Star Bright

One of today's fun moments was trading favorite lines of The Fault in our Stars with GBC P@1ge and discussing traditional highlighter versus the electronic bookmark.  I can't wait to see the film.

She read the book in just over a day.  I think it took me a bit longer but it was a tender break during my Christmas holidays.

I hope you had a great weekend and got a good look at the stars.

Short and Sweet

I really liked this essay on the Kindle Single published today in The Guardian.  I'd missed this Amazon launch (to which my vacation account is probably grateful).  According to the article, the format is geared toward items of 5,000-30,000 words in length, perfect for that weekend jaunt or an evening in.  Several writers are adopting the format, including Howard Jacobson and Margaret Atwood.  Look out, 1-Click!

Did You Pack the Trunk?

In the mad rush of last minutes items (and perhaps celebratory sparking reading water), I was at a loss for books to download for weekend reading.  I have a personal objection to the price point of $12.99 for an ebook (ahem, Amazon) and their lenders reading library failed me on any of the more recent items from my book list.  So I searched for Seabiscuit (only purchase) but fourth down from the list from the search was (and I don't understand the SEO behind it) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.  With apologies to Reece Witherspoon, I did not recall a movie, and I could not have told you at midnight anything about the book's premise, however I went with instinct and borrowed the book.

I started the book early the next morning and was surprised to find myself reading back-to-back novels on circus life. The story is unfurling like a hot air balloon filling and I am not far enough through the tale to give fair review...only to say that I'm hooked. 

Sit-n-Spin

This morning I will be on lock-down at a physician's office for about three hours.  Perfect time to read.

Of course, my thought (and first world problem) this morning:  which book do I start?  Should I slide in another nonfiction?  Do I want a funny read? (Okay, yes, but is that appropriate given the circumstances?)  Do I challenge my brain or give myself a little spring candy?  At this point, I'm undecided but I am abusing the "One-Click" download.  Options.

In the end, I'll need to take a little guidance from Wordsworth and just "begin."

[And just before I hit "Publish," my brain said, "Maybe you can just knit."]  

The Third Parallel

I have known those who read multiple books concurrently. I have heard various explanations: scholarly approach, boredom, inability to commit, or the right to brag at parties (which as I type the list, seems to resemble dating).

I tend to stand by my book but last night was forced into a plan C. Like many of you, I enjoy reading just before falling asleep. As I settled in for another chapter or two of Yoga for People Who Can't be Bothered to Do It, I saw this message:

[Don't worry if you can't read the text; just think of it as seeing through my glasses.] I was foiled by technology. Time to initiate a backup plan.

My Faraway One? Remember this book is heavy and I did not want the sensation of burning biceps as I nodded off. So it was that last night I began Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams. Chapter One reaffirmed my desire to visit and secured the novel's place as my next read. Judging from the sheer volume of reviews I scrolled through to find Mr. Adams link, I am not the only fan.

Drop and Roll Monday

I had my equivalent of the dropped book last night, which with the Kindle meant I landed in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane before hitting Great Expectations and then finally finding my place in The Witch of Portobello. [It was like a scene from HHGttG but with books rather than people...and I didn't have a towel.]

I am enjoying Coelho's read but know I am drawing nearer to the moment of Athena's death. Though this sounds like a spoiler, our author gives us this detail in the opening paragraphs. In re-reading the opening "chapter" by Heron Ryan this morning, I regained perspective of how the end of the book may start to take shape. The novel is written in the form of interviews with each section/chapter in the interviewee's voice. The book is full of memorable lines and I have used the highlighter tool a bit more than expected for sentences like "I was everyone, and everyone was me and my solitude" (Loc 1570).

With Shoneyin's debut novel next in the queue, I am assured of a very nice week of reading ahead. Wishing you a pleasant start to your week with perhaps a few landings in unexpected places.

Witch Way Did He Go George?

