Five by Five: Geeky Gleanings #2

I'm long over due for new blog post! I've been soaking up the sun in Maui, and admittedly I've been slacking on the blogging! I'll start my summer blog reboot with a new Five by Five Gleanings!  As promised it is chock full of nerdy stuff I've enjoyed and just want to share.

1. Book"Ready Player One"

If you grew up in the 1980's and enjoy dystopian novels then Ready Player One should be at the top of your reading list. This book is an action packed 1980's nostalgia love fest! Imagine a world that has depleted it's resources and most people live in a virtual reality. Within that virtual reality individuals known as "gunters" compete to complete three quests based on 1980's pop culture. Winning the quest will make you the wealthiest person in the world! 


Here is the book description from Amazon.com:

Publication Date: August 16, 2011

At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, READY PLAYER ONE is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.


It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.


Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.


And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.


For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.


And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.


Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.


A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.

Are you ready? 


I loved this book so much, that after I finished reading it, I picked it back up and read it again. I just wasn't ready to leave the world that Cline had created! Some you might  know the name Ernest Cline, he wrote the screenplay for the movie Fanboys.  So, if you have room in your summer reading list I suggest adding this book and moving it to the top of the list!      


A Side Note: Wil Wheaton narrates the audiobook version of Ready Player One  . It is a most excellent narration! So if you want to uber geek out I suggest picking up a copy!                                                                 

2. College Humor Show:

Looking for funniest videos on YouTube! Look no further then The College Humor Show! These are they guys who bring you Breaking Bad the RPG, the Jake and Admir videos (try IT Guy), the Hardcore Casual Gaming Rap and Batman Chooses His Voice.


My absolute favorite is Skyrim Hoarders. Skyrim Hoarders is a parody of the TV show Hoarders and mashes it up with the video game Skyrim! If you play Skyrim you know that it's almost impossible to depart with your "loot"after working so hard to "earn" it!!!! 
I laughed so hard during this video I cried! I've included it here on my Five by Five. 

Subscribe at:http://www.youtube.com/user/collegehumorfeature=watch 
or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CollegeHumor




3. Esty

As geek don't you sometimes think to yourself, "What I really need is a hat just like Janye Cobb on Firefly."?  I know I do! Well, guess what? If you can dream it you can find on Etsy! It's a practically a geek online shopping mall! Sure... I can find geeky products all over the web but, Etsy products are the most unique online! Often homemade and sometimes even vintage items can be found on Etsy! Click the link to check it out: http://www.etsy.com/

Here are just a few of my favorites shops:

Firefly Jayne Hat Replica custom made by Geek-A-Bye-Baby. This Shop specializes in items for geekn' out your baby! But, I have my eye on this Jayne hat that comes in adult sizes too!  










Justice League Sillouette Coasters jb2designs  This seller has a whole selection of these geek themed coasters. Game of Thrones, Star Trek, Battlestar, Lost, True Blood etc... Hmm...I wonder if I can mix and match???

 WWBD Pendant by Sterling Silver Geek Jewelry. What would Buffy Do? It's sorta my mantra! I so want this pendant! This seller also has rings, earrings, & brooches, all with geeky themes!


















4.Tower of the Hand

 Last year I plowed through George R.R. Martin's book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" .  If you are thinking of trying to wade these "tomes" as well, I highly recommend this website. It allows spoiler free browsing for each book.  When you arrive at the site you click on the box to indicate how far along in the series you are and all discussions, reviews and chapter summaries will be free of spoilers. They have recently added a section that allows spoiler free discussions on the HBO TV series! I know having this website to refer too while reading the Fire and Ice series enabled me to keep characters and events straight and connect with others who have read and enjoyed the series. 

Go to http://towerofthehand.com/ and check it out!

5. Comic Books 4 Girls:

Being the geeky gal that I am always looking for a community of like minded individuals with whom I can share my über geek tidbits with. Well, Comic Books 4 Girls is a community for women/girls who love comic books! It's a place for comic fans to meet and connect! If you are looking for a place to share information on Comic Books, Comic Book Art, Comic Book Movie trivia/updates and often just some random geeky goodness. Comic Book 4 Girls is a great place start! They are on Facebook and Pinterest.

To Follow on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/comics4girls/ 

To "Like" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comicbooks4girls

That's it for this round of gleanings. Blog at ya soon!

Five By Five 

The SciFi Chick

Scifi Chick's  Picks for the Top Five Scifi Moms! 

 BTW:*****SPOILER ALERT!*****  THIS Sci-fi Chick Musings is full of SPOILERS! Skip a rant if you haven't finished the books, movie or TV show in which the character appears.

