Black Friday is a great day for people who want to start their own website or blog and need a host provider. Hostgator has some great specials going for the day that will blow you out of the water. I personally use hostgator as a host and have been happy with the service they provide.

Web hosting is needed when you have your own domain and need a home base for your website or blog.

The best web host

I have used 3 different hosting providers in my time online and I have found that hostgator best suits my needs. Hostgator is the best webhosting provider because they have 24/7 customer service and really low prices.

The cheapest webhost

Hostgator is one of the cheapest hosting providers and around and their Black Friday hosting deals are unbelievable. You can sign up for the specials here.

Webhosting coupons and deals

Hostgator has the following deals for Black Friday

Shared hostingonly: $2.48/month (pre-paid)

Reseller Hosting: $12.48/month (pre-paid)

VPS Hosting:  $9.98/month (First Month)

Dedicated Servers:$87/month (First Month)

If you want to sign up for Hostgator you can go the site here.

If you want to get a $9.94 discount from your purchase enter coupon code: websitehostcoupon. Just visit hostgator and enter that code when it asks you too.

Black Friday is the one day a year that many people believe that they are truly getting a great deal for purchases from retailers. Prices are slashed and many products have huge discounts and coupons. This is great for consumers and retailers alike and hopefully this year will prove to be fruitful for all and help to show that our economy is getting back on track.

I was most excited to see that Amazon.com had great black Friday deals and even had a Kindle on sale. I love Amazon, I love that they sell almost every book that I could want and are usually priced better than everyone else. I love paperback books but have recently started reading ebooks as well, thanks to taking a lot of trains and the fact that you can get a lot of self-published books for cheap. In fact, I have been thinking about getting a Kindle and now that the Kindle Fire is out, I have been itching to buy one.

The Kindle Fire is for people who want an iPad that don’ have the money for one and do not need all the extra features that the iPad carries. What is great about the Kindle Fire is that it costs only $199. There is no black Friday discount for the Fire but Amazon already seems to have a great price on the Kindle Fire. There do not seem to be any Kindle Fire coupon codes.

Amazon Kindle discounts

There are black Friday Kindle deals though. Amazon.com has a huge discount on the Kindle DX that includes free 3G! What an amazing buy for people who want to get a kindle. You can get the discounted Kindle DX on Amazon here.

If you are buying the Kindle for yourself or as a present there are certain accessories you should also purchase to make sure that you get the best experience from your Kindle.

Must Have Kindle Accessories

1. Kindle case- you need to make sure that you protect your Kindle with a case. Amazon has some great kindle cases on sale that you will love. Treat yourself to a nice leather kindle case on sale here.

2. Kindle power adaptor. You never know when you will need this. You can get one here.

3. Kindle lighted cover- this allows you to read your kindle at night. Get one here.

Amazon.com has lots of great Black Friday specials on Kindle books, regular books and electronics. You can check out the deals here!

‘Angel’s Bend’ by L.A. Dale is an interesting and fun read. I would rate the book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars but rounded up to 4 because I cannot give 1/2 ratings.

The book tells the story of 17 year old Lacey, a girl, who has just moved to a new town to start her life over after everything in her world went crazy due to her mothers death. She goes to live with her aunt (who I would have liked to gotten to know better) and becomes friends with Abbie and Zac in her new high school. She is also captivated by a local park worker named Cam.

I wasn’t quite sure what genre this book was supposed to fall into as it wasn’t really fantasy or chick lit. It was reminiscent of ‘Twilight’ but with angels and demons as opposed to vampires and werewolves and the romance was lacking.

‘Angel’s Bend’ had me laughing and anxious to find out what was going to happen next but it was all a bit formulaic and nothing was a surprise to me. I also wasn’t invested in the love story that was going on because I wasn’t particularly invested in the characters. I wish the romantic interactions would have been explored a little bit further as I was a bit in shock as to how quickly Lacey found herself in love.

‘Angel’s Bend’ is a good read for young adults as it is quick and enjoyable but the plot was a bit lacking for me.

The Amazon Vine program is an invitation only group that Amazon.com members are selected to join to preview and review new items before they are released to the general market. Well, in most cases that is true. Sometimes the items have already been released and the manufacturer or publisher wants to get more reviews for the product.

Do Amazon Vine members only get books to review?

No, as an Amazon Vine member I have been offered many different items to review from books, to board games, to speakers, to food products to makeup. Basically any item that Amazon sells on its site may be available in the Vine newsletter. They have 2 newsletters that are made available on the 3rd and 4th Thursday of every month and each member is allowed to select up to 2 items off of the list to review. These products must be used and reviewed by the Vine member though. You are not allowed to give away any of the products.

Do you have to review every Amazon Vine Product?

No, you have to review 75% of the products that you have received in order to select and receive more products off of the list.

Do you always have to write a favorable review for Amazon Vine products?

