Reading Road-Trip UTAH!

Welcome to my stop on the reading road-trip UTAH.  This event is hosted by I Like These Books and IceyBooks. After stopping by my stop be sure to check out the other states (you can see these at the end of the post).   I didn't get the state I wanted (Colorado of course) but I got the next best state Utah.  I lived in Utah for a few years and still have family there so I make several trips to Utah a year.  Such a wonderful state.

Now for some Utah facts (I might not know everything so if you are from Utah and have anything to add put it in the comments).

• Utah is called the Beehive State.. this is because bees are hard workers and the settlers of Utah felt the same way.
• Completion of the world's first transcontinental railroad was celebrated at Promontory where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met on May 10, 1869. It is now known as Golden Spike National Historic Site ( I have been here many times). 
• The Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City took 40 years to complete. The Mormon temples in St. George, Manti and Logan Utah were completed before the Salt Lake Temple. (Temple Square is a beautiful area to visit in Salt Lake City).
• The Great Salt Lake covers 2,100 square miles, with an average depth of 13 feet. The deepest point is 34 feet ( I have been here many times and have even swam in it).  
• On February 8-24, 2002, Salt Lake City hosted the XIX Olympic Winter Games.
• Utah is the only state whose capital's name is made of three words. All three words in Salt Lake City have four letters each,

There are many many more facts about Utah that are really interesting. If you haven't visited there you really should try.  I know most people don't think of Utah as a vacation spot but it is one of my favorite states.

        Great Salt Lake

Utah also has an amazing number of authors, really you should google the list.  Allie Condie, Shannon Hale,  Brandon Mull, Orson Scott Card, Bree Despain, and many many more.  Here is a great list on goodreads of Utah authors. I am also hosting a giveaway for Utah's Road Trip Stop.    YEAH!!  It is US only.  I am giving away Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.  A wonderful series.

Sign up through the rafflecopter below.  Book will be shipped through Barnes and Noble or Book Depository or Amazon.  Winner will have 48 hours to respond, after that time another winner will be chosen.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is actually a blog hop, though I have noticed most people participating aren't posting links to all the blogs who are also doing states.  Which is sad because it's more fun if you travel around.  Here are the links to other blogs who are participating.  Be sure to stop by more states!  Hopefully next year the hopping part of the Road Trip is easier to find!

Monday July 1:

Maine: Lisa Loves Literature {International}

Ends July 31st

New Hampshire: Book Cover Justice {International}

Ends July 31st

Tuesday July 2:

Vermont: Tales of a Word Weaver {US Only}

Ends July 31st

Massachusetts: World’s Oldest Fledgling {International}

Ends July 8th

Wednesday July 3:

Rhode Island

Connecticut: Read-A-holicZ {International}

Ends July 31st

Thursday July 4:

New Jersey: The Book Belles {International}

Ends July 31st

Friday July 5:

New York: My Life is a Notebook {US Only}

Ends August 1st

Saturday July 6:

Pennsylvania: NightlyReading {US Only}

Ends August 1st

Delaware

Sunday July 7:

Maryland: The Eater of Books {International}

Ends July 31st

West Virginia: Reading Angels {International}

Ends July 14th

Monday July 8:

Washington D.C.: Verb Vixen {US/Canada}

Ends July 30th

Tuesday July 9:

Virginia: The Bookmark Blog {US Only}

Ends August 1st

North Carolina: Dizneeee’s World of Books {International}

Ends July 23rd

Wednesday July 10:

South Carolina: Let Me Tell You a Story {US Only}

Ends August 1st

Georgia: Panda Reads {US Only}

Ends July 24th

Thursday July 11:

Florida: Jenna Does Books {US/Canada}

Ends September 3rd

Alabama: Zach’s YA Reviews {US Only}

Ends August 1st

Friday July 12:

Mississippi

Tennessee: Bookish Things and More {International}

Ends August 1st

Saturday July 13:

Kentucky: Mommasez... {US Only}

Ends July 31st

Ohio: Book Jems {International}

Ends July 31st

Sunday July 14:

Michigan: Books, Books, the Magical Fruit {US Only}

Indiana

Monday July 15:

Illinois: In Wonderland {US Only}

Missouri: Mommasez... {US Only}

Ends July 30

Tuesday July 16:

Arkansas: Rachel Reads {US Only}

Ends July 31

Louisiana: Verb Vixen {US/Canada}

Ends July 30

Wednesday July 17:

Texas: The Princess of Storyland {US Only}

Ends July 21

Thursday July 18:

Oklahoma: Bookish Things and More {International}

Ends July 31

Kansas: Claire M. Caterer {US/Canada}

Ends July 23

Friday July 19:

Iowa

Wisconsin: YA Bibliophile {US Only}

Ends July 31

Saturday July 20:

Minnesota: Fiction Freak {US Only}

Ends August 16

North Dakota

Sunday July 21:

South Dakota

Nebraska: Dizneeee’s World of Books {International}

Ends July 31

Monday July 22:

Colorado: Hope, Faith & Books {US Only}

New Mexico: IceyBooks {US Only}

Ends August 2

Tuesday July 23:

Mexico

Wednesday July 24:

Arizona: Darci Cole {US Only}

Utah: Angela’s Anxious Life {US Only}

Thursday July 25:

Wyoming: Hope, Faith & Books {US Only}

Montana: YA Reads {International}

Friday July 26:

Indiana: I Like These Books {International}

Nevada

Saturday July 27:

California: The White Unicorn {US/Canada}

Sunday July 28:

Oregon: Tabitha’s Book Blog {US Only}

Washington: Lisa Loves Literature {US Only}

Monday July 29:

Canada: Mark of the Stars {US/Canada}

Tuesday July 30:

Alaska: Little Lovely Books {International}

Wednesday July 31:

Hawaii

Tomb Raider (2013)- Video Game Review

Tomb Raider (2013)

Wow.. I loved this game.  The revamp of the Tomb Raider series really impressed me.  I have always attempted the previous Tomb Raiders but never beat them.  They were complicated and since I rented them I didn't have much time to play them.  I wish though I could rent some of the old ones to play again (I don't have a GameFly account and now that Blockbusters is gone well... there went that).  I kept hearing about this new Tomb Raider and the changes that were made.  You could finally have some good combat!  To be honest this game reminds me of the gameplay of the Uncharted series. I love that you can power up the weapons you find... power up even your skills.

