Now my Sims can have even more of a life than me!

OMG, video games are eating my budget this year! I may have to put this one off until Christmas unless EA sends me a coupon again like they did for Ambitions and suck me in early.

And, yes, that one chick had red eyes because she's a VAMPIRE! w00t! I hope they walk around with capes that they hold over their faces like they did in the original...but I doubt they will. Maybe you can unlock the cape.

I think Civilization 5 is going to outrank Sims 3 this time though, as I feel I will drop the cash to snatch this beauty up on day 1. I mean, I was never very good at Civ IV, but I got the hang of it and really enjoyed conquering the world, or at least trying (Curse you, Isabella!!!!). And this new edition looks to have lots of cool gameplay changes, with the one unit per tile and the hexagonal tiles. Mmm, yes lots of strategy here.

The set list for Rock Band 3 is out. 83 songs. I'll be honest, I don't know a lot of the songs from 2000/1990s (or, at least, I do not know them by name. There were a lot I said that about on RB2 but when I heard them I was like "OH THAT SONG!"). But there are several that get me excited for the release:
Imagine - John Lennon
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting - Elton John
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
Centerfold - J. Geils Band (guilty pleasure song, only found out about it because of VH1's Pop-Up Video back in the day...doubt I can sing it without giggling)
Misery Business - Paramore
Lasso - Phoenix
Portions for Foxes - Rilo Kiley
Power of Love - Huey Lewis & the News
Don't Stand So Close to Me - The Police (one of my favorites, though this will be the original and not the remix, which I prefer but whatev)
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears (so random, andy_wolverton and I were JUST talking about this band on Thursday!)
Good Vibrations - Beach Boys
Break on Through (to the Other Side) - The Doors

Now the biggest issue is figuring out how I want to buy this. See, I figured they would do a special edition boxed set like they did with RB and RB2 but nooooo - just a game/keyboard bundle but nothing else. So I'm trying to decide if I want to get the RB2:SE set so I can have wirless drums & guitar and then sell RB2 (or possibily work something out with the library because our copy is broken). Or if I should just suck it up and not buy new instruments yet. Then there's the whole pro-mode where you can teach yourself real guitar...might wait on that. Or ask Santa.

And I still kinda sorta want to get the Kinect...if only for Dance Central...

I've got a $25 Gamestop Gift Card coming my way from e-rewards...and a $15 Visa Debit coming from a rebate I sent in...maybe I'll just go over to Gamestop and put $5 down on EVERYTHING!

Of course, I still need to beat Mass Effect. My big geek shame is that I still have not completed that game. I even beat ME2. And I really want to beat ME2 with my new girl (Griddie Shepard, badass) so she can play ME3.

AND there's new DLC for DragonAge coming out next month. I haven't downloaded any yet, but this one is called "Witch Hunt" and, yes, we finally get to find out where Morrigan went after the big grande finale battle! I NEED TO KNOW!

Which reminds me that I never finished my game with my dwarf warrior chick. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

And Starcraft is sitting there, crying that I'm ignoring it. *pats Raynor on the head*

And what else is on the horizon? Dead Space 2 in 2011 (dangit, I don't think I was brave enough to beat DS1...but I played the DS2 demo at SDCC and it was AWESOME!!!!).

Also, if Old Republic does not require a subscription to play, it might eat my life. Maybe.

meep.

book thoughts: The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins

The Underland Chronicles Set, Books 1-4: Gregor the Overlander, Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, and Gregor and the Marks of Secret

Suzanne Collins

Just finished off this five book series tonight, the first series written by Suzanne Collins, the author who is in the spotlight for her current series, The Hunger Games. 

The Underland Chronicles is the story of Gregor, your average, everyday 12 year old.  He lives in New York City with his family.  They are crammed into a tiny apartment together but they are happy.  Then one day Gregor's 2-year old sister "Boots" falls down a vent in the laundry room and Gregor goes in after her.  But the vent doesn't lead to a tunnel, instead it's a giant hole and the two fall into The Underland. 

The Underland is inhabited by humans, giant bats, giant rats, giant cockroaches, and more.  Gregor is quickly pulled into the human's city and told of a prophecy that foretold his arrival and is proclaimed a warrior.  Gregor isn't so sure about the whole thing until he finds out that his father, who has been missing for years and presumed dead, maybe be alive in the Underland.  He sets out on a quest in the first book to find his father, but this one simple quest sets off a chain of events that will take over Gregor's life for the next year or so. 

Even though you will most likely find these books tucked away in the Children's Department, Collins writing is not childish.  She takes Gregor from wide-eyed boy to battle hardened warrior.  What starts as a simple quest story turns into a discussion of war and morality and how our actions effect everyone.  Deep stuff?  Yes, but if a kid reads this, it might help them understand all the mess they see on the news every day.  It will foster discussion.  And the end of the series is so satisfying - an epic battle and tough decisions.  It was how I wanted Harry Potter to end -- Collins does not make everything sunshine and roses at the end of any of the books, especially the last one. 

I would give this to any kid that enjoyed the 'Percy Jackson' books and is looking for another heroic series (I think they are better than Percy but that's just me...). 

Collins takes Gregor and his family on a wild ride and amazing adventures, but they do not leave the world unscathed and it's that honest portrayal that readers of all ages will appreciate. 

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com