While some people feel that all vampire books are the same, Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side is truly an exception. Sure, Lucius Vladescu is a vampire prince charming, but the book mostly revolves around Jessica’s finding her confidence, seizing her birthright as a vampire princess, and discovering her own true royalty.

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side tells of Jessica Packwood’s senior year in which she plans to get a life despite the odds stacked against her. Beth Fantaskey brilliantly entrances readers with her writing style and fast-paced plot. The story being told from Jessica’s point of view helps the reader step into her shoes and experience her every moment.

Fantaskey also grabs readers with her characters. While Lucius Vladescu seemed perfect and dashing in every way, he is far from a knight in shining armor as Fantaskey gives even him a flaw or two. His choices are obedience or rebellion. Either he obeys the Elders and succumbs to the vicious monster they want him to be or follows his true feelings to overcome the treacherous nature that threatens those around him.

Jessica is the perfect teen heroine, and the author makes her easily accessible to all girls. Throughout the book, she transforms from a normal girl with relatively low self-confidence into the regal princess Lucius knows she can be. Jessica’s Guide helps everyday problems seem easy to overcome and can even boost the reader’s self-esteem as they, and Jessica, discover that true beauty starts with self-confidence.

Fast-paced and never boring, this book is always either funny, romantic, or action filled as Fantaskey speeds from one heart-stopping scene to the next.

Readers who frequent vampire themed books will surely notice that in each book the rules for vampires differ. In Twilight, to become a vampire one must be bitten several times and interjected with poison. Their maker then tutors the new vampire in the vampire ways. In Jessica’s Guide, however, males are born as vampires, and their fangs appear during puberty at times of high stress, while females don’t grow fangs until they’re bitten.

Fantaksey’s vampires, usually raised among their kind, don’t need to be tutored after getting their fangs; they usually already know everything they need. Otherwise, kids can ask their parents or reference a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions.  Fantaskey’s vampires have the usual super human abilities such as strength and speed, and a few very strong ones can read minds; however, females introduced so far haven’t shown such abilities or seemed to need them even though they are undead as well.

Fantaskey has truly written one of the most perfect books in the entire ‘teen reading’ genre. The only way to improve Jessica’s Guide was to add the second book, Jessica Rules the Dark Side. Look for the review of the sequel in the next Panthers Prey.

Adding to the moment this time around is that the new gadget — the 3DS — is one of the first handheld devices to offer stereoscopic 3-D gaming and is coming from Nintendo, a company that has dominated the handheld gaming market for more than 20 years.

Unfortunately, the 3-D effect that gives the 3DS its name often feels like a pricey, headache-inducing gimmick. And the 3-D technology aside, the 3DS feels in several respects like a relic from an earlier era of gaming.

The 3DS is one of the first mainstream examples of an autostereoscopic device, which means it’s able to produce a 3-D image by itself, without requiring the use of special headgear or goofy glasses. To achieve its 3-D effect, the 3DS uses a technology called a parallax barrier, which is basically a screen that sits in front of the main display. The barrier works like an overlapping pair of Venetian blinds, directing a separate image to each of a user’s two eyes. The user’s brain stitches together the two sets of images to create the optical illusion of three dimensions.

The 3DS will play most games made for the various iterations of the Nintendo DS, the device it succeeds. But to get the 3-D effect, 3DS owners will have to play games specifically designed for the new gadget.

That’s not a huge issue because game makers had expected about 18 3-D games to be available for the 3DS as soon as it hit store shelves Sunday. Nintendo representatives say about 12 more games will reach the market between now and early June.

Additionally, Nintendo has built into the device a handful of apps that take advantage of its 3-D capabilities, including two mini-games, and a pair of rear-facing cameras with which users can take 3-D pictures that they can view on the 3DS’s screen.

In the future, 3DS owners could also be able to use the gadget to watch 3-D movies, trailers and TV shows.

Let me confirm that the 3DS autostereoscopic 3-D technology does, in fact, work, and in some cases was a lot of fun. It was neat to view a picture of my daughter in 3-D, for example. And the 3-D effect enhanced Electronic Arts’ “Madden NFL Football,” allowing me to get a real sense of the field of play.

