Though published in 2006, Nicholas Sparks‘ romance novel “Dear John” is currently earning a second wave of widespread popularity due to the upcoming release of the movie tie-in by the same name. Premiering February 5th in theaters, the film Dear John stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. Watch the trailer for the upcoming film below to get the gist of the love story featured in Sparks’ novel. (It’s little surprise that the release is timed perfectly to anticipate Valentine’s day coming up later this month.)

From the looks of it, the film closely follows Sparks’ original love story without many deviations (though we can’t be completely certain until we watch it).

The novel Dear John adds to Sparks’ growing literary repertoire of love stories with simple themes featuring ordinary, down-to-earth characters. The magic touch Sparks lends that makes these novels heart-wrenching tear jerkers every time is the extraordinary emotions he imbues within his characters. Sparks tackles those profound and deeply satisfying emotions of longing, endless love and finding your soul mate. Still, his stories are atypical of the usual romances since they are usually tinged with hints of tragedy – as is the case with Dear John.

The love story follows the characters of John Tyree, a rebel-turned-patriotic-soldier, and his blossoming relationship with University of North Carolina student, Savannah Lynn Curtis. The narrator of the story, John, meets Savannah by happenstance (or fate) while on temporary leave from the Army. Though they’re from two different worlds (Sparks is a fan of the star-crossed-lovers motif), the pair overcome their conflicting values and find true love with each other. Tender sentiments of love like the following are sprinkled throughout the novel like hidden treasures for the reader: “And when her lips met mine, I knew that I could live to be a hundred and visit every country in the world, but nothing would ever compare to that single moment when I first kissed the girl of my dreams and knew that my love would last forever.”

Of course with seemingly perfect love stories like this life always happens and in the case of John and Savannah, the events of 9/11 will change them. This novel is almost impossible to put down and results in a quick read from start to finish. Be prepared for waterfalls of tears as you make your way through John’s memories and understand the depth of his love through his eyes. Not only is his story with Savannah touching, John’s journey of finding love for his socially awkward father is equally poignant.

Dear John, while not The Notebook part II, is still one of Sparks’ best. Consider reading it in its original literary form before the film hits theaters. You won’t regret it.

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Vampire Weekend’s second album Contra has been receiving a lot of praise since its release last week – everyone is loving how this second album is tighter, brighter and weirder compared to their 2008 debut album, Vampire Weekend, which sounds more monotone and restrained in comparison (in a good way). Beyond just showcasing their group’s cleverness and zeal through smart lyrics and sound, Vampire Weekend proves with Contra that they’ve got soul too.

Vampire Weekend’s group of Ivy League guys have kept their smart wit in writing lyrics as well as combined a multicultural mix of genres (Afro-pop, reggae, ska, and electro accents) with bigger drums and faster guitars. As always, the band’s songs are all about exploring contradictions, emotions and superficialities… and in particular casting a probing eye towards individual struggles with social status. Perhaps this theme is in part why Vampire Weekend can boast such widespread appeal, because in a sense, social status is something that everyone must struggle with at some point. It’s not surprising then that Vampire Weekend is such a cross-cultural and cross-generational new indie band.

The following songs are on the Contra album:

• Horchata
• White Sky
• Holiday
• California English
• Taxi Cab
• Run
• Cousins
• Giving Up The Gun
• Diplomat’s Son
• I Think Ur A Contra

Check out Vampire Weekend’s performance on the Letterman show on January 5, 2010. They played their song, “Cousins.”

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Introducing the "Nook" from Barnes & Noble

Adding much needed competition to the eReader market, Barnes & Noble recently introduced their practically button-less, dual-screen eBook reader called, Nook. Though its hardware is more attractive than the current eReader marketplace champ, Amazon’s Kindle, the Nook offers little improvements and even lags slightly behind in terms of software for user experience. The Nook is best summed up as a less refined runner-up to the Kindle.

First, let’s discuss the perks that the Nook offers. It’s an undeniably attractive-looking device, much better looking than the Kindle. It’s a bit smaller and slightly heavier than the Kindle in terms of size and weight. The Nook also has a much less cluttered look and feel since it no longer has the broad, hideous QWERTY keyboard that covers the lower portion of the Kindle. In its place is a small color LCD screen (3.5 x 1 inches) which allows the user to scroll through the device’s menus and controls. A virtual keyboard pops up whenever you need to type. The color in this small screen definitely makes the Nook stand out from the Kindle since users have the added bonus of enjoying the original cover art for the book they’re reading.

