Bisausegg | Recipe Review

I'll be honest, I can't remember if Bisausegg was one of my mom's ideas or one she got from my Uncle, but it's quickly become a family favorite. We have it every Christmas morning after the presents have been opened. It really doesn't take a lot of work or time to make.

The first thing you want to do is get a small container of Pillsbury biscuits (or generic if you prefer). Rip each biscuit in half and place at the bottom of a greased pan to form the crust.

The next step is to cook up 1 lb of sausage and set it aside.

Then whip up about 12 eggs with a dash of milk. Cook the eggs for a couple of minutes. Do NOT cook them all the way through.

Next, you pour the eggs over the biscuit crust and sprinkle the sausage on top.

Finally, add as much shredded cheese as you want.

Then you bake everything at 375º F for 20-25 minutes.

Like I said, this is a pretty simple recipe that really doesn't take a lot of time. It's gonna be on the regular Saturday Morning Breakfast rotation in my apartment. Just look at my husband's response:

Seems @fluxxdog really likes it. ^_^ #bisausegg pic.twitter.com/VWoiIZ16HL

— Rachel Noel (@Silelda) October 24, 2015

Dataclysm | Christian Rudder

*Book provided by Blogging for Books.

Summary:

Christian Rudder, one of co-founders of OkCupid, uses data from OkCupid, Google, Twitter, and others to show patterns of behavior. Some of these patterns relate to romantic interests, but there are also chapters on stereotypes, prejudices, privacy concerns and other information related to living in the digital age.

Review:

I initially requested this book because I actually met my husband on OkCupid and was interested in seeing if our relationship had fit the norms gathered from the OkCupid data. When I started reading it, however, I was happy to be shown a lot of data with Rudder's interpretations. Statistics was one of my favorite subjects and a good portion of the book plays to that. If you have trouble with statistics, this book will show you what kind of practical applications the subject can have.

The majority of the book, however, reads like a set of personal opinion essays. I know that's not what they are; Rudder has a lot of data and has done his research. The subjects he covered were certainly interesting and relevant. For some reason, though, the second half of the book (give or take) just kinda fell flat for me. I lost interest quickly and had a hard time getting through it. I almost think I'd have had more fun just reading a book of statistics. Then again, I've always had problems reading about anything that involves contemporary politics, social life, etc. 

I do encourage you to pick up a copy if you're interested in what the raw data from the Internet says about the United States culture. It's just not for me. 

             Hoot!Hoot!Hoot!

City of Blades | Robert Jackson Bennett

*Image and eBook provided courtesy of NetGalley

Summary:

 General Turyin Mulaghesh has been called back from retirement, kicking and screaming. Though the gods have been dead for a while, there is a new material found in Voortyashtan that seems to be divine in nature. If it is divine, that spells trouble for Mulaghesh's country, Saypur, and her friend, the Prime Minister. Unfortunately she gets caught up in several conspiracies and near-death experiences that make even her false arm ache from overuse. 

Review:

Once again I find myself accidentally reading the second book of a series, and once again, I have to say "OMG! Why didn't I read the first book as well? This is so AWESOME!" I kid you not, the only times I ever had to stop reading the book was because I had to tell people how much I was enjoying it. I can't say that all the "plot twists" surprised me, but there were a few things that caught me off guard and even more things that me feel a connection with Mulaghesh. 

This book has an amazing story and even better characters. These characters got me laughing with them so much, but they also almost made me cry. Everyone had a story that was reflected in their actions. Where there was exposition it was almost always based on the Battle of Bulikov so it was certainly not boring. 

As much as I love this book, I do have to warn people that there is some very graphic violence in it. One of the side effects of being in the former city of Voortya, goddess of war and death. However, if you can get past that, you will get a brilliant story about survival, what it means to be a soldier, and, most importantly, making your life and actions matter. I happily give City of Blades 5 hoots and have already added City of Stairs (the first book in the series) to my wishlist. 

