Graphic Novel Review: In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang

Title: In Real Life

Author: Cory Doctorow

Illustrator: Jen Wang

Publish Date: October 14, 2014

Genre: Graphic Novel

Why I Read this Book: I found this book at my local library and loved the artwork.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role-playing game where she spends most of her free time. It's a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It's a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends. 

But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer--a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person's real livelihood is at stake. 

From acclaimed teen author (Little Brother, For the Win) and Boing Boing editor Cory Doctorow and Koko Be Good creator Jen Wang, In Real Life is a perceptive and high-stakes look at adolescence, gaming, poverty, and culture clash

Review

The first thing that I fell in love with in this book was the artwork. It is truly amazing. Not only is the cover amazing, but the artwork throughout is some of the best that I have seen in a graphic novel.

The basis of the storyline was also what brought me to want to read this graphic novel. The main character is a female gamer and she helps friends from across the world, not only in the game but also in real life.

I do not want to give away too much of this story, so I will keep this short. You will want to read this graphic novel if you want great artwork and a sweet and engaging storyline.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for some foul language (2-3 throughout the graphic novel)

Overall Rating: 4/5

#TBRTakedown Readathon Daily Update Post (Complete Thread)

Today, I have my wrap-up post for the #TBRTakedown Readathon. I have it broken up by what I read on each day of the readathon. Also as a reminder, there were 5 challenges for this readathon and these are discussed in length in my TBR post.

Monday

I read the first 19o pages (out of 304) of Shaken by Kariss Lynch.  This book I used for the "First in a Series" challenge. I also read 3% (approximately 11 pages) of an e-book that I recently hauled from Netgalley, The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I loved the beginning of both of these novels. Initially, I planned on not reading two books at the same time because I thought that I would finish more books this way, but I started The Fixer because I needed a break from Shaken. Shaken has a very intense book and I ended up crying for over an hour during the section that I ended on. I wanted an action-packed novel to pick me up.

Today's Page Count: 201
Total Page Count: 201

Tuesday

I read 36 more pages of Shaken for the "First in the Series" challenge. I also read 55% (about 211 pages) of The Fixer. I was not planning on reading so much today, but I was really hooked on The Fixer.

Today's Page Count: 247
Total Page Count: 448

Wednesday & Thursday

I did not read much on Wednesday and did not really track my progress, but on Wednesday and Thursday I read the last 78 pages of Shaken. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to pick up the second in the series, Shadowed. I gave this book 5/5 stars and I will have a review of this book up on my blog Tuesday.

Today's Page Count: 78
Total Page Count: 526

Friday

I read the last 42% (approximately 161 pages) of The Fixer. I loved this book and gave it a 4.5/5 stars. I will have a review of The Fixer on my blog on the release day which is July 7, 2015.

I also started Almost Perfect by Diane Daniels Manning for my "Out of My Comfort Zone" challenge. Almost Perfect is a young adult fiction novel about 70 year old dog breeder and her teenage neighbor who has autism and who has desperately wanted a puppy all his life.  I usually read YA dystopian, fantasy or adult clean romance novels, so this book is out of the ordinary for me. I read 27 pages of Almost Perfect today.

I was enjoying Almost Perfect, but was not in the mood for this type of books today; it was too slow of a pace. So I picked up Shadowed by Kariss Lynch for the "Unread Sequeal" challenge. This is the sequel to Shaken that a read earlier this week. I read 15 pages of Shadowed today and I am really enjoying it. So far, it is a very fast-paced book, just like Shaken, and this is really what I think I need at this point in the readathon.

Today's Page Count: 203
Total Page Count: 729

Saturday

Today was a rough reading day for me. I am getting a tooth pulled on Tuesday and until then I am on pain medicine that is making me drowsy. I really wanted to read today, but it was hard to keep my interest up.

