| The Digital Book Revolution: Amazon’s Kindle App |
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| Written by Beth Woodward, CC2K Books Editor | |
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Something like this is great for traveling. I’m both a fast and voracious reader. When I go on vacation or head home for the holidays, I generally go through about 2-3 books, maybe more. Of course, that presents a bit of a packing impediment: three books creates a lot of extra weight in my carry-on bag. But since I’d be carrying my phone with me anyway, the weight is no longer an issue. At a compact 4.5 inches by 2.4 inches, it fits easily into my purse. Of course, the small size also means a much smaller screen than you would find on a normal Kindle (the standard size boasts a 6-inch screen), which might be a little annoying to some people. The application does allow you to increase or decrease the standard text size; there are six levels from smallest to largest. You also have the option of three background colors: white, black, and sepia. Of course, if the screen size is annoying you, none of these things will help. The application also works off of the iPhone’s touch screen, which can get a little frustrating as you’re reading. Bumping the screen can flip pages backward or forward. Your best bet, so that you don’t lose your place, is to “mark” a page (by folding down the corner) when you stop reading. Unfortunately, other than that, there’s really no way to navigate between pages easily. The pages are numbered by screens, so unless you happen to know the part you want to read is on screen 1,347, you’re pretty much stuck with flipping through the pages one at a time. In that case, it’s much more time-consuming than a regular book. Not such a big deal with fiction (unless you’re trying to re-read some part to figure out who’s who, which I do frequently), but it could be problematic with textbooks or reference materials. But one thing surprised me the most about the Kindle application: how much I liked it. It’s convenient, it’s cheaper than going to a bookstore, and it’s fast. When I started thinking about the Kindle, I bemoaned the potential loss of paper-and-ink books. Although there’s still nothing quite like the feeling of a brand-new book in your hands, there are certain advantages to the digital revolution. And in the end, what does it matter: you’re reading the same book, regardless. Selected Book Releases, November 23-December 6 November 23 A Good Fall by Ha Jin November 24 Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton The Imperial Cruise: A True Story of Empire and War by James Bradley American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane by Walter Isaacson First Lord’s Fury by Jim Butcher Hollywood Moon by Joseph Wambaugh The Collaborative Habit by Twyla Tharp Delilah by India Edghill The New York Times Practical Guide to Practically Everything, second edition, edited by Amy D. Bernstein and Peter W. Bernstein Will Shortz Presents Sudoku for a Brain Workout, intro. by Will Shortz Flirt by Tracy Brown, K'wan, and Angel Mitchell Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel, with Josh Young Breathless by Dean Koontz Metal Gear Solid 2: The Novel by Raymond The Morning Show Murders by Al Roker and Dick Lochte November 25 All Things at Once by Mika Brzezinski November 30 Thank Heaven by Leslie Caron December 1 You: Having a Baby: The Owner’s Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy by Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen U Is for Undertow by Sue Grafton Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson Highest Duty by Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession by Julie Powell Trial by Fire by J.A. Jance The Art of Avatar by Lisa Fitzpatrick Knives at Dawn: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d'Or Competition by Andrew Friedman Starcraft: Heaven’s Devils by William C. Dietz The Disappeared by M.R. Hall Talking About Detective Fiction by P.D. James The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry |
Back at the beginning of the year, I made a resolution to by Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader before the end of the year. Well, after a few unexpected financial hurdles earlier this year, I finally found myself in a position where I could afford to splurge a little.