But because of the limitations of its 3-D technology, the 3DS can be trying and wearisome, which is not the way you want to describe a game system.

The 3-D works well if you hold the device still and at a fixed distance from your face. I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty much impossible for me to do while playing games on a handheld device.

If I’m driving a virtual race car, my natural inclination is to tilt the screen left or right or back and forth as I zoom along the track. Recent game-playing devices, such as Apple’s iPod touch, have embraced such tics by incorporating motion-sensing technology.

Although the 3DS has similar motion detectors, if you move it around too much, you negate the 3-D effect. Instead of seeing a deep 3-D image, you see a much dimmer image or two overlapping ones. Either way, the experience is disorienting and eye-straining.

Nintendo warns that kids under 7 shouldn’t play games with the 3-D effect turned on because it might affect their vision. There’s been some debate about whether these fears are overblown, but as the father of two young kids, the warning was enough to give me pause — and to turn off the 3-D effect whenever I let them play on the 3DS.

Such concerns could be a big problem for Nintendo. Kids have long comprised a large part of the core audience for its handheld game machines, and turning off the 3-D effect eliminates the reason for having the 3DS. Once you turn off the 3-D effect, the device is little more than a much more expensive Nintendo DS.

The 3DS has other shortcomings. Many of the latest games for handheld devices have been designed for those with touch screens with which users interact using their fingers. But as with the DS line, only one of the 3DS’s screens is touch-sensitive, and that screen is designed to be used with a stylus — not your finger. Unfortunately, once you get used to a touch screen, you don’t want to go back to using a stylus or buttons.

Also disappointing is the lineup of initial 3DS games. Of the seven I tested, few offered a compelling 3-D experience. In many cases, the 3-D simply felt like a gimmick used to dress up flat 2-D games.

So my advice is that if you’re in the market for a handheld game machine, stick with Nintendo’s older DS or buy an iPod touch. They’re both a lot easier on the eyes and, in the case of the DS, a lot lighter on the pocketbook.

———

NINTENDO 3DS HANDHELD GAME SYSTEM

—Troy’s rating: 5.5 (out of 10)

—Likes: Generate 3-D effect without requiring glasses; dual rear-facing cameras can be used to take 3-D pictures; backward compatibility with Nintendo DS.

—Dislikes: Pricey; 3-D effect has narrow viewing angle; one screen not touch-sensitive, other not designed for fingertip interaction; initial game lineup has few that make 3-D effect compelling.

—Specs: Autostereoscopic 3.5-inch main screen, 3-inch touch-sensitive lower screen

—Price: $250

—Web: www.nintendo.com

———

(c) 2011, San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.).

Visit MercuryNews.com, the World Wide Web site of the Mercury News, at http://www.mercurynews.com.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

There are many places in Memphis that serve wonderful food. Some of these places are old-fashioned, some are new style, some are classy, and some that are made just for a comfortable customer.

Right in Cordova, there are a strip of restaurants on Germantown Parkway. All different types of places like Bahama Breeze, Chili’s, Red Lobster, Firebird’s, On the Border, Olive Garden, and O’ Charleys. They are comfortable restaurants at an affordable price.

Bahama Breeze is a Caribbean fun-filled place that was first opened in 1996 in Orlando, Florida. It takes you through an island experience with island themed music, and of course dishes that could take your taste buds on a Caribbean trip. The menu, for starters, consist of foods such as Coconut Shrimp, Lobster and Shrimp Quesadilla, Firecracker Shrimp, and  Jamaican Grilled Chicken Wings. Main courses including Jerk Chicken Pasta, Jamaican Grilled Chicken Breast, Baby Back Ribs and other satisfying foods. Prices for Bahama Breeze may range from at least 7 to 10 dollars for an appetizer and 15 to 20 for a meal.

Chili’s, a more spicy kind of place, began in 1975 as a “postal-gone-burger joint.” Appetizers warm up the night with starters like Queso, Classic Nachos, Boneless Buffalo Wings, Wings over Buffalo, and my personal favorite the Southwestern Egg Rolls. Dinner can be served with Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers, Chicken Crispers, Margarita Chicken, or Monetery Chicken.