I read 62 pages of Shadowed. I am not enjoying this book as much as I enjoyed the first in the series. Although the series is written in third person, each chapter focuses on one of the two main characters: Kaylan or her boyfriend Nick. The first book, Shaken, was mainly about Kaylan and Shadowed seems to be mainly about Nick. Nick is a SEAL and although I appreciate that he serves our country in this series I am finding it more difficult to connect to his story line.

I also read 20 pages of Almost Perfect. Although I am enjoying the story, I don't think this is the book that I am in the mood to read today.

Today's Page Count: 82
Total Page Count: 811

Sunday

I read 102 pages of Shadowed. I am really enjoying this book.

Today's Page Count: 102
Total Page Count: 913

Totals

Total Page Count: 913
Books Started: 4
Books Complete: 2

Book Review: Numbers Game

Title: Numbers Game

Series: Numbers Game (Book 1)

Author: Rebecca Rode

Publish Date: March 10, 2015

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from the author as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of this novel.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Treena is nervous for Rating Day. A single number will brand her forever—a valuable citizen, or a pathetic waste of space. Her top-Rated boyfriend is confident their scores will coincide so they can attend the academy together. But when the big day arrives, her true number shocks everyone. 

To get her life and boyfriend back, she must go undercover and expose a military spy. Doesn’t sound too hard, except that someone wants her dead. And then there’s Vance, the mysterious soldier with a haunted past and beautiful brown eyes. Together, they discover a dark numbers conspiracy, one that shatters the nation’s future. Treena must join up with Vance if she is to survive the dangerous game of numbers—and the terrible war that rages within her heart.

Review

My favorite part about Numbers Game was the well developed characters. Many characters where introduced in this novel and each had a unique personality and unique goals/ambitions. Because the characters were so well developed, it was easy to predict what the characters would do next in the story line.

Numbers Game was very predictable. There were only a few things in the plot that surprised me. I believe that it was intended to be suspenseful, but it was not well executed. Additionally, there was a predictable love triangle in this book as well. This book was very similar to every other Dystopian novel out there.

I believe that I will continue reading this series just to see where the plot goes and because I enjoy the characters so much.

I would recommend this series to those who love Dystopian and are looking for a fast-paced and action-packed read.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for intense action

Overall Rating: 3/5

#TBRTakedown Readathon TBR and Goals

The #TBRTakedown readathon takes place from June 1 through June 7 and is hosted by leaninglights on Youtube. You can find the official announcement video here. This readathon has 5 challenges. Here are the challenges and the books that I am going to try to read:

1. A book that's been on your TBR shelf over a year!
• Nettles by Ronnie Johnson
2. An unread sequel sitting on your TBR shelf.
• Shadowed by Kariss Lynch
3. A first book in a series on your TBR shelf.
• Shaken by Kariss Lynch
4. An "out of your comfort zone" book on your TBR shelf!
• Almost Perfect by Diane Daniels Manning
5. A book from your most recent book haul!
• The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

If you want to know more about these books, please check out this goodreads shelf that I created.

I probably won't read all of these books this week, but I hope to get through a chunk of them. I have a really busy week this week because I am a graduate student, but while reactions are running (such as PCR reactions) I should be able to get a good amount of reading completed.

Are you participating in this readathon? What are your goals? What have you read recently? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet me @blog_gal.

Novella Review: A February Bride by Betsy St. Amant

Title: A February Bride

Series: A Year of Weddings (Novella 3)

Author: Betsy St. Amant

Publish Date: January 28, 2014

Genre: Clean Adult Romance Novella

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of this novella.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Happily ever after guaranteed. Allie left the love of her life at the altar—to save him from a lifetime of heartbreak. When a Valentine’s Day wedding brings them back together, she struggles against her family’s destructive history. Can Allie ever realize that a marriage is so much more than a wedding dress? History repeats itself when Allie Andrews escapes the church on her wedding day—in the same dress passed down for generations and worn by all the women in her family—women with a long history of failed marriages. Allie loves Marcus, but fears she’s destined to repeat her family’s mistakes. She can’t bear to hurt Marcus worse. Marcus Hall never stopped loving Allie and can only think of one reason she left him at the altar—him. When the two are thrown together for his sister’s Valentine’s Day wedding, he discovers the truth and realizes their story might be far from over. Can Allie shuck expectation and discover who she is as a bride and in the Bride of Christ? And if she ever walks down the aisle, what dress will she wear?