Lara Croft is the main character in this series.  Some of you may know that there have been two movies based off this game series both staring Angelina Jolie as Lara.   She does a really good job of portraying the old Lara Croft.  The new Croft in the game is much softer and smaller boobs!  I love that there were secret tombs to find all over the different levels of the game.  Also... treasure to find.  Though I didn't find all of that since I rented the game and couldn't spend forever on it.

Did you know Conan O'Brian plays video games and does a segment?  Well this is hilarious!  He isn't actually a gamer so that makes it more fun.  I love his sense of humor so this is funny!



I think this is a really fun game. I give it a 9 out of 10.

2013 Reading Road Trip Hop Sign-Ups

I thought I would tell everyone about a Reading Road Trip hop I am participating in.  It looks like a lot of fun so I had to jump in.  I have the state of Utah and can't wait to get started.  My date is July 24th to post!
The event takes place during the month of July and spans the entire North American continent. 3 countries and 50 states (and one District of Columbia!). Think of it as a unique twist to the classic giveaway hop we see gracing the blogosphere.

Each day during the Road Trip, one or two blogs will post a giveaway with some fun facts about his/her state/country/district.

The giveaway must feature:
(a): books that take place in your chosen state/country, OR
(b): books written by an author who lives in your chosen state/country.

Who can sign up to host? Any blog is welcome to participate! Both hosting blogs are YA driven, but the road-trip is open to all levels. YA/Adult/MG will be specified in the final list.

Once sign-ups are complete and assignments are finalized, we'll put up another post with a list of all the hosts and locations. We'll even publish an trip itinerary with easy links and dates that you can bookmark and visited all month long!

Ready to be a host? The sooner you sign up, the higher the chance of your first choice state being available!

Simply fill out the form below with your top three choices of a state/country. We will assign the places at a first come, first serve basis. If your top three have already been taken, you will be contacted and allowed to choose over the people who signed up after you (and so on).

I want to host, but I don't know what book to giveaway... We've solved that problem this year! See THIS LIST for YA novels by the state they take place in.

Go here to sign up and pick a state for the hop

Denver Comic Con- 2013

Oh man... after going to the big San Diego Comic Con last year and then to the Denver Comic Con this year it was such a disappointment.  Not the atmosphere.  That is always fun.. costumes and geeky people everywhere.  But the Con itself was nuts.

Day 1 They had everyone going through the same small doors in the convention center not utilizing all the doors.  So it turned out on the first day 6000 people were issued refunds.   We didn't realize you had to get some sort of special magic wrist bands in order to see George Takai and William Shatner.  So we hurried in the building Saturday and ran to line up for Takai.  Then someone in line informed us that in the line to get in the building apparently you were handed these bands.  OK so we go look for them to find out they were handed to the first people in line that morning.  Ok... so we head over to the overflow room to watch him speak.  We get to those doors only to find out that they aren't going to broadcast it after all.  OOKKKKK..... Then we were going to enter the Halo challenge that day and that was a mess.  We go in to sign up at the time we were supposed and everyone is so busy we have to stand there for 15 minutes.  The the person running it was so power hungry we never bothered to go back.

We tried to get in line for a few things and were shuffled off by the security and told to come back 15 minutes before the panels.  They kept trying to make us go upstairs to the exhibit hall.  The worst day for this was the Wil Wheaton and Felica Day panels.  The security kept telling everyone to move and that we had better things to do with our time.  Um... we did buy the tickets and if we chose to stand in line so what?  You would think this con would've sent someone out to San Diego and see how things are done. Geeks stand in LINES.  It's what we do.  Needless to say no one moved and we became the unofficial line for the line to Wheaton.  Whenever people walked up we told them we were just a gathering of nerds... not a line.  And then when the line to the panel before Wheaton moved we just moved our line into that line.  Which now had like 100 people in it by the way, if not more people.
The costume contest wasn't all that great either.  First they were half an hour late starting.  Then the sound was out so we waited another 15 minutes.  And then the lights even went out!  Shockingly, we were allowed to stand in line for that.

Ok sooo I know I keep talking about bad stuff... I guess I should say some good things.  I thought that the building was perfect for the crowd.  The exhibit floor gets crowded but it did at San Diego too.  There isn't anything you can do about that.  I met a lot of fun people in lines.  Seeing costumes everywhere was super fun.  Lots of plugs at this convention center.  Great for charging up phones/iPads and whatnot.  Parking was really great!  Yes most garages were $10 but there was plenty.  We just parked at our hotel and walked over.   I got to see Wil Weaton, Felica Day, Wil Shatner (from the overflow room),  and Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette on True Blood). Stan Lee was supposed to be there but canceled at the last minute... which is why Shatner was there instead.

We probably won't go back for a couple of years and let the Denver Comic con get rid of the kinks.  But it was a lot of fun and for those who can't travel to San Diego it is a perfect gathering of geeks.  Or we might go back sooner if they get another big name in there.

I mean... who doesn't like seeing Darth Vader strolling around downtown???

Are you going to any cons this year?