Thursday, August 14, 2008
Living with the Kindle: After using my Kindle for the last three months or so, I can say that I am happy to own one ... and that it will be a long time before the demise of the book. The Kindle has stimulated and enhanced my reading by providing a radically different means for access and manipulating of reading material but it will not replace my book collection any time soon.
I've bought ten Kindle titles from Amazon, downloaded about thirty more from ManyBooks and FeedBooks, sent myself an additional ten or so PDF documents from my PC, actually bought a couple of real books from Amazon and borrowed about twenty more titles through my local library during the last three months.
The Kindle is great for reading fast moving fiction (Max Brand, Sarah Waters, Dennis Lehane, Frank Baum, Stephenie Meyer, Robert E. Howard), ok for more serious reading without too many pictures (White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters by Robert Schlesinger) not so good for plays (Romeo and Juliet), and ok (God and Empire by John Dominic Crossan) to painful (Paul: In Fresh Perspective by N. T. Wright) for more scholarly works ... even with the Kindle full text search feature I find flipping to and fro through the pages is so much easier with a book.
My most significant complaint is that I cannot share copies of titles with the Kindle in the same way as I can with books ... there is something much more rewarding with passing someone a copy of a book you have enjoyed that is not duplicated by merely suggesting that they should read a particular book ... reading my daughter's battered copy of Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz was a very different experience than downloading a copy to my Kindle would have been.
The Kindle web browser is primitive but perfectly serviceable for reading my email at Yahoo, my Google Reader feeds, checking the local weather from Weather Underground, searching for info at Wikipedia, and searching for as well as downloading more titles from Amazon, ManyBooks and FeedBooks .
One last comment ... the screen contrast is less than that of the typical book so that reading out on the deck while the light fades in the evening is not so easy as it is with a book.
Learn more about the Kindle ...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Consider the Kindle: Yes ... I have one. After reading a few days ago on Boy Genius Report that Kindle was "back in stock" I ordered one for myself ... and now that it's loaded with first six Oz books (I've been wanting to reread these for some time), Max Brand (one of my father's favorite authors that I thought I'd try), Pickwick Papers (my favorite Dicken's), Romeo and Juliet (my first purchase), Princess of Mars, Best of Robert E. Howard, Walden (of course), Paul: In Fresh Perspective, Patience of the Spider and more ... I'm wondering if I'll have time for anything else this spring ... hah ... just kidding ... I'm sure I can find time to ship out book orders.Learn more about the Kindle ...
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Browsing with Authority: Now that I'm no longer restricted by dialup speeds I'm discovering people like Taylor Mali ... teacher, poet, comedian.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Road Trip ... not me but Jess and Jesse. I'll be here wearing my Go Hike A Mountain Northeast Tour 2007 t-shirt, sorting books, watching Black Books Series 3, Bones, Folyes War, and Jeremy Brett, as well as chatting with elders while the Jesses are roaming through nearly every state east of the Mississippi logging miles, chewing Ramen, drinking Gatorade and, most important, climbing high points. And of course I'll be following their progress at gohikeamountain.com .
Thursday, December 27, 2007
A Holiday Reunion and some fun this Christmas with guys I haven't seen for quite a few years.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Happy holidays ... my books and I are taking our winter break earlier than usual this year ... we'll return at the end of the month. Tutti pace e bene.
Friday, November 02, 2007
2007 Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair runs from Friday November 16 through Sunday November 18 at Boston's Hynes Convention Center. I'm thinking I'll be driving up to take a look around. Read more about the book fair ...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Suggestions: Looking for Nevada Barr? Wolf Kahn? Frank Sinatra? Try my expanded suggestion links at the top of the menu to the right or look here.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Black Books: It's just the type of book shop I'd love to find ... well not really .... but this comedy series from BBC does remind me of some shops I've visited and I'm sure I've met Bernard, Manny and Fran somewhere ... that's right ... you know exactly who I mean ... ha ... just kidding ... no one I know is quite this zany. Two short seasons of the three completed at this time are available on DVD. Learn more about Black Books - The Complete First and Second SeriesWednesday, December 27, 2006
Wolfe Kahn, Billy Collins, and Merrily Watkins ... if you're looking for a book of outstanding contemporary paintings, playful elegant poetry or paranormal Anglicans you need only explore the Book Suggestions I have made available from the menu on the right of this page. If these aren't exactly what you're after, there are some other suggestions in Art, Poetry and Clerical Mysteries as well. Give a look now ...
