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Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa
Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa
eBook Readers
Affordable (3 more)
Expandable Storage
Good for reading
Good for video
Somewhat poor image quality (2 more)
Some apps/browsers are slow
Need to sideload some apps
Fire HD 8 6th Generation Tablet
For the most part, this is a solid tablet. I mostly use it for reading and watching movies and it works well for those things. Most apps run pretty smoothly on it. The browser (Silk) works pretty well but can be somewhat slow.

Another downside was that I had to sideload Google Play onto this tablet because there are several apps that were not available through Amazon's selection. They do seem to have most things, but obviously, they would prefer you to use their reading platforms over others so some of them are not available through their app store.

The screen may not be as clear as an iPad or some other tablets, but it still works very well. I've watched movies on it and read comics and have had no issues. If it's important to see an image as clear as possible for any reason this may not be the tablet for you. I've spoken with some photographers who will not use this tablet because it somewhat distorts the images they want to view. Of course, for most people, I doubt that will be a problem.

The device has either 16GB or 32 GB options. This may seem small to most people, but the Fire allows you to expand that with an SD card.

If tablet color matters to you, I love the magenta option for this tablet and I think that the color choices of the 6th generation were much better than the current generation.

Overall, this is not a perfect tablet but it is still a great device. If you have the need for high image quality or fast speed, this may not be the tablet for you. If you just want a tablet to enjoy media on that can fit into just about any budget, this might be what you're looking for.
  
Orphan (2009)
Orphan (2009)
2009 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
For the Coleman family the idea of adopting a beautiful little Russian orphan girl is no easy task, having overcome a number of heart breaking obstacles from alcoholism to the loss of a child. But Ester (Isabelle Fuhrman) seems to be a perfect fit for the family; she is independent, clever, and interested in the arts. When a series of dangerous yet untraceable events begin to occur whenever Ester is around, the Coleman’s wonder if their bad luck is over.

When I entered the theater I expected a creepy female version of Damien adorned in a lacey Victorian dress. But “Orphan” was surprising and interesting in ways than I ever could have expected. More like the 2002 film “He Loves Me… He Loves Me Not” than part of the “Omen” series, “Orphan” packs a punch… and a stab and a gunshot or two.

The full-bodied story starts straight from the films shocking beginning. Yes at times the plot does take some significant suspended belief, a recently recovering alcoholic adopting a child, for instance.

But “Orphan” is an emotional roller coaster splicing unexpected comedic moments with stabbing suspense.
The mix of hauntingly familiar music and color filled imagery make this not just another suspense film but a more artistic take on the genre. Film themes range from love, trust, and childhood, to the ongoing questions of good and evil.

Additionally reoccurring use of color, sex, and connection to family are well woven into the film. Not to mention the use of classic horror elements such as the creepy tree house used in conjunction with newer style choices such as some subtitling and scare turned laughter moments.

A thrilling and full-bodied story “Orphan” is a chilling tale with an interesting while not entirely believable plotline. People will talk about this one.

The DVD release offers sharp sound and picture quality and numerous bonus features including an alternate ending to the film.
  
Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther
Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther
Craig Pittman | 2020 | History & Politics, Natural World, Science & Mathematics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I ran across Cat Tale on the New Books shelf at my library. I had no real interest in the subject prior to seeing the cute picture on the cover, along with the bright color scheme. I was also drawn to the word, "Weird," in the title. I flipped the book over, and read the praised reviews on the back, so I decided to give the book a try. I'm so glad that I did! Number one, I live in Florida, but am a transplant from the north. So I see a lot of names on counties, streets, schools, etc., and know them from that, but not from what any of the people or places were involved with in their day. So I did get a little basic name history while reading, which was an added bonus.

The book, itself, reads like a fiction novel. Plus, it's pretty funny throughout, which made it that much more enjoyable! I kept looking names and events up to make sure that they were real when the book seemed too fictional. (They were real.) It's amazing how messed up the whole process got while trying to save the species, and how such a small number of people can end up being so detrimental to any project. There were some unforgettable characters (again, real people!) that assisted Florida during this process. I quickly was drawn to the story and information. To me, it ended up being wildly interesting. Without ruining the details for you, I realize that any non-fiction account needs to be taken with an open mind and a grain of salt at times. However, everything that I questioned was information that could be found easily. I wish more non-fiction books were written for smooth reading like Cat Tale was. Craig Pittman took a potentially dry, possibly boring subject, and made it very engaging all the way through. It's definitely worth reading, if you're even the least bit curious. (Or, if you simply like the cover picture and color scheme!)