What genres do you read?

I think most people find they prefer certain reading genres.


Mine have changed over time. When I first began to read for pleasure (high school, but few books) I preferred fiction. As an adult, once I really began to read more, I found I enjoyed mostly non fiction selections. Many of those books were related to my Christianity or marriage/family. Now that I read even more, I have found that I enjoy both fiction and non fiction.


These days I can really appreciate the creativity required to produce a riveting and well written fictional story. I think that preference has been influenced by my homeschooling our kids. Together we have truly enjoyed some wonderful books! My avoidance of books as a pre-adolescent means I have a lot of uncovered ground in juvenile fiction!


In regard to fiction I've branched into some areas I previously hadn't ventured. Around the time we moved to England I found Jasper Fforde's books and really fell for them; they are so smart but very funny.


I enjoy biographies, often those written about film or tv stars of the 1940s-1960s.


I really like to read memoirs. A true story is sometimes the best!


I occasionally like a mystery.


I enjoy well written juvenile fiction.




I am learning that I have a real affinity for classic British literature too!

Today brings exciting news for owners (or prospective owners) of NOOK COLOR devices.

Today Barnes and Noble announced a software upgrade to their NOOK COLOR.


It is only a 1.2 update and not a 2.0 as some have hoped.


That means that the update comes with some asked-for improvements but likely nothing too amazing. In fact, I read a lot of whining about it today online as I perused the ereader news for the day.


All of that aside, an online acquaintance of mine contacted me today to say how very
excited she is with regard to the update! I could hear her squeals of delight through her
Facebook post! I am excited for her and other NOOK COLOR owners.
(Maybe she'll pop in to tell us what she likes!)


Ereader devices are great. They are becoming more multi-functional all the time.
The prices are great. The competition is strong too. Rumor has it that Amazon is coming out with a device they are going to call a tablet but which will be integrated into their already strong Kindle system. That will surely please Kindle users and prospective buyers.


         
Some sites:
http://tinyurl.com/NOOK-COLOR-UPDATE
http://tinyurl.com/AmazonTabletInTheWorks
http://tinyurl.com/6dj6zft

Are you doing any "Royal" reading?

I've seen interest in Prince William's upcoming marriage to Kate Middleton  has inspired some readers to delve into books relating to the monarchy. Since we lived in England for a couple years I've already done my share of that.


My suggestion is for some light and fun reading; a quick but delightful book:


An Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett


 Kindle Edition
  Paperback Edition


An Uncommon Reader NOOKBOOK < click here


I've done a review of it previously.



If you might read it, just skip the review and read it. 


It is only 120 pages long. 


The main topic is the love if reading and the story comes with a neat little pleasing twist right at the end of the book.


My previous review of An Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett < click here

The Help by Kathryn Stockett...to be made into a film.

Well, here is another delightful book being made into a film.





The release date is set for August 2011.


The Help (film) < click here


My review of the book can be read here:


click here >The Help by Kathryn Stockett

50 books a year prescribed for 11 yr olds.

See the whole article here:


http://tinyurl.com/Independents50BookListFor11s


My thoughts?


First, I think it is important to realize that this article was written by a British journalist. The five people who were approached to create the list of 50 books are all British. Therefore, the titles are overwhelmingly British also.


In theory, it's a great idea. The books I recognized from that list are pretty meaty though, in prose or length. Remember, some kids get little homework, others have loads each night. That doesn't even take into consideration social activities such as church or scouting. What about sports? Just because kids may not read 50 books a year or they aren't reading at that high a level, it does not necessarily mean they are not using their time well.


Of course I'd love for it to be a reality that 11 year olds would read 50 books such as these every year. I see it as more of a reality for homeschooled kids (and we've homeschooled so I've been there and know the reality of homeschooling vs public schools).


Three of our five kids really enjoy reading. Two will likely continue to prove to be prolific in their reading. One of them is dying to have an ereader and that will likely further encourage his joy of reading. Our youngest already owns a child's ereader:


Our Initial Impression of the VReader < click here


VReader and extra memory < click here


I have also signed our kids up with accounts at www.librarything.com where they can track and review their reading.


The article mentions the unfortunate closure of libraries too.
Can any country really hope their kids will read if we close libraries? (Especially with the current economy?)


I am intrigued by the list. I had surgery this week and am recovering so my body is telling me I need to take a break now and take a nap. I will be returning to the list though to take a deeper look at it myself. I may read some of the selections myself! I haven't heard of some of them.