                   Hoot!

                Hoot!Hoot!

                Hoot! Hoot!

Dewey Read-A-Thon | Closing Survey

Which hour was most daunting for you?

Funny enough, it wasn't my usual times. This time around I was "okay" until about 6 AM (Hour 23). That's when I started having the most problems staying awake.

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

I highly recommend Calvin & Hobbes, FoxTrot and the like.

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

I really can't think of anything right now.

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

The Twitter presence. 

How many books did you read?

5, but three of those were comic ooks.

What were the names of the books you read?

The Jedi Doth Return, Dataclysm, The First Book of Swords, Enormously Foxtrot, Jassorasic Park, and FoxTrot Sundaes. 

Which book did you enjoy most?

All of them. 

Which did you enjoy least?

I actually enjoyed all the books.

If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

I feel like, at the later hours, the teams dissolve and it's just everyone supporting each other. At least that's how it felt on Twitter. 

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

You won't be able to get rid of me THAT easily! I did enjoy hosting my first mini-challenge so I know I'd be happy to volunteer for that again as well as cheerlead!

Dewey Read-A-Thon Mini-Challenge: BLANKET FORTS!

At the last Read-A-Thon I was living in a 1-bedroom apartment with 2 other people. I really didn't have a lot of space for myself and, during the later hours of the Read-A-Thon, I needed to keep my light and noise to a minimum. For some of the time, mainly when I was reading an ebook, I covered up myself and my laptop and made an impromptu blanket fort. It wasn't all it could be, though, and I got to wondering, what would make for an ideal blanket fort?

So your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with an ideal Read-A-Thon book fort! It's hour 23, so feel free to go silly. It doesn't have to be fancy:

And can even be quite simple: 

I will keep this going for three hours (though I will be passing out in a couple) and the winner will get their choice of a $15 gift card to either B&N or Amazon, though I may be open to gift cards to other locations. 

So, tell me in the comments below: What is your ideal blanket fort? How big or small is it? What materials would you use to make it? Would it be a fortress of solitude or would you allow others? Get creative!

Dewey Read-A-Thon | 3 AM (Begin Hour 20)

Holy wah people have been dropping like flies! Some people were complaining about being too old for staying up so late. I have not yet admitted such a thing and I do not plan to for many years!

Also, in case you can't tell, I have been getting quite silly in my thought patterns and, as a result, less discriminatory in my tweets and blog posts. I actually had a few minutes where the last cup of coffee I drank must have kicked in because my eyes were almost bugging and my body couldn't tell if it was time to collapse or run around the apartment a few times. 

I am still enjoying Dataclysm and FINALLY broke 300 pages for this Read-A-Thon. For now, I'm going to do some cheering, run a load of dishes in the dishwasher, and then get back to reading. Though I may take some time to use the exercise bike. Make sure my muscles still work and whatnot. 

I must be careful with how I distribute my energy. 4-5 AM is notoriously difficult for me to stay awake through. I do plan on visiting Dunkin Donuts at 4:30 or so, though. If they're not open, contradictory to their reported hours, I'll just get something from 7-11. The walks in the cold seem to do wonders with waking me up.

Dewey Readathon | 11 PM (Begin Hour 16)

We are at hour 16! I just got back from a trip to Taco Bell in an attempt to see if Lava Sauce can help wake you up. It was a success! Unless that's the Mountain Dew. Or the walk in the cold weather. Or the combination!

So, Fluxxdog has finally decided he needs to sleep for the night so I've had to move my base of operations from the bedroom to the living room. Fortunately we have a comfy sofa and I don't have to worry so much this Read-A-Thon about keeping the lights low. 

I am currently working on my 3rd book of the Read-A-Thon: Dataclysm by Christian Rudder. The statistics geek in me is quite pleased with this read!

Also, I'm quite hyper right now! So I'm gonna put this energy to good use and do some cheering!