Category: Books

Combining numerous techniques and best practices I’ve read lately, I’ve implemented various mobile web technologies in numerous projects already. However, the landscape shifts incredibly fast and I was looking for a decent guide to piece all the current ideas in one spot.

Skimming thought the table of contents Head First Mobile Web seemed to be a good fit for my needs. I’m a huge fan of the Head First series, they do an amazing job of explaining various tech topics versus long tomes of text in my opinion.

I was very much impressed with the early chapters on responsive design as this is a technique that I’ve been working with on a rather massive site. While there was nothing really in these chapters that I hadn’t already known, reading through it all and following along to the examples really motivated me to just sit down and hammer out a responsive design. That alone made this book a great purchase for me.

The other chapters on the mobile frameworks and device detection were great too. Both things I’m sure to dabble with fairly soon. The PhoneGap chapters were very useful too. There’s a lot of tips that aren’t mentioned in the online documentation that I found to be quite helpful.

Great book for anyone developer looking to modernize their mobile techniques or even if you already know it all a good read as a refresher too.

Continuing my reading of Harry Potter, I just wrapped up the Order of the Phoenix. I’d have to say, besides year one this has probably been my favorite in the series thus far.

I especially liked that  more side characters got to have a chance for some heroics this time. I’ve also rooted for the lessers and it was really great to read Neville pulling off some courageous moves near the end. I do find myself rooting for the clumsy fool.

It was also pretty cool to finally read Dumbledore in action. I was kinda under the impression at times that he was a frail old man at this point, but that would clearly of been wrong. He’s more like a John Rambo really.

The characters are growing up and so is the overall mood of the story as well. Things continue to get a bit darker and it makes for a more interesting story to me.

Excellent stuff, and I’m glad I finally am reading this series. Onward to Year 6.

Continuing my mission to read the Harry Potter series I moved onto year 3 and 4 respectively. Both were excellent. I’ve found the series to gradually get a better to me the as I move through the years.

It’s getting a bit more dark and interesting to me. I suppose this makes sense as the characters are a year older in each book and the originally targeted audience has been maturing as well too.

I especially enjoyed the Goblet of Fire. Especially towards the end when Voldemort is back and thinks are looking pretty bleak for Harry. I really had a hard time putting this down towards the end. I was stuck in that well just one more chapter trap that a good book can cause.

All in all the series has been living up to all the hype. I’ve found the ending to be much less predictable than the previous 2 years, and genuinely surprised in some cases.

Good stuff, now onto the Order of the Phoenix.

Continuing my reading of the Harry Potter series, I immediately went from the Sorcerer’s Stone to the Chamber of Secrets. It too was pretty solid and enjoyable.

I don’t think I liked it quite as much as the Sorcerer’s Stone, but I think that’s just because everything wasn’t as new to me by year 2. Yes, I do know that I’m one of the 4 people who knew nothing of Harry Potter before I began reading the series and few weeks back.

I do like the school year progression found in the books, it just works as far as a story goes.

The last few chapters were very interesting. I really like learning whom Tom Riddle really was. While I knew something was up with him, I wasn’t certain that his story would eventually play out like it did.

Another solid read, onward to Year 3.

I’ve taken a good amount of hear over the past few years from friends and co-workers whom are a little younger than me for never reading any of the Harry Potter books. Recently on lunch at BAM!, Honey Badger and co-worker Lauren gave me yet another Harry Potter recommendation and also one of the guys chimed in too. If a random person says I must read it, then truly that’s a sign.

AFter a few tries, it was finally available and I snatched it up right away before a 10 year old could get it (well, not really. I’d of relinquished it to a information hungry youngster of course). The book was well worn, a sign of a good one when at a library.

Having seen only bits and pieces of the numerous films, almost all of it was wonderfully new to me.

Just a few pages in and I could see why this series had been such a hit. There was a terrific blend of adventure and humor that really induced several, “it’s not too late to read one more chapter” moments.

I hadn’t realized that Harry at one point resided in a cupboard. So very much did I learn.

I’m sold like a little kid. Just picked up the second book, the Chamber of Secrets.