My thoughts about the Kindle

I put one on my wish list for Christmas.

I wasn't sure I really wanted one,

but I thought I'd try it out.

OK, the real reason?

My mom and sister had one,

and I felt left out.

I love electronics and new technology,

and I love books,

so while I had some hesitations about combining the two,

it seemed like something I should check out.

I received the Kindle for Christmas, to my suprise...

and slowly fell in love.

It wasn't a full blown immediate, passionate love affair,

but a slow, kindling kind of fire.

hehe

Pun intended.

I personalized it with a cool-looking skin and found a nice purple case to keep it safe,

and it fits in my purse and goes with me everywhere.

I've downloaded free word games...
to further my addiction of word games.

And I can connect to Amazon anytime I want via the Kindle...
to browse books and download the first chapter FREE of any book I want.

The instantaneous access is powerfully addicting.

The cheaper price of new hardbacks and best sellers is extremely gratifying.
I don't have to feel guilty about buying the latest Karen Marie Morning or Kim Harrison novel.

(Amazon hasn't paid or compensated me in any way to write this post!)

Also cool? 
You can loan some books to anyone else with a Kindle. 
And, since my mom and sister have one,
and we all read voraciously, this is awesome...
although not many books are "loanable" yet. 

I have a Kindle App on my iPhone now where I can read any of the books on my Kindle, on my iPhone.  The Kindle and the iPhone share knowledge
and keep track of where I am in a book. 
How smart is that?

I love technology. 
And I love reading. 
And I now love the Kindle.

Have you tried an electronic reading device?

Are you for or against them?

I don't want hard and soft cover books to go away, or bookstores for that matter,
but I love the buying convenience and the ability to store thousands of books on my Kindle.

More Christmas Books

Helen asked if I got any more books and the answer is a resounding Yes!   

Red Lily is one I asked for -- on Kay Byer's recommendation. "Isabel Zuber's poems weave their way quietly and sinuously into the reader's ear and imagination.  Their emotional landscape pulses with mystery mixed with a keen-eyed awareness of life's seasons and the reverberations that ripple ceaselesly from that knowledge."


Oh, yes. They do, indeed.

My niece, who reads my blog and has probably noted that I like wandering about graveyards and looking at old headstones, sent me this terrific field guide(profusely illustrated) to cemetery symbolism and iconography. 

I absolutely love it. And I forsee taking some day trips to graveyards farther afield.

My sister-in-law sent this charming old book -- copyright 1885. It's set in a boy's school that reminds me in many ways of the Plumfield of Alcott's Little Men. Most of the boys are manly little fellows and the girls are paragons of womanly virtue. It should be cloying but it isn't, at least not to me. But then I grew up reading my grandmother's old books. And it's a painless way to research the era.

Interestingly enough, the illustrations --"by the best American and English artists" -- seem to have been gathered nilly-willy and fit to the story, much as we bloggers glean images from the Internet.

 

The Encyclopedia of the Exquisite, a fascinating and eclectic little book, roams all over the place from lazzi (comic gags used by Renaissance actors) to confetti (originally candied fruits) . . .

 

to omelets, frilly lingerie, big hair and beyond.

The Hare with Amber Eyes is the story of a wealthy, cultivated Viennese family who, because they were Jews, lost everything on the Nazis' entry into Austria. Everything, that is, but a collection of netsukes. I've just begun and am really enjoying it.

The hefty package from my son and daughter-in-law had the clue "interred in the desert sands"on the label. (In the family, we put clues on our gifts to one another and try to guess what's inside before ripping the paper off.)

I should have guessed but the size and the weight had me confused. It's a Doonesbury Retrospective and I'm having a great time filling in the years I missed before I discovered that I could begin my day with a fresh Doonesbury on line.

So, what are you reading? 

Being Dead is No Excuse

Once a week we have family dinner at my grandmother's house.

And by family, I mean, me and my boys, 

my mother and her husband, 

my elderly father 

and my grandmother.

And one week, I saw this book on my grandmother's counter:

Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral

Apparently polishing silver can be classified as "grief therapy" 

and, quite frankly, no one eats better than a bereaved southerner.  

I'm not sure whther to be amused...or horrified!

Well ok, I'm amused.

Because if you can't find humor in things, life is just painful and boring!!

Have you thought about what kind of funeral you want?

I know several people who are so claustrophobic that they do NOT want to be buried, but instead cremated. 

I love the idea of a New Orleans Funeral parade with jazz music, dancing and umbrella waving.  

Wow, this post is getting way too morbid. 

I found another book by this author called

Looks hilarious.

Take A Child to a Bookstore Day

Here's a nice idea that's been flung up on the Internet recently -- take your (or somebody else's) child to a bookstore on December 4th!  

Let them pick out a book for immediate purchase . . . or make a wish list for the holidays . .  . or perhaps, select books for giving to others.

I have fond memories of almost monthly visits to the book department of Maas Brothers -- a large department store in Tampa, Florida --  back in the Fifties and being allowed to purchase the latest Nancy Drew.  How nice to be able to pass on a similar experience to a young reader!

