Why I Only Read On My Kindle and The Wondrous Kate Atkinson

I never thought I'd be that person. I never thought I would give up real books and go completely digital. I mean, I love real books. The feel, the smell, the touch . . . but I've given it all up.

A few years ago I got my first Kindle. It was the same one as in the picture up there. And it rocked. It changed my world. Suddenly I really only had to think about a book and BOOM! there it was (well, I had to pay for it, but still . . .). But I continued to check books out of the library because Amazon wasn't, at the time, library compatible.

And then BOOM! again, Amazon became library compatible. And books prices dropped, and went up, and dropped again, but I could get books from the library (which has become a little tougher, but that's a different story) and I could get books at a pretty good price. And I could carry six or seven books with me (actually, six or seven HUNDRED, if you count the ones in my cloud) wherever I went. And I switched it up and got a Kindle Fire, then a Kindle Fire HD, and I could listen to my Audible and library books while driving. Or I could watch a movie, but that's a different story . . .

I have some great shelves with some beautiful old books, and I love the look of them. But I realize I like having my entire library at my fingertips. I also like being able to have some fun books in my library and not feel judged for reading what I call 'brain candy.' (I know the judgment is in my mind, but I still feel the judgment. Mostly from myself.) I like that if I read about a great book (on my Kindle, my phone, my laptop), I can immediately link to it on Amazon and purchase it right then. I don't have to drive anywhere when I'm out of reading material--it is instant gratification at its finest.

I am happy with my choice. I love my Kindle, and I love Amazon for providing me with books at the moment I need them. I also love that it has given so many authors a chance to be published, authors who may never have had a chance with an agent, a publishing house, and the traditional route.

The only thing that worries me about my Kindle and my choice is the zombie scenario (aka the end-of-the-civilized-world). How will I get to read if we have no electricity? I'm going to have to get a great generator just for my Kindle . . . .

__________________________________________________________________

"What if we had a chance to do it again and again," Teddy said, "until we finally did get it right? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Kate Atkinson, what can I say. I am in love. I don't know how I am just discovering her. I began early in the summer (maybe May) reading "Life After Life" and I was hooked. This is the story of Ursula Todd, who dies at birth in pre-World War I England when the doctor is waylaid thanks to a snowstorm. Or, it is the story of Ursula Todd, born in pre-World War I England because the doctor got there in time. And the book goes on, trudging through different tangents, all telling us how different Ursula's life, and the lives of those around her) could have been if she had done things slightly differently. Atkinson does the wonderfully, mapping out so many different paths that it made me think about the small choices I make every day.

I have since gone on to read her Jackson Brodie series; "Case Histories," "One Good Turn," and "When Will There Be Good News?" They are considered mysteries, and I guess they are, in the most general way. Brodie is a police man who left the force to open his own agency, dreaming of retiring in rural France. The books have mysteries in them, but you follow Brodie and watch as his 'clients' lives unfold, and in the end you care more about their outcome than the solving of the mysteries. The BBC made these into a television show a couple of years ago, but I haven't gotten around to watching them. It has been shown on PBS as well, or so I have heard.

This writer will be on my watch list for years to come.

I'm Back !!!

Hello! Remember me? I haven't been around much in the last few months. We had a crazy, wild summer and between kids, work, husband, dietary changes, activities, and, of course, reading, well, this blog suffered. I read some great books and wanted to share them with you all, but then I would have to run. So there you have it.

My younger daughter was positively diagnosed with Celiac disease, so we have all given up gluten. The first few weeks were great and I lost weight, but once I found my way around gluten I found a way to stop losing. But with school starting and with a little more free time, I will be concentrating on the gym and my diet.

School starts for my girls on August 14th, which is about a week away. This start date is about 10 days earlier than any other year. We usually go on vacation the first couple weeks of August, but older daughter is starting middle school and didn't want to miss orientation, so we skipped this year. My parents are going to be visiting from Arizona, and my brother is coming from Florida. Also, my aunt and uncle may be coming with my parents (they live in Colorado). This is worth skipping a visit to our cabin in the Poconos (Pennsylvania, for those not in the know). 

Today, rather than reviewing just one book, I'm going to tell you what I read and loved and what books I cannot wait to read. I will review the books that really struck a chord, either good or bad, in the coming weeks.

Okay, I fell in love with the author Kate Atkinson. I first read Life After Life, her newest novel. Beautiful, thought-provoking and original. After that I had to read a few of her others--so I read her Jackson Brodie series (3 books). They are sort of mysteries, but she delves so deep into the human side of things that you kind of forget about the mystery and just start to puzzle over people and their connections to each other. I love Atkinson and she is probably my favorite author this summer.

Here is the list of the other books I have read since May:
The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith (The Child 44 trilogy, book #2)
Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire (The last book in the Wicked series)
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling
All The Summer Girls by Meg Donohue
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Ocean at the End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Fifth Assassin by Brad Metzler
Olive Kittridge by Elizabeth Strout
Interface by Neal Stephenson
Metatropolis by Jay Lake

And a couple of singles:
How To Talk To Girls at Parties by Neil Gaiman
A Textbook Case by Jeffrey Deaver

Also, a list of books I plan to read soon (many more main stream than normal, but these I can't wait for!!!)
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (who I just learned is Stephen King's son!)
Dr. Sleep by Stephen King (who is, by chance, Joe Hill's dad. AND this book is a follow up to The Shining)
Sycamore Hill by John Grisham (a follow up to A Time To Kill. I haven't read a lot of Grisham lately, but I LOVED A Time To Kill, so this is highly anticipated by me.)
Dust by Patricia Cornwell
W by Sue Grafton (I have to finish the alphabet)
Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George
The Beast by Faye Kellerman
Light of The World by James Lee Burke
Takedown 20 by Janet Evanovich (I know, but she always makes me laugh and it's a quick read)

Do you have any to add to my list? Let me know, I'm ALWAYS looking to add to my list.

Happy August and good sailing back to school.