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Kindle me, baby

With brand new e-books buzzing around the place in all their techno-awesomeness, looking down on the regular book readers with eco-friendly superiority, this avid and old-fashioned reader is wondering whether it’s worth taking the leap.

The apparent market leader is the Kindle, however there are alternatives.

kindle

I understand the benefits of these little readers. They’re convenient. I was book shopping with my friend on Wednesday, and when I left the house, I had 3 books in my bag, plus one borrowed book that I was returning to her. This is a typical occurrence. A Kindle-like reader (Sony has one, too) or even an iPhone with the appropriate application (birthday in 2 months hint, hint) would save me suffering from an even more lopsided shoulder, and would remove the possibility of being stopped at the gates in the airport because my hand luggage exceeds 7kg.

However, call me stubborn and call me unreasonable, but I just cannot imagine sitting and reading a 400 page book on a tiny electronic device. Millions of pairs of eyes around the world are this very second becoming more damaged due to extended periods of time in front of a computer screen. Isn’t this the same, only smaller? If you’re right in the middle of the latest “page”-turner by Matthew Reilly *cough* or completely absorbed in a stream of consciousness masterpiece of Virginia Woolf, are you really going to think to yourself “Oh dear, much time has passed! My eyes are now due a 10 minute break.”? Okay I’m sure nobody actually thinks to themselves like that. And if you do, I apologise.

This issue has been bugging me for some time now, but what better time to write about it than when I have two 1000 feature articles due in less than 72 hours. To those who use these devices, please share any pros and cons you’ve experienced, of saving up for one of these expensive little babies. I will need some convincing.

Is this a fad that Australians just haven’t caught on to yet, with the vigour of say, Americans clamouring to get their hands on Version 2 and what not. Does it really replace the feeling of seeing stacks and stacks of books overflowing from your personal library?

More importantly, could it possibly be more nostalgic than cracking open an old favourite for the first time in years, to breathe in the scent of years gone by…

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July 9th, 2009General Literary musingsRead More >7 Comments


Musing Mondays

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Musing Mondays (BIG)Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about mid-year reading…

Now that we’ve come to the middle of the year, what do you think of your 2009 reading so far? Read anything interesting that you’d like to share? Any outstanding favourites?

I think I’m getting there with my books. I’ve noticed that this year especially, my tastes have become more narrow, which is unfortunate, but it means that I’ve read a lot of different books to get to this stage. I think.

I’ve reread a few books, including Jane Eyre recently, which, when you’re working through a list of books you want to read, can be seen as wasting time. But I could never, ever think that reading Jane Eyre is a waste of time.

Thanks to blog’s like Matt’s and Mae’s, I’ve found new books to read and love, and The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov definitely stands out here.

I’ve also started reading more about the Beats, which made Junky so much more rewarding, and I’ve started dabbling in comics and graphic novels, which I never thought I would.

Interestingly enough, when I first started this blog I would pretty much review every book I had written. Now I review only a small fraction of the books that I read, because, dabbling into new genres, and moving more towards literature and away from airport fiction, etc., I’m finding it more difficult to keep up with the original intentions of With Extra Pulp.

Now that I’ve begun reading Proust, I am not sure what the rest of the year will hold for me, reading-wise. Maybe Sydney will have a different effect on me as well.

What books have you read so far this year? Anything worth mentioning?

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June 29th, 2009Monday MusingRead More >12 Comments


Musing Monday

musing_mondays_big_thumb31Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about reading time…

Do you have a set reading time (before bed, perhaps)? Do you read more at night or during the day? Is there a day of the week, perhaps, that you set aside to catch up on reading?

Considering I don’t have anything pressing (i.e. a JOB!) to wake up early for, I’m in the habit of staying up late reading, and then grabbing one off the pile in my groggy morning state to wolf down for an early breakfast (reading breakfast! I don’t eat the books).

I find it hard to read during the day because I usually feel guilty, so I try to fill my days with more productive activities - catching up on other people’s blogs, writing my own blog, applying for jobs. I can still manage to fit in a fair bit of reading in between all of this though…

Now that I’m cracking a 9-5 on myself in order to get my own work done, I’ll probably have less time to read. This might possibly be a good thing….

Also, being cooped up at home all day makes it a rare treat when I take myself down to a cafe/restaurant and can just chill with a book. When you know the right place, the atmosphere can be great, and there’s often good coffee involved, minus awkward conversations about my ongoing unemployment or arguments over who will pay. Reading has definitely increased my, um, loner tendencies…this might change now that I’m back in Brisbane with actual friends.

Does anybody else have a reading schedule?

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June 8th, 2009General Monday MusingRead More >11 Comments


Monday Musing

Monday MusingHave you ever finished a book, then turned around and immediately re-read it? Why? What book(s)?

I can’t say I’ve ever done this. It’s too fresh. The soonest I will come back is at least a month, and with many books in between. It’s the same with a lot of movies, but opposite with albums. I usually listen to an album about 50 times in a row before I find something else.

I re-read many books, but could never do it immediately after finishing. I love the newness, the zing, of devouring a new book, and even if I come back months later, I’m guilty of skipping the parts I don’t like and going straight to my favourite passages. Which isn’t the ideal reading experience.

Also, my next post coming up shortly features my first guest review! It’s exciting, so stay tuned.

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May 11th, 2009Monday MusingRead More >3 Comments


Places to Read

photo by Emil Gomez

Whole family (well, minus two siblings) took Mum up to Maleny this morning, which involved a breathtaking one and a bit hour drive north of Brisbane, and burrowing through mountains of books in the number of quaint bookshops, new and second-hand.

Despite the fact it was Mother’s day, my brothers and I left the ‘rents to go on their Nature Walk for the Elderly while we scouted the best photography spots to try out Emil’s wideangle lense. I think she enjoyed it.

Despite outrageous accusations that I was being “anti-social” and “not a team player”, I decided the day was perfect for reading the newly acquired books: The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Romeo of the Underworld by Veny Armanno, which I’m currently enjoying very thoroughly.

As a person who generally reads anywhere and everywhere, missing bus stops, walking into posts, etc., I arrived back home and found myself missing the country air, the perfect slope by the lake which, when angled correctly, provided a non-glaring light in which to read, the soundtrack of the Storytelling album by Belle & Sebastian; altogether just a little bit deflated.

How important is location to reading? Certain books can only be read under the doonas, and others are just meant for public transport. Has my trip to Maleny raised my atmosphere standards too high now? Will I be able to achieve that same feeling of floating on a cloud?

I hope so.

Just finished first Cable & Deadpool (#1-6)Now reading 4 different books, so pushing through for a review to come soon.

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May 10th, 2009GeneralRead More >No Comments