Book Lovers Club
Comments
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Thanks, I'll mention the cover suggestion to my sisters.
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I just checked out my library's web site. I just got my kindle a few weeks ago and they do have a ton of down loadable books, yet you can't do it with the kindle. What a bummer! I guess my husband should have gotten me the Nook:(
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Kindle will have to change pretty soon. They started allowing the two week lending not long ago, to keep up with the nook. I was bummed to find out that most of the lendable books are already free! Apparently, it's up to the publishers and of course they'd rather you pay for your books! My son and I have decided we'll just trade Kindles for a few weeks. Stanzie - I haven't had the problem you mentioned. Of course, I don't even have a cover, so that may explain why I haven't had the problem. I absolutely adore my Kindle. It does everything I want it to. I've still not read the directions that came with it.
All I want to do is read. I know it'll read aloud but have no idea how to make it do that. Guess I really should read the directions. 0 -
Alpal I'm with you, I only read the directions on a need to know basis
I adore my Kindle too, and have not had any of the above mentioned problems.Happy reading everyone!!
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Stanzie....I LOVE Elizabeth George....did not really get into detective stories or murder mysteries until I read her....however, one I really did not like, but kept reading til the end and it was OK, but didn't like the characters or the language...can't all be happiness and light though I guess, but I just never imagined anything like that in England....seemed more like Harlem....I think it was What He saw Before he Shot Her or something like that....my least favorite of her books.
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Marybe-I agree-that one book of Elizabeth George's was not my favorite, either. It did help to explain why a certain long-term character was killed off though. I won't say who because I don't want to spoil the books for anyone. I do love Elizabeth George, though.
Mary
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What was really bad is that I have this older patient who is sort of a friend and I sometimes will go to lunch with her and she reads all the time and asked me to recommend some good books. So I told her I liked Elizabeth George and she went out and bought all of her books. I had only read about three of them at the time. She told me she was not sure she liked her and she gave me that particular book to read and to see if it was just her or if I liked it...and it was THAT book. I took it on vacation with me and as I was reading it I was going OMG, Oh dear, Wow....my husband wanted to know what? and I said I cannot beleive I told this woman to read this, she must think I am awful. I mean she is sort of a prim and proper lady so I called her up as soon as I got home and said believe me, the other books were not lke that. We had a good laugh about it.
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Marybe- I had to laugh a bit at your post. I think we've all been there on some level. My Dad always asks me what he should read next and I keep thinking, is there sex in that one, did they use the F bomb? Like he hasn't seen it, said it or heard it! Yet what we recommend shows waht we LIKE:)
I just finished Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Not my usual type of book, the beginning was kind of slow but the rest made up for it. Once I hit the middle I would try to watch a show on tv with my husband and my mind would keep reminding me of the poor people I left in the middle of everything int hat book. It's like I had to keep reading to get them where they needed to go. Kind of funny, but a good indication that it's a good read. I would recommend it for so many reasons.
So tomorrow I will start Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor Easter by Lisa Patton. I can't remember if it came recommended by this thread or not? After this book I get to try my kindle out for the first time as I have finally caught up on my library books:)
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'Mark Twain' just arrived at my door. Holy Cow, if you are planning to read it, that is a book I would recommend getting on your Kindle or Nook, because it is huge!!! I now know what the word 'tome' means....it is oversized, over 700 pages and weights four pounds (on the bright side, I can do my reading and weight lifting at the same time). A friend of mine, who is a retired English teacher, & I might read it at the same time....to keep ourselves on task....as I'm now thinking reading it WILL be a task!
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I totally agree and my friend who also reads all Elizabeth George books didn't like that one either. I think she felt guilty for killing of a major character. I started reading them all in order - I don't think for the most part it makes a difference except learning about the characters and getting attached to them. You can still do that but probably takes more time. So other than that one I like them all. I'm just finishing The Body Wonderful and wishing the main dective wasn't getting into a relationship already.... but otherwise very good.
A friend of mine is good friends with Marcia Tally - she also writes murder mysteries and had BC. I got to go on a short vacation with her and her husband. Anyway her muder mysteries are good but more of a fun short book to read. Anyway, she gets together with other mystery writters once and year and one of them is Elizabeth George!!! Not really her name but now I can't remember what her name is. Anyway, it was interesting. Marcia usually kills off people in her book with names of people she isn't fond of LOL! Her books are about a female dective who had BC. So you all might be interested. I think the first one is called Sing it to her Bones and her dective is Hannah Ives. Her husband was music director at Anapolis Navy Academy so some of the books are set there...