As for our kids, I will continue to encourage them to read. I've told them I will always find money for books if they ask me to buy them. I try to make our house a comfortable place to read and I often read to or with our kids. I'll keep doing that. Of course I want them to read a lot but I don't want them to focus on the number of books they read more than the benefit or pleasure they receive from reading.


I'm just happy when they read and that they tend to enjoy reading.

Kindle is going to begin supporting library borrowing like NOOK.

There is good news for owners of Kindle ereaders or those considering a purchase.

Http://Tinyurl.com/LibraryUseViaKindle

I am particularly intrigued by the functionality they are designing in that the bookmarks and highlights and notations that users make I'm borrowed books will be accessible by the user if the book is borrowed again or subsequently purchased. I make many notations as I read. If Ivrun out of time with a library book my NOOK loses my notations, highlights, and bookmarks. If I borrow the book again, they are no longer there; they've been lost.

I find this an intriguing advance. Amazon/Kindle is listening to the users of ereaders!

Spooky Little Girl: A Novel by Laurie Notaro

Fiction is a newer venture for Laurie Notaro. This is supposedly her second shot at fiction although I am not sure what her first title was.


She's known for her non fiction titles; I'll include a list after my review.


Ghost stories aren't my thing. I suppose that is why I hadn't gotten around to reading this selection. I knew about this book and was reminded of it recently on someone's blog although I now can't find that blog post. 


Laurie and I differ on a lot of things; in the room of politics she'd be standing on the far left and I'd be chatting up "W" on the right, for instance; also she is an agnostic and I stand firm on the foundation of Christ. Her childishness can still make me giggle though. 


I've become a big fan of fiction in the past few years. The marks of a good story are being able to convince one to set aside reality for a while though and Notaro proved able to get me to do just that, for about three or four days last week.

Lucy Fisher is due to marry in eight weeks. She isn't really head-over-heels-in-love with Martin but is happy and settled in his reliability and steadfast predictability. Before the wedding she has decided to spend an inheritance on what was intended to be the trip of a lifetime with a couple of girlfriends. The trip was a disappointment but that was just the beginning...of the end.


Upon returning home she finds all of her belongings in her front yard and her dog locked inside; her key won't work. Having been dumped by Martin, without explanation, she is also fired from her job, with explanation. She moves up-state 
to live with her sister and nephew, hoping for a new start. Little does she know 
that an accident lies in her path and the path will divert to the after-life. 


After her accident she awakens to find herself in a hospital-like room and believes herself to be dreaming a helluva dream. She decides to sit back and enjoy the dream    

     "After all, there were worse dreams to be stuck in. She could have been making 

     out with Carrot Top or being chased through a mall by a bear with a goat head, 

     all while trying to figure out a way to stop in at the food court to get a 

     Beef'nCheddar at Arby's without getting mauled. Truly, this was a great dream.

     The detail was amazing; the premise was fascinating. She was already looking     

     forward to recounting the whole bizarre episode to Alice in the morning over 

     their first cup of coffee." 

Enrolled in her first class Sudden Death (or Surprise Demise as her teacher likes to call it) she learns "Don't dress as the ghost you are, dress for the ghost you want to be." Lucky for her...she really did die in her cowboy boots and "today's only the first day of the rest of (her) death".

The gist of things is that Lucy has to earn her way to the State (The State of Elated Bliss). She must return to the land of the living and determine what her mission there is without being told. Along the way she experiences two funerals held in honor of her, one barely attended and the other well attended. Between the two she is stuck trying to figure out why her death was initially barely noticed.  She grows in maturity and even manages to have a load of fun. She is also reunited with her dead granny, Naunie, who manages to accomplish her own  on-the-way-to-State-deed while helping Lucy's sister and nephew.

I take slight issue with the fact that at times Lucy and her grandmother pass right through material things but also have a particular talent of being able to sometimes move physical things. By the end of the book it seems that Notaro is taking liberties with her own ghost rules and must not have been able to find a better way to manipulate the story. I tried to ignore that and just enjoy the ride!

I like to include favorite lines from books in my reviews. This particular sentence isn't the greatest of prose but it struck me as delightfully funny as I was reading:

     "Scarier apparitions have swirled out of the tailpipes of cars." pg 202

Here's a list of Notaro's books; the ones with stars are the ones I have read :


* We Thought You Would be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive

* I Love Everybody (And Other Atrocious Lies):True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl

* The Idiot Girls' Actions Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life

* Autobiography of a Fat Bride: True Tales of a Pretend Adulthood


* The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia, and Laser Hair Removal

* An Idiot Girl's Christmas

* Spooky Little Girl

There's a Slight Chance I Might be Going to Hell




I like that this story was inspired by truth even though it is sad that the real Lucy Fisher died too, and without her friends knowing about it when it happened:


The Story of the real Lucy Fisher < click here

Found this for you too:


click here > The Nervous Breakdown (Laurie Notaro's Interview with her mom)

Need a quick, easy way to find out the order of books in a series?