Review

A February Bride is one of those pretty much perfect clean romances that I am always looking for. The main character is flawed; she has a fear of commitment because all of the women in her family have been divorced and re-married several times and she is afraid the same will happen to her.  Although this novella is predictable, the writing style makes the journey exciting nonetheless. I read this novella in one day (practically one sitting).

I would recomend this novella to anyone looking for a clean romance story. You do not have to read the first two novella's in the series for this third installment to make sense.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any

Overall Rating: 5/5

Novella Review: A January Bride by Deborah Raney

Title: A January Bride

Series: A Year of Weddings Novella

Authors: Deborah Raney

Publish Date: December 24, 2013

Genre: Clean Adult Romance Novellas

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of this novella.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Who can work in a house that's overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny's friend, Arthur. Maddie’s never met the innkeeper––but a friendship grows between them as Maddie and Arthur leave messages for each other each day. To Maddie’s alternate delight and chagrin, she seems to be falling for the inn’s owner––a man who's likely many years her senior––and who she’s never even met.

Review

This novella series has one thing in common: all of the books are incredibly interesting. This romance story started slow, but quickly progressed and I was excited to find out what would happen by the end of the novella. The romance story was cute, sweet, and clean.  I would recommend these novellas to anyone looking for a good romance story.  Each of these novellas can be read as stand-alones or as a series.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any

Overall Rating: 5/5

Children's Book Review Tuesdays: The Most Magnificent Thing

Title: The Most Magnificent Thing

Author: Ashley Spires

Publish Date: April 1, 2014

Genre: Children's Picture Books

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of this novella.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. "She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!" But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right. For the early grades' exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes. The clever use of verbs in groups of threes is both fun and functional, offering opportunities for wonderful vocabulary enrichment. The girl doesn't just "make" her magnificent thing -- she "tinkers and hammers and measures," she "smoothes and wrenches and fiddles," she "twists and tweaks and fastens." These precise action words are likely to fire up the imaginations of youngsters eager to create their own inventions and is a great tie-in to learning about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Review

The main character in The Most Magnificent Thing seeks to make something amazing. She has an idea in her head, but she cannot get it to work in real life. She gets frustrated and mad, but then walks around with her dog and cools down. After she cools down, she realizes that all her past failed attempts were really great at somethings and bad at others. She combines all of the good things from her past attempts and makes something magnificent.

I believe that this picture book is great for young readers. It teaches them not to get frustrated when things do not work out as planned and that failures are ways to learn from your mistakes. I would recommend this book to any young reader.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: young readers (children)

Overall Rating: 4/5

Spoiler-Free Book Discussion: The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

Last week, I got together (via Google Hangout) with Kate Danielle from Creative House Blog and we discussed Rachelle Dekker's debut novel, The Choosing. I reviewed this book last week on my blog. You can check out that review here. Here is the video of our discussion:

Novella Review: A December Bride by Denise Hunter

Title: A December Bride

Series: A Year of Weddings Novella (#1)

Author: Denise Hunter

Publish Date: November 26, 2013

Genre: Clean Adult Romance Novella

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review.

 

About Book 1 (from Goodreads):  

What started as a whim turned into an accidental - and very public - engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the facade in Chapel Springs this holiday season - for the sake of her career . . . and his heart?

Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy, the best friend of Layla O'Reilly's ex-fiance would be the last person she'd marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency, a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she'll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she's landed her client. For Layla, it's the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it's his last chance to win her heart. 

Review

A December Bride is such a sweet romance story. A fake engagement turns into... well you will have to see when you read the novella.