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Ruthbru...After you finish reading the Twain book, if you need the name of a good eye doctor or orthopedist, just chime in and I'll pass along the names of a few good ones! In the meantime, ENJOY!
I just finished reading all of my architecture books, for now, and I just started reading Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at our own Peril:
http://www.amazon.com/Willful-Blindness-Ignore-Obvious-Peril/dp/0802719988
So far, so good!
I'm waiting for the Jeff Greenfield book, Then Everything Changed:
http://www.amazon.com/Then-Everything-Changed-Alternate-Histories/dp/0399157069
The funny thing about Jeff Greenfield is EVERY TIME I put on the television or radio, he's on some show plugging the book! Hilarious!
Happy reading friends!
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I just finished a couple of good books...Restless by William Boyd. It was a recommendation from this thread. I really liked the characters, the story line. And The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. It was about an Irish orphan on a Virginia plantation in the late 1700's. Alternating chapters told from her perspective and a slave's perspective. I also read Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris. It is a collection of short stories with animal characters. Some of the stories are quite dark. I found some of the dialog clever. Gina0
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Hi, all, I've been reading but not posting here, and thought I'd finally jump in. I see that Gary Shteyngart's Super Sad True Love Story got some good reviews a few pages back; he's one of my current favorities, and I thoroughly enjoyed his latest. Love his satirical eye! My other just-finished novel was Jonathan Franzen's Freedom. Anyone else read that? Franzen is also deft at observing and skewering people's capacity for self-delusion, but I find there's also something affectionate and tolerant, even sweet, in his writing.
So my neighborhood Borders is one of the stores that's closing, and I will miss it: how awesome to have a huge bookstore two blocks from me! I went down there this morning and came back with a bag of books at 40% off. Now, my task is to decide which one to read next. The contenders are Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad (which just received the National Book Award for fiction), Zoe Heller, The Believers, and David Grossman, To the End of the Land.
Anyone here read any of those? Any recommendations?
L
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I haven't read those, Lewing, but I have duly made note and will look them up, especially the Egan.
While I was out having surgery I read Phillipa Gregory's THE OTHER BOYLEN GIRL. It really carried me along, which surprised me, because I rarely read the authors who just seem to churn out one book after another. Then today I watched the movie on TV, and was so annoyed that it didn't follow the book...
Right now I'm about half through Tana French's FAITHFUL PLACE. I liked her other two better, but this is still a good read.
The only good thing about all the couch time post-op is indulging myself in reading! (That, and crazy iPhone apps like Cut the Rope and Angry Birds!!)
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Quick question: does anyone know of a good website to help you figure out a book/author you've read in the past but can't remember enough about to find now? I'm trying to remember a series of (I think) 3 books, I think they were mysteries, they were written by someone who is bipolar, and her protagonist was bipolar. And that's all I can remember, but I'd really like to read them again to see if they're as good as I remember and also see if there are any more.
Argh!
Anne, love Tana French. Haven't read that one yet. I hope your surgery went well and you're healing well! What are those iPhone apps -- games? They do sound slightly bizzare!
lewing, haven't read those, and haven't had anything much to recommend lately. I'm reading Nelson DeMille's The Gate House right now and laughing a lot -- I didn't realize he was so funny.
OK, back to google and driving myself crazy...
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I liked Freedom, but there were some others on here who did not...it took me awhile to warm to the characters, but I did like it and really saw a few people I know in it. Today I went to Borders closing sale....big deal, 30% off....I can do better at Costco. I did, however pick up a few on sale and one is by Jonathan Franzen, The Discover Zone...think it may have been pre Corrections, but don't know for sure. I also picked up one by Augusten Burroughs whom I love, called You Better Not Cry. The other two are by authors I dont' know at all The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Pertotta and Lost & Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. All of them were on the really cheap table so they were a deal, but other than that shelf and the furniture and fixtures they were selling, I did not see any deals. Someone opening a coffee shop should go there as they had nice tables, chairs and coffee machines and cases for sale. I just finished Playing for Pizza which was a non-law John Grisham book....an easy read, not best seller material, but I enjoyed it.
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Ooooh, you'll love The Abstinence Teacher. I did, anyhow. Perotta reminds me of Franzen in a way, in that he's brutally honest in his observations, but also warm (warmer than Franzen) and tolerant of his screwed-up characters, their bad choices and messy lives. Did you by any chance see the movies Election or Little Children? Those were both based on his books.
L
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naturegrrl, I usually end up googling that stuff or doing an advanced search on Amazon. You've got my book antennae twitching--let me know what you come up with!
