Today I became the happy recipient of a Kindle, amazon.com's electronic book reader.
One of the things I love about it is that you can download samples of books from amazon.com and then decide if you want to buy. So I've been asking friends for suggestions of books to sample.
Suggestions so far:
Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth"
William P. Young's "The Shack"
Roberta MacAvoy's "Tea with the Black Dragon"
And I've downloaded the next Terry Pratchett book on my list.
So what else should I sample?
Feed my Kindle!
Feed my Kindle
-
Primula Baggins
- Living in hope
- Posts: 40005
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:43 am
- Location: Sailing the luminiferous aether
- Contact:
It is neat (says the writer who gets double the royalties with no reserve against returns on Kindle sales).
As hardware, how do you like it, Wampus? How is it for just sitting down and reading, as compared to actual book pages? I'm thinking ahead to traveling more (someday), and definitely like the idea of being able to take several weeks' worth of books in one tidy package. But I really want it to be a pleasant reading experience and intuitive to use—and have plenty of battery life!
As hardware, how do you like it, Wampus? How is it for just sitting down and reading, as compared to actual book pages? I'm thinking ahead to traveling more (someday), and definitely like the idea of being able to take several weeks' worth of books in one tidy package. But I really want it to be a pleasant reading experience and intuitive to use—and have plenty of battery life!
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
-
WampusCat
- Creature of the night
- Posts: 8464
- Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:36 pm
- Location: Where least expected
So far I find it very easy and very pleasant to use. And several of my friends who have had it for longer highly recommend it.
Frelga, Pratchett is one of the reasons I decided to make the leap. I was running out of shelf space even though I haven't made it halfway through his books! This way I can finish one, then download another a minute later without trying to figure out where to store it. (Used book stores are for expendable books.)
And I certainly will download your next book, Prim. Speaking of which, I put "Hidden Worlds" in the hands of a friend yesterday. She had brought in her Kindle so I could see how it worked. Which led to discussion of books. Which led me to offer her yours.
As for the battery life, it depends in part whether you leave the Internet connection on all the time. I've heard that it'll last about 2 days if you do, and about a week if you don't, between recharges.
Recommendations?
Frelga, Pratchett is one of the reasons I decided to make the leap. I was running out of shelf space even though I haven't made it halfway through his books! This way I can finish one, then download another a minute later without trying to figure out where to store it. (Used book stores are for expendable books.)
And I certainly will download your next book, Prim. Speaking of which, I put "Hidden Worlds" in the hands of a friend yesterday. She had brought in her Kindle so I could see how it worked. Which led to discussion of books. Which led me to offer her yours.
As for the battery life, it depends in part whether you leave the Internet connection on all the time. I've heard that it'll last about 2 days if you do, and about a week if you don't, between recharges.
Recommendations?
-
Primula Baggins
- Living in hope
- Posts: 40005
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:43 am
- Location: Sailing the luminiferous aether
- Contact:
You've read Dorothy Sayers, I'm sure—and P.G. Wodehouse.
It's been so long since I read anything completely for pleasure. . . .
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
No, I haven't. Although I've read bits and pieces of both. Do you have particular favorites?-
Primula Baggins
- Living in hope
- Posts: 40005
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:43 am
- Location: Sailing the luminiferous aether
- Contact:
Yes, yes, Le Guin! And I also think Left Hand of Darkness is her best. And there is her wonderful fantasy the Earthsea Trilogy—and the fourth book, Tehanu! 
The first three are YA but so beautifully written it doesn't matter, and Tehanu—I just plain love Tehanu. Though I know people who don't.
As for Sayers, I mean the Lord Peter Wimsey books, which are classic British mysteries with the monocled detective and his faithful manservant Bunter. They're also literature, for my money. I reread them regularly. A good way in would be The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club or Murder Must Advertise. Toward the end a story arc (eccentirically romantic) emerged, but it doesn't figure in those two, so you don't miss anything.
As for Wodehouse, pick up any Jeeves and Wooster book, the earlier the better, but really you cannot go wrong with him. If you like that sort of thing. Bertie Wooster is the rich young moron, and Jeeves is his smoothly intelligent butler who discreetly solves everything. They're light and funny and really approachable; my older son discovered and enjoyed them in middle school (and ever since).
There were some great British TV versions a couple of decades ago, with Bertie played by a young Hugh Laurie. I think I love the TV show House in part because it's so preposterous to think that Bertie and House are played by the same actor.
Edit: Cross-posted with Wampus. If you haven't read Tehanu, do try that one. Left Hand of Darkness is science fiction and, if I can put this in a modest way, really influenced me—Le Guin pulls no punches on character and emotion, yet she combines that with beautiful, spare, highly visual writing to make a whole that I only wish I could emulate. Maybe if I work really hard for a long time.