Amazon's favorite... the "Kindle"

For the main reading screen, the Nook uses the exact same E Ink technology as the Kindle and there is virtually no difference here between the two eReaders. The main screen (6 inch) mimics the same pale gray, matte surface that eBook users are familiar with on the Kindle. It’s the same Etch-a-Sketch-like technology that reflects light off the screen so that it’s a much more comfortable reading experience. It’s the same visual experience as if you were reading the book in paper form. The Nook boasts about a week of battery life with ordinary use.

Users can also play music while reading since there’s a built-in MP3 player and headphone jack.

Additionally, the device introduces a new feature that allows you to pick between 5 different font sizes and 2-3 different font faces. There’s even an option to enjoy eBook-lending for some titles between friends. You’re able to send your favorite titles to your friends so they can download and read it on their Nook. While someone else has borrowed the book you can’t read it, but it will return to your library after 2 weeks.

The cons of the Nook concern its slowness compared to the Kindle. Occasionally the screens take a few seconds to respond to user touches so that you are either forced to wait impatiently, or you end up on a screen that you don’t want since you tap multiply times. The E Ink screen on the Nook takes half a second-longer to refresh than the Kindle’s – though this might not seem very long, it does put a noticeable damper on the reading experience after a while since there’s frequent page-turning involved. Software updates from the B&N engineers are necessary in order to resolve these interface glitches.

The Nook (and Kindle) are pricey investments, but are well worth it if you’re accustomed to purchasing dozens of new hardcovers a year. For those who buy used paperbacks or frequent the library however, these eReaders might not be as worthwhile.

Order the Nook here for $259. Or stick with the tried-and-true Kindle from Amazon for also $259.

Check out this video review from Wired for more details on the Nook:

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“Mad Moxxie’s Underdome Riot” is an add-on to the original “Borderlands”. It introduces a welcome battlefield playground to the main story’s quest-based structure, as well as (of course) new levels.

What’s the story? The amazingly sexy, but off-the-wall sadistic, Mad Moxxi introduces you to her Underdome where your senses are automatically overwhelmed by the flair and style of the game. With three failed marriages under her belt (of which circumstances are questionable), Moxxi is now looking for her fourth husband. But in the meantime, she’s satisfying her need for pain and pleasure by holding a tournament where treasure hunters battle each other in her underground arena. Who knows? Mad Moxxi may even consider the victor a suitable fourth spouse.

Watch the trailer:

Rules are simple: A wave of bloodthirsty enemies will charge towards you and your group, try to kill them all, dash around trying to collect health and ammo refills that fall from the sky, and then it starts again. Mindless murderous fun? Yes.

To break up the wave after wave of murdering, there’s constant narration, angry encouragement from Mad Moxxi, and the thunderous applause from the crowd to keep your spirit high and your blood rushing. It’s not just a game – it’s a spectacle.

Though not a brand new game and there’s not much more than excessive killing offered, for $10 it’s worth a go.

Get “Mad Moxxi” for $10 now. It’s already out on Xbox 360 and will be available on PS3 starting on January 7th.

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Absolutely.

No doubt everyone has heard the album’s single, “Bad Romance”, at least 20 times now playing on the radio, in clubs and probably in grocery stores. It’s heavy on the electropop beats that have become synonymous with Lady Gaga’s name. The music video for this song takes it to a new level of fun – particularly because you have no idea what’s going on. This video is the most bizarre visual work I’ve seen from Lady Gaga to date. Realistically, I could get nightmares from it. Sometimes you have to wonder how Lady Gaga comes up with the uber-artistic themes she finds for her videos that have only a glimmer of connection to the song. I’m pretty confident she doesn’t care at all and she just does what she likes. No wonder she’s worshiped as a diva.

If you like morbid-kooky fun, check out the “Bad Romance” video:

What are some other songs that are potential singles? “Monster” which is full of loud choruses and a has a Euro-trance pop style. There’s a deep male voice in the background that keeps repeating Lady Gaga is “hot as hell” which is always good to hear. The favorite imagery that comes up from this song is at the end where things get bloody. Lady Gaga says: “He tore my clothes right off/ He ate my heart and then he ate my brain.” And here we thought the song was just about a typical heart breaker. Lady Gaga never ceases to surprise.