This is a new idea, just getting started -- but what a wonderful gift for a child -- to be introduced to the joy of book owning and to the special thrill of being surrounded by books, any one of which might become a lifelong friend.

There's more information HERE.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Yesterday I participated in a reading of To Kill a Mockingbird at Malaprop's bookstore in Asheville.

Billed as a celebration of  the 50th anniversary of Harper Lee's renowned work, the Read-A-Thon began with Sarah Addison Allen at 4pm after which a lineup of regional authors each read for 15 minutes before passing the microphone. Authors included Brian Lee Knopp, Maria Fire, Charles Gershon, Mark de Castrique, Rose Senehi, Rob Neufeld, Peter Loewer, Howard Hanger, Sallie Bissell, George Ivey, Cynn Chadwick, Glenis Redmond, Allan Wolf, John Lane, Gene Cheek, Vicki Lane, and Wayne Caldwell.

It had been a shamefully long time since I read Harper Lee's great book -- my maiden name is in the paperback copy on my book shelf -- I'm guessing I purchased it in '62.  So I read it again to be prepared for my fifteen minutes at the mic. 

Oh, my! What a revelation!  It was like revisiting my childhood -- my memories of my grandparents and my Alabama relatives. Peach pickles and camellias and those timeless summers . . .

As I read the description of the small town, I couldn't help remembering my visit to my brother's home in Headland, Alaama -- the same town square surrounded by small shops.

Of course, the book's not all nostalgia and moonlight and magnolias -- the ugly racism of the times is the story -- the racism and one decent man's attempt to stand up to it. I think this book did a lot to help bring awareness of these backward attitudes to many people who hadn't thought beyond 'that's just the way things are.'


It was a pleasure to be a part of the read-a-thon -- there were no introductions -- just each of us reading our 15 minutes and wordlessly passing the mic to the next reader.  It seemed to me a charming way to honor the 50th anniversary of this important American novel

.

Choose Your Utopia

People have always dreamed of utopias -- ideal places.  Shangri-La  (an artist's vision pictured above) is one such -- a remote valley in the Himalayas where people live for hundreds of years, surrounded by beauty and indulging in every artistic and philosophic pursuit.

The Garden of Eden is one of the earliest -- an earthly paradise where man need not work for his food (is that a fried egg floating in the sky?)  -- a place of innocence where sin is unknown.

The Land of Cockaigne  -- a fantasy from medieval times -- was a place of abundant food and drink and idleness -- the dream world of a hard-worked, always hungry peasantry.

"The Big Rock Candy Mountain,"  -- the dream of a Depression-era hobo, complete with cigarette trees, lakes of stew, and whiskey trickling down the rocks -- is a direct descendant of Cockaigne.

The Heaven of the Bible, with its streets and gold and pearly gate is yet another sort of utopia -- for some. (In Mark Twain's Letters from the Earth, Book II, Twain points out that this sort of Heaven is a lot like an eternal church service  -- and many who pay lip service to the idea of Heaven as a goal manage to avoid the weekly services here on earth.)

 

Utopias have fascinated many a novelist -- from Hilton's Lost Horizon ( in my opinion, a much better book than the films it inspired) telling of the hidden valley of Shangri La . . .

. . . to James Gurney's wonderful land of Dinotopia -- where intelligent dinosaurs and humans coexist. These are wonderfully imagined and gorgeously illustrated children's books that more than a few adults will adore.

In fact, many children's books are set in utopian or near-utopian lands -- Oz and Narnia come to mind.

Here's one of my favorite fantasy lands -- Islandia is a strangely compelling work to me -- I find myself wanting to revisit it now and then just because I love the simplicity of this utopia -- a land of isolated farms when travel by horse or boat is the norm, a land that keeps itself apart from 'progress.' a land where manual labor and handicraft is valued -- as I said, this is a utopia that speaks to me.

What's your idea of a perfect place --your own ideal utopia?

Booked Up . . . for a Year

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you may wonder why I haven't mentioned recently what I'm reading.  Well, it's like that CIA joke -- I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you.

Okay, so I'm overstating the case a bit but here's the thing. I am reading A LOT but I have signed a pledge not to discuss the books I'm reading -- not now, not ever.

"What the ...?" I hear you saying.

Indeed. It's weird. But I am one of a committee reading to select five nominees for Best (mystery/crime/suspense) Novel of 2010 We select the nominees; the membership of Mystery Writers of America votes to determine the winner.  

The Edgar Award is prestigious and there are many, many books sent to us readers by the publishers.  The books began to trickle in by the end of February and then in March and April, here came cartons of books -- all shiny new hardbacks. At present I've received just over a hundred novels -- and there will be lots more.

And that, alas, is all I can tell you. I also signed a pledge not to discuss the judging process. I will say that I'm getting a comprehensive overview of mystery writing today.