The first three are YA but so beautifully written it doesn't matter, and Tehanu—I just plain love Tehanu. Though I know people who don't.As for Sayers, I mean the Lord Peter Wimsey books, which are classic British mysteries with the monocled detective and his faithful manservant Bunter. They're also literature, for my money. I reread them regularly. A good way in would be The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club or Murder Must Advertise. Toward the end a story arc (eccentirically romantic) emerged, but it doesn't figure in those two, so you don't miss anything.
As for Wodehouse, pick up any Jeeves and Wooster book, the earlier the better, but really you cannot go wrong with him. If you like that sort of thing. Bertie Wooster is the rich young moron, and Jeeves is his smoothly intelligent butler who discreetly solves everything. They're light and funny and really approachable; my older son discovered and enjoyed them in middle school (and ever since).
There were some great British TV versions a couple of decades ago, with Bertie played by a young Hugh Laurie. I think I love the TV show House in part because it's so preposterous to think that Bertie and House are played by the same actor.
Edit: Cross-posted with Wampus. If you haven't read Tehanu, do try that one. Left Hand of Darkness is science fiction and, if I can put this in a modest way, really influenced me—Le Guin pulls no punches on character and emotion, yet she combines that with beautiful, spare, highly visual writing to make a whole that I only wish I could emulate. Maybe if I work really hard for a long time.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
-
Primula Baggins
- Living in hope
- Posts: 40005
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:43 am
- Location: Sailing the luminiferous aether
- Contact:
I love The Dispossessed. The first LeGuin I ever read, at 15. But something in LHoD spoke to me in an entirely new way. Its influence on my first (unpublished) novel is strong enough that if it ever does come to publication, I can see that I will have to do a rewrite just to wind that back a bit. 
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
-
WampusCat
- Creature of the night
- Posts: 8464
- Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:36 pm
- Location: Where least expected
Alas, Left Hand of Darkness is not available on Kindle yet.
But I did just buy the COMPLETE Sherlock Holmes stories for $.80. Yep, that's 80 cents.
Also purchased: The Mental Floss History of the World. Just for fun.
and Whose Body? by Sayers (for $1.59!)
and The Jeeves Omnibus by Wodehouse
This is fun. And potentially addictive. I think I'll go read for a while.
But I did just buy the COMPLETE Sherlock Holmes stories for $.80. Yep, that's 80 cents.
Also purchased: The Mental Floss History of the World. Just for fun.
and Whose Body? by Sayers (for $1.59!)
and The Jeeves Omnibus by Wodehouse
This is fun. And potentially addictive. I think I'll go read for a while.
The Dispossessed is a great book. LHoD is a book I love. It shows a deep, nuanced world that is alien and yet familiar, and a narrator/protagonist who is strong, intelligent, decisive, and yet at times rendered helpless by greater forces, and sometimes just plain wrong. I highly recommend it, Kindle or not.Primula Baggins wrote:I love The Dispossessed. The first LeGuin I ever read, at 15. But something in LHoD spoke to me in an entirely new way. Its influence on my first (unpublished) novel is strong enough that if it ever does come to publication, I can see that I will have to do a rewrite just to wind that back a bit.
I'd like to hear what you think about Hobbs. Rodia raved about her, and I enjoyed the Assassin's Apprentice. Beautiful writing, yet it didn't quite pull me in, and I never picked up the second book.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
-
WampusCat
- Creature of the night
- Posts: 8464
- Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:36 pm
- Location: Where least expected
I am definitely pleased with my Kindle. While reading it, I totally forget that it isn't a book. The page-turning is effortless. The type is clear (and you can select the size of the type, which is one thing printed books can't do).
It's tempting to wander back and forth from book to book, then catch a bit of the owner's manual, then look up something on wikipedia. It always remembers where you were, so if you start one book and put it down after a few chapters, you never lose your place. When you call up that book again, it goes straight to where you were.
I haven't done many of the nifty things you can do, such as highlighting passages or making annotations, but it's nice to know I can. Mostly I just want to read. And read. And read.
It's tempting to wander back and forth from book to book, then catch a bit of the owner's manual, then look up something on wikipedia. It always remembers where you were, so if you start one book and put it down after a few chapters, you never lose your place. When you call up that book again, it goes straight to where you were.
I haven't done many of the nifty things you can do, such as highlighting passages or making annotations, but it's nice to know I can. Mostly I just want to read. And read. And read.
-
Primula Baggins
- Living in hope
- Posts: 40005
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:43 am
- Location: Sailing the luminiferous aether
- Contact:
That sounds absolutely lovely!
And if I'd named three Wimsey books to start with instead of two, Whose Body? would have been the third. It actually is an early one, too, which helps.
EIGHTY CENTS for all of Sherlock Holmes?
That is the entertainment value of the twenty-first century.
And if I'd named three Wimsey books to start with instead of two, Whose Body? would have been the third. It actually is an early one, too, which helps.
EIGHTY CENTS for all of Sherlock Holmes?
That is the entertainment value of the twenty-first century.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King