Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Book Reviews from Master The Art of Reading participants Eye of the Wolf by Margaret Coel: This lady does for the Arapaho what Tony Hillerman did for the Navajo. Images of America: Marshall by Susan Collins: One of a series of books put out by Arcadia Publishing on hometown history across the country. The people, stories, and architecture are fascinating. State of Fear by Michael Crichton: I really liked it because it talked of environmental issues and global warming. Even though the story is fiction, it could really happen. Your pregnancy week by week by Glade B. Curtis: I have read this book all throughout my pregnancy and I found it completely helpful. Any question that I had as a first time mother was easily answered by reading this book. I recommend this book to any woman with pregnancy questions, or just to see what is happening each week inside! Spider Dance by Carole Nelson Douglas: Set in America at the end of the 19th century, this historical mystery stars a female counterpart to Sherlock Holmes as well as the man himself. Far from dry Doyle characters, Holmes and his female partner lend an interesting feminist twist to this story that crosses decades and continents. Out in America by Michael Goff: A colorful book that show just bout all the people past and present that have come out of the closet. Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn: I had to do some research and found this is a 2nd series book. Good read but would probably have made more sense if I had read the first. Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris: In this first book in the Lily Bard series, we are introduced both to Lily and to Shakespeare, AK. As Lily works to solve the mystery of who murdered her neighbor, she also tries to find love. Town that Forgot To Breathe by Kenneth J. Harvey: A haunting psychological thriller with imagery that is reminiscent of Stephen King. Goldie: A lotus grows in the mind by Goldie Hawn: A wonderful snapshot of Goldie's life! She takes you from being a child to being a grandma and makes you feel as though she could live in your neighborhood-that down to earth. 7:17:59 PM     Hohm Details The Dollars and Cents of Home Energy Costs [Energy Conservation] . Want to know the straight dollars and cents of your home's energy costs? Microsoft's Hohm site gets really, really detailed on your property and tells you the costs and break even times on money-saving projects. If you just want a quick, easy quiz on whether you've bought insulated windows or not, Hohm isn't the site for you. This webapp asks you detailed questions about all your appliances, the doors and windows on every side of your house, whether you're using compact fluorescent or incandescent bulbs in each room—it gets to the point of asking whether your roof is "dark" or "medium-dark." The payoff, though, comes in a full report at the end, detailing what your estimated annual energy costs are, where the biggest savings could be found, and, most helpful of all, a project-by-project listing for your specific home with dollar figures on annual savings, the cost of doing it yourself or hiring a professional to do it, and when your project cost pays itself off (listed in that order in the screenshot below): You can generate all kinds of reports to inspire your energy efficiency jones, including reports that show all the projects in your home that total less than, say, $500. Depending on where you live, Hohm can also detail your electricity or gas usage over time with a supported provider, sparing you the effort of breaking out the month-by-month bills and a new spreadsheet. Hohm is free to use, requires a Windows Live sign-in. Microsoft Hohm [Lifehacker] 3:36:14 PM

© Copyright 2009 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 8/3/2009; 10:35:53 AM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien