Stephen King is back to who he was before he started writing just to make money. Okay not a totally fair assessment but for awhile he lost me and it felt like he was writing a bunch of junk that was a neat idea for the back of the book and then had maybe a 50 page story that his editor convinced him to turn into a 500 page book.
This is the macabre and dark writing that just mystifies me. It is the reality that you know can and does exist in very normal people. It is the reality turned on its side ever so gently and then wham you start looking at people a bit differently.
He explains where it came from and how it got to where it ended.
A quick read similar to his short stories from the early writings and he even writes that they remind him of his very early writings such as The Long Walk.
It was a happy read.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Death Comes to Pemberly
Thank you P.D. James!
Finally an author who captured the simplicity of Austen with the devilishness of the author's own style. It wasn't just a continuation of Austen but it was the story we wanted to know yet the story that was in P.D.James not in our heads necessarily.
I loved the twist even if there was a bit that was WAY too obvious.
I love that Darcy is still an idiot at times and that Lydia is still a flit.
I think though Elizabeth wasn't as solid as she could have been but then again maybe it is a side of her we never saw fully as a single woman?
It was a wonderful read by one of my favorite authors.
Finally an author who captured the simplicity of Austen with the devilishness of the author's own style. It wasn't just a continuation of Austen but it was the story we wanted to know yet the story that was in P.D.James not in our heads necessarily.
I loved the twist even if there was a bit that was WAY too obvious.
I love that Darcy is still an idiot at times and that Lydia is still a flit.
I think though Elizabeth wasn't as solid as she could have been but then again maybe it is a side of her we never saw fully as a single woman?
It was a wonderful read by one of my favorite authors.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
E-Books, My Kindle, and the Library!
So our local library has the literature out to program your library card and kindle to check out e-books. I'm very excited about this as the books have internal "bombs" built in so that they just disappear when the due date comes and you have no fines! YES! They have online resources as well that can be found here in their Overdrive system.
I also found out that if you are an Amazon Prime member (cost around $70 a year) you can borrow books for the Amazon Kindle for free at a rate of about 1 to 2 a month. You must return the book to the Amazon lending library before borrowing a new one and it is permanently erased from your Kindle but still a good idea. This resource is available for new books as well as older titles. I have "tried" the beginning of two series through this method and now will most likely buy the next book in the series. Yes I will BUY the next book in the series.
So why am I interested and excited about this and what is the concern?
Interest One: Way to get access to more books with more portability
Interest Two: Possibly way to avoid the ouch factor of my ever existing library fines. $30+ this time!!!!
Concern: The libraries keeping up with e-demand and keeping up with the stodgy and freaking publishers. The article by the Washington Post on the issue can be found here.
The publishers need to learn that if you give me something to try at the library for free or to read then the library will buy more and I will eventually buy more. The libraries can eventually charge a minor cost for the access or will actually see the shift in their costs from just hard bound to the e-book licenses. In either case more people reading is a good thing.
I also found out that if you are an Amazon Prime member (cost around $70 a year) you can borrow books for the Amazon Kindle for free at a rate of about 1 to 2 a month. You must return the book to the Amazon lending library before borrowing a new one and it is permanently erased from your Kindle but still a good idea. This resource is available for new books as well as older titles. I have "tried" the beginning of two series through this method and now will most likely buy the next book in the series. Yes I will BUY the next book in the series.
So why am I interested and excited about this and what is the concern?
Interest One: Way to get access to more books with more portability
Interest Two: Possibly way to avoid the ouch factor of my ever existing library fines. $30+ this time!!!!
Concern: The libraries keeping up with e-demand and keeping up with the stodgy and freaking publishers. The article by the Washington Post on the issue can be found here.
The publishers need to learn that if you give me something to try at the library for free or to read then the library will buy more and I will eventually buy more. The libraries can eventually charge a minor cost for the access or will actually see the shift in their costs from just hard bound to the e-book licenses. In either case more people reading is a good thing.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Dangerous Books
Two books that will soon be in our library...
The Dangerous Book for Boys
50 Dangerous Things You Should Do with Your Children
The Dangerous Book for Boys
50 Dangerous Things You Should Do with Your Children
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Time Warp Trio, Wiley and Grandpa, Neil Gaiman
Wylie and I have been very big users of the library recently. Very big users.
We really like our local library which is the Kings Park Library.
We've been dropped off with the stroller and our book bag by Wyatt in the evening only to use the stroller as our book bag carrier as we were laden down with 25 books and walked home.
We've found a librarian we love there.
We have found out that there are LEGO creations by patrons there.
We have found out that they have a full set of TIME WARP TRIO books and a new series of books...
WILEY AND GRANDPA CREATURE FEATURES.
That last one is really important.
Wylie is really into chapter books. We read two to three chapters at night. So we now get two to three books from the library. We also get our DK/Eyewitness books but it's the chapter books that rock our world.