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Naturgrrl- I use a web site that tracks all of the books Ihave read and keeps a list of the books I want to read. It even suggests books for me. It's books.livingsocial.com. I've used it for a few years now and love it. I'll have friends who ask me what good books I've read and when my mind draws a blank I flip through my read list.
I also liked Freedom I also read Corrections by him. Both were decent books. I didn't love them but I enjoyed them.
I just finished read Whistling Dixie in a Nor Easter by Lisa Patton. Very quick and simple read. It was an ok book, not much to it I thought. Perhaps I have just been reading heavier things lately. I just down loaded my first book to my kindle to read. I got Anita Shreve Rescue. I am excited to see how I like reading on the kindle. Hopefully her new book is good too.
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Oh Thanks Laurie - what a wonderful idea as I'm so terrible at remember what I have read and will get a book and think wait a minute I remember this..... LOL!
you all have such great recommendations but gosh they come so fast and furious it is hard to keep up. So annoyed that I finished Fall of Giants and won't get the second one for a while now then I'll have to re-read it to remember everything.....
Will have to go back and re-read to find out some other books you all have mentioned for my next round of books. Thanks to all - what a brilliant thread!
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Stanzie- I couldn't agree more about Fall of Giants. I finished the book and wondered when the next one would come and when I saw the hopeful release date so far away I was disappointed. I hate waiting for a book.
Too bad there isn't a place where we can create a list of all the books ladies have recommended...
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Laurie, I like your website, and actually have been keeping a list for the last few years, but the author I'm trying to remember is from about 15 years ago so too long ago to be on my list. Still driving me nuts!!
I keep thinking I'm going to do a spreadsheet of all the books on this thread but haven't gotten to it yet... not sure where it could be posted, though.
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NatureGrrl- I never tracked my books before the web site. I found it one day when I was frustrated that as I was reading a book I kept thinking I had read it before. I decided I should track them.
I just finished Rescue by Anita Shreve. It was good, I always enjoy her books some more than others but I like her writing style. This one I would say was in the middle, not my favorite but by far not my least favorite.
I like the Kindle, I almost felt like I read faster with it? Not sure why that would be. I want to download another one but would love suggestions from some of you. I hate to buy books, what if it isn't any good? So now I feel the pressure, but I don't have a library book lined up so I will down load one more before I take a library break for financial reasons. So, what are some of your all time favorites that are a must read? I really appreciate the suggestions!
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I Just skimmed through a few pages of this thread, it looks like Cutting for Stone has been popular, did everyone love it?0
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Hi Laurie08 I loved Cutting for Stone...one the few favs I've had all year. It's very involved in the medical field (surgery to be specific), so if that is of interest to you, I am sure you will enjoy it. Of course it's got a great story line as well. Also BTW I am sure you know this, but you can download a sample of a book on Kindle to see if you like it before buying.0
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So there I was today in my internist's office, reading and reading more of this fantastic book, Dreaming in Chinese written by Deborah Fallows. I polished off 50 pages of the book until they realized they forgot about me. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded sitting there the rest of the afternoon so I could finish this little gem.
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Laurie, I also loved Cutting For Stone.....knew nothing about the book, just saw it on a table at Costco and bought it and was sooo glad I did.
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This is such a great idea.
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From The NY Times:
Publisher Limits Shelf Life for Library E-Books
By JULIE BOSMAN
Imagine the perfect library book. Its pages don't tear. Its spine is unbreakable. It can be checked out from home. And it can never get lost.
The value of this magically convenient library book - otherwise known as an e-book - is the subject of a fresh and furious debate in the publishing world. For years, public libraries building their e-book collections have typically done so with the agreement from publishers that once a library buys an e-book, it can lend it out, one reader at a time, an unlimited number of times.
Last week, that agreement was upended by HarperCollins Publishers when it began enforcing new restrictions on its e-books, requiring that books be checked out only 26 times before they expire. Assuming a two-week checkout period, that is long enough for a book to last at least one year.
What could have been a simple, barely noticed change in policy has galvanized librarians across the country, many of whom called the new rule unfair and vowed to boycott e-books from HarperCollins, the publisher of Doris Lessing, Sarah Palin and Joyce Carol Oates.
"People just felt gobsmacked," said Anne Silvers Lee, the chief of the materials management division of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which has temporarily stopped buying HarperCollins e-books. "We want e-books in our collections, our customers are telling us they want e-books, so I want to be able to get e-books from all the publishers. I also need to do it in a way that is not going to be exorbitantly expensive."