No, Amazon only requires that you write an honest review about the products you receive. You do not receive any backlash from Amazon or dropped from the program if you write an honest review that is not favorable to the merchandise. There have been a few products that I have received that I have not rated well and Amazon has not asked me to change my review.

How can I join the Amazon Vine Program?

Unfortunately, you cannot join the program unless Amazon.com sends you an invitation to participate. They do not tell us the parameters they use to invite people but a good way to make yourself a desirable candidate is to start reviewing products that you have bought and be as thorough as possible.

My thoughts on the Amazon Vine Program

I enjoy reading and reviewing products and I think that it is a beneficial service to companies and authors who want to get reviews for their products. I do not think that the program is skewed and that these companies are paying for good reviews. Many people I know in the Amazon Vine program from their postings in the forum are extremely scrupulous and honest about their reviews.

You can read more about the Amazon Vine program here.

Big Mosey is a Brooklyn based band that carries the embodiment of the raspy, alternative-rock music they create in their very essence. While the band is still up-and-coming, their music and presence is that of seasoned veterans; in that, they have the skills and talents required to perform a good show, lay down an awesome track and they are still able to be one with the music.

Big Mosey is made up of four men: Evan Hammer on bass, Matt Jacobs with lead vocals and rifting guitar skills, Nick Fokas on guitar and a new drummer called Tim Lykins. They have a sound that is reminiscent of and influenced by artists like Tom Waits, Kings of Leon and Pearl Jam.

I recently attended a Big Mosey concert at Arlene’s Grocery with a few friends for my birthday. I love going to see bands and my friends and I had met one of the guys (Evan Hammer) in the band through a mutual friend. When we met him, at a poetry reading, he had graced the stage for a few minutes to perform a song. Let’s just say we were all extremely impressed. His deep husky voice was amazing and he had the charisma and stage presence that makes for an enjoyable listening experience for the audience.

And then he told us that he was just the bassist for Big Mosey; not even the singer. We all knew we definitely had to see his real band in concert. It was a few months before we got a chance to see Big Mosey perform live but it was not a disappointment. Not only was the band energetic, infectious and mystical, they were as lost in the music as the audience was.

While the band does not have a lot of music out right now, they are working on new tracks and the songs that they do have are captivating. It is obvious that Evan and Matt have a magical chemistry that when combined and poured out, carries the listener on a journey to lands afar, emotions close, and hidden alleyways. As the music takes over your mind, the energy takes over your body and you will find yourself unable to stop the sway of your body and inevitable foot-tapping to the mesmerizing crescendos.

My favorite Big Mosey song is most probably ‘Harold Called This Morning‘ and I think that it is a big fan favorite if I read the crowds reaction correctly at the show when they performed the song. The lyrics were written by Evan Hammer and the song is a brilliant play/reaction/re-conception on the Maurice Sendak book ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. Part of the lyrics from the song read:

Big Mosey is currently trying to build up their Facebook fanpage presence, so you should check out their music and if you enjoy their deep, husky sound you should add them. I’m pretty sure you will love them!

Photo credit: Big Mosey Facebook Page (In Sjoa at Punch — with Evan Hammer and Matt Jacob).

60 Minutes featured the great group in Harem ‘Gospel For Teens’ tonight and here is a great video of ‘Gospel For Teens’ performing.

To read more about ‘Gospel For Teens’ click here.

Dominion and Dixit are 2 boardgames that every family should own. They are both unique, oodles of fun, and great entertainment for all members of the family. These are two popular board games that are perfect for families to play and for friends.

Many times people want to go out and have fun but oftentimes it can be cheaper to just stay at home and invite people over. Dixit and Dominion are great party board games and everyone will want to keep on coming over to play every week.

These are the best board games available today and can be played by people of all ages, as they are family friendly. Both games cost under $30 on Amazon.com as well and so they won’t break the bank.

Dominion- Dominion is game made up of cards. It is similar in idea to monopoly, only you are trying to build dominions instead of monopoly. You also do not play with a board or pieces. At first the game seems complicated and the instructions can be hard to follow, but after you start playing you will soon get into the swing of things and understand what is going on. And if you are like me and my friends, you will become addicted and want to play all the time. Dominion is a great family board game because it allows everyone to choose their own game strategy; and yes, strategy is involved in the game. The Dominion board game can only be played by 2-4 players, however, there is an expansion pack that can e bought called Dominion Intrigue and will allow up to 8 people to play.

Dixit- This board game is similar to Apples to Apples, only you come up with the words and everyone gets to vote on the cards played. The cards in Dixit are beautiful, real pieces of art and it is no wonder that this is an extremely popular board game. The game comes with a cute little board and bunny rabbit pieces and folks of all ages will enjoy the game. It is a great party board game and everyone will enjoy the game.

You can buy Dominion and Dixit on Amazon.com. Both board games are on sale right now.

‘The Rites & Wrongs of Janice Wills’ is a YA book that is full of cliches and insults. There were many times that I was offended by something that was said in this stereotypical tale of High School life.