Wylie was most excited when we read "Summer Reading is Killing Me" as it had reference to so many books but he had actually read and remembered the characters in three of the books. He asked if we could get them again from the library.
We now are building a reading list for him. He's also starting to read again. :)
As for me. I'm back to my 40 for 40 list.
Neil Gaiman "American Gods" Great book. Not science fiction but not quite reality. Not quite drama but not quite anything. It's compelling and makes me look at people outside a bit differently. Loving it.
We really like our local library which is the Kings Park Library.
We've been dropped off with the stroller and our book bag by Wyatt in the evening only to use the stroller as our book bag carrier as we were laden down with 25 books and walked home.
We've found a librarian we love there.
We have found out that there are LEGO creations by patrons there.
We have found out that they have a full set of TIME WARP TRIO books and a new series of books...
WILEY AND GRANDPA CREATURE FEATURES.
That last one is really important.
Wylie is really into chapter books. We read two to three chapters at night. So we now get two to three books from the library. We also get our DK/Eyewitness books but it's the chapter books that rock our world.
Wylie was most excited when we read "Summer Reading is Killing Me" as it had reference to so many books but he had actually read and remembered the characters in three of the books. He asked if we could get them again from the library.
We now are building a reading list for him. He's also starting to read again. :)
As for me. I'm back to my 40 for 40 list.
Neil Gaiman "American Gods" Great book. Not science fiction but not quite reality. Not quite drama but not quite anything. It's compelling and makes me look at people outside a bit differently. Loving it.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Library Fine Confession
Okay Wylie and I must confess and we admit our sin...
$10.25 in fines! 8 books at 25cents a day! But as the librarian said we must have loved those books and to be honest we did.
We also pointed out that the library now had enough money to buy a new book.
So this is a good thing right?????
Ah well, back to remembering to return our books.
$10.25 in fines! 8 books at 25cents a day! But as the librarian said we must have loved those books and to be honest we did.
We also pointed out that the library now had enough money to buy a new book.
So this is a good thing right?????
Ah well, back to remembering to return our books.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Silver Linings
Today is a grey and rainy day. The kind that begs for a good book, a good blanket, a comfy chair and a cup of something yummy. It is a good reading day.
As a child days like these were seen as silver lining days by my mom. Here are a few glimpses of her silver linings...
1. Summer at the beach and a full on chilly rainy day. No house work, no beach time, no outside play time. The perfect day to do what you do on vacation...Relax. Pick up a book and find a good chair to read in. It would be quiet for hours before someone would yawn, stretch and ask "what's for lunch?" At which point we'd either all pile into the car for some exploration of the boardwalk which would be empty of tourists due to the rain OR we'd make grilled cheeses and sit at the table and play games.
2. Rainy winter days during the holidays. Perfect day to pull out old cook books and make cookies or holiday treats and read quietly with the heat on. Relax. There were many a day to rush through traffic and worry about many things but the days that involved us all at home were sometimes just days to read. Some of those days my dad would read out loud to us. Silver was to be found on those days to.
So what are my silver linings for today which could only be described as a less than perfect day...
1. I have my rain gear for my motorcycle which keeps me warm and dry for the bike ride to the train which also gave me exercise and vigor this morning.
2. The rain actually stopped for the 15 minutes while I had to walk from Charles St to Pratt street because the buses still aren't running on Pratt.
3. My colleague will give me a ride to the train station on the way home.
Final silver lining for the day...finding new Christmas patterns for my kindle to review on the ride home.
As a child days like these were seen as silver lining days by my mom. Here are a few glimpses of her silver linings...
1. Summer at the beach and a full on chilly rainy day. No house work, no beach time, no outside play time. The perfect day to do what you do on vacation...Relax. Pick up a book and find a good chair to read in. It would be quiet for hours before someone would yawn, stretch and ask "what's for lunch?" At which point we'd either all pile into the car for some exploration of the boardwalk which would be empty of tourists due to the rain OR we'd make grilled cheeses and sit at the table and play games.
2. Rainy winter days during the holidays. Perfect day to pull out old cook books and make cookies or holiday treats and read quietly with the heat on. Relax. There were many a day to rush through traffic and worry about many things but the days that involved us all at home were sometimes just days to read. Some of those days my dad would read out loud to us. Silver was to be found on those days to.
So what are my silver linings for today which could only be described as a less than perfect day...
1. I have my rain gear for my motorcycle which keeps me warm and dry for the bike ride to the train which also gave me exercise and vigor this morning.
2. The rain actually stopped for the 15 minutes while I had to walk from Charles St to Pratt street because the buses still aren't running on Pratt.
3. My colleague will give me a ride to the train station on the way home.
Final silver lining for the day...finding new Christmas patterns for my kindle to review on the ride home.
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