7awesomebookworms-blog

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Kindle...oh geeze.

Back in January I was the recipient of a brand new Kindle Touch from my beloved boyfriend. Totally blew my mind.

As an avid book reader I have to tell you I was truly skeptical. I hated the idea of them.... the censorship, the illegal downloading, the lack of page turns, the lack of that new/old book smell...lacking the whole book experience really.

But then.

I bought my first kindle book...and so it began. 

I was sucked in. There was no turning back. I admit it is different than curling up with the crisp pages between your fingers, but the wonderful stories that make reading what it is are still there...and with less eye strain because the text can be enlarged. (I was beginning to need reading glasses.) Then when I finished the book, (Lullaby by Chuck Palanhniuk in this case) it recommended more books to me. It turned into a wonderful never ending cycle of reading. 

Then I started downloading all the books that I had always told myself to read and they are there...when I want them. I have 40 items on my kindle at the moment and about 4 of them are books in progress, 10 or so completed. WAY MORE than I would have finished before to be honest. Not to mention, I've only had it for about 3-4 months. This year is going to be awesome. I would normally only have one book with me and if it didn't appeal to me when I wanted to read I just wouldn't read. That just isn't the case now. I can literally pick up where I left off in all of the books and inevitably I read more and finish reading more books than prior to this point. 

So awesome. 

I still buy and read paperback and hardback books too. Just saying. It is hard to replace the cozy feeling you get from reading an old used paperback in a big comfy chair, but more and more I find myself curling up with my kindle instead. It's an odd relationship I've created with this device. We'll see where it takes me. 

As far as my experience with specifically the Kindle Touch. The archive system is cool. I've actually downloaded and started using the ebook manager Calibre more than anything though (less need for wifi). Wireless connection drains the battery super quick (a few hours), but otherwise I've been getting about 2 weeks of battery life from a single charge, which is really more than enough. I've never been stuck somewhere without a book because it didn't have a charge. The eInk screen is beautiful and has plenty of options to change text size, margins, etc. I've not ever felt like it couldn't do something I felt like it should. Also I've never had trouble reading with either hand as the page director...so that is cool and convenient too. 

/end kindle gush

To others: What are your opinions on eReaders in general? What are your experiences with them? Do they hurt or help the book industry?

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IS EVERYONE HANGING OUT WITHOUT ME? (AND OTHER CONCERNS) by Mindy Kaling is everything I expected it to be and so much more!

Mindy Kaling is successful writer, producer, director, and actress of NBC's comedy The Office, but where did she start? Is she really like Kelly Kapoor? Were there any other titles for the book? Are we going to see any personal pictures taken on Mindy's BlackBerry? Massachusetts (aka the hardest state the spell), not really, plenty, and yes.

For as long as I have known of Mindy (yeah, we're on a first name basis (she just doesn't know it yet)), I have loved her. She's funny, creative, relatable, and all other wonderful adjectives people in Hollywood shoot for. And I find that this book really seals the deal on all that. She starts off with her days of a chubby kid and daughter of two hardworking parents to self-conscious teen figuring out what true friendship is to star college student at Dartmouth to Dirtbag. Actually, no. She's not a dirtbag at all, I just stole a joke from her book. But what you get with this book is a funny lady telling you her life story and you learn a few new terms. Like "Irish exits". What are they? Well, you could either Google it or read her book. But I may just try an "Irish exit" next time the opportunity presents itself. Thanks, Mindy, for teaching me that such a thing has a mildly offensive name (well, that's pretty offensive really (I'd joke about how the Irish got gypped on that, but that's offensive and I wanted to mention another offensive thing to even out he offensive material in this)). 

I really want to just gush about this book and tell you, reader, everything! But I'd much rather have you read it yourself. It's pretty small, just 219 pages, and a wonderful read! You'll be done in no time. No wonder The Office is as good as it is. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll understand why I want to petition Mindy to write a Lifetime Original Movie (see: Revenge Fantasies While Jogging).

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During last night's eviction NYPD threw out approx. 5000 books. Come on, bookworms! Let's send these people some books!