It is generally the same time each month (the weekend before GBC) that I search for the email to remind me of the month's read. As a reminder to you, the next books up for discussion are:

• The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
• The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin

So with Kindle loaded, a little time on my hands this weekend, and invoking the luck of the Irish, I may actually finish the book before the Ides of March. Happy reading.

Kindle - Location, Location, Location

Thanks are due to my friend Lora for sharing yesterday's big news in the electronic reading world via Twitter feed. I know that GBC K1m and I both share excitement that real page numbers will finally enter the Kindle world. While Amazon has a nice spin in their user guide that:

Locations are the digital answer to page numbers. Since you can change the text size on Kindle, the page numbers would change too, but with locations, you can be confident that you return to the same place every time regardless of the text size you prefer. [Note: Kindle's User Guide does not have page numbers either so this quote could not be properly referenced.]

While I salute the engineer's logic who developed this methodology, if s/he thinks that I can remember I finished last night's book at "Locations 5840-55," s/he gave me too much credit (and I am a numbers gal). So thank you Amazon, and thank you to the hundreds of people who actually used the user feedback email address to prompt the change.

Other items which I think could be improved:

1) Allowing the dictionary to be used on one-half of a hyphenated word (half, e.g.), particularly for those of us reading old Victorian novels

2) Beginning a book on the front cover rather than "Chapter 1". I am, after all, a traditionalist with books and I do like to read all the notes at the beginning. I also want a view of the cover, albeit electronic greyscale.

Got the Hang of Saturdays

I will have my fair share of plane reading this weekend and have added Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams to my (oft-mistaken for an iPad) reading device. I do want to finish PP&Z, but am not keen to actually carry a book this trip. I have read excerpts of Hitchhiker's Guide via various boyfriends through the years and decided on Thursday it was time to make this read about me, not the physicist or the engineer.

R & R & R(eading)

Within minutes, I added two books for my upcoming trip. If only I could have found an airline ticket as easily tonight, I would be better enjoying my (second) glass of reading water. So the next book in my queue will be either Room: A Novel or a recently suggested title by a good friend and former roommate/partner in various debaucheries. The recommended The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo will be a heavy contender for plane reading. After eleven consecutive working days, I am looking forward to a little reading. Enjoy your weekend.

For my fellow GBC members, enjoy Oktoberfest. I will miss you this weekend and will raise my glass from afar. Proscht!

These Boots Were Made for Walking

I am only six percent (electronic reader = instant statistics) into The Devil in the White City as my schedule grew a bit more hectic at week's end. Also, The Devil in the White City's title reminded me of The Devil Wears Prada so I may have spent that little bit of free time (insomnia) yesterday morning researching this year's "must have" fall boot instead of reading.

This morning's email summary included a TechCrunch article on internet search engines which discussed intent generation and mentioned Barneys, so guess who went directly to the Barneys website to check out their shoes (and handbags)?

Apparently this weekend, all roads lead to shoes, and I walk the line.

Roll Stride

I am blaming gods in Alabama for the fact that at 9:00 last night, I was making biscuits. I am blaming my grandmother for never measuring anything and for inspiring me to follow in her footsteps which meant my destiny was drop flour all over my newly vacuumed floor. (This was of course my lesson for being lazy on sieve selection and for not washing the one I should have used.) The first sentence was no shocker at its mention of football. Judging from my brief stint here, the entire first line of the novel is apropos as an opener to life in Alabama.

As I do not seem to have the ability to let a novel "rest" before jumping into the next one, Sunday found me in the company of Jackson's read. This was the first book that I have read in some time which is actually a "book" and not a manifestation of New York Times font (or in Handler's case, Linotype Sabon font which debuted in 1966 for all you trivia buffs) on my electronic reader. I held the book, and I turned page after page, trying to 'cifer (getting into character) what happened with Jim Beverly. I am also now a little more fearful of palmetto bugs, but this may not be relevant to the rest of you.