This novella series is a collection of clean adult romance novellas, which are each written by a different author. I love these types of novella series. I read this novella for the first time during the October 2014 Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon.  I was busy at the time and did not get to review the novella. I re-read this novella recently.

An interesting aspect to the novella is that previous events that influence the current story are slowly revealed throughout the novella.  So at first you do not know much about the previous relationships of the characters and this lead me to want to read more of the story.

This clean adult romance is perfect for anyone.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any

Overall Rating: 5/5

Participation Announcement: Booking Through Summer Reading Challenge

I am happy to announce that I will be participating in the Booking Through Summer Reading Challenge which is hosted by kimberlyfaye reads and BookNerd Betsy. This challenge is reminiscent of the Book It Reading Challenges that school age kids would participate in over the summer. 

This challenge takes place from Memorial Day to Labor Day and you can enter daily to read prizes by linking up reviews that you have written (either at Goodreads, a major retailer's website, or on your blog) of books that you have read throughout the summer. In addition to these prizes, there will also be weekly challenge hosts that will give away prizes associated with there challenge. How cool is that? You get to do what you love and sign up for a chance to win prizes!

You can find more information about the reading challenge here and here at the hosts' blogs. You can also sign up to participate in this challenge. I know you want to :)

Are you participating in this reading challenge? What books are you most likely reading this summer? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet me at @blog_gal

Book Review: I Still Believe by Jeremy Camp

Title: I Still Believe

Authors: Jeremy Camp

Publish Date: September 5, 2011

Genre: Christian Nonfiction, Inspirational, Autobiography

Why I Read this Book: Jeremy Camp is one of my favorite Christian contemporary singers. I enjoy the lyrics in his songs. My husband had previously read this book and begged me to read it. I began this book during Dewey's 24 Hour readathon.

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

A leading artist on the contemporary Christian scene, Jeremy Camp has gained a sizable fan following. I Still Believe follows Jeremy's life from growing up in Indiana and his struggles as a teen, to his love for his first wife Melissa and her untimely passing, to his growing music ministry and re-found hope and love in his wife Adrienne. "We have choices when life hits us with tragedy or despair, crisis or loss. That's the message of Jeremy Camp's books, and it's the reason you will find hope and healing by journeying through the pages of this story."

Bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, from the Foreword

Review

This book was so inspirational. Jeremy Camp has went through a lot of tribulation, but has survived by knowing that God is loving. For those who do not know, Jeremy Camp's first wife, Melissa, died from cancer very shortly after they got married. This book shows how his parents became Christians and his struggles during his teenage years, how he grew in his faith due to his first wife's passing, and how he came to love his second wife, Adrienne.

For me, this book encouraged me that God is always with you even when you are suffering, everything happens for a reason (God's plan), and that God always wants the best for us. This is a must read!

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 12+ for very real emotions

Overall Rating: 5/5

Release Day Review: The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

Title: The Choosing

Series: Seer (Book 1)

Authors: Deborah Raney

Publish Date: May 19, 2015

Genre: Christian Dystopian

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from the publisher (Tyndale House) in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review.

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

“Not to be Chosen would yield a cruel fate of my own making.”

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—would end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority. 

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. The whispers contradict everything she’s been told; yet they resonate deep within. 

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

About the Book from the Author:

Review

This book was nothing like I expected. I have read several of her Father's books (Ted Dekker) and I have loved them, but Rachelle Dekker brings something new to the table. I have wished for a long time to find a Christian Dystopian novel and was excited to see this book available for review from Tyndale House.

I expected the typical Dystopian novel, but this book brought so much more. There is an underlying message of worth and where your worth comes from. The underlying Christian themes reminded my of God's love for all of His children. It made me feel whole and wanted by a loving God.

In many Dystopian novels, you are left with a feeling of loss and sadness. Many dystopian novels do not have a happy ending, but instead leave you feeling depressed. The Choosing is different.  Although there are dark themes throughout the book, the overall feeling is happiness and hope.