Downtown is the main place that most would agree to having the best restaurants. Downtown does consist of a lot of Barbeque spots which wouldn’t be such a good idea seeing as though you’ll be dressed all night. But some good places are Blues City Cafe and Hard Rock Cafe.

Blues City Cafe began in March of 1991 under the name Doe’s Eat Place. With a four star rating, they serve all the good southern food with their menu including Famous BBQ Ribs, Southern Fried Catfish and Broiled Steak.  Blues City Cafe also serve their World Famous Homemade Tamales. Their appetizers range between the prices of 5 to 10 dollars, and meals range from 5 to 20 dollars, so it’s safe to say these are very affordable prices.

There are also a few places that may be a little bit more expensive, but are very appropriate for the occasion.

The Butcher Shop has been serving charcoal steaks like Filet Mignon, T-Bone steaks, Ribeye Steaks, Sirloin, and others since 1981. The prices for this restaurant may be a little high ranging from 17 to almost 31 dollars.

Benihana, a Japanese restaurant that began as a family business on the streets of New York, is also a very nice, yet pricey place to share prom night. It’s classy and has an entertaining environment where you can see your food being cooked in front of you.

Finding the perfect restaurant is never hard, just know to stay in price and enjoy.

Memphisinmay.org announced the line up for 2011 on March 3, and the topic has been buzzing since. Teen favorites Ke$ha, Jason Mraz, MGMT, and B.o.B. will be joining in the ranks this year. A taste of these famous, music sensations will leave one anticipating the day they take the stage in Memphis, Tennessee.

“I’m actually excited for the Beale Street Music Festival this year. Usually I don’t know any of the bands playing!” said junior Jordan Young.

While some may be aware of these new additions and their music, others may feel in the dark. These four musicians are in completely different genres, have different sounds, and perform on different levels.

Photo courtesy of keshasparty.c

Ke$ha Ke$ha hit 2010 with a bang by producing 3 #1 songs on the Billboard charts and in 2011 her “Get $leazy” tour was completely sold out. Her songs are full of techno/pop beats and her distinct voice. “Tik Tok” was her break out song in 2010, and the catchy lyrics along with the upbeat music quickly reached #1 on the Billboard charts. Another song that found itself #1 on the Billboard charts was “Your Love is My Drug” which featured more of Ke$ha’s unique voice and then came “We R Who We R” which catapulted into success quickly. The words of the song are, if possible, catchier then those in “Tik Tok,” and the producers put a lot more stop and go beats into this song. She has sold 18 million tracks altogether in the United States alone and 23 million worldwide, including her smash breakthrough single “TiK ToK” which has sold over 8.5 million tracks and ringtones.

Jason Mraz

Photo courtesy of stagingnew.atlanticrecords.com

As a roots rock/pop rock/alternative/blue-eye soul genre musician, Mraz stands out amongst the other famous musicians that will be at Music Fest. Best known for the song “I’m Yours,” a soft love ballad that holds t

he record for the longest running song on Billboard’s “Hot 100”, was ASCAP 2010’s “Song of the Year,” and is the first song ever to top four different pop radio formats. He has since used his fame to talk about his environmental views, which helped him receive honors from the Environmental Media Association. He has recently received two Teen Choice Awards and received the Hall of Fame’s highly honored Hal David Starlight Award. His music usually contains a soft guitar, piano, and drums. His songs are usually slow, and ballad-like. He expresses his feelings of love, and his hope for peace through his music.

Photo courtesy of cantorarecords.com

MGMT

Differing completely from most of the bands climbing onstage at the Music Festival, MGMT offers a genre of music called psychedelic rock. This type of music has combined the softness of hippie music with the edgier sound of rock. They were pegged as one of the “Artists to Watch” in 2008 by Rolling Stone, and so far they’ve been watched climbing higher on the music ladder.

Photo courtesy of bobatl.com

B.o.B.

A performer who is most known for his collaboration “Airplanes” parts one and two which featured rapper Eminen and lead vocalist Hayley Williams from Paramore,B.o.B. is an artist and producer straight from Atlanta and is now debuting his new album, “B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray.” His lyrics not only hold deep meaning but also help a listener paint a picture and enjoy the performance as much as he does.