But some librarians said the change, however unwelcome, had ignited a public conversation about e-books in libraries that was long overdue. While librarians are pushing for more e-books to satisfy demand from patrons, publishers, with an eye to their bottom lines, are reconsidering how much the access to their e-books should be worth.
"People are agitated for very good reasons," said Roberta Stevens, the president of the American Library Association. "Library budgets are, at best, stagnant. E-book usage has been surging. And the other part of it is that there is grave concern that this model would be used by other publishers."
Even in the retail marketplace, the question of how much an e-book can cost is far from settled. Publishers resisted the standard $9.99 price that Amazon once set on many e-books, and last spring, several major publishers moved to a model that allows them set their own prices.
This month, Random House, the lone holdout among the six biggest trade publishers, finally joined in switching to the agency model. Now many newly released books are priced from $12.99 to $14.99, while discounted titles are regularly as low as $2.99.
HarperCollins, in its defense, pointed out that its policy for libraries was a decade old, made long before e-books were as popular as they are today. The new policy applies to newly acquired books. "We have serious concerns that our previous e-book policy, selling e-books to libraries in perpetuity, if left unchanged, would undermine the emerging e-book ecosystem, hurt the growing e-book channel, place additional pressure on physical bookstores, and in the end lead to a decrease in book sales and royalties paid to authors," the company said in a statement.
It is still a surprise to many consumers that e-books are available in libraries at all. Particularly in the last several years, libraries have been expanding their e-book collections, often through OverDrive, a large provider of e-books to public libraries and schools. Nationwide, some 66 percent of public libraries offer free e-books to their patrons, according to the American Library Association.
For many libraries, interest from patrons who want to check out e-books has been skyrocketing. At the New York Public Library, e-book use is 36 percent higher than it was only one year ago. Demand has been especially strong since December, several librarians said, because e-readers were popular holiday gifts.
"As our readership goes online, our materials dollars are going online," said Christopher Platt, the director of collections and circulating operations for the New York Public Library.
In borrowing terms, e-books have been treated much like print books. They are typically available to one user at a time, often for a seven- or 14-day period. But unlike print books, library users don't have to show up at the library to pick them up - e-books can be downloaded from home, onto mobile devices, personal computers and e-readers, including Nooks, Sony Readers, laptops and smartphones. (Library e-books cannot be read on Amazon's Kindle e-reader.) After the designated checkout period, the e-book automatically expires from the borrower's account.
The ease with which e-books can be borrowed from libraries - potentially turning e-book buyers into e-book borrowers - makes some publishers uncomfortable. Simon & Schuster and Macmillan, two of the largest trade publishers in the United States, do not make their e-books available to libraries at all.
"We are working diligently to try to find terms that satisfy the needs of the libraries and protect the value of our intellectual property," John Sargent, the chief executive of Macmillan, said in an e-mail. "When we determine those terms, we will sell e-books to libraries. At present we do not."
And those publishers that do make their e-books available in libraries said that the current pricing agreements might need to be updated.
Random House, for example, has no immediate plans to change the terms of its agreements with libraries, said Stuart Applebaum, a spokesman for the publisher, but has not ruled it out in the future.
"Anything we institute ahead we'd really want to talk through with the community and together understand what makes sense for us both," Mr. Applebaum said. "We're open to changes in the future which are in reasonable step with the expectations and realities of the overall library communities."
Publishers are nervous that e-book borrowing in libraries will cannibalize e-book retail sales. They also lose out on revenue realized as libraries replace tattered print books or supplement hardcover editions with paperbacks, a common practice. Sales to libraries can account for 7 to 9 percent of a publisher's overall revenue, two major publishers said.
But e-books have downsides for libraries, too. Many libraries dispose of their unread books through used-book sales, a source of revenue that unread e-books can't provide.
The American Library Association has assembled two task forces to study the issue.
Even among the librarians who have stopped buying HarperCollins e-books, many said that there might have to be a compromise.
"I can see their side of it," said Lisa Sampley, the collection services manager in the Springfield-Greene County Library District in Springfield, Mo. "I'm hoping that if other publishers try to change the model, they think about the libraries and how it will affect us. But I'm sure there is some kind of model that could work for us both."
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It's all about the bucks, isn't it? Too bad. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
I don't have an e-reader yet but I absolutely DO want to be able to borrow e-books from the library (which is why I am not considering Kindle) -- and not having library e-books available won't make me buy more books -- it will mean I'll continue to use the library as I always have, by walking in the door and checking out hard copies.
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