What I'm Reading This Week - Dec. 12, 2010.
Quote de jour
"The World is a book and those that don't travel read only a page."
~Paraphrasing St. Augustine
For the past couple weeks I've traveled more than I've read. I browsed in mini Borders store (above) in the Philadelphia airport but bought nothing. I asked the manager what was flying off the shelves. He said in fiction: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I nodded my head and thought it made sense. Great book, great movie. For nonfiction, he pointed to the stack of George Bush memoirs prominently displayed. We both rolled our eyes. If you've ever wondered why some books get special treatment, like being shelved face out, it's no accident. Publishers pay extra for every single book displayed prominently.
I expected to see more Kindles, Nooks and other electronic reading devices while traveling but didn't. The owners of these devices that I happened to quiz all raved about them, but I'm not sold. At least not yet. At a dinner party on Friday night we discussed their merits and we unanimously agreed that we prefer the feel, smell and touch of real books.Then again, we're all baby boomer non-early adopters. E-book publishing is booming, so ask me again next year.
Truthfully, I haven't read more than a couple magazines and handful of stories from Come to Me a stoy collection from the always enchanting and alchemical Amy Bloom. I chose instead to observe, experience and write.
Joyce Carol Oates always weaves her literary magic, but her recent story in the New Yorker kept me up reading long past bedtime. She chronicles the last week of her forty year marriage. On a regular day of domestic chores (the kind we can all relate to), her husband falls ill with pneumonia and is hospitalized. She visits him and there's no cause for alarm, but by the end of the week he's dead. The only thing more surprising is she kept writing without a blip and remarried seven months later.
Nursing a bout of bronchitis myself and an ill elderly mother, I never take life for granted. In fact lately with my website and blog recently restored from cyber oblivion, I take nothing for granted. Having it disappear was more surreal than any science fiction novel. It made me question reality, identity and authentic value. So, who knows what 'll be reading next week. Any suggestions?
"The World is a book and those that don't travel read only a page."
~Paraphrasing St. Augustine
For the past couple weeks I've traveled more than I've read. I browsed in mini Borders store (above) in the Philadelphia airport but bought nothing. I asked the manager what was flying off the shelves. He said in fiction: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I nodded my head and thought it made sense. Great book, great movie. For nonfiction, he pointed to the stack of George Bush memoirs prominently displayed. We both rolled our eyes. If you've ever wondered why some books get special treatment, like being shelved face out, it's no accident. Publishers pay extra for every single book displayed prominently.
I expected to see more Kindles, Nooks and other electronic reading devices while traveling but didn't. The owners of these devices that I happened to quiz all raved about them, but I'm not sold. At least not yet. At a dinner party on Friday night we discussed their merits and we unanimously agreed that we prefer the feel, smell and touch of real books.Then again, we're all baby boomer non-early adopters. E-book publishing is booming, so ask me again next year.
Truthfully, I haven't read more than a couple magazines and handful of stories from Come to Me a stoy collection from the always enchanting and alchemical Amy Bloom. I chose instead to observe, experience and write.
Joyce Carol Oates always weaves her literary magic, but her recent story in the New Yorker kept me up reading long past bedtime. She chronicles the last week of her forty year marriage. On a regular day of domestic chores (the kind we can all relate to), her husband falls ill with pneumonia and is hospitalized. She visits him and there's no cause for alarm, but by the end of the week he's dead. The only thing more surprising is she kept writing without a blip and remarried seven months later.
Nursing a bout of bronchitis myself and an ill elderly mother, I never take life for granted. In fact lately with my website and blog recently restored from cyber oblivion, I take nothing for granted. Having it disappear was more surreal than any science fiction novel. It made me question reality, identity and authentic value. So, who knows what 'll be reading next week. Any suggestions?
Posted by Layla Morgan Wilde at 12/12/2010 2:49 PM 
Categories: Technology, Film, Media, Shopping, Travel, What I'm Reading This Week, Baby Boomers
Tags: borders books airport girl with the dragon tattoo amy bloom stories alchemical writer ebook boom joyce carol oates forty year marriage
Categories: Technology, Film, Media, Shopping, Travel, What I'm Reading This Week, Baby Boomers
Tags: borders books airport girl with the dragon tattoo amy bloom stories alchemical writer ebook boom joyce carol oates forty year marriage
Happy travels. I noticed the blog seemed to be acting like a wild child. it kept sending itself to me from weeks ago, and then it was down when i clicked on it. Did it eat some bad food? lol
Kindle is great for writers, because it offers another platform for reading. Newspaper comics are dying, and paper reding is dying, but I still prefer hardcover or large print to even online reading.
Some people I know love the Kindle to read, some don't. But they are all happy their books are on ebooks or Kindle or Nook. Better to be pubbed by a reg publisher and have it also available in e format, than to try to just sell it in e. A lot of people discover too late that if they sign with a second or third rate publisher that doesn't offer any digital rights managment, and just publishing on Kindle doesn't either, that wow! in a week they get infringed and they lose royalties without much recourse.
Publishers request placement. Part of the package deal. Bush is natural copy, as they say in the pub busienss. copy ius a good word for his book, since he didn't write much of it and he plagiarized large sections of it. Only because he was Prez would he ever have gotten a contract.
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Wild child indeed. I did some auto posts in advance of my trip and then the blog disappeared for 48 hours. Things should be back to normal now. Thanks for sharing info on e-publishing. So many changes in the wind.
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I was given a Kindle in Sept. It is very nice for reading and carrying with you. It fits in a small bag and travels very nicely. In November I purchased a PanDigital ereader. It died the second day I had it. I could get no customer support for it. I returned it on the 4th day. This is the 2nd time I have had a PanDigital product and could not get any customer support. I then purchased a eNook Color from Barnes and Noble. I like it for reading and sharing books with friends. My neighbor who reads as much as I do is going to purchase it for herself for Christmas. I purchased in Sept an iPad for my wife. She has become addicted to it for reading and playing Sudoku. My daughter has come home to stay for a couple weeks. She began playing with the iPad Suduku game and when my wife lays it down she picks it up. chuckle chuckle.. Now you have a few reviews to add to the ones you have.
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Thanks Frank. I'm leaning towards the Nook but between that and an iPad, which would you recommend?
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Layla,
I am reading a wonderful book: A Life's Work...Fathers And Sons. By: Ben & Quinn Bradlee. A gem of a book. That anyone that is a parent or has raised and love a child, will indeed see themselves in this book.
Last week, I read "The Happiness Project." BY: Grethen Rubin...She confirmed my belief-happiness is contagious!
I felt so sorry for you...Losing your website. Thank goodness, it is up and running now.
Hope you and your Mom feel well very soon! ox, Maureen
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M, thanks for your good wishes. Thanks for the suggestions. I have read The Happiness Project and liked it. Sending you hugs.
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Sorry to hear about the bronchitis-hope you'll be all better soon. I live like a medieval monk in my own little non-technological world (except for this computer of course), so I have no idea what a Kindle is. Besides, I don't really read books anymore, so I wouldn't have much use for one. I'm so glad you're blog is back up and running, as I enjoy coming here everyday. I loved your "The Zen Of Snow" post.
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Thanks so much. Less is more.
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I am impressed!
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