Monday Book Links 5/25-5/31

I’ve been noticing that in the book review community, many reviewers will not accept e-books. I think that’s a waste, and I’m sure they’re missing out on a lot of great books just because of format. You don’t need a Kindle to read e-books, all you need is a computer. Here are some great resources for e-books.

• Public Libraries: Many local libraries have an e-book lending system. Find your library’s website and see what you can pick up.

• For those who simply must have some kind of e-reader, your phone is often enough. I use Mobipocket, one of the few e-readers that has a Blackberry port. I’ve read everything from Jane Austen to David Weber on my phone. And it’s free to download!

• For a great book blog that often addresses e-books and the issues that go along with them, check out the Bookavore. She is one book-smart lady.

• One of my favorite sites for finding science fiction and fantasy e-books in Fictionwise. They have a large selection and carry many of today’s most popular authors in the genre. Plus, their prices are reasonable.

• Finally, for the book lover who absolutely must have an e-reader, check out the reviews for the three top e-readers. It’s not surprising that the Kindle is at the top, but there are other great readers out there.

I think so many book blogger dismiss e-books because the idea of not holding the hard copy in our hands is so disconcerting. We deal so much with the online world, it’s nice to be able to come back to reality with a book in our hands. But I also think that is doing a disservice to a new technology that is making books available to so many more people. Give e-books a chance.

Read Full Post »

Monday is Book Links Day! 4/20-4/27

As I become more involved in the literary community, through authors and other bloggers and websites, I come across some really awesome posts, links, gadgets, etc. Every Monday, I’ll make a post about what I’ve found that’s new and exciting over the past week. Here’s the first installment. (I love suggestions, too, so if you think there’s a website I should visit, or blog I should read, etc, please tell me in the comments.)

• First up, if you haven’t heard of e-books by now, you’re a moron. Not to offend anyone, but it’s true. The world is going digital, and some publishers have been quicker on the uptake than others. One of the fastest is Baen Books, the Science Fiction branch of Tor. The Baen Free Library is an (ever-growing) collection of some of their most well-loved titles by some of SF’s most successful authors. For FREE. In e-Book format. My blackberry is full of these titles, and I’ve bought the entire Honor Harrington series by David Weber, because of the Baen Free Library.

• Speaking of progress, a new gadget for the future was revealed this week at the London Book Fair. The Espresso Book Machine is the “ATM for books” according to the Guardian article. Read on for more information. (Holy crap, I want one!)

• Blog-wise, I have long been reading Outside of a Dog: Kate Nepveu’s Book Log. She’s got a great critical mind, and reads a wide range of books. Also, I love her blog name. For those not in the know, it comes from this famous quote by Groucho Marx:

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.“

• If you’re looking for a great new author to read, please don’t hesitate to pick up a copy of N K Jemisin’s upcoming title, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. It’s currently due out in February of 2010, but is available for pre-order on Amazon. Read her blog for more info.

• Finally, I wanted to let everyone know that this coming Wednesday, April 29th, is my birthday. So if anyone feels the urge or the necessity to buy me a present, how about an awesome recycled/repurposed book purse?! Rebound Designs makes really cool and functional purses out of old (and some not so old) book covers. I’m partial to Pride and Prejudice myself, pictured at the top of this post. (hint hint!)

I hope you’ve enjoyed the first edition of Book Links. I can’t wait to see what I find this week!

Read Full Post »