Book Talk discussion

Since I work as a bookseller, I'm hoping there will always be books. A bookstore is a great community to connect people with books and hand sell favorites. I own a Kobo and do use it occasionally but can never replace the actual printed word for me. Kobo actually partners with us so when we download our store gets a portion of the profit keeping us viable. Amazone wants to destroy us completely. Every now and then stop into your indie bookstore even if it's to just browse. :)

I love bookstores, but now I have to take a train and a subway to find one.
I go to the library 3 times a week just to be around books.

I know it's awful. They are closing left and right with online and downloads. Makes me sad. In a way us being the only new and used bookstore around it allows us to essentially hang on. I hand sell many books and introduce people to new authors all the time. It's a wonderful way to serves community.

We just had a new bookstore open up in New Bedford, MA. Everyone's shocked. Start the counter.

On the upside, I took full advantage of it and got some classics for $1 each.

I love bookstores and buying books. I may read them on my Kindle, but nothing can replace a "real" book! Kindles are cool, but they don't look so great sitting on a bookshelf :)

Bill wrote: "I love bookstores and buying books. I may read them on my Kindle, but nothing can replace a "real" book! Kindles are cool, but they don't look so great sitting on a bookshelf :)"

Right on, man!

Bill wrote: "I love bookstores and buying books. I may read them on my Kindle, but nothing can replace a "real" book! Kindles are cool, but they don't look so great sitting on a bookshelf :)"

That, Bill, is my favorite quote of today!! :)

There is a cool counter on my Fire, that counts down the minutes left in the book or in the chapter.
I really like that, because it takes into account your reading speed and it gives you an idea of what kind of time you're looking at. If that makes any sense to anyone. :)

Kealan wrote: "I find one thing digital readers can't duplicate is the tangible sense of progress while reading."

True (the percentage bar isn't the same). Also, with an eBook, you don't get a look at the awesome cover art every time you put the book down or pick it up. I also wish publishers would include the synopsis of the book with the eBook.

I agree, Charlene. That is a great new feature. KOBO tells you that you are on page 2 of 8 pages (or whatever) at the bottom for each chapter, which helps too.

I gave my Fire to one of my daughters and got a Paperwhite because of the lack of shelves. However, I think shelves will be coming soon because my KOBO has shelves and lo and behold the KOBO app on my tab got shelves a couple of updates ago---and it imported the shelves and contents from the KOBO right into the app. Very cool. I bet that update is coming soon for Kindle. Kobo had the pages feature before Kindle did but Kindle eventually got it so I bet shelves are only an update or two away.

That would be VERY cool! Though to deal with no shelves or collections, I just keep things I haven't yet read on my Kindle. I store everything else in the archives.
Of course that's about 600 books currently on my Kindle, but I guess that's ok, right? :)

I do that with the Kindle app on my tab and I did that on the Fire too with about the same amount of books. I also kept indie stuff that I just grabbed because it was free in the archives to wait there until someone praised it and then I moved it over. I used to do that with the Kobo app til one day a little button appeared in the lower left hand corner that said "shelves." I nervously pushed it and is showed me all the shelves that I had installed on the KOBO with all the books that I had placed on the shelves. Angels sang. Harps played. Confetti and balloons rained down. It was (sniff) so beautiful....

I know that Kindle will have a moment like this soon. If the KOBO app can do it, so can the Kindle. Kindle has the best selection of books (it ain't even close) but KOBO seems to be a more advanced e-reader and app. in some ways.

I miss the smell of books.
New books....old books.

Kindles should be book scented.

I picked up THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY today.

Nice, Kealan!
I don't believe I've seen a Kobo.

Jon Recluse wrote: "I picked up THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY today."

Great book! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Charlene wrote: "Nice, Kealan!
I don't believe I've seen a Kobo."

If you find one at a local indie store that sells them, it's a good way to read digital and still support and keep open bookstores. KOBO is the best!

I just finished Brew by Bill Braddock. It's brilliant! It's a Richard Laymon-style extreme horror thriller (not as hard as Wrath James White or Monica O'Rourke's work, but still not for the faint of heart). If you're into that, it's a hell of a fun ride.

Looks good. Thanks, Bracken!

I just finished The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum. It was awesome, if you're interested in morbid history books.

Jon Recluse wrote: "I love bookstores, but now I have to take a train and a subway to find one.
I go to the library 3 times a week just to be around books."