Listen to the “Monster” song below:

Everyone is also raving about “Telephone” which is the big duet with Beyoncé. What’s Lady Gaga singing about? Her boyfriend keeps calling, but she can’t talk right now because she’s too busy drinking and dancing to her favorite song in the club. Are they deep lyrics? No. Do we care? Not really.

With her new album’s release Lady Gaga proves that she’s no one-hit wonder. Behind the over-the-top pop persona and outrageous fashion sense, Lady Gaga has a strong recognizable voice and experimental attitude. She’s an artist that will prove influential for years ahead, and her masses of adoring fans are sure to follow.

Purchase THE FAME MONSTER and hear what people are talking about and why fans worship Lady Gaga. On sale now for $7.99 .

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If you’re unfamiliar with Grafton’s work, then you’ll probably wonder about the novel’s peculiar title. However taking into account that this recent book is in a long line of twenty (and the fact that the very first title in the series is called “A is for Alibi” – everything makes perfect sense.

Grafton has been pitting her leading lady detective, Kinsey Millhone, in transfixing murder-mysteries for 25+ years now, ever since the first title was published back in 1983. Grafton has proven herself as a seasoned mystery writer by providing readers with a fresh, genre-bending novel with every new title in the Millhone series. With “Undertow”, Grafton succeeds with yet another complex, surprise-filled and satisfying thriller exploring the darker side of the human soul.

The star of Grafton’s novel is of course the ever straightforward and sarcastic private investigator, Kinsey Millhone. She’s settled into her late 30s in this most recent novel where she’s solicited to help a young man clear his conscious of a witnessed kidnapping of a girl from 21 years ago. A recent reference to her kidnapping has triggered a flood of memories and he wants help locating the murderers and the girl’s remains. The difficulty lies in he fact that PI Kinsey soon realizes that this young man has an uneasy relationship with the truth so who’s to say what part of his story is real and what’s not? Grafton moves the story between the present 80s and the 60s, changing points of view until the reader sees the connection at the very end.

Loyal fans of the mystery series are sure to enjoy this new offering. As for others, it’s never too late to be introduced to the loner-heroine Kinsey Millhone. This book is sure to be a page-turner.

“U is for Undertow” (Hardcover) is selling for $27.95, but Amazon is currently offering a reduced price of $13.00 & free shipping here.

Learn more about Sue Grafton and her mystery series here.

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If you’re looking for a sought-after holiday gift for a photo-loving or yourself this season, then Nikon COOLPIX’s new S1000pj compact camera comes highly recommended. This product has a reliable and good camera, but what really amazes about the S1000pj is the fact that it includes a small, projector as a feature for picture display – something never before seen.

With resolution at 12.1 megapixels, this compact camera has good features on paper that prove to hold up when tested. Auto-mode shooting consistently results in clean pictures with enough exposure and no noise. The camera includes an 11.044 mm image sensor, an incredible 2.7-inch high resolution LCD screen and 24mm wide-angle. Also, the fact that the camera has high ISO up to 6400 means that the user gets sharper results when shooting in low light or shooting fast-moving subjects. Nikon’s special “Best Shot Selector” (BSS) also helps with this since it automatically takes up to 10 shots when the shutter is pressed and saves the sharpest image.

The camera includes Nikon’s Smart Portrait System which features technology that helps smooth out skin tone for optimal portraits as well as automatically removing red eye. The “D-lighting” feature salvages those dark or backlit pictures by automatically improving the brightness and detail where needed.

Overall, the Nikon has a nice mod appearance, but it’s definitely on the bulkier end for a compact camera. Why? Because the added size is necessary to house the included projector features. The projector screens bright and clear images that are easily focused with a slider on the unit’s top. Images look best in dark surroundings but still show up with impressive visibility in well-lit environments. It’s definitely a plus not to have to fumble with a lot of setting adjustments to get the projector working. Everything is intuitive. A minor downside is that the battery life will only last approximately an hour in projection mode.