The Choosing is an action packed novel set in a world where a woman's worth comes from being chosen to be a wife. Carrington, the main female character, is shown that there may be more to life than just being chosen and that there may be another way to evaluate her worth.

Although The Choosing was somewhat predictable, the underlying message of the novel and the story in general was exciting, fast-paced, and incredibly enjoyable.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a different kind of Dystopian novel, one filled with hope without lacking any of the action that we Dystopian lovers enjoy.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for dark themes

Overall Rating: 5/5

Bout of Books Wrap-Up

Last week was Bout of Books 13. Bout of Books is a week long, low pressure readathon.  Here is the official blurb about the readathon:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

This post is my wrap-up post so I will be talking about all I accomplished during the read-a-thon and my thoughts.

I was able to complete 2 challenges from last week, Character Face-Off and Book Haiku. I also finished reading two books that I began before the readathon, A January Bride and Pool of Echoes.  I have already reviewed Pool of Echoes and my review can be found here. I enjoyed A January Bride (5/5 stars) and I have my review for this book scheduled for May 27. 

I also started and completed The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I will also review this book soon on my blog.

Finally, I started Choosen by Rachelle Dekker and I am loving this book! This book will be released tomorrow. I will have a review up for this book before the end of the month.

I loved all of the books that I read during the readathon and I enjoyed the challenges that I was able to participate in. I cannot wait for the next Bout of Books.

Graphic Novel Review: The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

Title: The Plain Janes

Series: Janes (# 1)

Authors: Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

Publish Date: May 2, 2007

Genre: Graphic Novel

Why I Read this Book: I read this book during Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon. I found this graphic novel at my local library.

 

About Book 1 (from Goodreads):  

Noted young adult novelist Cecil Castellucci and artist Jim Rugg launch Minx with the Plain Janes, a story about four girls named Jane. When transfer student Jane is forced to move from the confines of Metro City to Suburbia, she thinks her life is over. But there is the lunch room at the reject table she finds her tribe: three other girls named Jane. Main Jane encourages them to form a secret art gang and paint the town P.L.A.I.N. - People Loving Art In Neighborhoods. But can art attacks really save the hell that is high school?

Review

This was not my favorite graphic novel. On the positive note, I loved the illustrations and the overall concept. This graphic novel started out with a lot of potential, but I thought that it fell flat. There was no resolution to the plot at the end of the first graphic novel in this series. I did not enjoy the ending of it at all. I was enjoying the side plot in which the main character was in the city when there was a terrorist attack and a man that was near her when the attack took place went into a coma, but I did not enjoy the resolution of this plot line.

I do plan to continue the series in the hopes that the plot line will be more resolved.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: any

Overall Rating: 3/5

Mac Product Review: Intego Mac Premium Bundle Review

Today, I am reviewing something a little different. I am reviewing a Intego's Mac Premium Bundle. You can purchase this product here. This bundle includes everything that you would need to protect your Mac and keep it running optimally. The products in this package include: 

• Virus Barrier X8
• Net Barrier X8
• Mac Washing Machine
• Family Protector
• Personal Backup

First, I will go through my overall thoughts of the package and then I will review each of these products separately, listing my likes and dislikes of each. I used these products on my Mac mini that I purchased about two months ago. Here are the specs for my Mac mini:

• OS X Yosemite
• Processor: 2,6 GHz Intel Core i5
• Memory: 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
• Graphics: Intel Iris

*DISCLAIMER*: I was given Intego's Mac Premium Bundle in exchange for an honest review from tomoson.com. This in no way influenced my review of the product.

Overall Thoughts

My favorite thing about the bundle as a whole is the clean, user-friendly interface. All of the programs are dowloaded into a single folder on your Mac for easy access (see image on left). 