Luckily I don't have to go all that far for a bookstore around here. As for the library, I haven't been to an actual library in a while, though once I finish putting all my books away (Just moved into a new place) I will have my own library in the 2nd bedroom with a lot of books, movies, and CDs!

The editing issues with my ARC of The Troop required me to put that book on hold for a while as I couldn't get into the story without being distracted by those issues.

So now I am reading

He's definitely one of my favorite authors, though I am sure you already know that from the praise I have given him. He's about the only author I am a huge fan of that I can recommend to pretty much anyone as I wouldn't classify his work under any specific genre.

I'm not very far into but I am definitely enjoying this one and already found my smiling at one part involving one of the main characters in the 2nd chapter. I don't know if it will measure up to The Kite Runner, but I am sure I will love this one. It's typically hard for me to change my favorite novel of a specific author once it's made, but I'm sure it's possible. I think it will be extremely difficult to surpass The Kite Runner because of how much that one got to me emotionally.

Just started . A friend suggested a book by Rufty because he's supposedly Laymon-like.

I'm reading

Currently reading and

Currently reading the Martian by Andy weir

Presently, I'm reading by James A. Moore while I wait for my order of by Andrew Vachss to arrive.

Bracken wrote: "Presently, I'm reading by James A. Moore while I wait for my order of by Andrew Vachss..."

LOVED Homestead! A little different from Moore, but I thought he did a great job!

Currently reading The Ocean at the end of the Lane

Just joined the group, and it's great see some familiar faces here! I'm currently reading; , , and . I have a bad habit of reading too many things at once.

I can tell just by looking that the cover of The Grimscribe's Puppets was done by Daniele Serra. His work is awesome. (Kealan's covers are great too!)

It's nice to see you here, Heidi. It looks like you have a good bunch of books there. :)

I just started Gary McMahon's The Concrete Grove.

Charlene wrote: "I can tell just by looking that the cover of The Grimscribe's Puppets was done by Daniele Serra. His work is awesome. (Kealan's covers are great too!)

It's nice to see you here, Heidi. It looks l..."

I picked up on the Daniele Serra cover, too....they are very distinctive.

Charlene wrote: "I can tell just by looking that the cover of The Grimscribe's Puppets was done by Daniele Serra. His work is awesome. (Kealan's covers are great too!)

Yeah -- I love the super-creepy Daniele Serra covers (and Kealan's, too.). Too bad I have all those books in e-format, so I can't look at the artwork in person, as it were.

Speaking of covers....I wonder if we'll see a day when book covers on e-books either move or change or are interactive or something. That could be pretty cool! If you have not done so, you should check out Gigapixel Artzoom and the pic they have of Seattle. The possibilities for a book cover are endless!!
That said...I love the smell and feel of physical books too!

Hudson wrote: "Speaking of covers....I wonder if we'll see a day when book covers on e-books either move or change or are interactive or something. That could be pretty cool! If you have not done so, you should c..."

Here you go, Hudson:

http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/05...

Oops -- and and (to prepare for ). See what I mean? I can't help myself. It's a wonder I ever finish anything!

Just finished Broken Sigil. It's a great, quick read.

Jason wrote: "Just finished Broken Sigil. It's a great, quick read."

Yes, I am really enjoying it! I'll make an effort to finish this one tonight; doable, since it's a novella.

Currently reading and

Kealan wrote: "Reading the flight delays at Columbus Airport. Curse my luck!"

That sucks. Sorry, Kealan.

Charlene wrote: "Kealan wrote: "Reading the flight delays at Columbus Airport. Curse my luck!"

That sucks. Sorry, Kealan."

Hope you have a good book with you! Hang in there.

Hope you get where you are going soon, Kealan.

Have a safe trip, Kealan

Kealan wrote: "Thanks folks!"

Happy, Safe journey!! :)

I'm reading WHITE FIRE by Preston and Child.

Jon Recluse wrote: "I'm reading WHITE FIRE by Preston and Child."

That one reminded me of the older Pendergast books :)

Reading WHITE by Tim Lebbon and listening to THE 5TH WAVE by Rick Yancey. Both very good so far.

What are those books about?

Christine wrote: "What are those books about?"

Hey Christine, WHITE is kind of a post apocalyptic horror novella, things moving around out in a snowstorm type story, which is right up my alley. THE 5TH WAVE is a novel about a teenage girl living in a (jeez, guess I need to switch up my reading preferences soon) post apocalyptic world after an alien invasion.