“I’m excited to see the bands I do know and the ones I don’t even know,” said parent Laura Martin.

While Memphis and May draws all sorts of crowds, the music festival draws those who enjoy different sounds. With such a ride range this year, young and old can be exposed to new genres and their favorite artists. The Beale Street Music Festival goes on another year, bringing in completely different sounds to attract different crowds.

“A Christmas Story“

This movie produced in 1983 focuses on a young boy named Ralphie growing up in the 1940s. Ralphie longs for a Red Ryder BB gun from Santa, even though his parents, his teacher, and even the mall Santa tell him he’ll shoot his eye out. However he will not hear any of it; Ralphie wants that BB gun. Throughout the movie Ralphie, his little brother Randy, and their parents Mr. and Mrs. Parker prepare for the holidays and face one ordeal after another, from getting a Christmas tree to watching the big town parade. Along with family crises, he has to deal with the school bully who hassles every kid at school for their lunch money. The real moral of this story is that sometimes what a person wants is not what is always good for them. Despite the good moral and Christmas spirit of the movie, it does contain adult language which may not be suitable for younger children.

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas“

The animated television classic, produced in 1966 and based on a Dr. Seuss book, tells the tale of a Grinch who lives on the mountains over Whoville, and is constantly annoyed by their Christmas spirit. From their loud trumpets and other instruments, to their singing of Christmas, the Grinch is just plain fed up! So to get back at the Christmas-loving Whos, he plans to steal their Christmas. After constructing a Santa outfit, making a reindeer out of his tiny dog Max, and making a sleigh; he departs to go steal Christmas from the Whos. This movie teaches children the true meaning of Christmas–that the holiday is not simply about the presents and decorations.

“It’s a Wonderful Life“

This movie, produced in 1946, was filled completely in black and white and takes a more serious tone. George Bailey’s business has lost $8000 in a time when that was a whole lot of money. Bailey, a friend of many and a father, plans to end his life by jumping off a bridge. His loved ones’ prayers, however, bring him an angel named Clarence who is still waiting to get his wings. Clarence takes George back in time to show him that the small, nice deeds he has done have made a large difference in those around him. This movie can liven any older person as well as the young, and put them into the family spirit.

“Miracle on 34th Street“

For the young and the old, this movie produced in 1947 brings back the belief in Santa once more. When Kris Kringle, a nice old man who has been posing as Santa for Macy’s, is institutionalized for claiming that he really is Santa. It’s up to Fred, the Santa-believing lawyer, to convince the court he is sane. Fred’s friend Doris, Kringle’s employer, and her daughter Susan don’t even believe he is who he claims to be. Finally, Fred comes up what he thinks will be just the way to convince the people that he is who he says he is. Will Kris ever be accepted as the actual Santa? Will Doris and Susan ever believe in him?

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer“

A movie produced in 1964 with animated puppets tells the story of two misfits of the North Pole: Rudolph, whose nose lights up bright red whenever he feels strong emotion, and Henry, an elf who is not so good at making toys but wants to be a dentist. This movie artfully conveys the sad fact that those who are different are usually shunned, when they should be recognized for being unique. It’s a great movie for the kids who need to learn early that everyone is different in some way, and that they should be accepted for it.

“White Christmas“

This movie, produced in 1954, is a classic anytime. It’s all about two war buddies from WWII who get together after the war has ended and start performing as a singing and dancing duo. Along the way they run into two other performers, two similar sisters with different personalities named Betty and Judy Haynes. Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, completely smitten with the girls, follow them to their next show. Upon arriving at the inn in Vermont, the boys run into their former general who is having trouble keeping his inn open. The war buddies and the Haynes sisters begin to plan a colossal show not only to bring people to the inn but to also honor Wallace and Davis’s old general, and romance ensues between them all. This movie is full of humor, dancing, and singing galore! It’s a great movie for viewers of all ages.

