Top 10 Net Links

C.S. Lewis said, “We read to know we are not alone.” Even in today’s fast-paced world of Twitter, Facebook, and wireless internet service, a good book is still a reassuring companion. But that internet can sure come in handy sometimes. Explore these sites in between sittings to improve your reading experience.1. The New York Times Books Section: This section includes the Sunday Book Review and the list of Bestsellers, along with regular reviews, excerpts, best-of lists, and more. This is also the place to find the reviews of renowned voices like Janet Maslin and Michiko Kakutani.2. Google Books: If you don’t mind reading your books online, visit this site for access to a wide variety of public domain works, along with excerpts of copyrighted materials.3. Book CloseOuts: BookCloseOuts.com serves North America as one of the “largest sellers of Bargain Books”meaning you can pick up unread copies of your favorite titles for next to nothing. Browse their extensive catalogue and see what you can find. Continue Reading »

Thinking about planning a party? Find it hard to brainstorm ideas for your next big festival. You can find tons of different ideas from our Top 10 websites to help you plan a party. All 10 of these websites have loads of resources, ideas, theme ideas, party supplies and more. Whether you are preparing for a birthday party, graduation or wedding event, you can find what you need on all of these websites.

Celebrate express- They offer all of the supplies that you need to help you plan a party. From color schemes to cups, plates and decorations. They even offer costumes! Continue Reading »

Doing craft projects either for or with your family is a great way to spend time together and show appreciation for one another. Here are 10 sites that will help get your creative juices flowing.

Disney Family Fun
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/

This site has ways to filter crafts by age, type or various other criteria. Videos are also included.

2DLTK’s Growing Together
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/families.htm

These crafts are geared toward the seasons and very young children. Materials are simple and crafts made are things like puppets and minibooks. Continue Reading »

When it comes to horror movies, I cannot get enough of them and while purusing the web I came across a really great site for horror movie reviews, www.fangoria.com. Checking the site out more, I realized just how much my friend Brian would love this site. There were even full length movies to watch online for free as well and tons of links to other great sites.

I have a standing reputation as being one of the more technological savvy members of my group of friends and I Continue Reading »

In honor of the recent release of The Social Network, we’re recognizing some of our favorite social media/networking sites. And, we’re counting backwards!10. deviantArt: Share your artistic creations with a wide variety of interested individuals.9. Flixster: Share your movie taste with friends and discover new favorites8. Foursquare: Let your friends know where you are, and earn badges for frequent visits.7. Twitter: A microblogging service where you share your thoughts in 140 character tweets.6. LinkedIn: Get professional. Get social. Share your resume, career ambitions, and more. Continue Reading »

Need to get away from everything for a while, but don’t know where to start? Let these online travel sites be your guide to the perfect dream vacation.

1. Smarter Travel: Unknown compared to other sites like Priceline and Expedia, Smarter Travel helps you compare the deals of all the other travel sites according to your own specifications. There are also unbelievable Sponsored Deals from Booking Buddy.
2. Wikitravel: Imagine a Wikipedia, but catered to the open-minded traveler. You’ll find alerts, upcoming events around the world, and destination guides for almost any place imaginable.
3. Expedia: This travel reservation site was actually started by Microsoft, but it later went solo when it moved away from software technology. Though it lacks Priceline’s William Shatner, Expedia is both easier to use and has more features, according to Top Ten Reviews.
4. Fodor’s: Notable for its long-running line of guides, the Fodor’s website offers synopses of the most important information for most destinations, along with hotel, restaurant, and cruise ideas.
5. Travel.state.gov: This service is provided by the Bureau of Consular Affairs in the U.S. Department of State. It’s focused on making travel fast and safe for citizens, with warnings and alerts along with passport and visa information. Continue Reading »

The internet has changed the way we shop for everything, to the point where you can literally get crab cakes shipped across the country to you with just a few clicks. No matter what your appetite, these are the 10 best sites for online shopping.

