Thursday, January 19, 2012

Reading, lately

I'm not even sure what I can say about this book. I don't know when I last read something that I enjoyed this much. 


{the house of tomorrow - cover image}

It's hilarious, full of teenage angst and punk dreams and some genuine sadness and it's set in a geodesic dome.  You should probably just read it.


Kindle update:
Since I shamefacedly admitted to buying a Kindle back in October, I can officially tell you that I'm obsessed.   I was already a pretty voracious reader, but I tended to re-read books I already own because I'm not so great at planning trips to the library around my working hours. Now I'm reading something new nearly all the time and it's so much easier to tote around on the bus. Love it. I've only actually purchased one e-book, because I prefer to check my e-books out from the library and then buy a physical copy if I really love the book and know I'll re-read it. I'm mostly using my Kindle as a portable public library. It's not nearly as photographic as real books, of course, and I can't take it in the bathtub. Nothing is perfect.

32 comments:

  1. THANKS for sharing. I am constantly looking for books to add to my list titled "To Read".

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    1. I think you'll like this one. It's so much fun.

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  2. Love getting reading recommendations! Most recently I read The Rules of Civility and really loved it, very Gatsby-esque. I use Goodreads to keep a list of what I want to read and what I have read and you can also keep tabs on what your friends are reading. I love using my library and need to figure out how to download their books to my Kindle , I try to avoid paying for books. (And, shhhhh, I take my kindle in the bath...is that really dangerous? Hopefully just for the kindle - ?)

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    1. I think only dangerous for the Kindle. Maybe you are a neater bather than I? My books always end up seriously damp after a bath, so I haven't risked bringing the Kindle in there, although it's handled rain pretty well so far.

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  3. I can't tell you how excited I am to see this book on Heart of Light! First of all, I ADORE it, and secondly, Peter is a friend of mine here in the Twin Cities, and he's also fantastic. What a fantastic read, right?

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  4. Oh, book recommendations! I love it. Maybe I'll make it a book club selection. We're doing Rules of Civility for our inaugural month.

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    1. I just put Rules of Civility on my wait list! Hopefully I get it in time. (I tried to comment on your post yesterday, but I think it got eaten somehow)

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  5. I'm so torn on Kindle. I'm so devoted to paper books, but we just don't have enough space for our collection. I'm actually giving y befriend the Kindle Fire for his birthday tomorrow. He commutes on the subway everyday and it's just so much more convenient for him...

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    1. The Kindle is EXCELLENT for public transit commuters. That was really what pushed me over the edge. My shoulders are sore enough without hauling around stacks of library books every day.

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  6. Thank you for your review of the Kindle! I have been trying to decide if I'm going to "make the switch". Right now, I am re-reading a book simply because I can't get to the library...but I also don't want to buy all the books I want to read, so it's nice to know there's a library for e-books too! And also...a great reminder that just because I have the Kindle, doesn't mean I can't buy a beautiful, physical copy of books I truly love...Thank you! Have a great end to your week!

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    1. Check your local library system first! I know that there were lots of libraries that were compatible with the Kindle much earlier than mine was, and I'm sure there are some that still aren't compatible. It would be sad to invest in it and then realize that your library doesn't work with it. I waited until my library announced that it was going compatible.

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  7. http://www.anotherlunch.com/2011/12/best-use-for-plastic-zip-top-baggie.html

    Thought this might interest you!

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    1. You guys are so clever! I would never have thought of this simple solution.

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  8. Thank you for your recommendations! I'm alway looking for the new stuff to read. Also thanks for your last book review (The Pleasure Seekers), I loved this book. Your blog is brilliant and I'm your permanently reader though this is my firts comment:)

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  9. Of course you can take your kindle in the bathtub :) I just slip mine into a gallon size ziploc bag. You can still press the buttons through the bag to turn the page, and I just keep the bag in a drawer in the bathroom and reuse it.