 In honor of Mother's Day I would like to pay tribute  to my some of my favorite Sci-fi mom's!

#5. Amanda Grayson: The Star Trek Universe

Dear Spock's Mom, We can only appreciate but, never truly understand what it must have been like to raise a son who, due to Vulcan custom, never told you how much he loved you. We know for a fact, Amanda, he deeply regretted this. But, any woman who lived through raising Spock once and then again a second time. Due to that nasty incident on the Genesis Planet, which caused your son to be reborn and required you to re-raise and re-educated him. You also get bonus points for being a working mom and finding time to help Star Fleet create the Universal Translator!  All this earns you a spot in the top 5 on my list of the Best Moms of Scifi!

#4. Sarah Conner: The Terminator Universe

Oh, poor Sarah Conner! What else is a mom to do but become an "Ass Kicking , Crazy Woman" when cyborgs form the future have been sent back in time to terminate you and yours to ensure a Nuclear War that leads to machines ruling the Earth! Talk about HOMESCHOOLING! You educated yourself and your son on all topics that would help the future resistance fighter. You hooked up with every questionable character who was willing to teach you military tactics! Most Moms just aren't willing to hang out in Biker bars, in Mexico, just  to find someone willing to train them in small arms weapons. So, thank you, Sarah for preparing  John Conner to lead the human resistance. It is because of your sacrifice the human race will go on!

#3. Joyce Summers: The Buffyverse

 What's a single mom to do when her daughter is the "Chosen One" and you really can't enforce a curfew or prevent her from dating older men/vampires. You always found a way to support her when she was getting into fights, burning down schools, killing your boyfriend and feeding you "magic" band candy. Your struggle to raise the girl who would "save the world, a lot" was so graceful and steady not a dry eye was to be found when you died. RIP Joyce Summers. The best Mom a girl with superpowers could ever have.

#2 Molly Weasley: The Harry Potter books and movies

Molly definitely had the biggest bunch of kids to look after. She gave birth to seven children. Six of them turned out to be pretty darn awesome. (We understand about Percy, Molly, we don't hold you accountable. It was Percy's pride not your child rearing skills that caused him to go astray.) She also, took on a motherly role to our dear Harry. Molly endured so much though out the seven books.  Percy's betrayal, Ginny's kidnapping by Bailisk, her husband, Arthur, being attacked by Voldemort's snake, Bill's disfiguration by a werewolf, Ron running away from Hogwarts to hunt horcruxs. George losing an ear and the heartbreaking death of Fred. But, the main reason that you take the number two spot on this list, Molly, is your Mama Bear beat down on Bellatrix Lestrange. A mothering moment so awesome we just have to watch it one more time!

#1. Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons: The Game of Thrones Books and TV Show

Poor Daenerys. Your brother sold you as a child bride to the leader of the Dothraki , a barbarian horse tribe. But, you overcame and flourished! Eventually earning the respect of your husband and the tribe who were honored to call you, Khaleesi. However, just as soon as things were looking up, you miscarry your only human child and your husband, Drogo slips into a coma. All caused by the revenge magic of,  Mirri Maz Duur! As you and your, Khalasar find yourselves suffering in the wastelands of the Red Lands. Your husband's funeral pyre proves that you cannot be burned by fire and allows you to hatch your true children, The Dragons. You then spend five books protecting your people and your Dragons. As you and your Khalasar move across the Great Eastern Continent you free slaves, and help the sick, the poor and the needy. Eventually, thousands will call you, Mother, as you lead your people to freedom and struggle to maintain human rights for all.  Daenerys, Mother of Dargons!  Daenerys the "Breaker of Shackles and Chains"! Daenerys Mother of the oppressed!

And those, my friends, are my choice of the top five.  Of, course there are a ton of Moms in Scifi and many deserve a spot on a favorites list. These are just my favs.  Please leave a comment about your favorites (or mine).  I am writing another "musing" about Scifi moms and would love to read your opinions.

Five by Five
The Scifi Chick

Upcoming "Musing" for the Scifi Chick

I have some blog "Musings" in the works right now. Topics include,  "The Women of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones", "Zombie Stuff that Kick -Ass" and "Podcast Reviews", "Indie Sci-fi books" and "Life as YA fiction Reader".  If you would like to to suggest topics  or have any links or suggestions you think I might find interesting on my planned topics please email me at scifichickmuses@gmail.com.

Five By Five

Working on Blog about Rhiannon Frater. Have tons of great insight after attending her book signing in Austin.

The Scifi Chick