Jesse's Blog Plans

Hi all,

as you have heard Cassandra is taking a break from blogging. As such, I will be taking over all reviews for books, movies and anime, though I'm mainly interested in books. If you have something you want reviewed, please contact me. :)

I should have a review up every 1-2 weeks, and there may be some guest bloggers contributing.

Going on hiatus but Jesse might continue to do some blogging

I think this is it for a while at least. I am going to stop blogging. I don't know what to write about really. Books aren't all that interesting to read for me, so different from when I started this blog and anime isn't something that holds my attention all that well either. Music while I hoped would be the saving grace I needed has proved to be another disappointment. Can't say I was surprised with music though despite how "some" people say you just haven't listened to enough. Wrong they are, they just cannot see it. 

With all these things at a standstill I think it's okay for me to take a considerable break especially as there isn't anything in Entertainment requiring my attention or that is making waves. Goodbye for now. It was fun!

Music Review: Pool (2016) by Porches

Given my absolute adoration for all things EDM and Electronica, Pool, released by Porches seemed like a no brainer. But what grabbed my attention to checking it out on Spotify and later buying on CD was that on that first moment I listened to it I was utterly shocked by how exquisitely produced it was. I mean the creative aspects were also key because without that no matter how well produced something is it wouldn't matter, but this is very noticeable sonically.


Strengths: 

• Exquisitely well produced. Both the mixing and mastering engineers have good sense of taste in fulfilling the vision of what Aaron Maine wanted his music to sound like.

Winner of the Surprise Book/Music Giveaway!

You won, Edye! Thank you for entering and being interested in ground-breaking music. Please, stand by, while I get to emailing you very soon. You have 48 hours to get back to me remember. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

-Cassandra

[Veteran Book Blogger Tips] Let's Talk About ARCs and How You Shouldn't Be Selling Them at All

In recent years, as I have shopped and shopped on Amazon.com I have come across something that should simply not be done and that is selling an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of a book on there. This instance comes from back in 2012 when I bought a book expecting it to be a hardcover copy but only for me to get an Advance Reader copy. This is not Amazon's fault. It is the fault of these sellers without scruples and this needs to stop. When this happened my first guess was that it was likely a book blogger since book bloggers usually get early access to books, but this could easily apply to people who attend these BEA events where ARCs are given out. And another thing is that it could occur from a person having won an ARC from a book blogger's book giveaway which is also bad. None of these parties are entitled to sell an ARC.

ARCs are promotional tools and even before that they are given freely out of the purpose of being used for review purposes. Gaining profit from it is distasteful and deplorable. 

That is the truth of it and I urge all of you out there who notice this ugly habit going on via Amazon, Ebay, or any other shop, to try to stop it by reporting this to Amazon or the required company. So hear that unscrupled ARC sellers if I catch another instance of this happening again on Amazon and I get an ARC rather than what I expect you will get reported on Amazon. There is just no way you are getting away with taking advantage of an author's work or of a book publisher. 

Regardless, while this is most unsavory, I should disclose that giving away a book ARC for a book giveaway is not unsavory because there a book is still fulfilling some role of promotion and in any case it isn't like the book blogger who is holding the giveaway is making money off of this. If anything a book blogger is increasing the likelihood a book gets noticed. 

One just needs to realize that there are things that can be done and others that just cannot be done.


About the blogger

A blogger at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog for years. I, Cassandra, pride myself on finding the next hottest thing in Entertainment wherever it may hide: books, movies, music, you name it. Huge reader, anime watcher, and huge appreciator of TK from Ling tosite sigure music and Ling tosite sigure music.

Follow me on Instagram: Culture.blogger

My Summer Music Playlist (June 2016: Part 2)

A Letter to big and smaller scale music record labels: Please stop the plastic jewel cases for CDs instead go w/ cardboard

Today I talk about something I hope will be put to rest and could potentially increase the sale of CDs and that I am not sure if it is known or not but if it isn't then I want to bring it up. I do buy music CDs especially as I have gotten older but there is one thing that makes me shrink when it comes to the current availability of CDs. That is the packaging. 

I strongly believe for CDs to ever gain a bigger foothold in people's minds, record labels big or small, need to stop manufacturing plastic jewel cases. They aren't very attractive and they scratch easily.

And one thing I have noticed about some releases recently is what they are doing for vinyl LPs could work for CDs and much better. All the more because CDs are practical. In these vinyl LP releases they utilize laminated cardboard sleeves and inside have the record, then why not reproduce this same approach for CDs? And yes non-laminated cardboard would be fine too. It would be even easier what with the smaller cardboard to be used for a CD's size. In my book, this could essentially make the idea of buying CDs more appealing especially versus having to buy often unattractive plastic jewel cased CDs. Just a thought. Even digipaks would be preferable.

-Cassandra

Vega International Night School [CD] by Neon Indian

About Neon Indian

Alan Palomo of Neon Indian

Neon Indian is an Electronica band from Denton, Texas. Brainchild of Alan Palomo. 

Neon Indian Website

New on the blog!

Check out my unboxing Youtube video for TK from Ling tosite sigure's new music release, Egomaniac Feedback! One of the hottest music artists right now you probably haven't heard about. Go now!

My Summer Music Playlist (June 2016)

Surprise! Giveaway of The Haters by Jesse Andrews and Music CD Giveaway

I am not sure if some of you guys know but on Twitter I brought up that I somehow ended up winning a second book giveaway for The Haters by Jesse Andrews. This time not just his books but a 3-month Spotify gift card subscription for music streaming. And while I was happy to have won the Spotify gift card I also ended up with an extra copy of The Haters by Jesse Andrews. And since I don't need an extra copy and I don't want to see his book lying around without use, someone, gets to win The Haters by Jesse Andrews!

There is no purchase necessary. I'll ship the book to you and that will be that. But to make this even more fun since I am still trying to push TK from Ling Tosite Sigure music to unsuspecting people you can also enter to win Fantastic Magic by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure on CD. How fun is this? A book about music and a music CD for enjoyment?

About The Haters

Also available in print hardcover: Amazon $11.75

Inspired by the years he spent playing bass in a band himself, The Haters is Jesse Andrews’s road trip adventure about a trio of jazz-camp escapees who, against every realistic expectation, become a band. 

For Wes and his best friend, Corey, jazz camp turns out to be lame. It’s pretty much all dudes talking in Jazz Voice. But then they jam with Ash, a charismatic girl with an unusual sound, and the three just click. It’s three and a half hours of pure musical magic, and Ash makes a decision: They need to hit the road. Because the road, not summer camp, is where bands get good. Before Wes and Corey know it, they’re in Ash’s SUV heading south, and The Haters Summer of Hate Tour has begun.

In his second novel, Andrews again brings his brilliant and distinctive voice to YA, in the perfect book for music lovers, fans of The Commitments and High Fidelity, or anyone who has ever loved—and hated—a song or a band. This witty, funny coming-of-age novel is contemporary fiction at its best.

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