How were the biscuits? Tasty. I had them with butter, bbq and slaw. Note to self: next read must be from a healthier food region.

Busy Bee

Moving is exhausting. By the end of the day yesterday, I had reached a stage where my only wish was to lie down and rest...until I saw my kindle. "Ah, a few pages before I take a small nap and get back to unpacking," I thought. A few pages turned into the last 25% of the book and as I neared the end of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, I realized there was still one unresolved issue. Would Larsson tie up all the loose ends? Of course he will, but I do not want to give too much away. The book is a great wrap-up to the rest of the series and I think fans of the first book will be eager to work their way through the last two titles.

What's next on my list? I am not certain, but as I unpack the many boxes of books this evening, I am certain I will find something to catch my eye.

As the Page Turns

It was no surprise for me to see that today's best selling Kindle books included the three books in Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. (The Surgeon: with Bonus Content by Tess Gerritsen is interrupting the one-two-three sweep as it holds a position as third best selling. I am not familiar with this title.) My hand has hovered over the "One-Click" button a few times over the last month, and I am eager to read it. I know that several others of the GBC group are keen as well. So, what will happen? Will all GBC members purchase the book in a mad dash for discussion? Will excitement turn into a paralyzing inaction as we all wait to see who rushes in first? Tune in next month (if not before) for the exciting conclusion.

Life is Like a Butterfly

My focus the last two days has been the brochures of local happenings during these last days in Southwest France. There are so many things to see and to enjoy. The weather is again lovely after a few days of rain. As I sit on the sofa with a black cat at my side and a fire in the hearth, I feel fortunate for the people I have met and for the experiences during my travels.

Emma is waiting to be finished with Madame Bovary next in line. I also have a renewed interest in Three Musketeers after discovering that a statue of d'Artagnan rests in nearby Auch. [I would also like to note that I have yet to charge my electronic reader - thank you neighbor for the tip on "wireless off" to prolong the battery. In equal fairness, I should also admit that my reading has been relegated to less time than my norm due to my typically long and physical days.] I look forward to the characters I have yet to meet.

Scenes from a Train Window

I am moving through Emma at a slower pace now that my days are quite full. Still, I have managed to find time each evening to see how our main character is doing with her match-making. I am 23% through the book (according to the handy reference for the electronic reader) and think I have finally retained to memory who the early characters are in the story. It has taken me several pages to grow accustomed to the language and the formal references (Mr. Weston, e.g.). I am enjoying the story.

In addition to the new title, I have found delight in a change in scenery. In a few long days, I have found a new rhythm where things are quite different but somehow familiar.

Bonjour!

I read Emma on the plane
I read Emma on the train
I have not yet been in Spain
But yesterday did enjoy the rain

I have made more than a pilgrim's progress in the book, but still many more pages to go. [More news to come when my sleep to awake ratio gets a bit higher. Nous vous remercions de votre patience.]

Kindling a Fire

Last week I was treated to lunch and a hands on tour of the Kindle courtesy of a neighbor and fellow lover of things gadgety. With absolute certainty that there was no lingering evidence of the brat on my hands, I held the reading device. Post-release, I have been skeptical of an electronic reader. If you have been to my home, you know I like books, particularly early edition books with unique topics. After my preview, I am certain that the Kindle would not replace my tendency to purchase old cookbooks and books on Labor in Finland, but it might however keep trendy paperbacks from cluttering my shelves. I can also see an advantage to electronically receive certain reference books and magazines. It seemed that nearly every question I posed was answered with "yes" including a "Clip This Article" feature that I asked in jest. My neighbor was fair to say there were a few drawbacks to the product and gave me a balanced view of these too, however the overall opinion was favorable. In fact, one of the reasons I was seeking more information about the Kindle is that every avid reader I have met who owns one seems to love it. (They also swoon slightly when talking about the Kindle, but this could be more related to personality rather than the Kindle.) I am tempted. If I start to swoon when talking about books I have recently read, you may just know the cause.