Though all these movies were made and produced some time ago, they still hold the Christmas spirit. These movies are not only entertaining and enjoyable, but they teach the true meaning of Christmas in ways simple enough for anyone to understand. Family time is really what the holiday season is all about, and these movies bring the whole family into one accord.

Many movie fans will have a hard time waiting that long, however; those who have not read the book have been left with one question after another: Who will die?  Is Harry going to die or is Voldemort?  Who will win the final battle once and for all?

In the film, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and everyone else who helps them, face grave danger protecting Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) from the Dark Lord.  Though Harry,  does not want them to risk their lives for him, he can not stop them.  As this thrilling journey continues, Harry, Hermione, and Ron stick together throughout most of the movie, hiding from Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his followers, the Death Eaters.

The visuals were stunning, particularly the wizards and witches flying in the sky shooting Death Eaters, completely normal people dressed in black.  Those scenes were pretty few and far between, and fans will probably be disappointed in the lack of action in the movie, particularly in the first half-hour or so.  Toward the end of the movie, some of the rather devastating developments and suspenseful ending will leave fans wanting more, and excited for the last and final installment.

Most of the cast will be familiar to fans, and Watson, Grint, and Radcliffe do an outstanding job of portraying the Hogwarts dropouts.  However, the new character added to the series, Rufus Scrimgeour (Bill Nighy), the prime minister, did not really serve any purpose in the plot and proved to quite a boring character.

The wait will be over soon enough and millions will probably pack the theaters once again.  On July 15, 2011, a frenzy of fans will be lining up for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Dropbox (Free)

Most iPhone users dread the moment they want to add a movie or some music to their device, mostly because of the time it takes to start up iTunes, search for the iPhone or iPod cable, then wait ten minutes for the device to sync with the computer. With the release of the Dropbox app, iPhone or iPod users are able to “drag and drop” their movie or music to a public folder that they install from the Dropbox website. Afterwards, they can access the file on their iDevice; however, they will not be able to access it through iPod or iTunes.

The user interface is extremely easy to navigate. Also, the app is extremely easy to use. However, the data usage is a bit high since the files must be sent to the cloud from the computer and then downloaded to the device, which also involves some wait time. Overall Dropbox gets a 4 out of 5 stars.

Meebo (Free)

The social junkies of the world, who feel they MUST tell everyone about their lunch, can now access chat with every single social network in existence on one app. The new app called Meebo opens up an Instant-Message-like chat with the user’s social networking friends. By going to the app, users can link their Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or any other social network accounts to a Meebo account. Afterwards, they can add their friends from all accounts and chat with them at any time.

The app is a great idea, but it sometimes crashes, and linking Meebo with Facebook is often problematic. Because Facebook is such a highly used social network, having the app unable to connect with Facebook sometimes may render the app useless. Also, the user has to add their friends manually which takes a lot of time. However, for users who rely on IM platforms such as AOL or Yahoo Instant, the app works well. Therefore, the app gets a 3 out of 5 stars.

JTV (Free)

JTV allows users to watch live streams of content that is provided by others. For example, some users stream movies such as an entire run of the Harry Potter series or independent news casters. Also, users with iPhone 4′s are able to post their own stream on the app allowing other viewers in the world to view their stream. The app is also able to run on a computer or Boxee.

The app runs extremely well, depending on the connection with the internet. Sometimes, the content on the streams is extremely well, and other times not so much. The app has an easy-to-use interface, and links well with Twitter or Facebook accounts. Plus, it is great to be able to post live streams using an iPhone to friends, and there are few streams that are posted from other users which are extremely enjoyable to watch. Overall, JTV earns a 5 out of 5.

VLC (Free)

Movies not purchased through the iTunes store will most likely have to be converted in order to be played on any iDevice. However, VLC allows an iDevice to play a majority of video formats. For example, if a user downloads a movie from the internet, the video may not be in the video format that is compatible with the iDevice. VLC allows the user to download the video directly into the app within iTunes.

The app is well built, but it would have been nice if the VLC app worked by streaming also, using the VLC client software available for download on a user’s computer. The app has a good interface and is extremely simple to use. Therefore, the app gets a 4 out of 5.

