Blockbuster Summer

As the summer months come, many new releases pop up. It seems to be the season for new things. Like summer blockbusters in the theaters, computer games come out. New books release. It's just the season. I suppose it's because people tend to have more free time.

Today was a big day for new releases in my little corner of the world. First off, the much anticipated Sims 3 arrived in stores today. If you've never played the Sims, it's a never really ending simulation. You can create sims in the likeness of anyone you want (or not in anyone's likeness) and then you play their lives. They grow up and marry, have kids, careers, die - all in good computer simulated fun. It's a little unnerving just how addictive the game can be. I've been playing the Sims games since high school at least; back when it was just plain "The Sims". The game has come a long way since then and it seems like EA has taken many consumer opinions to heart in the development as well as continually advancing the game play. No doubt, the many expansion packs to come will find their way into my house, as they always do. Anyway, the new game is pretty cool from what I've seen and I look forward to playing more of it.

Also released was the new Queen Betsy book, Undead and Unwelcome by MaryJanice Davidson. Now I love the Betsy books and I love the character of Betsy, despite the fact that she's completely self-absorbed; or maybe because she is complete self-absorbed. In the last book, Betsy seemed to be maturing a bit as the novels took a slight turn. Her path to becoming a true Queen of the Undead (as opposed to a shiny object at Sinclair's side) seemed to continue in this novel so yay Queen Betsy. Anyway, I got the book a day early in the mail yesterday (I love Amazon.com) and finished it last night.

There are about a dozen other new paranormal books coming out this summer that I want as well and now that I am recovered from the reading challenge which sent my brain into overload and my eyeballs into a fuzzy haze - I'm back in the reading groove. Well I was, until I got Sims 3.