We Love Libraries!

For anyone who's met me in person, this will be an old topic: I love my local library! It's true, I can't help it. The Minuteman Library system is amazing - connecting tons of local libraries within the Boston Metro area and allowing me to request nearly anything I could possibly want. I can request online and track my borrowing (I recently realized I can see ALL the items I've checked out since 2006... it's a bit scary). I love it. It appeals to my thrifty, DIY style and my anal-retentive data side.

Thank you Minuteman Library system!

I've been hearing lately that the young folks (those in their 20s) are getting more and more hip to the library and all I have to say is yay! The library is an amazing resource for all of us and I wish more people would use it. You can borrow books of course but also DVDs and CDs and museum passes. It's a great way to get to know your community with different events (book sales, movie nights, second language conversation).

Sure, I've had my moments of pain (thinking specifically of the time I lost a Will and Grace DVD in my stolen laptop - Mrs. Librarian was not understanding) but overall the staff at my local library is wonderful. They now recognize me (something that brings no end of teasing glee to my loved ones) and engage me in conversation around the books I request. Moreover, they've not once yelled at me for using the library to it's utmost - I mean seriously, I push all the boundaries of borrowing.

It seems I am not alone. Check out this Gizmodo article: Public Libraries are Beating Netflix, Redbox and Blockbuster in DVD Rentals.

And please, go get a library card.

We Love Book Sales!

Okay, you guys get it - I'm a big reader. So it makes perfect sense that when my favorite bookstore (for the record, the Harvard Book Store) holds their semi-annual warehouse sale, I go crazy with excitement.

The bookstore itself is fantastic - they have a great layout, lots of little cubbies to hide in with a book, tall bookshelfs and then a more open area for the latest and greatest. They've got tons of remainders and a used books cave below the main store. They do tons of readings and have a coop program (which I love!) and on top of that, they have a huge book warehouse that they've started opening up to folks for a book sale (in June and December).

This past weekend was the December book sale (typically goes both Saturday and Sunday). We hit it up Saturday mid day and it was magnificent! The shelves are stacked from floor to ceiling, books line every surface, and you can get wonderful deals just in time for the holidays. They hand out bags that you can fill while looking around (danger of shoulder dislocation but still) and every one of your sense is assaulted by books - everywhere you look there are books, it smells like books, you can't help but touch... okay, I didn't taste anything but I bet if I did, it would taste like literature.

For those of you in Boston, I wanted to make sure to share the Harvard Book Sale love with you. Sure, you can't go until June now but please, patronize this store and the warehouse. They're both full of beautiful books and great people.

Plus, you can pick up 15 books for under $100 (including glossy cookbooks!).

The Kindle: A Review

Dear readers! If you remember correctly, last time we met, a new Kindle had fallen into my lap (because it was purchased and brought into my house...). At the best of times, I would describe myself as "skeptical of new technology." I'm no Luddite but I like what I've got and new technology makes me nervous (how many mega pixels does a girl need!?). I'm old fashioned - I like the feel of a book, and the smell of the pages.

Well, without further ado, an old fashioned reader's review of the Kindle: it sort of rocks.

I mean, for serious folks, for travelling, this thing is THE THING. And don't go thinking that I was swayed by it's shiny beauty (I might have been a bit) - I compared the Kindle experience with that of the iPad reader and the Kindle app on my iPod. Yes, the iPad is pretty sweet - it's beautiful and fast and sleek and everything you expect from Apple. But as an e-reader? It's not ideal. Sure, it pulls together my "virtual bookshelf" in a way that is pretty appealing to the eye but once you've compared the actual reading experience to that of the Kindle, the iPad (as well as the Kindle app on the iPod) falls flat.

The Kindle is as close to a real book as an electronics device can get, in my estimation. The greyish screen (I know there's a fancier term for this but I can't remember it) is really paper-like. Your eyes don't get strained or tired; in fact, you sort of don't realize you're reading on a Kindle. And for me, that's the biggest compliment I can give the device. It's not a book; you don't actually turn pages, there's no old book smell, etc. But, I am not constantly reminded that it's not a book - as I am with other e-readers I've tested.

My biggest fear with the Kindle though, was not the feel of it but the actual mechanism for "turning pages." For those of you who aren't familiar, there's a slight shuddering with each page turn and I was convinced (mightily) that it would drive me mad. In reality, I stopped noticing it after page 2. It seems like a HUGE deal when you're just playing with the device but when you're reading a good book? You have other things to focus on.

So am I a convert? Not exactly. I'll probably still prefer hard copy books (unless we're talking War and Peace maybe!) but I have to say that I am a fan of the Kindle. I have converted in that sense. Would I buy one now? Yes. Would I buy one for someone else? Yes (in fact, I already have).

Nice job Amazon.

Books 37-41: A Recap

Another recap of books read when I was not blogging... but I swear... I will start blogging again!

Book 37 - Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick

This book was pretty amazing... and shocking. Amazing because she really pulls you into the daily lives of North Koreans, what it's like to live under a fantastical dictator, in poverty, etc. And shocking because wow, I know so very little about North Korea. It's easy in our ever-connected society to become jaded about the unknown (i.e. think there is no unknown) and it's shocking to find out that you know very little about a veritable genocide going on in current times. The North Korean story is shockingly stark and sad and Barbara Demick does an amazing job of clarifying and expanding the viewpoint that you have about the country and its viewpoints. (314 pages, 4.5 stars)

Book 38 - Awkward Situations for Men by Danny Wallace

Oh Danny Wallace... how I have loved you these many years (some of you might remember Danny from Friends Like These) and how you have forsaken me. Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic but I'll be honest, I was disappointed by Mr. Wallace's most recent effort. Sure, it was still entertaining and I did laugh out loud once or twice but it wasn't in his wheelhouse. Danny Wallace excels at telling ridiculous stories about plans or missions or silly projects - long stories that develop. Awkward Situations is more anecdotal, more essays than a plotline. I missed Danny's developments and long stories... I hope the next book will be more like the Danny of old!
(256 pages, 3.75 stars)

Book 39 - Cop in the Hood by Peter Moskos
I think I bought this book when I was obsessed with The Wire which makes me feel both embarrassed and intrigued. Peter Moskos is a sociology student interested in documenting a year with the Baltimore PD who is, sort of unexpectedly, thrust into becoming an actual cop. The stories are heartwarming, infuriating, disheartening, disgusting, etc. He admits that it is a very small snapshot of real life on the force but the book is interesting none the less. I might have asked for some snappier writing but it was a research project after all. (280 pages, 3.5 stars)

Book 40 - Towelhead by Alicia Erian

I'd heard about Towelhead for awhile so I took advantage of my handy kindle app and downloaded the book. Thought I was pretty engaged in the book and thought a lot about it while reading it, I'm not entirely sure if I liked it or thought it was good. Does this happen to other people? The book was pretty sensationalist and it was difficult for me to tell if this was deliberate, to prove a point (that I might not have gotten) or if it was sensationalism instead of good plot development and writing. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to folks, so I guess that helps to determine my actual opinion.

(336 pages, 3.5 stars)

Book 41 - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I was drawn to When You Reach Me because it's a Newbury Award Winner. For the record, yes, I know I am not a young adult; that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good young adult novel. And Rebecca Stead's book is just that - a really good young adult novel. It pulls in conventions and plot points from other young adult books that I love (Hello A Wrinkle in Time!) but more than that, the characters are well developed, they have clear voices, and the plot is strong and unexpected. Well done Rebecca! I thoroughly enjoyed this book (even as an adult!) and have already been recommending it.

(208 pages, 4.5 stars)

Stay tuned for more books!