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    1. This never occurred to me! So smart. I've just been keeping a paperback novel in the bathroom cabinet and I pick it up whenever I happen to take a bath, but it would be nice to be able to continue on with whatever I'm reading on the Kindle instead.

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  10. I felt so ashamed when I bought a kindle as well! But now I feel like I'm a complete advocate of it, just in terms of how much more reading I actually do. And wow, ziploc bag, what an awesome idea! I'm def trying that!

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  11. I set mine on the floor outside the bathtub and peer over the edge at it. keeping a towel near by to wipe my finger dry when I need to turn a page.

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  12. I second the ziplock bag idea! Works great! I quart size freezer bag is just about perfect and heavy duty. I heard that the CEO of Amazon does that too! And yes, I love my kindle...we live overseas and it meant that we could take our library with us!! Thank God for modern inventions!

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  13. Oh, the Kindle and I are one, that thing is ALWAYS with me:)

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  14. Sounds good, although I can't for the life of me figure out how you can check out an e-book from the library. How do they take it back?

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    1. I'm assuming that everyone's library system works like mine does, which may not be correct. But with mine, you browse the library website, pick out your books, check them out through the library site which then sends you to Amazon. Amazon sends the books to your Kindle as soon as you turn on the wireless internet. I return my books through Amazon (weird, but that's where the return button is) when I'm done or they expire and Amazon automatically removes them from my account. Then the next time I turn on the wireless internet (I don't keep it on all the time - only when I need to check out or return books) my Kindle is updated and expired books are removed while new ones are added.

      It sounds more complicated than it is, really. It takes me a minute or two to check out my books for the week and my library will let me keep a wishlist, so that I can keep track of books they have that I'd like to check out at some point.

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    2. Oh, and I should have mentioned that the Kindle books function just like physical books. So the library will have 10 copies of a particular book and if 10 people currently have it on their Kindle, you have to wait to check it out until someone returns a copy. Amazon and the library keep track of how many copies are checked out at any given time.

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    3. How long do you typically wait? I've checked out my e-library, but I see an average of 15-20 people on the waiting list for the books that interest me. I want the kindle, but I'm not sure if waiting months for a copy to become available will justify the cost.

      (also, sorry for all the kindle questions! We obviously all trust your input on the manner.)

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    4. That really depends - I'll usually add myself to several wait lists and sometimes it can take a few months for a book to become available. I'm currently #67 on one list! I'm guessing I won't see that book for a while.

      It doesn't really bother me because as long as I have something to read, then I don't mind. I rarely have any reason that I NEED to read something specific right away. It might not work out well if you're planning to use it for a book club or something.

      I actually don't find the wait any different than the wait for physical library books. The timing is about the same, in my experience.

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  15. Thanks for this recommendation, I've been on a search for my next good read. Will have to check this out.

    http://www.designers-artists.com

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  16. I had no idea that there was an e-library for Kindle books! Eeep! Doubt the South African libraries have caught on though yet...I shall investigate and report back!

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  17. Oh man... that ziplock back trick is great!

    And thank you for the book recommendation! I am excited to move back to the states where libraries have kindle compatibility - ours in Newfoundland just got other e-reader books & electronic audio books.

    I can recommend Villette as a classic you can get for free on the kindle (currently in the middle of it), and Skippy Dies as just a really good book!

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  18. I read The House of Tomorrow last year because it was written by a fellow Macalester College grad and I loved it! Oddly enough I just started Rules of Civility last night and I am liking that a lot too. If you are looking for a good one to read next- try December by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop. It's about a girl who decides to quit speaking and how everyone around her deals with it.

    Love the blog!

    Laura
    http://okayiknow.blogspot.com/

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  19. I was totally unaware of the fact that you could rent books from the library for your Kindle until someone told me about this awesomeness this week, and now I really want one!

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  20. Sad to hear someone else went Kindle... it's just not the same as reading a real book.

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