AppShopper (Free)

AppShopper lets iPhone or iPod owners be smart shoppers when it comes to buying apps. The app allows the user to view when an app has gone on sale or when a paid app becomes temporarily free. The app shows the previous price and next to it the price drop. The app also keeps a watch of apps that are put into the wishlist and will notify the user when the watched app’s price drops.

The app is not retina display enabled, which is the only downside of the application. However, the retina display will not affect past generation users. Other than the graphics, the app works surprisingly well, and helps the user find some good applications they otherwise would have not known about. Overall, the app gets a 4 out of 5.

Smart phone applications are supposed make users’ lives easier, and thankfully, apps like Dropbox, VNC, or AppShopper make it possible for them to actually use their device to the fullest extent.

“Fallen” by Lauren Kate
After being the only one to see her boyfriend die in a fire, Luce Price has been sent to a reform school for her senior year because the police think she had something to do with his death.  She thinks that her boyfriend’s death was no accident and was caused by the dark shadows that have been making her life a living hell.  When she arrives at the reform school, she meets some new friends:  Arriane Alter, a skinny girl with a wacky personality; Cameron Briel, a guy who fits in perfectly at the reform school, and Daniel Grigori, a gorgeous guy who falls in love with Luce at first sight.  These friends may seem “normal” but they are all hiding a secret that no one can know about, not even Luce.  If Luce finds out the truth it may kill her– again.

Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine
Throughout this series of nine books, sixteen-year-old Clarie Danvers is already heading off to college at Texas Prairie University in Morganville, Texas.  Of course when Claire first gets there, the popular girls start bullying and harming her in their evil ways.  After being pushed down the stairs, she has had enough and sneaks out to rent a place to live.  Finally she finds a place called the Glass House for a reasonable price.  When Claire goes to check the place out, there are three people already living there: goth girl Eve, disorderly Shane, and sweet Michael.  After a while they finally tell her what is really going on in strange, deserted Morganville.  Will she be able to handle the truth?

“The Ghost and the Goth” by Stacey Kade
Alona Dare was a popular social butterfly until a school bus hit her.  Now she’s a ghost searching for the white light.  When she acknowledges that goth guy Will Killian can see her and other ghosts, she uses her charms and looks to get him to help her.  Trouble strikes up when other ghosts and a big black mass of energy find out that Will can see ghosts.  Knowing that, they torment him into carrying out their last wishes.  Will Alona stop the ghosts from harrowing Will any further?

“Blood Ninja” by Nick Lake
Taro’s life will never be the same again.  In just one day, his father gets decapitated in front of him, and Shusaku, a mysterious ninja, takes him away.  Soon after that, Taro is deathly injured and has to choose between death or becoming a vampire.  Which will he choose?

“Eighth Grade Bites” by Heather Brewer
Vladimir Tod is left wondering if he’s a vampire or some other creature.  His father was a vampire, and his mother was a human, but they died three years ago in an abstruse accident.  More than that, Vlad is having major blood cravings, and his fangs are enlarging.  Being a vampire is definitely not easy for a school student.  Vlad gets bullied by the other kids, and the girl he has a crush on has the hots for his best friend.  What more can go wrong?

“Heart-Shaped Box” by Joe Hill
Judas Coyne, a middle-aged rocker, likes to collect grim antiques and can handle anything, or so he thought.  He bought a dead man’s suit, which is said to be haunted by a ghost, for a thousand dollars.  What Judas does not know is that the spirit is his dead bandmate’s stepfather.  When he receives a black heart-shaped box at his door everything goes wrong.  The ghost blames Judas for the suicide of his stepdaughter.  Will the spirit get its revenge?

These supernatural books are said to be a great read, very excellent for chills and goosebumps from all the tension.  From bloodsucking vampires to spooky spirits, these books will not disappoint.

[Show as slideshow]

Amazon Kindle
Introducing the Amazon Kindle, third generation,  featured at Amazon.com.  For all Amazon Kindles, books are bought online only on the Amazon website.  These electronic books are somewhat cheaper then regular book prices, depending on which book.  Kindle is also on many other electronic devices such as, computers and iPhone.  The Kindle costs $139 and the one with 3G costs $189.