While it is obvious that the author Joanna Pearson is a talented writer and can weave an engaging  tale, the tale itself was nothing out of the ordinary. Reject girl has one best friend, hates the popular crowds, thinks she is smarter than everyone else, thinks she is ugly, has a cute guy friend that she falls for and realizes that she needs to get over her issues and life isn’t as bad as she thought it was. YAWN!

I wanted to give up on this book several times because I was so fed up of all of the cliches but I did become vested in the main character Janice, even though I couldn’t stand her. I was hoping that her best friend Margo would just ditch her forever until she got over her issues.

While the plot of the story was unoriginal; I don’t know if the author thought she was being original by saying the same old things in the form of the student thinking she is an anthropologist, I still enjoyed reading the book.

I also took issue with her characteristic of black students, hip-hop, rap music and other references to race issues. I can see that maybe she was lightly trying to touch on racism in the South, but it came across poorly and should have been left out. And I am one who enjoys a good dialogue on racial issues and tensions; it was just not needed in the context of this book.

‘The Rites & Wrongs of Janice Wills’ by Joanna Pearson is a well-written book that teenagers may enjoy but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone that enjoys an original piece of work.

‘Suite Scarlett’ by Maureen Johnson is an enjoyable and easy to read YA book. However, I had many problems and issues with the circumstances the lead character Scarlett found herself in. Firstly, the plot was unique in that Scarlett’s family owned and lived in a hotel and the NY setting was fun to read about.

However, I thought most of the situations Scarlett found herself in were extremely unrealistic and I found her relationship with her brother Spencer extremely awkward and almost incestuous. I was very uncomfortable reading about their dynamic because it seemed like more of a bf/gf relationship than a brother and sister one.

I also had problems with the fact that a girl who just turned 15 is dating a college freshman and no-one sees a problem with that. All of the comings and goings of Scarlett seemed unrealistic and I had to shake my head several times when reading the book.

Given all of the above, you may think that I wouldn’t have enjoyed the book but I actually finished it and thought it was well-written. It is obvious that Maureen Johnson is a talented writer but she needed to make her main character about 3-4 years older for this to be a believable story.

There is a sequel to ‘Suite Scarlett’ called ‘Scarlett Fever’ that is available to read as well.

I know that when I finished reading ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy by Suzanne Collins, I went on an immediate google search on my computer. I had ravished the books and was deeply disappointed when I came to the end of the series. There were many books that were recommended for people who enjoyed the series but only one of which I would recommend so far.

The best book like ‘The Hunger Games’
‘Graceling’ is a book by Kristen Cashore and it is also a YA fantasy novel. I have to let you in on a secret, I am not a YA fantasy novel fan. I never read them when I was younger and I don’t really indulge in them now that I am an adult but this is a book that will appeal to all readers.

It took me a while to read ‘The Hunger Games’ because the premise of the book didn’t excite me; but, upon reading the first few pages I knew I was addicted. ‘Graceling’ is a similar sort of book, even though it started a bit slower.

Kashore has a way with words and built a world of 7 kingdoms that drew me in and left me wanting to know more. The protagonist in ‘Graceling’ is a girl called Katsa, and her name and pluck reminded me of Katniss. However, this book is not a ripoff of ‘The Hunger Games’. It is unique, fun, and interesting and will draw you in. Once you read it, you will eagerly anticipate the ‘Graceling’ sequel just like I am. Kristen Cashore currently has a book called ‘Fire’ out but that is more of a prequel. The ‘Graceling’ sequel will be called ‘Bitterblue’ and is not currently out as yet.

I realize that many people are interested in books like the hunger games and so I decided to add some more books to this list. The novels like ‘The Hunger Games’ that I am listing below are books that I have bought and haven’t finished reading; though I have started reading some.

1. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami- this book is meant to be very similar to ‘The Hunger Games’ but a bit more graphic. This novel is set in Japan and about students who are forced to fight to the death. You can read more about the plot on Amazon.com here.

2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner- this is the first book in the Maze Runner trilogy and people really seem to love this series. It is also set in a dystopian society and the book has been compared to Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games. You can read more about the plot on Amazon.com here.

3. BirthMarked by Caragh M. O’Brien is another trilogy. This book contains romance and a struggle in a dystopian society. The sort of book that Young Adult readers love. You can read more about the plot here.

4. Matched by Allie Condie. This is a book that I have started reading. It is set in a future society where your love match is decided for you and that is who you will live your regimented life with. However, the heroine of this novel feels like she may have been matched incorrectly. The novel doesn’t have the suspense of ‘The Hunger Games’ but it is still good. Read more about the plot here.

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth. This trilogy is the one that people think is most similar to THG. It contains romance, a struggle in society and a big secret. One you have to read to believe. Read more about the plot here.

These are the best books and novels like ‘The Hunger Games’ that are available today.