The programs are user friendly, with tips overlaid with the interface so that first time users immediately know how to use the programs (see image on left). If at any time you do not remember how to get to a certain aspect of the program, all you have to do to bring up the tips is tap the "i" icon located on the top right of the image that is shown to the left.

Virus Barrier X8

Virus Barrier X8 protects your computer against both Mac and PC viruses.  This prevents your Mac computer being a carrier to viruses that may infect your PC.  You can schedule the program to do scans at the same time every day or week.  The program can also be used to manually scan your computer. The program is very user friendly and has a nice interface (see above). The tips screen was helpful (see below).

The quick scan on Virus Barrier only took about 10 minutes for the first time on my Mac. The full scan took a bit longer (about an hour). Neither scan found anything on my Mac, but my Mac is fairly new. I had not used a virus scanner on my Mac prior to using Virus Barrier. I would give this program a 4/5 stars, tentatively since I have found no viruses so far.

Net Barrier X8

Net Barrier acts as a firewall, allowing or blocking incoming/outgoing internet and local connections. This programs asks for approval when certain apps or programs on your computer are trying to access the internet.

Net Barrier also allows you to view the apps that are using the internet.

I did not use this program too much.

Mac Washing Machine

Mac Washing Machine cleans up your Mac's unused files to increase speed and performance. It has three integrated programs: reclaim, duplicate, and organize.

Reclaim scans for files that you do not use in order to increase disk space and speed up your Mac's performance (see image above). Reclaim can remove caches, downloads, languages, logs and trash.  After reclaim scans your computer, you can choose which files to keep and which files to delete with a simple drop-down menu.

Duplicates searches your computer for duplicate files (such as documents, pictures, and music). After searching, you can choose which files you want to keep and which you want to delete (see above). For each duplicated file, Washing Machine shows you images so you can make sure the files are really duplicates before you delete them.

Organize has to be the coolest part of Washing Machine. Are you the type of person whose desktop is really messy and it is difficult to find the files and folders you need? If so, this program is for you. Organize scans your desktop and allows you to seamlessly sort all of the files. It analyzes the folders to determine if it should be moved to documents, pictures, or another folder. 

It also allows you to organize the Dock on your Mac. It will search for your most commonly used Applications and least commonly used Applications and suggest Apps that should be added or removed from your Dock. Finally, Organize can organize your files into "Smart Folders".

I really enjoyed Washing Machine. Washing Machine cleaned my computer of all the "junk" I had and to delete duplicate files (I had several). I also used it to clean up my desktop and to rearrange my Dock.  I would give this program a 5/5 stars.

Family Protector

Family Protector protects from inappropriate web content. You can block specific users on you Mac from visiting sites with selected categories (alcohol, gambling, ect.) or sites with key words that you can add. You can also block certain websites. 

Other advantages of Family Protector is that you can make the internet only available during certain time periods for certain users (see below) or block certain applications from using the internet.  This program would be great in households with young children and teenagers. Although I do recommend parental guidance while children are using the internet.

If you or someone else attempts to access a site that has been blocked by Family Protector, you get this message:

This program does work well and I did not find any problems with it.  It is easy to use and understand. I would give this program 5/5 stars. When I have children, I could see myself using this or a similar program.

Personal Backup

I did not use the personal backup program. Here is the explanation of the program from the website:

Intego Personal Backup makes copies of your files for quick and easy recovery in case of theft, data corruption, or natural disasters. Run manual backups or create an automated schedule that backs up your information for you. Whether you want control of your backups or prefer to set it and forget it, Intego Personal Backup’s got you covered.

I cannot rate this program because I did not use it. I generally manually backup files to a flash drive or to a cloud.

Summary

Overall, I would give this bundle a 4.5/5 stars. The interface was simple, easy to use, and visually pleasing. The help screens were easy to understand and greatly assisted me when I was first learning the programs. I may do another review after I have used this bundle for a longer period of time to see if my views have changed.

Do you use this program or similar programs on your Mac? If so, what are your thoughts on them? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.