To mail books to The People's Library

The UPS Store

Re: Occupy Wall Street

Attn: The People’s Library

118A Fulton St. #205

New York, NY 10038

(via Occupy Wall Street Library Blog) 

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I finally read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  If you haven't read it yet (though it seems every one has) it's the story of Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl who must fight to the death against 23 other youths at the command of the Capitol.

I'm not going to give more away.  If you want a summary, Google it.

Anyway, this book was amazing.  I read the whole thing in just over 24 hours and absolutely could not put it down.  It wouldn't let me sleep.  I couldn't even work without being preoccupied with what would happen next.

The whole story was very well paced and well written and the end of each chapter made me need to read the next.  Immediately.

The only down side was that my copy was very poorly edited and I kept finding typos.  I don't think this is the case in all of them, however, because mine was a cheap copy from Wal-Mart where the text kept fading as well.

Every one needs to go read this book immediately because it was amazing.

Now onto Catching Fire...

-Rachel (voldies-awkward-hugs)

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I just finished reading The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through The Madness Industry by Jon Ronson and I really enjoyed it. To be honest, it has been a while since a book as sucked me in like that. All I wanted to do today was read the book! Granted the first few pages were a tad bit dull and all that, but man! Once you got into the meat of the book it was really tough to go on a bathroom break.

Nervous journalist Jon Ronson (and author of such novels as Men Who Stare at Goats and Them) is asked by neurologist Deborah Talmi to help solve the mystery of a novella Being or Nothingness that was sent to her and several intellectuals across the globe. Thus started his journey into the psychiatric world (including anti-psychiatry Scientologists) and the lives of psychopaths and the people who study them.

This book will definitely make you question whether or not you're a psychopath and will get you to watch people a bit more to decide whether or not they're psychotic. 

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There's A Nightmare in My Closet was my favorite book as a kid. Actually, it was the first book I read (I think). It's about a boy whose afraid of the nightmare in his closet and one night he decides to face his fears and get rid of them once and for all! As a fear-filled child, this book SPOKE to me, I related to the main character at the very beginning completely. He knew there was a nightmare in his closet and it freaked him out. But then he faced it and, well, that's why it's a child's book and not my biography.

It's a quick read- I mean, it's a child's book. But it's a good read. Maybe I'm just nostalgic. But it's a good book for children to read, relate to, and maybe they'll use the main character's bravery as their own and conquer their fears.

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What if we had a book club going?

Maybe start re-reading some John Greens before The Fault in Our Stars comes out this January? Give your opinion here! 

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If you could suggest one book, what book would that be?

Submit it here!

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Kurt Vonnegut on Shapes of Stories

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Jonathan Safran Foer and younger brother, Joshua, set out on an adventure much like one of the adventures in one of his novels, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

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What are you reading?

Tell us in our Opinion Box!

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As one of the ten francophiles in the US (seven of which are originally from Quebec), I just had to get this book. It's a humorous take on Parisians and what they like and don't like (everything). Originated as a blog, this book is definitely something else. This book really suits my style of reading- each topic discussed is short and sweet and you can flip around to just any page and it'll be no big deal because there really is no story being told.

Reading this has really shown that deep down I am a Parisian. I am cold, snoody, and I hate everything. So, I guess that explains why I'm so interested in French culture. Same goes with every moody young person everywhere ever. Aside from that, I really want to visit Paris more than ever. Not because it's someplace magical or all that love bullshit, but because I feel like I would fit in greatly and I already know the language (well, that's debatable). 

It's a great thing to read if you're hula hooping or sitting around and just want to flip through something. There's no real commitment when you dive in- which makes it oh-so french.  

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Ok...I've begun reading this, Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris aka A Sookie Sackhouse Novel. I sort of feel like it is the thirteen novel adult version of twilight, but for some reason I'm sort of enjoying it. For those of you who don't know, this is the first of thirteen novels that the television series True Blood is based on. I've watched every episode of the show, including the premiere of season four. (I think it's sort of great how closely the show follows the book. It does this without having the book be a word for word script and I like that.)