Do you ever find out about a book series but not know the order of the books?

This site will help you!

It's one of my favorite book-related sites.

click here> What's Next?

Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire

While I try to mostly post about books that I loved reading I am going to include a poor review for this title. So many people love Maguire's books but I am a dissenter. I believe that reading four titles gives me enough background on which to make my judgment. I have no issue with others enjoying his writing; it's just that I have decided I do not.


(Feel free to disagree with me. The world's a big place and has room for all kinds of opinions. This is my site so I am going to feel free to say how I felt about it.)


What an awful book. I know many people just love Maguire's works. I guess I am not one. He writes in such a fashion that I feel he attempts a loftiness that isn't even legitimate. There are times when I reread a sentence that he has written and struggle with calling it a sentence even. 


This is the fourth book of his that I have read. I am not finding that I like his work more; rather I like it less. I suppose this proves that the way he writes just does not suit me. This particular title, though, was just awful. The dwarves were not real, rather, they were something like animated stones that then became sort-of-real. What's up with that? I found it odd and awkward to try to figure out what he was attempting with that concept. At the end of the book it just ended. There really seemed to be no plot at all; just a long drawn-out story-line. It was really quite dissatisfying.

You've got to be kidding me. Amazon markets an ereader with ads.

I find this ridiculous. This morning's bit of news for readers holds the teaser that Amazon is slated to begin marketing a reduced-price ereader that supports ads on its screen-saver.


   Will people pay to have ads on a personal device?


        ...to save a paltry $25?


That's less than 20% savings and it means that the face of the owners' new ereaders would constantly have two ads staring out at them.


Seriously?


I would pay NOT to have to see advertising. 


My NOOK ereader, while only displaying black and white, is able to display my photos. It can hold up to 1,600 books. There is no way I am going to reach capacity on it for a good, long while. I've used the extra space to add photos of all of my family members and close friends. Each time I pick my NOOK up to read I have a different happy memory to look at. I love that. My kids love that. My five year old was turning it off and on yesterday as we waited at the ATT store. She found, on her own, that if she turned it on and then off a new photo would cycle to the screen. I loved watching her.


So far Barnes and Noble has told the media that they will not follow in the footsteps of Amazon.


"A year ago, I asked Barnes & Noble's management if they planned to sell ads and they said said they didn't want to do anything that would disrupt the reading process," Wahlstrom said. "If readers are distracted by the ads, it won't do anyone any good."

click here for full article> DailyFinance

I realize that purchasers are free to make their own decisions. It is my hope that this falls flat though. Advertising in America is getting out of hand and the American public can embrace more advertising or shut their doors to it. Again, I would be willing to pay NOT to see ads.


My 10 year old son and I both desperately want to purchase our own NOOK COLORs. Truly the price isn't bad for the amount of technology. When you double the cost and the cost of the accessories and then add in some money for some books...well, it begins to look like a pretty good chunk of change. We figure we need about $600 for the two of us to have our wishes fulfilled. We're saving our money. Yes. We are patiently (or not) saving our money. My little guy has even had the idea that if we pool our resources we could buy one once we have half the money saved. While we think we both want a NOOK COLOR, saving our money and waiting is also allowing for the market to change over time. Prices may continue to drop. We might decide to save even more money and buy a tablet that would function as an ereader as well as many other things. Time will tell. I would not, however, be tempted by any kind of price drop if it meant I'd have to stare at ads.


As I continue to read articles about this I am finding that this product is going to come with special coupons aimed only at the owners of this ad-sponsoring Kindle. Some will be for deals on ebooks, others might be for Amazon gift cards. You know what? I still say an unequivocal "No." I see my ereader as a personal product; something that conveys a part of me.


When I visited Barnes and Noble's forums this morning I read this particularly scathing post in reply to whether people think ad-supported ereaders are a good idea:
     "Wow, a whole $25 dollars to have an inferior Kindle AND ads....its like Christmas and my birthday all wrapped up together!"


Here are some articles about this latest ad gimmick:


click here> OnlineJournal


click here>ReadWriteWeb


And here is the Amazon page where the product is being sold for pre-order:


click here> AmazonKindleWithAds