I bring this up because a list of what I'm reading has always been a feature of my monthly Goodweather Report (published in its own blog the first of every month.)  So now that feature is going to have to disappear for a year and I feel the need to explain to those readers what's up.

And you all too.

It's at once a book lover's dream --  and nightmare.  All these great books -- but I can't talk about them.

Stay tuned . . . the books are mine to keep. Next year, there will be giveaways!

Reading for the Detail

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt is a marvelous read for a details freak such as myself. A while back I was fantasizing about an ebook that would have hot links to every obscure reference -- I found myself wishing for those very hot links as I made my way through this beautiful, rich, and alluring story. 


It's not for everyone -- because of this denseness.  And it's not as compelling a story as Byatt's Possession which ranks as one of my favorite books. But I truly enjoyed it and will reread it to revel in all the lush details.


This is what The New Yorker had to say:

Byatt’s mammoth novel, spanning the two and a half decades before the First World War, centers on the Wellwood family, led by a banker with radical inclinations and his wife, the author of best-selling fairy tales. At their country estate, they preside over a motley brood of children and host midsummer parties for fellow Fabians, exiled Russian anarchists, and German puppeteers. But the idyll contains dark secrets, as a potter whom the family takes in for a time discovers. Byatt is concerned with the complex, often sinister relationship between parent and child, which she explores through various works of art—pottery, puppet shows, fairy tales—using them to refract and illuminate the larger narrative. At times, an excess of detail threatens to overwhelm the plot: no aquamarine glaze goes undescribed, no psychological process unmentioned. But, despite risking tedium, the book is ultimately engaging and rewarding. ♦

And then there's  The Road to Wellville, T. Coraghessan Boyle's exceedingly comic take on the health food industry in Battle Creek, Michigan in the early 1900's. The book is based on the real Dr. Kellog and I found it pretty hilarious. (There was a movie of the same name which evidently was quite awful.)

Wellville is another fairly dense period piece. There are several plotlines and some outrageous situations. But again -- I enjoy that sort of thing. Here's a review, that will tell you more.

Which Side are You On?

There's a bit of a battle raging concerning electronic books -- or electronic "books," depending on where you stand.

Lots of folks deplore the very idea of any thing other than a physical printed-on-paper book. Others have joyously adopted the new technology. 

It doesn't, of course, have to be all one way. Plenty of people who adore a "real" book will still make use of an E-book for travel, commutes, what have you. Then, too, there's the advantage of being able to adjust the print size. Or order on the spur of the moment and receive your download instantly.

I think I've made it clear how much I love books. Our house is overflowing with them and I'm quite attached to the heft, the smell, the memories connected with certain well-worn favorites.

Nor do I own an E book. I did download  Kindle to my laptop for free, just so I could see what the reading experience was like. (It's okay, but I spend enough time at my laptop as it is. And I did download THE COMPLETE WORKS OF CHARLES DICKENS for an amazing 99 cents. Just because I could.)

But the E books are coming. I don't spend a lot of energy lamenting the possible eventual demise of 'real books' -- they'll continue to be around for years to come for those of us who love them. If future generations get their stories from electronic devices, so be it. Here's an article pointing out some interesting innovations ahead.

I'm already dreaming about a book that could have illustrations like, well, this blog. And links, instead of footnotes, for readers who wanted to follow a particular train of thought. I think it could be really amazing. And much greener, come to that.

And whenever I hear someone bemoan the fact that they'll just never be able to enjoy anything that isn't a real book, I think about all the folks who were really attached to their scrolls.

A Vote for the Independent Bookstore

Things are shifting uneasily in the book world. It seems like almost every day brings news of another independent bookstore closing -- Jim Huang's The Mystery Company in Indiana and The Open Book in Greeneville, SC (after forty years!) are two of the latest casualties. In 1993 therewere 4,700 independent book stores in the US; by 2007, there were only 2,500. Heaven knows what the figures are today. Even the big chains, the well-known names, aren't showing the profits they once did.

Is it the economy? Is it the on-line book sellers? Is it e-books? Is it huge discounts in big-box stores? Is it a shrinking base of readers?

So far, the independents I know best in my area are still hanging in there -- making adjustments where necessary, adding a cafe here, joining forces with another bookseller there.

Long may they survive!

The indies are a treasure to the community -- holding readings, hosting book clubs and discussions, giving space to writers' groups, running book fairs to support various community projects -- and, oh yes, being real booksellers.

These are the folks who read the books and can tell you about them, who remember what sort of books you like and recommend similar ones. Indy booksellers tend to be passionate about books -- heaven knows they're not in it for the money!

These are the folks who've been very good to me, 'hand selling' my Elizabeth Goodweather books and hosting events where I can meet my readers.

And these are the charming little stores where I love to browse and discover new books -- the quiet little books that are under the bestsellers' radar, the quirky little books that'll never show up at Wal Mart, the regional books that teach me more about Appalachia . . .

So I make a point of doing some gift-buying at my local Indies. Even if I could save a few dollars by shopping on line.

It's my small vote in favor of the wonderful institution of the independent bookstore.