On a more serious note though...the book is totally cheesy. I mean describing blond hair as shiny is one thing, but going on for a full paragraph on how the golden locks glisten as they are pulled into a neat, tidy ponytail that doesn't sit too high on sookie's head, but just the right height to accentuate the curves of her neck and shoulders, while still subtly allowing the wind to blow her locks too and fro...is a bit much.

I've never been big into romance novels...I suppose diving into this was sort of a mistake, but how can I say I like a television show without even attempting the books it is based on?! I can't. That is the answer. I'm going to try to read them all...we'll see how it goes. 

~Darci

P.S. Am I the only one who really thinks this needs to be updated regularly? For realz. Help a sista out.

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The Books Next to Rachel's Bed, stacked, collected while cleaning*:

Dickinson Letters Edited by Emily Fragos

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

All My Sons by Arthur Miller

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Freshman Survival Guide by Nora Bradbury-Haehl and Bill McGarvey

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson (paperback) by Emily Dickinson

The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Forrest Gump by Winston Groom

The Aeneid by Vergil

Hamlet's BlackBerry by William Powers

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Serial Killers by Colin and Damon Wilson

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson (hard cover) by Emily Dickinson

*Not Pictured: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

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Darci Here!

Ok...so I know we have yet to have a few introductions of the rest of the crew, but I'm eager and they will come in time and in the mean time I want to talk about Mark Z. Danielewski. He is awesome...just saying.

He is the author of House of Leaves that I mentioned in my first post and my sister picked up one of his more recent books called Only Revolutions. I plan on getting into it as soon as she's finished, but mostly what I want to talk about is the way he formats all of his books. 

If you've not picked up one of his books before, you ought to go to a bookstore and just flip through a few. Think e.e. cummings writing a novel...for example...

I'm

.............walking

......................down

..............................the...................... ...OOF!

..........................................stairs....and .......there is a bump....

That is what a lot of house of leaves is like and it's really cool...you find yourself flipping back and forth through footnotes and endnotes and turning the book over to read it. It's just an experience. In some copies of House of Leaves some words are printed in color throughout the book and it just makes you think. The word house is printed in blue...it just makes you think about why it would be in blue and it just connects the idea of the house throughout the book. It's cool. 

The new book I got isn't nearly as intense, but the way it is meant to be read is also rather interesting. It's made to be read by two people at once...meaning half the page is written normal and the second half of the page is upside down. Read 8 pages...then flip back and the other person reads their half of the 8 pages...(or of course you can just flip it around)

It's a really fresh idea and I like it. I really love reading poetry and how they are split into stanzas or other random little chunks for added effect; this might be why I like it so much. Anything that draws more attention to ideas and thinking is awesome.

I really love it. Though I bet other authors have done the same thing; I've just not read anything else like it.

This is where I make you respond and stuff...If you do know of anything else like this I would love to read more.

I'm really excited for everyone else to start posting...sorry if I'm over eager. xD 

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CONTRIBUTOR: Katy (holdon-callfailed)

Nickname: KT, the Tentacle, McAwesome, "My Favorite Person Ever"

Location: Kansas

Favorite hobby outside (of reading): nerdfighting, the internet, going to quik trip

Favorite book: The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

Favorite author: Dave Eggers

Favorite genre: real-life fiction, I guess? I like memoirs a lot

Favorite part about reading: "It's when I think about the other Holden that I get hopeful, Hank. Because a year later he's writing a story about the person he was, and the way he writes the story makes us care. NOW we are able to listen to him, NOW we are able to empathize. That's the miracle of text I would argue, but it's also the miracle of non-literal communication. The hunting hat, the movies, the carousel, that's his way into us. That's how he gets inside of us and makes us care, makes us believe in him, makes us realize that he is a person in the same way we are. So ultimately Hank, that's my answer to people who say that 'all that English class stuff' ruins books. All that 'English stuff' is Holden's way into us, and our way out of ourselves." -- John Green

Suggested reading: Read Dave Eggers. Do it. You'll thank me later.

Currently reading: I am not myself these days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell; Looking for Alaska by John Green; Demian by Herman Hesse

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INANIMATE OBJECT?

Books.  Clearly.