All new cool tech comes with a price, and in the case of the S1000pj the early adopter price tag is quite hefty, ringing in at $430 for the projector camera. To avoid the toll on your savings, put the Nikon COOLPIX S1000pj at the top of your wish list this year. (** Recently the price has been reduced to $363… get it now! **)

Watch the video below to be impressed by the Nikon projector camera’s clarity:

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Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent

Despite not winning the show that season, the Susan Boyle hype has not died down. Quite the opposite in fact. Her popularity has only picked up steam serving to inspire her fans around the world. Though Boyle has had a tough time with the media limelight (her nervous breakdown after not winning the show, as well as a couple hysterical lapses due to over-stress), she has still matured magnificently in front of all of us. Her demeanor, looks, attitude, everything… we’re all stunned at how she has developed professionally and achieved her goal of being a professional singer.

Pre-orders for her album, titled “I Dreamed a Dream”, have sky-rocketed and topped the charts. Simon Cowell says, “She’s going to surprise a lot of people with this record.” It’s going to go beyond typical souvenir albums of show tunes. Some of the songs included are: “Wild Horses” by Rolling Stones, “Daydream Believer” by the Monkees , “Amazing Grace” and of course the title track from Les Miserables.

Look how fabulous Susan Boyle is now!

Share in Boyle’s dream and get your copy from Amazon. It’s currently on sale for $9.99. The album makes its debut on November 23, 2009.

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DJ Hero, the newest addition to the family of peripheral-based video games, makes its debut on Oct.27, 2009. If it looks like Guitar Hero but with turntables – that’s because it essentially is. DJ Hero is a single-player mixology simulator which in itself already sounds very, very cool. While Guitar Hero is focused on performing music, DJ Hero allows players to perfect their mash-ups.

The usual guitar is substituted by the plastic likeness of a turntable – the necessary tool of any DJ. Created by RedOctane, this is not some cheap plastic box – it’s solid, functional and even pretty to look at. The turntable platter has three buttons and spins freely, which allows the player to scratch and rewind tracks just like pro DJs. It spins and clicks where it’s supposed to and includes a mixer on the side that houses the fader switch and euphoria button among other features.

Whereas Guitar Hero focuses on rock songs, the heart of DJ Hero is the mash-up. These are songs that have been mixed and mashed to an almost indistinguishable track, but that’s part of its allure as a very challenging peripheral-based rhythm game.

The game’s original soundtrack is definitely one of the highlights. You get to play and listen to the work of skilled DJs like Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow, Daft Punk, and the late DJ AM. The tracks they will be mixing up are numerous and from artists like Gwen Stefani, Beastie Boys and Public Enemies just to name a few. The game gives the player access to more than 100 licensed songs in 93 tracks. Players get to really experience the creative mind behind the world’s top DJs. (And on a more sentimental note, DJ Hero has made their game a tribute to DJ AM’s passing since his visionary work is a good chunk of the mash-ups.)

The goal of this game should be familiar: Notes come at you on the “note highway” and the objective is to rack up as many points as possible.

The main aspect of this game that is sure to frustrate players is the ease of play here is  harder than what they’re accustomed to with other rhythm games. “Up-mashing” techniques are numerous and intimidating. At various points in the track, players will be required to tap, scratch up/down, crossfade, crossfade spike, modify effects, trigger freestyle and rewind. Luckily all these skills are slowly introduced as you progress on the difficulty ladder, but once you reach the expert level – rest assured you’ll be expected to spin like the pros. Though there’s no failing out in this game, it’s embarrassing to miss notes since your track is deactivated for the moment and the musical flow expected from DJs is interrupted.

DJ Hero is sure to satisfy real turntablists and hopefuls alike. Just keep in mind that unlike Rock Band, this is not a group game and is really the most fun on your own.

Watch this mash-up trailer from Daft Punk that’s included in the game:

DJ Hero is available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation 2, and Wii platforms. The game and turntable are on sale together for $199.99 . Buy DJ HERO game by itself here for $99.99 and try it!

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Like all Apple products, the mouse is sleek, simple and elegant to look at and use. In addition to the touch surface, the mouse has a simple laser tracking engine and is connected to Macbooks by Bluetooth. This means you can use your mouse from up to 30 feet away from your laptop. The laser tracking feature increases precision on surfaces which makes it a far more sensitive mouse than others that are currently available. What’s the perk? You won’t ever have to use a mouse pad again with this Magic Mouse.

The Magic Mouse is included with every new iMac and is on sale on its own for $69. Own it now.

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