1. Amazon.com: Amazon sells everybody else’s products at great deals, and also produces their own e-Reader, the mega-popular Kindle.
2. Overstock.com: This bargain shopping site has been running for over a decade. While it still offers surplus inventories of other companies, it has expanded to sell new merchandise as well.
3. Wow Coupons: Wow Coupons doesn’t sell anything, but they offer free printable coupons that’ll save you big bucks at either retail stores or online sites.
4. eBay: This worldwide phenomenon offers deals on not only the best auctions on ordinary apparel, music, and movies, but also the only place to buy water drunk by Elvis or the town of Bridgeville, California.
5. Etsy: The best-known DIY-crafts site, Etsy offers unique and handmade goods by people just like you. Continue Reading »

Thomas Carlyle once wrote, “Music is the speech of angels.” If you want to hear what they’re saying, check out these music sites and let your listening pleasure soar.

1. Last.fm: Founded in 2007, this radio streaming site lets you create your own profile and then keeps track of what you listen to on your iPod, iTunes, and other digital media devices. Then, it recommends bands, songs, and free downloads.
2. Pitchfork: Only people who really love music could be so harsh to it. Read Pitchfork for well-written reviews putting down everybody’s favorite bandsand direction to some really good music you wouldn’t find any other way.
3. NPR Music: NPR brings its elegant style to the music industry, showcase up-and-coming artists and featuring hours of archived concerts, podcasts, and regular programming.
4. YouTube Symphony Orchestra: This experimental, interactive symphony called for musicians from all over the world to post a video of themselves playing a particular piece”Internet Symphony No. 1 Eroica” by Tan Dun. The videos were voted on, and the best were compiled into a video performance.
5. eMusic: The anti-Itunes, eMusic features largely independent artists (now with some major labels as well), no DRM-encoding, and an innovative pricing model in which you pay for a number of tracks rather than by song. Continue Reading »

Don’t be caught unprepared when the next classic film comes out. These sites put the power in your hands when it comes to planning your next movie night.

1. Internet Movie Database: The go-to reference site for movie fanatics, IMDB features searchable databases for films, actors, characters, production companies, and more. Never wonder “Now what else was he in?” again.
2. Rotten Tomatoes: This critical aggregator provides media-friendly percentages and one-to-two sentence consensuses for any movie you can think of. There’s even a TV version on the Current TV channel now.
3. Dark Horizons: This Australian film site originally started as a sci-fi movie fan site, but now it features most major upcoming films. Check this for all the latest news on Justin Bieber’s concert movie, or Tarantino’s “Shadow” reboot.
4. Guardian Film: The UK’s Guardian brings its fabled reputation to bear on the world of cinema, and American readers can get in on it here.
5. Entertainment Weekly: America’s recognized mecca of all things pop-culture has an excellent website with reviews, industry news, and other factoids. You can also catch up on TV, Music, and Book news too. Continue Reading »

If your eyes are bigger than your stomach, we’ve got the perfect list for you. These are the sites that will provide you with a gourmet online experience.

1. Epicurious: This site compiles recipes, restaurant reviews, and dining tips of all sorts, along with features from Bon Apptit and Gourmet magazines. Their “Classic Summer Desserts” are to die for.
2. Food Network: Along with showing the delicious recipes from your favorite shows, Food Network’s website also compiles unique meal ideas, mixed drinks, and a Quick Meals search function to enhance your visit.
3. Chowhound: Chowhound is a message board for food lovers. It’s now associated with Chow magazine, but it still features the same enthusiastic posters as ever.
4. The Cook’s Thesaurus: Perfect for foodie newbies, the thesaurus lets you look up both familiar and rare cooking terms, from ingredients to utensils.
5. Culinary Media Network: Located at GildedFork.com, you’ll instantly know what you’re getting into with this high-class food site. Recipes, reviews, and travel guides are all available for the prospective gourmet. Continue Reading »