The Kindle has some very useful tools and features on it.  For one the screen does not get a glare on it when read in the sun, how impressive is that?  It also has built in Wi-Fi , so instead of going to a computer, books are bought off the Kindle.  When purchasing a Kindle with 3G, readers can buy books from anywhere, even if there is no Wi-Fi.  The Kindle is also really light, turns pages fast, has battery life up to a full month, and stores up to 3,500 books.  It has a dictionary with highlights about certain words users may or may not know.

Barnes and Noble Nook
Presenting the Barnes and Noble Nook featured at BN.com  For the Nook, books are purchased online only on the Barnes and Noble website.  Like the Kindle, Nook’s books are somewhat cheaper then regular book prices.  Bookworms can personalize it with photos and place music on it.  The Nook costs $149 and the one with 3G costs $199.

The Nook, also like the Kindle, has some pretty helpful features and tools.  It holds up to 1,500 books and its battery life, without Wi-Fi on, lasts for ten days.  The Nook also comes with Wi-Fi or 3G and does not have a glare from the sun.

As the battle for best e-reader rages on, readers wait in anticipation for the newest device that both Amazon and Barnes and Noble release.

With that in mind, what better way to get back into the scholastic frame of mind than to soak up a bunch of high school movies? So, here is a top five list of the best back-to-school films.

“Dead Poet’s Society”
“Oh Captain! My Captain!”
“Dead Poet’s Society” tells the story of the relationship of a teacher and his students. Robin Williams portrays John Keating, a teacher at Welton Academy Prep School. Keating’s unusual first lesson consists of his walking into the classroom while whistling 1812 Overture and taking the students out of the classroom in order to learn the concept of “carpe diem.”

Keating’s methods of teaching may seem unorthodox, but his bond with his students makes the classroom seem more than just a place of learning. The story involves hardship between the other classmates and hardship between their parents.

The Academy Award winning film creates a reminder toward the audience of the bond they had with one of their favorite teachers.

“Napoleon Dynamite”
“Napoleon Dynamite” creates the ultimate guide to high school.

It has pick-up lines (“I see you’re drinking 1%. Is that ’cause you think you’re fat? ‘Cause you’re not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to.”); information on how to take care of pets, including llamas (“Tina, you fat lard, come get some DINNER!… Tina, eat. Food. Eat the FOOD!”); and how to run for class president, (“Vote for me, and all your wildest dreams will come true.”).

Although “Napoleon Dynamite” is not award winning material, the movie does show an extremely humorous view of high school.

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”
Although high school does not involve wizards and witches, it does involve a lot of tough drama, which is exactly what Harry went through his fourth year.

During Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts, Harry has to battle with passing his classes, finding a date for “prom,” fighting an evil wizard, and a fortune teller who keeps predicting his death. Tough. However, Harry manages to save the entire school of Hogwarts and pass his class (despite the antics of Professor Snape.)

Most high school students can relate to Harry because of all the pressure that high school provides.

“The Breakfast Club”
Many students have problems with stereotyping and other judgmental students, which is exactly what “The Breakfast Club” addresses.

“A brain, a jock, a princess, a basket case, and a criminal,” are stuck in Saturday school. At first, the students ignore each other, but after talking to everyone, they begin to realize that they are not that different.

The movie shows that breaking away from the shield that cliques can create, one can meet new people and, as Hall puts it: “That’s kind of cool.”

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
Although ditching high school is not recommended, it is all right to daydream about having a good day driving around in a Ferrari.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” tells the story of Ferris ditching school in order to hang out with his “sick” friend Cameron and his girlfriend Sloane.

The film has plenty hilarious catch phrases that puts “Ray, When ever anybody asks you if you’re a god, you say YES! (“Ghostbusters”)” to shame, and more than enough hilarity ensues to cure any craving of comedy.

Although Hollywood does not perfectly depict what high school is like, it does give a good idea of the triumphs and challenges that students and teachers sometimes face. One may not cruise around in a Ferrari, fight off an evil Lord Voldemort, or stand on desks shouting “O captain! My captain!” But with all the pressure that high school provides, it sure will sometimes feel like it.

“Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them.” (“Wallstreet”)