Computers. The News Herald even published a feature piece on Nathan a few years ago. This past week, Nathan provided my family with a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget. Nathan, my former public speaking student, contacted me via email a few weeks ago and inquired about taking my kids on a tour of Marine One (one of the helicopters used to transport The President of the United States and other dignitaries) and to possibly attend the landing of Air Force One when President Obama was scheduled to arrive in Detroit. I was very excited a

Gadgets on my Radar for 2013

With the start of a new year it is time to think about what gadgets I need to update in the Pehote household this year. I make about two or three gadget/technology updates each year and I am sure 2013 will not be different from previous years. In 2012 I made a few major purchases, including a new laptop and phone. So what do I have in mind for 2013? Let's see: A New iPad : I currently own the iPad 2, 16g version. I look back and realize that I should have purchased one with more storage space. My iPad2 still works fine, so I will keep it around for the kids. I never thought the retina display would mean much, but since purchasing my new iPhone 5 a few months ago it is really easy to notice the difference. Now, I may have to take a look at the new iPad Mini but I plan to stick with the full size and more storage space (maybe 32 gig). Should I give the iPad mini a try? A New Printer : Yep, it looks like it is time to hit CNET and find a new printer for my home.

The Geekly Reader

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