Have you missed me?
The quarter is over, and I’ve got so much to tell you….
It’s been a hard quarter. Busier then ever, and I’ve done some pretty rewarding things. Now I’m trying to regroup and relax, focusing attention on a few less academic things, like getting the GRE done, and preparing for job hunting.
One of the things that I did during the quarter was purchase a Kindle. Two of my classes required a large amount of reading, and I compensated by buying a friend’s used Kindle thinking I would be able read the PDFs on the way to school.
The instructor who required 700 pages printed wasn’t ok with me using it in class, and not all of the readings worked on it, but in the end it was a smart purchase. I enjoy having a library of books with me , both class reference and fun reading. Amazon has had a variety of free books available, enough to keep me reading, and to encourage me to engage in reading a few new series.
It introduced me to
T.A. Pratt’s Marla Mason series, starting with Blood Engines,
Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series with His Majesty’s Dragon,
Lara Adrian’s Midngight Breed series, with Kiss of Midnight
Laurell Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series with A Kiss of Shadows
Morgan Howell’s Queen of the Orcs trilogy with King’s Property
as well as a number of one offs. Some were great. (T.A. Pratt) Some were not so great (Laurell Hamilton) , and others were pure guilty indulgence (Lara Adrian). I figure as long as it’s no worse then a Debbie Macomber, then I’m good to go.I’ve got an open mind, and will download and read just about anything. I’ve downloaded a handful of samples too, and a couple of short stories.
(Of course it’s always a surprise to download a free novel and find out that it’s erotica. With a Kindle, no one knows when you are reading porn)
I’ve bought a number of books full price on the kindle. T.A.Pratt and Lara Adrian specifically. The decision I am facing now? Well, while the Laurell Hamilton novel wasn’t great I wouldn’t mind picking up book number two.(Again, see “It’s not worse then Debbie Macomber” clause) I could pick up a used copy for .82 on Amazon, probably what it’s worth.
I like having books on the Kindle though, and when I factor in shipping, the difference is only around $1.50, at least for this book.The convience is appealing, though part of me refuses to cave in. I don’t want to pay “full price” for a series I’m not thrilled with. With the Debbie Macombers (and Maeve Binchys) I’m able to purchase the books used at a local bookstore, and in the end return them there when I’m done. It’s a nice little rental cycle that has built up $100 in credit at Balderdash.
In the end, I need to investigate how to get more books onto the Kindle, to try to move .mobi books from the library over, and come to terms that I’m paying for the luxury of having my library with me in a convienent package.